Country Music

I don't really get into Country music much.  It's not that the music is bad or anything, but it seems so often that the music sounds sad - and I don't like listening to sad music all of the time.  However I was flipping through the channels yesterday and I found a song that caught my eye, I mean ear.  At first I thought it was an interview with an old man.  I generally find that by listening to old folks I'll learn something important.  (Wise and old don't go together because they rhyme or roll off the tongue easily, but because it takes a long time to get wisdom.  As an aside, how often have you heard a phrase containing "wise young" - it exists, but not nearly as much as "foolish young" or "wise old.")

So anyway, CMT started this interview thing and it turned into a song:  Kenny Chesney's Don't Blink.  The family photo/video montage looks cool, the music sounds alright, but the words have great meaning.  I'm sure it will get lots of play because of it being the end of 2007. 

2008 is nearly here? Wow -- time flies.  Don't blink and don't waste it. 

Bhutto's Death Significant?

Many people have been talking about Benazir Bhutto's death, including some who don't normally talk global politics.  Like the aforementioned Boundless Line article says, it does look like an end-of-the-word type of headline.  I won't tout her as a savior in the war on terrorism, but she surely was a threat to someone - which is why they killed her. 

I don't know how significant her death is, however.  I am not nearly as affected by her death as much as the Jerusalem Post headlines saying that explosives were caught being shipped into the Gaza Strip.  Especially when combined with Bin Laden's latest message saying that he wants to expand his war to include Israel.

Our response should not be one of fear.  What we are to do is simple - pray for peace, mourn with those who mourn, and let our lights shine.

Multi-Touch Whiteboard

I remember a few years ago when the smartboard was completely new.   The idea of having a board that one could write on like a whiteboard but interact with like a computer stylus was innovative.  The prohibitive cost kept many from adopting it, but the prices were steadily falling.  Microsoft even predicts a day when it will be standard in a house or restaurant to have an interactive table top.

That day appears to be nearing much more rapidly. Thanks to an inventive and imaginative student. Here is a video showing the multi-touch whiteboard that he developed. Using an infra-red LED and a Nintendo Wii remote.

Pretty cool, huh?

Benevolent Leader

At least that's what my personality is according to PersonalDNA.com.

The most curious thing to me is that I am in the 98% percentile for masculine traits and the 54% percentile for feminine traits. How can I be both more masculine AND more feminine than most people?

Masculinity

Low                                                                                         98    High    

Femininity

Low                                              54                                              High    

Oh yeah... you can also rate how you see me using psych you / psych me. Give it a shot... I'd love to see if how I see myself is how others see me.

Singing in Support of Terrorism and Charges Against Christianity

First the Video

 

Transcript

"TV Host on Hamas TV, Child Saraa Barhoum, Sings: 'We Liberated Gaza by Force,'" from MEMRITV (thanks to Robert Novak at Jihad Watch):

Following are excerpts from a song performed by child TV host Saraa Barhoum, which aired on Al-Aqsa TV on December 20, 2007:

Saraa Barhoum: We liberated Gaza by force, not by Oslo or by Taba -

but with my steadfast people, and with its blazing fire.

We liberated Gaza by force, not by Oslo or by Taba -

but with my steadfast people, and with its blazing fire.

Rafah sings, and the Kalashnikov replies.

Rafah sings, and the Kalashnikov replies.

We, who know no fear, are the lions of the jungle.

Look how beautiful our Gaza is. We crowned it with a laurel wreath.

---

This video just makes me cry. That there are people who would be teaching this to a little girl... it is unthinkable. This just shows how lost people get without Jesus. Being lost in darkness.

Am I against their culture? No. Their people? No. Their religion? No. That's right! I am not against their religion - I am against who their religion glorifies. I am against Satan who has deceived them. I do not want to kill any Muslims; I want to love them. I want them to see God's love.

Where I'm Going With This

A friend requested several of us to comment on something he found in the current book he is reading. I'll be posting a full response soon. Here is what he posted:

I found these listed in a latest book I am reading: Chameleon Christianity: Moving Beyond Safety and Conformity, by Dick Keyes.

I thought it would be interesting to ask each of you to rate your level of agreement with the charges below. 1 – strongly agree, 2 – agree, 3 – no opinion, 4 – disagree, 5 – strongly disagree. Reply with your responses.

1. The Christian faith is the enemy of pleasure, enjoyment, and fulfillment. It stands for inhibition, insecurity, and self-righteousness.

2. The Christian faith is the enemy of democracy and civility. Conservative Christians want political power to create a theocracy with places in leadership only for those who agree with them.

3. The Christian faith is the enemy of women. From the early history of the church, leaders established the inferior status of women in church and society and have resisted attempts to reform ever since.

4. The Christian faith is the enemy of gay people, as can be seen in the bumper sticker of a few years ago, “Kill a gay for Jesus.”

5. The Christian faith is the enemy of cultural diversity; it is an ethnocentric moral police force.

6. The Christian faith is the enemy of non-white races. This has been evident from a theological defense of race-based slavery to the starting of Christian schools as a way to avoid the integration of the public school system.

7. The Christian faith is the enemy of the environment. The biblical notion of dominion over the earth is at the root of our abuse of the natural world.

8. The Christian faith is the enemy of the arts. Christians have scorned the world of the arts as either Satanic or trivial and have produced nothing of artistic value for over a hundred fifty years.

9. The Christian faith is the enemy of science, education, and the advance of knowledge.

10. The Christian faith is the enemy of economic justice. It is a good religion for the fat cats who can interpret the Bible to legitimize their wealth and privilege.

One other thought. Choose one of the charges and reply with a short response.

Merry Christmas

Christmas 2007

I know Christmas 2007 is at an end.  Most people are getting ready to go back to work and school.  New Year's plans being made, lights coming down, trees put away (or mulched for you old fashioned real tree folks)...

I had a good time.  I had a nice couple of dives recently:

This year I put up lights:

A tree:

And baked apple pies:

More

But there is more to Christmas than lights, presents, trees, and dinners.  This is a dedicated time to celebrate when God invaded this planet with His plan of redeeming humans.  Angels made the announcement and told shepherds the good news.  By most accounts that was 2011 years ago.  (Using 4 B.C. as the date).  Since AD 29 or so, Christians have had the task of telling humans around them the good news.  Who did you tell today? Yesterday?  Last Week? 

If you told someone, great, if not, what was the reason?  Was it fear of persecution? War? Both of those are on the rise.  In fact, the number of Christians in the Middle East is on a very sharp decline.

It is still possible to find shops decorated for Christmas like this one in Iraq:

But do you see anything related to the true reason for the season? Perhaps this is the reason:

Several churches were bombed in Baghdad, and a priest in the northern city of Mosul was kidnapped and later found beheaded. This year, Sunni Arab militants began knocking on doors of Christians living in Baghdad's Dora neighborhood, demanding that they pay a "tax," convert to Islam or leave. In April and May alone, an estimated 500 families fled Dora. - Los Angeles Times

And it is no excuse to say that the end of the world is just about to happen.  The asteroid rocketing through space is headed to Mars, not Earth.  There is still time.  For those in the US, you have it easy:  an estimated 91% of households have a copy of the Bible.  All you have to do is live in such a way that they will read it (or hear it) and believe.  If nothing else, it now comes in pink:

Conclusion

This was not a chew-out session.  Rejoice with family and friends.  Enjoy the music of the season (I know I did).  Just don't forget what it is really about.

Merry Christmas!!

Happy Thanksgiving

Hope everyone is having a great Thanksgiving. Remember not just what you are thankful for, but to whom those thanks go! Ok, time to go enjoy this pie!

Close Call & Leviticus

Right now I'm reading through the book of Leviticus.  While the content may be a bit dry, the importance of being holy is screamed throughout it.  Mixing holiness and sin is a deadly combination, though some may have forgotten.  In some regards this is similar to the debate in the church regarding Halo 3.  While I do not think that it approaches the "sin" level, it does begin to call the question of where the limit should be drawn. 

What is "holy" and what is "unclean" ?  How does that apply to our daily lives?  We do not have a tabernacle or tent of meeting that follows the Mosaic law, so where do we meet God?  How are we when we meet Him?  How close to the line will we mix holy and unclean? 

This close? 

Think about it and reply.

Not to be outdone...

Ok, so I've learned that the X-Wing was not the only Star Wars Rocket to attempt flight the other day.  They also launched a Y-Wing.  Click here to see some of the footage from the onboard camera.

This video is a montage of three flights that day: X-Wing, Y-Wing, and a regular rocket.  I guess this rocket club does more than just the Estes rockets that I used to play with (thanks to Mom & Dad and the California Science Center {when it was called the California Institute of Science and Technology}) !

Galaxy

The L.A. Galaxy, that is.  Not that I expected them to do anything, since they stayed in the basement all year, but the Galaxy are officially eliminated from the MLS playoffs.

I just have two things to say:  wait until next year... and we still have David Beckham!

Failed X-Wing Launch

It really is too bad: 

They did so much work:

But the attempt to build an X-Wing that would fly has failed:

I guess they'll have better results next time.  But you have to admit one thing:  the first part of the launch was pretty cool.

October Baseball

October is here and with that comes pumpkin pies, apple cobblers, fiery leaves, and of course - post season baseball.

This year my NL team did not finish strong.  After quite a while in first place, the Dodgers ran out of gas; they barely finished above 500.  But there is always next year...

In the meantime I get to enjoy the events leading up to the fall classic.  October baseball is a great time, followed closely by April baseball.  As a close out on the 2007 Baseball, I would like to see the Cubs and Indians in the World Series. 

STAR WARS: Legacy of the Force

Although most of my reading is of the non-fiction variety, I do enjoy fiction.  Usually, though, that fiction is not in the form of great novels that are masterpieces of literature.  I enjoy those, and in fact my favorite books are by Austen, Dostoyevsky, Shakespeare, and Hugo.  No, I find most of my fiction to be escapism. 

There.  I admitted it.  So what?  I find escapism to be a cheap way to have an adventure.  I enjoy Crichton, Clancy, and flying around the galaxy far, far away in Star Wars. 

Here's a video of the authors of the latest story arch:

Exploring Photos

Not only do I like to take pictures, but I love to look at great ones.  Here are some photos that I found on Flickr that I like.  Most of these have larger views if you click on the photo. 

Perthshire Evening

That Was Close

Like a Monday

Road to Nowhere

Waiting to Go...

Holiday Break... Will You Join Me?

Lagoon

Six Rainbows

While this isn't an astronomy picture, this truly is amazing.  Six (6) rainbows in one image.  Ok, so three of them are reflections in the water, but then, according to the description on APOD, all but the primary rainbow (the brightest one) are really reflections.

Pavarotti

As many of you most likely know, Luciano Pavarotti (from Three Tenors fame) has died at the age of 71.  His (I guess) web site has an interesting quote up right now:

I think a life in music is a life beautifully spent and this is what I have devoted my life to.

He may not have been the best tenor ever, but he is surely among the most popular.  I love classical music, but when I was young I maintained that I did not like opera and especially not this guy -- he reminded me of Stromboli from Disney's Pinocchio.  I didn't speak Italian and I didn't like sopranos (chiefly because the piercing voice was unbearable). 

However, as I grew older, I found myself liking a few pieces and found that they were Pavarotti.  I might be less cultured and more willing to accept the mass-marketed appeal of Pavarotti and not be discriminating enough for the refined artists.  But one thing is undeniable, the music that he did sounds beautifully.  Here are my two favorite songs he did.  Perhaps not the best of recordings, but the songs nonetheless.

Three Tenors - Nessum Dorma

Ave Maria

What is most unfortunate is that apparently his life was devoted to music and not to the Lord.  A search for "Pavarotti's religion," "Pavarotti's religious," and "Pavarotti's beliefs" all turn up no results.  Searching his personal life reveals this:

Off-stage, Pavarotti's personal life was often as colourful as his performances. He was, as U2 rocker Bono said, "a great volcano of a man who had a love of life in all its complexity". -Mirror.co.uk

That makes me sad, quite unlike his music.  With that in mind, here's an encore of perhaps his most famous song, Nessum Dorma.

A Twist on the Prodigal Son

Surely at some point we all feel like the elder brother.  I am referring to the parable of the Lost (prodigal, if you prefer) Son in Luke 15.  The story is a familiar one, as it shows the love and care God has for each of us.  We all have sinned and therefore were like the younger son.  Yet, at the same time, because of that sin, we can also identify with the one who didn't leave.  Jedi Guini mentions a not-so-unique feeling in her latest blog.  She points out the feelings that can at times plague the single person, who striving to be like Christ, still finds themselves single.  At those times it can appear like the good gift of a spouse is being "wasted" on the wrong people.  Sometimes it feels like everyone else is being blessed but me.  Why is it that it seems like the love of God is so far away?

That's because the older one was still distant from the Father.  Sure, he may not have been far, but he refused to go inside, which meant he was away from the father.  Many have pointed out that this is the Pharisee in the story (the whole thing was predicated on Pharisees pointing out that Jesus ate with "sinners") because he did not like the father celebrating the other son's return; I do not disagree.  But I find that their major sin is refusing to come inside.  The feelings of frustration and jealousy are natural, but a separation from God-- what is wrong is to refuse to be reunited. 

The Elder brother may have felt offended, but chose to not rejoice in his brother's return.  This, then, looks like the parable of the two sons in Matthew 21 where the one son did not do as the Father wanted.  Does the Elder brother have a solid case?  No.  The fattened calf was not all that the Father had, but that is the tantrum that the Elder son threw.

So where does that leave me?  Well, I know that "a prudent wife is from the LORD" but just because I am not married yet does not mean that God ran out of good gifts to give.  That might seem like the case when I don't even have any prospects, but it is not.  I choose not to remain jealous; I choose not to remain outside the party.  I choose to go in, celebrate and be glad.  Why? Because I have a Father who loves me.  When I leave town, He looks anxiously for my return; when I do not feel like coming in, He comes to plead with me.  Nothing that I have earned, done, or said, but because of who He is.

Say What??

Just a second.  Watch this first.

I didn't see what I just saw, did I?  Is this how our schools are now?  I know I have been out for a few years now, but we can't be that bad, can we?

Here's a Canadian translation of what she said.

Firstly, some Americans don't know where America is on a map because they don't have maps. This is because we don't teach them the value of studying the geographic structure of our planet. Furthermore, the same people who have trouble locating our country on a map wouldn't be able to find South Africa or Iraq either. This also illustrates our failure in educating our own countrymen and women.

Education is so important, in the first case, because it allows us to help ourselves — to make a better country for us to live in. But, also, education at home means that we'll be able to help people in places like South Africa and Iraq. Without education, we risk our future.

Hamas Cartoon

Some people are upset that Hamas is using a lion in their latest children's political cartoon.  I watched the clip and don't see the resemblance to Simba or the Disney's The Lion King.  From a standpoint of using images to motivate the audience, this is along the same lines as the LBJ "Daisy Girl" video. 

Here, though, I did find two very interesting things.  See if you can find them.

 

 The first interesting thing was the targeting of the mosque.  I don't know enough about it to know if the mosque was the Dome of the Rock mosque on the temple mount or not, but that's what I thought of.  Many have said that the mosque will eventually go so that the next Jewish temple can be built there.  I didn't think that one Muslim group would blame another for attempting to attack it.  But seeing this video, I wouldn't be surprised to see Hamas attack it and then blame it on Fatah.

The second interesting thing I saw was that Israel was pictured as a dry (cracked) bone that the lion of Hamas shoves out of the way to deal with the new problem of Fatah.  Ezekiel 37 anyone?

Mixing Holy and Toys

Sometimes even the best intentions get misunderstood when crossing cultural and religious boundaries.  I would not have a problem kicking a soccer ball with Jesus' name on it, or a Bible verse, or something like that.  Perhaps I should.  Would something like that be lowering the holiness of God to a toy?  Or would that be a great thing to play with - a constant reminder of keeping God's word in our hearts and minds?  For me the jury is still out.  I would appreciate some feedback on the issue.

Some other people, however, have already made up their minds.  I learned something new today.  The Saudi flag contains the inscription of the pillars of Islam, which came from the Koran and contains Allah's name.  That means having the Saudi Arabian flag on a soccer ball is blasphemous.  Again something new that I learned today.  Unfortunately, someone else learned it the hard way.  Around 100 people protested in Afghanistan over the US military distributing soccer balls containing the Saudi flag.

Hopefully, the peaceful demonstration will be the end of the issue.  Big error on the U.S. part - steps should be made to correct it.  A worse error would be violence by some extremist group in retaliation.  No ill will was intended; hopefully most see it that way.

Californians May Decide If Winner Still Takes All

 I really like this proportionality rule being proposed.  I can assure you that my vote is ready to be cast in support of this proposition.  Although we don't have a direct election of the President (I'm all in favor of that, but it would take a Constitutional amendment), I do think that the voices of thousands of people get drowned out by the winner take all system.  Why should all of the votes be cast for one person who wins only by 50% plus one?  This is how you end up with a presidential winner who didn't get the most votes. 

Well, that plus the electoral college that favors small states.  A voter in Wyoming has more power than one from California.  Wyoming has 3 votes for 450,000 people (6.667 x 10^-6 votes per person).  California has 53 votes for 35,000,000 people (1.514 x 10^-6 votes per person).  Doing the math, the voter in Wyoming counts for 4.40 times more than the voter from California.  That means that a Californian has to get four other people to vote with him/her in order to be equal to the vote of the person from Wyoming (are they called Wyomingans?) .

It needs to be one person, one vote.  That's the fair (and currently un-American) way.

Fly to the Stars!

Google Earth 4.2 now has Google Sky. It allows you to view the night sky and "fly" to the stars and galaxies.  Here's a video that shows the latest features!

Under the Sea

I recently bought an underwater digital camera and here are the first images from it. More can be found at my Flickr site.

Fiery Surface

The sun shines a lot down here in the Caribbean, which heats up the water and allows the coral to thrive.

Sea Star

This sea star was right near the shore.

Going Down

This wasn't a scuba dive but just a skin dive

Cool Coral Shot

A little out of focus, still have to learn the camera!

Two Fish

I was trying to get more fish in this shot but most swam away.

Small School

This one was much better.

Fish Among the Coral

Well, it's time to go off and find some more!

Cool Picture

I know it's been a while since I've posted.  It may be some time before anything of real interest gets posted:  for the next 8 weeks I'm taking an online English course so I can finally finish my AA.  Since that already involves lots of writing, I doubt that I'll be placing much on here.

But anyway, the APOD for today looks really cool!

 

Sad Day for TV News

 Today is a sad day, not just for LA, but also for television news.  Hal Fishman, at the age of 75, is dead.  With his television career nearly twice as long as I've been alive, he touched many homes and was the face of the news for as long as several of us can remember.

You can see several tributes to him on the KTLA news site.

Diving and Stars

Diving

I'm taking my PADI Open Water Diving course.  Today I was in the swimming pool doing my confined water dives.  I spent 6.5 hours at the pool.  Needless to say I am wearing after sun lotion.  But it should be worth it.  This week I'll do my open water dives.

Stars

I have always liked astronomy.  I'm still going to find a way to keep it up.  Perhaps I'll buy a telescope.  Anyway, here are two images I wanted to share. 

The first one is the M8 region.

And this next one is not really a photo of stars.  Almost everything in this image is a galaxy of stars.

If you like these images, you can view the astronomy picture of the day at APOD.

Current Book I am Reading

I am currently reading "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins and I find myself agreeing with him. NO, not that I am becoming an atheist! I agree with many of his observations about "believers" and the way that their beliefs impact (or rather NOT impact) their life. Furthermore the "reasons" that they attempt to argue for faith are weak. I love apologetics and reasoning with people - this will help me answer some questions that previously I was unable to and it helps me solidify my own beliefs.

Christians in Afghanistan

Check out this article.  It is pretty good. 

Michelle Malkin on Christians in Afghanistan on National Review Online

Opposites Interfere

 This is a really cool science experiment.  You won't be able to duplicate it at home, but the results are definitely interesting.  To say that it goes against common sense is quite an understatement. 

The gist is:

"Heiblum and his team showed that, because of such interference, these two particles are entangled – the actions of one are inextricably tied to the actions of the other – even though they come from completely different sources and never interact with each other."

Which is basically to say that two particles coming from opposite ends of the room (and who never touch) still influence the movement of each other.

Good Post: Anti-Proselytizing Policy

Here's an posting to read.  I really like the concluding paragraph:

I'm not issuing a gloom-and-doom warning. Our Lord is still sovereign and on His throne, fulfilling all His promises in Scripture. But I do think that discerning Christians should be paying attention. When we intercede for other nations, we also need to pray for our nation, for the potential of future difficulties here, and for our own faith and witness to survive the test.

Why I Can't Get a Date

 Fine -- so this might not be the only reason.  But I'm sure that one of the reasons is Picky Chicks.  Anyone who is that picky clearly won't choose me.

Review of Harry Potter 5

I've returned from the movie; like I promised here's my opinion:

Harry Potter is not as bad as some have made it out to be.  Yes, it has witches and wizards; yes, it has people casting spells; yes, it has "bad guys" i.e., it is scary.  Now, I am not espousing the idea that we should all be like Harry Potter or that all should see the movies/read the books.  What I am saying is that Harry Potter does not teach anyone how to be demonic -- and that good can come from the rabid interest.  (To be fair, I have note read any of the books; there is a slight chance that the books do advocate occultic practices that the movie does not show.)

I guess that places me in the same category as Chuck Colson.  He, back in 2000, wrote:

What the fascination with Harry Potter really illustrates what C. S. Lewis meant by Sehnsucht -- the longing for the mysterious, the wonderful, the other- worldly that our daily experience does not satisfy.

The great appeal is that Harry Potter is the story about children who, living in the modern age, are forced to deal with a great evil that is threatening their livelyhood and their very lives.  They have a chance to stop it  The movie is very dramatic and epic (which is most likely why I enjoyed the film).  The trouble comes not from advocating the use of magic (the use of witchcraft is a sin) but rather because the Truth is not given.  In the words of Mr. Colson:

The appeal of other-worldly stories like Harry Potter is that they tap into our hunger for God's wonder. The banal world of video games, television, the pursuit of wealth, and other diversions can never satisfy this longing. The Potter craze reflects the longing in our kids' souls for God.

But Harry Potter is not the real thing.

And, because it is not the real thing, it can bring trouble to the confused.  Those who start to view magic as a way to escape from real troubles and have Harry Potter as a leader of sorts will be led down the wrong path.  It is not "just Christians" who are worried about Potter.  Others too, think that the boy wizard has begun to deal with non-kid issues.

One interesting note is that Dr. James Dobson has been totally misquoted as saying that he supports Harry Potter.  I am begining to wonder if it was a carefully constructed plan to generate more money for the studios/publisher.  For

"the movies gained huge victories when conservative ministry heads such as Dr James Dobson, founder of Focus on the Family, and Chuck Colson of Prison Fellowship Ministries gave their stamp of approval."

Neither of whom, by the way, did.  Dr. Dobson expressly is opposed to them.  What Mr. Colson said was "if you... put your kids on to stories that recognize the real thing we all yearn for -- the Harry Potter phenomenon may turn out to be a pretty good thing indeed."

Conclusion

So where does that leave me?  Well, movie wise I don't think this one was as good as the first, and none of them have been that great (perhaps because I'm not the target audience?).  What this movie did do is open my eyes as to why Potter is so attractive - people are hungry for God.  They recognize that they need a greater power than themselves to save them and are willing to believe in anything - even a prophecy about a young boy who is able to defeat the great evil with the power he has because of who he is.  Sound familiar?  It is like a very bad copy of the story of Jesus - who is able to defeat the enemy because of who He is. 

Do I aspire to be like Potter? No.  Do I want to copy him? No.  Does this movie lead me to the occult? No.  Will I now want to go out and cast spells? No.  Why?  Because I know the Truth.  But what about you?  Or your neighbor?  Ms. Rowling wrote a book that is now a fad; we have a mission, 2000 years old, to bring light to a dark world.

Recent Movies

Last Sunday night I saw Ratatouille with a few friends.  Yes, you might find it strange for four straight adult men to watch an cartoon animated feature film.  But it's a great film.  I thoroughly enjoyed it, and once February 2008 comes around I plan to buy it.  If you haven't seen it, you should - it's done by Pixar (of the Toy Story and Cars fame).

I will be leaving in the next few minutes to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix.  It remains to be seen how this movie will be.  I have heard both good and bad about it.  I'll update after the show.

Trying Something Different

I'm trying something different right now.  If you look to the left sidebar, you'll notice that I've greatly expanded my "To Read" list.  I'm attempting to get through all those listed by February 2008.  In order to do so, I've committed myself to not buying any DVDs or Video Games -- at least until I finish the Archaeology Study Bible.

I'm not sure how this personal challenge will end, all I know is that I'm going to try it.  I may have selected too many books to read, but we'll see.

First Tic-Tac-Toe... and now Checkers

 Just like I've always believed - Checkers is a worthless game.  Ok, so it's not worthless: I've had many a fun (and at other times very frustrating) game.  But ever since I learned Chess, I've dislike Checkers, primarily because I thought the game was without real strategy; it's not she who plays perfectly wins but rather he who makes a mistake loses.

Come to find out, the computers have solved the game and it really is a game that if each plays perfectly, no one wins.  So just like Tic-Tac-Toe has been solved (see War Games for a cool demonstration) so has Checkers.  But don't attempt to copy down the right moves - "the entire solution includes 500,995,484,682,338,672,639 possible board configurations."

Chess on the other hand is still a long ways from being solved - even if the computers are better than we humans.

Happy Birthday, Blog!

From Boundless I learned that the Wall Street Journal is running a celebration for the blog;  a birthday celebration, that is:

Happy Blogiversary

It's been 10 years since the blog was born. Love them or hate them, they've roiled presidential campaigns and given everyman a global soapbox. Twelve commentators -- including Tom Wolfe, Newt Gingrich, the SEC's Christopher Cox and actress-turned-blogger Mia Farrow -- on what blogs mean to them.

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So, in celebration, I thought I would show you all my first blog.  (Yeah, I know - kinda nerdy and self promoting -- it's for the blog birthday party, though)  Debuted on my first website roughly 9 years ago (November 1998), it was part of a series that ran for 13 posts lasting through October 30 1999.  Now that I look back at them, I find them very trite, naive, and innocent.

 So here is the unedited raw content, save a few opsec edits, of the first blog I wrote. 

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Vol. 1.1

November 1998

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New way to get news.

Hello everyone! I am trying out this format to see if this will be a good way to get the news out. I would appreciate feedback on this. I plan to make this available online also. Email me @ old email address to start receiving it via email.

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The Past 5 Months

Because this is the first time that I have communicated with some of you for a long time I am going to give a quick summary of the past 5 months.

The trip out to California was a fun, yet long one. We started out on a rainy day and had rain every day until we got to Wyoming. But most of the rain was at night. We were able to see anything we wanted to see when we wanted because during that time it was not raining. We still have dents in our car from the hail that fell in Missouri.

Our entire trip from Ohio to California took us through the states of Indiana, Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Colorado, Wyoming, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, and then to California. I was able to drive in all of the states and I drove from just outside of Las Vegas all the way into a rest stop in California.

We were able to see sights in Illinois where Abraham Lincoln lived and in Kansas where Eisenhower lived. In Colorado we saw family and friends and also went to Focus on the Family the day that Dr. Dobson had a stroke. (There is no connection between the two incidents.)

In Wyoming we saw lots of animals along the road and also saw a nice sunset. In Utah we went to Bryce Canyon and saw the sun rise over the canyon. It was cool. From there we drove to the city where my mom and dad had part of their honeymoon. We also ate at Carl's Jr. (A West Coast fast food joint - my favorite).

When we first arrived in LA we stayed in the old LIFE (Bible College) men's dorm (now the Angelus Bible Institute dorm). LIFE was where mom and dad met.

We were immediately accepted into the church, but I had several of the experiences with people recognizing me, but I had a blank mind on who they were. Oh well!

We are now in a church-owned house in Glendale, which is about 8 miles from the church and 10 miles from the school.

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New School

We are now attending school name. It is a small school district made up of three schools (Elementary, Middle, and High) on one campus. The total enrollment is 1950 students. Each grade has about 150 students and the classes are about 20-30 in size.

The school has several bus routes and we take one of them to get to school. The stops are near our house - one is just across the street.

When I first saw the school, I decided that out of all of the schools that we had seen that this was the one that I wanted to go to. The campus was the only one that said "come here." All the other schools that we had visited looked run down and did not look inviting.

This has turned out to be a very good school. I am taking 3 AP classes that allow me to earn college credit for them. None of the other schools that we looked at offered any of these classes. This is allowing me to prepare more for college and get ahead in my studies so that I can get into a good college.

The students and staff at school name have been friendly and helpful. Even in such a large school, we are not lost in the crowd. The staff knows our family and so do many of the students. I am a Teacher's Assistant for the Athletic Department and it is going well. The secretaries and the Athletic Director are nice and they are good friends. I have been able to help them and they have welcomed me warmly to the school.

School is going well, we are just passed the first quarter; wow time flies. It seems like we have just been in school for a short time, but semester exams are coming up quickly. Just about 6 weeks of school and then we are in the 2^nd Semester!

I think that "senioritus" is starting to affect me even though I am a junior. Most of my classmates are seniors and the juniors that are not are also being affected with senioritus. Maybe it should be called "upperclassmenitus".

All in all it has been a good time at school name. Our grades are good and so are the teachers and friends.

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Mission's Trip

Brother's name and I are preparing to go with some of our youth group to Tijuana, Mexico this weekend. We leave the day after Thanksgiving and return on Sunday. (I know that some will receive this after the trip is over. I will describe it in the next issue) The trip has been planned for several months, but we did not know that we would be going until about two months ago.

The youth leadership is wanting this trip to be a giving time. They wanted everyone to supply there own way to go. I at first declined in late August because I did not have the money to go. In October I was again asked if I wanted to go and I said that I did (I did, but did not have the money). They said to not worry about the money. I mentioned to them that I could go if I got enough money from my birthday. This was on a Sunday; by Wednesday all of the money came in and I was able to go.

We have 4 teams that are going down to TJ. We have a worship team, puppet team, drama team and prayer team. Everyone is a member of two teams. I am on the worship team and the puppet team. Brother's name is on the puppet team and the prayer team. We are going to be going to two orphanages and two churches and we are staying at LIFE Tijuana (a Bible college). We will be teaching a youth group there how to do puppets and drama. It is during a pastors' conference and we will be doing part of a service for the pastors. We are told that they are eager to have us come. For them it is strange to have teenagers who would be willing to go on a missions trip.

Thank you to everyone who helped me go.

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My 17^th Birthday

For my birthday we had a small family party, but family names surprised me and my friends at school with a pizza. My spanish teacher gave me some Dr. Pepper and the Athletic Department gave me a cake and a card. It was fun. Some friends at church gave Mark and I a joint party and they gave me a nice shirt and some money. I used the money to get some more CDs. Like I stated earlier most of the money that I got for my birthday I used to pay for the missions trip.

Life Chapter Close

There are some moments in life that you know are intrinsically important.  For many of those we create expensive or fancy looking pieces of paper - graduations, marriages, births.  They certify for everyone else to see that something special occurred.  Other times we document the event in other ways - yearbooks, photographs/portraits, memoirs, speeches.  Every event is both a begining and an ending - the start or close of a chapter.

For me, that is what these last two weeks have been - the close of a chapter.  A very important, big, transformational chapter.  I've had to say goodbye to some of my closest friends, pack-up, and move.   I honestly hope to keep in touch with them; technology is great for that.  But I also know that I may never see some of them again - that's just the way life is.

Some might wish that life didn't have changes: no goodbyes, no sadness, no leaving; I am not one of those.  I find stasis to be more boring than watching paint dry (at least paint changes from a viscous liquid to a flaky solid).  We can't move on to greater adventures and chapters if we don't close the current one.  Neither can we forget the preceding parts of the story.  The best part, though, is that God is the author and finisher of our faith.  And that is what life really is: the story of our faith.

Hebrews 12:1-3

1Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. 2Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. 3Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart.

Well, I have a plane to catch; it's time to turn the page...

FDA Halts Imports of Farmed Fish From China

I didn't realize how much food we imported from China.  It makes me really consider reading more carefully the lables on food - where does it come from.  I've never had a problem getting things from overseas - I like fresh fruits: hence the produce from Chile, Brazil, the "banana republics," etc.  I don't want farmers to go unemployed nor do I want them exploited.  "Fair trade" is the way to go.

But China?  I thought we only got mandarin oranges from there... not fish!

Christians forced out of Baghdad district - Los Angeles Times

I have nothing to say about this article.  I think the article speaks for itself entirely.

Limits on Student Free Speech

While I do not like the content of his shirt "Bong Hits 4 Jesus" I'm not sure that I like the ruling either.  The part that bothers me is the reasoning behind the verdict.  I'm treading in deep water with this, but according to the news report, it's the interpretation not intention of the speech that can be censored.  Secondly it sets the precedent that a school can limit what a student does outside of school.

1. Interpretation.  While the communication model shows that information being transmitted is not always received as intended, I don't like the idea of the interpretation being the decisive factor in a free speech case.  "Go kill liars" is clearly intended to incite some action.  Namely that the listener is instructed to go kill liars.  On the other hand, "God hates lying tongues" (Proverbs 6-16-17) is not inciting action.  Based upon the reasoning reported by the news, however, I could be held accountable if someone took that statement as a call to action.  (ie, if God hates something, it's bad, if it's bad we should kill it, therefore if God hates lying tongues, we should kill them)  I however, do not intend to have anyone be killed, nor am I instructing anyone to kill.
2. Outside of school.  In general, I favor schools having some limits on what can be done on school property.  The public is paying for the students to receive an education.  As such if some activity (or speech) is detracting from the learning environment, the students are not getting what is being paid for.  And no, I'm not advocating that all learning is acceptable.  I don't think that learning how to build a bomb or attack a fixed position is what a middle school student needs to learn.  What we (as paying customers) require for is the approved curriculum (the product) to be taught to the students.  To ensure this process is successful, all disruptive behavior (ie, actions that impede the process) should be banned.  The learning environment, however, does not include outside the boundaries (field trips being within the boundaries) of the school.  As such, the school should have no jurisdiction over the students outside of those boundaries (the same principle as my argument why schools shouldn't ban students from having blogs, myspace, youtube, etc on their home computers).

The biggest problem I have is when these two principles are combined they form a horrible situation.  If some school administrator decides that students espousing religious views outside of school can interpreted as inciting wrongful behavior guess what happens?  It then becomes wrong for the student to espouse those views. 

For example:

• All Sinners go to hell
• All have sinned
• All are going to hell
• Jesus is the only way to heaven
• All who do not go to heaven will be thrown into the lake of fire

Those statements are very basic beliefs of Christianity.  And they are confrontational.  They are not nice, safe, politically correct statements.  Should a student be punished for saying them?  No.  Should a school be the place to proselytize?  No - that would disrupt the learning environment.  We can't just limit the religious instruction to ideals that we "agree" with - that would be unconstitutional and wrong.  But neither should any school be allowed to limit what religion a student follows.

It's not here yet, but soon Christians will again have to start breaking the "law" just like Peter did.  Am I advocating that you break all laws?  Nope.  The only "law breaking" would be against the (future) interpretation of the 1st Amendment: Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech...

Los Angeles to plunge 3700 feet below Pacific

 I know some of you would be elated for this to happen and others would be devastated.  However, it appears that it will happen... in a billion years or so:

Link to Why a Rocky Mountain high?

War on Christianity?

 An interesting blog I found on MySpace:

In the world of the media and entertainment, Christainity is fair game. Rapper Kanye West, famous for declaring (during a charity fundraiser) that George W. Bush "doesn't care about black people," appeared on the cover of the Rolling Stone as Jesus Christ wearing a crown of thorns; there was a little protest. Andres Serrano depicted a crucified Jesus in urine in his "Piss Christ." Terrence McNally's play about Jesus as a "young gay man" having "sexual adventures with his 12 disciples" was seen by large crowds in New York. This contrasts with the attitude towards Islam. As of this writing, the Washington Post and most other major news media have failed to publish the Danish cartoons ridiculing Muhammad that sparked anti-Western riots in Muslim countries. At CNN's Website, a remarkable editor's note appeared at the bottom of a story about the cartoons: "CNN has chosen to not show the cartoons out of respect for Islam." This from CNN, whose founder, Ted Tuner, called Catholics, "Jesus Freaks" and said Christainity was a "religion for losers..."

Link to blog.myspace.com/melodydamayo

Photos Updated

I've finally uploaded pictures of my recent vacation.

Photos are of

My Sister's High School Graduation

A trip with my youngest brother

And Mothers' Day 2007

Los Angeles Times: Hollywood's leap of faith with 'Evan Almighty'

This movie looks like it'll be a good one.

You can see the trailer here.   As a modern retelling of the story of Noah, I think it is fitting that this movie is coming out now.  Looking at the world around us, we seem to be living like in the days of Noah.  However, thanks to my disappointment with the Pirates 3 movie, I don't think I'm going to see it on opening day.  I like seeing movies when the first come out - I guess in some ways it gives me a pop culture item to talk about "around the water cooler."  Seeing Spiderman 3 on opening day was fun - even if a little foolish to attend a 12 AM showing when I had work starting at 5 AM that day.  But I didn't like Pirates 3.  They squeezed a 30 minute story into 3 hours.

Since this is the year of the "three-quel," I did see Oceans 3 (not too bad) but really looking forward to Bourne 3.

Five Love Languages

Gary Chapman has a great book on how to communicate love between individuals.  The basic premise is that people communicate love through five ways:  Quality Time, Physical Touch, Acts of Service, Words of Affirmation, and Receiving Gifts.  Some people "speak" the languages with differing degrees of fluency.  And we don't "hear" in the same "language."  Gary says that we default to speaking the language that we listen to best.  But that doesn't mean our feeling of love is communicated effectively.

Reading the book would get you a better idea of the concept, but you can see the rough sketch if you take the quiz.

My Primary Love Language is Quality Time.  What is yours?

My Detailed Results:
Quality Time:	10
Physical Touch:	9
Acts of Service:	8
Words of Affirmation:	2
Receiving Gifts:	1

Runners -- Let thirst be your guide

Here's a study that will be of some interest to the runners out there. 

Link to Runners -- Let thirst be your guide

One Minute Painting

How Star Wars Shook the World

For those of you who didn't know... yesterday was Star Wars' 30th Birthday.  This article is an interesting read -- even for non-geeks. (are there any non-geeks who even read my blog??)

Ring Fingers and Suicide Bombers

Finger Length

Look at your fingers.  Which one is longer, your ring finger or your index finger?  According to a new report released, if your ring finger is longer the odds are that you have a more natural talent in mathematics.  If your index finger is longer you have a more natural talent in language and reading.  By the way, mine are just about the same.

American Muslim support for suicide bombers

A recent poll shows that just about 80% of American Muslims do not agree with the use of suicide bombers to defend Islam.  That's the good news... the bad news is that 25% of the American Muslims under 30 DO think that suicide bombings are justified.

Undercover Reporter

Watch this report on an undercover reporter who exposed Planned Parenthood.  She is a sophomore at UCLA and is being sued for illegally taping the video.

Proof that you can tell the truth and lie at the same time

Check that price tag before you buy: 20% off plus an additional 25% does not equal 45% off.   A study by University of Minnesota finds that people will buy more if they think they are getting a "better deal."  That "better deal" is because they cannot correctly calculate multiple percentages.

This "lying truth" is the same way that the Devil we lie to oursevles about the real cost of our actions.  Perhaps that's why we are told to "count the cost," not "calculate the cost" in Luke 14:26-33.

I really like the way that Ron Julian from the McKenzie Study Center paraphrases this passage:

All who follow Jesus will inevitably come into conflict with the world around them. Sometimes following Jesus means losing the love of family and friends. Sometimes following Jesus means losing the approval of our neighbors and our society. Sometimes following Jesus means losing our worldly possessions. Sometimes following Jesus means losing our lives. It is all worth it; the wealth which comes to those who follow Christ is richer than anything the world can offer. We cannot avoid this choice; if we insist on keeping the world's approval and the world's wealth, then we cannot be disciples of Jesus. If we are disciples of Jesus, then we will have to loosen our hold on the world and its riches.

Report on College Faculty

Volume II on a series of Profiles of the American University titled "Religious Beliefs & Behavior of College Faculty."

Some Major Findings:

Faculty Feel Warmly about Most Religious Groups, but Feel Coldly about Evangelicals and Mormons
Faculty have positive feelings toward Jews, Buddhists, Catholics,and Atheists.

Faculty Feel Most Unfavorably about Evangelical Christians
This is the only religious group about which a majority of non- Evangelical faculty have negative feelings.

Faculty Are Almost Unanimous in Their Belief That Evangelical Christians (Fundamentalists) Should Keep Their Religious Beliefs Out of American Politics
Faculty who are secular/liberal are more likely to favor separation of religion and government, and those who are religious and conservative are more likely to advocate a closer connection between religion and government.

Although Faculty Generally Oppose Religion in the Public Sphere, Many Endorse the Idea That Muslims Should Express Their Religious Beliefs in American Politics
Faculty are far less likely to endorse Evangelical Christians expressing their beliefs in American politics.

Update: Hamas Mickey Mouse

Nope, the dog didn't eat my homework...

Instead the Hamas Mickey Mouse blames "the Jews"

 For more information, check out the transcript here.

Mickey Mouse twin supports Hamas?

Hamas uses a video of a character that looks like Mickey Mouse to teach children to fight against the West.

Potentially Habitable Planet Found

It's quite a long ways away -- 20 light years, but it might be able to support life.  That would be very interesting... 

ABC News: Potentially Habitable Planet Found

AudioA winds down: 'There will be tears'

Found in a Alabama paper... 

AudioA winds down: 'There will be tears'

Pray for Rain

 Australia needs some rain now, or face a major food crisis.

Food warning on water cuts | Herald Sun

Vacuum Tube + iPod?

You can now combine the portability of the iPod with the uh... nonportability of the vacuum tube.  I like the idea of having a good sound system... but why would I hook up my iPod to it?  I would just play the music off my computer throught the amp.  Oh well.

Blog Preview

Well, since I still have homework to get done, I don't think I'll be blogging tonight -- but here's a preview on what's to come.

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Pope, as author, portrays the 'real Jesus'

Forget Kyoto

The Truth About Who Suffers

Before You Tee Off on China . . .

Chinese Takeout

Iran may be spinning itself into a corner

China warns Japan to stand by its apologies

To him, L.A.'s worth a thousand pictures

Let me out of the ballgame, let me be free of crowds

Orangutans Play Video Games at Ga. Zoo

CBS News Fires Producer for Plagiarism

Where has all the antimatter gone?

1 year at Venus, and going strong

Poor diet puts teenagers' health at risk

Space data unveils evidence of ancient mega-lake in northern Darfur

NASA predicts nongreen plants on other planets.

Google Earth Highlights Darfur Atrocities

Iran to make movie, book about UK sailors

Moms in Combat "a Shame"

Gender Specific Biological Clocks

Taking Risks in Relationships

A Scary View of Motherhood

My Brother's Video

My brother, "Catalina Guy," has posted one of his movies online. 

The Fight of the Century

Add to My Profile | More Videos

Computer Geek?

Not really!

How Nerdy Am I?

Not very much according to this test:

Waterbed Prank

Another good one...

Japanese Spa Prank

Ok. so the ones this morning isn't the best ever anymore. This one is.

I don't know if this is the best prank ever...

... but it sure is funny!  I don't know if I would like it if it happened to me.  But if anyone wants to try it, I give full permission.

Which Theologian Are You?

You scored as Anselm. Anselm is the outstanding theologian of the medieval period.He sees man's primary problem as having failed to render unto God what we owe him, so God becomes man in Christ and gives God what he is due. You should read 'Cur Deus Homo?' Anselm 67% Charles Finney 67% Augustine 67% John Calvin 60% Jonathan Edwards 53% Martin Luther 47% Jürgen Moltmann 47% Friedrich Schleiermacher 27% Karl Barth 20% Paul Tillich 13% Which theologian are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Spray Paint?

I didn't think this was possible to make with spray paint.  It brings a whole new image to light.  I guess this goes to show two cool things:

1. That many people have many different talents.
2. I don't know everything (yet again!)

 

Pro-Khomeini imam prays anti-Jewish, anti-Christian prayer in Texas Senate

Good!  I'm glad!  This is what freedom of religion is about.  I'm happy to see that this imam can pray like that at a government function.  Now let me pray what I want to pray!

I don't need any special protection from what others say -- just make sure to give equal opportunity.  Let a pastor go and pray in the name of Jesus.  Let a Rabbi go and  pray to YHWH.  Let an atheist go an expound on why there is no God.

My, nor any other, religion needs special protection or prohibition.  Let them all duke it out!

Jihad Watch: Pro-Khomeini imam prays anti-Jewish, anti-Christian prayer in Texas Senate

How to paint the MONA LISA with MS PAINT

Very impressive use of MS Paint

A Caricature of Things to Come?

Hostage drill at NJ school features mock 'Christian terrorists'

I cannot believe the "drill" that they practiced at Burlington Township High School.  I do not understand why they had to create a fictional situation to practice.  School attacks around the world are pretty common, unfortunately.  You can look to several examples just by picking up the paper.  For instance at least one school girl was killed and dozens wounded in a explosion just outside their school in Iraq.  Why go create a situation that should never (and I highly doubt would ever) occur?  Christians attack a school because their daughter wasn't allowed to pray?  What Christian group is this?  What Christian would ever do this?

Does anyone actually believe that this would happen?  I've always been taught to "train as you fight."  Get a realistic situation that is as close to real combat as you can and practice under those circumstances.  Picking a non-realistic situation does not allow for good training.  Is this a subtle attempt to influence the participants -- "one day Christians will come at you with guns" ?  I find that to be a little too hard to swallow.  I think that there are people who believe that the extreme right Christians would do something like this.  That shows two things:

1. Some people are ignorant about Christian beliefs and believers.
2. Christians need to live IN the world but not be OF the world.  You can't "win hearts and minds" by living in a hole-in-the-ground.  You have to let your light shine.

Pray for our brothers & sisters in Iraq. 

My heart grieves for this mother:

“When they cook a dish in the Middle East, it is traditional to put the meat on top of the rice when they serve it. They kidnapped a woman’s baby in Baghdad, a toddler, and because the mother was unable to pay the ransom, they returned her child  – beheaded, roasted and served on a mound of rice.”

The infant’s crime was to be an Assyrian, but this story, reported by the Barnabus Fund, went unnoticed in the West, like so many other horrific accounts of Christian persecution in Iraq.

Since the invasion of Iraq, Muslim militants have bombed 28 churches and murdered hundreds of Christians. Last October, Islamists beheaded a priest in Mosul in revenge for the Pope’s remarks about Islam at Regensburg. But never let it be said that jihadis do not have a sense of ironic humour: that same month they crucified a 14-year-old Christian boy in Basra.

Lack of Bees to Cause a Catastrophre?

Spring Mystery: Where Are All the Bees?

Albert Einstein, quoted in Germany's Der Spiegel, once said, "if the bee disappeared off the surface of the globe, then man would only have four years of life left. No more bees, no more pollination, no more plants, no more animals, no more man."

Can You Shatter Glass With Your Voice?

Mythbusters prove that it is possible, but can you do it?

The Science of Speaking in Tongues?

Ok readers, what is your opiniong of this report?

Iran and the Middle East

 I am getting concerned over the recent events dealing with Iran.  I'm sure a lot of this is just coincidence and seeing things that fit the pattern of what I expect, thereby reinforcing that which I already lean towards as being "real."  At the same time quite a few developments have occured recently. 

Iran

Starting with the standoff on the hostage (arrest/detention/insert your word here) situation...

British Sailors

I consider this to be a hostage situation because the sailors and marines are continuing being held until certain demands are met,  such as admitting that they illegally entered Iran.  This situation has exacerbated the already unstable economy.  Furthermore, it is just one more issue that has to be dealt with in the Middle East.

Massing Troops?

According to Russian reports, the US is massing troops on the Iranian border that might be a prelude to attack.

Nuclear Attack?

Iranian Leader Ali Khamenei Threatens to "Strike at Them with All Our Capabilities" If Iran Is Attacked

Middle East

Middle East Peace Agreement

I don't think that Saudi was threatening Israel to accept the peace agreement.  I read it to mean more of acknowledging the situation as it stands.  I don't know where I stand on the "Land for Peace" agreement.  I find the rhetoric of John Hagee, encouraging Israel to not give up any land,  to be more extreme than what I hold.  I see no reason why they can't go back to the pre-1967 boundaries as long as there is security.  However, I don't expect there to be any peace, regardless of who controls what land.

Priory of Scion to Attempt to Control Middle East?

Popularized in Dan Brown's novel, and expounded over 400 pages upon in Holy Blood, Holy Grail, the secret society known as the Prieuré de Sion is rumored to have an interest in controlling Jerusalem again.  If, as the books allege, the Prieuré was behind the Knights Templar and the Crusades, it is comprehensible that they will want to control it again.  I understand that these books are either fiction or unverifiable facts.  The conclusions are based on hypotheses that, while not entirely refutted, cannot be entirely supported either.

That being the case, it is still possible that the one world government (synthesis of Revelation 13) could come from such an organization.

Conclusion

So I might be a little influenced by the books I have been reading lately... but at least no one can say that the middle east is easy to understand or easy to solve its problems.

Apologies

I intended to have a serious posting, but I won't be able to tonight.  So instead I will give you two videos and a link.

Video 1:

Panda Sneeze

Link:

Should you doubt the religious war that is being waged right now, consider the Senior Hamas leaders prediction:Islam will enter every house and will spread over the entire world

Video 2:

A Cool Waste of Diet Coke

I should be able to finish the serious posting soon. It is in regards to the book I just finished, Holy Blood, Holy Grail.