Tuesday, July 31, 2012

Twelve years for stealing a child

"As she grew up in Connecticut under the name Nejdra Nance, the girl became increasingly suspicious of her own identity. Pettway ultimately told her a part-truth, admitting she was someone else's daughter but claiming she had been willingly given away by a drug addict.

Carlina White said she browsed the website of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children for clues to her identity. After matching a photo of herself with one on the site, she tracked down her true mother and they reunited in January 2011. A DNA test confirmed they were mother and child"

The above was quoted from a AP story about a baby that was taken from her mothers arms in 1988.  The baby was sick so she took it to the hospital and handed it to a nurse, or rather to a lady dressed as a nurse.

This story is interesting to me.  A couple adopted a baby. The child had a white mother, who was a crack-addicted prostitute and a black father.  The adoptive parents are well off, a white comptroller and his black accountant who is successful in her own right.  The race of the people involved in this story aren't important except that one would never know the child and her parents were not related by birth because of race. 

I have a few issues with their parenting style but still, the couple seem to be capable parents and the child is a beautiful highly intelligent girl.  She is now around thirteen and has never been told she was adopted.  Like Carlina White, one day this girl may begin to doubt her parentage.  If she discovers on her own that she is adopted how will she handle it?  Is the fact that she is now old enough to understand going to lessen the shock of being told the truth?  The girl and her father are close.  Will learning the truth distroy that relationship?   How will she handle the fact that the man she has loved and trusted the most has been lying to her all these years? 

I know growin up that one of the cruelest things siblings can say to each other is "You were adopted".  It's taken the same as if telling them that they are not really part of the family but their own family never wanted them.  Actually, it is worse but not only did your real parents not want you but they disliked you enough to give you away.  That is a horrible discovery for a child. 

In the case I cited above, the daughter apparently did not have a bond with her parent and has not developed one her her biological mother and relatives either.  There is a lot of stress, resentment, pain, and mistrust still to deal with. 

I wonder if the couple I know will one day face the truth about their relationship or if everyone will try to live their lives out, believing a lie or deneying the truth. 

Monday, July 30, 2012

The new bible

Someone came up with the idea on turning the scriptures into a screen play to make it easier to read and to combat bilical illeteracy, even among those who regularly attend church. 

We don't need a new bible.  We just need to read the one we already have. 

One commenter said that "Southern Baptist don't need a new bible.  The King James version was good enough for Jesus so it is good enough for me." 

How is a biblical screenplay going to combat ignorance like that? 

It is my personal opnion that all these changes to make the bible easier to read has only served to dumb down the scriptures and to make church less relevant.  It many churches, people don't know which version to bring and can't always follow along.  If biblical illeteracy has increased, then that stands as proof that the "easier to understand" versions have failed.

Part of understanding the scriptures is understanding the culture of the times that Christ lived and changeing the words of the scriptures does not increase that understanding.  The bible is supposed to be spiritual discerned.  It is not for the unbeliever and should be confusing to them.  There are many good scholorly works that will aid the person seeking to understand fully what the bible is saying but first one must be a believer.  People pick and choose sections or verses and built a doctrine from those verses and one should not do that.  A new translation is not going to help anyone with that problem. 

No, we don't need a new translation but we do need to trust the word of God, hide it in ours hearts and live it out in our lives. 

Thursday, July 26, 2012

Maybe i'm too old to remember

I suppose there have always been politics mixed up with the Olympics, at least to some degree, but the incidents in the past seemed to revolve around national and international situations.  There was the black power fist in Mexico, the boycotts by the USSR and the USA the following Olympics and of course the gunning down of the Israeli team but is seems like in recent Olympics, particularly this one, political statements and controversies seem to be more out front than the competitors are. 

It is a shame that people can't get together amd compete and play and have fun without politics being involved.  I don't suppose bringing it up or even complaining about it will make a difference anyway but would  not it be nice just to watch the games and have a few moments to escape everyday life and not have  problems highlighted by the sporting events?

Wednesday, July 25, 2012

Snooki Booed


Snooki was recently booed while making a guest appearance at a New York Mets baseball game at Citi Field, but the "Jersey Shore" star did not seem bothered. "Lol
 
If  his person had any shame she wouldn't be who she is. 

The death penalty does reduce crime.

Warren Hill was granted a reprieve from his Monday evening execution so that prison officials can hold public hearings regarding the use of a single drug for executions, rather than the current mix of three. Hill was serving a life sentence for the 1985 murder of Myra Wright, 18, when he was sentenced to death for killing an inmate in 1990. A look in photos at some last words from death row.

Florida Child Pornographer Asks for Leniency, Gets Denied

Offering such excuses as his own life traumas and his personal opinion that his unconscious victims don’t remember, pedophile Randy Jerome Pozdol asked the court for the minimum required sentence. The judge rejected his arguments.

Today in Crime History: Cary Stayner Arrested

On July 24, 1999, the day after the mutilated body of Joie Armstrong was found in Yosemite National Park, police arrested Cary Stayner. Stayner, a serial killer who killed a total of four people, is the older brother of Steven Stayner, who was kidnapped and held captive by pedophile Kevin Parnell for over seven years.

Police in Nebraska Treating Assault As Hate Crime

A gay woman was held captive and tortured, her home vandalized and a derogatory word for lesbian painted inside, before it was set on fire. Police are treating the incident like a hate crime.

Unsolved Murder Spotlight: Deanna Cremin

On the morning of March 30, 1995, two children 17-year-old Deanna Cremin often babysat found her body behind a senior housing complex at 125 Jacques Street — one block away from her home. She was nearly naked and lying face up. An autopsy revealed she’d been strangled. No charges were ever filed in this case.

Five People Who Played Russian Roulette and Lost

A look at five recent cases involving Russian roulette, the deadly game of chance in which a player spins the partially loaded barrel of a revolver, then places the gun to his head and fires.

Aurora Theater Shooting Suspect’s Mugshot Released

Yesterday, authorities released a booking photo of James Eagan Holmes, 24, the suspect in the July 20 shooting that left 12 dead and 58 injured. The photo came hours after Holmes made his first court appearance. He is due to return to court July 30, when he will be formally charged.

Female Mass Murderers: Major Cases and Motives

Many people think of mass murder as a man’s profession, but there are a few notable exceptions. A look at some famous cases, and the psychology and motivations behind female killers.

Monday, July 23, 2012

Obama: 'All of America' Thinking About Shooting Victims' Families

He is wrong.  I am not thinking about shooting anyone nor is anyone I know. 

Oh did I read that wrong? 

Actually, I gave a lot of thought to my son who lives in the area.  He was close enough to the big fire to have taken some pictures of it from his back porch and he lives just minutes away from where this incident occurred. 

I also thought about the lawsuits that are to follow and wondering who will be the first to sue the movie theater for not having a guard posted at the exit to prevent this from happening. 

Among my thoughts provoked by this incident were thoughts about the petty arguments over the right to bear arms every violent incident reignites.  I am waiting for the blame game to begin.
  

Authorities: 11 dead after truck crashes in Texas

A Ford F-250 pickup truck with 23 people abroad ran off the road and struck a tree, killing eleven and injuring the other 12 on a rural highway southwest of San Antonio, Texas.

Update;  Two more of the passengers have died.

Sunday, July 22, 2012

US poverty on track to rise to highest since 1960s

It's Bushes fault.  Obama needs at least 8 to 12 years or until he is forced out of office to straighten out this mess.  Rumor was that after the second election Obma would take steps to create a dictatorship.  I don't think he is wise enough to pull that off, even in his own mind.  But, in spite of his failures, he still believes he deserves 4 more years.  If he gets them the only hope I'll have is that he would change.  Like that'll happen. 

Saturday, July 21, 2012

Why I love the internet

My new kitty chewed the wire on my Wii sensor bar and I have no idea where one would go to purchase a new one.  I went to the Ninento web site and a new one from them listed for 49.99 plus shipping.  I keyed in the Amazon.com and searched for the sensor bar there.  I like Amazon because they have always been reliable, quick to deliver, and most often less expensive than anyone.  I found a new sensor bar listed for .18 plus $3.99 shipping.  True, I have to wait a week before it gets here but it would have probably taken that long to find one plus the gas and time to find and purchase it. 

Life is so much easier for doing research, expressing one self, and finding hard to find items, and saving money. 

Of course there are dangers out there but lordy, where are we safe?  Traffic is horrendous and dangerous.  It seems we arn't safe anywhere; even at a late night showing of "Batman, the Dark Knight". 

t

Friday, July 20, 2012

Roof Collapse, Southpark Mall, Charlotte

Mall evacuated in Charlotte, NC, after thunderstorm with heavy rain causes ceiling to collapse

  • Article by: Associated Press
  • Updated: July 20, 2012 - 5:41 PM
CHARLOTTE, N.C. - A North Carolina mall was evacuated Friday when a thunderstorm that produced heavy rain caused the ceiling to collapse, officials said.
The ceiling at SouthPark collapsed around 5 p.m., said Charlotte Fire Department Capt. Rob Brisley. He said by the time firefighters were dispatched to the mall, an evacuation was already under way. Brisley said firefighters also pulled the alarm systems in the mall to help with the evacuation, which he described as orderly.
No injuries were reported.
Brisley said firefighters were focusing on making sure the building was safe, and that the water damage could be addressed by mall workers.

Wall Street Journal Sizes Up Obama


Wall Street  Journal Sizes Up Obama
A "deadly"  article regarding Obama, at the Wall Street Journal, which today is the most  widely circulated newspaper in America .
  Article from the Wall Street Journal - by Alan Caruba:
  "I have this theory about Barack Obama. I think he's led a kind of  make-believe life in which money was provided and doors were opened because  at some point early on somebody or some group (George Soros anybody?) took a  look at this tall, good looking, half-white, half-black, young man with an  exotic African/Muslim name and concluded he could be guided toward a life in  politics where his facile speaking skills could even put him in the White  House.
  In a very real way, he has been a young man in a very big hurry. Who else do  you know has written two memoirs before the age of 45? "Dreams of My  Father" was published in 1995 when he was only 34 years old. The  "Audacity of Hope" followed in 2006. If, indeed, he did write them  himself. There are some who think that his mentor and friend, Bill Ayers, a  man who calls himself a "communist with a small 'c'" was the real  author.
  His political skills consisted of rarely voting on anything that might be  deemed controversial. He went from a legislator in the Illinois legislature  to the Senator from that state because he had the good fortune of having  Mayor Daley's formidable political machine at his disposal.
  He was in the U.S. Senate so briefly that his bid for the presidency was  either an act of astonishing self-confidence or part of some greater game  plan that had been determined before he first stepped foot in the Capital.  How, many must wonder, was he selected to be a 2004 keynote speaker at the  Democrat convention that nominated John Kerry when virtually no one had ever  even heard of him before?
  He outmaneuvered Hillary Clinton in primaries. He took Iowa by storm. A  charming young man, an anomaly in the state with a very small black  population, he oozed "cool" in a place where agriculture was the  antithesis of cool. He dazzled the locals. And he had an army of volunteers  drawn to a charisma that hid any real substance.
  And then he had the great good fortune of having the Republicans select one  of the most inept candidates for the presidency since Bob Dole. And then John  McCain did something crazy. He picked Sarah Palin, an unknown female governor  from the very distant state of Alaska . It was a ticket that was reminiscent  of 1984's Walter Mondale and Geraldine Ferraro and they went down to defeat.
  The mainstream political media fell in love with him. It was a schoolgirl  crush with febrile commentators like Chris Mathews swooning then and now over  the man. The venom directed against McCain and, in particular, Palin, was  extraordinary.
  Now, 3 full years into his presidency, all of those gilded years leading up  to the White House have left him unprepared to be President. Left to his own  instincts, he has a talent for saying the wrong thing at the wrong time. It  swiftly became a joke that he could not deliver even the briefest of  statements without the ever-present Tele-Prompters.
  Far worse, however, is his capacity to want to "wish away" some  terrible realities, not the least of which is the Islamist intention to  destroy America and enslave the West. Any student of history knows how  swiftly Islam initially spread. It knocked on the doors of Europe, having  gained a foothold in Spain .
  The great crowds that greeted him at home or on his campaign "world  tour" were no substitute for having even the slightest grasp of history  and the reality of a world filled with really bad people with really bad  intentions.
  Oddly and perhaps even inevitably, his political experience, a cakewalk, has  positioned him to destroy the Democrat Party's hold on power in Congress  because in the end it was never about the Party. It was always about his  communist ideology, learned at an early age from family, mentors, college  professors, and extreme leftist friends and colleagues.
  Obama is a man who could deliver a snap judgment about a Boston police  officer who arrested an "obstreperous" Harvard professor-friend,  but would warn Americans against "jumping to conclusions" about a  mass murderer at Fort Hood who shouted "Allahu Akbar." The  absurdity of that was lost on no one. He has since compounded this by calling  the Christmas bomber "an isolated extremist" only to have to admit  a day or two later that he was part of an al Qaeda plot.
  He is a man who could strive to close down our detention facility at  Guantanamo even though those released were known to have returned to the  battlefield against America . He could even instruct his Attorney General to  afford the perpetrator of 9/11 a civil trial when no one else would ever even  consider such an obscenity. And he is a man who could wait three days before  having anything to say about the perpetrator of yet another terrorist attack  on Americans and then have to elaborate on his remarks the following day  because his first statement was so lame.
  The pattern repeats itself. He either blames any problem on the Bush  administration or he naively seeks to wish away the truth.
  Knock, knock. Anyone home? Anyone there? Barack Obama exists only as the sock  puppet of his handlers, of the people who have maneuvered and manufactured  this pathetic individual's life.
When anyone else would quickly and easily  produce a birth certificate, this man spent over a million dollars to deny  access to his. Most other documents, the paper trail we all leave in  our wake, have been sequestered from review. He has lived a make-believe life  whose true facts remain hidden.
  We laugh at the ventriloquist's dummy, but what do you do when the dummy is  President of the United States .



We the  people are coming!

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

Police, cops, and Pigs

There is a story on the internet about cops that were attempting to serve a warrent in the middle of the night.  A man came to the door of the house carrying a gun and was shot and killed by the police.  The police were at the wrong house and the man killed was not the person being sought. 
Of the 4,086 comments on the story almost all of the comments are anti-police and almost everyone believes the police will get away with murder.

I know the man that was killed was within his legal rights to be armed and he had the right to carry the gun with him to the front door.  But even with a gun, why would anyone confront a group of people at your front door? 

People are claiming the police didn't announce they were the police and they may not have as they might have been issued a no-knock warrant because the man they were after was considered armed and dangerous. 

The police should have done a better job ensuring they were at the proper address but I have gone to the wrong house in broad daylight myself.  Many houses are not clearly marked as to address and mix-ups will occur.  I am of the belief that a person's first reaction to a commotion on their front porch in the middle of the night is to call 9-1-1, even if one has a gun. Some people think that with firearm in hand they are invincible.  They are very far from the truth.  A person carrying a fire arm is more likely to be killed with their own gun than they are to shoot an intruder. 

Had the man called 9-1-1 first, everyone may have figured out that the police were at the front door and at the wrong address.  Secondly, the 9-1-1 operator would have instructed the man to remain in his room and that the police were on the way.  Thirdly, if the man had no gun then the police would not have felt threatened when they came through the front door.  And fourthly, as proof that a gun is not always protection, the man never got to fire his weapon and is now dead. 

The biggest thing I noticed from the commenter's is that the overwhelming majority of them were reacting to the story emotionally and not rationally.  It seems that is how we handle most of our problems in this life. 

The majority of commenter's on my view point did not agree with me.  They believe this is a clear cut case of murder and that the police will get away with it, even though I pointed out that if there was a trial the jury would be made up of people just like them.  Sitting on a jury is one of our most important   and powerful rights and as long we we have that right we can control our own destiny in the country.  Jury duty is far more powerful than the right to vote. 

I cannot make the judgement  as the the proper fate of the police officers involved because I lack all of the evidence to base my decision on.  If the officers were wrong I'm confident they will be punished.  The police do not operate in a vacuum   and are accountable to more than just each other.  They should not be set free without consequences just because they are police but neither should they be condemned just because we don't like them.  They need to be judged fairly, by the evidence, which is the right of every citizen.                    

Facebook account deactivated

When I first opened my facebook account it was great as I could stay in contact with friends and family easier but as the "friends list" grew, I found that I communicated less and less with my real family and real friends and was privy to profanity and others peoples soapbox passions.  I could only take so much of dogd needing a home.  I prefer my blog as I can spew my radom thoughts and the people who look at it either like what I have to say or like me.  I don't like users of my facebook account who ignore me or who put forth ideas that I totally disagree with.

Another reason I deleted my facebook account is I like to use my g-mail account for contact with family and friends only.  Businesses and spamers should use one of my other accounts get every entry on my facebook account was duplicated on g-mail.  Why?

Monday, July 16, 2012

garden triumps

In spite of a hot dry month I've had a descent harvest from my garden this year.  In late spring I harvested potatoes and onions and tons of radishes.  I pickled some beets and have a peck to my mom.  I picked enough green beans to freeze a gallon and a half, have several meals and give plenty away, ate some fresh tomatoes and picked some squash and cucumbers and harvested some grapes and a few peaches. 

Hopefully I'll have a cataloupe or two to harvest soon as well as a few watermelon. 

One of my cherry trees bloomed this year so maybe I'll get some cherries to pick next year but I'll just enjoy what I have for now and hope my pumpkins continue to grow.   

Obama: DC 'feels as broken as it did 4 years ago'

One observation I've made over the years is that the followers adopt the same values and style as the leaders so if the leader is incompetent so are the followers.  If a leader is slack in one area or disorganized so are those that he directs.  I know it isn't alweays easy to fix a broken system but a good leader can do a lot so if the system he inherited was broken and four years later it is still in the smae condition then that just goes to prove the point that the leader is not fully capable. 

Oh wait, his lack of leadership ability and his inexperinence in that capacity was a big issue 4 years ago and it seems the distractors were right. 

I am not even speculating that McCain would have been a better President than Obama for I still am not convinced that Obama is as bad as McCain would have been.  McCains decision to skip a debate and rush back to DC to pull this country out of our economic debacle proven to be his undoing.  His selection of Palin as his running mate shows that he is prone to making bad decisions under pressure.

George Bush made two serious mistakes:  one was remaining loyal to his Secretary of State   and the other was his allowing or encouraging the issuing of cheap loans to unquailfied people.  The loans turned out not be be cheap at all  the support he hoped to gain by such practices never materialized and even helped to brand him a bad President and hurt his country and his party. 

If he had dumped Rummy and his home loan policy had worked he might have been considered one of our greatest Presidents ever.  If Obama had done nothing about the economy when he took office I believe the country would be in much better shape than it is now.  That shows is lack of understanding of economics and his poor choice of advisors.  I believe he has underestimated the value of people and lacks the ability to unite and inspire that was belied by his ability to orate emotional speeches.

.Based on his past performance I fully understand why this country is still broken.  There has been no change for the good and our only hope seems to be a change of leadership. 

Saturday, July 14, 2012

U.S. Presbyterian Church at crossroads over gay marriage

This headline is hard to believe but it is true.  Why would there be any question? 

Thursday, July 12, 2012

Kitty Adoption

We wanted two sisters and found two but after 4 days and no call back we went looking for two. We found one at the animal shelter so we didn't take it.  We found one at a pet store so we decided to get that one and went back to the animal shelter to get the other one.  One kitten was 12w weeks old, a tortise shell calico cat.  When we put her in the car to leave we braced ourselves for the normal growling, and meowing and fits that cats put up when forced to ride but this one loved it so I named her Ryder. 

The longhair, gray and white with a little brown mixed it, was so small and meowed barely above a whisper..  We took them to the vet today.  The small one had fleas and a cold and was underweight and judged to be between 5 to 8 weeks old, more likely 5 or 6 weeks old.  It weighed 13.5 onces.  After treated at the vets it is perking up a bit and is definetly a lap kitten.  Ryder is playful and follows me around but prefers to sit by herself.  She did sleep with me for awhile last night but she has picked out her favorite chair and has made that her own. 

She is so funny and active.  Debbie is more tender hearted and she has really taken to the gray kitten who she named Smoki because of the soft gray and slight traces of brown among the gray gives it a smoky look.  She has green eyes while Ryders has eyes of brown. 

The two kittens are total opposites. 

Wednesday, July 11, 2012

Prime example of not taking responsibilty

"The actress' publicist, Jill Fritzo, said Chenoweth was hit in the head by scaffolding and taken to the hospital by ambulance. "

The way this sentence is worded would lead one to believe the scaffold was the aggressor in this incident.  Nothing in the article even hints at the scaffolding falling or in other wise being the cause of the incident.  Most likely the actress walked into the scaffolding and therefore the sentence should read the actress hit her head on the scaffolding.  But that would leave the actress with at least some responsibility for getting hurt and we know in this day and age that just can't be.  

Evolution Theory

Evolutions claim that adaptation is proof of evolution but the two are not the same thing. If you have green bugs and red bugs and the birds perfer the red bugs, it is not surprising that over time most bugs would be green.  But that in no way translates into the red bugs adapted and became green in order to survive. 

Evolution says that hummingbirds grew a long bill so they could get the nectar at the bottom of the flower.  Well, if they originally had a short bill how did they survive then? 

To me the whole theory doesn't make sense.  If we started out with a world of single cell creatures what did they eat?  And if they had no predatores, which they would not have had if they were the first creatures, why did they feel the need to adapt or evolve?  It certainly wasn't to be able to get more food or to help them avoid predatores.  And if they did evolve, like some people claim that humans evolved from monkeys, then why do we still have monkeys? 

A monkey can climb trees with ease, swing through the branches, has a natural furry cover, and is three times as strong as a human.  The only advantage we have is a more capable brain.  I would think that the first monkey baby born hairless, tailless, and weak would have been abandoned by its parents.  Wasn;t it lucky they not only kept the ugly little thing but kept the next one also which happened to be of the opposite sex and the two creatures interbred and had babies that actually survived.  Wow.  That's amazing. 

Gosh, and what was the first plant?  Algae?  Algae seems to grow out of no where and multiplies rapidly.  Why did it need to change into a tomatoe plant that humans love to devour and can only survive under ideal conditions?  Just doesn't make sense to me. 

Too many weird things happening that fit together for the benefit of all with no reason or rhymn to it.  Ig I find that hard to believe, you can understand why. 

Democrats cast GOP as ‘out of touch’ using Romney donor’s quote

Which is worse "Being out of Touch" or lacking experience and leadership ability"?

Tuesday, July 10, 2012

Gardens, birds, and Sunflowers

We had so many birds visiting my feeders that the ground would become so thick with sunflower seed hulls that walking around the feeders was like walking on a giant sponge.  Twice a year I brought the shop vac out and sucked up the hulls and threw them in my garden space.  In the spring I would have lots of sunflowers come up. 

Th expsense had become more than we could bear so we finally stopped buying seeds and just put out seeds cakes .  Birds that normally ignored the seed cakes were helping themselves as well as dozens of crows and we just couldn't keep up.

We finally stopped putting out the seed cakes as well so the birds started eating the seeds from the sunflowers.  It dawned on me that wild animals are just like human being in that they will take the method that presents the lest amount of work. 

This winter we will again feed the birds but next year I am going to sew my entire garden space in sunflowers and move my vegatable garden to the space I use for cateloupes and watermelons and find another method for growing my tomatoes. 

Last week I noticed some of the heads of my sunflowers were missing and I thought maybe crows were doing the deed but today I discovered itis really squirrels. I don't care if the squirrels help themselves to the sunflowers.  They consume the whole seed head and they are so cute chewing on a seed pod larger than they are. 

Monday, July 09, 2012

Rain

We are finally getting some rain in Randleman.  It started about 7 o'clock and by nine part of my front porch was wet. 

Kitty come home

After much discussion and thought my wife and I have decided to adopt two kittens rather than a puppy.  We have found two we like and hopefully things will work out so we can bring them home soon. 
Please, I urge all pet owners to get your pet dogs and cats fixed so as to not overpopulate. 

Kathy Griffin Refused To Out BFF Anderson Cooper

Good for Kathy.  I don't want to know Anderson Coopers sexual preferences from her or him or anyone else.  Gosh, I just don't care.  I can't understand why it is necessary to announce such stuff.  What, are they wanting brownnie points?  (No pun intended). 

Best and Worst Foods for Diets

It took a study for twenty years to come up with a list of 15 items that were good or bad for ones diet.  I could have picked the same items without doing any research.  Common sense lets you know that spinach and a cup of yougurt is healthier than french fries and a hamburger.  But, lordy, lordy, I don't have that degree. 

I'm ready for the rain

Friday night there was plenty of thunder but nary a drop of rain in Randleman.  The weather forecast for the next several days look promising with a 60% chance today at 1 o'clock.  I'm ready. I have brown grass that crunches when stepped on, big leafy vegetables in the garden that look as if they need to be tossed out if they were in the frig, and low water levels in my fish pond. 

Normally, I go to my garden and loosen up the soil around the plants but the ground is so dry it is like trying to chop up concrete.  Still, I've made my preparations.  I have two feeder hoses running from the overflow valves on my rain barrel so the overflow will run into my pond and not be wasted.  It's always been a trick to fill the pond from the rain barrel without emptying the barrel.  That ususually requires standing in the rain turning off the valve or timing the manuver for a break in the downpour.  The only trick this time will be moving the hoses from one pond to the other when one is full.  And no, I can't have one hose going to each pond as one pond is ten times larger than the other.  I need to ensure the bigger pond is filled first. 

I don't know if it is too late to save my pumpkins or not.  I'm sure their growth has been retarded.  If they are okay, don't forget to come by the church this fall to get your fall decorative pumpkin or one  for a pie or jack o'lantern.  I have three types planted.  But as for today, enjoy the rain. 

Sunday, July 08, 2012

squirrels and watermelon

The heat has taken its toll on grass and gardens as well as man and mammal.  But their was one creature enjoying the fruits of the heat wave.  Yesterday I picked a watermelon off the vine that was turning black on one end due to the parent plant not getting enough to drink and jetisoning its fruit in order to survive.  The melon was about the size of a squirrel  so how ther little animal managed to move that piece of fruit a 100 feet away before eating it is a wonder to me. 

I'm just glad the fruit didn't go to waste.

Saturday, July 07, 2012

Peaches

If you want some fresh peaches this is the week to go to Ramseur to Millstone Nursery for a good buy.  One peck is only $8.00, 1/2 bushel is only $13.00 and a bushel is $26.00.  They have white and yellow, both freestone. 

Peach week begins Sunday, July 8, 2012.

Everyone gets a trophy

I was wanting to organize a car show but when I was told that there are now 104 categories and that everyone gets a trophy I decided against this endeavor.  Everyone gets a trophy?  Kinda cheapens the value of being a winner, doesn't it? 

Friday, July 06, 2012

News story comments

I like to read and occasionally I will comment on the stories I read.  I also like to read the comments made by others and most are short, opinionated and not well thought out responses to news articles.  Sometimes if an article is on a tragic event, some commenter's can and do get really mean and nasty but no matter what the subject two topics will almost invariable pop up.  One is religion and the other is politics. 

The most disturbing thing I've noticed is the lack or respect people have for each other and how quickly people resort to name calling and racial slurs.  It is really a shame we cannot discuss a topic and even have a difference of opinion without getting angry, race baiting, or name calling.  I seldom have anyone disagree with me but when I do I am either ignorant, stupid, illiterate, or something equally disgusting, none of which is necessary to say to me just because you disagree with me.  I have been known to change my mind on things and I have been know to change the minds of other people. 

My former best friend, a gay female, and I often disagreed on certain issues yet we remained close friends.  My sons girlfriend and I have totally different views and yet we can discuss things civily and sometimes she sees my point of view and sometimes I can see hers, but often we just have to agree to disagree.     

Thursday, July 05, 2012

too many koi fish

I built my pond three years ago and purchased 4 koi and 12 goldfish.  I put my goldfish in the small pond at the top of my waterfall and the four Koi, 3" to 5 " went into the big pond.  Last year my tri-colored Koi layed her egss but was injured in the process and died.  I only had two fish from her first set of eggs  but a good number of the eggs from last year survived.  I sold some to my wifes co-worker and sold some to a pond builder.  After selling off 87 fish I still have 37 babies left.  I want to keep 8 of them and sell the other twenty-five.  They range anywhere from 3" to 7" and are in a variety of colors. 

The rock salt is working wonders as my water is clearing up.  This morning it still had a green tint but I could see to the bottom of the pond.  In the afternoon when the waters are most stirred up the water was still clear enough to see the big fish and the top of my filter.  Hopefully in a few days the pond will be completely clear. 

The rock salt not only clears the water but is also good for the health of the fish, causing them to increase their slime coat and helps rid the fish of parasites.  From what I read, in the next few years one willalmost halftodouble the amount of rock saltto have the same benefits for the fish and in about five yearsit will have noeffect, due to parasites adapting themselves to  withstand the effects of the rock salt.  hopefully it willcontinue to aid in algae elimination. 

If anyone needs some pond fish contact me.  Only one dollar each.  They need a good home.  Next spring I'll probably ask 5 to 9 dollars each for them.

Tuesday, July 03, 2012

Water Pond care

I learned something new the other day.  I know that adding salt to pond water is good for the fish but pond salt is expensive.  Algae has always been a problem, especially in my large pond.  Even though I had a decent filter, the pond receivbes so much sun that even with the filter, the UV rays, pond plants and algaecide, the algae grows faster than I can get rid of it. 

I learned that I could solve both problems cheaply with rock salt.  Walmarts price of $1.28 for a 4 lb box of rock salt (32 cents a pound) is cheap enough.  Rock salt encourgages the fish to grow a thicker sklime coat which protects them, it kills parasites and algae as well.  In less than 24 hours after addinbg rock salt, my big ponds water is clear enough to see the bottom of the pond.  It still has a little green tint but maybe now my filter and UV light can keep up. 

I have sold 67 fish and still have around 35 left.  I need to sell 27 more fish.  They a a dollar a piece for the year old Koi.  Pet store prices for these fish are normally around $7.99 5to $9.99 each, higher if they are butterfly. 

Monday, July 02, 2012

now that Obamacare is law...

The supporters of ObamaCare cite the provisions as being benefical and it is true that they are.  Yea, it's tough for an unemployeed college graduate to get medicalcoverage and it doesn't seem fair that if you have a preexisting condition that you would be denied coverage.  It is a shame that kids can't receive necessary care because their parents are too poor to afford adequate health insurance. 

It really isn't fair that some people get to live in mansions while others are forced to live in government housing in order to escape having to live in the streets. It doesn't seem fair that my mom cannpt afford repair work on her house and she worked all her life while her friend lives in luxury and draws a bigger social security check. 

A lot of things in life isn't fair.  The insurance system before Obamacare wasn't a good system and while the provisions of the new program seem worthwhile and benelovent, can we afford it?

I am a veteran and went to the VA doctor just to get into the system.  Without even examing me, the VA doctor told me my arm pain was not related to my medications but because of my exercising (walking 5 miles each morning) and he said he didn't believe I was a diebetic, even though I had been treated as one for the previous five years. 

After I was examined, the tests proved I was a diebetic and my personal phycian ran some a test which showed that one medication I was taking was building up in my muscles and causing me to suffer.  My medication was adjusted and the pain was reduced. 

If the VA healtcare system is any indication of what ObamaCare care will be like, proponents are going to be disappointed and we will find that we are paying too much and receiving too little.  Can we really afford this system?

Sunday, July 01, 2012

Something to think about.






I certainly don't advocate moving to Canada or Iran.  Conservative principles doesn't make one fanatic any more than being liberal means you have no principles.  There are two funtamental differences between the USA and Iran, one being the God we believe in is a God of love whereas theirs is a God of hate.  The other difference is we have a governmental system build on freedom and their system is not.   

Friday, June 29, 2012

Laws are enforced differently

I purchased a building and had to get a builders permit before the building could be dilevered and I had to make sure it complied with the law.  The county then raised the tax value on my home. 

Over half the neighborhood has outbuildings on their propertyyet Iam the only one in compliance city the codes and the only one that had to get a builders permit. 

Why is that?

hypenated names

Kidd-Gilchrist is the last name of the Kentuck player drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats.  His name got me to thinking about what would happen if the new trend of hypenated names is carried to the extreme.  After all, he could marry a woman with a hypenated name herself and if they passed that name on to their children, then the kid would have a name like Sarah Smith-Jones-Kidd-Gilchrist and if Sarah grows up and marries Paul Johnson-Thompson-Kennedy-Macmillin and has a kid named Bart his last name woulod be Smith-Jones-Kidd-Gilchrist-Johnson-Thompson-Kennedy-MacMillian.  How would you like to write that name on a daily basis? 
I've always thought the hypenated namne was stupid.  Either keep your own, decide which name to use, the husbands or the wifes,  go with tradition, or make a combo name like Kidchrist or Gilild. 

Wednesday, June 27, 2012

Attitude

I was standing in an aisle looking at a display on the endcap when a woman and her daughter approached me.  Where I was standing wasn't in the area between two sets of shelving but in the main aisle that is wide and runs the with of the store.  The customer and her daughter had plenty of room to manuever around me or even in front of me had they so desired but instead the woman said "Excuse me" but not in the polite term like when someone is asking for forgiveness or in a way for apologizing for having to ask you to grant them a priviledge but in the condescending matter in like "you are in my way and should apologize to me for making my life inconvenient."  You know the tone, like dragging the word out "Excuuuuse meee!" 
  She had plenty of room, and her request for me to move wasn't done because I was blocking her progress but because of my skin color and her attitude.  I refused. Don't even try to bully me.  

Nora Ephron

She is a writer was was seventy-one when she passed.  I never meet her.  I would liked it if I had. 

Tuesday, June 26, 2012

How to handle disagreements

Sometimes I find myself in a quantry which is not unlike a quarry in that I feel like I am between a rock and a hard place.  Our pastor is disabled.  Although to look at him one would not realize it the truth is he has many health issues and it is difficult for him to do all he needs to do.  To help him he asked a young preacher, just turned 21, to help him.  This young preacher preached a sermon last night using John chapter 21  verses 1-12 as his text.  To explain the verses he stated that "Jesus is the boat." 
Now I will have to admit that his illustrations were unique.  For example he said that "casting the net on the right side of the ship was significate because in heaven the saints would stand at the right hand of the father and the lost would be gathered on the left hand.  But whether the right side of the ship was on the right side of jesus is questionable.  That would all depend on which way the ship was facing.

The story was not a parable so we can't interpret it as such but we must take the events and expain the importance ofthem.  This was a real event, not a parable. Jesus was not the boat as the boat is an inanimate object and can't even be interpreted as a type of Jesus.  Jesus was standing on the flesh, a living breathing creature and not a lifeless object.

My problem is that the man in the pulpit should preach and teach what the bible says and not make up stories about what he things it could mean.  Maybe his intentions are good and his sermon was filled with interesting and valid points, none of what he said is the actual and truthful interpretation of those versus. 

If a man is allowed to stand in the pulpit and and make up  his own interpretations of scriptures then those allowing him to do so are as wrong as he is.   On the other hand, the preacher would most likely withdraw his support from the church and leave the preacher in need. 

Because the semon was full of biblical truths should I ignore the error of treating it like a parable, should I share my concern with the pastor or should I mention my concerns to the young pastor?        

Sunday, June 24, 2012

The cookout

Our church wanted to meet member of the community so we planned a cookout, plassed out invitations, invited everyone we came into contact with, and put a lot of time, effort and money into the event.  In some ways it was a success and in other ways it was a disappointment.  I do know we sure missed you there. 

One thing for sure about being part of an event like this, one  learns a lot about other people, who one can count on and which ones are a hindrance.  I did a lot of cooking and played a little horseshoes, the first time I've played in over twenty-five years. 

My biggest disappointment was that only one ballplayer from my team came to the cookout.  But I'm glad he came.  He is a good kid and his dad was a big help to me.  I wish them well. 

Saturday, June 23, 2012

A Really Awkward Stance for Sandusky

My wife taped Dateline from last night and we just finished watching it.  As a special at the end of the show, Dateline announced the verdict from the Sandusky trial.  A reporter asked the reporter who had been in the courtroom what things were like in the courtroom when the verdict was read. 
"Sandusky was quiet when the verdict was read, standing there with his hands stuffed in his left pants pocket..."

Try that for yourself. Stand up and stuff your hands in your left pants pocket.  Really awkward isn't it? 

Friday, June 22, 2012

Is God Real?

Many people have the mistaken belief that the Holy Bible says that the earth is only 6,000 years old.  Genesis 1:1 says that in the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.  When the beginning was, I have no idea but I'm sure it must have been much longer ago than 6,000 years.  The bible says that the earth was void and without form so it was here when God created life upon it.  How long it existed before that only god knows, if there is a God. 

The bible says that God placed man in the Garden of Eden.  How long humans existed there isn't told to us.  It could have been two weeks or two billion years. Again, no one knows except God, if He is real. 

Following the timeline from when Adam and Eve were removed and barred from the Garden to the flood was about two thousand years and from the flood to Jesus's birth was another two thousand years and from the death of Christ to the present time is another two thousand years which is a total of six thousand years.  The earth as we know it was created in six days and the scriptures say that a day is as a thousand years and a thousand years is as a day so some people believe the bible says the earth was created six thousand years ago.  God rested on the seventh day, which is the thousand years reign of Christ on the earth. 

When the bible says it rained forty days and nights and that Jesus was in the wilderness for forty days does not necessarily mean an actual forty days.  It means a long time.  The six days, or six stages of creation on the earth lasted as long as they lasted.  As far as the history of man is concerned, the recorded history of man is only six thousand years old so if humans could read and write earlier than that all proof has been lost. 

God never attempst to prove that he exists.  The bible acknowledges the existence of God from the very first verse.  When Moses asked God how he could prove that he was the one sending Moses to lead the people, God replied to tell them he was "I am."

Some people believe the scriptures are a fairy tale, that God does not exist, and Christians are foolish for putting their faith in a non-existant and invisible being.   They could be correct.  God may not be real.

But what does one do about Jesus?  He certainly existed and there is ample proof that he was crucified and was buried and rose from the dead.  If Jesus existed then God has to be real. 

The church I attend is small, perhaps one of the smallest in existence anywhere. We do have a memeber whois 94 years old but she seldom can attend because she has no one to bring her.  Recently she underwent surgery on one of her legs and the surgery was deemed to be a failure.  It was a procedure that needed to be done on both legs.  The lady fell and hurt herself seriously and took a while to heal. 

She went for a checkup and her legs were examined to determine if the operation possible now without putting her life in jeopardy.  The doctor determined she was strong enough to undergo the surgery and that it was expedient to do so.  She was brought into the operating room and preped for surgery.  When the surgeon was ready to begin, he informed his assistant and the nurses to send her home as the surgery was no longer necessary.

Of course, we have all heard of people needing medical procedures and were declared healed just before the surgery was to begin.  We only have someone else's word for this.  Another incident that happened at our church had to do with something that was visible to everyone. 

Back in October I began clearing some land at the church and I worked steadily at this job until the end of February.  The biggest concern I had was about a limb that had broken from a tree but was still stuck in the tree.  The limb was probably at least 30 feet long and six to 8 inches thick.  It was much heaver than I could possible deal with.  I asked a young man, a football player of 350 pounds or more, to help me move the limb but me, him and the preacher could not move that limb even one inch.

Saturday, June 23, 2012 we are going to have a community cookoutat the church and I became really concern that the limb might fall out of the tree and kill or injury a child during the festivities.  I could afford to have it move and the men at the church could not move it  (I had even tried a week earlier) soI knew if that limb was to be moved God would have to do it.  Last week I walked over to the limb, gave it a push, and it snapped in two and fell from the tree. 

Maybe it had decayed and was ready to come out of the tree but I believe the timing was as much proof as I needed that God's hand was in the act just as much as he was involved in the healing of the 94 year old lady. 

I know I can come closer to proving God exists than any scientist can to proving evolution is real.  But it isn't about proof; it is about faith. 

I know that if my faith is misplaced I will never know because when I die I will just cease to exist.  If my faith is justified, I will be taken home to heaven.  However, those who are correct in believing God is a lie just cease to exist but those who believe God is a lie and are wrong, will end up in eternal damnation.   

I am not wrong.  God does exist and Jesus Christ is who he says he is. 

You are invited to the cookout Saturday, 2-6 pm at One Way Baptist church at 604 Sunset, Randleman, NC.  Hope to see you there.

Thursday, June 21, 2012

!st day of summer is hot

June 20th, 2012 wasthe last day of spring/1st day of summer.  Today, June 21 is the first full day of summer and it is shaping up to be a hot/dry day.  I really enjoyed the warm winter and the cool spring.
I was fooled into planting my garden early and Mother nature didn't take kindly to that so I learned not to trust her again. Promises of rain this week will probably go unfullfilled and drought
conditions may once again overtake this area, especially since my garden is growing good.  I have my first cantaloupe fruit of the season, just slightly larger than a BB and my pumpkins are doing great with 30 or 40 fruit set already. 

I have already harvested onions and potatoes, beets and radishes and green beans galore and should start pulling off some tomatoes by next week. Corn in puny and cucumbers and squash haven't even flowered yet.  I haven't had a good cucumber from a garden in four years.  My plants look really healthy this year for a change.  This red clay I have to garden in is some tough soil.  My pumpkins are planted in some good rich, deep black soil but the weeding is a full time job. 

Send me some pictures of your garden.