“For 70 years now the military and economic partnership between the United States and Western Europe has produced unparalleled peace and prosperity. Now a growing rift threatens that alliance, and many question whether it can or should survive. Where will this divide lead?
When German Chancellor Angela Merkel visited Donald Trump shortly after he took office, the new U.S. president, according to officials, immediately stirred the pot, brashly declaring, “Angela, you owe me a trillion dollars.”
That was his estimate of what Germany agreed to contribute to its own defense under a North Atlantic Treaty Organization arrangement versus what it actually spent over the past 14 years.
Since then, Mrs. Merkel has issued her own barbs that Europe can no longer count on the United States and must take matters into its own hands.
The divide between these two leaders has often been painfully visible, as Mr. Trump has made the German chancellor one of his favorite rhetorical targets, often assailing Germany’s anemic defense, trade and migrant policies.
At the NATO summit in July the president raised the level of contention, shellacking Germany for being “totally controlled by Russia” because of its dependence on the Kremlin’s monopoly on energy.
Labeling the EU “a foe” on trade
“Since the Soviet collapse,” according to The Economist, “the sense of threat has receded and the barriers to working together have risen.” Because of this, “the Western alliance is in trouble. That should worry Europe, America and the world.”
Foreign Policy went even further, announcing, “RIP [Rest in Peace] the Trans-Atlantic Alliance, 1945-2018.”
Differing priorities, divergent beliefs and clashing political cultures have fueled a dangerous escalation in the war of words. President Trump lashed out at the European Union for allegedly ripping off the U.S. on trade and freeloading on security. He even stated that the EU is “a foe” on trade, “set up to take advantage of the United States, to attack our piggy bank.”
European Commission President Jean-Claude Juncker—whom Mr. Trump has also sharply disparaged—voiced Europe’s need “to replace the United States, which as an international actor has lost vigor, and because of it, in the long term, influence.”
Donald Tusk, president of the European Council, echoed that blast, chastising the American president by saying:
“With friends like that [President Trump], who needs enemies?”
“He is on a mission against what we stand for.”
“Dear America, appreciate your allies. After all, you don’t have that many.”
Economic giants across the Atlantic
Because nearly one-third of the global trade in goods occurs between the EU and the United States, a transatlantic rift morphing into a trade war would have enormous impact. U.S.-EU trade totaled nearly $1.1 trillion in 2016, with the U.S. running a trade deficit with the EU of $92 billion that year.
The EU’s 500 million consumers make it America’s largest export market. It buys nearly $270 billion in goods from the U.S.—more than twice the total U.S. exports to China—and over $230 billion in services. With over 70 percent of all foreign direct investment into the U.S. coming from the EU (a figure that has doubled in the last 15 years), Europe is also the largest investor in the American economy. (Though the numbers for the EU will change with Brexit, the percentages for all of Europe remain the same.)
[Steve Myers] “If you’re like me you love a discount. I love a deal. You never know what might be waiting on the often overlooked shelves and corners of a thrift store. It’s always interesting, sometimes entertaining and occasionally an educational experience.
A while ago I stopped by a local thrift shop and began my search. I was looking through all kinds of oddities hoping I might find something valuable.
Then it caught my eye. It wasn’t a useless trinket, a broken gadget or an old knickknack. It wasn’t just any old junk item. There it was on a shelf amid the clutter of discarded decorations and cast-off curios. It seemed to me to be a priceless possession, but it was marked with a blue sticker that read only one dollar!
It was a charming plaque inscribed with the Ten Commandments, the law of God, certainly worth more. After all they are God’s guidelines to a successful life, yet marked for only a buck.
This brought a question to my mind, “How much is God’s law worth to me?” What price do you place on God’s law?
The decoration reminded me that the most widespread controversy about the teachings of Jesus concerns God’s law. Do you think that Jesus’ instructions in the New Testament discounted or replaced the teachings of the Old Testament?
Most churches and denominations believe Jesus brought new doctrine that was very different from the instructions of the Old Testament. Many believe that Christ did away with the teachings of the Old Testament, in a sense casting them off to the thrift shop.
So, what exactly does Jesus have to say about the law? Has he relegated it to a quaint plaque? You need to know the surprising answer, “Which Commandments Do Christians Have to Obey?””
Zack, my neighbor, and I managed to clean off and move the yard sale tables back into the 10 x 20’ storage tent. The company settled about sending the wrong size top for it, and I will just have to make do with it. But this time we didn’t put the end flaps down, so the breeze is blowing through there all the time. It is so much easier to just walk in it than having to put down whatever, and unzip the front panel to get in. The carport looks so much better, as we took down all the plastic sheeting walls, too. We used some of the plastic to cover the items on the tables in there so they wouldn’t get dusty.
We also cemented the Formica back splashes in the mini-house kitchen. I am getting so tired of working on that place, now I need to put in a whole new breakerbox, as the old one is really outdated, but better safe than sorry. I have had one house burn down, and I sure don’t want to go through that again.
Most of the last two weeks have been taken up with learning more about nutrition in ten 2-hour webinars each week. Now that two hours cuts out quite a bit of the day, so I became really behind with my online jobs, or even getting stuff listed for sale. Taking Lauri places until she can go for her TX driving test on the 30th. takes up time too.
On the 11th, as I had planned to go to two Willis churches, I made zucchini and yellow squash for the first church’s potluck, and egg salad for the afternoon church. At the morning church, the Bible readings were Num. 33:1-36:13, Jer. 2:4-28, 3:4, and James 4:1-12. The Teaching was about “Our Father”. I gobbled down a few veggies at the potluck, and then went on to the afternoon church. The Teaching there was “Do You Not Know?” We have such easier access to the Bible, but are we more spiritual? You know about God, but do you know God?
On the 18th, to the morning church, I took long strips of roasted yellow squash done in the air fryer with only 1/2 teaspoon of avocado oil and some seasonings. I made more egg salad, but this time there wasn’t any minced onion or red bell pepper in it as some folks don’t like them.
The Bible readings were Deut. 1:1-3:22, Isa. 1:1-27. and Acts 9:1-21 and 1 Tim 3:1-7, and the Teaching was “Common or Unclean” about when Peter said he had not eaten anything common or unclean. Then it tells that the Jews were eating with the Gentiles, which was unheard of, and God made all men clean, no matter who they are. In other words, do not a racist be! I didn’t make it to the afternoon church.
Thank you all! On the 17th, my FaceBook page came alive with greetings for yet another birthday.
"Our Father Who Art In Heaven. Yes? Don't interrupt me. I'm praying. But -- you called ME! Called you? No, I didn't call you.. I'm praying. Our Father who art in Heaven. There -- you did it again! Did what? Called ME. You said, "Our Father who art in Heaven" Well, here I am.. What's on your mind? But I didn't mean anything by it. I was, you know, just saying my prayers for the day. I always say the Lord's Prayer. It makes me feel good. Kind of like fulfilling a duty. Well, all right. Go on. Okay, Hallowed be thy name . Hold it right there. What do you mean by that? By what? By "Hallowed be thy name"? It means, it means .. . Good grief, I don't know what it means. How in the world should I know? It's just a part of the prayer. By the way, what does it mean? It means honored, holy, wonderful. Hey, that makes sense.. I never thought about what 'hallowed' meant before. Thanks. Thy Kingdom come, Thy will be done, On earth as it is in Heaven. Do you really mean that? Sure, why not? What are you doing about it? Doing? Why, nothing, I guess. I just think it would be kind of neat if You got control, of everything down here like you have up there. We're kinda in a mess down here you know. Yes, I know; But, have I got control of you? Well, I go to church.. That isn't what I asked you. What about your bad temper? You've really got a problem there, you know. And then there's the way you spend your money -- all on yourself. And what about the kind of books you read ? Now hold on just a minute! Stop picking on me! I'm just as good as some of the rest of those people at church!
Excuse ME.. I thought you were praying for My will to be done.. If that is to happen, It will have to start with the ones who are praying for it. Like you -- for example .... Oh, all right. I guess I do have some hang-ups. Now that you mention it, I could probably name some others. So could I. I haven't thought about it very much until now, but I really would like to cut out some of those things. I would like to, you know, be really free. Good. Now we're getting somewhere. We'll work together -- You and ME. I'm proud of You. Look, Lord, if you don't mind, I need to finish up here. This is taking a lot longer than it usually does. Give us this day, our daily bread. You need to cut out the bread.. You're overweight as it is. Hey, wait a minute! What is this? Here I was doing my religious duty, And all of a sudden you break in and remind me of all my hang-ups. Praying is a dangerous thing. You just might get what you ask for. Remember, you called ME -- and here I am. It's too late to stop now. Keep praying. (pause ….) Well, go on. I'm scared to. Scared? Of what? I know what you'll say. Try ME. Forgive us our sins, As we forgive those who sin against us. What about Karen? See? I knew it! I knew You would bring her up! Why, Lord, she's told lies about me, spread stories. She never paid back the money she owes me.. I've sworn to get even with her! But -- your prayer -- What about your prayer? I didn't -- mean it.. Well, at least you're honest. But, it's quite a load carrying around isn't it?
Yes!
You know how unhappy you are -- Well, I can change that. You can? How? Forgive Karen. Then, I'll forgive you; and the hate and the sin, will be Karen's problem -- not yours. You will have settled the problem as far as you are concerned. Oh, you know, you're right. You always are. And more than I want revenge, I want to be right with You . . (sigh). All right, all right . . I forgive her. There now! Wonderful! How do you feel? Hmmmm. Well, not bad. Not bad at all! In fact, I feel pretty great! You know, I don't think I'll go to bed uptight tonight. I haven't been getting much rest, you know. Yeah, I know. But, you're not through with your prayer, are you? Go on. Oh, all right. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Good! Good! I'll do that. Just don't put yourself in a place where you can be tempted. What do you mean by that? You know what I mean. Yeah. I know.. Okay. Go ahead. Finish your prayer. For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory forever. Amen. Do you know what would bring me glory? What would really make me happy? No, but I'd like to know. I want to please you now... I've really made a mess of things. I want to truly behave like Christ, I can see now how great that would be. So, tell me .. . . How do I make you happy? YOU just did".
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"What is the Lord's prayer and should we pray it?"
"Many people misunderstand the Lord’s Prayer to be a prayer we are supposed to recite word for word. Some people treat the Lord’s Prayer as a magic formula, as if the words themselves have some specific power or influence with God.
The Bible teaches the opposite. God is far more interested in our hearts when we pray than He is in our words. “But when you pray, go into your room, close the door and pray to your Father, who is unseen. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you. And when you pray, do not use vain repetitions as the heathen do. For they think that they will be heard for their many words.” (Matthew 6:6-7). In prayer, we are to pour out our hearts to God (Philippians 4:6-7), not simply recite memorized words to God." Read more: http://www.gotquestions.org/Lords-prayer.html#ixzz2mB6Xrlre
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Should We Repeat The “Lord’s Prayer”
"Another important key to understanding this prayer is explained clearly in Matt. 6:9. Notice: “After this manner therefore pray you.” He did not say to repeat His words verbatim. He said this is the manner, or outline for your prayers. Pray about these things! He said, “Pray thus,” not “Pray this."
Jesus Christ forbids us to parrot these words. Jesus Christ made it clear that our prayers are not to be “vain repetition as the heathen do” (Matt. 6:7). Christ wants us to pray from the heart. To pray with intensity, feeling, purpose, and sincerity, and not just to repeat words.” More at: http://www.cognwm.org/articles/screenarticle.php?article_id=431
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"WHEN THE POWER OF LOVE, OVER POWERS THE LOVE OF POWER, THERE WILL BE PEACE!"
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Senseless Violence Rises With 'Knockout' Game
"The games of youth are the training ground for adult behavior. What do violent "Knockout" games mean for the future?
The trend of violent "Knockout" games has made the news again. While youth violence is usually associated with theft or gang related revenge, a relatively new trend has emerged in which an individual, filmed by others and posted online later, attempts to knock unconscious a complete stranger with one blow. Leaving the victim potentially dead, or fatally wounded.
Experts explain that what is so frightening about this trend, and what is says about our culture in general, is that it stems not from excess of emotion, but by lack of feeling emotion at all. Violence as sport with anonymous victims. Life is no longer sacred, but only marginally important. (Dr. Keith Albow, " 'Knockout' Game Part of Epidemic of Senseless Violence," FoxNews.com, November 21, 2013).
History is full of bad news about societies that indulge in senseless violence for entertainment. They usually end up explored by archeologists thousands of years later and discussed in hushed tones, eventually becoming the subject of epic movies about gladiators. The civilization suffers, and the people suffer, horribly.
But let's take a different perspective, how do you separate yourself from such a society, even while living in it? Let's explore two key points:
- Respect human life.
"You shall not murder." God lays down the law, literally the sixth commandment of the ten big ones in Exodus 20:13 - Guard your thoughts, don't dwell on excess violence in entertainment or video games.
"A good man out of the good treasure of his heart brings forth good; and an evil man out of the evil treasure of his heart brings forth evil. For out of the abundance of the heart his mouth speaks," (Luke 6:45 ).
"Judging others based upon what they look like is a common human nature trait. It's also an erroneous one. What does God base His judgments upon?
My family and I were gathered around my mother's bedside when a young man who worked for the convalescent center entered the room. My wife tells the story far better than I could; here's what she wrote:
"As soon as he stepped into the room I formed an opinion of him. The young man had long hair pulled back in a ponytail. A large metal ring protruded from one ear. His body, though covered with a white lab coat, seemed to me thin and weakly.
I imagine you've formed an opinion of him just from this description.
Without looking in my direction he approached my mother-in-law's bedside.
"How are you today, Thelma?" he asked in a pleasant, cheerful voice that somehow didn't go with the perception I had formed of him.
Of course Thelma wasn't at all well. She had come to the convalescent center with the knowledge that her days were numbered. Her kidneys had failed and she was slowly dying. It was small wonder, then, that she had complaints. As I watched the young man listening patiently to her list of woes and trying as best he could to alleviate them my perception of him changed.
Here was a young man who genuinely cared about people. He did not have a prestigious job. In fact, he probably got paid little for his labor. Yet he was putting his whole heart into what he did, trying his best to ease the discomfort of those whose lives were drawing to an end."
I had much the same first impression of this young man. My wife and I didn't realize that when we judged this young worker because of his appearance we were failing to follow God's instruction found in John:7:24 Judge not according to the appearance, but judge righteous judgment. "Judge not according to appearance, but judge righteous judgment."
We made a mistake. Yet it's a mistake we've all been guilty of at one time or another. Judging others based on what they look like is a human trait that's hard to rid ourselves of. Of course, part of the reason we make hasty judgments is because sometimes they work; sometimes a person does reflect their character in how they look. In this particular case, however, we were able to see our mistake and changed our opinion of the young worker.
How often, though, do we make lasting mistakes because of outward appearance? Such mistakes can harm relationships, and if we voice or act on our judgment, it can negatively effect how others view the person we've judged.
The Bible tells us repeatedly that God is not a respecter of persons. He shows no partiality. Yet it's so easy for us, as physical human beings, to look on the outward appearance and decide what a person is like inside. Showing partiality to some while disdaining others. That's pretty serious.
If we are to reflect God's character doesn't it follow that we too should show no partiality?
God looks on the heart and our willingness to serve others (1 Samuel:16:7 But the LORD said unto Samuel, Look not on his countenance, or on the height of his stature; because I have refused him: for the LORD seeth not as man seeth; for man looketh on the outward appearance, but the LORD looketh on the heart.).
If you read Galatians:3:28 There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus.
We know that in the world things don't usually work that way. Studies show that teachers, even female teachers, show partiality to the boys in their classes, calling on them more often than they do the girls. An attractive young woman gets faster and better service at the store than does an older person. We've come to expect that sort of treatment in the world today." More at: http://www.ucg.org/character/hasty-judgments/ Article by Joanne Rutis, John Ruti
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The program on WGN TV this morning:
The Strange Tale of Simon the Magician
"This obscure individual may have had a profound impact on what you think is true, biblical Christianity."
"Elfego Baca, legendary defender of southwestern Hispanos, manages to hold off a gang of 80 cowboys who are determined to kill him.
The trouble began the previous day, when Baca arrested Charles McCarthy, a cowboy who fired five shots at him in a Frisco (now Reserve), New Mexico, saloon. For months, a vicious band of Texan cowboys had terrorized the Hispanos of Frisco, brutally castrating one young Mexican man and using another for target practice. Outraged by these abuses, Baca gained a commission as deputy sheriff to try to end the terror. His arrest of McCarthy served notice to other Anglo cowboys that further abuses of the Hispanos would not be tolerated.
The Texans, however, were not easily intimidated. The morning after McCarthy's arrest, a group of about 80 cowboys rode into town to free McCarthy and make an example of Baca for all Mexicans. Baca gathered the women and children of the town in a church for their safety and prepared to make a stand. When he saw how outnumbered he was, Baca retreated to an adobe house, where he killed one attacker and wounded several others. The irate cowboys peppered Baca's tiny hideout with bullets, firing about 400 rounds into the flimsy structure. As night fell, they assumed they had killed the defiant deputy sheriff, but the next morning they awoke to the smell of beef stew and tortillas--Baca was fixing his breakfast.
A short while later, two lawmen and several of Baca's friends came to his aid, and the cowboys retreated. Baca turned himself over to the officers, and he was charged with the murder of one of the cowboys. In his trial in Albuquerque, the jury found Baca not guilty because he had acted in self-defense, and he was released to a hero's welcome among the Hispanos of New Mexico. Baca was adored because he had taken a stand against the abusive and racist Anglo newcomers. Hugely popular, Baca later enjoyed a successful career as a lawyer, private detective, and politician in Albuquerque."
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Rosa Parks ignites bus boycott, Dec 1, 1955:
"In Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks is jailed for refusing to give up her seat on a public bus to a white man, a violation of the city's racial segregation laws. The successful Montgomery Bus Boycott, organized by a young Baptist minister named Martin Luther King, Jr., followed Park's historic act of civil disobedience.
The boycott stretched on for more than a year, and participants carpooled or walked miles to work and school when no other means were possible. As African Americans previously constituted 70 percent of the Montgomery bus ridership, the municipal transit system suffered gravely during the boycott.
On November 13, 1956, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down Alabama state and Montgomery city bus segregation laws as being in violation of the equal protection clause of the 14th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. On December 20, King issued the following statement: "The year old protest against city buses is officially called off, and the Negro citizens of Montgomery are urged to return to the buses tomorrow morning on a non-segregated basis. The boycott ended the next day. Rosa Parks was among the first to ride the newly desegregated buses.
Martin Luther King, Jr., and his nonviolent civil rights movement had won its first great victory. There would be many more to come.
Rosa Parks died on October 24, 2005. Three days later the U.S. Senate passed a resolution to honor Parks by allowing her body to lie in honor in the U.S. Capitol Rotunda."
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Yesterday:
Wendy and I had our usual Saturday phone call and she told me about the plans they have for the lot that they just bought next to their property. Their son Tony, my grandson, is trying to decide which college to attend, or whether to go in the service. His main interest is computers, just like my son, Peter, who lives in England. After my son retired from a career in the service, he made computer websites into a business, mostly dealing with rare and antique books.
After I had tended to my critters, I got ready for church. There was no sense in calling to see if Jay was going with me, as if he wanted to go, he would have called me.
At church, our regular guitarist, Jeff, didn't bring his keyboard this time, his burned fingers were healed enough for him to graduate to a steel guitar. He said that was easier for him to play it rather than his acoustic guitar, right now. Mary, the lady who started coming to our little church about a month ago, accompanied him on her acoustic guitar. Several families were absent for different reasons, so our Songs of Praise sounded a little thin, but two guitars, and enthusiasm of those there, made up for that.
The Bible readings were Genesis chapters 23-25:18, and I Kings 1:40. The message was about 'Rest That Satisfies', about God's perpetual covenant about our physical and spiritual rest, on the Sabbath, Exodus 31: 15-17.
The pot luck was great, as usual, mostly organic food. We spent a lot of time just chatting to each other and having great fellowship. It's such a small congregation that it is like being with a family. Something that I didn't have as a child. My mother took off with the neighbor's brother at the start of the war when I was 4 years old. I was put in my father's custody, but he was off serving in the war, so I lived in different places until I was 15, and then went out to work to support myself. So I didn't really know my parents, or have any family life.
Mary brought a lot of eggs from her free-range chickens, which were divided amongst the ladies.
As there wasn't a chilling north wind, it felt like a much warmer day.
“The George Zimmerman / Trayvon Martin trial causes us to ask who knows what was in their heart? The Bible tells us that justice will ultimately be served.”
“Is using a torture device that was designed to kill criminals with the maximum amount of pain really an appropriate symbol of our religion?
If Jesus had been killed with another instrument of death, would that be the symbol of Christianity? Have we considered the morbidity of using a device of capital punishment as the symbol of our religion?”
“Why is the cross revered as a Christian emblem? Many answer, “It’s a symbol of Christ’s suffering and death.” What does the Bible say about religious symbols?
Why is there so much reverence paid to the cross in traditional Christianity? Did the cross become a religious symbol in New Testament times? Was the cross ever used as a religious emblem before Christianity? Answers to these questions might be a surprise to many in the Christian world.
The revered cross
When I was younger, I remember a group of us children were given the “opportunity” to make a special visit to a local church and see a relic proclaimed to be a splinter of the very cross on which Christ was crucified. Apparently it was doing a tour of the churches at that time.
It was in liquid and within a small glass bubble. We were asked to kneel before it at the altar and kiss this bubble as it passed in front of us. We had to hold this tiny speck in the highest regard because it was supposedly a small part of the cross on which Jesus died.
The symbol of the cross is displayed in churches (both Protestant and Catholic) around the world and in the homes of millions of people. It is worn as jewelry around the necks of millions of believers.
But does this reverence to the cross have a basis in the Bible?
Revered graven images
The Bible is very specific about God’s view on physical images being used in worship. Notice what God commanded Israel before they entered the Promised Land: “And you shall destroy their altars, break their sacred pillars, and burn their wooden images with fire; you shall cut down the carved images of their gods and destroy their names from that place. You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things” (Deuteronomy 12:3-4,).
This was based on the second of the 10 Commandments: “You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me” (Exodus 20:4-5).
With the above scriptures in mind, why would we think that God would change His mind and allow the use of images in worshipping Him now? Jesus Christ Himself said that “one jot or one tittle will by no means pass from the law till all is fulfilled” (Matthew 5:18). The book of Hebrews states that God is “the same yesterday, today, and forever” (Hebrews 13:8). To learn more about how God’s law has not been abolished, read the article “The Law of God.”
The origins of the cross
There is an old question that people sometimes ask: “Which came first, the chicken or the egg?” In a similar manner, let’s ask, “Which came first, the cross as a religious symbol or Christianity?”
History actually shows that the cross was in existence as a symbol long before the first century when Jesus Christ walked this earth. Notice this quote: “Centuries before the Christian era ancient crosses were in use as pagan emblems. They have been found carved in stone dating back to remote ages” (George Benson, The Cross: Its History and Symbolism, 2003, p. 16).
The cross was not used in Christianity until the reign of Emperor Constantine, three centuries after the New Testament was written. Notice this quote from the Encyclopaedia Britannica: “Under Constantine the cross became the acknowledged symbol of Christianity” (11th edition, vol. 7, p. 506).
We should also consider that Jesus Christ was killed using a very gruesome and painful method of execution: crucifixion. It was variously done on upright stakes, trees and crosses (of different shapes). We do not have historical proof that the method of crucifixion Christ suffered even used a traditional cross.
The Greek word in the Bible that is translated into the English word “cross” is stauros. This word simply means an upright stake or pole. Though it is possible this could have been a cross, if we take the word at face value, Jesus could have been crucified on an upright stake with His hands nailed to the pole above His head.
Is using a torture device that was designed to kill criminals with the maximum amount of pain really an appropriate symbol of our religion? If Jesus had been killed with another instrument of death, would that be the symbol of Christianity? Have we considered the morbidity of using a device of capital punishment as the symbol of our religion?
What should symbolize our Christianity?
Instead of using any image to symbolize your Christianity, consider that the greatest symbol of a true Christian, according to the Bible, is our conduct! The way we live our lives, how we treat others and how well we reflect the law of God in our lives on a daily basis should be the symbol of our beliefs. Jesus Christ taught His followers to “let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven” (Matthew 5:16).
“If God is good, how can we explain evil? From the Holocaust to the senseless slaughter of school children, evil permeates our world. Is God responsible?
The god of this world
As is the case in so many situations like this, men have assumed that the Bible says something it really doesn’t. For instance, how many realize that, according to the Bible, “Satan is the god of this world?” So states the apostle Paul in 2 Corinthians 4:4.
The kingdoms of this world reflect Satan
Consider also the temptation of Christ by Satan as he confronted Him in the wilderness (Matthew 4). In his final attempt to conquer Christ, Satan took Him to the top of a high mountain and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. Then he said to Him, “All these things will I give You if You will but bow down and worship me.”
Of course, Christ did not succumb to that temptation, but the point is this: All the kingdoms of the world were Satan’s to give!He’s the god of this world, the author of confusion, the father of liars, a thief and a murderer, and so this world reflects the nature of its god or ruler, Satan the devil. He is “the prince of the power of the air, the spirit who now works in the sons of disobedience” (Ephesians 2:2).
It was Satan who stirred up the religious leaders of Christ’s day to say and do whatever was necessary to have Him crucified. As was prophesied in Genesis 3:15, “He [speaking of Christ] shall bruise your [Satan the serpent’s] head, and you [Satan] shall bruise His heel.”
“God has a special place in His heart for those who are in great need.
He observes us to see how we react to one who we can clearly see is in need. Can we be the good Samaritan? Do we take the time to help the truly needy? James wrote that pure and undefiled religion before God is to reach out and help the needy when we see the need and when we are in the position to help (James 1:27 Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world. See All...). Along with that comment, we also read that we are to keep ourselves unspotted from the world.
God is interested in knowing whether or not we love people. He loves people, and He wants us to be like Him. He does not expect us to go about seeking those who may need help so that we can fulfill this scripture. God does expect us to act when we clearly see a need and if we are in a position to fill that need. Widows and orphans are a good place to start. Children need a father. Maybe you can help by being a role model of manhood if you are a man or a kind and understanding heart if you are a woman. Walking by and ignoring a need is what we cannot do.”
GROANER'S CORNER. “Adam was walking around the Garden of Eden feeling very lonely, so God asked Adam, "What is wrong with you?"
Adam said, "Lord, I don't have anyone to talk to."
God said, "Then I will give you a companion, and she will be called a 'woman'. This person will cook for you and wash your clothes, she will always agree with every decision you make. She will bear your children and never ask you to get up in the middle of the night to take care of them. She will not nag you, and will always be the first to admit she was wrong when you've had a disagreement. She will never have a headache, and will freely give 'love' and compassion whenever needed. She will never question your behaviour or the company you keep. She will support you and understand that you have important decisions to make throughout your life and don't have time for nonsense..."
Adam asked God, "What will this woman cost?"
God said, "An arm and a leg..."
Adam said, "What can I get for just a rib?"”
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On This Day:
Tsunami hits Alexandria, Egypt, Jul 21, 365:
“On this day in the year 365, a powerful earthquake off the coast of Greece causes a tsunami that devastates the city of Alexandria, Egypt. Although there were no measuring tools at the time, scientists now estimate that the quake was actually two tremors in succession, the largest of which is thought to have had a magnitude of 8.0.
The quake was centered near the plate boundary called the Hellenic Arc and quickly sent a wall of water across the Mediterranean Sea toward the Egyptian coast. Ships in the harbor at Alexandria were overturned as the water near the coast receded suddenly. Reports indicate that many people rushed out to loot the hapless ships. The tsunami wave then rushed in and carried the ships over the sea walls, landing many on top of buildings. In Alexandria, approximately 5,000 people lost their lives and 50,000 homes were destroyed.
The surrounding villages and towns suffered even greater destruction. Many were virtually wiped off the map. Outside the city, 45,000 people were killed. In addition, the inundation of saltwater rendered farmland useless for years to come. Evidence indicates that the area's shoreline was permanently changed by the disaster. Slowly, but steadily, the buildings of Alexandria's Royal Quarter were overtaken by the sea following the tsunami. It was not until 1995 that archaeologists discovered the ruins of the old city off the coast of present-day Alexandria.
Today, the anniversary of the tsunami is celebrated annually with the residents saying prayers and marking the evening by illuminating the city.”
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Aswan High Dam completed, Jul 21, 1970:
“After 11 years of construction, the Aswan High Dam across the Nile River in Egypt is completed on July 21, 1970. More than two miles long at its crest, the massive $1 billion dam ended the cycle of flood and drought in the Nile River region, and exploited a tremendous source of renewable energy, but had a controversial environmental impact.
A dam was completed at Aswan, 500 miles south of Cairo, in 1902. The first Aswan dam provided valuable irrigation during droughts but could not hold back the annual flood of the mighty Nile River. In the 1950s, Egyptian leader Gamal Abdel Nasser envisioned building a new dam across the Nile, one large enough to end flooding and bring electric power to every corner of Egypt. He won United States and British financial backing, but in July 1956 both nations canceled the offer after learning of a secret Egyptian arms agreement with the USSR. In response, Nasser nationalized the British and French-owned Suez Canal, intending to use tolls to pay for his High Dam project. This act precipitated the Suez Canal Crisis, in which Israel, Britain, and France attacked Egypt in a joint military operation. The Suez Canal was occupied, but Soviet, U.S., and U.N. forced Israel, Britain, and France to withdraw, and the Suez Canal was left in Egyptian hands in 1957.
Soviet loans and proceeds from Suez Canal tolls allowed Nasser to begin work on the Aswan High Dam in 1960. Some 57 million cubic yards of earth and rock were used to build the dam, which has a mass 16 times that of the Great Pyramid at Giza. On July 21, 1970, the ambitious project was completed. President Nasser died of a heart attack in September 1970, before the dam was formally dedicated in 1971.
The giant reservoir created by the dam--300 miles long and 10 miles wide--was named Lake Nasser in his honor. The formation of Lake Nasser required the resettlement of 90,000 Egyptian peasants and Sudanese Nubian nomads, as well as the costly relocation of the ancient Egyptian temple complex of Abu Simbel, built in the 13th century B.C.
The Aswan High Dam brought the Nile's devastating floods to an end, reclaimed more than 100,000 acres of desert land for cultivation, and made additional crops possible on some 800,000 other acres. The dam's 12 giant Soviet-built turbines produce as much as 10 billion kilowatt-hours annually, providing a tremendous boost to the Egyptian economy and introducing 20th-century life into many villages. The water stored in Lake Nasser, several trillion cubic feet, is shared by Egypt and the Sudan and was crucial during the African drought years of 1984 to 1988.
Despite its successes, the Aswan High Dam has produced several negative side effects. Most costly is the gradual decrease in the fertility of agricultural lands in the Nile delta, which used to benefit from the millions of tons of silt deposited annually by the Nile floods. Another detriment to humans has been the spread of the disease schistosomiasis by snails that live in the irrigation system created by the dam. The reduction of waterborne nutrients flowing into the Mediterranean is suspected to be the cause of a decline in anchovy populations in the eastern Mediterranean. The end of flooding has sharply reduced the number of fish in the Nile, many of which were migratory. Lake Nasser, however, has been stocked with fish, and many species, including perch, thrive there.”
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Yesterday:
Wendy and I had our usual Saturday mother-daughter phone call, and then I fed my animals and got dressed. Mindi and her husband were taking a trip out of town, so they brought five of their dogs for me to keep over the weekend. It has been a long time since I took care of them, and her three remaining poodles have really aged. She used to have eight, which I boarded for three days each week while she worked as a flight attendant! Two of the poodles are a bit younger than my old Misty, and one is the same age, but they don’t look as good as she does. The Yorkie and Dachshund are younger dogs and they look good.
After I had the dogs settled, I got ready in my goin’-to-church-clothes. Chris, the foster mom who lives near me, picked Nala up for her afternoon at Adoption Day at Petco. Misty and I went to get Jay, as he was going too. He had the times mixed up, and wasn’t ready, so we missed the first couple of songs of praise.
The sermon was given by our pastor titled “Quo Vadis Domine” = “Where are you going Lord” It was about when Peter was leaving Rome, because Nero was persecuting the Christians, when Peter came upon Jesus on the Appian Way, and how Jesus sent him back to Rome.
(Chiesa del Domine Quo Vadis?
“This pint-sized church marks the spot where St Peter, fleeing Rome, met a vision of Jesus going the other way. When Peter asked: ‘Domine, quo vadis?’ (‘Lord, where are you going?’), Jesus replied, ‘Venio Roman iterum crucifigi’ (‘I am coming to Rome to be crucified again’). Reluctantly deciding to join him, Peter tramped back into town where he was arrested and executed. In the aisle are copies of Christ’s footprints; the originals are in the Basilica di San Sebastiano.” Read more: http://www.lonelyplanet.com/italy/rome/sights/church/chiesa-domine-quo#ixzz2ZPESP6eR )
He also explained that there is a difference between ‘good’ or ‘goodness’, and ‘nice’ and ‘niceness’. According to some dictionaries, “Good” means virtuous and also knowledgeable, which is mentioned many times in the Bible. Whereas “Nice” original meaning was simple, foolish, ignorant, and never used in the Bible. (From the Latin word "necius" meaning ignorant.) Jay really likes it when our pastor talks, and he said he really enjoyed it. We didn’t stay for the pot-luck, as I hadn’t had time to take anything, and I had to get home to let Mindi’s dogs out.
The sky was very dark, and it looked like we were in for some storms, but we didn’t get much rain, it just drizzled, yesterday.
But, first this: Urgent: Poachers are massacring elephants.
“We're trying to get 85,000 letters to Congress by TODAY, July 18.
Last year was the most brutal year for African elephants since 1989.
More than ever, elephants and other wildlife need our protection from poachers.
With the price of ivory skyrocketing, poachers have gone further than ever before in their lethal quest for profit – leaving a trail of carcasses behind them. The only way we'll stop 2012 from being even deadlier for elephants is by taking action now.
We need the full support of our government behind us to stop illegal and cruel poaching, so we're trying to get 85,000 letters to Congress by July 18. It will start with just one letter: YOURS.”
“Named for its glittering blue-green throat and upper chest, the endangered Honduran Emerald is this country’s only endemic bird, and one of few birds endemic to any country in Central America.
Unfortunately, 90% of the emerald’s original habitat has been lost to agriculture and degraded by cattle grazing, and what remains occurs only in isolated patches of a few acres each. This has caused precipitous declines in the bird’s population.
In 2005, ABC supported the creation of the Honduran Emerald Reserve in the Aguan Valley – the first and so far only protected area for the species. However, a recent road improvement project will allow greater exploitation and more rapid loss of remaining habitat that is on private lands. As mitigation for the new road, an agreement has been made to increase the protected area by almost 2,000 acres.
The recent rediscovery of the species in the Santa Barbara Department marks the first time birds have been seen in western Honduras since 1935. This led to the species being downlisted from Critically Endangered to Endangered. However, new conservation initiatives are now needed to protect the new known sites of the Honduran Emerald, and maintain existing protection efforts.”
The Honduran Emerald Hummingbird in Amazing Slow Motion
“Spectacular footage of the Honduran Emerald, an endangered hummingbird threatened by habitat loss and degradation.” Video by Greg Homel
Photo by Greg Homel, Natural Elements Productions; Range Map, ABC
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BIRDS ROCK! (heavy metal mix)
The film was supplied by the British Broadcasting Corporation, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, and Greg Homel of Natural Elements Productions. Thanks also to the Jeniam Foundation for supporting Conservation Birding!
“The birds in the video are Andean Condor, Sandhill Crane, Galapagos Penguin, Andean Flamingo, Western Grebe, Dickcissel, Great Gray Owl, Long-tailed Manakin, Greater Sage-Grouse, Red-and-Green Macaw, Toco Toucan, Guianan Cock-of-the-Rock, Marvelous Spatuletail http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/video/spatuletail.html, Tufted Puffin, Buff-breasted Sandpiper, Steller's Sea Eagle, Red Knot, Wandering Albatross, and Snow Goose.”
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Steller's Birds
Eagles, jays, eiders - and mammals, too!
“In July, 1741, George Wilhelm Steller set foot on land later known as Alaska, the first European to do so. Steller was a German naturalist on the St. Peter, a Russian ship exploring the Bering Sea. He was shipwrecked on Bering Island for over a year, and later wrote a book about the creatures that lived on the island.
Many were ultimately named for this adventurous and feisty German, including this Steller's Sea Eagle, the Steller's Jay, and the Steller's Eider.”
Steller's Eider
“The smallest eider, the Steller's Eider is restricted to northern latitudes where it breeds in freshwater tundra ponds.
It spends the rest of the year in shallow marine waters. Birders rarely see it outside of Alaskan waters.”
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Bird Being Hit by Wind Turbine - Bird-Smart Wind Commercial
“Dramatic Video Shows Bird Strike at Wind Turbine: One Bird Currently Killed Every Minute by Wind Power in the U.S.
American Bird Conservancy (ABC), the nation's leading bird conservation organization, today distributed dramatic footage showing a wind turbine striking a bird—a poignant illustration of the dangers posed to birds by the burgeoning wind industry. The commercial encourages viewers to send a letter to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service asking that wind power be made bird-smart. See http://www.abcbirds.org/newsandreports/releases/110405.html for more details.
Bird-smart wind power employs careful siting, operational and construction mitigation, and monitoring, as well as compensation to reduce and redress any unavoidable bird mortality and habitat loss from wind energy development. These are issues that should be included in mandatory federal wind standards. Go to http://org2.democracyinaction.org/o/5400/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=9060 to sign the bird-smart wind petition.”
“Think of a giraffe lying on the Serengeti plain. He has just died, maybe of disease, maybe he was killed by a pride of lions, but now he's a 19-foot-long, 4,000-pound mound of meat, which very soon is going to stink and rot and muck up the neighborhood.
The lions that did it will eat roughly 35 pounds each. With five or six lions, that's a start, but there's a lot of giraffe left. Hyenas will help. Jackals will, too, but the bulk of the cleanup goes to the hero of my tale, nature's prize janitor — hard-working, efficient, unbeloved, unadmired and now down on its luck. I am talking about the vulture. The vulture needs a little bit of love ...
... not only because these busy birds clean up giraffes (and hippos and gazelles and lions in Africa) weighing, by one estimate, about 12 million kilograms, or the weight of about 200,000 men — but because they do it all over the world, gobbling up dead goats, cows, deer, rats at no charge, recycling that flesh back into other living things and then into the Earth.” More at: http://www.npr.org/blogs/krulwich/2012/07/03/156125689/showing-vultures-a-little-love
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Proper Wing Clipping
“I receive many questions about wing trimming, so this month I would like to discuss a "new" way to clip pet bird's wings, although I have been using this type of clip for well over ten years now. Many avian vets, breeders and pet retailers still clip the wings by cutting along the covert feathers, beginning at the tip of the wing. This type of trim leaves about 1/3 of the feather, under the level of the coverts (hopefully), if trimmed "correctly." Often, with this type of clip, it is easy to over-trim the wings, cutting all of the primary remiges and many of the secondary remiges, as well.
No matter what type of trim is employed, it should never be necessary to cut into the secondary feathers (those past the bend of the wing). In addition to cutting too many feathers, resulting in a bird that can no longer glide gently to the ground, this type of trim will predictably leave the sharp cut feather shafts (often cut at an angle, which makes them even more pointy and irritating!) I have often noted that birds that have been clipped in this fashion will often chew on the sharp, stiff cut shaft, trying to "soften" the point. African greys, cockatoos and Eclectus seem to be the most often aggravated by primary wing feathers cut in half. I have no doubt that this type of wing clip has precipitated many a bird to begin a feather-picking episode. If you doubt that birds don't like having partially cut feathers, check your bird's wings. Often the cut shaft has been chewed on, giving it a star-like appearance, almost like the cut tip has "exploded." This indicates that the bird is being bothered by the trim.
When a bird extends its wings after this ‘new’ type of clip, you will see no cut edges or ragged cut feathers at all. It is a cosmetically attractive clip, and I feel that it is kinder for a bird. Birds are very fussy about their feathers, and I have seen evidence of birds being frustrated, annoyed or aggravated by cut feathers poking them in the ribs.
I have also watched birds engaging in normal preening behavior, grasping a feather at the base, to begin preening, and then sliding the beak up the feather until the bird reaches the cut feather end. It then stops at the cut end to try to "preen" it. It may spend an inordinate amount of time obsessing on the cut ends, which feel abnormal to the bird. However, when a feather is clipped at the base of the quill, there is no feather there at all for the bird to preen, eliminating the problem entirely.”
Baby birds saved from storm Debby by Wildlife Rehabilitation of Bradenton Beach
BRADENTON BEACH -- “Gail Straight could use some sleep. But she's too busy handfeeding fish to a baby bird that fits in the palm of her hand. The skimmer is one of many found Sunday evening by the old Colony Beach & Tennis Resort on Longboat Key. Blame it on Tropical Storm Debby. Of the original 100 or so skimmers spotted, 32 have made it safely to Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center Inc. It's the Bradenton Beach facility where Gail and husband Ed Straight have cared for countless critters during the past quarter-century.
Gail saved the baby birds with help from her 13-year-old grandson Devon Straight. "The storm was coming and they were getting lost from their families," Gail said. "There was sand in their eyes, in every place. The others were either picked by seagulls, terns, got washed away in the water or covered by so much sand you couldn't find them."” More at: http://www.bradenton.com/2012/06/26/4091931/baby-birds-saved-from-storm-by.html
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Males are not wanted and killed
“Americans eat an average of about 27-28 chickens a year. Two types of chickens are raised by farmers, layers and boilers, with dramatically different bodies and metabolisms. Layers are all females.
Approximately 250 million male "layer" chicks are killed each year shortly after birth because they have no commercial value.” SOURCE: Eating Animals
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Tribute to Nature Educators. Opening the door to nature for children!
“Our childhood experiences of nature stay with us for a lifetime. Yet someone must first show a child the delights and knowledge of the natural world. Imagine a child seeing this Common Yellowthroat for the very first time!
Today, we celebrate the nature educators who give the gifts of their time and knowledge. We're grateful for the invaluable service they provide! Consider sending your child - or another - to an Audubon nature camp.”
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Birds and Baseball
Cardinals and Orioles and Blue Jays! Oh my!
“At the crack of the bat, a Blue Jay flies toward first and glides around the base. Deep in left field, an Oriole pounces on the ball. He wings the ball toward second, where a fellow Oriole snares it on a hop - just as the swift Blue Jay slides toward the base in a cloud of red dust. Ahh, summer baseball!
A real Blue Jay and an authentic Baltimore Oriole, taken by photographer Pat Hemlepp. And thanks to Daniella Theoret for this Northern Cardinal.”
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On This Day:
Nero's Rome burns, Jul 18, 64:“The great fire of Rome breaks out and destroys much of the city on this day in the year 64. Despite the well-known stories, there is no evidence that the Roman emperor, Nero, either started the fire or played the fiddle while it burned. Still, he did use the disaster to further his political agenda.
The fire began in the slums of a district south of the legendary Palatine Hill. The area's homes burned very quickly and the fire spread north, fueled by high winds. During the chaos of the fire, there were reports of heavy looting. The fire ended up raging out of control for nearly three days. Three of Rome's 14 districts were completely wiped out; only four were untouched by the tremendous conflagration. Hundreds of people died in the fire and many thousands were left homeless.
Although popular legend holds that Emperor Nero fiddled while the city burned, this account is wrong on several accounts. First, the fiddle did not even exist at the time. Instead, Nero was well known for his talent on the lyre; he often composed his own music. More importantly, Nero was actually 35 miles away in Antium when the fire broke out. In fact, he let his palace be used as a shelter.
Legend has long blamed Nero for a couple of reasons. Nero did not like the aesthetics of the city and used the devastation of the fire in order to change much of it and institute new building codes throughout the city. Nero also used the fire to clamp down on the growing influence of Christians in Rome. He arrested, tortured and executed hundreds of Christians on the pretext that they had something to do with the fire.”
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Yesterday:
My oldest son, Peter, turned 55 yesterday, I guess I am getting old, though I don’t feel like I am. Many Happy Returns, Peter.
As neither Jay nor Ray were going to be here, I knew I had to use the morning to get back to sewing the drapes for the cargo trailer. I oiled the sewing machine, and then mended a few things to make sure that there was no oil residue and that the tension was still set right. I did get some drapes pleated and hemmed, in between interruptions, but there is still a lot of sewing to do.
Ray’s car came back with it’s new fuel pump and coil, so he was washing it ready to put it back on the road. The sky was overcast, suddenly there was a big downpour. He rushed back inside leaving his buckets and brushes on the ground. He didn’t even have time to drive it back into his carport. It didn’t last long, so he went back to washing it, to get the rain water off.
We have a 30% chance of another thunderstorm at 1.00PM today.
“As the racketeering enterprise’s leader and primary decision maker, SALYER is also alleged to have directed a widespread practice of selling and shipping processed tomato product that did not meet contractual specifications, contained MOLD levels in excess of the thresholds established by the FDA and was thus unsaleable domestically. The indictment alleges that at SALYER’s direction, various individuals at SK Foods falsified both internal and customer-bound documentation to make the product appear as if it were legal and contractually compliant when, in fact, it was not. “
From: http://sacramento.fbi.gov/dojpressrel/pressrel10/sc021810.htm
More on Salyer selling Moldy Food:
An alleged, long-running bribery scheme apparently resulted in tainted tomato products being added to foods processed by some of the nation's biggest companies, including Kraft Foods Inc., Frito-Lay and Nabisco, federal prosecutors say.
“Giant tomato processor SK Foods has been accused of paying off buyers at large food companies to accept mold-riddled tomato products for above-market prices.” From: http://abcnews.go.com/WN/tomato-bribery-case-california-company-allegedly-paid-off/story?id=9956305
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“With the recession, people are trying to make money in any way, shape or form," said William Gergits, a co-founder of Therion International LLC, which specializes in DNA-based testing services. "Southeast grouper and red snapper fisheries here are limited.
If you think about all the restaurants in Florida, there's not enough supply to go to those restaurants."”
From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032903824_2.html?sid=ST2010032903826
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“The expensive "sheep's milk" cheese in a Manhattan market was really made from cow's milk. And a jar of "Sturgeon caviar" was, in fact, Mississippi paddlefish.
Some honey makers dilute their honey with sugar beets or corn syrup, their competitors say, but still market it as 100 percent pure at a premium price.
And last year, a Fairfax man was convicted of selling 10 million pounds of cheap, frozen catfish fillets from Vietnam as much more expensive grouper, red snapper and flounder. The fish was bought by national chain retailers, wholesalers and food service companies, and ended up on dinner plates across the country.
"Food fraud" has been documented in fruit juice, olive oil, spices, vinegar, wine, spirits and maple syrup, and appears to pose a significant problem in the seafood industry. Victims range from the shopper at the local supermarket to multimillion companies, including E&J Gallo and Heinz USA.”
From: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/03/29/AR2010032903824_pf.html
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"Smart Choices" food label is marketing fraud.
“The big food companies have dreamed up yet another clever con to sell processed junk foods to parents and children: A "Smart Choices" label that implies the food product is a smart choice for health and nutrition. The problem is that the standards for qualifying for this designation were set by the food companies themselves, and processed junk foods like Froot Loops (a sugary breakfast cereal) qualify.
Froot Loops is 41 percent processed white sugar. It also contains processed flour and partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil. But that's not all you'll find in the box: Froot Loops is also made with synthetic coloring chemicals, including Red #40, Blue #2, Yellow #6 and Blue #1. The No. 1 ingredient of Froot Loops is sugar, and each serving contains 12 grams of sugar.
So how, exactly, did Froot Loops qualify for the "Smart Choices" label?” More at: http://www.naturalnews.com/027077_nutrition_food_Tufts_University.html
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My daughter, Wendy, called me about 2 PM, and said that she and her husband, Richard, were coming up here to take me out for an early dinner.
We had a great meal at Appleby's in Conroe. Richard had something that looked like chicken-fried chicken parts on rice, Wendy had a steak and shrimp dinner. I had a Californian Shrimp Salad, with avocados, tomatoes, hard-boiled eggs, black olives, real bacon bits, and shrimp on a bed of lettuce with an avocado dressing. We all had to get take-out boxes.
Wendy had some kind of a gizmo that plays games, but it also takes pictures.
Here I am taking a picture of Wendy, taking a picture of me. Her husband hates to have his picture taken, so he was acting the fool.
I had just got home, and as I was taking the dog out, I could see this strange truck had pulled in behind my van. Then I saw the Tree Service signs on it,… it was my young son, Kevin. He has several large trucks equipped for what he is doing at the time. Tree felling, stump grinding, dirt hauling, or moving mobile homes.
He had just finished a job, and had swung by to say Happy Mother's Day. I tried to take his picture, which he didn't want me to do, as he said he was grubby from working. I don't see him very often, even though he lives the closest of my three kids, so I was going to try. I managed to take some, not very good ones, while he was pacing around talking business on his phone:
That's the way it is when you have your own business, you return calls whenever you can. Not like working for someone else, and sticking to office hours!
My oldest son, Peter, lives in England, and they don't have the same date for Mother's Day.
I hope you had a lovely one, and that was my great Mother's Day.
The true cost of a thing is how much "life" must be surrendered to possess it.
Immigration
"ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION is not a new problem...Native Americans used to call it WHITE PEOPLE."
Life !
Life is what happens when you are making plans to do something else !
The Journey Counts.
If we agree that the bottom line of life is happiness, not success, then it makes perfect sense to say that it is the journey that counts, not reaching the destination. —Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
Your Present
"Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, and today is a gift; that is why they call it the present" Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)
Pet's World
...Saving just one pet won't change the world...But, surely, it will change the world for that one pet.....
Don't breed or buy while homeless pets die!
EVERY LITTER BIT HURTS
Spay or neuter your pet
Thank You
Low Cost Spay/Neuter
From: 'Healing Animals' by Dr. Michael W. Fox
“Our perception of animals determines how we treat them, and whether they suffer under our dominion or not. Behind our perception and treatment of animals lie our needs, wants, values, and cultural and religious traditions.
Until these are addressed and our perception changed so there is empathy, respect, and communication, the holocaust of the animal kingdom will continue. And those qualities or virtues that make us human – humility, compassion, and selfless benevolence – will continue to be crushed by arrogance, ignorance, and the selfishness of our species.”
Difference
Nature
"When one tugs at a single thing in nature, he finds it attached to the rest of the world." - John Muir
What is Man Without the Beasts?
"What is man without the beasts? If all the beasts were gone, man would die from a great loneliness of spirit. For whatever befalls the earth, befalls the sons of the earth. Man did not weave the web of life; he is merely a strand in it. Whatever he does to the web, he does to himself." (Chief Seattle, 1855)
Gandhi
As Gandhi once said, "The greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be judged by the way it's animals are treated".
Is There An Animal Abuser Near You? Please Report it!
http://exposeanimalabusers.org/section.php?id=163
Can They Suffer?
The basic issue is simple:
"The question is not, can they reason?
Nor, can they talk? But, can they suffer?"
(Jeremy Bentham, philosopher and animal rights activist; 1748-1832.)
Recycling
Where to recycle, no matter if you live permanently somewhere, or on the road: http://earth911.com/
“Think of a giraffe lying on the Serengeti plain. He has just died, maybe of disease, maybe he was killed by a pride of lions, but now he's a 19-foot-long, 4,000-pound mound of meat, which very soon is going to stink and rot and muck up the neighborhood.
BRADENTON BEACH -- “Gail Straight could use some sleep. But she's too busy handfeeding fish to a baby bird that fits in the palm of her hand. The skimmer is one of many found Sunday evening by the old Colony Beach & Tennis Resort on Longboat Key. Blame it on Tropical Storm Debby. Of the original 100 or so skimmers spotted, 32 have made it safely to Wildlife Education & Rehabilitation Center Inc. It's the Bradenton Beach facility where Gail and husband Ed Straight have cared for countless critters during the past quarter-century.
%5B3%5D.jpg "Wendy-at-Applebys-1-1 (Small)")
