More Pictures

Here are some more pictures of Lake Delton.

TRAGEDY

Here are a few pictures of one of our family's favorite vacation spots. Monday June 9, 2008 after intense rain and flooding, Lake Delton found a way out of it's banks to form a new channel to the Wisconsin River. It almost totally drained. Who knows how long it will be before it is back to normal. Reports today are that Mirror lake is about to flood to the west of the Dells. If it does, hundreds of thousands of gallons will be rushing to the mud pit that is Lake Delton.

The Race is ON

The McCain/Obama wars are about to begin. I wonder how the war will be fought. Will it be on the issues or will it be the typical personal attacks on which politics is usually fought? Where will Hillary's people go? Will they remain true to the party or will they vote against Obama? Time will tell. This is what true political fanatics have been waiting for. My prediction is that this race is going to surprise a lot of people. The race is on.


On a side note, the Cubs are in first place with the best record is baseball(37-21). The Cards are 3 1/2 games behind and the Astros even further back.
GO CUBS GO!!!!!

Rambling Man

Why is it every time I intend to do something, I find something else to do and forget about the original thing I was going to do? I seemed to be so unmotivated lately. I was going to sell a lot on eBay this year, but I got a little discouraged by a couple bad sells, and now it is hard to find the ambition to sell anything else. It doesn't help that eBay keeps changing the rules and changing their price structure. It might help thought at more people will probably do more shopping online due to the gas prices keeping going up. Now all I have to do is find that thing that people usually go out to buy but now are looking to purchase online.

Baseball season has been going good. The Cubs are 2 games up from the Cardinals, which anytime you are beating the Cardinals it is a good thing. Soriano has finally reached his playing potential , and the whole Cubs lineup is getting hits when they need to. This might be bad as they might peak to early, but if they can continue their pace, this might be their year. It is also nice to see Jim Edmunds switching from the darkside to the boys in blue.

Well, time to end. Enough rambling on for now.

Where ya Been?

It's been awhile since I have posted on this site. I have been to Chicago for three days, been working a late shift at work, and been busy on my eBay junk. I figured it was time to sit down and ramble on a little bit.

Going Green- A little bit of irony happened at my kids school play two weeks ago. All three kids were in an Earth Day play at Horace Mann Elementary in Coal Valley. It was a play about the effects all of us have on the environment and what we could do to remedy it. One of the segments was the amount of Styrofoam we use in everyday life and the solution by using paper or reusable plastic. All went well after that in the play until refreshment time at the end. We went through the snack line and was ready to grab our punch and behold what did they serve it in? You make the guess. All I have to say is that the planning between the teachers and the mother who organized the refreshments should have taken more time and consideration.

Next, I have reading a little bit on the FairTax initiative (H.R. 25 2007). It has been an interesting read. It was co-authored by Neal Boortz, Rob Woodall and Georgia Congressman John Linder.
Wouldn't you love to abolish the IRS, keep all the money in your paycheck, pay taxes on what you spend, not what you earn, and eliminate all the fraud, hassle, and waste of our current tax system?Then you'll enjoy reading this book. In the face of the outlandish American tax burden, talk-radio host Neal Boortz and Congressman John Linder are leading the charge to phase out our current, unfair system and enact the FairTax Plan replacing the federal income tax and withholding system with a simple 23 percent retail sales tax on new goods and services. This revision of the current system, which would eliminate the IRS, has already caught fire throughout the United States, with more than 600,000 taxpayers signing on in support of it.

Thats enough rambling for now.....As in the words of the Governator "I'll be back".

What Am I? part 4

This was a comment on one of my recent post:

Should we even be discussing whether one political party is more "Christian" than another? This not only seems narrow-minded, but is also not in line with what our founding fathers had in mind for our country. To try to judge whether any political party is Christian or not is short-sighted. How Christian is "Christian enough"? What denomination's beliefs should we use to judge? What standards does one use to decide? Using only three issues (capitol punishment, abortion, and stem cell research) to make that determination (two, if you lump abortion and stem cell research together, which most Republicans do) is awfully dangerous. I would hate to be judged and pigeonholed based on my beliefs about any three issues alone.
Are there Christian Democrats? Certainly (http://www.liberalslikechrist.org/about/democrat-1.html).
Are there Atheist Republicans? Absolutely (http://www.compleatheretic.com/links/godlessright.html).
Neither Republicans nor Democrats are entirely right or wrong, no matter what measure we use to judge, and we should not base our vote on unrealistic and vague standards.

Basically, I am trying to determine what I, a Christian, actually believes in the political field. I am not trying to persuade one way or another how a person should vote. It is a search to determine what I actually am, politically speaking. I may state what is the more Christian view is, in my opinion. I am also trying to use scripture as a basis of my findings. But as I stated before, which issues are most important? Or which issues should a Christian think, in my opinion, are important? It is not based on 3 issues. Those are just the first 3 issues that I have covered. I do plan on going down the list i have stated in a previous post. Again, it is a search of my political mind. This is a time in my life I am confused what is right or wrong politically speaking. I hope to find an answer.

AMAZINGLY SIMPLE HOME REMEDIES

1. IF YOU'RE CHOKING ON AN ICE CUBE, SIMPLY POUR A CUP OF BOILING WATER DOWN YOUR THROAT. PRESTO! THE BLOCKAGE WILL INSTANTLY REMOVE ITSELF.

2. AVOID CUTTING YOURSELF WHEN SLICING VEGETABLES BY GETTING SOMEONE ELSE TO HOLD THE VEGETABLES WHILE YOU CHOP.

3. AVOID ARGUMENTS WITH THE FEMALES ABOUT LIFTING THE TOILET SEAT - USE THE SINK.

4. FOR HIGH BLOOD PRESSURE SUFFERERS ~ SIMPLY CUT YOURSELF AND BLEED FOR A FEW MINUTES, THUS REDUCING THE PRESSURE ON YOUR VEINS. REMEMBER TO USE A TIMER.

5. A MOUSE TRAP PLACED ON TOP OF YOUR ALARM CLOCK WILL PREVENT YOU FROM ROLLING OVER AND GOING BACK TO SLEEP AFTER YOU HIT THE SNOOZE BUTTON.

6. IF YOU HAVE A BAD COUGH, TAKE A LARGE DOSE OF LAXATIVES. THEN YOU'LL BE AFRAID TO COUGH.

7. YOU ONLY NEED TWO TOOLS IN LIFE - WD-40 AND DUCT TAPE. IF IT DOESN'T MOVE AND SHOULD, USE THE WD-40. IF IT SHOULDN'T MOVE AND DOES, USE THE DUCT TAPE.

8. REMEMBER - EVERYONE SEEMS NORMAL UNTIL YOU GET TO KNOW THEM.

9. IF YOU CAN'T FIX IT WITH A HAMMER, YOU'VE GOT AN ELECTRICAL PROBLEM.

DAILY THOUGHT: SOME PEOPLE ARE LIKE SLINKIES - NOT REALLY GOOD FOR ANYTHING, BUT THEY BRING A SMILE TO YOUR FACE WHEN PUSHED DOWN THE STAIRS.

What Am I part3

Embryonic Stem Cells-

This is from the Republican candidates web site.(John McCain) Stem cell research offers tremendous hope for those suffering from a variety of deadly diseases - hope for both cures and life-extending treatments. However, the compassion to relieve suffering and to cure deadly disease cannot erode moral and ethical principles.

For this reason, John McCain opposes the intentional creation of human embryos for research purposes. To that end, Senator McCain voted to ban the practice of "fetal farming," making it a federal crime for researchers to use cells or fetal tissue from an embryo created for research purposes. Furthermore, he voted to ban attempts to use or obtain human cells gestated in animals. Finally, John McCain strongly opposes human cloning and voted to ban the practice, and any related experimentation, under federal law.(added note:This is the Christian stance, relates to abortion.)

As president, John McCain will strongly support funding for promising research programs, including amniotic fluid and adult stem cell research and other types of scientific study that do not involve the use of human embryos.

Where federal funds are used for stem cell research, Senator McCain believes clear lines should be drawn that reflect a refusal to sacrifice moral values and ethical principles for the sake of scientific progress, and that any such research should be subject to strict federal guidelines.

This is from the Democrat candidate's website. (Barrack Obama)Embryonic stem cells can be obtained from a number of sources, including in vitro fertilization. At this very moment, there are over 400,000 embryos being stored in over 400 facilities throughout the United States. The majority of these are reserved for infertile couples. However, many of these embryos will go unused, destined for permanent storage in a freezer or disposal. We should expand and accelerate research using these embryos, just as we should continue to explore the viability of adult stem cell use and cord blood use.

All over the country, exciting progress is being made in the area of embryonic stem cell research. At the University of Illinois, they're finding that stem cells have the potential to treat blood disorders, lung diseases, and heart damage.

At Johns Hopkins, researchers were able to use mouse embryonic stem cells to repair damaged nerves and restore mobility in paralyzed rats. One can't help but think that it's a matter of when, not if, this research will be able to one day help those who have lost the ability to walk.

For these reasons, I'm proud to be a long-term supporter of greater stem cell research. While I was a member of the Illinois Senate, I was the chief cosponsor of the Ronald Reagan Biomedical Research Act, which would specifically permit embryonic stem cell research in Illinois, and establish review of this research by the Illinois Department of Public Health.

And I'm proud to be a cosponsor of the stem cell bill before us today. This bill embodies the innovative thinking that we as a society demand and medical advancement requires. By expanding scientific access to embryonic stem cells which would be otherwise discarded, this bill will help our nation's scientists and researchers develop treatments and cures to help people who suffer from illnesses and injuries for which there are currently none. But the bill is not without limits; it requires that scientific research also be subject to rigorous oversight.

I realize there are moral and ethical issues surrounding this debate......we're talking about using those stem cells to possibly save the lives of millions of Americans.

The concluded stance that I see, The Republican view is the more Christian view of the two.

Republican 3
Democrat 1

A TALE OF 2 HOUSES

House #1: A 20 room mansion (not including 8 bathrooms ) heated by natural gas. Add on a pool (and a pool house) and a separate guest house, all heated by gas. In one month this residence consumes more energy than the average American household does in a year. The average bill for electricity and natural gas runs over $2400. per month. In natural gas alone, this property consumes more than 20 times the national average for an American home. This house is not situated in a Northern or Midwestern "snow belt" area. It's in the South.
-- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -




House #2: Designed by an architecture professor at a leading national university. This house incorporates every "green" feature current home construction can provide. The house is 4,000 square feet (4 bedrooms) and is nestled on a high prairie in the American southwest. A central closet in the house holds geothermal heat-pumps drawing ground water through pipes sunk 300 feet into the ground. The water (usually 67 degrees F.) heats the house in the winter and cools it in the summer. The system uses no fossil fuels such as oil or natural gas and it consumes one-quarter electricity required for a conventional heating/cooling system. Rainwater from the roof is collected and funneled into a 25,000 gallon underground cistern. Wastewater from showers, sinks and toilets goes into underground purifying tanks and then into the cistern. The collected water then irrigates the land surrounding the house. Surrounding flowers and shrubs native to the area enable the property to blend into the surrounding rural landscape.



~~~~~



HOUSE #1 is outside of Nashville, Tennessee; it is the abode of the so-called "environmentalist" Al Gore.



HOUSE #2 is on a ranch near Crawford, Texas; it is the residence the of the President of the United States, George W. Bush.



And, yes ... I DID check check snopes

http://www.snopes.com/politics/bush/house.asp

WHAT AM I Part 2

I am going to go over the important issues of this presidential race one by on and see how I. a Christian ought to vote. Does one issue outweigh the other? What makes it a Christian issue? I will see.
I really could not find a list of official issues. SO I will be using the website http://www.2decide.com/table.htm to determine my baseline. I will start on the first one and work my way down.

Roe v. Wade

This is a no brainer in my opinion for Christians. Life is holy. Right to Life is sanctity of life. I think there is maybe a little wavering here to be done. Some believe in a right to live amendment. However, in a case of medical emergency, I believe the doctor and the woman should have a choice. I know I may receive some slack or guff from some people here, but whose life is more important? The womans or the baby? Again, this is in a case of dire medical emergency, not for convenience.

But for arguments sake....I and Christian should be against abortion. GOP 1 Dem 0

Death Penalty
Even the Bible teaches an eye for an eye. However this is not to be used as a personal punishment, but a sentence put forth buy a judge.
Genesis 9:6: "Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man." (KJV)
Numbers 35:31"Do not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer, who deserves to die. He must surely be put to death."
Numbers 35:33"Do not pollute the land where you are. Bloodshed pollutes the land, and atonement cannot be made for the land on which blood has been shed, except by the blood of the one who shed it."
However, there is the case: When the Pharisees brought a woman who was caught in the act of adultery to Jesus and asked Him if she should be stoned, Jesus replied, "If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her" (John 8:7).

First of all, God does allow capital punishment. He also gave the power of punishment to the government. It is wrong and unscriptural to claim that God opposes the death penalty in all instances. We as Christians should never rejoice when the death penalty is employed, but at the same time, Christians should not fight against the government’s right to execute the perpetrators of the most evil of crimes.

But, both parties basically believe in the same ideas on this issue, so
GOP 2 DEM 1

These are the first 2 issues on the list. Let the flaming begin.

What Am I?

At times I wonder which political party I should be belong to. It seems like Christian people vote Republican today because of basically 2 issues-abortion and gay marriages. They may be Christians, but I think they miss the broad points oft spoken by Jesus; of helping the poor, making peace, protecting God’s creation and of accepting any who come to the table. I will also openly say here that I am not a perfect Christian either; there is no such person alive on this planet unless Jesus Christ Himself has already returned. For those of you that don’t follow Christian theology, the concept of Christians not being perfect, but forgiven, sums it up pretty well. The issues we should consider today are:(which I got from another blog http://christiandemocrat.us/blog )
1. The Economy – The GOP will forever favor big business and leave the small business owner in the dust of donation less requests. Democrats will use inspired programs to chase the worthy dreams of energy independence, environmental concerns and needed infrastructure improvements all of which will create jobs.

2. Fiscal Responsibility – Democrats don’t run up deficits. Yes, taxes may be higher but the selfishness of leaving a ton of debt to our children’s children is unconscionable. Worse, deficits sell our country out to the rest of the world. How much of this deficit is because of the war in Iraq? Which brings me to my next point.

3. End the War in Iraq – kind of a no-brainer, and truth is we will likely have forces there for some time but both Democratic Party candidates vow to bring our troops home. We support our troops without question. We do not support this war. I still believe the president did not like about the weapons of mass destruction. He received bad intel and acted on it. He just needs to admit it.

4. Immigration – all current candidates favor some form of immigration solution. It is an issue only in how we build better borders and how we indoctrinate those that are here that we will allow to stay. Very simply, as Reagan realized, we can’t afford to round up and send home 11 million people. We just need to put a cork in the bottle. But the juice that has already been spilled, just clean it up a little.

This is just a start. I am going to continue to examine what I do believe in the next few postings. Who are the truer Christians? Is it the Republicans because of the stance on abortion and gay marriages or is it the Democrats on the positions of helping the poor, preserving the Earth, and social issues? I have a outline in mind and plan to expand it more. Stay tuned.

My Best Friend

Here is a picture of my best friend and me. It was taken on our Second Honeymoon cruise to paradise.

How good is her memory?

Will did she or didn't she? Or maybe she forgot it was videotaped? Either way, her memory is not to good.

Modern Day Truths from the1700's

That government is best which governs the least, because its people discipline themselves. - Thomas Jefferson

My reading of history convinces me that most bad government results from too much government. - Thomas Jefferson

The natural process of things is for liberty to yield and government to gain ground. - Thomas Jefferson

What a great slogan:

"My friends, we live in the greatest nation in the history of the world.
I hope you'll join with me as we try to change it." (B. Obama)




If this doesn't worry you.....forget I mentioned it.