Which came first?

An age old question but I want to ask it in another way. Which came first: God or human beings?

Is there a God who created everything or is God a creation of the human mind? Many will answer that god is the creation of humans who grasped for the meaning of life and to understand what was happening in nature. It was the primitive, uneducated and unlighted man that needed a superior being to understand how things worked. science and modern thinking prove there is no god.

God seems to be silent and evil things occur in the world on a daily bases. Recent studies have shown that chimps are evolving at a faster rate than humans (which doesn't make sense to me if humans evolved from chimps, how can chimps be evolving faster that people?).

To help me understand the conclusion of the matter, I will attack the problem from both ends and work towards the middle.

On the one hand there is the newly created or evolved human being, all alone in his existence, something truly unique in that he could walk upright and he could cry and he could reason problems out and act on those solutions.

At the other end we have the modern man with years of knowledge and accomplishments.
In between one can find unspeakable acts of cruely and horror and unbelievable actsd of courage and kindness. Is the human being indeed an evolved animal or just a mutation gone bad, as all mutants seem to be?

A mutant is a creature born radically different from its parents. Examples would be a two headed cat, or an eight legged turtle. Mutants seldom survive long and never replicate themselves. There are freaks of nature and somthing that might indicate that birth and living is just a roll of the dice, a radom uncontrolled occurance. Most human babies are male or female but some seem to be born as either or neither. Most babies are born normal but some are born mutatred or diseased or abnormal while others seems to have special gifts and talents than seem way beyond belief. is this just a random occurence or according to some design plan?

Can I prove that God exists? No. Can I prove he does not esist. No. I have to view natureand determine from it whether God does not or does exist and then if I believe He does exist, just who or what He is and how I am to relate to Him.

If I study nature and conclude there is no God, can I accurately conclude that there is evolution? Ancient man believed in God but never fully understood who or what god was, giving rise to many different beliefs. Evolutionis the concept of modern man. Such stuff as that never occurred to prior generations. Evolutionists teach, or once taught, the therory of survival of the fitest.

It seems that whatever was just was and there were no life forms anywhere to be found. Then we had this big bang. It could have been an explosion, a loud noise, or just two elemnts coming together through a freak of nature that had never occured befor but suddenly there was life. A simple one cell creation. This simple creation wasneither male nor female but had the ability to divide itself into two parts, but just like the original. What is most amazing is that in order to survive it needed food and there just happened to be ready available food for it to eat.

It would have to be that the food didn't like being eaten so decided to change into something different in order to survive. Unbelievable as it is, when the food changed into something that the first animal would not like to eat, the first animal changed itself into an animal that just happened to like what the plant changed itself into. So now evolution has begun.

Many years later an animal, supposedly a chimp, decide to develop a brain so he could outhinkhis food and have a decided advantage in this world over everything, not just his food of choice. But in order to get the brain the chimp had to be born without hair or fur that would serve to protect it from the extremes of weather, or hoves or pads on its feet to protect it from the ravishes of nature.

Now whether this hairless creature decide to change the color of its skin depending on what part of the world it settled into or whether different chimps decided to evolve into harless creature with a brain at the same time but each choice a different skin color for lack of a more defined purpose, I have no clue.

From a one cell animal with no enemies the first creature has evolved into something that needs to kill in order to survive and needs to destroy and change its environment in order to thrive. In the beginning, the one celled animal lived at peace with its enviroment and could multiple at will with no need to attract a partner has evolved into a creature that has to attract an opposite to survive but accepts a normal and natural those specimens that are only attracted to lie kinds that cannot reproduce, which must kill other animals to survive via food and clothing or must destroy the homes of other creatures in order to produce the planrs needed for food and clothing and shelter.

For the survival of the world, the last thing this world needed was what this first creature turned out to be. The human knows it can not survive because of itself but has decided to expand its environment to included plantents far away from where the human now lives. If he succeeds, it will only come back to bite him in the butt,based on mankinds record to date.

On the other hand, we have the story of man creation and Gods love for that man and mans rebellious nature, and how God has provided a way for man to redeem himself, and how things will end and begin again.

Evolution equates to doom without hope while Gos way is a way of hope. You decide.

Faithloveandhopeministries.com

www.Faithloveandhopeministries.com is the link I have at the bootom of the page but one wouldn't know it was there unless one rolls the little hand over the link. It is a beautiful web page with links you can click on to learn more about the Pastor and the church.

We had a dinner together tonight and it was great to fellowship together. Is Randleman the wicked little city I've heard it to be? Maybe so, and if it is, it needs a church like One Way. I'm excited about attending that cjurch and now that I'm a member I'm doubly excited.

If you would pay the church a visit I'm sure you'll find out what I'm excited about.

if you can'tcome a least visit the web page and if you are a Christian, remember One Way in your prayers.

A tough Concept

I posted a joke about earning ones way into heaven, which is how some people believe it is done. Salvation is a gift. Too simple yet still hard to comprehend.

There are lots of tough concepts out there. Vastness of existence is one of them. Even if there was an end to the universe, then there would have to be a void outside of that. If our universe is so large it is almost unreasonable to think that there is no other life out there and if we have been visited by UFO's and aliens from other worlds, would they not have to be more advanced than we are?

One fact of science is that something cannot be created from nothing yet there is something here so that proves there always had to be something. so where did that something come from?

It is almost inconceivable that in a vast emptiness, a life form just sprang into existence and that other life forms sprang up at the same time that supported that first life form and enabled it to survive.

Multiple life forms at the same time? Evolution focuses on animal lifeforms but let us not forget about plants. Where did the grasses and weeds and flowers and bushes and trees come from and why did they have the need to evolve?

And to think in a vast nothingness that multiple life forms sprang up not only in one place but multiple planets as well.

And you find God a hard concept. Evolution sounds nice to prove that there is no God but there is no proof of evolution. The exact opposite is true. Animals adapt, many changing colors to survive better or growing larger or smaller to adapt to the changes in the food supply but a bird is always a bird and a dog is always a dog.

Evolution at best would have to be a gradual process yet fossil study shows distinct and abrupt changes in life forms. No history of evolving is evident in nature.

Another thing doesn't make sense. If each change is to allow a species to better survive, then why did the chimp shed its protective covering for bear naked skin when it changed to a human? And why is did it give up is strength and ability to survive in the treetops? Physically, the human seems to be inferior to the chimps as having the ability to survive in the wild.

Maybe it is the concept of Gods love that throws you for a loop? Or the concept of free will. Some people have become confused over God's will and free will. When an innocent five year old girl is repeatedly raped, beaten, and finally murdered. it is not God's will that allowed that to happen. But would it be more fair if God commanded that we love and obey him and controlled our every thought and action?


As hard as the concept that God exists is for some people to grasp try the concept that God doesn't exist.

That's a tough concept.

Yahoo mail

I have e-mail accounts with msn (hotmail), google (gmail), roadrunner (triad.rr) and Yahoo. Yahoo keeps coming out with beta versions and I've tried them all and also goe back to yahoo classic. I used yahoo almost exclusivly until my e-mail accout was hi-jacked. I had all my contacts block me and now I can use the account for other reasons.

I don't like yahoo bets. It is too much like some of the other accounts and if I liked them I would not have stuck with yahoo classic.

Why do companies think they have to continually mess with success?

It's kind of like religion. There was nothing wrong with old-fashioned Christianity until college educated ministers tried to fix it and now Christians are fast becoming the most hated group of people in America.

Sometimes it is just best to leave it alone.

Are you missing the boat?

This post is more for the younger folks who may be just getting into their career but have not started saving toward retirement yet.

Get started.

I know the stock market has its ups and downs and has been volatile the last few years but that is no excuse.

I am not going to propose asavings plan for you. That is something you will have to decide on based on what is available to you but I just want you to get startred.

I once worked for an employer who matched by contributions to a 401k dollar for dollar but that isn't likely to happen again. My present boss does 50 cents on the dollar for the first 3%.

That doesn't seem like much but it works like this:

For every $1,500.00 I actually contributed to my savings account, my employer has added $1,100.00. The increase in the stock market over the last three years has added another $1600.00 to my balance.

In other words, I put $1100.00 into a savings account that is worth $4200.00. That includes the great dip in the stock market when people were losing 40 to 60 percent of their savings.

I admit it was hard but I kept telling myself that the lower the market got the more stocks I was buying per dollar invested. I was right because when the market began to recover, I recovered quickly.

I can't promise you that you will do as well with your savings plan as I have done with mine but i can't say you won't do better either. All I am saying is that if you save nothing you will have nothing but if you save a little, you may end up with a lot.

So get going on that.

PS Never touch it. You may move it around but never take anything away from the account.

Seriously.

The End

The way getting into heaven works is like this:

When a person is born an account is set up in their name and $10000.00 credited to that account. When that person does something good, money is added to that account and when the person does something unworthy money is deducted from that account. God's plan is the fee schedule for payments and charges.

The best chance for going to heaven is to die young or to live to be very very old. Young people haven't had the opportunity to commit the really expensive offenses and old people just can't get out and do those bad things as often, if at all.

When you die you really do checkout. You get to buy your place in eternity. If you did a lot of good stuff and have become rich then you get a nice place to live in forecver. If you barely hung onto your $10,000.00 you may be homeless and wilol have to haunt things on earth. Those who lost their money, well, you know how that ends too.

Tipping

I like good service and if I'm given really good service I can be a generous tipper. Sometimes even with poor service I'll tip good just to prove to the waitress that because I wasn't as well dressed as the people she was fawning over, I'm not nearly as big a jerk as they are.

I wasn't surprised but wadisappointed at how chep people were on Thanksgiving day. K & W was opened Thanksgiving day and the waitresses who worked would have rather been home with their families yet they worked to ensure that people had a traditional dinner for the holidays. When I left the restaraunt, I noticed that at the six empty table, each holding from four to six people, the waitress had received a total of two dollars in tips.

I guess people feel since they had to stand in line to get their food that the waitress didn'y work hard even to deserve a tip but the wait staff only make $4.35 an hour and depend on tips to feed their families and take care of themselves. maybe they don't deserve 15% or 20% like a regular waitress but would it have hurt anyone to tip a dollar? Hell, even 50 would have helped her out and afyter all, she did take that big tray away for you, refill your drinks, and brought you special condiments you asked for.

Don't be so cheap from now own, people.

The Light Bulb

The Light Bulb


Most people in the world know what a light bulb is and how it is used, although it is possibly true that not every person has owned one or even used one. Before the light bulb there was the campfire, oil lamps, and candles. It really hasn't been that many years, in terms of the length of time man has been around, that we have had use of a light bulb.

Until recently all light bulbs were nearly the same but now we have the pig tail looking ones, florescent bulbs really, that are much cheaper to use, and soon to be the rage is the LED bulbs which put out a brighter light and are cheaper still to use then the florescent bulbs. Florescent bulbs are expensive and the LED lights are more expensive still but the power usage is less for the florescent and even less for the LED and the length of time a bulb will last is 10 times greater for the florescent over the traditional incandescent bulbs and 20 times greater for the LED. Which one you use depends on where you choose to use it and whether you want to save money now or in the future.

The one thing that the campfire, the torch, the oil lamp, the candle, the incandescent bulb, the florescent blub and the LED bulb all have in common is light. With the exception of the campfire, the primarily purpose of all the sources of light is light. The campfire is perhaps built for heat and cooking but light a fireplace, light is a by product of the fire and could possibly be the reason for it.

The Holy Bible has a parable ( a story with a message) that says no one lights a candle and hides it under a basket. Or they shouldn't anyway or otherwise the light serves no purpose. But it reality, there are times when we do have lights we keep hidden. The refrigerator light is one. Honestly, we don't know if it works until we open the door and we will never know if it didn't turn off when we closed the door. One thing I do know it that a florescent bulb won't work properly in the refrigerator because it is too cold.

Most of the light bulbs we burn are for personal use but some are for the benefit of everyone, like street lamps and traffic lights. Some lights are colored and are a joy to look at like Christmas lights and other colored ones, while pretty, don't bring us joy, like those colored one atop a police car.

We are so used to the presences of light and light bulbs that we pay little attention when they are turned on. It is only when they should be on and aren't that we notice. Even so, some lights are more important than others. Jesus said He is the light of the world. As Christians, we should let the light of Christ shine so others may find their way. But the truth is, we don't always.

A group of Christians, like minded and assembling themselves together on a regular bases is known as a church. In the modern world, people have come to confuse the building where a church meets with the church itself. I have read that a thief had broken into a church when the truth is a thief broke into a church building. The church is the people, not the structure. So whenever I refer to the church or a church I am referring to the group of believers as a collective unit.

I wrote a book, Queen of Southgate, and while writing that book I meet many of the street people, drug dealers. prostitutes, and thieves in Greensboro and High Point, NC and I know they have chosen to live their life after their own desires but the truth is many of the wealthy I serve at work are in the same situation. I look at the children of the rich, the beautiful young girls and the handsome young men dressed in their fine clothes and proud of their good looks and wealth and the head start they have over the general populace in obtaining more wealth and prestige and influence over others and realize they too, chose to live their life after their own designs.

The world with all its glitz and glamor is truly a dark and lonely place. Just venture out one cold night without your cellphone or cash or transportation and one will soon learn what a cold, dark, and dangerous place we really do live in. In such a situation one only wants to find a way home, to find someone who can help them get there. They pray for daylight so they can see their way to a safer place.

A little light in a dark place, the beacon on the hill, the little white church in Randleman on Sunset, the son of God who is the light of the world. Men are lovers of darkness. Seek ye the light

A Personal Invitation

I want to extend a personal invitation to those from the area who regularly read my blog to come and visit me with me at One Way Baptist Church. Because of my work schedule I do not get to attend many morning services but I have made most of the night meetings. Today I was fortunate to get to attend both, one of therm with my wife.

At the very bottom of the blogs I have my first link up which is to the web page from the church so feel free to explore that and meet the pastor.

If anyone is aware of a building that isn't expensive that would make a good meeting place for a church please let us know because it will be soon that we will outgrow the small building we are meeting in now.

Again, I would love to meet some of my readers and with the church is the best place I know.

I want to give a shout out to Dave and his wife, loyal readers who travel via RV around the east coast who honored me with a visit this week.

He has read my book via KIndle and is looking for an original copy. I don't even have one. I doubt that anyone reading my blog has a copy but if you do, I'll be glad to purchase it from to send to Dave.

Thanks,

Hope to see you ar church.

Not to Bright

Ecclestone made the comments in response to an attempted attack on Formula One driver Jenson Button in Sao Paolo ahead of the Brazilian Grand Prix, suggesting that robbers go after people who look vulnerable.

"They look for victims, they look for anyone that looks like a soft touch and not too bright," Ecclestone said. "The people that look a bit soft and simple, they will always have a go at."


For those that missed the article, Ecclestone is the boss of Formula one, which is a specially built type of race car popular in Europe. He is eight years old and was mugged, losing $314,000.00 in jewelry in the robbery.

Now, a eighty year old man wearing $314,999.00 in jewelry in an area in knows in full of mugglers seems to be a soft touch and not to bright, in my opinion.

refinance

i refinanced my home which took longer than I thought it would, or should. I started the process back in June after sevral months trying to convince my wife it was a good idea. Sometimes she can be a little negative which gets on my nerves but then her over cautiousness is sometimes a good thing so all and all, I'm glad she is the opposite of me in that and many other reguards because it gives both of us a chance to look at things all many viewpoints.

It turned out to be a good thing in the end and my wife is happy. She gets to skip the December pyment and gets $500.00 back to boot plus a lower monthly payment. Our house payment (not including what comes into escrow) is now less than we were paying for that tiny apartment.

Now if only I could sell my mountain property..

Good friends and good food

I had a nice surprise when an old Navy buddy and his wife stopped by for a visit Friday and spent a good portion of the day with my wife and I. We talked and laughed and my wife enjoyed the visit almost as much as I did.

today I baked two pumpkin pies and I tasted one of them. I just wanted a bite but I ate half of it. yes, it was that good. fresh pumpkin right from the garden. The xpices make the pie a brown color not the orange you find in store bought pumpkin and sweet potato pies.

As far as grocery retail sales go, I think this Thanksgiving was a bust.

I hope your holiday is good.

One day not enough.

An old friend, a man I meet while in vietnam and with whom I served also in the Philippines with, stopped by to visit yesterday along with his wife. She is a pleasant red head and he still has the same figure he has had since I've known him. Me, I've gotten fat and even though I've lost 50 pounds I have many more pounds I need to lose.

My wife enjoyed our visit as wellas I did. I had no idea that he has read my book and reads my blog as well. It is nice to know that somewhere there is someone who finds me interesting.

He has been gone for less than 12 hours and I miss him already. Good friends are hard to come by. Really hard. Cherish them.

finally, a display

Why am I so excited by a display? For my high school graduation I asked for and received a set of china in lieu of a fishing trip to the mountains or a week at the beach. I did get to go to the beach for a couple of days when the family went to pick my older brother up and a day in the mountailns fishing when the family went to retrieve my younger brother so I do have my memories of that time period as well. I worked so the china was something I thought would always remind me of my accomplishment and last me a lifetime.

For the past six or so years my china has been packed away in cardboard boxes. I don't have room for a china cabinet here and had no way to display them. The other day I purchased a bookcase with a glass front that was small enough to fit in the corner and large enough to hold by dishes.

Packed away among the dinnerware was my piggy bank, a gidt to me from a stranger on my first birthday. Also among the treasures is a set of anchor Hocking glasses, dark green glass with gold overlays that were a gift from my grandmother to me. The glasses still have the original box and price tag from Montogery Ward and seem to indicate the purchase was made over a hundred years ago.

My wife also added a China doll she has owned since her childhood. It is over fifty years old.

In all that time I have managed to keep all the pieces intact except for one coffee cup. The china is a complet setting for eight people ifone doesn't have coffee or tea.

It feels good to be able to enjoy the china again.

Stupid lawsuits

I read where Del Monte and Kroger offered an idiot $150,000.00 to settle a lawsuit in which he claims he suffered greatly because the lid of his canned fruit flew off and hit him in the eye when he struck it with a screwdriver. Who but idiot's open can of fruits and vegatables with screwdrivers?

I may be party to one of those stupid lawsuits myself. A customer had a pack of stew beef and saked me if it was okay since it had been reduced. I assured her it was but this lady said "I hope I don't get sick from eating it."

If you aren't sure about something maybe you are better off not doing it. The only thing that concerned her about that pack of ste was one piece was darker than the rest but from my professional experience, that darkness had nothing to do with the quality of the meat. There are other factors than enter into it like the cut of beef the stew came from and bloom.

Anyway this woman said her husband and she became very sickand her husband missed work because of eating the stew.

Food claims are hard to prove. She told me she was going to cook it in a crock pot. Did she lift the lid on the crock pot too often or for too long a period of time? Did she cook the beef on a high enough temperature and/or did cook it long enough?

My bigeest concern is that she either talked herself into getting sick or she faked the whole incident.

Enjoying Church

A co-worker asks another employee if he was a Christian. I then asked him if he was a Christian. He said "No way. If I can't see something I'm not going to believe in it."

I fully understand but I've seen too much not to believe. Once, a friend who was going to bible college in Winston-Salem, attended a small church in Hickory. It was his last Sunday there as he had finally graduated and had secured a position in a small church. While in school he also worked so he had an income sufficient to support himself and his family but the church's salary wouldn't be as much as he had been making so things were going to be rough for him for awhile. Our church took up a special offering for him. It wasn't much, just eighty dollars, and it was all in one dollar bills.

We left the church about the same time with him pulling out first. It was a country Baptist and when I say country, I mean it was a long way from the church until one saw a house or any human life form. I was shocked after we had gone about a mile or so. Bill stopped at a stop sign and just as I pulled to a halt behind him I saw money floating down, covering the top of bills car and the roadway.

"Poor bill: i thought "he's lost his money," I exclaimed to my wife. I jumped out of my car and started grabbing money and collected over fifty dollars. I handed the money to Bill and he said :kept it, you found it."

"No, I can't keep the money the church gave to you."

"But this isn't the money from the church. My wife has that in her purse."

"Where did this come from then?" I asked, as I looked at the huge stack of bills Bill had picked up. His wife had collected almost as much as Bill did.

Or how about the time I was stationed in Puerto Rico and a friend had invited me to go with him and another guy to a bible study in San Juan. It was a difficult trip from the little base I was stationed out and required us to walk in some lonely, dark, and isolated places. My friend didn't make it that night so I went with this other guy, a man a few years younger than I was, a mere teenager. On the return trip we were surrounded by six men bearing knives and threading to use them on us if we didn't give them all our worldly goods.

The teenager I was with stepped forward and proceeded to drop kick and karate chop the six men into changing their evening plans. Turned out he was the former leader of Chicago's biggest street gang and had been converted to Christianity by David Wilkerson of "Sword and the Switchblade" fame. Just a coincidence?

I once owed by Mom several thousand dollars and to repay her I deeded her a set of burial crypts worth just about what I owed her or a little more. She tried selling them for years and although they were the only two crypts available there were no takers. a decade went by and there seemed little hope that Mom would ever sell them to get her money back. She had all but given up and had decided to include them in her will as a gift to me in lieu of my share of of an insurance policy. But then,
just as she was about to file the will her pastor was diagnosed with terminal cancer and given only a few weeks to live.

Even though she sold the crypts below their fair market value, she doubled her money and the preacher got a bargin. Just a luck break?

Believe what you want. I do.

Enjoying Church

A little light in a dark place

Christianity has fallen out of favor in America today and those who do practice the religion adhere to a more subdued following than our forefathers did. Seldom do Christians mention their faith outside of church and except for the lunatic fringe, no one goes from house to house inviting people to church. In fact most churches today don't seem to care if you come or not, or so it seems.

There is a little light in a dark place, a small group of people, a church, who are creating quite a stir in their community. It's not that they are radical, because they aren't, and they are not doing anything that Christians did not once do. It's just that they are doing it in a day when ones faith is something that one seems to keep private. There is no embarrassment over ones faith here.

One Way is a little light in a dark place. That is all it takes to find ones way in the dark. Without just a little light to guide the way there is no way one will ever find their way home.

Brand

I'm sorry, but he looks retarded.

War

Sometimes war may be necessary but other times I believe it best to let things be. We lost the Vietnam war and since we pulled out, peace has reigned in the area and properity has befallen our former allies and enemies. No war casulties either. I wonder is the Koreas, North and South would not have been better off if there had been no war there either. Iraq would be. Maybe Afganistan too.

If it had been necessary for national defense to attack Afganistan, and it may well have been, we should have gone in, toppled the government, and then pulled out letting the country put itself back together. If they began fighting each other fine, that's there problem and no American lives are being lost and we know they can't be planning more attacks on the US because they are too busy killing each other. They would quit after a few years as one side or the other would gain the upper hand.

If we didn't like the winner then we could go back in and toppled the winner then step back while they fought some more.

That's what they are doing now but it is costing Americans their lives. Can't we let the ixdiots kill each other without us getting in the middle?

finally

i haven't been able to access my blog or even a blooger account by anyone since my last post. I could bring up Randolph is talking but none of the individual blogs. The only way I got on this time is by accessing my blog and signing on from there.

It is just me or are others having problems.

The Giants won the penant. I've been a Giants fan since 1956 so this was a long time coming for me. Harry Reed won re-election which one was disappointment in an other wise refreshing election.Just been contemplating the fact that Greensboro and California both had recall elections. Can we have one at Federal level? We would not have to wait two more years.

One Way

One Way Baptist Church is on Sunset in Randleman just off Stout Street and is a church meeting in a tiny building. It is exactly what one would expect to find in a place like this. There is no Sunday School, no Wednesday service, and no piano. It would do no good if someone gave the church a piano as the building is too small to put one in.

There is no doctor of divinity here, no college trained music director, no one wears choir ropes or passes out bulletins with a service guide, and no padded pews.

What you will find if you stop by is three preachers who accomplish more in a week than most churches do in a year with there prison ministries, their prayer habits, and their dedication. You will here good, old fashion preaching from men who know their scriptures.

Why are churches like One Way Baptist important? Being few in number, there is a strong desire to grow. Churches that have large numbers of people feel like they have succeeded and lose the zeal to visit people and to spread the gospel. The main interests of large churches is to convert those in foreign countries by sendin missionaries and to take care of the members they already have.

It is good that they have a missionary program because churches like One Way are unable to do that. No, being a small church doesn't make them a bunch of losers or freaks, or heretics, or fanactics. No, they are just oridinary folk with the desire to carry out the great commission: "Go ye into all the world, first into Jerusalem, then into Judea, and then into the uttermost parts of the world." In other words, start spreading the gospel at home, then into the neigborhood, then into other areas futher away from home.

Health Care Reform

The new health care bill is already changing the way we live. I heard a person complaining that at his job they were short a person but the company was not going to be hiring any more full time people since the health care costs are rising.

I would expect the economy to take much longer to recover if employers are not willing to take on full time people. In fact they may be looking for ways to change over to part time or eliminate jobs all together. If this happens, how is it going to be possible for the shrinking percentage of the working populace to support the increasing government and the non working sector. In order to pay a worker enough to make it worth not becoming one of the unemployed, cost of goods and services will become so high the non workers can't pay them at all and it will become increasing difficult for the working class to maintain their standard of living, at least through purchasing American made goods and services.

I mentioned to an Obama supporter that one provision of the Health Care Reform Act may no hold up in court (the provision that everyone must purchase health care.)

He started in with "Well if other countries can have universal health care, I don't no why we can't."

"I didn't say anything about universal health care. I only mentioned one provision. At first Obama said the act would not raise taxes but when it was pointed out that it may not be possible to require people to purchase a consumer item, he said . well the penalty for not buying a policy is a tax."

If it is, it will be the first tax in history levied because someone did nothing. Before, one had to do something to pay a tax: earn an income, receive a benefit, purchase an item, use a good or service, etc. Being charged money for not complying with the court has always be know as a fine and has been handled by the court system."

"Well, when Medicaid and medicare first came out, people didn't like that system either."

"That has nothing to do with my statement", I said. The whole law isn't under indictment, just the provision that dictates we have to buy a policy."

"Well it works it other countries"

"We are living under the French or Canadian, or British constitution. We live under the American one. You are arguing the whole health care bill. I'm discussing one provision of it."

Some people are so blinded by their love and support of Obama that they can't even have a sensible conversation. Any criticism of Obama or anything he has done is viewed as pure racism.

Revolt or revolution?

The news media are calling it a revolt but in reality it is neither a revolt nor a revolution. The problem is that we don't trust Republicans and are disillusioned by Democrats. But we view non party affiliated candidates and/or Libertarians as being of the fanatical/lunatic fringe.

We voted for that hopey/changy thing and found out we didn't like it. We should have tried harder to understand what the change was into but as the Deomcrats say "We won't even know what in it until after it becomes law."

Farve

I saw Farve in the movie "There's Something about Mary" and there is one thing for sure. He can't act. I look at that big pronounced chin and the kinda blank look in his eyes and wonder if there is anything back there.

He now has admitted sending the phone messages but not the dirty pictures of his private parts. They are called privates for a reason people.

In case you never saw the movie, he didn't get the girl in that one either.

One Way or the other

I really don't wabt to hurt any ones feelings but the truth is there isn't but one way. Today we want our religion non controversial and watered down, intellectually stimulating without the emotional pulls that clouds ones judgement.

Expository preaching is fine and dandy but the honest truth is a man and woman who are married and want to have a successful marriage really do want and need a relationship where the two of them are emotionally involved with each other and not one where every situation is approached from a purely logical and intellectual point of view.

I want to get excited about the man who was willing to die for me. Sure, I want to understand His teachings but I also want to know how to apply those teachings to my life. That is something that I have been missing for quite some time.

I stopped by One Way Baptist Church in Randleman last Sunday while I was on vacation and went back today-twice. It's the first time I have ever seen my wife get excited about going to church and she isn't even a Baptist.

I know the church building is a little small, looking more like a kids clubhouse than a serious place of worship and visitor late for service may be hesitant if they are a few minutes late and see a bunch of people laying on the floor near the pulpit but it is what it is.

No, this isn't the kind of church I grew up in. I attended Penelope Baptist in Longview, We had a Doctor of divinity for a preacher and over a thousand in attendance back in the fifties (the town wasn't even that big) and they were all formal and prime and proper church going people. No amens or shouting at this church-no sir!

Nor is this the kind of church my Dad pastored. He was a lot less formal than Penelope and he always started in a small building with a handful of people although his churches grew rapidly and often very large.

No, this is the kind of church that preachers used to talk about, the kind they say are dead and gone, where the prayers are effective and they people real. It's the kind of church I wished everyone could belong to.

The truth about water gardening

The truth about water gardening, or at least the truth about how I practice water gardening. look it up on the web and you will receive detailed instructions on how to build and maintain a pond, whether it be a water garden or koi pond (the biggest difference is the depth of the pond). Like you are really going to build one yourself large enough to keep koi in.

Chances are if you want a koi pond, you will hire professionals to build a koi pond for you. They will bring in their backhoe and their trucks and many workmen and when they are finished you'll have a professionally built pond costing you at least $7,000.00 dollars and maybe a whole lot more and it looks great but artificial.

Me, I purchased a liner for about $300.00, a pump for around $90.00, some tubing for less than twenty bucks, a $5.00 bucket and some foam for twelve. My hardside liner set me back another $80.00 and about forty dollars for a pump and another five bucks for a second bucket. I did the digging myself and hunted down the rocks with my shovel and a bucket to carry them in.

My pond looks just as artificial as the professional looking ponds and brings me a great deal of pleasure and satisfaction. The frogs love it for sure and with my wife's bird feeders close by, my back yard is a virtual paradise for fish and fowl.

One thing I really like about having the pond is watching the changes that take place. A frog lays eggs which hatch into tadpoles, which turn into tiny frogs. Dragonflies come by fish breed and babies are born.

My neighbors enjoy my backyard almost as much as I do. Actually, they have more time to watch the birds and fish than I do so maybe they get more pleasure and don't have the work and expense of feeding and maintenance.

Yea, I have more problems with algae than a professional built pond has but not because it is a do-it-myself project but because I am not a wealthy person. A proper filtration and UV filter system could easily set me back a thousand dollars or more. I prefer to wait on mother nature and my trees and plants will grow and eventually I'll have the proper mixture of sun and shade anbd water plants and I won't have algae problems and a nicer looking yard from all the additional plants i put in.

Yes, I start most of my plants from seeds so they take a few years. It's kind of like having your cake and eating it too. Some people buy and apple, eat it and throw the core in the trash and then buy another apple. Me, I save the core, placing it in potting soil and in just a few short weeks I have a little apple tree. I know it takes a while for the tree to grow large enough to purduce fruit but it will one day and I have a tree to landscape my yard withand provide me with free apples for many years to come. The same thing with peaches and cherries and grapes.

My apply trees I planted from seed last year are already six feet tall and my peaches bore fruit this year as did several of my grape vines. My koi had babies and my goldfish had lots of babies.

One thing I've learned. There is a whole lot more going on in my backyard than one would imagine. Like the good book says, "Be still and know."

Great Line

One show starts its introductionby reciting aspirations of different people then states "But along the way, stupid happens."

Way too often.

Oh Happy Day

The Ynakees lost!!!!! Love it. I once was a Yankee fan then they employed Alex Rodriquez and I have never pulled for them again.

Now, if only the Giants can pull off the victory in the national league. Giants vs Rangers = Giants. Phillies vs Rangers = Rangers.

My fate is sealed

http://rr.com/news/topic/article/rr/10374903/24683527/15_Signs_Youll_Be_Rich


This articles gives one 15 signs that you'll be rich. I suppose that the more signs that apply to you, the better your chances of being rich. Going by this article my fate is sealed. I am destined to be for ever poor.

Juan Williams fired

NPR fired Juan Williams for saying that people in Muslim attire on an airplane make him nervous. let's see, it was the radical Quakers that flew airplanes into the Pentagon and the twin towers in New York and who were piloting the other plane that crashed because of Muslim heroics, right?

Wait, it's the Lutherans that we are fights in Iraq and the Baptist in Afghanistan.

No wait, maybe that's Presbyterians. wasn't it a Seventh Day Adventist that tried to ignite a shoe bomb? or a Mormon that was just convicted for plotting to blow up a subway?

Damn political correctness. No one claimed that all Muslims are terrorists or even that anywhere near the majority of them are. But on an airplane full of people, if there is a terrorist on board, it is more likely the Muslim.

If you are at a construction site and it is a know fact that there is one illegal alien on the work force, chances are high that it just might be the Latino that doesn't speak English.

If you go to church and the preacher welcomes home a young man from the military and you spot a group of six young mentalking with a deacon, chances are preety good the youngster with a crew cut standing at parade rest is the one just home from the service.

Geez man, the world is getting stupid.

Bullies

I've never been one but I have had my experience with a few of them. Bobby Harwell was the first. He, for some reason, didn't like my older brother and always picked on him. My brother took it for five years but one day, at my urging, struck back and beat Bobby's butt but good.

My first experience on a personal level came when I was in the eighth grade. I can't even remember the jerks name but he was an athletically built guy rippling in the muscle department. For some reason he thought I was put on this earth for him to pick one. The trouble is, I fight back.

There is no truth to the myth that bullies back down when confronted by a person who stands up to them. And losing a fight with one only encourages them so if you choose to go this route, you had better win.

One morning I walked into the classroom and before I had the chance to take my seat, he kneed me in the side of my leg which hurt like hell and gave me what we called a Charlie Horse. he wasn't expecting my reaction-I punched him in the nose. he told me he would meet me after school behind the gym.

Unfortunately he was there and so was a crowd of students, or pupils I guess as one properly calls eighth graders. I really didn't want to fight the guy as he was bigger and stronger than I was and my leg still hurt. Faced with the humiliation of back down and the propects of forever being faced with his torments, I faced my bully.

Back then there was a code to fighting and that code dictated that the one who wanted the fight throw the first punch. The chanlleged person could also claim innocence by saying, truthfully so, "he starteed it". But I surveyed the guy in front of me and judging from his muscle tone and size compared to my own, I figutred if he struck first he may have just struck last. At least, I knew it was going to hurt a lot. So, with balled up fists, he challenged me with "you hit me first."

It is tradition that I respond in kind and then allowed him the first hit. I don't hold much with tradition. I landed a good punch and the surprise in his eyes were quite evident. Yes, he hit me too and it hurt ever bit as much as I thought it would. I knew if he hit me again I would not be able to stand and fight but I just didn't want to face the consequences of what losing would mean. it wasn't only the thoughts of being picked on one a daily bases but knowing thatI would be looked at and talked about as the guy who got his butt beat at the big fight.

NBo, I said to myself, that isn't going to happen. I picked my spot, grabbed the guy by the shoulders and kneed him in his thigh just like he did me that morning. He was effectively crippled.

I waited for him pick himself up off the ground so I could hit him again. He crawled away from me on his hands and knees before standing. He turned to face me with tears rolling down his face. I took a sterp towards him and he turned away from me and hobbled off as quickly as he could.

He never came back to school.

I don't recommend handling builles that way.

Teachers and school administractors should take such things seriously.

A better way to handle bullies on a personal level is to put them in a no win situation, like the time a young punk threaten to beat me up. He was twenty some years my junior, 6 inches taller, and much stronger. I gave him a choice of two different scenarios-one in which he beat up a little of man and the other in which he got beat up. In both cases, he ended up in jail and the police were on the way.

He finally decided it was in his best interests to leave me alone.

Once, when I was a seafood manager, I had a young punk brag that he could cut meat better and faster than I could. maybe he was jealous because his Dad, whom he worked for, had needed some help and asked me to fill in one day. He called me up and said that I did an excellent job and his department had not looked that good in a long time. Whether his son was jealous or not, I don't know. I had never formerly met the young man. I just knew he was cocky.

I told the fellow that if we had a cutting contest and he won, the he could only brag about out cutting an old seafood manager and if he lost, he would be too embarrassed to come back to work. He dropped the challenge and the attitude. I took away his reward.

play the market or leave things alone

Computer programs, company bios, hunches, tips, sure things, or whatever method one decides on to do better than average on investing money seems like a terrible gamble and waste of time and effort. Me? I'm not that smart or tuned into what is going on to make wise investments.

I have, I must admit, changed how my money is invested from time to time and I havbe been a risk taker. A few years ago I had less than nothing so when I finally was able to save some money, I could not afford to be conservative or I would doom myself to being broke forever.

I did pay attention to how different categories of investments were trending and moved more of my money into the segments that were showing good growth. I, like most everyone, took a big hit when the bubble burst and it was a hard thing to not pull my money out. Not only did I leave my money in the stock market but Ieven left it exactly as it had been invested and when things started recovering, my money increased quickly.

There was a second rough period when the market would slip and slide-like three steps up and two backwards, and sometimes three backwards and only two forwards. I di, during that time frame, investment my money in a balanced mode rather than growth. I came out of that period just about like I had gone into it. Now, I am back into the growth formulas mode.

How has all this worked out for me?

The total amount of money that I have invested has increased 271% over the last five years. Considering the volitity of the market during that time, I believe I did okay.

It was hard just to let things ride when the market was losing money on a daily bases but the truth is, I just wouldn't know how to tell when the bottom came or the ceiling was reached. I just figured that the less stocks sold for the more shares I was buying with each dollar invested and when the market recovered, I would recover faster.

Even if I was smart enough tp pull my money out when the ceiling was reached and keep it out until stocks hit bottom, I believe I still am better off just leaving it alone. Maybe not. I'm not sure how to figure that out.

Court Reform

Our country is founded under a system in which there are supposed to be checks and balances. Congress is divided into the House of Representatives which gives states representation equal to their size and the Senate, which gives every state equal voice. Congress makes the laws. The President of the United States is the enforcer of the law, and the Supreme Court is the interpreter of the law. At least that is the way things are supposed to work.

One of the big issues is when an opening occurs on the Supreme Court. The President makes a nomination and Congress approves or not. Presidents have a habit of nominating someone who they believe, by past decisions, interpret the laws in a way that will be favorable with their position of things. Depending on how critical issues are and how much power the opposition party has, a nominee may or may not get approved. What we tend to have is a divided court with extremists views.

A better scenario would be if the members of the court leaned neither to a liberal interpretation of the law nor to an ultra conservative view. The way to ensure that we have a court that judges from the middle, and thus more likely to give an honest interpretation, is to require that the President of the United States to nominate someone of the opposite party.

If Bush had nomination someone under this criteria, he would have nominated a conservative Democrat and if Obama had nominated someone with this requirement in place, he would have nominated a liberal Republican. What the country would have gotten out of this is a middle of the road court with more centrist views of the laws.

Of course we all know this will never happen.

Summer gardens

I know. It's fall and summer gardens are long gone, especially because of the rain, or lack there of this year. It's too expensive to water the garden and the summer heat and lack of rain was the cause of the demise and unproductivity of most home gardens this year. Cuccumbers came and went quickly, canteloupes ripen quickly, going from green to over ripe in just a matter of a day or two. Watermelons grew slowly, if at all, and bell peppers withered on the vines. Most garderners I know pulled their tomato plants up in August. I still have mine.

I doubt if they make it until November but I stick pick a dozen now and then. The red globes are getting smaller and fewerbut as long as the vines keep producing I'll keep them around.

Never did plant any of the fall green stuff.

You light up my life

Not now, but soon. Tattoos are tacky and remind me of five year olds drawing on the bedroom walls with crayons. True, some are pretty but even those look out of place on the human body. Think present day body art is bad enough? Think again. Coming soon to a tatoo parlour near you will be LED tattoos.

The only bright spot (sorry about the pun) in LED tattoos is it will be harder to hide from the police. I certainly would not want to be a soldier on night patrol and have an LED tattoo.

Amtrac and the State Fair

Again this year we took the train to the State Fair. The train left and arrived on time and the weather was nice for all the walking we did, over 10 miles by my pedometer. Fair food is expensive and unhealthy but good. The side shows and exhibits are what draw my interests. I'm not much for the rides and games.

The train was a few minutes late leaving for home and was delayed by another train needing the tracks we were on so we were an hour late getting back to Greensboro. Still the trip back was more organized and pleasant than the one to the fair.

On the way there I got stuck behind a man that had a disability, to be politically correct. He talked loud and slow and repeated everything he said until he received a response and he never shut up the entire trip. It was irritating at first then becoming nerve grating the longer it went on.

We were glad to get back home, tired and irritated but we have our souvenirs and memories. The bad times will fade and we will be left with the romanticized version of the train ride through the countryside, the smell of the foods, the sights and sounds of people having a good time, and the pure enjoyment of spending a day with the one you love.

Pond redo

A month or si ago I redug my water pond but just now downloaded the picture. Water ponds are ususally cleaned in the spring but I needed to redig mine as well as clean it so I did it this fall when we had a brief break in the weather. Of course it hit ninety again just after I finished and didn;t rain for three or four weeks.

I needed to make one end deeper and balance out the sides. I lowered the plant shelf on one side but left the side nearest the house as it was. This will give the fish better protection from predators and as the fish are getting larger they need the extra swimming area.

I filled it up partially from city water but really wanted to wait for rain as rain has less chemicals. It took 1500 gallons from the city to get the water level passed the plant shelves. That is rather expensive and the city only gave me a $6.00 break on the water bill. That is why I installed another rain barrell.

During the hot dry summer, the sun can suck the water level down a foot sothe extra sources of water providesa safty valve for the fish as well as the plants.

A perfect example

I just finished a post on stupid things criminals do to get caught and here is a perfect example:

The Nebraska State Patrol says 15 1/2 pounds of pot was found gift-wrapped following a traffic stop on Interstate 80 in Lincoln. A patrol news release said a trooper pulled over an eastbound car for speeding near the Lincoln Airport exit on



Over 15 pounds of pot in the car and he was speeding? One might as well hang a sign out the window reading "Arrest me Please".

Just too funny

O'Donnell said Obama and other Democrats are putting their weight behind Coons because "they see him as a rubber stamp for their agenda." She noted that Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., has called Coons his "pet."

"I don't know why Harry Reid said that," Coons said. "I'm nobody's pet. I'm going to be a bulldog for Delaware."


Last time I checked, bulldogs are a domesticated breed that people keep as pets. Maybe coons would have been better off saying he would be a tiger for Delaware.

___

Fast food order takers

Yes, a pet peeve of mine is fast food wait staff who can't take an order. I understand they deal with the public and the public can be stupid asses, and quite often are but sometimes the waitress just needs to shut up and listen.

Like I'll go into a Burger King and say "For here. A number two, small, no cheese, and onion rings" and the clerk will say "Is this order to go?"

Bojangles is the worst because they have to yell into a microphone what you ordered. I went into one and the young man asked me for my order. "I said this is for here" and he immediately yelled into his mic "dine in" I tried giving him my order but everytime I said something he yelled it into the mic and then I would have to repeat the next thing I said. Of course, the restaraunt screwed up my order.

It seems Wendy's has some new salds which are really good. I've only tried two of them but only because the apple/cranberry one is so goodI can't pass it up. The problem is Wendy's has catered to people with smaller appitites or who want a sald plus something else. They have a half salad and a half-salad plus on there menu. I don't have a problem with choosing between a salad and a half salad. I do have a problem with the wait staff knowing the difference.

I'll order a salad and the clerk will ask "Do you want the big salad or the half-salad?" There isn't a "Big salad" on the menu board; just a salad and a half salad. 'I repeat that I want the salad and the staff starts to explain that they have a half salad and a half salad plus and a big salad and then asks me again which one I want.

I repeat I want the salad.

There is no "big" salad on the menu and if I wanted the half salad or the half salad plus I would have ordered one.

I contacted Wendy's one this one and suggested that if a customer order a salad they should be sold the salad rather than a half salad or Wedny's should change the name from salad to big salad or full salad or the one that isn't the half salad so the wait staff knows that the customer doesn't want just half a salad.

Ordering should not be this difficult and argumentitive.

tattoes

If I were to get a tatto, it would have to be a sudoku puzzle. At least it would serve some purpose.

You drive a What?

Unexpected death

Published: October 13, 2010
»
nowBuzz up!Darren Stevens, a morning radio host on local Christian station WBFJ 89.3 FM, died unexpectedly early this morning.

Stevens, 42, was a lifelong resident of Ramseur. He was last on the air last Thursday, and left the station not feeling well. The next day, he was admitted to Randolph Hospital and had an emergency appendectomy. He was still in the hospital recovering from the surgery when he died. The exact cause of death was still unknown.

Seriously, TOTO

Two photos from a Toto commercial on their website. The photos show relaxed people who seem happy and satisfied, perhaps with their new bathroom designs.

However, in the real world I think I might be uncomfortable relaxing in a bathroom that opens to the outside like the one the woman is walking through. it would be a little hard to heat and cool and I am sure nature would be finding its way in quite often. Not y first choice, by any means.

The second photo shows a man relaxing in his new toilet facilities by enjoying a cup of coffee while sitting on a window sill. First of all, I really don't think I could enjoy a cup of coffee that close to where I just took a crap. Secondly, A chair and kitchen table would be a preferred relaxing place as one could set the coffee cup down, read a paper, and have your entire butt perched on something rather than just half of your butt. Most window sill aren't wide enough for even half your butt, not saying you have a large butt, but that most likely you have a small window sill.

The images at first seem to portray a romantic view of the bathroom but actually portray undesireable situations.

Observations

In the photo essay on beatiful wives and girlfriends of baseball players, it seems the beauty of the women is in the size of their boobs.

Cable TV was first advertised with the hook that pay TV was commercial free TV. I don't think it ever was. It certainly isn't now.

In refinancing with the very same bank the mortgage is with now, one would think they would already have all the answers. They don't. Not by a long shot.

The missing girl in Hickory is now considered a homicide victim. Poloice believe the stepmother is the prime suspect. The father doesn't seem so innocent to me either.

The little kiosh at the mall with little overhead is way overpriced. Just pick one; this statement probably fits.

Missing in Hickory

Hickory, my home town and town where my mother still lives, is the town in which a 10 year old girl who has a prosthetic leg, is hard of hearing, and is reported to also have cancer is missing. Police dogs found the scent of human remains at the home today. The poorlittle girl has been through enough in her short life and to have the ones she needs to look to for help do her harm is more than an injustice. To have anyone do her home is beyond a shame but especially if it turns out to be her gaurdians that did her harm, it is beyond unforgiveable.

This undated photo provided by the Federal Bureau of Investigation shows Zahra Clare Baker, a 10 year-old North Carolina hearing-impaired girl with a prosthetic leg who is missing. The girl was last seen by her stepmother at 2:30 a.m. Saturday Oct. 9, 2010. A fire was reported in the Bakers' backyard about 5 a.m.
HICKORY, N.C. — Police dogs detected the smell of human remains on two cars at the home of a missing girl who has bone cancer and a prosthetic leg, a search warrant said Monday.

The document filed in a Hickory court didn't indicate that police found any remains in their search, which was conducted Sunday night. The warrant said the dogs detected the smell on a sedan and SUV belonging to the father and stepmother.

Earlier in the day, the police chief cast doubt on accounts by the father and stepmother of 10-year-old Zahra Clare Baker. They told police they discovered she was missing on Saturday and that one of them had seen in her sleeping in her room hours earlier.

But Hickory Police Chief Tom Adkins said a news conference that investigators were having trouble finding anyone else who had seen the home-schooled girl alive in the last few weeks.

"We don't know the last time anyone saw her," he said. "We're having a difficult time establishing a true timeline."

The police department declined to comment further on the warrant, but said Adkins would issue a statement Tuesday morning.

Zahra's father, Adam Baker, said during an morning TV interview that it was possible his wife could be involved in the disappearance, which was reported hours after a fire in the home's backyard. Elisa Baker was arrested Sunday on about a dozen charges unrelated to the girl's disappearance.

A reporter saw what appeared to be remnants of clothes among burned branches from the fire at the scene.

___

Associated Press Writers Meg Kinnard in Columbia, S.C., and Martha Waggoner and Mike Baker in Raleigh, N.C., contributed to this report.

72,000 stimulus payments went to dead people

do you still believe health insirance will be better under the control of the government? Just think, every aspect of the governemnt, be it the Post Office, Social Secirity, whatever, has been an exercise in failure. Not one government agency can be ran without lossing money.

we've all seen welfare recepients who drive nice cars, swap benefits for money, booze or drugs, or have found other ways to beat the system. personally, I just can't afford any more free government programs.

Must be one sorry community

"Alejo-Jones told the council the club is her only source of income, that she is trying to get her license reinstated and hopes to open a restaurant on the site. Others spoke on her behalf, telling the council that the presence of the club was a benefit to the surrounding neighborhood."

147 times the police were called to this nightclubin three years. mostly because of fights and shootings. If a place like this is a benefit to the community, then it must be one sorry community. I once lived across the street from a night club and not only had to put upwith loud music and litter from bar patrons, but I had druks urinate in my front yard, damage to my property (intentional) and people blocking my driveway. I couldn't get anything done about the club because if I lost my court case, I would have had to pay thier attorney fees plus pay upto a $10,000.00 fine for filing a false complaint. That nightclub, nusiance that it was, didn't seem nearly as bad as the one closed by loss of liquor lisence and the owner claims it was good for the community.

That's like an opium house owner in China claiming the house is good for the community. i'd believe that before i'd buy into any arguments from a owner of a business that still with getting their customers drunk.

stupid criminals

let's face it. No matter how brilliant the plans, all criminals are stupid. It's just some are really stupid. Like this guy:
GOOD HOPE, Ill. — Authorities said sleeping behind the wheel wasn't the only problem for a western Illinois man they caught napping at a gas station. Police said 26-year old Adam Barcroft also had a meth lab in the bed of his truck. The McDonough County Sheriff's Department said Barcroft was asleep at a Good Hope gas station Monday when deputies discovered him.

He was arrested, and his truck was pushed away from the gas pumps.

The Illinois State Police Methamphetamine Response Team then arrived and secured the truck.

Officials said they recovered several items used to make meth, 2 grams of finished meth and $238 in cash.

Barcroft, of Monmouth, faces five drug-related charges.

It wasn't immediately clear whether he has an attorney.


Why do people carrying drugs or dead bodies in their front seats, or driving with no legal license to do so, vioate common sence rulesof the road like not stopping for stop signs, or having too dark tinted windows, or speeding?

Girl Rescued

This 8 year old girl was playing with five of her friends when a red pickup pulled up, grabbed her and took off. A statewide amber alertdrew the attention of one citizen who spotted the truck eleven hours later then noticed the girl in the truck. The man cut the truck off, forcing it to stop. The driver pushed the little girl from the truck and took off but was apprehended a short time later at his grandmothers apartment.

Losing weight

The new catch phrase with dieters is "LIFESTYLE CHANGE". It isn't a lifestyle change unless it becomes part of your daily routine and effortless in its execution. thant's the problem with most diets is that you have to buy certain foods and avoid others, count calories, or make concious decions that you would rather not have to make. After days or weeks or months of effort it all goes for naaught nd one regains the weight, often more than what was lost.

My goal when I started was not to lose weight but to improvve my overall health. I was, litterly, a walking deadman, with triglyerides of over 700, colestrerol over 400and blood pressure in a relaxed state over 160.

NBormally I can maintain my weight or even lose a pound or two during the summer months but the winter has been rough on my waist line, as is normal for most people.
This year has been different with the extraordinary heat, it has just been too hot to do much outside and exercising in doors just raises the temperature in the house so I limited that too. Yes, I gained 8 pouds over the summer but my helthy numbers remainded steadfast.

The reason for that was what I ate rather than how much. Eating an extra apple, even if the apple is healthy, will cause one to take in an extra 100 to 150 calories they didn't need, but is far beeter than getting the calories, say, from a bag of 100calorie a pack cookies.

I have picked up again on my WII exercises but as far as food,i have become so accustomed to eating a bowl of cereal with fruit for breakfast, a bowl of soup and an apple for lunch, a light supper, and fruit for snacks, that Ireally don't think much about eating anything else.

Of course, I still grill out that steak occasionally, and I do eat a big Angus burger now and then, but that is so rare it is a treat, not a normal routine.

The important thing for me is to remain healthy and not just to lose weight. By the books, I would have to lose another 60 pounds to be at my idea weight, but as far as healthy numbers, I just couldn't get any better than I am right now.

+Rain, Tracfones, and medicine

I cleaned my koi pond last month, redigging one end of it to make it deeper and redoing one side to make the pond more level. All I had to do was wait for it to rain to refill the pond. And wait. And wait. And wait some more. Finally, it rained, my pond is full, and the fish are happy.

The reason for waiting for rainwater to fill the pond is twofold. First, city water is expensive and secondly, city water has clorine and other chemicals in it that isn't good for the fish.

I seldom use a cell phone. If I have a PHOBIA, it would be a telephone. Somehow, I don't seem to mind one so much if one calls me but if I have to initiate the call, I put it off as long as possible and many times opt to solve problems the old fashion way: via letter or by e-amil. Because of my lack of desire, and my dread of using a phone, I just don't want to spend much money on an object I will use so infrequently.

Still, cell phones have their useses and after a few situations where having a phone handy really proved an advantage, I'd rather not be without one. Tracfone advertises itself as the cheapest way to own a cell phone in America so I finally got one, as did my wife. She had no problem with hers and in fact is happy with it. Me, one the other hand, felt like taking my phone, driving to Miami, and shoving it up ...well, you get the idea.

Well, after countless hours on the phone and on the internet trying to resolve a, it their words, was a simple problem, it is supposedly fixed. I can actually use the phone to make and receive phone calls.

Thankfully my wife handled most of the phone calls (well, actually, all of the ohone calls) trying to straighten this mess out. Personally, I was going to mail the phone to the CEO and tell hime to fix the simple problem. I already had the letter written and would have mailed the phone back today. I still will if it doesn't work.

I saw my doctor yesterday and she gave me two more prescriptions, One is for my arm and I can only take it over the weekend. it is a tiny little offwhite pill but it is a real killer. Litterally. The instructions advise taking the medicine in the smallest dosage and for the shorest duration possible.

Some pill.

The next election.

I want to vote the Democrats out of office but I don't want to vote the Republicans in.

Obama versus Bush

Democrats are still blaming Bush for today's economic woes. They say it will take Obama much longer than two years to fix Bush's mess. Exactly how long will it be before it stops being George Bush's fault and how long does Obama need to fix the mess?

The biggest thing Bush did wrong was trust Donald Rumsfeld's judgement on running the war effort. The housing bubble bursting is the biggest culprit in our economic troubles and while it is true that financial institutions had policies and practices in place that lead to the bubble and its collapse, one has to remember that congress, not the President inacts legislation and congress was controlled by the Democrats. Remember who was in charge of Fannie Mae and who his lover was?

Obama's failed policies are being blamed on the Republican minority. He faces no more obstacles than Bush did; in fact, his party has a majority.

Bush wasn't a good President but he wasn't nearly as bad as others. I won't mention names but one of them's initials were Jimmy Carter.

I'm not saying that we would have been better off with McCain and Palin. But I do believe we will be better off without Obama in the Oval Office.

love my Computer

On my computer i didn't install sanboxie, a big mistake. Some one hijacked my e-mail account and all the people on my list received one or more ads for viagra and other services. I apologized to the all and dropped that e-mail account. Still, it wrecked havoc in my new computer. I got rid of the two trojin virurses left my the hijacker but my flash player was corrupted and would not work, I could not access my rr e-mail nor could I ask for help from my cable provider.

Even going back in time solved no problems but I need not have worried. Windows seven fixed the problem with just a touch of a button. Of course, all my files were delected but with a back-up disk and/or backup file services, one won't lose a thing.

In case you are unfamiliar with Sandboxe, it is a program that runs your web pages and places everything in a box. It doesn't matter is a file is infected or a virus came in on your e-mail account or one a link that looked too good not to click on, because once you go off the internet, everything in sandboxie is gone too. Nothing every enyters your computer and nothing can infect your computer.

There are time when one can't use Sandboxie. If you want to down load a new security system or load updates to your computer or save to file those cute pictures of the new grandbaby, you have to do that without benefit of sandboxie because, like I mentioned earlier, once you go off the internet, everything you did is gone too.

had I been on Sandboxie, none of you would have received an apology for the hijacked emails because, of course, there would have been no need to apologize for something that didn't happen.

Again, windows 7 is great.

Yard gifts

The story about the woman who bec ame angry and returned a yard gift left by her neighbor's dog helped me recall zsome presents my neigbors left me once. My front yard was littered with little packages wrapped in white tissue paper and tied with red ribbon. There must have been several dozen of these little bundles of rocks.

It seems my neighbors thought I had picked up their newspaper and brought it to their front porch. Now if I had done that, one would think they might have been gratgefull for they were in their eighties and it is a long walk down their drive to where their paper was usually delivered.

Life is much better when we don't take things so seriously.

The Dismal Swamp

When I was in college, my best friend and roommate decided one day to change to a different school; one located on the other side of the Dismal swamp. One day I was missing my friend as he never kept in contact with me so I decided to go visit. having no mode of transportation other than what God had given me, I set out on my journey figuring it would take several hours at the longest. Rides were far fewer and for shorter distances than going from Murfreesboro to Hickory. I left a nine in the morning and it was well after one before I finally arrived. I was hungry but pretty much broke and the diner I stopped in wanted to charge me for a glass of water. I went thirsty.

Sad thing was, my friend had joined the navy. I never heard from him again.

I'll never forget that hard trip, the frustration, the cop who hassled me, telling me I could hitchhike or walk but not do both. He kept coming back to see what I was up to. The best part of the trip was going through a small town with a hand painted sign indicating the number of residents. I remember receiving one ride and the man had his radio on and the news told of a man killed in a car wreck. He was from that little town. On my return trip, they had changed the sign.

I miss my friend and think of him whenever I hear about the Dismal Swamp. I wonder if he ever went to one of our high school reunions. I wonder if her ever thinks about me.

Sports writer rant

Just finished reading an article on the Michigan/Notre Dame game. The sports writer first described the last play of the game, then the next to last play of the game, then a play which tied the game at 7 apiece, then a game that tied the game at 14, then who passed to whom and who ran the ball.

Why start at the end, go to the middle then to the beginning and then start towards the end, then start describing the same plays again from the running backs perspective versus the coach's or quarterback's angle?

I could make more sense of what happened during the game if the writer would start at the beginning and describe what happened up until the end. If one starts with the end of the game, then just leave it there and quit the flash back crap. Writing in circles just makes the article harder to understand and I most often don't bother to finish reading it.

I know one is taught in journalism school to get the most important stuff up front and then fill in the details later in case the article needs to be shortened but there has to be a better way. How about something like, after three tie scores and five lead changes, Team A pulled an upset in overtime with a fake field goal.

There, everthing important is there.

Tea Party

In my book "Feet of Clay" I predicted a Democratic victory with a minority candidate (however I wrote that the candidate was a woman). After this crushing defeat, the Republican party disintegrated and was replaced by another political party. It wasn't the Tea Party but it came into existence for much the same reasons.

The first minority male to win election was in the 2012 election after a disastrous four years under the Democrats. That seems likely to happen too.

But in today's world, Tea party backed candidates have had strong showings and veteran law makers are being ousted. "Politics as usual" is cited as a thing of the past. Why should we swap a evil Democrat for an evil Republican. We should elect people who have never had the chance to be evil before.

Some fear that Tea Party candidates are not going to fare as well as more established Republican would have but it's all about who can get their supporters out to vote.

I am not against an idea just because it was thought of by a Democrat nor am I for an idea because it has been put forth by a Republican. An idea should be able to stand on its own merits. If it doesn't, it should be cast aside.

It seems the new way of thinking is that if you can't give me a good reason why we should not change our way of thinking, then we should entertain the new idea. For example, if you can't give me one good reason women shouldn't be allowed to vote, then we will allow them to vote. If you can't give me a good reason why same sex couples should not get married, then we should allow them to marry.

My the same reasoning, if a mother is allowed to kill her baby before birth then why doesn't she have the right to kill it after birth? It may still be the product of rape or incest or make life difficult for a teen aged mother. it could be that the youngster was convinced that she could handle motherhood but after the birth of the baby discovered it was way too much for her.

See, one has to be careful in their thought process.

I hate the idea of people going hungry or being homeless (been there, done that) but I also dislike the idea that I have to support people that are capable of supporting themselves but are too lazy or too trifling to hold a steady job.

I like the idea of universal health care. With the system we have now coverage is too expensive if one does not have a job that pays a big portion of the costs. But I also don't think that you should have to pay my doctor bills because I am too lazy to work or to pay that cost for my family because I am too sorry to get married and too cheap to buy coverage for my kids.

maybe the Tea Party condidates have some answers for us or maybe they will wake up the politicians that are able to hold unto their seats. Inspire us, Tea Party candidates to do a better job.

It's a slow day when only one customer gets pissed.

The health department has many rules and they are designed to protect the health of food service customers. The meat department handles raw poultry, beef, and pork therefore the health department will no longer allow us to handle opened cooked product because of the chances of cross-contaimination. To my knowledge, no one has ever became sick from a food born illness as a result of mishandling of product or cross-contaimination in any meat department in which I have worked but I still must follow the law.

Today a man came by the meat department while I was out to lunch and handed the man in seafood a cooked boneless ham quater and asked him to slice it. He had no idea how and as I just returning from lunch he asked me how to slice the ham for the man. I told him we couldn't do it in the meat department but before I had the opportunity to finish my sentence he said "Why?"

"It's cooked product and besides, we don't have a slicer. It will have to be taken to the Deli to be sliced."

The customer heard our conversation and he spoke rather loudly "Well foret it."

"Sir, we will slice your ham. We just have to do it in another department."

"No, just forget it?"

I hate that I lost a sell and a customer went home unhappy but his unhappiness was his own fault. It would have only taken 30 seconds to have walked over to the Deli and have the ham sliced for him. He either has to go home without the ham he wanted or he will have to go to another grocery store and start the process all over because only Food Lionand harris Teeter still cut meat and if their meat cutters follow the law like they should, he will have to wait while they take it to the Deli to slice it for him.

Patience is a vurtue.

Going to the doctor can get you arrested

Many years ago my son had an infection of the scalp so I took him to the doctor who prescribed some medication which didn't work. He went back to the doctor and got a different prescription which didn't work either. He had to go back several more times and if I hadn't used an old oriental remedy, he may have seen a different doctor as well.

The Sheriff's association and SBI want permission to access the prescription data base to look for violations of the prescription laws. Of course they promise they will only look at the data base if they have reason to believe a particular person is violating the law. I would like to think I could trust the cops but I would also like to think I could trust pro sectors to seek justice too but many will cover up the truth in order to get a conviction. The SBI crime lab is being audited now to determine how many people have been wrongfully convicted because they covered up evidence that they were innocent.

Recently, a young man convicted of killing his morning was set free when the evidence of his innocence was found in the files of the man who prosecuted him. More recently and locally is the prosecutor who withheld or ignored evidence so he could try 5 men on rape charges. The truth was that no rape occurred and if one had occurred, the five Duke lacrosse players accused of it could not have done it anyway. Eye witnesses accounts, a changing story by the accuser and DNA evidence all excluded the accused by Wilfong was determined to get a conviction.

No, law enforcement and legal representatives cannot always be trusted. I can foresee the time when a couple wants to adopt a child so a law enforcement person or someone who has a friend in law enforcement has information looked up on the people and finds that one of them had been treated for cancer and uses that fact against them in the adoption process. Maybe someone will dig into the background of a political candidate looking for leverage.

I'm sure there are other ways this information can be used to cause oneself harm but that really doesn't matter. If one has nothing to hide it still doesn't change the fact that my medical condition is none of your damn business.

If the police have reasonable caused to believe one is obtaining prescriptions illegally by visiting numerous doctors, they let them present their case before a judge and get a court order to view your prescription history. If the prescription data base works properly, the those who seek out various doctors to get the same medicine from will be identified and doctors will cut them off.

I don't buy into the argument that the jails can't handle all the prisoners so we should not prosecute. We would just have to seek out different forms of punishment or incareration, like home monitoring, property forfeiture, hefty fines, or teeth extrations (that was just to see if you were paying attention).

New Comedy routine

Obama to take GOP to task on economy, tax cuts

International Burn a Korna (Quaran) Day part 2

I'm glad thge pastor that sonsored the Internation burn a Quran Day changed his mind and abandoned the idea. The most shocking thing about this whole incident was the Muslim reaction. One man said he wanted to strap himself in bombs and go to a Christian church and blow everything up. One man promised a war like no other. Protests and threats of violence are everywhere.

Kind of hard to convince people that islam is a peaceful religion with reactions like that.

International Burn a Koran Day

Believe it or not, Jews, Christians and Muslims all worship the very same God, the God of Abraham and Jacob. Where the conflict is began with Abraham and Sarah. God had promised Abraham a son and he was getting old so Sarah suggested he sleep with Hannah, the women who took car of Sarah. He did and a son was born. He was the first born son of Abraham but he was not the son that God had promised Abraham. When Issac was born, the promised was fulfilled and to avoid conflict between Hanna's son and Sarah's son, Sarah suggested that Abraham turn Hanna out of the camp, which he did.

Christians accept Jesus Christ as the promised Messiah, Jews reject Jesus outright, and Muslims believe Jesus Christ was a great prophet but not the son of God. Muslims believe the Abrahamic Covenant should have been made with them and the Jews stole that birthright from them.

Both the Koran and the Old Testament have some cruel teachings in them. The biggest difference between the three religions centers around Christ. The Korean and the Old Testament are books of law. Christ said that he came not to change the law but that the law through Him is fulfilled. he ushered in the age of grace.

What that means, simplified, is that we are no longer required to obey the law and are not under the penalty of the law but we are now under grace. Christ paid the penalty of the law for us. The Jewish religion and the Muslim religion are all religions of law, not grace.

Jesus had harsh words for the Pharisees, not because they didn't accept him, but because he saw them as perverters of the Jewish religion, paying more attention to pomp and circumstance than to the spirit of the law.

I believe that is where the founder of "International Burn a Korean Day" has missed the mark. His burning of the Koran serves no purpose but to spread hate and is a show. That act lacks the love that Christ showed towards his friends and enemies alike and is not the spirit in which He wanted his followers to live in. Christ dieing on the cross said of those that were crucifying Him and those that accused him as well as the one who convicted Him "Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

half-full or empty

I hate that analogy of whether one is optimistic or not. Waitresses must think we are all pessimists because when one gets to half of a glass, the waiter or waitress will refill ones glass. To me, it depends on whether I'm filling the glass up or drinking the contents as to if it is half full or half empty.

I'm more of a realist. I have half a glass of liquid. it doesn't matter whether I want more or am happy with what I have- it is still only a half a glass of liquid.

Spring cleaning

Once upon a time it dawned on pond owners thar inspite of due deligence in pond maintenance, one still had to pull the liner out from time to time and give the pond a good cleaning. Normally pond cleaning is done in the spring to remove fallen leaves but I didn't clean mine this spring and with my water level low, I decided not only to clean the pond but to dig it deeper since my fish have grown large and had babies.

I caught the bigger fish and put into the little pond. I knew they wouldn't be happy but they will really enjoy their new home once I get it ready for them. It took me over an hour to catch all the little baby goldfish wish I could have saved them all, but there is always collateral damage no matter how careful one is.

It was getting to dark to continue working last night so I came inside, changed out of my wet clothes, took a shower, and sat down to my computer when someone knocked on my door. It was my neighbor and she was holding Showa. "Tyler found your fish,." shed said.

Fish will do that you know. Unhappy fish will try to leave their environment and showa jumped out of the small pond and flopped down to the neighbors yard. Their five year old, Tyler, saw my fish and told his mother.

I owe him a reward.

The fish can go home once the pond is put back together and we have a good rain.

Pet Pictures

picure1: Showa, Shark, Spot
2: Old yeller, Spot, Showa
3: Showa
4: Spot
5: Shark, Showa, Old Yeller

Not pictured is the babies. One baby looks like Shark (black and orange) and the other baby is white with an orange spot on its head. There was a third baby which looked like Showa (three colors) but it perished, maybe at the mouth of our neighbor's dog, maybe of natural causes. I couldn't recover the body as my neigbor's boxer jumped into the pond. By the time i got the dog out, got the problem settle for that day, there wasn't time left to do it and the carcass wasn't available later.

I haven't been able to photograph the babies yet but they are actually larger than the adults were when I put them in the pond last year. Anyone having a good home for a koi or two keep in mind I may have some for adoption next year.