GFF--Goes Around

My apologies for not getting this up sooner.  I landed a much needed bit of extra work and it has taken up a good deal more time than I anticipated.

Firefighters Pay it Forward Big Time After Waitress With Heart of Gold Picks Up Tab

A waitress who did a good deed for a pair of firefighters was overwhelmed when they returned the favor—for her father.

Instead of a bill for their breakfast, Liz Woodward brought a pair of New Jersey firefighters a thank you note—they’d just spent the night battling a blaze at a warehouse.

“Your breakfast is on me today,” the note read, along with little drawings of a fire ax and helmet. “Thank you for all that you do.”

Firefighter Tim Young posted the story and a photo of the note to Facebook, urging people to eat at the diner where she worked.

Then, he found out the waitress had a GoFundMe page, which she was using to try and raise $17,000 to buy her father a wheelchair accessible van.

“Turns out, the young lady who gave us a free meal is really the one that could use the help,” Young wrote in another post.

The firefighter’s plea spread like wildfire. His posts were shared thousands of times and 1,000 people donated more than $67,000 — $50,000 more than her goal.

After Korean War Monument is Vandalized in NJ, a South Korean Town Donates to Repair it

Sixty-two years after the Korean War ended, residents of a South Korean town reached out to veterans in New Jersey to remind them that their sacrifice in the 1950s will never be forgotten.

A refurbished monument that honors local veterans of the Asian conflict was unveiled Monday in Jersey City, after vandals had defaced the circular memorial in October. When word of the vandalism reached the city of Uijeongbu, folks there decided to send $100,000 to pay for the repairs.

Speaking at Monday’s unveiling ceremony, Hyung Gil Kim, deputy counsel general of the Consulate General of the Republic of Korea in New York, expressed his deepest gratitude on behalf of all South Koreans.

“The Korean War is not forgotten,” Kim said. “Koreans will never, ever forget the services and sacrifice of your brothers and husbands and your fathers and grandfathers.” 

 Man Who Donated Son’s Organs Years Ago Gets Same Gift From Recipient’s Mom

The gift of life that was given ten years ago is being paid back by a grateful mother to a now-ailing father.

In 2005, Bill Millard and his wife decided to donate their son’s organs when he died in an accident.

That donation saved the life of fellow San Francisco, California resident Janice McKinnon’s son.

Ten years later, she is returning the favor, donating her own kidney to Mr. Millard who is now in need of a kidney transplant.

Thoughts on Sigma

One of the reasons I like reading Vox is because he puts my thoughts into words.  Another reason is that sometimes he puts into words thoughts that I might have had, had I actually taken the time to think about it.  The social-sexual hierarchy is one of those thoughts that I didn't have but after reading about it, makes sense to me.

When you've got a list of categories you want to see where you, and others fit into it.  I saw that going on when he introduced the concept of Sigma.  It seemed like several fellas wanted to paint themselves into that picture.

You almost have to go back to Jr High and High school to come up with a universally recognizable picture of a sigma.  Here's my attempt at a description.  A sigma is the guy that:

Plays sports,
AND
Is in the chess club, or drama, band, etc

Is into typical guy stuff,
AND
Doesn't care who knows that he likes poetry, or classical music etc.

Likes learning,
AND
Hates school/the system.

Loves to read,
AND
Can't be bothered to apply himself.

Is smart,
AND
Lazy.

Will fight black kids
AND
Be friends with the biggest black guy in school
AND
Take out the sister of one of the guys he fought.

Likes having fun, especially when it means taking risks.

Will go to a party at an unpopular kids house because he wants to, even if the rest of the class blows it off.

Will ask out the hottest girl in school
AND
Get turned down,
THEN
Show up with another date that turns heads.

When his date is asked where she goes to school, she will say "I'm a sophomore at State", because she is.

He will care deeply
BUT
Say it doesn't matter
AND
No one will know which is true.

At 17 his date will get carded at the bar
BUT
He will not
BECAUSE
She is 21 and the doorman assumes he is too.

The sigma will drink a beer with the stoners, the jocks, the band geeks, the brothers or his first period teacher because that's who he wants to have a beer with.

He will date a dumb girl and the class Valedictorian, on the same night. 

He will not go along to get along.

He will not snitch.

The sigma is a guy who doesn't fit "in" because he isn't exclusively "in" any group, but he isn't excluded because he's basically cool with everybody.  He's the guy that likes what he likes and does what he wants to do.  Girls go along with it.

Mountains Out of Meadows

I said yesterday that "America would be better as a nation if more men would...take a stand for and speak out plainly about what they believe".  I found it extremely gratifying today to read about someone who is doing just that.

Ever hear of a Congress Critter by the name of Mark Meadows?  Me either, that is until today.

Ever hear of John Benedict Boehner?  You may  know him by his Secret Service code name, "Obama's Bitch".  He's the guy pushing Obamas agenda in the US Congress.  He's supposed to be a Republican.  Benedict Boehner is the single most zealous persecutor of anyone representing a conservative constituency in the House of Representatives.

John Boehner coup: Mark Meadows files motion to oust House Speaker

Mr. Meadows, North Carolina Republican, filed a motion to “vacate the chair,” which could force a no-confidence vote by the full chamber and result in the removal of Mr. Boehner as speaker.

In the resolution, Mr. Meadows says Mr. Boehner, Ohio Republican, “has endeavored to consolidate power and centralize decision-making, bypassing the majority of the 435 Members of Congress and the people they represent.”

He accused the speaker of limiting debate, pushing legislation to the brink to compel votes in a state of crisis, and moving to “punish Members who vote according to their conscience” instead of how he wants.

The Meadows resolution says Mr. Boehner has caused the Congress to “atrophy,” making it “subservient” to the executive and judicial branches. 

The above quote represents most of what I know about Mark Meadows.  What he is doing, fighting institutional corruption and the Obama wing of the Republican Party, is so grand that it over comes his greatest personal failing, being elected to congress.

BJW Q&A Part 1

Q: What does a nosey pepper do?
A: Gets jalapeno business!

Q: What do you call a fake noodle?
A: An Impasta

Q: What do you call an alligator in a vest?
A: An Investigator

Q: What happens if you eat yeast and shoe polish?
A: Every morning you'll rise and shine!

Q: "What's the difference between a guitar and a fish?"
A: "You can't tuna fish."

Q: What do you call a pile of kittens
A: a meowntain

Q: What do you call a baby monkey?
A: A Chimp off the old block.

Q: Did you hear about the race between the lettuce and the tomato?
A: The lettuce was a "head" and the tomato was trying to "ketchup"!

Q: Did you hear about the hungry clock?
A: It went back four seconds.

Q: What do you call a boy who finally stood up to the bullies?
A: An ambulance.

Q: Why can't you give Elsa a balloon?
A: Because she will Let it go.

Q: What do you get from a pampered cow?
A: Spoiled milk.

Q: If Mississippi bought Virginia a New Jersey, what would Delaware?
A: Idaho... Alaska!

Q: Did you hear about that new broom?
A: It's sweeping the nation!

Q: What do you call an elephant that doesn't matter?
A: An irrelephant.

Q: What do lawyers wear to court?
A: Lawsuits!

Q: What gets wetter the more it dries?
A: A towel.

Q: Why did the belt get arrested?
A: He held up a pair of pants.

Q: What do you call a fat psychic?
A: A four chin teller.

Q: What do you call a computer floating in the ocean?
A: A Dell Rolling in the Deep.

Q: What did Bacon say to Tomato?
A: Lettuce get together!

Q: What do you call a computer that sings?
A: A-Dell

Q: Did you hear about the shampoo shortage in Jamaica?
A: It's dread-full.

Q: What is it called when a cat wins a dog show?
A: A CAT-HAS-TROPHY!

Q: How do you make a tissue dance?
A: Put a little boogey in it!

Q: What is heavy forward but not backward?
A: Ton.

Q: What do you call a gangsta snowman?
A: Froze-T

Q: What did the femur say to the patella?
A: I kneed you.

Q: What do you get if you cross a cat with a dark horse?
A: Kitty Perry

Q: Why did the picture go to jail?
A: Because it was framed.

Q: What do you call a three-footed aardvark?
A: a yardvark!

Q: What do you get when you cross fish and an elephant?
A: Swimming trunks.

Q: Where do bees go to the bathroom?
A: At the BP station!

Q: Who earns a living driving their customers away?
A: A taxi driver.

Q: What do you call a laughing jar of mayonnaise?
A: LMAYO

Q: What do you call a dinosaur with a extensive vocabulary?
A: a thesaurus.

Q: "How do you shoot a killer bee?"
A: "With a bee bee gun."

Q: How do you drown a Hipster?
A: In the mainstream.

Q: What kind of jokes do you make in the shower?
A: Clean Jokes!

Q: What did the baby corn say to the mama corn?
A: "Where's Popcorn?"

Q: What do you call sad coffee?"
A: Despresso.

Q: How do you make holy water?
A: Boil the hell out of it!

Q: What happened to the dog that swallowed a firefly?
A: It barked with de-light!

Q: What stays in the corner and travels all over the world?
A: A stamp.

Q: What do you call a man with no body and just a nose?
A: Nobody nose.

Q: Why did the computer go to the doctor?
A: Because it had a virus!

Q: Why are frogs so happy?
A: They eat whatever bugs them

Q: What is brown and has a head and a tail but no legs?
A: A penny.

Q: How do you make an Octupus laugh?
A: With ten-tickles

Q: Why are pirates called pirates?
A: Cause they arrrrr.

Q: What is the tallest building in the world?
A: The library! It has the most stories!

Q: What's the first bet that most people make in their lives?
A: the alpha bet

Q. What do you get when you cross a cow and a duck?
A. Milk and quackers!

Q: How do you organize a space party?
A: You planet!

Q: What did the leopard say after eating his owner?
A: Man, that hit the "spot."

Q: What do you call a sleeping bull?
A: A bulldozer!

Q: What do you call security guards working outside Samsung shops?
A: Guardians of the Galaxy.

Q: What do you call having your grandma on speed dial?
A: Instagram.

Q: Why did the banana go to the Doctor?
A: Because it was not peeling well

Q: Why is England the wettest country?
A: Because the queen has reigned there for years!

Q: What belongs to you but others use more?
A: Your name

Q: Why do fish live in salt water?
A: Because pepper makes them sneeze!

Q: Why did the man put his money in the freezer?
A: He wanted cold hard cash!

Q: What do you get when you cross a snowman with a vampire?
A: Frostbite.

Q: What is the best day to go to the beach?
A: Sunday, of course!

Q: Which is the building is the largest?
A: The library because it has the most stories.

Q: What do you call an illegally parked frog?
A: Toad.

Q: What bow can't be tied?
A: A rainbow!

Q: What do you call a laughing motorcycle?
A: A Yamahahaha

Q: What season is it when you are on a trampoline?
A: Spring time.

Q: Where did the computer go to dance?
A: To a disc-o.

Q: What is pink, goes in hard and dry and comes out soft and wet?
A: Bubble Gum.

Q: What has one head, one foot and four legs?
A: A Bed

Q: What is the difference between a school teacher and a train?
A: The teacher says spit your gum out and the train says "chew chew chew".

Q: Why did the birdie go to the hospital?
A: To get a tweetment.

Q: Why did the cross-eyed teacher lose her job?
A: Because she couldn't control her pupils?

Q: What do you call someone who is afraid of Santa?
A: A Clausterphobic

Q: What three candies can you find in every school?
A: Nerds, DumDums, and smarties.

Q: What sound do porcupines make when they kiss?
A: Ouch

Q: Why was the guy looking for fast food on his friend?
A: Because his friend said dinner is on me.

Q: Did you hear the joke about the roof?
A: Never mind, it's over your head!

Q: What do you call a bee that lives in America?
A: USB

Q: How do you make a tissue dance?
A: Put a bogey in it.

Q: Why didn't the skeleton go to the dance?
A: Because he had no-body to go with.

Q: How do crazy people go through the forest?
A: They take the psycho path.

Q: Did you hear about the angry pancake?
A: He just flipped.

Q: What do prisoners use to call each other?
A: Cell phones.

Q: What do you call a cow with a twitch?
A: Beef Jerky.

Q: Did you ever hear about that movie constipation?
A: It never came out.

Q: What Do You Call A Bear With No Teeth?
A: A Gummy Bear

Q: What do you get when you cross Sonic The Hedgehog and Curious George?
A: 2 Fast 2 Curious

Q: Did you hear about the hairdresser?
A: She dyed.

Q: What do you call a musician with problems?
A: a trebled man.

Q: Did you hear about the Italian chef that died?
A: He pasta way.

Q: Where do snowmen keep their money?
A: In snow banks.

Q: What do you call a very religious person that sleep walks?
A: a Roman Catholic

Q: Did you hear about the crab that went to the seafood disco?
A: He pulled a muscle

Q: Did you hear about the carrot detective?
A: He got to the root of every case.

Q. What did the tie say to the hat?
A. You go on ahead and I'll hang around

Q: What washes up on very small beaches?
A: Microwaves!

Q: What never asks questions but receives a lot of answers?
A: the Telephone.

Q: What goes through towns, up & over hills, but doesn't move?
A: The road!

Q: Did you hear about the guy who got hit in the head with a can of soda?
A: He was lucky it was a soft drink.

Q: Why was there thunder and lightning in the lab?
A: The scientists were brainstorming!

Q: What did Delaware?
A: a New Jersey

Q: Why did Tony go out with a prune?
A: Because he couldn't find a date!

Q: What did the little mountain say to the big mountain?
A: Hi Cliff!

Q: Did you hear the one about the geologist?
A: He took his wife for granite so she left him

Q: What did Winnie The Pooh say to his agent?
A: Show me the honey!

Q: What did the man say to the wall?
A: One more crack like that and I'll plaster ya!

Q: What do you get when you cross a fridge with a radio?
A: Cool Music

Q: Why couldn't the pirate play cards?
A: Because he was sitting on the deck!

Q: What's the difference between bird flu and swine flu?
A: If you have bird flu, you need tweetment. If you have swine flu, you need oink-ment.

Q: Why did the traffic light turn red?
A: You would too if you had to change in the middle of the street!

Q: What did one elevator say to the other elevator?
A: I think I'm coming down with something!

Q: What do you call a window that raps?
A: 2PANEZ

Q: Why can't your nose be 12 inches long?
A: Because then it would be a foot!

Q: What has four wheels and flies?
A: A garbage truck!

Q: What starts with a P, ends with an E, and has a million letters in it?
A: Post Office!

Q: What do you call a belt with a watch on it?
A: A waist of time

Q: What did the blanket say to the bed?
A: Don't worry, I've got you covered!

Q: Why should you take a pencil to bed?
A: To draw the curtains!

Q: What do you call an unpredictable, out of control photographer?
A: a loose Canon

Q: What do you call a frozen dog?
A: A pupsicle.

Q: What does the Lone Ranger say when he takes out the garbage?
A: To the dump, to the dump, to the dump dump dump.

Q: How many books can you put in an empty backpack?
A: One! After that its not empty!

Q: What kind of button won't unbutton?
A: A bellybutton!

Q: What do you call an 80s synth pop band with a scoop of ice cream?
A: Depeche a la Mode.

Q: What do you call a group of men waiting for a haircut?
A: A barbercue

Q: Why do sea-gulls fly over the sea?
A: Because if they flew over the bay they would be bagels!

Q: What dog keeps the best time?
A: A watch dog.

Q: What do you call a condiment with a hit single?
A: a must"heard"

Q: What do you call two fat people having a chat?
A: A heavy discussion

Q: Why did the tomato turn red?
A: It saw the salad dressing!

Q: What do you get when you plant kisses?
A: Tu-lips (two-lips)

Q: What did the daddy chimney say to the baby chimney?
A: You are to little to smoke!

Q: What do you call a ghosts mom and dad?
A: Transparents

Q: What did the grape do when it got stepped on?
A: It let out a little wine!

Who Said...?

Who said the following:

 “Abortion is genocide. Anything growing is living…If you got the thrill to set the baby in motion and you don’t have the will to protect it, you’re dishonest…You try to avoid reproducing sickness. You try to avoid reproducing deformities. But you don’t try to stop reproducing and procreating human life at its best. For who knows the cure for cancer won’t come out of some mind of some Black child?” (Jet Magazine Mar 22, 1973; p. 15)

This is from a different person.  Do you know who said it?

"I accepted an invitation to talk to the women's branch of the Ku Klux Klan...I saw through the door dim figures parading with banners and illuminated crosses...I was escorted to the platform, was introduced, and began to speak...In the end, through simple illustrations I believed I had accomplished my purpose. A dozen invitations to speak to similar groups were proffered." 

Same person as above different quote:

"We should hire three or four colored ministers, preferably with social-service backgrounds, and with engaging personalities. The most successful educational approach to the Negro is through a religious appeal. We don't want the word to go out that we want to exterminate the Negro population. and the minister is the man who can straighten out that idea if it ever occurs to any of their more rebellious members."

What do both of these people have in common?  If you guessed active involvement with Planned Parenthood, you'd be right.  The first quote is from Jesse Jackson.  From the early 1970's until 1984 Jesse Jackson worked against abortion in the US.  Starting in 1984 Jackson flip flopped on the issue.   About the same time Jackson received an endorsement from PP for his presidential campaign.  I wasn't able to find out how much money they contributed to him and has organizations.

The last two quotes are from Margret Sanger, a key founder of Planned Parenthood.  It looks like they found a house negro willing to do their bidding.

Trump and Joe

I like what Donald Trump is doing politically.

I like what Sheriff Joe Arpaio is doing in Arizona.

I'll even go farther than saying I like them.  America would be better as a nation if more men would do what they are doing and take a stand for and speak out plainly about what they believe.

There seems to be an effort in the MSM to lump Don and Joe in the same boat.  I think that its meant to discredit Trump by association.  The two issues they have in common is illegal migration and the other is the birther issue. 

On illegals Joe is facing a different problem than Don.  Don gets to talk about big picture policy stuff.  Joe has illegals running around that he is responsible to round up and enforce various laws against.  For Don the problem is theoretical.  For Joe its immediate in its application.  Donald isn't going to have federal officers pointing guns at him and raiding his office in retaliation for his opinions.  Joe had that happen last week.

I find it disturbing that federal law enforcement is more concerned with cops who are enforcing immigration law than they are with cops who do more aggrieves things against civil rights, like no-knock warrants on non-violent suspects, SWATTING etc.  You'd think a black president would be more sensitive to the civil rights of Afro-Americans (heck any Americans) than illegals.  Not this one.

Joe has done more to legally investigate the birther stuff than anyone else I've heard about.  Yet he's never had the whole case presented in a court.  I doubt he ever will.  The MSM wants to paint him as some sort of kook for even considering that there may be evidence that Obama isn't legit.

Some time ago Trump said that he didn't know if O was qualified to be president.  That doesn't make Don a nut job.  It makes him honest.  Nobody knows beyond a reasonable doubt if O constitutionally qualified to be president.  Nobody.*

So why even bring it up?

Its about trying to smear, in some way or fashion a man who is doing well politically.  The only reason Donald is doing as well as he is, is because he is questioning the narrative that the MSM and both political parties are pushing. 

Americans know they are being sold a bill of goods.  The people doing the selling hate anyone drawing attention to the con job that is going down.  We are going to see more efforts to paint Trump as out of touch or kooky as time goes on.  They did the same thing to Regan.

If the Donald can do the same thing Regan did, and keep the tone light hearted while keeping the truth in the spot light, he'll get himself elected.



*If Frank Marshall Davis is Obama's biological father, then BHO is not constitutionally disqualified as a natural born citizen.  In that case, the other birther issues become moot.

The Devil Goes to Detroit

My first dance as a teenager (driving my date) was a Halloween themed event.  I asked out a girl from work.   Her high school was putting on a dance.  She wanted to go.  I found myself in a dark gym decorated with black and orange crepe paper and a disco ball hanging from the scoreboard.

I didn't know how to dance.  The slow songs were easy; hold the girl and sway, "accidently" cop a feel, repeat.  She'd brush her boobs against me, and sneak a peek from the corner of her eye to check the effect.  For romantic emphasis, I looked deeply into her eyes and mouth the lyrics to the song.  My hand gently caressed as it drifted down, slowly down, dangerously lower on her backside. 

Receive, the disapproving stare of a crone accompanied by the stern shaking of the head.  Feel, the gnarled claw of a chaperone gripping my wrist and placing my hand in a position roughly mid-back, but away from the temptation of the bra clasp.  Wonder, if you will ever recover from that encounter with the icy clasp of frigidity.  See, the pleased look in your date's eye as she contemplates the ramifications of you getting busted.

I have no recollection of what we did during the fast dances.  I think it involved awkward jerky movements and lots of attempts to avoid the dance floor.  The last slow dance was an extended version of REO Speedwagon's "I can't fight this feeling".  I detected a case of THO.  She flashed a knowing grin and said something about one more dance. 

The DJ put on a fast song.

I don't remember what song played.  I think it was "Shout at the Devil".  The double doors leading out to the hallway opened.  Standing against the well lighted hallway was a guy in a very realistic devil costume.  With pitchfork overhead, he started moving up and down with the music. 

They started chanting:  "Satan! Satan! Satan!" The chant matched the beat of the music.  The devil danced into the gym starting his own conga line.  Kids followed dancing and chanted "Satan! Satan! Satan!".

It's been years since I thought about that weird dance at Northwest High.  Today I saw a story in the Free Press.  Protesters: Don't turn Detroit over to Satanists  This last Saturday a group calling themselves "The Satanic Temple" had a statue unveiling event in Detroit.

I remember one teacher looking very uncomfortable at the dance.  I don't know how I looked, but I remember feeling like I had no business being there.  (I may have felt some slight guilt over the sin of lust, impure thoughts etc.  If I did it was minor compared to the reaction to hearing "Satan! Satan! Satan!" as a party chant.)  Most everyone went along with it; not just the kids, the teachers and parents too.

People go along with all sorts of things, not because they truly embrace it, but because its titillating, slightly naughty, rebellious and sounds like fun.  That's why people in Detroit shelled out $75 a pop to get their picture taken on Baphomet's lap.  A small number of them believed it was for real and embraced the ceremonies in earnest.  Most, I'm guessing did not.

A group, suffering form arrested adolescence, calling themselves "The Satanic Temple" called a tune and some danced to it.  The real Satan is alive and well in Detroit.  He needs no statue.  Want proof?  Go to city hall and see how things are being done.  What more proof?  Spend some time in the Cass corridor.

I believe that this is a moth and the flame situation.  The flame is real.  The moth just sees a pretty light.  Rabbi B has done a much better job discussing this theologically.  Give him a read, to get a better handle from that perspective.

It's amazing.  The more things change, the more they are like high school.

GFF-Grandma Edition

There are some things that grandmas do better than anyone else.  This is a fact.  The best goodies are produced by grandmothers.  Ask any grand kid, they'll tell you.  Every once in a while a grandma or in this case 9 grandmothers out do the high standards of grand motherly goodness.

Somewhere in West Tennessee, not far from Graceland, nine women - or "The 9 Nanas," as they prefer to be called - gather in the darkness of night. At 4am they begin their daily routine - a ritual that no one, not even their husbands, knew about for 30 years. They have one mission and one mission only: to create happiness. And it all begins with baked goods.

"One of us starts sifting the flour and another washing the eggs," explained Nana Mary Ellen, the appointed spokesperson for their secret society. "And someone else makes sure the pans are all ready. We switch off, depending on what we feel like doing that day.

"But you make sure to say Nana Pearl is in charge, because she's the oldest!" she added with a wink and a smile.

Over the next three hours, The 9 Nanas (who all consider themselves sisters, despite what some of their birth certificates say) will whip up hundreds of pound cakes, as part of a grand scheme to help those in need. And then, before anyone gets as much as a glimpse of them, they'll disappear back into their daily lives. The only hint that may remain is the heavenly scent of vanilla, lemon and lime, lingering in the air.

"Pearl says it was all her idea," Mary Ellen teased, "but as I remember it, we were sitting around reminiscing about MaMaw and PaPaw and all the different ways they would lend a hand in the community." MaMaw and PaPaw are the grandparents who raised four of the women, Mary Ellen included, when their mother passed away; and they took in Pearl as their own, when her parents needed some help.

 "MaMaw Ruth would read in the paper that someone had died," Mary Ellen remembered, "and she'd send off one of her special pound cakes. She didn't have to know the family. She just wanted to put a little smile on their faces. And we started thinking about what we could do to make a difference like that. What if we had a million dollars? How would we spend it?

So the ladies began brainstorming.

"One of the sisters suggested that we should all start doing our own laundry and put the money we saved to good use. I admit, I protested at first. There's just something about laundering that I don't like. But I was outnumbered! So among the nine of us, we'd put aside about $400 a month and our husbands never noticed a thing. Their shirts looked just fine."

And then the women started listening. They'd eavesdrop - all with good intentions, of course - at the local beauty shop or when they were picking up groceries. And when they heard about a widow or a single mom who needed a little help, they'd step in and anonymously pay a utility bill or buy some new clothes for the children.

"We wanted to help as much as we could," Mary Ellen said, "without taking away from our own families, so we became coupon clippers. And we'd use green stamps. Remember those? We'd use green stamps and we'd make sure to go to Goldsmith's department store on Wednesdays. Every week they'd have a big sale and you could spend $100 and walk away with $700 worth of merchandise."

The Nanas would find out where the person lived and send a package with a note that simply said, "Somebody loves you" - and they'd be sure to include one of MaMaw Ruth's special pound cakes.

The more people they helped, the bolder they became.

"We gave new meaning to the term drive-by," Mary Ellen said with delight. "We'd drive through low-income neighborhoods and look for homes that had fans in the window. That told us that the people who lived there didn't have air-conditioning. Or we'd see that there were no lights on at night, which meant there was a good chance their utilities had been turned off. Then we'd return before the sun came up, like cat burglars, and drop off a little care package."

For three decades, the ladies' good deeds went undetected - that is, until five years ago, when Mary Ellen's husband, whom she lovingly calls "Southern Charmer," started noticing extra mileage on the car and large amounts of cash being withdrawn from their savings account.

"He brought out bank statements and they were highlighted!" Mary Ellen said, recalling the horror she felt. "I tried to explain that I had bought some things, but he had this look on his face that I'd never seen before - and I realized what he must have been thinking. I called the sisters and said, 'You all need to get over here right away.'"

So 30 years into their secret mission, the 9 Nanas and their husbands gathered in Mary Ellen's living room and the sisters came clean. They told the husbands about the laundry and the eavesdropping -- even the drive-bys. And that's where their story gets even better - because the husbands offered to help.

Go read the rest of it, its worth the time.

 

Look at that Beer Belly!

It's summer time and sometimes a bear just needs a beer, or 36.

Bear Stumbles Upon Campground And Drinks Over A Case Of Beer Before Passing Out

The bear apparently got into campers’ coolers and used his claws and teeth to puncture the cans. And not just any cans.

“He drank the Rainier and wouldn’t drink the Busch beer,” said Lisa Broxson, bookkeeper at the campground and cabins resort east of Mount Baker.

Fish and Wildlife enforcement Sgt. Bill Heinck said the bear did try one can of Busch, but ignored the rest. The beast then consumed about 36 cans of Rainier.

For those of you who don't know Rainier is the Pabst of the Northwest.  Apparently bears don't drink Bush.  Feel free to add your Bush beer jokes to the comments.

My guess is that the bear was somehow able to tell that the Rainier had a higher caloric content than the Bush.  Bears normally eat the highest calorie food available to them first.  I bet he would have finished off the Bush latter.

Unintended Blessing

Occasionally I learn something new entirely by accident. 

Do you know how we got the book chapter and verse numbers we use for citing biblical references or why Jews and Christians both use the same system?  It doesn't make sense that modern Catholics, Protestants, Coptic's, Eastern Orthodox and Jews would all use the same method of referencing scripture.  In fact, prior to the 1480's no one used the same method.  In many places, there wasn't a method at all. 

The individual books had titles.  There weren’t chapter and verse designations.  In many cases there weren't even what modern readers would recognize as paragraphs or punctuation. 

You can thank the Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición for their contribution to your weekly bible study.  What?  You've never heard of them?  

The Reconquista of the Iberian Peninsula wasn't complete until the battle of Grenada on January 2, 1492, but by 1478 things were going well enough for the Catholics that Isabella and Ferdinand decided that they needed to ensure orthodoxy of the Catholic faith in Spain. 

Iberian history form the 700's until the completion of the Reconquista involved a succession of  wars and victories.  At times the Moors and Islam ruled various areas.  At other times Christians won.  Since religion was a key component in the political landscape there was incentive to go along to get along. 

Over the course of approximately 700 years people learned to switch religious beliefs as needed to minimize the impact of the preferences of the ruling class.  This isn't to say that some people weren't loyal to their faith, many were.  Some folks learned to be pragmatic and "adjust" as needed.  This created a hodgepodge of religion in Spain.  There were Moors that were "Christianized".  Jews submitted to baptism and then kept practicing Judaism (Crypto-Jews).  There were a number of Christians that hadn't practiced Catholicism in hundreds of years and had developed their own unique beliefs.

The purpose of the Tribunal del Santo Oficio de la Inquisición was to sort out who was, and who was not a true Catholic.  Since the only way they could do this was by sorting through Scripture, they needed a method of referencing which scriptures they were using.

This led to scholarly debates about how to create and implement a referencing system.  Which is what happened.  Everyone used the system, because they had to. 

By the time 1808 rolled around and Napoleon effectively ended the Tribunal (it didn’t officially end until 1834) the Book Chapter and Verse method we use today was firmly established.  The method proved to be an effective way to cite passages and since it was used for hundreds of years, it became a practical, although not perfect method.

And you thought nothing good came out of the Spanish Inquisition.

Cops and Farmers

Farmer Joe decided his injuries from his recent accident were serious enough to take the trucking company responsible for the accident to court.

In court, the trucking company’s fancy lawyer was questioning Farmer Joe.

“Didn’t you say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

“Well, I’ll tell you what happened. I had just loaded my favorite mule Bessie into the …”

“I didn’t ask for any details,” the lawyer interrupted. “Just answer the question. Did you not say, at the scene of the accident, that you were fine?”

“Well I had just got Bessie into the trailer and was driving down the road …”

“Your Honor, I am trying to establish the fact that, at the scene of the accident, this man told the highway patrolman on the scene that he was just fine. Now several weeks after the accident he is trying to sue my client. I believe he is a fraud. Please tell him to simply answer the question.”

By this time the judge was fairly interested in Farmer Joe’s answer and told the lawyer so.

“Proceed,” the judge told the witness.

“Well,” said the farmer, “as I was saying, I had just loaded Bessie, my favorite mule, into the trailer and was driving her down the highway when this huge semi-truck and trailer ran the stop sign and smacked my truck right in the side. I was thrown into one ditch and Bessie was thrown into the other. I was hurting real bad and didn’t want to move. However, I could hear ol’ Bessie moaning and groaning. I knew she was in terrible shape just by her groans. Shortly after the accident a highway patrolman came on the scene. He could hear Bessie moaning and groaning so he went over to her. After he looked at her he took out his gun and shot her between the eyes. Then the patrolman came across the road with his gun in his hand and looked at me. He said, ‘Your mule was in such bad shape I had to shoot her. How are you feeling?’”

Taking Away Guns

The American right to firearms is a well known foundation to our civilization.  The concept is a near absolute in terms of personal armament.  It is not however absolute.  There are exceptions to who may keep firearms.

Among the exceptions to be armed are people who have lost their civil rights due to conviction for criminal activity, persons who are mentally deficient, etc.  This makes sense to most people.  Convicted criminals have already proven that they lack the moral basis for responsible gun ownership.  The mentally deficient probably don't have the ability to properly handle or understand the consequences of the use of firearms.

We understand that these folks, and the rest of society, might be better off if they didn't have unlimited access to guns.  Even the most ardent NRA supporter is probably going to go along with limitations for these people.  This is the law in the USA.  Most people are OK with it.

Gun ban on Social Security recipients gets White House wink

Estimated 4.2 million Americans could lose firearms

The Obama administration is mulling a plan to disarm Social Security recipients who are unable to manage their own disability payments – a push that would reportedly bring the federal agency in line with laws that keep felons, drug addicts and illegal immigrants from buying and owning weapons.

The Los Angeles Times reported federal laws already ban gun ownership by those who, due to what’s called “marked subnormal intelligence, or mental illness, incompetency, condition or disease,” can’t manage their own affairs. And that means many receiving benefits under the Social Security Administration’s programs could be swept into the gun ban, Fox News reported.

The reason given for this gun grab is that Obama wants to reduce gun ownership in response to gun violence.  That's interesting because I don't recall anybody on social security shooting up Sandy Hook, Fort Bragg or a black church.

We could go after criminals who are here illegally and commit robbery, rape and murder.  That might help reduce violent crime.  Then again that would be harder than giving them a pardon and a pathway to citizenship.

White What?

I've been pondering this business about "white privilege".

Normally I take a detached view of PC terminology.  PC-isms are a play on worlds that serve to obscure and confuse the subject at hand.  How else can you explain phraseology whose purpose is to be "Politically Correct"?

Take for instance the phrase "differently enabled".  What does that mean exactly?  Individual members of the species homosapien are unique in their capacities and talents.  By definition we are all "differently enabled". 

The purpose of the phrase is to obscure a fact that may be discourteous.  The person being discussed is sub-normal in some portion of their makeup.  To the unknowing this may seem polite.

It is not.

If I mislead you about something that's not polite.  It's dishonest.  Being politically correct is about using words to obscure reality. 

Take the N-word.  It didn't start out as a derogatory word.  Nigger was simply a method of describing skin color.  The word means "black".  Nigger Jim (Mark Twain's literary character) was simply a way of describing which Jim that was being talked about.  It wasn't derogatory.

As a society we've morphed on what to call people with dark skin whose origins are in Africa.  Which is horribly silly.  Nigger, Negro, Negroid, Black are words that all mean exactly the same thing.  All four of those words have fallen out of favor.  Today we have Afro-American.  Tomorrow it will be something else.  We will still talk about "that black guy" because he will still be black.  Blacks will still talk about "that white guy" or "that Korean guy", because we will still have those groups running around.

What is "white privilege"?

I'm not asking what the PC crowd thinks it is.  I know what they mean by it.  They mean you should feel bad if you are white.  They mean that a white person is somehow unfairly taking advantage of everyone else simply because they are white.  It's the single most racist idea being pushed today.

White people are users and abusers, they have a "privilege" because they ain't some other color.  There is no need to judge the cracker by the content of his character.  The blue eyed devil is evil because of the color of his skin.  Casper can't be trusted.  They're a bunch of confederate corn-fed cow fucks.  Frosty and his flat assed flour bags didn't earn anything, they owned everybody.  Gomer, Goober and the other good ole boys are keep'n everyone down.  Those hillbilly hicks are as smart as Gump but they work the system.

"White privilege" is in vogue partially because "peckerwood", "honky" and "pigmentally challenged pig fucker" seem a little harsh to the PC crowd.  With a Clinton running again that don't want to say "trailer trash" to often either.

White Privilege doesn't mean a slight leg up by virtue of being white in a predominately white culture.  If it meant that there would be no need to bring it up, because the US is no longer a culture dominated by Caucasians.

White Privilege is code for anti-white boy racism.  It's OK to be anti-white, because they're to busy jam'n to Barry Manilow to care.  Let's ban their flag while were at it.

GFF-International Edition

Our first story this week comes from Vancouver, BC.

VANCOUVER — Vancouver police staff sergeant Mark Horsley wanted to make at least one bust. Very much. It would have made his year, taking down one of the creeps responsible for assaulting and robbing disabled Vancouverites.

Working with other VPD members, peer support workers and rehabilitation specialists, Horsley hatched a cunning scheme. He borrowed a $16,000 electric-powered wheelchair, grew some facial hair and wheeled into the DTES, undercover.

The objective: pretend to be disabled and brain-injured from a motorcycle accident that never really happened. Play the “easy mark.” Bait criminals by flashing cash and valuables, such as cellphones and cameras. When they pounce, collar them. Make them pay.

“My boss tied a pork chop around my neck and threw me into a shark tank,” Horsley recalled Thursday at VPD headquarters.

The operation didn’t go quite as planned.

In five days of undercover work from his wheelchair, with loot hanging from a fanny pack for all to see and perhaps snatch, and after more than 300 “contacts” with people, Horsley made not a single arrest. People wanted to give him things, instead.

Passers-by insisted on dropping coins into his lap. “I did not panhandle,” he said. Two men bought him pizza. Others just stopped and chatted, passed the time, exchanged pleasantries. All anyone took was his photograph.

Once, a guy came along and crouched over Horsley. He reached in, as if making for the fanny pack. Horsley tensed. Here it was, at last: Heinous crime in progress, bust coming up. The man’s fingers touched the fanny pack. Then the prospective perp zippered it shut. He asked Horsley to please be more careful with his things, for goodness sake. 

I think its awesome that the cops were unable to bust a single crook with this trick.  Because, face it, not being able to catch a crook because the crooks won't do certain crimes is, good news.

Several more times, Horsley was approached and told to take care. By known criminals, even. This demonstrated there really is “honour” among certain thieves, he said. Robbing the disabled is “below their ethical standards,” he concluded. “The community will not stand for this.” 

Good on ya Canada!

Peer of the realm of  Great Briton, Lord Weidenfeld is on a mission.  He claims he has a debt to repay and he is expending a portion of his personal fortune and influence to do just that.

Lord Weidenfeld is a Jew.  He came to England as a boy, by the grace and good will of Christians who were helping Jews escape the Nazi's.  Lord Weidenfeld made the most of his new life and rose in business eventually earning inclusion into the heights of British Society.

Jewish peer who fled Nazis is rescuing Christians fleeing Isis to repay 'debt'

Lord Weidenfeld says he has “a debt to repay” to Christians fleeing Isis, because the Quakers and the Plymouth Brethren fed and clothed him and helped him to reach Britain in 1938.

The publisher is spearheading Weidenfeld Safe Havens Fund, which last week supported the flight of 150 Syrian Christians to Poland on a privately chartered plane to allow them to seek refuge, making them the first beneficiaries of the resettlement project.

The 95-year-old told The Times: “I had a debt to repay. It applies to so many young people who were on the Kinderstransports. It was Quakers and other Christian denominations who brought those children to England.

“It was very high-minded operation and we Jews should also be thankful and do something for the endangered Christians.”

The fund aims to offer 12-18 months of paid support to the refugees. 

What a great story.  Somebody is doing something for the Christians in the middle east.  The program is not without its distractors, however.

But the project has run into criticism for its exclusion of Muslims who have also been forced from their homes by Isis, for fear of murder, enslavement or torture.

I realize that ISIS does bad stuff to Muslims that don't join with them.  But come on all ready!  There isn't much (if any) help for Christians escaping ISIS.  Jews fleeing from ISIS have the ability to escape to Israel. 

The USA won't take Christian refugees fleeing from Islamic persecution in the middle east.  Seriously we won't and don't.  All the talk about sanctuary cities, its only for Muslims.  Here's the real kicker: if ISIS is winning in on area, we import members of Hamas.  If Hamas is winning in a different area, we import members of ISIS. The one group we don't help is the Christians that both of them want to kill.

The Christian populations of both countries have fallen precipitously in the past decade, however, and Lord Weidenfeld defended the project’s narrow focus.

He said: “I can’t save the world, but there is a very specific possibility on the Christian side. Let others do what they like for the Muslims.”

That's right Lord Weidenfeld, there is a chance.  Thank you for taking it.  Perhaps, for such a time as this you were spared as a boy.  May the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, keep you, bless you and repay you for what you are doing, and give you success.

6,000

KJ made a good comment in the last thread about this not being the end.  I happen to agree.  I don't think this is the end of time in the apocalyptic sense.  It may be the end of America.  That's not the same as the end of the world.

I've been trying to work out my views on eschatology for over 30 years now.  I still don't have it figured out.  I doubt that I ever will in this life.

My current understanding of the subject leads me to agree with Barnabas.  Beyond that, I still haven't made a decision on the many individual facets that are presented as "facts" or "doctrine" or whatever you want to call them.  Hermeneutically there are too many issues sort out to definitively issue a "thus sayeth the Lord" on what I've heard preachers proclaim over the years.

Back to the end of America:  We deserve it.  Not because we are bad people.  In general that isn't true.  Americans are generally decent, giving, helpful people.  We deserve it, because we abdicated our responsibility to progenerate the values, morals, standards, and practices that our forefathers established. 

America didn't fail.  Americans failed to pass on that which made America great.  Americans failed to stand up for that which is right, good and true.  We exchanged the blessing of liberty born in righteousness; for the pursuit of happiness.  No one bothered to define happiness beyond "doing your own thing".  Responsibility of any sort was shunned.  We had wealth and could buy leisure, or goods. 

We became bored.

We forgot about what made us great.

We quit trying.

It's Funny.......Now

December 9: We woke to a beautiful blanket of crystal white snow covering every inch of the landscape. What a fantastic sight! Can there be a more lovely place in the whole world? Moving here was the best idea I’ve ever had. I shoveled snow for the first time in years and felt like a boy again. I did both our driveway and the sidewalks. This afternoon the snowplow came along and covered up the sidewalks and closed in the driveway, so I got to shovel again! What a perfect life.

December 12: The sun has melted all our lovely snow. Such a disappointment. My neighbor tells me not to worry, we’ll definitely have a white Christmas. No snow on Christmas would be awful! Bob says we’ll have so much snow by the end of winter, that I’ll never want to see snow again. I don’t think that’s possible. Bob is such a nice man – I’m glad he’s our neighbor.

December 14: Snow, lovely snow! Eight inches last night. The temperature dropped to 20 below. The cold makes everything sparkle so. The wind took my breath away, but I warmed up by shoveling the driveway and sidewalks. This is the life! The snowplow came back this afternoon and buried everything again. I didn’t realize I would have to do quite this much shoveling, but I’ll certainly get back in shape this way. I wish I wouldn’t huff and puff so.

December 15: 20 inches forecast. Sold my van and bought a Blazer. Bought snow tires for the wife’s car and two extra shovels. Stocked the freezer. The wife wants a wood stove in case the electricity goes out. I think that’s silly. We aren’t in Alaska, after all.

December 16: Ice storm this morning. Fell on my butt on the ice in the driveway putting down salt. Hurt like crazy. The wife laughed for an hour, which I think was very cruel.

December 17: Still way below freezing. Roads are too icy to go anywhere. Electricity was off for five hours. I had to pile the blankets on to stay warm. Nothing to do but stare at the wife and try not to irritate her. Guess I should’ve bought a wood stove, but won’t admit it to her. I hate it when she’s right. I can’t believe I’m freezing to death in my own living room.

December 20: Electricity’s back on, but had another 14 inches of stupid snow last night. More shoveling. Took all day. That stupid snowplow came by twice. Tried to find a neighbor kid to shovel, but they said they’re too busy playing hockey. I think they’re lying. Called the only hardware store around to see about buying a snow blower and they’re out. Might have another shipment in March. I think they’re lying. Bob says I have to shovel or the city will have it done and bill me. I think he’s lying.

December 22: Bob was right about a white Christmas because 13 more inches of the white stuff fell today, and it’s so cold it probably won’t melt until August. Took me 45 minutes to get all dressed up to go out to shovel and then I had to use the restroom. By the time I got undressed, went and dressed again, I was too tired to shovel. Tried to hire Bob who has a plow on his truck for the rest of the winter; but he says he’s too busy. What an awful neighbor!

December 23: Only two inches of snow today. And it warmed up to zero degrees. The wife wanted me to decorate the front of the house this morning. What is she, nuts? Why didn’t she tell me to do that a month ago? She says she did, but I think she’s lying.

December 24: Six inches today. Snow packed so hard by snowplow, l broke the shovel. Thought I was having a heart attack. If I ever catch the jerk who drives that snowplow, I’ll drag him through the snow by his hair. I know he hides around the corner and waits for me to finish shoveling and then he comes down the street at about 100-miles-an hour and throws snow all over where I’ve just been! Tonight the wife wanted me to sing Christmas carols with her and open our presents, but I was busy watching for that stupid snowplow.

December 25: Merry Christmas. 20 more inches of slop tonight. Snowed in. The idea of shoveling makes my blood boil. I hate the snow! Then the snowplow driver came by asking for a donation and I hit him over the head with my shovel. The wife says I have a bad attitude. I think she’s an idiot. If I have to watch “It’s a Wonderful Life” one more time, I’m going to scream.

January 2: Still snowed in. Why the did I ever move here?

January 7: Temperature dropped to 30 below and the pipes froze.

January 8: Warmed up to above 30 degrees. Still snowed in. My wife is driving me crazy!

January 13: 10 more inches. Bob says I have to shovel the roof or it could cave in. That’s the silliest thing I ever heard. How dumb does he think I am?

January 17: Roof caved in. The snow plow driver is suing me for a million dollars. The wife went home to her mother. 9 inches predicted.

January 20: Set fire to what’s left of the house. No more shoveling.

January 22: I feel so good. I just love those little white pills they keep giving me. Why am I tied to the bed?

Failure?

Barack Husain Obama is the single most successful politician in recent American history.

Yes, you read that right.  No, I'm not being sarcastic.  Obama is astonishingly effective in achieving his vision not only for America but the world.  He has taken a diverse group of conflicting interests and power brokers and wielded them into an amazing coalition whose efforts consistently achieve his goals and desires.

Watching Obama guild the world is like watching a grand master play chess against an eight year old.  It really is that overwhelming an experience.  The skills required to advance an executive agenda in a large diverse organization with an extensive group of stakeholders are considerable and Obama has them.

How else can you explain his massive success?

You do realize he is being successful, don't you?

The current labor participation rate in the US is 62%.  That means that 38% of folks can't find work.  In contrast the unemployment rate during the great depression was about 25%.  The United States is over $18 trillion in debt.  We can never hope to pay that off.  Obama has more than doubled our debt in less than 8 years.  Soon we won't be able to pay the interest on the debt.  Our military is more concerned with making sure women are leading infantry charges and trannies have matching purses and pumps than maintaining combat effectiveness.  We have reduced our nuclear stockpile.  We are trying to get a cold war going with Russia.  Iran is on the verge of becoming a major producer and marketer of atomic weapons.  Family values and morals are being turned upside down.  Relations between the races are more strained than they have been in over 40 years.  Trust in the institutions that make up our society is nearly non-existent.  The boarders are over run.  Not since Assyria have more people been relocated to other lands to facilitate population management. 

Barack Husain Obama is the single most successful politician in recent American history.

He is accomplishing everything he set out to do.  He is making America into his own image and likeness.  He is winning.

405

On Sundays I get about a two hour lunch break at work.  It's not designed for my benefit so much as there is a two hour window with nothing going on and they don't want to pay me for a straight 12 hour shift if they don't have to.  So I get two hours off most Sundays.

I've been using that free time to go to the gym.  Last night it paid off.  I hit 405lbs on the squat for all 25 reps.  This is one of my major strength milestones.  I first blogged about it back on May 8th.  I hit the 405 mark a little while back but wasn't able to get all 25 reps.  Last night that changed.

I'm pretty happy about making this goal. 

Reflecting on my progress so far:

• I've lost about 30 lbs since March 1st.  I'm averaging a tad better than a pound each week. Sunday is my weigh day and the scale wasn't in the locker room so I don't have a more exact figure.
• Making my squat goal is great, but I should have reached it about 5 weeks ago.  Missing workout days, sometimes two or more in a week, has been a set back.
• The goals I've set for other exercises are still lagging behind.  Mostly because of missing workout days which is causing me to need to de-load the bar.
• Deadlift = 315 lbs, should be equal to the squat.
• Overhead press = 115 lbs, I've stalled out and haven't made progress in over 2 months.
• Bench press = 205 lbs, however I'm constantly de-loading the bar in an effort to increase weight and get all reps
• Bent over rows, seldom more than 60 lbs, this is the exercise I injured myself on last August causing me to lose 6 months of gym time last year.  I'm still week in this area and its probably holding back my bench progress.
• Now that I've reached my squat strength goal it's time to add a cardio program on my rest days.
• I need to get a better handle on diet.  My goal of eating 90% healthy is reasonable, however I'm still eating too many unhealthy snacks and eating out too frequently.
• Thinking back on my fast/junk food purchases this last month, I'm sure I could have lost another 1 or 2 lbs had I planed better.
• 1 or 2 lbs doesn't sound like much, but it works out to 12 to 24 lbs for a year and I've got it to lose.

Back to the gym.

GFF-Personal Good News

Hair cells and mice.

Tmc gene therapy restores auditory function in deaf mice

Currently, pharmaceutical company Novartis is experimenting with a new drug containing a gene called Atoh1 that they believe will improve hearing lost through age or disease or listening to too much loud music over a lifetime.

Their experiment focused on a gene that causes hair cells in the inner ear — essential to the sense of hearing — to grow, restoring the ability to hear.

Using gene therapy to treat hereditary hearing loss may still be a long way off, with clinical trials not expected for another ten years, but the Novartis study is more advanced. The Swiss company’s early trial is underway with results expected in 2017.

I hope it works.  I hope they get it working in less than 10 years and I hope its not based on prenatal t-cell research.

Her Son With Autism Finally Got A Birthday Invite She Didn't Decline.

 

We parents of the "specials" know only too well the hurts our kids feel when they are left out of the social gatherings relative to childhood.

I wonder if the parents know what would happen if I brought Timothy? The interruptions... the meltdowns... how I would hate to take the spotlight from the birthday child.

So we politely decline. Every. Single. One.

Until this one arrived......
"Carter sat beside Timothy at school and he always talks about him. I really hope he can come. We are renting a bounce castle that we can attach a small bounce slide at the bottom. We will also have water balloon's and water guns. Maybe Timothy can come earlier in the day if it would be too much with the whole class. Let me know how we can make it work."

This Mom rocks.

~Personal note~

I lost most of my hearing due to a infection that killed my hair cells over 10 years ago. 

There is a young lady of my acquaintance who grew up in my bible classes.  She got married and moved away.  It's very difficult for her to have children.  Her and her husband decided to stop having kids in the best interest of her health. This last pregnancy they had a little boy, which was great because their first baby was a girl.  The boy has Downs Syndrome.  My heart has been breaking for these kids.

 

Random thoughts as we age

The biggest lie I tell myself is ..."I don't need to write that down, I'll remember it."

Wouldn't it be great if we could put ourselves in the dryer for ten minutes and come out wrinkle-free and three sizes smaller!

Last year I joined a support group for procrastinators. We haven't met yet!

I don't trip over things, I do random gravity checks!

I don't need anger management. I need people to stop making me mad!

Old age is coming at a really bad time!

Lord grant me the strength to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can & the friends to post my bail when I finally snap!

I don't have gray hair. I have "wisdom highlights." I'm just very wise.

My people skills are just fine. It's my tolerance to idiots that needs work.

Teach your daughter how to shoot, because a restraining order is just a piece of paper.

If God wanted me to touch my toes, he would've put them on my knees.

The kids text me "plz" which is shorter than please. I text back "no" which is shorter than "yes".

I'm going to retire and live off of my savings. Not sure what I'll do that second week.

Even duct tape can't fix stupid ... but it can muffle the sound!

Why do I have to press one for English when you're just gonna transfer me to someone I can't understand anyway?

Of course I talk to myself, sometimes I need expert advice.

Oops! Did I roll my eyes out loud?

At my age "Getting lucky" means walking into a room and remembering what I came there for.

Chocolate comes from cocoa which is a tree ... that makes it a plant which means ... chocolate is salad!!!

And, of course… Have I sent this to you already… or did you send this to me?

Was He, or Wasn't He?

I posed a question to Rabbi B concerning the identity and role of Balaam son of Beor.  My question was to the effect of did Rabbi B and/or Judaism hold Balaam to be a true prophet of Hashem.  The answer Rabbi B gave runs too long for my post to do it justice.  I can boil it down to two letters: no.  It's not my intention to slight Rabbi B, as his thoughts, sources and scholarship is first rate.

I disagree with him.

The first point to look at, is what exactly does it mean to be a "true prophet".  We get a little help in this department from scripture:

Deut 18:20-22

But the prophet who speaks a word presumptuously in My name which I have not commanded him to speak, or which he speaks in the name of other gods, that prophet shall die.' " You may say in your heart, 'How will we know the word which the LORD has not spoken?' " When a prophet speaks in the name of the LORD, if the thing does not come about or come true, that is the thing which the LORD has not spoken. The prophet has spoken it presumptuously; you shall not be afraid of him.

NASU

This passage has several interesting aspects that we could dive into, like the fact that it follows Moses predicting the advent of the Messiah.  There are just three things I want to point out:  The first is that the penalty for being a false prophet is death.  The second is that God Himself allows for the possibility of doubting a prophet speaking in His name.  The third is that God allows a provision for telling who is and who is not a "true prophet".  That test is if the prophecy comes true.

It is possible that a person could correctly predict something without that knowledge coming specifically from God.  For instance I can predict that the Broncos will win their session opener this fall.  God hasn't told me that they will win, but there is nothing keeping someone from making the claim that He did.  (I doubt God pays much heed to the happenings with the Broncos since they got rid of Tebow)  If I got it right (there is a 50% chance of that happening randomly) you still might doubt me as a prophet.  What if every prediction I made, not just in sports but in every other aspect of life came to be 100% of the time?

You'd have to admit to a reasonable chance that there was something more at work than meets the eye.  Which is where we pick up the story of Balaam in Numbers 22.  The Hebrews have just destroyed the Amorites. Balak is the king of Moab and he is distressed that the Hebrews are going to wipe him out because they are great in number.  King Balak needs a miracle, so to speak.

Balak sends for a man in Pethor, Balaam the son of Beor.  There are some interesting historical and archeological facts about this man that were discovered in 1967.  I mention this because his existence is verified independently of scripture, as is the name of the "god(s)" he spoke by.  What Balak says to Balaam is also very interesting:

Num 22:6

"Now, therefore, please come, curse this people for me since they are too mighty for me; perhaps I may be able to defeat them and drive them out of the land. For I know that he whom you bless is blessed, and he whom you curse is cursed."

NASU

 

Balaam is known for having what he says come true.  His blessings really bless and his curses stick.  Which is why Balak is willing to pay whatever it takes to get Balaam to curse the Israelites.  There is a good deal written about Balaam and his desire for monetary gain.  The desire to use a form of spirituality or giftedness for profit is even called "Balaam's sin" elsewhere in scripture.  The larger point here is that Balaam could never have sinned in this manner if his ability wasn't real.  More importantly Balak, believed him to be the legitimate prophet of a god whose will he could bend to do man's bidding.

 

Balak believed that spiritual forces could be brought to bear to do the bidding of men.  Balaam told his messengers that this was not the case and that he could only do and say as he was directed.  This fact alone indicates to me that Balaam was well schooled in the "how" of his office worked.  Balaam also had to tell the messengers that he would have to wait to see "if" God would condescend to speak with him.  Again this is an indication that Balaam wasn't a false prophet whom God used but rather a true prophet that wasn't in control of the outcome.

 

We know from historical evidence, and scripture (see link above) that Balaam came from the area of Transjordan and that he was known for his connection with the Shadday god(s).  From what I can tell historically, this god known as Shadday (sometimes the name indicates a plurality thus the (s)) is the only god associated with Balaam, his writings and prophecies.  We also know or are as certain as might be considered reasonable that Balaam is not a Hebrew.  In other words he isn't one of the chosen people of Hashem.

 

Two questions come to mind.  One, did Hashem have interaction with non-Hebrews prior to Moses?  Two if He did, was Balaam one of these non-Hebrew prophets?

 

As a matter of definition everyone from Adam to Abraham was not a Jew.  So I'm going to say, "Yes Hashem was involved with non-Jews".  Being God's chosen people doesn't automatically rule out God being concerned with everyone else on the planet.  The next question is harder because we need to know who the deity Shadday is.

 

The name Shadday, with that exact spelling only occurs in one book of the Bible.  It is in the Book of Job.  Job as it happens is the oldest book recorded as scripture.  The word Shadday is used to name the god Job worships.  It means "the almighty" or "the all powerful one".  More commonly "Shadday" is spelled "Shaddai".  "Shaddai" is of course one of the commonly known names of God.

 

Balaam it seems form archeology was a proclaimed worshiper of Shaddai, known more accurately to the Hebrews as Hashem.  Do we have any other examples in the Torah of non-Hebrews whom followed the same God as Abraham?  Melchizedek comes to mind.  So it is possible that there were some followers of the one true God in the world apart from the Hebrew nation at this point in history.

 

What about Balaam's sin?

 

Balaam started off right, without consulting God.  He told Balak's men he could do nothing apart form what God directed him to do.  He even refused to go with them.  Then his greed took over.  He wanted to go and do as Balak requested for the money. 

 

Because Balaam was a legitimate prophet of God, his words could not "fall to the ground".  In other words God could not be false to Himself by letting a prophecy of Balaam fail.  It was critical that Balaam not make a declaration contrary to what God wanted, which was a blessing on His people.  Which is why Balaam advised Balak how to have God curse the Hebrews for him.  Balaam could not prophecy falsely as he was a true prophet.  However, he could still get paid by giving Balak what he wanted, having Shadday reach out his hand against the Hebrews.

 

Balaam sinned greatly against the declared will of God, but he was the real deal. 

 

 

 

 

Misdirection

In an effort to provide fair and balanced blogging about pre-primary presidential side show nonsense we have the latest happenings in the demoncratic camp.

How do you know that you have absolutely no chance of becoming President of the United States?

An aide to Hillary Clinton’s presidential campaign made a somewhat shocking admission on “Morning Joe” on MSNBC on Monday morning, telling host Joe Scarborough and crowd the Clinton camp was definitely “worried” about the buzz being created by rival Bernie Sanders.

“He’s a force,” campaign communications director Jennifer Palmieri said. “He’ll be a serious force for the campaign. We think that will – I don’t think that will diminish.”

The election is a year and a half away.  The only two possible Democratic candidates are Joe and Hillary.  That's it, there can be only two and those are the two.  That assumes of course that Obummer will actually step down and not declare himself president for life.  But that's another story.

There are only going to be two possible outcomes for the demoncratic party in the primaries: Hillary or Hillary Rodham Clinton.  Sure Joe's going to make an effort and maybe they'll offer up a couple of sacrificial lambs in the primaries.  That's all its going to be a sacrificial offering.  Yeah maybe the dems have a couple of candidates that they will want to test market to the public, but its just a test.  It's not the real thing.  They aren't really running.  Hillary sewed up this nomination back in 2007 when the Clinton camp was persuaded to stop smearing telling the truth about Obama.

The demoncratic party primaries are strictly for show.  The only thing that will be decided is the packaging of the candidate.  The only way that it's not Hillary is if she self destructs first.  It's her nomination to lose.

Which is why all this talk of being "worried" and Bernie Sanders being a "force" is pure political theater.  I bet you never even heard of Bernie Sanders before reading this story.  Clinton Inc. is setting him up as a formable opponent.  Then they are gong to "win" a surprising pre-election "battle" against him.  It's all an act.  Bernie Sanders is no more a creditable candidate for president than a man with the same name from Kentucky famous for frying chicken.

Trump Card

Donald Trump seems to be polling well with likely republican voters.  This has some of the talking head class talking.  I'm not sure why, other than they get paid to talk and there isn't anything going on politically that they are inclined to talk about.

Which is a shame because if the 5th estate decided to do their job, Obama has given them more material than any other president.  Like I said, they're not inclined to talk about it.

Which brings us to "The Donald".  Trump seems to be doing well with the portion of the electorate that cares enough to answer telephone polls about their likely voting preferences over a year form now.  This doesn't seem like much to go on but, it's July and we have to take what we can get.

I'm not sure if the tone of angst I'm picking up on is real or just imaginary.  It's probably real.  Republican Party Leadership ( a contradiction in terms) doesn't understand why Trump is doing so well.  That scares them.  After all they've been compromising and selling out for the last 6 and a half years and they don't get why more American's don't love them.

As far as I can tell its a combination of factors:

1. It's too early to tell anything about anybody running, and Trump is the biggest celebrity.
2. Trump is saying stuff that vetted republicans don't say, and folks like it.
3. He hasn't sold out and lied to America, yet.
4. They hope he is for real.

That's pretty much it. 

If a more "electable" republican wanted to take some pointers and apply it to a winning presidential run it would be:

• Be for real
• Tell the truth
• Don't lie
• Don't sell out

I guess that's exactly why the republican leadership doesn't "get it".  Selling out America is the republican way.

Happy 4th

For all we used to be...
All it used to mean...

All it could mean again...

HAPPY 4th of JULY!

GFF-English Auto Owners

Parents know that sinking feeling that comes when your kid has wrecked something expensive and not only are you on the hook for it, but people are mad at you and they think you are a bad parent.

Our story is best viewed on the original website.

Apparently there are still good folks in Great Britain.

Hard Bargin

I had heard about this story via back channels on the internet.  The MSM was supposed to be on board with hushing it up.  Apparently the folks at USA Today didn't get the memo from the White House.

Iran promises to be good, Obama OK's sending them 13 Tons of Gold.

My thoughts:

• 13 tons of gold = 29166.67 oz to the short ton X 13 Tons X $1165.77 to the OZ EQUALS $441,994,633.85
• John "F'ing" Kerry is one hard nosed negotiator when it comes to keeping the pressure on Iran to be nuke free.
• Don't we have any grown ups working in the State Department?
• Hillary would have given them 13 tons of nuclear fissile material, and then misplaced the email; so maybe we are ahead of the game.
• What did the USA of get in this deal?
• Even an Islamic Terrorist State won't take Obama's check.

Obama Admits His Plan Will End With Iran Getting The Bomb

Einstein in Heaven

Einstein dies and goes to heaven, only to be informed that his room is not yet ready. "I hope you will not mind waiting in a dormitory. We are very sorry, but it's the best we can do and you will have to share the room with others," he is told by the doorman.

Einstein says that this is no problem at all and that there is no need to make such a great fuss. So the doorman leads him to the dorm. They enter and Albert is introduced to all of the present inhabitants. "See, here is your first roommate. He has an IQ of 180!"

"That's wonderful!" says Albert. "We can discuss mathematics!"

"And here is your second roommate. His IQ is 150!"

"That's wonderful!" says Albert. "We can discuss physics!"

"And here is your third roommate. His IQ is 100!"

"That's wonderful! We can discuss the latest plays at the theater!"

Just then another man moves out to capture Albert's hand and shake it. "I'm your last roommate. I'm sorry, but my IQ is only 80."

Albert smiles back at him and says, "So, where do you think interest rates are headed?"