Polarization in the Season of Peace

Here we go again!  As if we didn't have enough controversy in this Country already, now we have the annual gripe festival called “I’m Better Than You”.

·      IN THIS CORNER ARE THE YOU ARE ALL WRONG BECAUSE JESUS WASN’T BORN ON DECEMBER 25^TH CROWD, WEARING A SMUG LOOK ON THEIR FACE AND THEIR NOSE POINTING UP IN THE AIR!

·      IN THE OTHER CORNER ARE THE HOW DARE YOU NOT SAY MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ME YOU HEATHEN CROWD, WEARING A TILTED HALO AND EYES POINTING IN A DOWNWARD DIRECTION TO LOOK UPON THOSE WHO ARE DEEMED TO BE DISCIPLES OF THE UNFAITHFUL AND  INFERIOR  IN ALL WAYS!

I’D ASK YOU TO SHAKE HANDS AND COME OUT FIGHTING, BUT IT’S NOT LIKELY THAT YOU WILL EVEN BE IN THE SAME ROOM TOGETHER AND YOU START FIGHTING LONG BEFORE THE EVENT!

DING! ROUND 2014

For crying out loud!  What is wrong with you people?  Of course Jesus wasn't born on December 25^th, but so what?  All the Presidents of the United States were not born on the 3^rd Monday in February, but we observe that day to have large sales on cars, trucks, mattresses and other things – oh, and to remember the births of the Presidents.

Christmas was originally a pagan holiday?  No, but there were pagan celebrations around that time a long time ago!!  By the way, the celebration of birthdays was originally a pagan observance!  Another BTW: Christmas wasn't celebrated by the original Christians, although they did celebrate Resurrection Sunday, which some continue to call Easter (a pagan word).

For those of you who despise Catholics……who do you think assigned Christmas as a church observance?  Hmm.

One final rant: Christians believe in what is commonly called the ‘Golden Rule’, which says treat others in a manner that you would like to be treated.  Jewish adherents believe in the concept of avoiding Lashon Hora (the evil tongue), yet every year, I hear and read both groups violating their own tenants.  Oy vay! (what's wrong with you nut cases)?

And so they don’t feel like they've been left out: to the atheists, secularists and agnostics – why to you get so angry about the celebrations that you don’t believe in?  If you don’t believe it, what in the name of nothing or maybe something are you afraid of?

Grow up….all of you!  Put your big boy/girl or unisex pants on and take some responsibility for supporting this season that among other themes is the concept of ‘peace’. 

This may come as a surprise to some of you, but your beliefs do not make you better than anyone or any other group of people with different beliefs.  And in the United States, we are allowed to have different beliefs, regardless of what our leaders seem to be saying these days.

Now that I have ticked off a large majority of readers (if they have read this far) let me wish all of you a Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Season’s Greetings and more important I wish  that all of your ridiculous arguments and detestation you have caused within your work place, schools, families and friends, dissolve leaving nothing but Peace, Tolerance and Acceptance of others.

Christian Nation?

I know I didn't pay as much attention in history class as I should have, especially because in my older years I have become fascinated with history.  The story of mankind and his progress or regress over the centuries is quite a read.  Winston Churchill is quoted as saying “history is written by the victor”.  A true statement of sort but in recent times I see that some folks are trying to set the record straight, as they should.  I would like to do the same.

As a student of Constitutional Law, and for a couple of years as a college instructor of the same, I have read and re-read the Constitution and many of the founding documents and have never found a proclamation of any sort, that the United States of America was established as a Christian Nation.  Certainly the Founders of this Country were not only keen but insistent on establishing laws that are definitely rooted in the Holy Scriptures of Judaism and Christianity, but at no time did they officially, intentionally or accidentally claim that the United States was a Christian Nation.

 

The U.S. Constitution is a wholly secular document. It contains no mention of Christianity or Jesus Christ. In fact, it uses religious terms only twice; in the First Amendment, which bars laws "respecting an establishment of religion or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," and in Article VI, which prohibits "religious tests" for public office. Both of these provisions are evidence that the Country was not founded as officially Christian or any other religion.

For years now, I see postings on the internet and hear talks on radio and TV, claiming that the United States of America was and is a Christian Nation; usually, these writers/orators pick some obscure letter or an out of context phrase, to offer as evidence for their position.  One of the greatest ‘rights’ we have in the United States is the Freedom of Speech and/or Expression, so they are free to forward their position without fear of speaking/writing against the law, even if they are incorrect.

 

Yes, the Declaration of Independence does refer to the ‘Creator’ and ‘Supreme Judge of the World’, but never Jesus or Christianity – yet many claim that it without a doubt established the United States as Christian Nation. that holds as much water as the lady who insisted to me that the Bible was written by Christian men not Jewish men.

Come now folks, I too was taught that the Crusades were a good Christian event and that Christopher Columbus was a great ambassador to the New World.  Well, we know that many things have been done in the name of Jesus that were not good things and that many explorers were pretty bad dudes.  Not all that we are told is true!

 

So let’s set the record straight; The United States of America was not established as a Christian Nation…..if it was, Article VI of the Constitution would not exist and every person running for office would need to prove their belief in Jesus before they could be elected.

  

So what were the Founding Father’s beliefs?  Some only believed in God; some believed in Jesus and still others believed in no supreme being or established religion.  What they did agree on was that they and anyone who inhabited this Country later, had the right to believe, worship and adhere to any religion they chose without fear of reprisal from government or its citizens.  They also believed that nobody was required to believe if they chose to have no preference or belief.

 

Indeed, even with all of the problems this Country has today and all the bickering and political name calling, The United States of America is the best Nation in the world.  It is the freedom to believe what we want that makes it so.  Even the ‘tin foil hat brigade’ can believe that their minds are being taken over by aliens. Who are we to say different? (can you say NSA)

If you are a Christian, may God Bless you…..but in America you do not have the right to insist that  someone else can’t express their religious beliefs or worship that may be different than yours.  Practice what Jesus taught you; Love one another.  He didn't teach destroy one another!

Remember, things are not always the way we want them to be.

Stop Trying to Outguess God!

For the last year there have been some writers/speakers who have been laying out a scenario of the “end times”, and in doing so have been given a modern day “Paul Revere” status.  The end times are coming…..the end times are coming!

I find it hard to believe that these Christian Leaders would make such statements, even though their Christian writings say that nobody knows when the end will come. 

I am fairly confident that apart from selling books, receiving speech honorariums and being quoted in the National News Media, the only prophecy that is being fulfilled by the astronomical phenomena known as the ‘Blood Moon’ is the one from the Christian Scriptures in 2 Timothy 4:3;

For the time will come when they will not endure sound doctrine; but wanting to have their ears tickled, they will accumulate for themselves teachers in accordance to their own desires,

Over the centuries many people have tried to interpret the pattern and movement of the sun, moon, stars and planets (including Pluto) as if there was a relationship to our personal lives, with mostly disappointing results except in rare instances when a roll of the dice would have given the same statistical results. 

·      Around 630 BCE, many Romans feared the destruction of Rome in its 120^th year, because of a myth that 12 eagles had revealed to Romulus a mystical number representing the lifetime of Rome, and some early Romans hypothesized that each eagle represented 10 years.

·      There were those who we certain that the revolt against Rome when the second Temple was eventually destroyed, was going to be the final great battle prophesied for the Jezerel Valley and on the order of some of the Sages, coins were minted proclaiming the ‘return of Zion’.

·      In 1033, some Christian leaders predicted that the world would end 1000 years after Jesus’ death.

·      In 1284 Pope Innocent III predicted that the world would end 666 years after the rise of Islam.

·      1524 Johaness Stoffler proclaimed a planetary alignment in Pisces was, in his opinion as an astrologer, a sign of the Millennium.  He revised his date as 1528, when his prediction didn’t come true. 

·      May 27, 1528, Hans Hut had predicted the world would end that day. (I’m glad it didn’t as I was born on May 27 a few years later; think of all those birthday gifts I would have missed out on).

·      In 1658 Columbus claimed that the world was created in 5343 BCE, and would last 7000 years. Assuming no year zero that means the end would come in 1658. (Old Chris got a couple of things wrong, didn’t he?)

·      The Catholic Apostolic Church (not the Roman Catholic Church) predicted that Jesus would return by the time the last of its 12 founding members died. The last member died in 1901.

·      Ronald Weinland, from the Church of God WCG, stated Jesus Christ would return and the world would end on May 27, 2012l (again with my birthday….knock it off already)

·      And finally the so-called Mayan apocalypse at the end of the 13th b'ak'tun. The Earth would be destroyed by anasteroid, Nibiru, or some other interplanetary object; an alien invasion; or a supernova.

OK, you probably get my drift by now; predictions of the end are as common as government officials who lie.  Now for the current prediction:  

Well first of all, the scriptures quoted to validate the prediction are:

Acts 2:20 - ‘The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood, before the great and glorious day of the Lord shall come.  Joel 2:31 - “The sun will be turned into darkness and the moon into blood Before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.  Revelation 6:12 -  I looked when He broke the sixth seal, and there was a great earthquake; and the sun became black as sackcloth made of hair, and the whole moon became like blood

The two physical problems we have here are 1) all the Scriptures say the ‘sun’ will go black/dark – because there is no ‘solar eclipse’ with the ‘blood moon’ (which is actually a lunar eclipse) this is not a valid prediction, if there is such a thing. 2) Both the Hebrew and Christian Scriptures dealing with end times were written originally by Jewish Sages, to Jewish people in a Jewish time and land.  Therefore, it makes sense that the Scriptural prophecy should be revealed by astronomical phenomena that could be seen in Israel.

 Now I realize that NASA is a government agency and who trusts the government anyhow, but they have a prediction too; the eclipse will be seen not in Israel but a long ways away in a country that isn’t even mentioned in Scripture – The United States of America…..and other places around the Pacific Rim.

Yes I did a little research and yes I’m blowing my own horn!  But I’m not selling books or making speeches about any object in the sky.  I’m saying, if you believe in the Hebrew and/or Christian Scriptures, then obey them…..don’t try to supplant them with your own ideas. 

My studies have taught me, for years, that if you are a Jew or a Christian, you should follow God’s teachings that you find in your books.  I don’t see anywhere that gives anyone permission or license to edit, do away with or pick and choose the rules of life that God has given.  Try as you may, but you won’t outguess God so stop trying to shake people up with your ‘end times’ predictions, and read what is written in the Scriptures: End times will come, but you don’t have a clue when that will be.

Stop trying to scare people into believing, and watch for the moon on the 8^th of October and enjoy a wonderful lesson in physics and astronomy. 

Don’t worry; God will let you all know when the end of the world is to be……you won’t be able to miss it!

Look Before You Leap

As I look back on my years growing up in a very rural community, I remember the faithful admonition of my mother “Look Before You Leap”.  Every time my brothers or I were about to engage in a controversial conversation or activity, we were told “look before you leap”!  Certainly at 13 years old I had no real concept of what that meant, and what the heck did mom really know anyhow; but now, looking back and applying some of the life experiences that at times were thrust upon me rather than a casual brush with a simple education, I have a much clearer and somewhat colorful picture of her warning and my lack of obtaining the correct information.

Most recently I have, in puzzlement, watched as usually good people, become violators of one of the basic rules of the Judeo-Christian mindset; you shall not bear false witness against your neighbor (Exodus 20:16 NASB); just because they ‘read it on the internet’, so it must be true.

More specifically, the recent attack on the Roman Catholic Church and the claims of how horrible their doctrine is has caught my eye.  While I will admit I do not agree with some of Catholic doctrine, I am hard pressed to point a finger and claim that Evangelical Christianity or Orthodox Judaism – or any other group are better and have no faults.

In Judaism, we are warned against lashon hora (the evil tongue) and are taught not to be part of spreading rumors, even if the subject matter is true.  Christianity teaches a similar lesson in the Gospel teachings of Jesus: Why do you look at the speck that is in your brother’s eye, but do not notice the log that is in your own eye?(Matthew 7:3 NASB).  If I can be so bold as to paraphrase ‘who do you think you are?  You’re not so perfect yourself’!  If you personally don’t know the facts, stop pretending you do!

Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations (from where the complaints and indictments are coming from) approve of same sex marriage?  Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations allow women to teach, preach and pastor?  Did you know that some Evangelical Churches and Organizations will not teach against …..well many things Catholics are put down for, are taking place in the Evangelical Churches and Organizations.  If you honestly believe that Catholic Priests are the only clergy that have committed sexual acts against children, you haven’t been paying attention in the Christian Youth Groups.

Before you decide to pass along what someone has posted on the internet, check it out.  Before you decide to take a stand against the Catholic Church or any other religious organization, find out what they really believe, not what you think they believe or what someone has told you.  And finally, if you really want to take a stand against Catholic practices and traditions (you have the right to do that), stop doing them in your life!

• ·      Eating fish on Fridays began as a Catholic tradition – and most restaurants that you eat at (and order clam chowder on Friday) follow that tradition.
• ·      Christmas and Easter, were started by the Catholic Church
• ·      Communion, as we know it today, was started by the Catholic Church – even if other churches have changed some of the words and manner of distribution.  (no, Jesus didn’t start communion, he was celebrating the Passover Seder)
• ·      The Catholic Church gave us Liturgy which in modern churches is called ‘order of worship’ (which is really a Jewish term, but that’s a subject for a future writing)
• ·      The calendar we use today was introduced by Pope Gregory VIII, of the Catholic Church

At this point I can hear the cries of anguish from those who truly believe that they would never participate in a Catholic practice or tradition!  Oh really?

·      looking guy or website, is not true.  If you want to know about Catholic Doctrine and traditions, go to the Catholic Catechism, not an Evangelical writer who is trying to sell books.

Look Before You Leap – if you don’t, you might find yourself being embarrassed by facts rather than speculations.

Don’t Wait!

Robin Williams died yesterday; all of the news programs, the newspapers, blogs, tweets and many Facebook ‘statuses’ are relating the tragic end of a comedic genius.  And the question is asked over and over “why didn’t someone see what was happening and stop it”?

Well the truth of the matter is that if a person truly wants to live or die, they will find a way to make that happen.  Mr. Williams found a way to die.

"You matter because you are you, and you matter to the end of your life.— Dame Cicely Saunders

It appears that Mr. Williams didn't feel that he mattered any longer…..oh how wrong he was!  He leaves behind a wife, children, friends, coworkers and some clergy who knew him well….or at least they thought so.  Could this tragedy have been stopped if one of those people stepped in and acted?  Possibly… but only if Mr. Williams wanted to live with and through the personal torments that the media is now reporting.

What to do then, when a friend, a coworker or a family member seems to be in the depths of depression?  Is it inevitable that they will end their life at their own hand; or can we intervene and get them the help that they need? 

Unfortunately, we humans have developed that “I don’t want to interfere” attitude, which actually is an “I don’t care enough” attitude.  If we cared enough, we wouldn't worry about making a scene or looking foolish or being accused of not minding our own business.  We would “get involved” and “get them some help”

Depression is a real thing!  I've experienced it and you've experienced it.  It comes upon us for many reasons. Sometimes it drives a person to consider ‘ending it all’, but generally we live on and often help is obtained and once again we discover, to quote Bishop Sheen, “life is worth living”.  And sometimes it only takes a friend, someone that will just listen, someone who truly cares and does not judge, but remembers “there but for the grace of God, go I”

I visited a friend today.  I should have visited sooner and more often, but I let the events of my life take priority over his failing health.  I even feel guilty calling myself his friend, as a true friend would not have let it go this far.  A true friend would have made the time.  My friend will not end his life at his own hand, but he does need a better friend in me.

It was sad to see my friend in the state that he was….losing his eyesight and speech, not able to move about freely.  I found myself hanging on his every difficultly pronounced word; not out of duty, but because I truly wanted to hear my friend and his thoughts.  You see, he is a genius too.  An engineer who was an expert in his field; a family man with a dedicated wife and daughter and many friends.  One thing he said today that has struck me tonight: “I wouldn't wish this disease on my worst enemy”.  He also told me how his wife was such a blessing from Heaven.  In his suffering he found time to put things in perspective.

 

Why these two men in my story?  Because Mr. Williams and my friend both needed truly dedicated friends.  Their families needed help from outside the family.  A kind word, a phone call, a warm hand or a smile will go a long way for someone who is suffering, regardless if it’s from mental or physical impairment.

   

Who do you know that is suffering from some difficulty?  Are you willing to pick up the phone and call them?  Are you willing to make sure they understand you are there for them?  Will you give them a kind word of encouragement, a warm hand, a listening ear?  Will you be a real friend before it is too late?

The Barbarians are at the Gate…or at Least Around the House!

Again with the fighting in the Middle East?

Indeed it is happening again.  Hamas, the resident military of Gaza, initiated the latest battle by firing rocket after rocket into Israel – without provocation.  This past Sunday, while the world was watching Germany win the World Cup, 130 rockets were shot into Israel.  In all of 2014, I’m not sure if anyone knows how many rockets have been fired at Israel – shooting at civilians sending people to almost have to  live in their bomb shelters, but the numbers are in the thousands.   

Now, after Israel accepted the Egyptian brokered ‘cease fire’ and ceased military operations, Hamas fired 50 more rockets into Israel, less than 3 hours after the cease fire was agreed to – and yet, the media, once again, calls for Israel to use restraint.

But what I don’t see is the condemnation of the barbaric actions of Hamas:

·      Civilians are ordered to stay in their residences while rocket installations and munitions storage is located around the home.
·      Command and Control, along with rocket installations and munitions storage are placed in Mosques. (considered Holy places in the Qur’an).
·      Women, children and elderly are used as ‘human shields’.
·      Hamas rockets are aimed at civilians, not military installations.

If this was happening to any other country, especially the U.S., the media would be crying foul, and insisting that the ‘world community’ do something about it!  But no, the only thing we hear is the ‘heavy hand of Israel’ and ‘exercise restraint'.

Question: What is the difference between Sodom Hussein using ‘human shields’ and Hamas using ‘human shields’?  Answer:  Israel wasn't attacking Sodom Hussein.

Yep; as long as Israel is trying to protect her people, ‘human shields’ are OK for Hamas.

You Can’t Have it Both Ways!

The Middle East is on the brink of major war and the majority of the world is blaming Israel; if not blaming, insisting that Israel use ‘enormous restraint’.

Recently three Israeli youth were kidnapped and murdered, in the West Bank.  Whether they should have been in the West Bank is not the issue – the issue is a senseless act of cowardice by men who were so convinced of their righteous position that the ‘covered their faces so they wouldn’t be recognized’?  In retaliation, six spineless Israeli men jumped and captured one Palestinian youth and burned him to death.

In the news last night I heard a reporter refer to the death of the Israeli youth as murder, yet when referring to the Palestinian youth, just as ‘retaliation’.  And, the world indignation is against the Israelis who burned the Palestinian youth to death.

Here’s the real story:  Both incidents were MURDER and the perpetrators deserve to be put to death for the MURDER of children; and the world needs to support that position, not just beat up on Israel. (In Israel, capital punishment is allowed only during wartime and only for genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes, treason, and crimes against the Jewish People). 

But, instead the world wishes to forget that the day after Israel became a County, 7 Arab Nations attacked her with the stated purpose “to wipe Israel from the face of the earth”.  They also choose to forget that over and over, since then, Israel has been repeatedly attacked by Arab States.  They forget that the leader of the PLO, before his death, insisted that Israel be eliminated.  They forget that the leader of Iran has vowed to destroy Israel.  They forget that Hamas and Hezbollah continue to fire rockets into Israel and that children must hide in basements and safe rooms and sometimes only have fifteen seconds to get to shelter. 

It amazes me that the world, including the United States, takes such a stand against Israel, when if the same thing was happening to another country, they would be outraged and would certainly retaliate in kind or in escalation!

So….what is going to happen now?  The Arab states will continue to attack Israel (verbally and with munitions) and the world will continue to call for restraint on Israel’s part but ignore the acts of others.  Today, more rockets will be fired from Gaza but this time, Israel will respond in escalation; and the world will continue to denounce Israel.

Genesis 12:2-4New American Standard Bible (NASB)

² And I will make you a great nation,
And I will bless you,
And make your name great;
And so you shall be a blessing;
³ And I will bless those who bless you,
And the one who curses you I will curse.
And in you all the families of the earth will be blessed.”

If you believe in God, you certainly believe in His Word (I hope).  So what is going to happen when He makes good on this promise?  The world, once again, will blame Israel.  (or maybe they’ll blame George Bush)

Too Quick to Shoot?

In less than 4 months, in our area, there have been a number of fatal shootings, at the hands of Police Officers.  What can we learn from these tragic incidents?

In Centralia, Police confronted a man who was relieving himself in an alley behind a business; the man came at the Police with a knife and was killed.  Also in Centralia, a man was contacted by Police for stealing a burrito from a convenience store.  While attempting to arrest the suspect, he pulled a gun from his pocket and the Officer shot him; the man died at the scene.  In Seattle, a man refusing to pay his fare on the ‘light rail train’ was contacted by a Deputy Sheriff.  Rather than accept a citation for not paying the fare, the suspect pulled a pistol; the Deputy shot fatally wounding the suspect.  This morning, Police chased a stolen truck in Seattle.  The suspect eventually ran from the officers.  While attempting to hide behind a building, the suspect appeared with a pistol pointed at the Officers and was shot and died at the scene.

What is the common denominator in all of these cases?  Some would say it is the Police being too quick to use lethal force; death for peeing in an alley, stealing a burrito, cheating on train fare or even stealing a truck, seem pretty minor crimes when compared to crimes that can invoke the ‘death penalty’ in a Court of Law.  Let’s see; burritos cost about $2.50, train fare maybe $1.50, a truck…..sure that’s expensive and peeing in a dark alley – well there is the cost of cleaning it up; but the death penalty?

Actually the common denominator is not the ‘simple crime’ or even the quick response of the Police; it is the fact that all of the suspects attempted in some way to fatally harm the officers; one with a knife and 3 WITH PISTOLS!!!!!  What on earth would you expect a Police Officer to do?

While I admit and understand that in the wake of several incidents that resulted in the death of Police Officers here in the Northwest, Officers are on ‘high alert’.  But at the same time I wonder if lethal force is always called for.  But more important is; I wonder why people think that confronting a Police Officer with a gun or a knife is something that would resolve the matter in their favor.  The only conclusion I can make is that these suspects were not in their right minds.

To The Friends of the guy with the knife: Don’t take a knife to a gun fight!

To the Friends of the guys that pulled guns: don’t point guns at Police Officers!

To those who make our laws: So much for the effectiveness of ‘background checks’!

Supreme Court Rules to Protect Cell Phones

WASHINGTON — In a sweeping victory for privacy rights in the digital age, the Supreme Court on Wednesday unanimously ruled  that the police need warrants to search the cell phones of people they arrest. (Adam Liptak, New York Times June 25)

Wow!  Although I am quite pleased with this decision, I’m shocked that the 9 individuals, who make up the highest court in the Nation, could actually come to the same conclusion!  Maybe it’s because each one of them have a smart phone that contains a great deal of their private and personal information.

A 2013 study shows that 92 percent of adults in the U.S. have some sort of a cell phone and 85 percent have a ‘smart phone’ with access to the internet, email and who knows what else.  The reality is that our cell phones have become something more than a simple ‘telephone’.  (do we even use the term telephone anymore?)

My ‘smart phone’ is a portable file cabinet; it contains my calendar, my contacts, my clock and alarm for when I travel, various notes to remind me of certain electronic formulas (yep I’m a geek), pictures that are special to me, music to listen to when I’m traveling and a bunch of other stuff that I have no idea how it got there!  I’m not sure if my social security number is in my phone, but certainly my birth date is, along with a few different passwords, for access to email, Facebook and who know what else.  In other words, the digital age has combined with the miniaturization of electronics to allow me to pack around a 4 drawer filing cabinet and several other items…..all contained in one device.

Because the Bill of Rights did not initially apply to the states, and federal criminal investigations were less common in the first century of the ation's history, there is little significant case law for the Fourth Amendment before the 20th century. The amendment was held to apply to the states in Mapp v. Ohio (1961).  Since ‘Mapp’, due care and consideration has been the law, even if sometimes overzealous law enforcement officials and legislators violate the intent of the amendment. 

In the recent case ruling from the U.S. Supreme Court, launches us further into the digital age, inasmuch as the cell phone is now considered under the same protection as my 4 drawer file cabinet or my computer. To view things inside of those items requires my permission or a duly authorized ‘search warrant’.

However, as I don’t have anything stored in my file cabinet, computer or cell phone that is criminal or important to law enforcement, I’m not as concerned as maybe the 12 million criminals that are referred to in the Courts decision.

The reality is a warrant may not be the useful tool that law enforcement thinks it is.  I've met many of the folks who obtain warrants; I have also looked for days to find something I thought I stored on my smart phone and never found what I was looking for; if they think they can find something, they're better geeks than me.  Is the search warrant an automatic key to the mysteries stored within?  If it is, the next time I’m looking for a text message sent to me by my son, I’ll take the phone to the local Police Department or I’ll call the NSA.

By the way, does the NSA need a search warrant?

Redskins vs National Economy

Do You Have Skin In The Game?

To have "skin in the game" is to have incurred monetary risk by being invested in achieving a goal. (from Wikipedia) 

In a recent ruling from the US Patent Office, the trademark used by the Washington Redskins, has been deemed offensive to some people.  The first thing that comes to my mind is: with a huge deficit and government spending out of control and no relief in sight, why is the government (congress and agencies) dealing with an issue between some people and the National Football League?  When did the government get some “skin in the game”?

Although I am vehemently against any form of racism, I am opposed to the selective overreach of government agencies and politicians who are only looking for headlines – not equity. 

‘Washington Redskins’, has once again become a target for special interest groups and members of congress who want to grandstand, with total disregard for other logos that may offend a few people:

• Detroit Tigers – Tigers?  You would make sport of an endangered species?
• Cleveland Indians – Are you serious?  The government hasn’t desolved their copyright logo.
• Seattle Seahawks – How dare you use a logo with a revered religious icon, held sacred by some indigenous peoples
• USC Trojans – This has to be offensive to some Greeks and a violation of a trademark of a condom company
• Vikings, Pirates, Titans, Seminoles, Raiders, Bulls (that should offend PETA) and Volunteers, should offend some people who are Northern Europeans, Seafarers, Greeks again, a Tribe still at war with the U.S., and who knows what else.

Yes, I make sport (pun intended) of the whole nonsensical subject.  We don’t need government agencies, congress or the President getting involved in the private business of ‘sports teams’.  Do they think that the parties concerned have no ability to resolve their problems without government intervention?  Did they miss the recent story about the National Basketball Association?

Mr President, members of Congress and your agencies that are totally out of control:  Stay out of things that don’t need or have your participation.  Get the heck back to work on the economy, the world scene and those things that you were sent to Washington DC to do.  We didn't send you there to be involved in Football, Baseball, Basketball or Tiddly Winks.  (golf is on you).

 

By the way; have you ever seen the trademark logos for – Aunt Jemima, Uncle Ben’s Rice or Rosarita?  Just saying!

BREAKING NEWS: Lost Flight Found!

Today the International Security Organization (ISO) unveiled the secret of missing Malaysian Flight 370.

Taerg Rekaf of the ISO, stated that in fact Flight 370 did indeed make an oblique course correction in its flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing China, in order to begin the first phase of an International plan for the development of a new intergalactic colony.

Flight 370 made a mid-course correction in order to fly to the Diego Garcia, in the Indian Ocean, a top secret base for British and American spy agencies.

 In order to keep the project secret at the time, the plane’s transponder and other navigation reporting systems were turned off.  Rekaf admitted that the operation mangers did forget about the Rolls Royce engine Technical Reporting System (TRS) on the aircraft's engines that continued to ‘ping’ its technical data to satellites. 

Upon Flight 370’s arrival at Diego Garcia, the aircraft was quickly refitted with a special regenerating air system, to provide clean breathable air for the passengers and crew, for the three week trip to its final destination.  The cargo hold was loaded with food and supplies along with special built inflatable domes for housing and on the ground operations.

The news report that the engine’s TRS indicated that the aircraft had reached an altitude of 45,000 feet was accurate, as that was the last altitude able to be reported as Flight 370 traveled upward to leave Earth’s atmosphere on its way to making history as the first internationally sponsored colonization since the founding of the New World by sailing ships filled with the dreams of pioneers.

Flight 370, now designated Mayflower II, is one week from its history making adventure as it will land and begin construction and inhabiting operations on the surface of Earth’s Moon. 

All the passengers and crew of the former Flight 370 had volunteered for this mission and had been in training in Kuala Lumpur, Iran, Germany, the United States and China for the past 7 years.

More information is pending after the first Boeing aircraft to fly in space, lands on the Plains of Foops on the surface of the Moon.

……well there you have it!  Another news story full of hearsay and rumor!  If you read the story carefully you will notice the ISO Spokesman Mr. Taerg RekaF is ‘Great Faker’ spelled backwards and The Plains of Foops is ‘spoof’ backwards.

My point here is that I can write a news story about the missing Flight 370 that is no less true or speculative than what all the major news outlets have been giving for the past ten days…….

In truth, we don’t know what happened to the aircraft and each government and each news outlet is just feeding us ‘stuff’ to ‘sell newspapers’, not to tell us the truth – all of them speculating a new theory each day so that they ‘can be the first to tell you the real story’ if their report turns out to be correct.

Folks….even a broken clock is right twice a day.

Geniuses at Work

The Washington State Legislature has crafted a brilliant new law, and the Governor is signing it, to prohibit individuals under the age of 18 from using tanning bed services.  The law further states that those under 18 could use tanning bed services if they have a Doctor’s prescription to do so. 

However, even with a Doctor’s prescription or if an individual appears to be too young, they must provide a ‘government issued’ picture identification before services can be rendered.

WHAT?  YOU NEED A GOVERNMENT ISSUED PICTURE ID TO USE A TANNING BED BUT NOT TO REGISTER TO VOTE?

My Lord who have we elected?  Are they all on drugs?  Truly, there can be no other explanation!

You Can’t Pick and Choose

In this writing I will not take a position pro or con on the subjects of ‘gay rights or same sex marriages’.  What I will do is to point out the hypocrisy on both sides of the argument.

First the Christians: It is common and usually loud, to have a Christian speak against ‘same sex marriage’ legislation, always stating “The Bile speaks against this sort of behavior”, which of course is true – however the same people will say “Jesus did away with the laws” as they refer to an editor’s note in the New Testament, not an actual citation of Scripture.  You can’t have it both ways – either the Laws of God (all of them) apply or they (all of them) don’t!

The reality is, the cited Scripture from the Torah (Leviticus 19:20) is only one of God’s Laws.  There are 612 other Laws that we must pay attention to as well.  You shall not murder, you shall not steal, you shall not covet, you shall not commit adultery, you shall observe the Sabbath, you shall have only one God, you shall honor your father and mother, you shall not eat certain foods or wear certain clothing, you shall celebrate the festivals of God and the list goes on and on.  While I admit there are some laws that are not applicable today because they relate to the Temple in Jerusalem and the Priesthood (neither of which exist today), the rest still are valid. 

So in your zeal to attack another group of people that you don’t agree with, why not take a look at your own life and the laws of God you choose not to obey.  Remember that in the New Testament Matthew 7:4 it says “ or how can you say to your brother, ‘Let me take the speck out of your eye,’ and behold, the log is in your own eye”.  In other words, don’t judge someone else when your life isn't so perfect.  Spend more time getting your life back on track before you take on the responsibility of telling others how to live. Your attitude towards others and your lifestyle will be the best witness you ever have. 

Now the Gay Community:  You must understand that Christians, Jews and Muslims have strict rules against Gay lifestyles.  That is their right, not only given by the Constitution of the United States, but based on the ‘Freedom of Choice’ given to them and you by the God of the universe.

The hateful and destructive speech and name calling will never resolve a thing.  If it is your intention to drive wedges between your community and the rest of society, you are doing a good job.  However, if you are trying to educate those who oppose you, legislative or culturally, you are directing your zeal in the wrong way.  Be patient and be respectful; If attitudes are going to change it will take time.  They may never change, but then again they might, so why not take a positive attitude.

You don’t get to pick and choose either.  If you expect people to respect your position, you must respect their position.  We live in a wonderful country where opposing views use to be tolerated….we need to return to that way of living.  . Your attitude towards others and your lifestyle will be the best witness you ever have. 

I have always been happy that God didn't invite me into His ministry of judgment….you should be thankful too.

Time and Tide

Time and Tide

Time and Tide wait for no man!  I have known that phrase for many years and always wanted to find out who said it first.  Unfortunately, no one can be given the official title of ‘author’ of the phrase, even though several people try to take claim.

It was 3:45 am as I looked out the window of my rented cabin.  In the dark my view contained a red flashing channel marker, right out my window, and in the distance a white flashing marker; both indicated safe passage for the fishing vessels that paraded by from Westport Harbor, making their way to the Grays Harbor Bar and the Pacific Ocean fishing grounds.  One by one they streamed by with their red and green navigation lights burning and the halogen work lights on their masts lighting the way, like the headlamps of an automobile.  The quiet of the dark morning was periodically interrupted by the rumbling of several different diesel engines and the gentle but noticeable splash of waves on the beach, as each of their wakes announced their passing by on the path to the sea.

When the parade started, the tide was slack (that period between the outgoing tide and the change of its anticipated return) and the boats were headed to cross the bar before it became too rough.  The timing had to be right, or the boats would be tossed around until they had crossed, and the crews and captains would be put to work earlier than they wished. 

You see, no matter what time the fisherman leaves the harbor, slack tide is not going to wait for him.  The tide is going to begin its return and come against the outgoing current of the river, and the bar will become an unpleasant area of tossing and turning that causes some people to wonder why they took this trip. 

As I watched and remembered the many times I had piloted my boat towards one bar or another, figuring the timing so that the crossing would have minimal impact on equipment and crew, the old phrase came to mind once again: Time and Tide Wait for No Man.  This morning as I mentally reviewed my current life activities, I realized that the meaning of the phrase went far beyond a nautical ilk. 

I am a busy man with many activities.  While I will admit that I have reduced my activities to only those I really enjoy doing, it wasn't always that way. 

You see, regardless of what you may be doing, you only have a certain amount of time to do it in, so why not enjoy the time you have.  Another phrase that comes to mind is “Time Marches On”.  Whether you find time to complete your tasks or find time to relax, ‘time’ like the tide, doesn’t care – it marches on with or without you.

So now it becomes time for you, as it did for me, to accept that you only have so much time left in your life, and you have no idea how much time that is.  So make that secretly allotted time worthwhile.  One day we will all cross the bar between this life and the next.  Because we don’t know when that time will be, doesn’t it make sense to use your time prudently?

The medical profession has warned us about stress for years (although they don’t seem to take their own advice).  Stress shortens our life span, causes illness and generally makes life miserable.  The recommendations of eating balanced meals, getting more exercise and lowering the stress level, has been ignored by most of us.  The rise of depression, obesity, diabetes and other physical and mental maladies is the hallmark and soon the epitaph of our society.  I saw an article once where a person visiting a cemetery found a headstone that, under the person’s name, was a line that read “I told you I was sick”.  Someone had affixed a small placard below the inscription that read “You were told how to keep from being sick”. 

So what are the major incidents that cause most of our stress and its consequence illness?  How can we reduce or eliminate stress?

• ·      Get some exercise!  Eat balanced meals and stay away from the constant diet of fast food!
• ·      Don’t take a job that you will be miserable in; what good does it do to earn money and die because of it?
• ·      Give up being angry toward those who may have hurt you in the past; all you are doing is giving them free rent in your mind.  Move on!
• ·      One sided relationships are destructive; you can’t force someone to love you….they either do or they don’t, regardless of how nice and accommodating you are.
• ·      Being there for someone all the time that isn’t going to be there for you, makes no sense.  Real friends are always there when you need them.
• ·      Family should be important to you, not an afterthought.
• ·      Everyone wants someone special in their lives; don’t settle for just someone.

There is so much more that we can do to establish quality in our lives.  You can find things that I may have missed.  Here’s what I am going to do; join me:

• ·      Watching the boats gave me the inspiration for the change for my life, so I’m going to watch more boats, waves and beaches.
• ·      I’m not going to get involved in anything that isn’t fun for me.
• ·      I’m going to pursue my Ham Radio hobby more.  Talking to people all over the world is very relaxing.
• ·      I have two granddaughters and three great granddaughters; I’m going to try to reconnect with the granddaughters and meet the great granddaughters whom  I’ve never seen.
• ·      I’m eating better and exercising again.  I’m going to keep on until it’s time for me to cross the bar.
• ·      I refuse to be involved in unproductive relationships or friendships
• ·      I will not settle

I have no idea how much time I have left, but I do realize that ‘time and tide’ have no intention of slowing down for me.  So I’ll respect the framework and live within it, as long as God will allow me.  You can too, it’s up to you.