UPDATE ON SWINE\MEXICAN\NORTH AMERICAN FLU
The Republican Party has introduced a bill into the Senate to call it the Arlan Specter Flu, since he is obviously a swine who has left the party to become a Democrat because there is no way he can be re-elected as a Republican even in Pennsylvania. In addition, the defection\betrayal of his party by Specter will give the Democrats a filibuster proof majority in the Senate (if the comedian is also seated), thereby guaranteeing a full term of nothing but pork at the hands of a liberal majority.
Democrats responded by tacking a rider onto the bill to change the official emblem of the party from the Donkey to the Pig. Also, it adds a billion dollar spending package for the building of the Arlan Specter freeway that will be built from one end of the state to the other and on which every Pennsylvanian who votes for Specter can get anything free as long as it is contains pork.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
MEXICO: THE GIFT THAT KEEPS ON GIVING
I went to Commissioners Court today and heard a briefing by the Public Health Department on Swine Flu.
First of all, no one seems to know why they call this the Swine Flu. There is no evidence that pigs or hogs are involved (other than politicians). And that name causes problems for those people in the world that have a problem with swine for religious and cultural reasons (as opposed to the fact that they are dirty, filty animals that will eat anything and besides do you really want to eat stuff you have to cook to a certain temperature to prevent infesting yourself with parasites?)
Anyway.
Jews and Muslims have problems with each other but are united in this one thing: they don't like swine. Israelis have decided to call the Swine Flu the Mexican Flu so that they do not offend observant Jews and Muslims.
This is not because they do not want to offend pigs, although that is no doubt what PETA would prefer.
Actually, they do not want to imply that the infected persons (that term has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?) had contact with Swine. I guess there is no problem implying that the infected person had contacts with Mexicans. If I have any Mexican readers, they can comment and tell me if they are offended and want it called Jewish Flu.
Swine Producers (otherwise known as pig farmers, especially at Howard Payne University) want the media to call it The Hybrid Flu. I guess that implies the Infected Person (I'm making this a proper noun now) had contact with a Toyota Prius. Of course, the Swine Producers believe the name Swine Flu will hurt their sales. That could be true because Americans are pretty stupid about these things. I mean, what how will Jessica Simpson figure this out? She is still working on that "Chicken of the Sea" thing.
The good news for Swine Producers is that pigs do not seem to be getting sick around the world. Whereas, large numbers of Mexicans seem to be.
The World Organization for Animal Health wants to use the name “North American Influenza”. This is based on the medical tradition of naming influenza pandemics for the regions where they were first identified. However, under that reasoning, Mexican Flu still works and keeps us from defaming Canada. And we hate to defame Canada because it already has this huge inferiority complex and worry about being a suburb of Dallas.
Historically, however, most flu can be traced to Asia. I think there is likely a flu factory in North Korea where the crazy guy lets loose now and then. Unfortunately, one of the reasons scientists think so many flu strains start in Asia is that a lot of people live close to pigs there. So, we could still end up back at Swine Flu.
Well, you know how I hate it when things like this are left up in the air (heh), so I made a few calls to see what THE GOVERNMENT was doing about it. Because THE GOVERNMENT is supposed to fix stuff. Right?
Here is what I found out.
Rumor is Congress is voting to call it the George Bush flu, under the reasoning that everything else bad in the world is the fault of George Bush, so this must be also.
The bill has stalled, however, as all the Democratic Congressmen are adding so many pork laden riders to the bill it resembles a bucket of slop.
President Obama will have a press conference and announce that he has a plan for solving the impending crisis and, therefore, if no crisis results, we can rest assured he solved it.
The North Koreans have threatened the entire universe saying it will strap a pig to a missle and explode infected bacon all over the atmosphere, infecting the entire existence of everything with Swine Flu unless the world immediately sends enough groceries to to feed the country for the next ten years, including Cognac.
Iran's president also issued a statement declaring that swine flu was invented by Israel and is further proof that Israel should be wiped off the map. In fact, he is sure that the Biblical rules against eating swine are a cover up for the fact that Jews have been hatching swine flu for years to release on poor unsuspecting Muslims and that is why Iran needs a nuclear program to purge the Middle East of this virus. And the Swine Flu.
Most Americans were last seen asking their cubicle mates what "swine" means.
This has been a round up of world news at no extra charge.
Friday, April 24, 2009
The Dean of Texas Prosecutors, my boss, and friend, Tim Curry, passed away this morning at 1:38 a.m. leaving a 36 year legacy of public service and integrity.
He was a man without arrogance despite exalted position. He believed public service meant that and not privilege. He was honest, modest and genuine.
My deepest sympathy to his wife, Jan, and his daughter, Beth, his son, Cullen, his mother, Rae, and the rest of his family. The hundreds of people who work for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney consider themselves part of his family also, and share their grief.
A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Worth on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
He was a man without arrogance despite exalted position. He believed public service meant that and not privilege. He was honest, modest and genuine.
My deepest sympathy to his wife, Jan, and his daughter, Beth, his son, Cullen, his mother, Rae, and the rest of his family. The hundreds of people who work for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney consider themselves part of his family also, and share their grief.
A memorial service will be held at First United Methodist Church in downtown Fort Worth on Wednesday, April 29, 2009 at 2:00 p.m.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
THE 400
There are many big anniversaries this year, such as the Calvin 500. This year is also being celebrated at the 400th anniversary of the first Baptists. (Warning: if you are a Landmark Baptist, you should not read this post as it contains truth that you cannot accept. Think of Tom Cruise's famous line in A Few Good Men.)
Since it is such a big anniversary, I will post some historical facts and some comments in coming posts.
In case you are poor at math, the year the story begins is 1609. The Church of England was the state church for our English spiritual ancestors. Membership was mandatory. Other denominations or religions were not allowed.
Those who attempted to separate from the church were often punished severely. The Church of England might well torture and kill them (but in a loving, Christ-like, way, I'm sure). These Separatists often had to leave England. This little congregation left England for Holland.
The group was lead by John Smyth. While studying his Bible, John decided that the baptism of infants was not scriptural, that only believers could be baptized. His congregation agreed.
John decided he needed to baptize the whole congregation. Humorously, the next problem became who could baptize John. I do not remember any qualifications set forth by Christ as to who can baptize, only who may be baptized, but clericalism prevailed and John decided only he could baptize himself. That scene from the movie, The Apostle, comes to mind. Since Smyth had been an Anglican priest, we can sympathize with his dilemma.
So, all were baptized and the first baptist congregation existed, and it existed in Holland. A few years later, the congregation returned to England and John the Baptist Smyth began to petition the king for religious freedom. A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity was the pamphlet he published.
Smyth later abandoned the Baptist identity and sought to lead his congregation into the Mennonite faith. In what would be a rousing start to Baptist arguments and politics, the church split. Smyth's supporters became Mennonites. Those who followed Thomas Helwys, another leader in the congregation, did not.
The first baptist church had the first baptist church split.
There are many big anniversaries this year, such as the Calvin 500. This year is also being celebrated at the 400th anniversary of the first Baptists. (Warning: if you are a Landmark Baptist, you should not read this post as it contains truth that you cannot accept. Think of Tom Cruise's famous line in A Few Good Men.)
Since it is such a big anniversary, I will post some historical facts and some comments in coming posts.
In case you are poor at math, the year the story begins is 1609. The Church of England was the state church for our English spiritual ancestors. Membership was mandatory. Other denominations or religions were not allowed.
Those who attempted to separate from the church were often punished severely. The Church of England might well torture and kill them (but in a loving, Christ-like, way, I'm sure). These Separatists often had to leave England. This little congregation left England for Holland.
The group was lead by John Smyth. While studying his Bible, John decided that the baptism of infants was not scriptural, that only believers could be baptized. His congregation agreed.
John decided he needed to baptize the whole congregation. Humorously, the next problem became who could baptize John. I do not remember any qualifications set forth by Christ as to who can baptize, only who may be baptized, but clericalism prevailed and John decided only he could baptize himself. That scene from the movie, The Apostle, comes to mind. Since Smyth had been an Anglican priest, we can sympathize with his dilemma.
So, all were baptized and the first baptist congregation existed, and it existed in Holland. A few years later, the congregation returned to England and John the Baptist Smyth began to petition the king for religious freedom. A Short Declaration of the Mystery of Iniquity was the pamphlet he published.
Smyth later abandoned the Baptist identity and sought to lead his congregation into the Mennonite faith. In what would be a rousing start to Baptist arguments and politics, the church split. Smyth's supporters became Mennonites. Those who followed Thomas Helwys, another leader in the congregation, did not.
The first baptist church had the first baptist church split.
Monday, April 20, 2009
We spent the week end in Aggie Land for Parent's Week End (pause for whooping). We got to see the Communications Department honors ceremony, which they should have named after our daughter, because she is graduating with 3 different honors, as well as being a grant recipient to write a thesis, the only one in the department. I have to go change shirts now. I just busted all my buttons off my shirt.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Have you ever heard of the "Tear Drop"? I had not, either, until just recently.
The Tear Drop is a sculpture given to the United States by Russia after the September 11, 2001 attacks.
It is situated across from the Statue of Liberty in New Jersey. The base contains the names of all the victims, similar to the Vietnam War Memorial.
It was a nice gesture from the Russians, especially since it seems we are often at odds over things.
The sculptor is Zurab Tesereteii.
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
A Saudi Arabia judge has refused for a second time to annul a marriage between an 8-year-old girl and a 47-year-old man. (Pause here for gasping. Who knew this could happen, much less require an annulment.)
The mother of the child petitioned the court for a divorce for her under-aged daughter. The rejected her petition. His reasoning was that the mother could not be the legal guardian of her daughter since the mother is separated from the father. In other words, a mother has no parental rights of her own, only through her husband and father of her child. The judge, Sheikh Habib al-Habib, ruled that the girl could petition the court for a divorce once she reached puberty.
The girl's father, who is her legal guardian, "arranged the marriage" to pay a debt to a close friend. In plain old language, he sold his daughter to a friend to pay a monetary debt. Interestingly, prostitution is illegal in Saudi Arabia. If the girl slept with the man to pay a debt, she could be severely punished. But, the father can pimp her out without penalty to himself.
The religious establishment in the Kingdom agree. "It is incorrect to say that it's not permitted to marry off girls who are 15 and younger. A girl aged 10 or 12 can be married. Those who think she's too young are wrong, and they are being unfair to her." So says Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the kingdom's grand mufti. Unfair to her? No one in their right mind thinks this is about her. No 8 year old girl wants to be married to a 47 year old man. Yet, he says "We should know that sharia law has not brought injustice to women." This is breathtaking in its shamelessness. Clearly it has brought injustice. It robs a mother of her parental rights and allows old men to legally practice pedophilia.
The Dark Ages are alive and well in the Middle East.
This "Kingdom" is the "Kingdom of Darkness".
I've got to get an electric car.
The mother of the child petitioned the court for a divorce for her under-aged daughter. The rejected her petition. His reasoning was that the mother could not be the legal guardian of her daughter since the mother is separated from the father. In other words, a mother has no parental rights of her own, only through her husband and father of her child. The judge, Sheikh Habib al-Habib, ruled that the girl could petition the court for a divorce once she reached puberty.
The girl's father, who is her legal guardian, "arranged the marriage" to pay a debt to a close friend. In plain old language, he sold his daughter to a friend to pay a monetary debt. Interestingly, prostitution is illegal in Saudi Arabia. If the girl slept with the man to pay a debt, she could be severely punished. But, the father can pimp her out without penalty to himself.
The religious establishment in the Kingdom agree. "It is incorrect to say that it's not permitted to marry off girls who are 15 and younger. A girl aged 10 or 12 can be married. Those who think she's too young are wrong, and they are being unfair to her." So says Sheikh Abdul Aziz Al-Sheikh, the kingdom's grand mufti. Unfair to her? No one in their right mind thinks this is about her. No 8 year old girl wants to be married to a 47 year old man. Yet, he says "We should know that sharia law has not brought injustice to women." This is breathtaking in its shamelessness. Clearly it has brought injustice. It robs a mother of her parental rights and allows old men to legally practice pedophilia.
The Dark Ages are alive and well in the Middle East.
This "Kingdom" is the "Kingdom of Darkness".
I've got to get an electric car.
THIS IS THE DAY THE LORD HAS MADE. I WILL REJOICE AND BE GLAD IN IT.
It is a beautiful day in Cowtown. The sky is blue, the sun it out, the temperature is mild, and the air smells clean. Even downtown, walking between buildings, the air smells fresh and alive. Spring is a great time. Enjoy the day and thank God for it.
Monday, April 13, 2009
What Happens When Church and State Get Together
Mac Brunson, who used to be the pastor in the big church across the Trinity River from me, but is now pastor of FBC Jacksonville, Florida, has a security detail. (That, alone, should raise an eye brow.)
One of the members on the detail is an investigator for the sheriff's department.
Brunson has created some controversy in his church with his fund raising and spending. One of his critics blogs about it. He blogged anonomously.
The investigator\church member\security detail member obtained a warrant and served it on Google to obtain the name of the blogger. (I'd like to read the warrant affidavit and see what crime was alleged. We can't do that because the State's Attorney destroyed the documents.)
The investigator revealed the name of the blogger to Brunson. I do not know if information obtained by warrant in Florida is confidential or not. It is in Texas if it is a Grand Jury subpoena. Now, the church has kicked the blogger out of the church and even given him a criminal trespass warning, preventing him from coming to the church without being arrested.
Brunson admitted the blogger never threatened violence. Yet, he pursuaded the sheriff to issue the trespass warning. Additionally, the Sheriff says he did not uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing. If that is so, why the warning and why reveal the blogger's name, unless the purpose is to harass the blogger and keep him from criticizing Brunson?
At least they did not burn him at the stake.
It has also come to light that the warrant included information on two other bloggers who criticized other large baptist church pastors not even in Florida.
Some of the criticisms that lead to this joint church-state investigation and operation were of Brunson’s $300,000 salary, putting his wife on the payroll, his construction of a “lavish” office suite and accepting a $307,000 piece of land as a gift from church members to build on.
Brunson has now publicly called the blogger and now former church member a sociopath.
No word on what the blogger is calling Brunson.
Mac Brunson, who used to be the pastor in the big church across the Trinity River from me, but is now pastor of FBC Jacksonville, Florida, has a security detail. (That, alone, should raise an eye brow.)
One of the members on the detail is an investigator for the sheriff's department.
Brunson has created some controversy in his church with his fund raising and spending. One of his critics blogs about it. He blogged anonomously.
The investigator\church member\security detail member obtained a warrant and served it on Google to obtain the name of the blogger. (I'd like to read the warrant affidavit and see what crime was alleged. We can't do that because the State's Attorney destroyed the documents.)
The investigator revealed the name of the blogger to Brunson. I do not know if information obtained by warrant in Florida is confidential or not. It is in Texas if it is a Grand Jury subpoena. Now, the church has kicked the blogger out of the church and even given him a criminal trespass warning, preventing him from coming to the church without being arrested.
Brunson admitted the blogger never threatened violence. Yet, he pursuaded the sheriff to issue the trespass warning. Additionally, the Sheriff says he did not uncover evidence of criminal wrongdoing. If that is so, why the warning and why reveal the blogger's name, unless the purpose is to harass the blogger and keep him from criticizing Brunson?
At least they did not burn him at the stake.
It has also come to light that the warrant included information on two other bloggers who criticized other large baptist church pastors not even in Florida.
Some of the criticisms that lead to this joint church-state investigation and operation were of Brunson’s $300,000 salary, putting his wife on the payroll, his construction of a “lavish” office suite and accepting a $307,000 piece of land as a gift from church members to build on.
Brunson has now publicly called the blogger and now former church member a sociopath.
No word on what the blogger is calling Brunson.
That beeping sound you hear.......
is Rick Warrent backing up. Not trusting himself to do it in person, Warren has the media dude for Saddleback Church issue a statement explaining what Warren meant to say when he contradicted himself on his support of Proposition 8 in California, as mentioned on this blog and others the other day. Courtesy of the erstwhile folks at LifeWay, a Southern Baptist Entity, read it here.
Beep beep.
is Rick Warrent backing up. Not trusting himself to do it in person, Warren has the media dude for Saddleback Church issue a statement explaining what Warren meant to say when he contradicted himself on his support of Proposition 8 in California, as mentioned on this blog and others the other day. Courtesy of the erstwhile folks at LifeWay, a Southern Baptist Entity, read it here.
Beep beep.
The ESV Study Bible is now available on Kindle. If you have a Kindle, the great news is that you download the whole thing for $9.99 right now. That would help you recover $40-50 of the price you paid for you Kindle. And, the Kindle is lighter and thinner than the ESV Study Bible. And, you look like Captain Picard holding it.
Friday, April 10, 2009
David Heddle catches Rick Warren in a "contradiction". Maybe he should say "if I said that I misquoted myself".
Thursday, April 09, 2009
WHEN IS A STIMULUS NOT A STIMULUS?
One of my problems with the so called Stimulus Plan is that it has been sold to America as a way to jump start the economy. However, many of the projects included will not result in money spent in the economy any time soon and will not jump start the economy at all. Many of the projects are actually thought of as "infastructure" projects. Certainly, some of these are needed, but they are not economy stimulaters, since they take years to develop.
For example, it has been announced that DFW International Airport received 9 million dollars. The airport is depositing the money in its capital account. It will be spent at some point to update a runway.
This is a prime example. This money could be used for things that will jump start the economy. You could give consumers $9M with instructions to buy electronics, for example. Then, maybe Circuit City would not have gone under. Or, you could tell them to buy cars. Then, maybe GM and Chrysler could have some breathing room.
Instead, this money will go into a bank account. It will earn interest for the airport authority. It will give some bank more money to play with or make bad investments with. (I know the grammer is bad here.) Then, some day, the airport will embark on an arduous task to redo the runway. It will take years to accomplish. Meanwhile the economy will do whatever it is going to do, which I think will happen anyway, by the way.
Remember the Bible story where Jesus said what father, whose child asked for a fish, would give him a stone? I now know the answer.
His name is Obama.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Monday, April 06, 2009
THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO WILL STAND UP FOR WHAT THEY BELIEVE
March 31, 2009
Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Dear President Jenkins:
I wish to express in my own name and on behalf of the Catholic community of this Diocese, my dismay and outrage at your decision to invite the current President of the United States to address the 2009 graduates of the University of Notre Dame and to receive an honorary degree.
This decision of your flies in the face of the expressed directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the year 2004, that Catholic institutions not so honor those who profess opposition to the Church’s doctrine on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
I would ask that you rescind this unfortunate decision and so avoid dishonoring the practicing Catholics of the United States, including those of this Diocese. Failing that, please have the decency to change the name of the University to something like, “The Fighting Irish College” or “Northwestern Indiana Humanist University.” Though promotion of the obscene is not foreign to you, I would point out that it is truly obscene for you to take such decisions as you have done in a university named for our Blessed Lady, whom the Second Vatican Council called the Mother of the Church.
I sign myself
Very truly yours,
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford
What I would like to see is every pastor in America write to President Obama and explain why his claim to be a believer and his promotion of abortion are incompatible.
March 31, 2009
Reverend John I. Jenkins, C.S.C.
President
University of Notre Dame
400 Main Building
Notre Dame, IN 46556
Dear President Jenkins:
I wish to express in my own name and on behalf of the Catholic community of this Diocese, my dismay and outrage at your decision to invite the current President of the United States to address the 2009 graduates of the University of Notre Dame and to receive an honorary degree.
This decision of your flies in the face of the expressed directive of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops in the year 2004, that Catholic institutions not so honor those who profess opposition to the Church’s doctrine on abortion and embryonic stem cell research.
I would ask that you rescind this unfortunate decision and so avoid dishonoring the practicing Catholics of the United States, including those of this Diocese. Failing that, please have the decency to change the name of the University to something like, “The Fighting Irish College” or “Northwestern Indiana Humanist University.” Though promotion of the obscene is not foreign to you, I would point out that it is truly obscene for you to take such decisions as you have done in a university named for our Blessed Lady, whom the Second Vatican Council called the Mother of the Church.
I sign myself
Very truly yours,
The Most Reverend Thomas G. Doran, D.D., J.C.D.
Bishop of Rockford
What I would like to see is every pastor in America write to President Obama and explain why his claim to be a believer and his promotion of abortion are incompatible.
Friday, April 03, 2009
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Big News: Justice Department dismissed the indictment against Senator Ted Stevens. Attorney General Eric Holder cited prosecutor misconduct. Stevens lost his senate seat during the prosecution. Either this was severe conduct of the degree that would damage the justice department or the prosecution served its purpose by getting Stevens out of the Senate. Either way, it would be nice to have enough information to know what kind of mischief is afoot.
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