Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Happy Birthday - Nolan Ryan


Lynn Nolan Ryan, Jr. (born January 31, 1947) is a former pitcher in Major League Baseball who played in a record-tying 27 seasons. Ryan still holds many major-league pitching records, some by such wide margins over previous marks that they will likely stand for many years.
Ryan, a hard throwing right handed pitcher, threw pitches which were regularly recorded in the 100-mph range, even past the age of 40. The media tagged him "The Ryan Express" (a reference to the 1965 film Von Ryan's Express).

Ryan was an eight-time MLB All-Star, and his 5,714 career strikeouts rank first in baseball history. He leads the runner-up, Roger Clemens, by approximately 1,200 strikeouts. Similarly, Ryan's 2,795 bases on balls lead second-place Steve Carlton by 962—walking over 50% more men than any other pitcher in Major League history.

Ryan is also the all-time leader in no-hitters with seven, three more than any other pitcher. He is tied with Bob Feller for the most one-hitters with 12.


Why the photo above?

Well it goes with the joke, "Who is the only batter to ever get six consecutive hits off Nolan Ryan?" Robin Ventura of course!

Friday, January 26, 2007

Happy Birthday to the Great One


Without a doubt the greatest hockey player ever, Gretzky owned the ice.
From Wikipedia.......
Identified as a hockey prodigy at a very young age, Gretzky regularly played at a level far above his peers.[7] He became a full professional at the age of 17 in the World Hockey Association, leading to a long career in the NHL. He set 40 regular-season records, 15 playoff records, 6 All-Star records, won four Stanley Cups with the Edmonton Oilers, and won 9 MVP awards and 10 scoring titles. He is the only player ever to total over 200 points in a season (a feat that he accomplished four times in his career). In addition, he tallied over 100 points a season for 15 NHL seasons, 13 of them consecutively.
Wayne Gretzky held or shared 61 NHL records upon his retirement on April 18, 1999, including 40 regular season records, 15 playoff records, and 6 all-star records.
The regular season records include most goals in a season (92), most assists in a season (163), and most points in a season (215). He also holds the record for the fastest 50 goals, accomplishing that feat in only 39 games and the record for most goals in a 50 game period (61, which he accomplished twice). In 1983-84, he had a 51-game point-scoring streak that has been compared to "Joltin' Joe" DiMaggio's streak in baseball, during which he scored 61 goals and received credit for 92 assists (153 points).

Gretzky set impressive records in both regular season and post-season play, holding the record for most career regular season goals (894), assists (1,963), points (2,857), and hat tricks (50). The next closest player in total points for the regular season is Mark Messier at 1,887. Gretzky's point total including regular season and playoffs stands at an imposing 3,239. Gretzky also had more career assists than any other player has ever gained total points.

His 47 playoff points in 1985 and 31 assists in 1988 are still records for a single post-season round, and he holds the record for career playoff goals (122), assists (260), points (382), hat tricks (10), and game winning goals (24).

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

One law at a time........

From Citizen Magazine........

You wouldn't know it from reading mainstream magazines, but the abortion rate in the United States has been falling for a dozen years, thanks in part to “incremental” restrictions—parental notification and consent, a woman's right to know, waiting periods, abortion clinic regulations, fetal pain measures and numerous other laws in dozens of states

And those laws may be hastening the day when Roe v. Wade —the infamous 1973 U.S. Supreme Court decision effectively legalizing abortion on demand—vanishes like a bad dream.

“It's nice to think about going for the home run, but it's much more effective to get the base hit,” said Peter Samuelson, president and general counsel of Americans United for Life (AUL). “We're convinced that it's the fastest way to get to the place of overturning Roe and eliminating abortion altogether.”

Mississippi has passed 15 pro-life laws in the past 13 years and has enjoyed a nearly 60 percent decrease in abortions, according to AUL.

“Some of us in Mississippi decided several years ago that if we could move the ball down the field and first get it into the red zone, we have made a significant accomplishment,” State Sen. Patrick Alan Nunnelee, a frequent sponsor of such initiatives, told Citizen . “In Mississippi I think we have put the ball inside the 10-yard line, and the goal line is in sight.”
If you don't believe the abortion lobby is on the run, just listen to the wails according to figures from the Alan Guttmatcher Institute (an authoritative source of abortion data):

• Abortions as a whole across America declining more than 28 percent since their peak in 1980.

• A “huge decrease”—about a third—in the number of clinics, hospitals and private physicians who perform abortions.

• The vanishing abortionist: A growing majority of doctors who provide abortion are 50 and older.

• Mississippi and South Dakota are down to one abortion clinic each. Providers like Planned Parenthood in some cases have resorted to flying doctors in from other states, as fewer and fewer doctors are willing to perform the brutal procedure.

Pro-lifers say over the 33 years since Roe , two growing realizations—evidence for the personhood of the unborn baby and the long-term harm to the post-abortive mother—have been changing minds, as evidenced by trends in public opinion polls toward the pro-life position. And the growing body of pro-life legislation has been changing behavior.

Thank God that the tide is starting to turn more dramatically; even if it's not widely reported. It's up to the individual states to tighten the noose on this so called 'freedom of chioce'.

It is estimated that over 46 million babies have been murdered since Roe. Is this a number that one can really comprehend? That's a whole generation of humans who never had a chance to live their lives. And they are humans aren't they?

The biggest contributor to this culture of death is Planned Parenthood. According to the National Right to Life's fact sheet, Planned Parenthood is the nation's leading abortion performer and promoter. An actual Planned Parenthood advertisement from the same fact sheet says, "Babies are loud, smelly and expensive. Unless you want one." Rush Limbaugh has always said something like this; "If you want to find out the true motives of anyone, follow the money trail." According to the fact sheet, in 2002, Planned Parenthood took in more than $79 million dollars from abortion procedures. That represents about 1/3 of their total revenue from 2002. Abortion is big business. If the average cost of an abortion is $400, and there are approximately 1.3 million performed each year, then revenues from abortion are toppling over a half a billion dollars.

Still, sadly, few are genuinely outraged.

More folks get upset when a snail darter is threatened in a small creek. The list of endangered species in this country is ever increasing. You can be punished severely for harming any creature on that list. The same liberals who protect these species are the same ones who want ensure that humans can kill their own.

I remember the outrage and emotion that followed the space shuttle Columbia re-entry accident. Yes, the accident was a tragedy. Seven astronauts lost their lives doing what they loved to do. Imagine a shuttle accident happening over 3800 times a day. Would the public get so used to these accidents that no one even paid attention to them anymore? Well that’s exactly what’s happened in this country regarding abortion. The public has become so accustomed to abortion as normal, that they turn a blind eye away from the fact that over 3800 babies are sacrificed on the alter of ‘pro-choice’ each day.

It does not have to continue. Roe must be overturned.

Join the National Right to Life and support them financially if you can. The republicans can no longer be trusted to end this travesty. Join a real Conservative party and vote. And I specifically mean the Constitution Party. The Constitution Party is the only political party out there that still cares for life in the womb.

Saturday, January 20, 2007

Universalism

My brother was recently admitted to the hospital for unknown medical problems and I sent out a massive prayer request via e-mail. On the e-mail I first and foremost asked for folks to pray for his salvation and then for the doctors to figure out what was causing his mysterious illness. One of the e-mails that came back was very interesting and I thought I would share it and comment on it. Names have been removed to protect the identity of the individual(s).


Wayne,

At this time, all your family - especially your brother - are very much in our thoughts and prayers.

May I share something with you? I have had TWO powerful epiphanies/revelations I experienced, many years ago. The Lord Himself assured me in both, that life is everlasting, and that ALL of humanity would eventually be saved. This was a 'white light' - out of body experience - information was TRANSFERRED to me totally convincingly, without words. I understood clearly, that our belief in Christ is of paramount importance - but that we must NOT
be judgemental of non-believers. That He will safely deliver them, that He can move freely in time, that no creature of His will ever be permanently lost. That our doubting His power to do this is limiting Him, as well as our faith - both at the same time!

These experiences have helped me cope far better with the loss of my agnostic father, as well as several dear friends over the years. No matter how we read the Gospels, we should be aware of Christ's mercy and flexibility to people OUTSIDE the Jewish faith, as well as to all sinners.
The conditions for 'being saved' have been subsequently misunderstood by us. I would venture to say, that your brother and all other doubters and unbelievers will be saved eventually, through His Mercy and Compassion - although their lives on this earth would be a lot more fulfilling, if they would accept Him prior to the end of their earthly lives, and live them out
in faith!

This e-mail caught me by surprise but it supports a growing trend I have noticed over the past year or so; Universalism.

From Dictionary.com -

Universalism
3.(initial capital letter) the doctrine that emphasizes the universal fatherhood of God and the final salvation of all souls.


The doctrine of Universal salvation for all sinners is not taught by the Word of God. I am no theologian by any respect, but I can break down this e-mail simply by using the Word of God Himself.

*The Lord Himself assured me in both, that life is everlasting...* I can agree to that; life is everlasting. Jesus said in John 3:16, "For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life." And again in John 5:24, "Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that heareth my word, and believeth on him that sent me, hath everlasting life, and shall not come into condemnation; but is passed from death unto life."

There is eternal life in Heaven, but there is also eternal life in a real place called hell. (All bolding mine)

Paul say's in 1Thess 1:7-9, "And to you who are troubled rest with us, when the Lord Jesus shall be revealed from heaven with his mighty angels, In flaming fire taking vengeance on them that know not God, and that obey not the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ: Who shall be punished with everlasting destruction from the presence of the Lord, and from the glory of his power;"

We can read in Jude 7:4-7, "For there are certain men crept in unawares, who were before of old ordained to this condemnation, ungodly men, turning the grace of our God into lasciviousness, and denying the only Lord God, and our Lord Jesus Christ. I will therefore put you in remembrance, though ye once knew this, how that the Lord, having saved the people out of the land of Egypt, afterward destroyed them that believed not. And the angels which kept not their first estate, but left their own habitation, he hath reserved in everlasting chains under darkness unto the judgment of the great day. Even as Sodom and Gomorrah, and the cities about them in like manner, giving themselves over to fornication, and going after strange flesh, are set forth for an example, suffering the vengeance of eternal fire."

And in Matthew 8:18, "Wherefore if thy hand or thy foot offend thee, cut them off, and cast them from thee: it is better for thee to enter into life halt or maimed, rather than having two hands or two feet to be cast into everlasting fire.

Yes - There is everlasting life. The real issue is where one will spend it.

*.....and that ALL of humanity would eventually be saved. This is a lie straight from Satan himself. We can read in Matthew 7:13-14, "Enter ye in at the strait gate: for wide is the gate, and broad is the way, that leadeth to destruction, and many there be which go in thereat: Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it. And again in Matthew 22:14, "For many are called, but few are chosen," And again in Luke 13:22-27, "And he went through the cities and villages, teaching, and journeying toward Jerusalem. Then said one unto him, Lord, are there few that be saved? And he said unto them, Strive to enter in at the strait gate: for many, I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able. When once the master of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, and ye begin to stand without, and to knock at the door, saying, Lord, Lord, open unto us; and he shall answer and say unto you, I know you not whence ye are: Then shall ye begin to say, We have eaten and drunk in thy presence, and thou hast taught in our streets. But he shall say, I tell you, I know you not whence ye are; depart from me, all ye workers of iniquity. Not all people will be saved.

*The conditions for 'being saved' have been subsequently misunderstood by us. I would venture to say, that your brother and all other doubters and unbelievers will be saved eventually, through His Mercy and Compassion - This is the most disturbing part of the e-mail. Not only is this not Biblical, it's not even reasonable. First of all, the author of the e-mail is guilty of breaking the first Commandment; 'Thou shall not have any other god's before Me.' When you start making up an idea about how your god will save everyone even if people are doubters and unbelievers, you have created your very own god. Secondly, the Bible is very clear through many of the Scriptures that I have already shown, that not everyone will inherit the Kingdom of Heaven. The Scriptures say in 1 Corinthians 6:9-10, "Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God." This is very plain to me and it is very easy to understand. As a matter of fact, this is everyone who not repented of their sins and put their trust in the Lord Jesus Christ to save them from the wrath to come.

So if you stumbled upon this blog and made it this far, you might be wondering, if not everyone is saved from God's wrath for their sins, how does one get saved?

Jesus said in John 3:3, "Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Jesus said we must be 'born again.' Why? Why must we be born again?

Simple - You have broken God's Law's. You know, the Ten Commandments. If you are honest, you will say that you have lied (9th Commandment), you have stolen something sometime in your life (8th Commandment), you probably have coveted (10th Commandment), looked with lust at someone (7th Commandment), probably have taken the Lord's Name in vain (3rd Commandment). These are just Five of the Ten Commandments. If you have broken just one of them, you are guilty of breaking them all.

Because you have broken God's Law's, you will have to answer for that one day when you die. And you will die won't you? Hebrews 9:27 says, And as it is appointed for men to die once, but after this the judgment." You are going to have to stand before a Holy and Righteous Judge on judgment day; God. And it's not just you either. The Bible says in Romans 3:23 that, "For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God”

When your standing there before God on judgment day, your are going to have to pay for your sins (breaking the Law). The Bible says in Romans 6:23. "The wages of sin is death...." This 'death', is not just only an eternal separation from God, but eternity in hell where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth in the lake of fire.

But there is hope my friend. 2000 years ago, God did something truly amazing. He sent His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, born of a virgin to be a sacrifice on your behalf. The Bible says in 2 Corinthians 5:21, "For He (God) made Him (Jesus) who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. There it is! We need to be made righteous before God.

How do you do that? Repent of your sins. Acts 17:30, "Truly, these times of ignorance God overlooked, but now commands all men everywhere to repent" Repent and turn from your sins. and call on the name of Jesus. Acts 16:31, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved." Romans 10:13, "For whosoever shall call upon the name of the Lord shall be saved.”

Pray to the God who gave you your first life to give a second life. This is the only way to have everlasting life with God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me."

God's Word is true. Repent of your sins and call upon the name of the Lord and you will be saved.









Friday, January 19, 2007

I’M NOT ASHAMED TO OWN MY LORD

I’M NOT ASHAMED TO OWN MY LORD

I’m not ashamed to own my Lord,

Or to defend His cause;

Maintain the honor of His Word,

The glory of His cross.


Jesus, my God! I know His Name,

His Name is all my trust;

Nor will He put my soul to shame,

Nor let my hope be lost.


Firm as His throne His promise stands,

And He can well secure

What I’ve committed to His hands

Till the decisive hour.


Then will He own my worthless name

Before His Father’s face,

And in the new Jerusalem

Appoint my soul a place.

Isaac Watts

Thursday, January 18, 2007

Fun reading for Global Warming folks

Ok, take a deep breath and clear your warming-hyped minds and read slowly........

60 Scientists Debunk Global Warming Fears

Earlier this year, a group of prominent scientists came forward to question the so-called “consensus” that the Earth faces a “climate emergency.” On April 6, 2006, 60 scientists wrote a letter to the Canadian Prime Minister asserting that the science is deteriorating from underneath global warming alarmists.
“Observational evidence does not support today's computer climate models, so there is little reason to trust model predictions of the future…Significant [scientific] advances have been made since the [Kyoto] protocol was created, many of which are taking us away from a concern about increasing greenhouse gases. If, back in the mid-1990s, we knew what we know today about climate, Kyoto would almost certainly not exist, because we would have concluded it was not necessary,” the 60 scientists wrote. See: http://www.canada.com/nationalpost/financialpost/story.html?id=3711460e-bd5a-475d-a6be-4db87559d605
“It was only 30 years ago that many of today's global-warming alarmists were telling us that the world was in the midst of a global-cooling catastrophe. But the science continued to evolve, and still does, even though so many choose to ignore it when it does not fit with predetermined political agendas,” the 60 scientists concluded.

'Climate Change is Nothing New'

In addition, an October 16, 2006 Washington Post article titled “Climate Change is Nothing New” echoed the sentiments of the 60 scientists as it detailed a new study of the earth’s climate history. The Washington Post article by reporter Christopher Lee noted that Indiana University geologist Simon Brassell found climate change occurred during the age of dinosaurs and quoted Brassell questioning the accuracy of computer climate model predictions.
“If there are big, inherent fluctuations in the system, as paleoclimate studies are showing, it could make determining the Earth’s climatic future even harder than it is,” Brassell said. See: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/10/15/AR2006101500672.html

Global Cooling on the Horizon?

In August, Khabibullo Abdusamatov, a scientist who heads the space research sector for the Russian Academy of Sciences, predicted long-term global cooling may be on the horizon due to a projected decrease in the sun’s output. See: http://en.rian.ru/russia/20060825/53143686.html

Sun’s Contribution to Warming

There have also been recent findings in peer-reviewed literature over the last few years showing that the Antarctic is getting colder and the ice is growing and a new 2006 study in Geophysical Research Letters found that the sun was responsible for up to 50% of 20th-century warming. See: http://www.agu.org/pubs/crossref/2006/2006GL027142.shtml

“Global Warming” Stopped in 1998

Paleoclimate scientist Bob Carter has noted that there is indeed a problem with global warming – it stopped in 1998. “According to official temperature records of the Climate Research Unit at the University of East Anglia in the UK, the global average temperature did not increase between 1998-2005. “…this eight-year period of temperature stasis did coincide with society's continued power station and SUV-inspired pumping of yet more carbon dioxide into the atmosphere,” noted paleoclimate researcher and geologist Bob Carter of James Cook University in Australia in an April 2006 article titled “There is a problem with global warming... it stopped in 1998.” See: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/opinion/main.jhtml?xml=/opinion/2006/04/09/do0907.xml&sSheet=/news/2006/04/09/ixworld.html

“Global?" Warming Misnamed - Southern Hemisphere Not Warming

In addition, new NASA satellite tropospheric temperature data reveals that the Southern Hemisphere has not warmed in the past 25 years contrary to “global warming theory” and modeling. This new Southern Hemisphere data raises the specter that the use of the word “global” in “global warming” may not be accurate. A more apt moniker for the past 25 years may be “Northern Hemisphere” warming. See: http://motls.blogspot.com/2006/09/southern-hemisphere-ignores-global.html

Alaska Cooling

According to data released on July 14, 2006 from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the January through June Alaska statewide average temperature was “0.55F (0.30C) cooler than the 1971-2000 average.” See: http://www.publicaffairs.noaa.gov/releases2006/jul06/noaa06-065.html

Oceans Cooling

Another bombshell to hit the global warming alarmists and their speculative climate modeling came in a September article in the Geophysical Research Letters which found that over 20% of the heat gained in the oceans since the mid-1950s was lost in just two years. The former climatologist for the state of Colorado, Roger Pielke, Sr., noted that the sudden cooling of the oceans “certainly indicates that the multi-decadal global climate models have serious issues with their ability to accurately simulate the response of the climate system to human- and natural-climate forcings.“ See: http://climatesci.atmos.colostate.edu/2006/09/

Light Hurricane Season & Early Winter

Despite predictions that 2006 would bring numerous tropical storms, 2006’s surprisingly light hurricane season and the record early start of this year’s winter in many parts of the U.S. have further put a damper on the constant doomsaying of the global warming alarmists and their media allies.

Droughts Less Frequent

Other new studies have debunked many of the dubious claims made by the global warming alarmists. For example, the claim that droughts would be more frequent, severe and wide ranging during global warming, has now being exposed as fallacious. A new paper in Geophysical Research Letters authored by Konstantinos Andreadis and Dennis Lettenmaier finds droughts in the U.S. becoming “shorter, less frequent and cover a small portion of the country over the last century.” http://www.worldclimatereport.com/index.php/2006/10/13/where-are-the-droughts

‘Hockey Stick’ Broken in 2006

The “Hockey Stick” temperature graph’s claim that the 1990’s was the hottest decade of the last 1000 years was found to be unsupportable by the National Academy of Sciences and many independent experts in 2006. See: http://www.epw.senate.gov/pressitem.cfm?party=rep&id=257697

Study Shows Greenland’s Ice Growing

A 2005 study by a scientist named Ola Johannessen and his colleagues showed that the interior of Greenland is gaining ice mass. See: http://www.co2science.org/scripts/CO2ScienceB2C/articles/V8/N44/C1.jsp Also, according to the International Arctic Research Institute, despite all of the media hype, the Arctic was warmer in the 1930’s than today.

Polar Bears Not Going Extinct

Despite Time Magazine and the rest of the media’s unfounded hype, polar bears are not facing a crisis, according to biologist Dr. Mitchell Taylor from the Arctic government of Nunavut. “Of the 13 populations of polar bears in Canada, 11 are stable or increasing in number. They are not going extinct, or even appear to be affected at present,” Taylor wrote on May 1, 2006. See: http://www.thestar.com

Media Darling James Hansen Hypes Alarmism

As all of this new data debunking climate alarmism mounts, the mainstream media chooses to ignore it and instead focus on the dire predictions of the number-one global warming media darling, NASA’s James Hansen. The increasingly alarmist Hansen is featured frequently in the media to bolster sky-is-falling climate scare reports. His recent claim that the Earth is nearing its hottest point in one million years has been challenged by many scientists. See: http://www.co2science.org/scripts/CO2ScienceB2C/articles/V9/N39/EDITB.jsp Hansen’s increasingly frightening climate predictions follow his 2003 concession that the use of “extreme scenarios” was an appropriate tactic to drive the public’s attention to the urgency of global warming. See: http://naturalscience.com/ns/articles/01-16/ns_jeh6.html Hansen also received a $250,000 grant form Teresa Heinz’s Foundation and then subsequently endorsed her husband John Kerry for President and worked closely with Al Gore to promote his movie, “An Inconvenient Truth.” See: epw.senate.gov/speechitem.cfm?party=rep&id=263759)

For a comprehensive review of the media’s embarrassing 100-year history of alternating between promoting fears of a coming ice age and global warming, see Environment & Public Works Chairman James Inhofe’s September 25, 2006 Senate floor speech debunking the media and climate alarmism. Go to: (epw.senate.gov/speechitem.cfm?party=rep&id=263759)

Tuesday, January 16, 2007

Happy Birthday Albert

José Alberto Pujols was born on this day in 1980. How's that for feeling old?

At just 27, Pujols is, in my opinion, the best player in baseball today.

On July 13, 2006, Pujols became the first Major League player to hit 30 home runs in each of his first six seasons. On August 22, he became the first MLB player since Ted Williams to hit 100 RBIs in each of his first six seasons. He is also the youngest MLB player to hit 250 home runs.

Here is a list of other accomplishments in his short baseball career........

* Five-time All-Star (2001, 2003-06)
* Nation League batting champ of 2005
* Became the fastest player in Major League history to reach 19 home runs in a season
* Became the third-fastest, after Barry Bonds and Mark McGwire, to reach 25 home runs in a season
* Had 20 game-winning RBI in 2006, breaking Willie Mays' single-season record set in 1962
* Rookie of the year, 2001
* Three-time Silver Slugger (2001, 2003-04) while playing 3 different positions.
* NLCS MVP, 2004
* Hank Aaron award, 2003

Did I mention he was only 27?

It's a southern thing, get over it

Senator Joseph Biden has basically called on South Carolina's legislators to remove the Confederate flag off the state grounds. To me this is no different than book burnings. Just because a few people are offended by something does not give them the right to take something away from someone else.


In 2000, South Carolina legislators bowed down to pressure from the NCAAP and removed the flag from the Capital dome when the state thought that a boycott could hurt their tourism. S.C. has
since come under pressure to remove the flag completely from a Confederate monument on Capital grounds.



Biden expects legislators here will eventually move the flag. Pointing to his heart, he said, "as people become more and more aware of what it means to African-Americans here, this is only a matter of time." Biden, like Clinton, knows what it's like to be black.

Jim Hanks stood across from the Statehouse with about 35 Confederate flag supporters. "We love this flag. We love our heritage," said Hanks, of Lexington.

Some carried signs saying: "South Carolina does not want Chris Dodd," referring to the Connecticut senator who, along with Biden, attended the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People rally at the Statehouse.

I bet Biden will never point to his heart someday and 'become more and more aware' what it means to be southern.

Reminds me of a song.......'Well I hope Joe Biden will remember, a southern man don't need him around anyhow.'



Monday, January 15, 2007

To play along....

Just for fun........

Name a book that you want to share so much that you keep giving away copies: The Bible; between my wife and I, we have given away hundreds.

Name a piece of music that changed the way you listen to music: I grew up on 60's and early 70's country music; that's all my parents listened to. The first time I heard 'Stairway to Heaven' when I was 10 years old, my small music world changed forever. Zeppelin led me to all the different genres I like today.

Name a film you can watch again and again without fatigue: 12 Angry Men. Fonda, Klugman, Begley as well the rest of the cast are amazing in this movie. The transformation of the characters from the start of the jury deliberation to the final jury vote is exhilarating.

Name a performer for whom you suspend all disbelief: Ella Fitzgerald. She blows me away. Lady Ella came as close as anyone, in my opinion anyway, to having the perfect voice.

Name a work of art you'd like to live with: One of my favorite paintings is Emanuel Gottlieb Leutze's, 'Washington Crossing the Delaware'. But where would I put it?

Name a work of fiction which has penetrated your real life: Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis. Really three smaller works in one book, a profound reading for the Christian and non-Christian.

Name a punch line that always makes you laugh: Because the whole routine is basically one liners that deliver a punch line with each exchange, mine is the classic 'Who's on first' by Abbott and Costello. Every time I hear this I laugh with tears.

Thursday, January 11, 2007

Who has been there for you?

I came across this and decided to post it. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.

1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America Contest.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winners for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.

How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday.

These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies.
Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners .

Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:

1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.

Easier?

The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care .

Wednesday, January 10, 2007

Happy Birthday Stretch



Inducted into the Hall of Fame in 1986, Willie McCovey played hurt most of his professional career. That didn't stop him from leading the National League in homers three times and in RBI's twice. In addition, McCovey was National League Rookie of the Year in 1959 and was an 6-time All Star as well as the National League Most Valuable Player 1969.

In his major league debut on July 30, 1959, Willie McCovey went 4-for-4 including two triples off future Hall of Fame pitcher Robin Roberts.

Sparky Anderson once said of McCovey, "If you pitch to him he'll ruin baseball. He'd hit 80 home runs. There's no comparison between McCovey and anybody else in the league."

Baseball needs more McCovey's.

Stupid Red Man of the Week Award: Chester Carl

I was inspired to create a Stupid Red Man of the Week Award from a fellow blogger who goes by the name of The Local Crank. On his blog he has a Stupid White Man of the Week Award that, he says, can go to anyone regardless of race. In all fairness, my SRMOTWA could be given to anyone as well but, like the Crank's, probably won’t always.

So to make sure there is equal time for stupid awards.......




The first recipient to get this honor will be Chester Carl. Carl was the leader of the Navajo Housing Authority. Carl seemed to misplace tens of millions of dollars that was supposed to finance homes for Navajo families.

Carl had spent more than 14 years standing up to the federal government and demanding the white mans help to overcome terrible self-inflicted living conditions on reservations nationwide. The HUD money came through (more than $80 million) and subsequently went missing.

Carl was such a loser, he even placed number one on the biggest losers of the year by one his own. Of course he can always blame his problems on someone else; specifically whitey.