Human Rights...

Well...

The Islamists are threatening people over those cartoons that were published.

The cartoons that were caricatures of Islam's prophet, Mohammed.

Death threats have already been made and there is concern and fear that there may be terrorist attacks in Denmark because a newspaper, Jyllands-Posten, published the cartoons.

The Danish paper attributed its original decision to publish the pictures to a desire to test the limits of free speech. Since then, it has received death threats, heavy criticism from Islamic organizations and governments, and expressions of concern by the U.N. human rights commissioner.

It seems that the Islamists want some 'human rights' considerations and plan on taking this to the United Nations if the Danish government doesn't give in to their demands.

The Muslims are very concerned about the violation of their human rights.

You know, things like freedom of speech, press, and other stuff like that.

hmmm...

Interesting.

later...

Today...

Mom didn't have as good of a day today, but my sister says that everything is still headed in the right direction.

We went to the Hornets game tonight. The school had a block of tickets so the kids could all go. It was a very exciting game to say the least and the Hornets literally won the game by one point in the last 7 seconds of the game. *whew*

I received a forwarded e-mail about Paul Wesselhoft's bill that he is wanting to get passed concerning a Pit Bull breed ban here in Oklahoma. The new legislative session is to begin here in about a week. I checked the content of the e-mail and found it's source.

Paul Wesselhoft still hasn't responded to me. If you remember I had written him a letter and I had also sent him a copy of my article.

Hmmmpff.

His office could have at least sent me some sort of a 'form letter' or an *automated reply* from his office.

But I didn't receive a thing.

So...

I have posted below today's media release from the House of Representatives.

A breed specific ban will not solve the problem that we have in this state concerning vicious dogs.

Please call Paul Wesselhoft's office or write him a letter (or two).

later...

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Lawmaker Disappointed by Veterinary Association’s Refusal to Support Pit Bull Ban

Contact: State Rep. Paul Wesselhöft
Capitol: (405) 557-7343
Moore: (405) 794-9464

OKLAHOMA CITY (January 30, 2006) – "Shameful! They should walk with their eyes cast downward."

That’s what State Rep. Paul Wesselhöft has to say when describing the American Veterinary Medical Association’s policy on pit bull dogs. The association’s longstanding policy is to not endorse any law that features breed-specific regulations.

And, despite increased awareness of pit bull attacks in recent months, the AVMA has refused to support legislation, authored by Wesselhöft, which would effectively ban pit bull dogs in Oklahoma.

Wesselhöft (R-Moore) says the AVMA’s position puts the association at odds with the safety of Oklahomans who are the most vulnerable to dog attacks, including young children and the elderly.

The association recently decided not to endorse Wesselhöft’s proposal after speaking with the lawmaker, who was disappointed, but not deterred, by the decision.

The AVMA’s decision is just one in a series of events that have brought the pit bull issue into the spotlight. On Wednesday, a two-year-old in Kansas, Okla., was at a neighbor’s house when she was attacked by the neighbor’s pit bull dog. In June, a three-year-old boy in Moore lost his arm after being attacked by a pit bull. And earlier this month, a four-year-old boy in Bartlesville died after he was attacked by a relative’s pit bull.

In response to these and other, similar tragedies, Wesselhöft is preparing to introduce legislation that would place significant regulations on Oklahomans who currently own pit bull dogs. All pit bulls in Oklahoma would have to be spayed or neutered. The measure would also prohibit any more pit bulls from being brought into the state. As a result, the bill would effectively ban the pit bull statewide.

But Wesselhöft does not expect his proposal to easily pass the Legislature when session begins Feb. 7. He says that pit bull breeders across the nation are well organized, well financed and have persuaded certain veterinaries to exert political pressure.

He expects the veterinarian’s association will pressure legislators to vote against his bill, despite the fact that such associations as the Safe Kids Coalition support the ban.

Also, a statewide survey conducted in August 2005 by the polling firm Cole Hargrave Snodgrass & Associates found that a 55 percent majority of Oklahomans favor a pit bull ban, as opposed to a 35 percent minority who don’t.

The AVMA’s policy affirms the protection of the public from dangerous animals "provided that legislation does not refer to specific breeds" such as the pit bull.

"The veterinarians’ policy only punishes an owner after a vicious dog attack occurs; it does absolutely nothing to prevent the attack from occurring in the first place," Wesselhöft said. "Shouldn’t a medical association’s policy first be preventative health?

"For over 100 years, pit bull breeders, instead of working to domesticate the pit bull, have, whether intentionally or unintentionally, broken a moral law and returned the animal a wolf-dog state," said Wesselhöft, whose late father-in-law was a veterinarian, as is his brother-in-law.

"It is understandable that veterinarians have a vested interest in satisfying their customers and not alienating the canine community. But to elevate pit bull breeders’ blind bias over the public’s safety and health is a moral travesty and a miscarriage of their professional and medical code."

The lawmaker says he has tried to reason with Dr. Charles Helwig, executive director of the Oklahoma Veterinary Association, and has made himself available to address the association’s executive committee in order to persuade the association to support his pit bull ban. But AVMA’s executive committee decided to continue their traditional policy.

"I am now holding the veterinarians accountable for their decision," Wesselhöft said. "In the future, because they chose not to stand on the side of safety and public health, they may be seen as being partly accountable for vicious attacks on innocent children. I hope citizens will call local veterinarians to convey their disgust."

Back Home... for now.

Mom is doing so much better. She is responsive and alert. Everyone thinks that she may have this thing licked.

Mom is still on the respirator and dialysis. They have been steadily cutting back on the medications all day. I called Dad to let him know that I had made it home ok and he said that Mom is only on IV fluids as of this evening.

I called the hospital and the nurse says that Mom is doing very well. I asked the nurse to also tell Mom that I had made home ok. I didn't want Mom to worry. She always worries because my van is so old.

Things are so much better that I felt that I could leave and come home to take care of my kids and my job. My sister will stay until Thursday before returning to Denver, and my brother will come back Wednesday or Thursday and take over from there.

The three of us will be working out a schedule on how to help take care of things.

It is almost 10:30pm. I have been home about an hour and I am very tired. I'm going to bed here real quick.

Thanks to all for the prayers, taking care of my kids, and watching the house, and well... you know... helping with everything else while I was gone.

For anyone who knows about septic shock, you know that God provided us with a miracle.

Thank you, God.

later...

Update...

I'm here at Mom and Dad's.

Thanks for the phone calls, e-mails, comments and prayers. They are all very much appreciated.

I am going to shower and put on clean clothes. I didn't feel that I could leave the hospital these last three days with Mom in such a touch and go situation.

She is still on a respirator. Dialysis has been going non-stop since Thursday night late. She has had some difficulties with her heart and going into atrial fibrulation. She had to be electro-cardio converted night before last and they thought that they might have to do it again last night, but they didn't.

Mom started brightening up a little late last night. This morning she asked what time it was by motioning her hands. (she cannot speak at all with the tracheal tube in her throat) She seems to be so much better mentally now.

Mom was on 16 different bags of IV fluids with medications. These were all run through 13 IV pumps. Some of the meds had to be titrated at times. This has been a really, really hard thing.

They are starting to cut back on some of the medications as different systems in her body start to come out of shock and start working. This is a good sign.

We are very hopeful that Mom is turning the corner here in this devastatingly catastrophric illness. Septic shock is absolutely unbelievable. They say Mom may have to stay in ICU for up to 3 months or more!

Because of how things started turning around late last night and have continued to improve through this morning, I felt like I could leave the hospital and get cleaned up and relax a bit.

Once again, thanks for all of the prayers. God has always been in the miracle business and continues to prove this to us by answering our prayers.

I will update again when I can and when there is more, or different, news.

later...

Family Emergency...

For those I haven't had the chance to call or e-mail or update:

I am leaving for Austin in the morning.

My mother has become suddenly ill and is in the hospital with pneumonia and sepsis. She is in critical condition on a ventilator, etc. Currently her kidney values are still climbing.

The kids have a place to stay.

I don't know when I will be back.

I will be checking my e-mail when I can and my cell phone will be with me.

My last conversation with the nurse wasn't none too pleasant. She was rude to me and very short.

I will not take a back seat concerning my mother's medical care.

Those of you who are in the medical profession need to take a deep breath and get with reality here.

If you don't like answering questions then you're in the wrong business.

And a "holier than thou" attitude will get you nowhere with me just real quick.

Nobody is above reproach.

later...



*P.S.*

All prayers will be appreciated.

Thanks guys.

Give Me a Break...

The FDA wants to pull the over-the-counter inhalors off the shelves.

Why?

To protect the ozone layer.

Asthma sufferers may not be able to buy nonprescription inhalers much longer because the devices contain propellants that harm the ozone layer.

I believe in a clean environment just as much as anybody else.

But this is ridiculous and expensive bureaucracy.

Getting rid of those inhalors would be like...

...like mopping up ant pee.

Gee whiz...

later...

Hooray!

Well it seems that the television show, "The Book of Daniel", has been cancelled.

At least if the Episcopalian's are accurate in their reporting.

Apparently the television show was looking at a dismal future, so the creator of the show posted an appeal on a blog. He was asking fans to help him out, claiming that the American Family Association was a bully.

If you recall, in one of my previous posts, there were other people who didn't like the show either. People who weren't associated with the AFA.

'Book of Daniel': A Mean-Spirited, Unholy Mess

In a recent interview, in reference to his request for public support of the show and his blog post, Jack Kenny is quoted as saying:

"Ordinarily, I would never ask anyone to do this, but the AFA and bullies like them are hard at work to try and prevent you from seeing these beautiful shows, and that is censorship - pure and simple," Kenny wrote. "And that is both un-Christian and un-American."

Jack Kenny, the creative force behind the prime-time drama about an Episcopal priest and his dysfunctional family, posted his appeal on a blog, www.blogofdaniel.com, whose host is the Episcopal Diocese of Washington.

If you type in the URL, it redirects you to another site. I'm not sure if it is the exact same location or blog as quoted in the January 20th article.

But... the Episcopalian folks seem to be quite accomodating and so they have announced the demise of the show on the blog.

It is my understanding that 11 NBC affiliates in Tennessee, Texas, Louisiana, Mississippi, Arkansas and Indiana have refused to air the show.

What I want to know is why isn't Oklahoma on that list?!

*Where are those politic bots!*

Did the show air here? I haven't watched any television, and I most certainly wouldn't have turned on NBC if I had.

I don't read the TV Guide either.

Also... I guess that Burlington Coat Factory continued to advertise while others cancelled and moved to other advertising venues.

Who else advertised during this show?

*hint*

I guess I need to start keeping a closer eye on the things of Hollywood and Television Land, whether I would like to or not.

Parker and his friends, Matthew and Nicholas, spent this past week-end "filming a movie".

According to my sources, the conclusion is due to be taped and "wrapped" up the week-end after next.

hmmm...

As long as I'm his Momma...

My boy better not be airing any trash on television.

later...

I Haven't Watched TV in Days...

Well, the week-end is over. I spent all of today working on my studies.

I don't remember when I watched television last.

I know that it has been several days now.

Do you think I am missing out on anything?

Imagine my surprise when I found out that the Miss America pageant was last night and that an Oklahoman, Jennifer Berry, had won the crown.

Poor girl.

She didn't win as much money as the winners have in previous years.

From what I understand, I guess she could consider herself lucky that she got to compete at all. And not just because it took her a few tries to win Miss Oklahoma.

What if Jennifer Berry is the "last Miss America"?

hmmm...

I wonder how many potential Miss America contestants are missing?

You know, the kids that never made it into this world to even dream about competing in the famed pageant.

Today there were demonstrations nationwide marking the 33rd anniversary of Roe v. Wade, including St. Paul, Minnesota.

The Associated Press states..."thousands of abortion opponents massed outside Minnesota's Capitol on Sunday in one of several protests nationwide"

I'm glad.

Thanks go to all of you who were able to attend.

Did you know that there's an official list of the 50 most influential Christians in America?

Dr. Phil barely made the list at #50.

I wonder who he nudged out?

later...

Well...

Once a year we have a school fund-raiser to help pay for the school's expenses. It is a good money earner for us and all the students can participate.

We deliver Feist phone books.

Our goal is to deliver 100,000 books.

Today:

8am

Load up the van with phone books and deliver to the areas on our map.

Call from work.

Come home and eat lunch.

Go to work.

Home again.

It's almost 6pm.

I seem to be stuck on my paper that I have to complete.

I have to go in to work tomorrow.

Feeling pressed for time but my 'brain has stopped working'!

Going to bed.

Maybe the paper will "come to me" after some sleep.

later...

Giant Jellyfish...

And right when you thought you had swallowed all of the unlikely tales you possibly could...

You came here.

Here to my little blog.

Just so you could read this unlikely
story about gigantic, 6 1/2 feet wide, 400+ pound jellyfish.

It really is hard to believe.

later...

University Bounty Hunters... Earn $100/head.

It seems that the liberal professors who promote their political agendas and preach political correctness have come into the sights of a well-aimed program sponsored by a UCLA alumnist organization. They are offering to pay students to report professors who are politically "abusive, one-sided or off-topic."

The UCLA group has put some real incentives out there too:

The association offers up to $100 per class to informants.

That could add up to some real bucks for quite a few poor and hungry students!

Several studies have been conducted that reveal a very liberal based teaching staff at universities across the United States.

Today, the following statements were posted which were provided by a select committee formed by the state of Pennsylvania. The committe was to assess the state of academic freedom concerning Pennsylvania's institutions:

As early as 1991, Yale President Benno Schmidt warned: “The most serious problems of freedom of expression in our society today exist on campuses. The assumption seems to be that the purpose of education is to induce correct opinion rather than to search for wisdom and liberate the mind.” In his last report to the Board of Overseers, retiring Harvard President Derek Bok warned: “What universities can and must resist are deliberate, overt attempts to impose orthodoxy and suppress dissent…In recent years, the threat of orthodoxy has come primarily from within rather than outside the university.”

...Rather than fostering intellectual diversity—the robust exchange of ideas traditionally viewed as the very essence of a college education—our colleges and universities are increasingly bastions of political correctness, hostile to the free exchange of ideas.

The afforementioned article, "Academic Bias, By the Numbers", also has some interesting statistics.

But how about the real world battle that a National Guardsman is currently having concerning a delay in the approval of his masters thesis at Temple University?

Christian DeJohn's case is just one in a national debate fueled by allegations that some liberal professors are infringing on conservative students' right to free speech at public colleges and universities.

DeJohn suspects the delay stems partly from conflicts he had with a military history professor who, DeJohn said, often criticized the Iraq war and the Bush administration during class. DeJohn contends it is also retaliation for a critical response he sent to a professor after he received an e-mail invitation to a campus war protest while he was serving six months in Bosnia.

I sure wish I could've have read Mr. DeJohn's e-mailed response to that professor.

I'm glad to hear that these real issues are being brought to the forefront...

Let's see now, how many more classes do I need before I graduate?

later...

Missing...

I know you guys were here looking for me.

I am just now home.

Out of class at 9:10pm.

Called in to work.

It's 12:30am.

I'm going to bed.

Just here to say "hey" and that I'm ok.

Just extremely tired.

later...

How Did He Get the Job?

This is a question that I have been asking myself since 'last year'.

How did the mayor of New Orleans get voted in as the mayor?

Mayor Nagin made some rude, crude, and outlandish statements yesterday. If anyone else had said those same exact words, the entire country would be bashing the speaker and planning a political lynching to boot.

It is really hard to find an article posted anywhere with the negative comments that he made in relation to *color*.

How does the man get away with it?

Nagin basically told his audience that 'white' wasn't welcome in New Orleans, among other things, during his speech on a day that was to honor Dr. Martin Luther King.

"I don't care what people are saying Uptown or wherever they are. This city will be chocolate at the end of the day," Mr Nagin said.

"This city will be a majority African-American city. It's the way God wants it to be."

And while today there is a public "apology" for his mispoken words...

He still sounds like a racist to me.

Something that Mr. King would have been proud of I'm sure.

later...

Identity Theft...

Who are you?

Do I know you?

How do I know that you are who you say you are, and are therefore real?

It seems that Judy McLeod, of the Canadian Free Press, was taken in by a fake blogger.

At least some think she has.

It can happen to anyone. With a b'jillion blogs and other personal websites, anybody could take on any personna they wish.

According to the CFS article, the blogger even replied to Ms. McLeod via e-mail. A continuance of the charade. She posted the following quote from the supposed Mr. Mel Gibson:

…"Now I am at a point in my life where I want to do whatever I can to make the biggest difference to people, to open their eyes to the truth, and to defeat the forces of evil which threatens our future," he wrote me in an email.

"Although I have been in, and directed movies that millions of people have seen, I have never really had the opportunity to engage in a two-way dialogue with so many people of the kind I am engaged in now. It is thrilling and satisfying."

There's even a picture of Mel Gibson posted on the fake blog. At least it there is one as of this posting.

NewMax is the reporting source concerning this hoax. They are the ones who are saying that it is fake. They don't have a glowing reputation either.

One search result showed Wikipedia mentioning Mel Gibson's blog.


But when I go to the link I can't find it. Additionally, this Wikipedia page shows that it was updated yesterday, January 15th. Perhaps it was removed at that time? Who knows?

I don't have the connections to disprove either theory. Is the blog legitimate or is it fake? An internet search doesn't provide any other sources of information concerning this story, nor does it reveal an official website link for Mel Gibson.

I can say one thing, I visited that blog for just a few minutes and I didn't like what I saw, or read, at all. While I don't know Mr. Gibson personally, I find it very doubtful that he really is the author of that website.

But that's just my opinion.

Not a bona fide fact.

later...

Today...

Another day, similar to yesterday, has ended.

My morning started out by me crawling out of bed to answer the phone. I ended up drinking a cup of coffee while driving to the hospital with only my teeth brushed, hastily thrown on clothing, and a ballcap to cover my "bed head".

I was back home just before noon.

I endured a *serious* and *painful* papercut while working on some of my assignments this afternoon.

A physical insult was added to my tired, worn, and battered intellect.

;+ )

Thanks for the encouragement that I received via comments on my little blog and via e-mail.

Moof, I did drink three cups of green tea this afternoon.

Wm H sent me this link to help relieve my stress.

I must admit...

I think the tea in combination with the link helped.

later...

About to Explode...

Sometimes that's just how I feel.

I have so many things to do and so little time to do it in. It's like pressure building up inside of me.

Well... today was busy and I didn't get as much accomplished as I had hoped.

Most importantly, I didn't get as much schoolwork done as I had liked.

aaarggh...

Did you know that there are two volcanoes in Alaska that are currently 'acting up'?

There are an additional five volcanoes that are considered restless.

How about volcano 'webcams'? I didn't know there was such a thing.

I'm going to check over the house and stuff.

Just to make sure there isn't a webcam pointed at me.

Secretly waiting for me to blow and infamously become...

The first volcano ever in Oklahoma...

later...

Some "Headline" News...

It's that time of year now. Folks are pulling their tax information together and looking for tax forms and instructions.

Just call or e-mail the IRS if there is anything that you ever need.

Brian and Jackie Lawson of Chimacum, Washington, did just that and received an abundance of help from the IRS. They were needing to correct their 2003 tax return.

The couple called the IRS and asked for an instruction booklet. The government happily obliged and sent, via UPS, 24,000 copies of the booklet.

Just one gliche` here. They were instruction booklets for 2005 and not 2003.

Today is Friday, the 13th of January, and there is a full moon out. I wonder if it is a holiday for anyone?

Maybe we could ask Jonathan Sharkey who is planning on running for governor in Minnesota.

He is a self-proclaimed satanist and a vampire who plans on running on the ticket of the Vampyres, Witches and Pagans Party.

If he were to win the election, I wonder what kind of special requirements he would need and what security changes would have to be implemented.

You know... could he work during daylight hours and would wooden stakes for campaign signs be outlawed in the state?

2006 has hardly begun and the clock is already counting down to the 300 millionth American. It has been predicted that this child will be born in October of this year.

It seems that there may be some kind of 'hooplah' being planned for the birth of this baby. Predictors seem to have figured out not only when this child will be born, but its race and locale too.

There are quite a few intriguing statistics in this article concerning the population of the United States.

You may be quite suprised.

later...

I'm Out of Time...

The day is over. I haven't been home that long.

I had to go back to work after basketball practice with the boys.

Now it's time for bed.

We have a game tomorrow night. I hope that we do well.

I have TONS of schoolwork that I have to get done.

My blogging will probably be cut back by quite a bit.

Especially, if I keep having evenings like this.

You guys have a good Friday.

And I'll chat at you...

later...

The Best Blonde Joke... Ever.

It looks like All Blogged Up has stumbled upon the the world's best blonde joke ever

Enjoy!

later...

'Book of Daniel': A Mean-Spirited, Unholy Mess

I have located an interesting article about the NBC show, "The Book of Daniel".

Evidently it's too much for the Washington Post's staff writer Tom Shales. My post's title is Mr. Shales' headline for his article. Finally, someone has written an article for the mainstream media that is worthwhile and reflects an American family viewpoint.

Mr. Shales writes,

What used to be called "irreverent" is now called "edgy"... I cannot recall a series in which a greater number of characters seemed so desperately detestable -- a series with a larger population of loathsome dolts. There ought to be a worse punishment than cancellation for a show that tries this hard to be offensive and, even at that crass task, manages to fail.

I think that there should be a worse punishment than cancellation too.

And while they're talking about cancelling "The Book of Daniel", there's a whole list of shows that need to be added to the list.

Maybe a "punishment" would make them think twice before putting more shows like it on the air.

Something worse than what I suggested, such as boycotting NBC.

There should be a bigger impetus here.

What if the FCC required NBC, and other offending stations, to cut back on their airtime?

In other words, you loose one, two, maybe three hours of prime time broadcasting each day.

They would have to put that signal up on the television that we used to have to stare at after 11pm. You know, before television went 24 hours.

I think that might get their attention.

In fact, the FCC should just go ahead and implement "quiet air time". All the television stations and satellites would have to comply with a mandatory two or three hours of just plain being off the air.

No TV.

None.

Sounds good to me.

They don't have much of anything that I want to watch anyway.

later...

Should You Look a Gift Horse in the Mouth...

T. Boone Pickens has given a record breaking $165 million dollars to Oklahoma State University.

The money is to go to the proposed "Athletic Village" that is involved in the current eminent domain situation in Stillwater.

All the news accounts that I have read haven't acknowledged that there are people who are opposed to losing their homes to this project. The news stories read like the entire situation and proposed athletic village is already a "done deal" which was only finalized by the generous gift.

Do they know something that the homeowners don't?

Does the media have a stake in this somewhere too?

Maybe I'm not as bright as some folks and the situation really is a 'no brainer'.

With the $165 million in their pockets, eminent domain backing them, I guess OSU doesn't expect there to be any problems.

The homeowners are probably just a nuisance, like ants at a picnic.

Money is powerful stuff.

What all does Mr. Pickens get out of this? The stadium is already named after him from a previous donation.

Does he get to call any of the 'shots' at the administrative level within the university?

Surely there's something that helps a billionaire decide where he is going to stash his extra cash.

I wish Mr. Pickens would ask me where I think some of his money should go.

But the "payback" is probably too high for the folks I'm thinking about.

Whatever it may be.

later...

Late...

I was up all night last night.

Parker was vomiting.

Started a new group of students today.

Ultrasounds.

Basketball practice.

Home again.

Quick dinner.

Called in to work.

Ultrasounds x's 2.

One was an emergency.

The second was a "since you are here" type of ultrasound.

Home.

Tired.

I didn't get to study any at all this evening.

I really can't afford to get behind in my own classes.

Basketball game tomorrow night.

Going to bed.

later...

Update on the Oklahoma State University Expansion...

I posted about the OSU expansion early in December, 2005, under the heading "Eminent Domain".

The OKSTATEEXPANSION.COM website calendar is full of important meetings for those who are interested.

It looks like there are four meetings slated for tomorrow alone.

Boone State is currently undergoing a website relaunch.

It will be interesting to see what the 'new look' will be.

What will be even more intriguing is who will win the current public battle over private property.

later...

Precision Tune's Mommy Care Program...

I first posted about this program on August 27, 2005.

I received an e-mail from a friend with information on a current Mommy Care Program here in the central Oklahoma area.

If you, or someone you know, could benefit from a service such as this please call the listed telephone number.

Feel free to pass this information on to your friends and family.

For those of you in other states, a Mommy Care Program may already be available for you.

See my previous post for details and a link.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Do you know a single mother who could use some good car care advice and free oil changes?

Don't miss this awesome opportunity to tell every single mom you know - no matter what their age, kids living with them or not - part of the church or not:

Precision Tune Auto Care Mommy Care Seminar is coming to the Victory NORMAN campus - What's Included:

An annual commitment to change their car's oil every three months or 3000 miles at NO COST and to check major components during that time to help avoid major repairs - NO CATCH
Education - Autor Repair Defense Course 101 - Be empowered, don't be ripped off - we'll show you how!
A commitment to be available 24/7 as the car care advocate for single moms - to help answer any questions they may have about their car through the Mommy Care Info Line. Ever wonder how much you should be paying for a serpentine belt? We can tell you!
WHY - Because single mother's are valued and there really are people who care!

Saturday, February 11th from 11:00am - 12:30pm
Victory Church in Norman
902 West Main
Norman, OK

To register yourself or someone you know:
Call 405.717.1266 or e-mail the first and last name, phone number and ages of any children attending free childcare.
Knowing how many children helps us adequately staff for childcare.

Thank you - and GOD DOES BLESS.

Kelly Townsend
Volunteer Director
Victory Church
kelly.townsend@victorychurch.tv
405.717.1266

We Won! We Won!! WE WON!!!

What a wild and crazy day!

The JV boys won the tournament from the loser's bracket!

Can you believe it?

Our game this morning was another close one, but without the overtime. It was nerve wracking for me.

After we won that game there was a consolation game and then the championship game was to be played.

We had about 40 minutes to recoup and get ready for the 'big' game.

I had all the boys go to the concessions and get carbs, no candy and no pop.

I got myself one of those big pretzels with cheese and a bottle of water. ;+ )

The championship game was even more crazy. I don't know how many times the game was tied.

We finally caught a couple of breaks from the refs. The other coach went ballistic. Then one of his starters fouled out and he hit the floor yelling at the refs.

He didn't get thrown off the court but it cost him a time out.

The full court press was on.

One of the opposing team members grabbed one of my boys by the jersey and was pulling on him during a fast break.

The refs called a technical.

The opposing fans/parents went nuts and started booing.

Then the other coach went out on the floor and told them, "Hey, we don't do that here." They got quiet and shut up.

Kind of confusing since he got so crazy all over the referees himself.

The last 49 seconds of the game seemed like an eternity.

I called three time outs during that period of time; just to insure that we maintained our composure on the court and to give specific direction to the boys.

Finally... the buzzer went off.

We won by three points. *whew*

My nerves are still shot and I still don't think I have come down from my 3 hour long adrenalin rush.

My kids did such a great job.

I don't have a deep bench. In fact, our team (and school) is very small and half of my "varsity" team consists of my JV kids.

The teams we played came from much bigger schools and had at least 15 kids on each of their teams.

We had six.

My guys did a wonderful job.

They executed...

Maintained their composure...

And played an excellent game.

I don't think that our tournament hosts were expecting us to win.

They didn't have a trophy available to give us after the game.

Can you believe that?

I think that our host was expecting to win their own tournament.

In fact, they're the team that we beat in the final game.

They said that they would get a trophy and deliver it to our school for us.

Hopefully, I'll get more pictures with the boys and their trophy.

For now... all we have is the hand written poster that had the tournament brackets on it.

Oh well...

You can take a 'prize' away...

but you can't take away the 'win'.

later...

Okay...

I tried one more time.

I think I have it on the map thingy.

Sorry I whined.

later...

Totally Frustrated...

I can't seem to get my new little map to work on my sidebar.

William sure seems to have his working *just fine*, but I can't get mine to work at all.

I really don't understand what the deal is here.

hmmmppfff...

Another frustration:

Boys lost tonight.

We have a game tomorrow morning.

I need to get to bed.

later...

Counting to a Million Starts With "Number One"...

The JV boys played their first game of the tournament tonight. We won in overtime. It was a great game and very exciting to say the least.

The boys played an excellent game and handled themselves very well. I'm very proud of them.

We move up the bracket and have Game 2 tomorrow night.

I received a forwarded link tonight that I would like to share.

A reminder of who we are and what we're about.

Have you heard about the new television show called "The Book of Daniel"?

This is a NBC television program that is supposed to air tomorrow night.

Because of the story line and content of the show I know that my family won't be watching it. I have e-mailed my local NBC television station and have advised them that if they won't refuse to air the show locally that I won't be watching anything that they air.

I'll just boycott them.

There are several other citizens who also have let their viewpoints be known to their local NBC affiliates and have received positive results. Two television stations have decided not to air the television show. One is in Indiana and the other is in Arkansas.

KARK says on its web site that it decided to drop the show after viewing the two-hour premiere "and most importantly listening to our viewers and engaging them in dialogue."

"We appreciate hearing from so many of our viewers who expressed their heartfelt opinions on both sides of the issue," the station says.

What a statement the citizens in those two states have made! I think that it is wonderful and is most certainly a step in the right direction.

While the writers, actors, and other interested parties are surely trying to put a positive spin on the series, I find the following comment a little disconcerting:

"Maybe [religion] is what we're all talking about in the world today," Kenny reflects. "Maybe it's just in our heads, and maybe that's why I wrote this. It just struck me as a story that I wanted to tell.

I've been accused of having a lot of things *stuck* in my head. Some of them can be medically proven too.

My faith in God isn't just a story I want to tell. And it isn't "just in my head" either.

We'll see if NBC feels that the executives who are steering their programming are just a figment of their imagination, or a painful reality when they see the story that their numbers have to tell.

later...

Alien World...

A recent research paper has been published concerning the mental health affects of women who have had an abortion.

What I find very interesting is that the researcher had a hard time finding someone who would publish his paper. The paper had been sent to four separate journals with two of them being American publications.

Only a British journal accepted the paper for publishing.

Why was that?

It is thought that the paper was too "controversial".

Here's my theory:

I think that there is a strong possibility that the journals could be headed by pro-abortion executives.

Do you think that it is out of line for me to say that?

The article, "Critics Question Study Linking Abortion, Mental Health Problems", quotes these statistics:

Fergusson and colleagues at the Christchurch School of Medicine and Health Sciences in New Zealand have tracked 1,265 women in a longitudinal study since their birth in mid-1977. The women are now 28 and the study is continuing.

Recently the team turned its attention to the issue of abortion and possible effects.

Of the 1,265 participants, more than 500 had fallen pregnant at least once by the age of 25. Of that group, 90 had had an abortion.

Of those who had an abortion, 42 percent suffered from major mental health problems at a subsequent stage, with symptoms including depression, suicidal tendencies and alcohol and drug abuse.

Fergusson said that rate was 35 percent higher than in the case of those who continued with their pregnancies, and almost double the rate of those who had not been pregnant.

Since I am not a subscriber to the publication I am unable to view the complete study.

I bet it is very enlightening.

If only American journalists would quit trying to create their own reality.

There's a designer in Sweden who has developed a pair of anti-Christian jeans. These jeans are becoming very popular and the company is looking to ship them to other outlets across the country's borders.

The logo designer has placed a logo on the jeans that consists of a skull with an upside-down cross on its forehead.

Designer Bjorn Atldax states, "It is an active statement against Christianity. I'm not a Satanist myself, but I have a great dislike for organized religion."

So why did he pick Christianity? Couldn't he have found some other "organized religion" to make a statement against?

Or is it not *politically correct* in Sweden too?

Since Sweden is proud of her non-religious heritage, it appears that the few Swedish Christians who are there are very tolerant of what goes on around them.

Even the predominant Lutheran Church of Sweden reacts with a shrug.

"I don't think it's much to be horrified about," said Bo Larsson, director of the Church of Sweden's department of Education, Research and Culture.

"It is abundantly clear that this designer wants to create public opinion against the Christian faith ... but I believe that the way to deal with this is to start a discussion about what religion means."

Can you see the United States becoming more like this?

A few other stories that I ran across have caught my eye also.

Did you hear about the cat that survived a 70-mile highway ride underneath a car?

Then there was the cat that locked its owner out of her own car.

While these two stories could be considered to be "probable" and "likely" events, there's this story about a cat that called 911 for its helpless wheelchair bound owner.

It is quite entertaining to read about interesting cat stories in the news, but they eerily coincided with another e-mailed photo that I received of my own cat.

This photo shows a different *human being* holding my poor kitty!

Coincidence? Chance?

All of these stories from across the globe, along with the new photo of my cat, got me to thinking about odds. Perhaps I should consider another theory.

What are the odds that these are chance and random events?

What if there are aliens from another world that are taking human form? What if some of them are taking over cat bodies too? What if they are strategically placing themselves among the population and trying to influence society?

What if one of their primary *interests* and *targets* are cats? One of them being my OWN CAT?

What are the chances that they are beaming my cat up and performing undetectable scientific experiments on him?

The thought makes me shudder.

Now I don't know if I can go to bed and get a good night's rest.

later...

Just a Little Melancholy...

Work.

Basketball practice.

Work.

Errand x's 1.

Home.

Talk on telephone with Linda in Norman.

Cook dinner.

Parker pulled out some old pictures.

Ate dinner.

Panic attack.

(Was I late on a bill? Again?!)

No.

Relief.

Sat down to think.

Became a little melancholy.

The day is gone.

The time for now has already past.

When we drove up to the house this evening Carrie noticed Sue through her brand-spanking new picture window. Her house sporting new "views" all around, Sue has been trying to get her blinds and drapes up for a few days now.

Carrie said, "Sue has her thinking face on."

"Her thinking face?", I said.

Carrie responded, "Yeah... Every time Sue stops to think she puts her hands on her hips and looks up."

Carrie's comment got 'me' to thinking about the little, but special, things that we all do that are a part of our memories. That's what makes people close and special to us.

Parker had pulled out some old photos and was going through them, laughing, making comments. He's 13 you know.

We all stopped to look at them for a few minutes.

It is time for the evening to wind down and those pictures began to play back in my head.

A time that has now long past.

Justin and Calais are so grown up. Justin will be 26 soon and Calais will be 21.

Justin really wasn’t trying to choke his little sister. Justin was always the best big brother. We really miss seeing him.

I don’t have the same smile that I used to. Time and the palsy from surgery has really taken a toll on it. I really want to get my smile back.

I still miss all the kids. You know, there were over 40 children that I had helped to raise.

Linda in Norman took the photo with the kids and the animals for me. It was quite a chore to keep us inside that frame! It was fun though.

These pictures are probably two of my most favorite photos; mostly because some of the children in the pictures were with me for four years or more.

I am so glad that some of the kids that I raised still contact me and stop by for visits. A few of my kids have their own families now with cute little babies of their own.

It was a season in our lives.

Time for bed.

We will start over tomorrow.

My boys have a basketball tournament that starts on Thursday and ends on Saturday.

Next week school starts for me and the kids both.

We have little time to waste.

later...

The Slippery Slope...

Most people would contend that a slippery slope argument contains fallacies, half-truths, or ridiculous conclusions.

What is a slippery slope?

A slippery slope is where a measure would lead to further worse measures.

A SLIPPERY slope argument is a kind of argument that warns you if you take a first step, you will find yourself involved in a sticky sequence of consequences from which you will be unable to extricate yourself, and eventually you will wind up speeding faster and faster towards some disastrous outcome. . . .

It is characteristic of all slippery slope arguments that a dangerous outcome of some contemplated course of action is warned of. But the slippery slope argument is more than just a warning. The dangerous outcome is put forward as a reason for not taking a first step in the contemplated course of action. It is an argument put forward by a speaker to persuade a hearer not to take this first step, on the grounds of the consequences that may follow.
Vale Press


What would you think about a town that wholly supported a business that manufactured, produced, and sold adult sex toys and videos?

Would you think twice before you moved there?

If you lived there before the business moved in, would you have tried to stop them from entering your town?

What kind of argument could you have used to prevent them from moving into your neighborhood?

If you were in favor of having this company in your town, what argument would you use to win the approval of the city council?

If the business was allowed to move in, would you move out or just shrug your shoulders and accept it?

Protestors, ministers, and citizens tried to keep such an industry from moving into their town in North Carolina.

They were accused of using a "slippery slope" argument.

Well, guess what?

Now this very town's Chamber of Commerce has given just such a company their "Business of the Year" award for 2005.

" The executive director of the chamber says PHE is a top citizen and a major taxpayer. The company has also helped with the local animal shelter and a family violence prevention center."

The town has been paid off in tax revenues and jobs in order to win this award.

Just like a prostitute, the town officials of Hillsborough, North Carolina, have taken the money, gotten their penicillin injection, and have bestowed one of their highest honors on their "John".

Of course you could say, "What the heck? It's been 11 years, what does it matter now? Hillsborough has already lost her virginity."

Friend... red lipstick, pancake makeup, and a mink coat won't restore that innocent luster she once had.

A slippery slope?

Not if you're happy with your wages and job description, I don't guess that it is.

later...

Wildfires...

It appears that the entire state is in flames. With tens of thousands of acres already charred and hundreds of homes burned to the ground, we had another rash of wildfires today with a total of 15 in Oklahoma City and the surrounding areas alone.

The picture I have posted is of the mid-afternoon sky from my front yard; a rather eery and thick grayish pinkish sky and not one cloud in sight.

We worked in the yard today. It was a record breaking 77 degrees with wind gusts of up to 50 mph. We were trying to get some more of the fallen leaves bagged. With sirens going most of the afternoon from fire trucks racing to the hotspots, it was quite an unnerving day. Not as peaceful and calm as I would have liked my unusually warm New Year's Day to have been.

I never water the yard during the winter months and reserve the added costs of watering with "city water" to the summer months. But not today. With many homes turning into ashes and two people already dead due to the wildfires I decided that it would be better to run my water bill up in hopes of staving off the chance of being without a home to live in.

With the threat of fire all around me I have pulled my water hoses out. The water hoses will run until I go to bed tonight.

Calais and Kyle had given me a brand new fancy and 'expensive' water sprinkler for Christmas and I fully didn't expect to use it until summer. I have to say that it is a really nice sprinkler and works very well.

Nicholas and Gabrielle spent the evening with us as their older brother and parents went to their grandfather's house. A huge fire, east of the city, was getting close to his home. They went to help put water on the yard and to help get his pets and any belongings out of the house if it were necessary. Thankfully their grandfather wasn't forced to evacuate and the fire department has the fire under control at this time. The fire was stopped just a few blocks from his house. What a relief.

Governor Brad Henry was on television this evening and gave an address concerning the declared state of emergency that the state of Oklahoma is currently in. Having asked for help from neighboring states, using Blackhawk helicopters to help control the flames, and using every available resource throughout this state to fight the flames, it seems that the state is becoming quickly overwhelmed by the situation. The White House has been contacted and a request has been put in for an emergency declaration.

Linda in Norman called and her friend in Texas who has an ostrich farm had her place burn. While the house was saved, it is possible that she will lose all of her ostriches due to the fire. Birds just can't take the smoke and the stress. Linda's friend is just devastated.

I am praying that this drought ends very soon. We haven't had any appreciable rainfall or snow here in over two months. We have been behind in moisture the entire year.

My yard is toast and so is the rest of the state. With these unusually warm temperatures that we are having it makes me wonder what kind of spring we will have.

We didn't have very many thunderstorms and tornadoes last year. And you know we had a tornado touch down just blocks from the house three years ago.

I think I'll start praying now.

later...

2005's Top Ten Posts...

2005 has ended and 2006 has begun.

I finished up at work and I’m back at home now.

I’m fixing to dig out some of my Y2K snacks and have a small bite before I go to bed.

Beginnings and endings have a tendency to make most folks a little melancholy.

I don’t make resolutions and New Year’s is basically just another day for me, but it does pose a few problems for me initially.

I have some difficulty remembering to write the correct year down for a few months after a new year begins; though I usually have it down pat by May or so.

I have taken stock of my new hobby of blogging. I have decided that I really like it and I plan to continue writing in my little blog.

I have made 191 posts since I made my first blog entry on July 28th.

One of the goals for my blog is to provide useful information, but I do enjoy having my own sounding board to get a few things off of my chest.

In light of this goal, and the fact that the internet is often referred to as the information highway, I have compiled a top ten list of posts that have received the most traffic from search engine results. I hope that the people who stopped by to read my blog found the information that they were searching for.

I also really enjoy looking at the search terms that are used to access my blog. They can be quite interesting at times. Quite a few visitors were searching for a commemorative speech example, and others were looking to see whether or not a forwarded e-mail had merit or not.

While I would like to compile a top ten list of my personal favorite posts, or the ones that generated the most controversy and/or e-mails, I will just stick with something that is more concrete by nature and less subjective.

So here they are.

The top ten posts of 2005:

#10. Wednesday, December 21, 2005 Diamond Pet Foods Recall...

#9. Wednesday, October 12, 2005 Trick or Treat? Witch will it be...

#8. Thursday, December 08, 2005 Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus.

#7. Thursday, September 29, 2005 Canine Influenza Virus H3N8...

#6. Wednesday, November 30, 2005 My Letter to Paul Wesselhoft...

#5. Sunday, October 23, 2005 It's My Pleasure...

#4. Sunday, November 20, 2005 Subcutaneous Emphysema in a Canine Patient...

#3. Friday, November 04, 2005 Commemorative Speech...

#2. Saturday, November 12, 2005 A Bite of Reality...

#1. Sunday, October 16, 2005 Swiffer Wet Jet Rumor is an Urban Legend...

I’m thankful to have such an outlet. I hope those who visit find good information, are entertained, and at times, are also challenged.

So who knows what subjects and thoughts will cross my path and mind in 2006.

I just hope that I have at least 365 thoughts left in my head.

later…