The following was stolen from Jeff H's Think Sink blog.
He stole it from Fox News Service (I think).
Thursday , November 15, 2007 RIYADH, Saudi Arabia — A 19-year-old female victim of gang rape who initially was ordered to undergo 90 lashes for "being in the car of an unrelated male at the time of the rape," has been sentenced to 200 lashes and six months in jail for telling her story to the news media....
By faithful members of the Religion of Peace, who else?
This should certainly enhance their credibility as civilized members of the human race.
As any one can plainly see, they are a culturally superior group.
Monday, November 26, 2007
Sunday, November 25, 2007
THE RELIGIOUS BRUSH-OFF
Have you ever gotten the "religious brush-off?"
Here's how it works.
You are given a responsibility by your church.
In the carrying out of that responsibility, you must coordinate with others, each of whom is given a part of the job of seeing that the overall responsibility is accomplished.
In the course of preparation, someone takes his part of the job somewhat less than seriously and the result is that the overall responsibility does not get accomplished like it should.
When confronted, the "slacker" gives you this number: "Oh well, Jesus can use whatever we have for His purpose."
That, my friend, is the "religious brush-off."
It is designed to let the offending party off the hook.
Fact is, he was too lazy, too pre-occupied, too lackadaisical or too whatever to realize how important his part of the operation was and tried to sluff off his failure on God.
That is an abomination, and is inexcusable.
Not that God won't forgive. Not even that God won't use what is left.
But it demonstrates the contemporary attitude toward God that He is a sweet little grandfather type who really does not deserve any more than a passing hug as we enter into His presence.
The splitting of a single atom releases enormous power in the form of energy.
The universe is made up of trillions of atoms to the trillionth power, each of which has the power of an atomic bomb.
God is more powerful than all of them all put together.
His right hand spans the universe that contains all of that energy.
We serve a God who is to be feared...which is the beginning of wisdom.
Now, I know that He is love. I know that He is merciful. I know that He is forgiving.
But when we substitute "respect" for "fear," we miss the point of whom we serve.
The Bible does not say, nor does it mean, "The respect of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
It says, and means, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Until we recognized how fearful it is to be out of the graces of the Mighty Creator of the universe, we cannot begin to know how badly we need to repent and submit to His awesome power.
When we do, we then can realize His forgiveness, mercy, grace and Fathership, through Christ.
Until we do, we will continue to count as unimportant giving Him the very best we have, every minute of every day.
When we have a responsibility to serve Him, we need to remember who it is we are serving and what an honor it is to be entrusted with service to Him.
We will never reach perfection, but we should, no, must strive to give our best to Him in whatever it is He has asked us to do.
After all, He gave His very best for us.
Here's how it works.
You are given a responsibility by your church.
In the carrying out of that responsibility, you must coordinate with others, each of whom is given a part of the job of seeing that the overall responsibility is accomplished.
In the course of preparation, someone takes his part of the job somewhat less than seriously and the result is that the overall responsibility does not get accomplished like it should.
When confronted, the "slacker" gives you this number: "Oh well, Jesus can use whatever we have for His purpose."
That, my friend, is the "religious brush-off."
It is designed to let the offending party off the hook.
Fact is, he was too lazy, too pre-occupied, too lackadaisical or too whatever to realize how important his part of the operation was and tried to sluff off his failure on God.
That is an abomination, and is inexcusable.
Not that God won't forgive. Not even that God won't use what is left.
But it demonstrates the contemporary attitude toward God that He is a sweet little grandfather type who really does not deserve any more than a passing hug as we enter into His presence.
The splitting of a single atom releases enormous power in the form of energy.
The universe is made up of trillions of atoms to the trillionth power, each of which has the power of an atomic bomb.
God is more powerful than all of them all put together.
His right hand spans the universe that contains all of that energy.
We serve a God who is to be feared...which is the beginning of wisdom.
Now, I know that He is love. I know that He is merciful. I know that He is forgiving.
But when we substitute "respect" for "fear," we miss the point of whom we serve.
The Bible does not say, nor does it mean, "The respect of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
It says, and means, "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom."
Until we recognized how fearful it is to be out of the graces of the Mighty Creator of the universe, we cannot begin to know how badly we need to repent and submit to His awesome power.
When we do, we then can realize His forgiveness, mercy, grace and Fathership, through Christ.
Until we do, we will continue to count as unimportant giving Him the very best we have, every minute of every day.
When we have a responsibility to serve Him, we need to remember who it is we are serving and what an honor it is to be entrusted with service to Him.
We will never reach perfection, but we should, no, must strive to give our best to Him in whatever it is He has asked us to do.
After all, He gave His very best for us.
Wednesday, November 21, 2007
TELL ME AGAIN: WHO DO WE THANK?
The following are exerpts from a few presidential proclamations at Thanksgiving time.
"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." - George Washington (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God)
"It has pleased Almighty God to vouchsafe signal victories to the land and naval forces engaged in suppressing an internal rebellion, and at the same time to avert from our country the dangers of foreign intervention and invasion.It is therefore recommended to the people of the United States that at their next weekly assemblages in their accustomed places of public worship which shall occur after notice of this proclamation shall be have been received they especially acknowledge and render thanks to our Heavenly Fathers..." Abraham Lincoln (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"Resting and refraining from secular labors on that day, let us reverently and devoutly give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the mercies and blessings with which He has crowned the now closing year. Especially let us remember that He has covered our land through all its extent with greatly needed and very abundant harvests;..." ANDREW JOHNSON (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"Therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do recommend that Thursday, the 18th day of November next, be observed as a day of thanksgiving and of praise and of prayer to almighty God, the creator and the ruler of the universe..." U.S. Grant (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"At no period in their history since the United States became a nation has this people had so abundant and so universal reasons for joy and gratitude at the favor of Almighty God or been subject to so profound an obligation to give thanks for His loving kindness and humbly to implore His continued care and protection...." R.B. HAYES (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"...as a day of national thanksgiving and prayer, by ceasing, so far as may be, from their secular labors and meeting in their several places of worship, there to join in ascribing honor and praise to Almighty God, whose goodness has been so manifest in our history and in our lives, and offering earnest prayers that His bounties may continue to us and to our children..." CHESTER A. ARTHUR (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"...with prayer and songs of praise devoutly testify their gratitude to the Giver of Every Good and Perfect Gift for all that He has done for us in the year that has passed; for our preservation as a united nation and for our deliverance from the shock and danger of political convulsion; for the blessings of peace and for our safety and quiet while wars and rumors of war have agitated and afflicted other nations of the earth;..." GROVER CLEVELAND (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"A highly favored people, mindful of their dependence on the bounty of Divine Providence, should seek fitting occasion to testify gratitude and ascribe praise to Him who is the author of their many blessings. It behooves us, then, to look back with thankful hearts over the past year and bless God for His infinite mercy in vouchsafing to our land enduring peace, to our people freedom from pestilence and famine, to our husbandmen abundant harvests, and to them that labor a recompense of their toil." BENJAMIN HARRISON (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"It has pleased Almighty God to bring our nation in safety and honor through another year. The works of religion and charity have everywhere been manifest. Our country through all its extent has been blessed with abundant harvests. Labor and the great industries of the people have prospered beyond all precedent. Our commerce has spread over the world. Our power and influence in the cause of freedom and enlightenment have extended over distant seas and lands. The lives of our official representatives and many of our people in China have been marvelously preserved. We have been generally exempt from pestilence and other great calamities; and even the tragic visitation which overwhelmed the city of Galveston made evident the sentiments of sympathy and Christian charity by virtue of which we are one united people." WILLIAM McKINLEY (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
So we are a secular nation, huh?
In your dreams.
"Whereas it is the duty of all Nations to acknowledge the providence of almighty God, to obey his will, to be grateful for his benefits, and humbly to implore his protection and favor - and Whereas both Houses of Congress have by their joint Committee requested me "to recommend to the People of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness." - George Washington (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God)
"It has pleased Almighty God to vouchsafe signal victories to the land and naval forces engaged in suppressing an internal rebellion, and at the same time to avert from our country the dangers of foreign intervention and invasion.It is therefore recommended to the people of the United States that at their next weekly assemblages in their accustomed places of public worship which shall occur after notice of this proclamation shall be have been received they especially acknowledge and render thanks to our Heavenly Fathers..." Abraham Lincoln (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"Resting and refraining from secular labors on that day, let us reverently and devoutly give thanks to our Heavenly Father for the mercies and blessings with which He has crowned the now closing year. Especially let us remember that He has covered our land through all its extent with greatly needed and very abundant harvests;..." ANDREW JOHNSON (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"Therefore, I, Ulysses S. Grant, President of the United States, do recommend that Thursday, the 18th day of November next, be observed as a day of thanksgiving and of praise and of prayer to almighty God, the creator and the ruler of the universe..." U.S. Grant (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"At no period in their history since the United States became a nation has this people had so abundant and so universal reasons for joy and gratitude at the favor of Almighty God or been subject to so profound an obligation to give thanks for His loving kindness and humbly to implore His continued care and protection...." R.B. HAYES (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"...as a day of national thanksgiving and prayer, by ceasing, so far as may be, from their secular labors and meeting in their several places of worship, there to join in ascribing honor and praise to Almighty God, whose goodness has been so manifest in our history and in our lives, and offering earnest prayers that His bounties may continue to us and to our children..." CHESTER A. ARTHUR (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"...with prayer and songs of praise devoutly testify their gratitude to the Giver of Every Good and Perfect Gift for all that He has done for us in the year that has passed; for our preservation as a united nation and for our deliverance from the shock and danger of political convulsion; for the blessings of peace and for our safety and quiet while wars and rumors of war have agitated and afflicted other nations of the earth;..." GROVER CLEVELAND (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"A highly favored people, mindful of their dependence on the bounty of Divine Providence, should seek fitting occasion to testify gratitude and ascribe praise to Him who is the author of their many blessings. It behooves us, then, to look back with thankful hearts over the past year and bless God for His infinite mercy in vouchsafing to our land enduring peace, to our people freedom from pestilence and famine, to our husbandmen abundant harvests, and to them that labor a recompense of their toil." BENJAMIN HARRISON (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
"It has pleased Almighty God to bring our nation in safety and honor through another year. The works of religion and charity have everywhere been manifest. Our country through all its extent has been blessed with abundant harvests. Labor and the great industries of the people have prospered beyond all precedent. Our commerce has spread over the world. Our power and influence in the cause of freedom and enlightenment have extended over distant seas and lands. The lives of our official representatives and many of our people in China have been marvelously preserved. We have been generally exempt from pestilence and other great calamities; and even the tragic visitation which overwhelmed the city of Galveston made evident the sentiments of sympathy and Christian charity by virtue of which we are one united people." WILLIAM McKINLEY (who did not know we were not supposed to believe in, let alone thank, God).
So we are a secular nation, huh?
In your dreams.
HAPPY THANKSGIVING EVERYBODY!! HAVE AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE TO ALMIGHTY GOD!!
Friday, November 16, 2007
THE MAGIC OF MOTORS
I have an electric tool. It has an electric motor.
The motor is configured in such a way as to spin a drill bit when the trigger-switch is pulled.
Interestingly, I also have another electric tool. It also has an electric motor.
This motor is configured in such a way as to cause a rod to push out and pull in many times per second.
Now, these two tools perform vastly different tasks.
But they both use very similar motors.
Each motor has a core of iron with wire wrapped around it, a magnet wrapped very close to the wire-wrapped core, a set of "brushes" (really chunks of carbon) that rub against the casing and other similar components.
One motor is made by the Black and Decker company, the other by Makita.
No one in his/her right mind would argue that the more complicated motor came into being through a series of accidental assemblies perpetrated by the other simpler motor.
To the right is a biological motor.
It is used by certain bacteria to rotate their flagella for locomotion.
It is much more remarkably engineered than the most complicated electric motor ever devised by the most brilliant scientist.
Some life-forms have a biological motor that does not rotate flagella, but pushes a cellular rod in and out.
These cellular motors have some similar structures, some different structures, and operate in different ways. They also have fewer parts and are simpler motors.
The other day I was watching a PBS science program on TV which showed each of these biological motors.
Interestingly, the "scientist" on the program thought that the fact that there were two different kinds of biological motors with similar parts meant that one "evolved" from the other.
You would think that a scientist would be smart enough to recognize that just as each of my tool motors had to have been intelligently designed, so, too, would the extraordinarily more complex biological motor.
If you are a scientist reading this post, are you smart enough to recognize that truth?
Wednesday, November 14, 2007
PROOF THAT THERE IS AN ANSWER TO EVERYTHING
My sister sent me the statements.
I supplied the responses.
1. A shrimp's heart is in its head.
Mine spends most of the time in my throat
2. The 'sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick' is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
Not for me. 'sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick' See...no problem.
3. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.
What takes them so long?
4. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
So...never wear headphones for just an hour.
5. If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16 1969 , make it illegal for U.S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?
They carry the plague.
6. In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
For every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.
7. A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
For the same reason that if a tree falls in a forrest and no one is around it makes not noise.
8. 23% of all photocopier faults world-wide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.
And 68% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
9. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
Do most fish scales contain lipstick? I have a magician nephew who, when running from the cops, turned into a drugstore, stepped on the scales and got a weigh.
10. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
OK...who checked that out?
11. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
If you try to suppress evidence, you can go to jail.
12. If you keep your eyes open by force, they can pop out.
I do that every morning.
13. In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an ostrich buried its head in the sand.
Did anybody report any married casses?
14. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
If they could, what would they be looking for?
15. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
My pregnant neighbor IS a twit.
16. More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.
I'll bet the solicitors who have called me have tried to call every one of them.
17. Horses can't vomit.
Horses have never eaten Kibbles 'N Bits.
18. Butterflies taste with their feet.
Shrimp taste with their hearts.
19. In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.
My two year old neighbor releases more energy than a hurricane.
20. On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
On average, 100 people swollow post-it notes before doing so.
21. On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
On average, people fear ball poin pens almost as much.
22. Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.
Legal or illegal?
23. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
But not for long.
24. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Hey! I'm a white guy. I can't jump!
25. Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
You call this living?
26. It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
But if you lead her to water you CAN make her drink.
27. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Mostly, though, it's just flirting.
28. It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
How do you think I became a man?
29. The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
When the seas rise from global warming, it won't matter anyway.
30. A snail can sleep for three years.
I do that every morning.
31. Your nose and ears never stop growing.
If I am the one person in two billion who lives to 116, how long will my nose be?
32. Our eyes are always the same size from birth.
At what gestational age do they acheive full size?
33. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
Mine still uses one.
34. All polar bears are left handed.
When writing, or just when using the phone?
35. In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
And they live to 116 years of age just to get it done.
36. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
And the theological significance is?
37. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
You forgot about QUYRTIPOWER.
38. 'Go,' is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
So?
39. If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall.
The WBA could use her.
40. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
So what does he do when the doctor says, "Say, 'Ahhh'?"
41. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
So what did the Indians (oops-Native Americans) light their peace pipes with?
42. Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
I, on average, eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
43. Almost everyone who reads this email will try to lick their elbow.
See #28 above.
I supplied the responses.
1. A shrimp's heart is in its head.
Mine spends most of the time in my throat
2. The 'sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick' is said to be the toughest tongue twister in the English language.
Not for me. 'sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick' See...no problem.
3. Rats multiply so quickly that in 18 months, two rats could have over a million descendants.
What takes them so long?
4. Wearing headphones for just an hour will increase the bacteria in your ear by 700 times.
So...never wear headphones for just an hour.
5. If the government has no knowledge of aliens, then why does Title 14, Section 1211of the Code of Federal Regulations, implemented on July 16 1969 , make it illegal for U.S. citizens to have any contact with extraterrestrials or their vehicles?
They carry the plague.
6. In every episode of Seinfeld there is a Superman somewhere.
For every drop of rain that falls, a flower grows.
7. A duck's quack doesn't echo, and no one knows why.
For the same reason that if a tree falls in a forrest and no one is around it makes not noise.
8. 23% of all photocopier faults world-wide are caused by people sitting on them and photocopying their butts.
And 68% of all statistics are made up on the spot.
9. Most lipstick contains fish scales.
Do most fish scales contain lipstick? I have a magician nephew who, when running from the cops, turned into a drugstore, stepped on the scales and got a weigh.
10. Like fingerprints, everyone's tongue print is different.
OK...who checked that out?
11. If you sneeze too hard, you can fracture a rib.. If you try to suppress a sneeze, you can rupture a blood vessel in your head or neck and die.
If you try to suppress evidence, you can go to jail.
12. If you keep your eyes open by force, they can pop out.
I do that every morning.
13. In a study of 200,000 ostriches over a period of 80 years, no one reported a single case where an ostrich buried its head in the sand.
Did anybody report any married casses?
14. It is physically impossible for pigs to look up into the sky.
If they could, what would they be looking for?
15. A pregnant goldfish is called a twit.
My pregnant neighbor IS a twit.
16. More than 50% of the people in the world have never made or received a telephone call.
I'll bet the solicitors who have called me have tried to call every one of them.
17. Horses can't vomit.
Horses have never eaten Kibbles 'N Bits.
18. Butterflies taste with their feet.
Shrimp taste with their hearts.
19. In 10 minutes, a hurricane releases more energy than all of the world's nuclear weapons combined.
My two year old neighbor releases more energy than a hurricane.
20. On average, 100 people choke to death on ballpoint pens every year.
On average, 100 people swollow post-it notes before doing so.
21. On average people fear spiders more than they do death.
On average, people fear ball poin pens almost as much.
22. Ninety percent of New York City cabbies are recently arrived immigrants.
Legal or illegal?
23. Thirty-five percent of the people who use personal ads for dating are already married.
But not for long.
24. Elephants are the only animals that can't jump.
Hey! I'm a white guy. I can't jump!
25. Only one person in two billion will live to be 116 or older.
You call this living?
26. It's possible to lead a cow upstairs...but not downstairs.
But if you lead her to water you CAN make her drink.
27. Women blink nearly twice as much as men.
Mostly, though, it's just flirting.
28. It's physically impossible for you to lick your elbow.
How do you think I became a man?
29. The Main Library at Indiana University sinks over an inch every year because when it was built, engineers failed to take into account the weight of all the books that would occupy the building.
When the seas rise from global warming, it won't matter anyway.
30. A snail can sleep for three years.
I do that every morning.
31. Your nose and ears never stop growing.
If I am the one person in two billion who lives to 116, how long will my nose be?
32. Our eyes are always the same size from birth.
At what gestational age do they acheive full size?
33. The electric chair was invented by a dentist.
Mine still uses one.
34. All polar bears are left handed.
When writing, or just when using the phone?
35. In ancient Egypt, priests plucked EVERY hair from their bodies, including their eyebrows and eyelashes.
And they live to 116 years of age just to get it done.
36. An ostrich's eye is bigger than its brain.
And the theological significance is?
37. TYPEWRITER is the longest word that can be made using the letters only on one row of the keyboard.
You forgot about QUYRTIPOWER.
38. 'Go,' is the shortest complete sentence in the English language.
So?
39. If Barbie were life-size, her measurements would be 39-23-33. She would stand seven feet, two inches tall.
The WBA could use her.
40. A crocodile cannot stick its tongue out.
So what does he do when the doctor says, "Say, 'Ahhh'?"
41. The cigarette lighter was invented before the match.
So what did the Indians (oops-Native Americans) light their peace pipes with?
42. Americans on average eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
I, on average, eat 18 acres of pizza every day.
43. Almost everyone who reads this email will try to lick their elbow.
See #28 above.
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
GRRRRR!
When I first visited Lehigh Acres, Florida, it was 1962.
There was one street, paved part-way into the community, and a few hundred people. It was mostly country living.
When I moved to Lehigh Acres in 1994, there were 28,000 people, an elementary school and a high school of sorts and lots of paved roads.
Today, the population has swelled to around 80,000, roads have vastly improved (though not enough to keep up with he need), and there are multiple numbers of schools of each age group.
And, oh yeah...Lehigh Acres is the crime capital of Southwest Florida.
There are disproportionate numbers of murders, muggings, car thefts, graffiti paintings, home invasions, drug busts, kidnappings and robberies in Lehigh Acres.
Here is a reference to one of the recent sad ones.
Mike and Vicki Culver are nice people.
I did some work for them some years back and they treated me with dignity and respect. They were thorough, business-like, yet friendly and talkative.
They have contributed to the community of Lehigh Acres for years.
They are givers. Their attitude is, "What’s ours is yours…we’ll share it." They do not deserve the treatment they have gotten from certain elements of Lehigh.
The people who burned their business two years ago, as well as the ones who robbed them recently, are not givers, they are takers.
Their attitude is "What’s yours is mine if I want it…so I’ll just take it."
They have been raised, as far too many have, to think, "I want what I want, when I want it, where I want it, how I want it, and you owe it to me."
Mike and Vicki, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I hope the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
And I pray that some day, somehow, they will catch the spirit of people like Mike and Vicki Culvert.
I also pray that law enforcement officials will begin to take seriously the need to get things under control in Lehigh Acres before it is too late.
There was one street, paved part-way into the community, and a few hundred people. It was mostly country living.
When I moved to Lehigh Acres in 1994, there were 28,000 people, an elementary school and a high school of sorts and lots of paved roads.
Today, the population has swelled to around 80,000, roads have vastly improved (though not enough to keep up with he need), and there are multiple numbers of schools of each age group.
And, oh yeah...Lehigh Acres is the crime capital of Southwest Florida.
There are disproportionate numbers of murders, muggings, car thefts, graffiti paintings, home invasions, drug busts, kidnappings and robberies in Lehigh Acres.
Here is a reference to one of the recent sad ones.
Mike and Vicki Culver are nice people.
I did some work for them some years back and they treated me with dignity and respect. They were thorough, business-like, yet friendly and talkative.
They have contributed to the community of Lehigh Acres for years.
They are givers. Their attitude is, "What’s ours is yours…we’ll share it." They do not deserve the treatment they have gotten from certain elements of Lehigh.
The people who burned their business two years ago, as well as the ones who robbed them recently, are not givers, they are takers.
Their attitude is "What’s yours is mine if I want it…so I’ll just take it."
They have been raised, as far too many have, to think, "I want what I want, when I want it, where I want it, how I want it, and you owe it to me."
Mike and Vicki, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
I hope the perpetrators are caught and prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law.
And I pray that some day, somehow, they will catch the spirit of people like Mike and Vicki Culvert.
I also pray that law enforcement officials will begin to take seriously the need to get things under control in Lehigh Acres before it is too late.
Saturday, November 10, 2007
VETERANS DAY
A REALLY BRIEF HISTORY OF VETERANS DAY
In November of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued his Armistice Day proclamation. The last paragraph set the tone for future observances:"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation."
The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on all citizens to observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting an enduring peace. The President referred to the change of name to Veterans' Day in honor of the servicemen of all America's wars.
And this proclamation was issued this year:
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2007, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 11 through November 17, 2007, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
In November of 1919, President Woodrow Wilson issued his Armistice Day proclamation. The last paragraph set the tone for future observances:"To us in America, the reflections of Armistice Day will be filled with solemn pride in the heroism of those who died in the country's service and with gratitude for the victory, both because of the thing from which it has freed us and because of the opportunity it has given America to show her sympathy with peace and justice in the councils of the nation."
The name was changed to Veterans' Day by Act of Congress on May 24, 1954. In October of that year, President Eisenhower called on all citizens to observe the day by remembering the sacrifices of all those who fought so gallantly, and through rededication to the task of promoting an enduring peace. The President referred to the change of name to Veterans' Day in honor of the servicemen of all America's wars.
And this proclamation was issued this year:
I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2007, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 11 through November 17, 2007, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the valor and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.
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