They Ride Deer, Don't They?

Make sure to turn up the sound -- it is hard to hear!

God Bless!

Translation Assistance

We found a document in Cheryl's family trunk that starts off like this:

PANOWANIE SPOLECZNE NAJSW. SERCA JEZUSA
Now the L has a line (/) going through it and the S in NAJSW has a link above it.
If you can translate this or identify what language this is, I would be very grateful.

Thanks in advance!

God Bless

Funeral Arrangements

Cheryl's mother passed away Tuesday morning. The news was devastating to the both of us, despite the fact that Mary had been sick for the past month. But, I think even more difficult than coming to terms with our grief has been making the funeral arrangements.

The funeral director, Mike, is a nice man. He remembered Cheryl from her father's funeral nearly twenty years ago. And, we're lucky because our brother-in-law, Charlie, was on the ball and wrote the obituary with Mike right away. All we needed to do for that yesterday was proofread it.

No, the real hard part came with picking out the casket and then Mom's dress. We even had to pick out what vault. Did you know that linings in caskets are not interchangeable? I liked the roses that were embordered on one lining, but we liked a different casket better. You can't take one lining out of one casket and put it in another. In any case, it's hard trying to decide just what casket someone would like to have.

This morning, we'll be meeting with the Priest to go over the Mass arrangements.

So, my whole reason for this post is simply this:

Sit down and plan your funeral. Go take a look at caskets -- many funeral homes offer pre-planning. And, if you're thinking, well, I might not live where I'm at the rest of my life -- that's okay. Don't make anything official. Just pick out the color and style and write it down. Trying to make serious and expensive decisions through the tears of grief is the hardest thing your family members will ever have to do. So, do something for them and plan it out. Write down your favorite hymms and if you want a full Mass (if you're Catholic) or not. Do you want a viewing the night before? Do you want your funeral to be at a church at all?

My father recently said that he was writing out what he wants for his funeral. At first, I really didn't want to think about it. But, now, I'm thinking Dad's giving Scott, Brian and me the best gift he possibly can. I just wish he could convince Mom to do the same.

God Bless

Today...

Today, I could write about how I wish Pennsylvania had voted for Obama and not Hillary so that Hillary would drop out of the race, but I won't.

Today, I could write about how I hated filling up this morning at $3.69 and how I think the stations that are charging $3.75 and $3.79 are just being greedy, but I won't.

Today, I could write about how we're in a recession and wouldn't it be nice if the government could figure that out, but I won't.

Well, why not?  I hear all of you asking...

Well, I'll tell you...

Today is my wedding anniversary.  We've now been married seven years.  And, for at least today, I just want to forget about the country's issues and enjoy the day...

Happy Anniversary, Baby.  Here's to seven more!

God Bless

Florida's New Plate...

Florida is considering a Christian License plate.  The plate has a cross in front of a stain glass window and the words I Believe.  The plate looks colorful enough.  Now, would I get one of these plates if it were available in Wisconsin -- no way. The extra $25.00 to have one goes to Faith in Teaching Inc. which supports faith-based schools activities.  I don't have anything against faith-based school activities per se.  I attended Bible study at my grade school on Thursday afternoons from 2nd or 3rd grade (I don't remember which) all the way until 6th grade.  However; back when I was a kid, this consisted mostly of teaching about Jesus and how He loves us, etc.  It wasn't the right-wing stuff like the faith-based learning is now.

Anyway, my only problem with this plate is because of this (and I'm quoting directly from the CNN article):

Simon, of the ACLU, said approval of the plate could prompt many other groups to seek their own designs, and they could claim discrimination if their plans were rejected. That could even allow the Ku Klux Klan to get a plate, Simon said.

Bullard, the plate's sponsor, isn't sure all groups should be able to express their preference. If atheists came up with an "I Don't Believe" plate, for example, he would probably oppose it.

Now, that would be wrong.

If you want to prove that the state isn't supporting one religion, then I would say you have to let the atheists have their plate.

Now, I should say right here that I don't believe in any of these plates.  I don't have a Packer plate or the wild animal fund one or any of those plates.  First, I have bumper stickers to show what I believe and second, I don't announce to whom I give money.  (Remember, Jesus said to give to charity secretedly and I'm sure he meant don't put it on your license plate!)  However; everyone has the right to their own opinions and if people like these plates, they should get them.

But, if you offer a Christian plate, you really need to offer the alternative.  If you offer an anti-abortion plate, you need to offer a planned parenthood one.  If you offer one supporting straight people, you need to offer one for gay people.  It's all about fairness.

At least it is in my book.

God Bless

Military Waivers

According to CNN , the Army and Marines have both given out more waivers to people convicted of felonies in 2007 than either military branch gave in 2006. According to the article, "The Army defended its use of waivers as a response to a changing American society, arguing that only three in 10 Americans of military age "meet all our stringent medical, moral, aptitude or administrative requirements." Some of the waivers have been granted for offenses such as burglary, assault and drug possession, according to the article. Also according to the article, "Army never issues waivers for some types of offenses, including sexual violence, alcoholism and drug trafficking."

I remember being in a social studies class in junior high. We were discussing the draft. I remember asking my teacher why we didn't take guys from prison and send them out to the battlefield. After all, they weren't doing anything besides sitting in a jail cell, so why not put them to use. I remember my teacher saying to me that the men in prisons couldn't follow the rules and that's why they were in prison and we couldn't expect them to follow the rules if they were in the military.

Of course, that was more than 25 years ago when we thought as a society that men in prison couldn't be rehabilitated and were hopeless. Times have changed.

Now I'd like to mention that the Army issued 511 waivers and the Marines issued 350 (according to the article). With the thousands of soldiers recruited each year, that doesn't sound like a lot, does it? In the case of the Army, it is less than 1% of the 80,000 troops they wish to recruit each year.

Let me repeat that -- less than 1%.

So, you're thinking to yourself, then why bring it up? What's the big deal?

The big deal is that Rep. Henry Waxman of California (Democrat) is giving both the Army and the Marines one month to explain themselves.

And, while these two divisions of our armed forces are preparing a report regarding less than 1% of their troops, how much of our tax dollars will they be spending? Why would anyone want to waste even more tax dollars when our deficit is higher than it has ever been?

Now, here's what I would like you, my glorious reader to do.

If you live in California and in Rep Waxman's district (It is the 30th District), please contact his office by going to his website (link will open in a new window) or calling his office: (202) 225-3976 (Washington #) or (323) 651-1040 / (818) 878-7400 / (310) 652-3095 (California #s).


If you do not live in California, please do not contact Rep Waxman -- it does no good, really, they just toss your opinions away. All offices do that, not just his. They're designed to only help constituents.

So, what to do if you're not in his district?

Contact your representative.
Or, contact the committee yourself by clicking here (link will open in a new window). This is what I did and, if I receive a response, I'll post it here.

We really don't need to waste taxpayers money by looking for a needle in a haystack, do we?

God Bless

Slacker Radio

I started listening to Slacker while at work. The concept is easy -- you pick 15 (or more) of you favorite artists and Slacker keeps the music coming. No playlist to fiddle with or choices to make. Still, you can make your own playlists or listen to the pre-set ones. Since my tastes are pretty out there, I can hear Johnny Cash's "Walk the Line" right behind Van Halen's "Hot for Teacher".

The best part is that it is all free -- yes, free! Sure, you can sign up for Slacker Premium (which I have), but you don't have to do so. There are benefits to having a premium account, like saving favorite songs to play out of your library and unlimiting skipping.

Now, I'm hoping to get a Slacker Portable sometime this year, so support my sponsors -- order books/games from Amazon using my links and buy my t-shirts -- in order to help me earn the cash needed. Or, do it the free way by clicking the below button and trying out Slacker. It'll earn me an entry into a drawing for a free Slacker Portable and you get to listen to great music, so it's a win-win situation!

Also, I'm trying something new by posting to two of my blogs at once, so...
God Bless and Happy Reading!>< FONT>

Harry Potter Reference Book

I'm sure we've all heard by now that J.K. Rowlings is suing a fan who has written a lexicon of Harry Potter. She wants the publication of Steven Vander Ark's "Harry Potter Lexicon" to be stopped. Mr. Vander Ark has been running a Harry Potter Lexicon website of which Mrs. Rowlings approves. However; she feels that publishing a book is a "wholesale theft of 17 years of my hard work."

Now, since I haven't read Mr. Vander Ark's book, nor have I visited his website, I have no way of knowing if he has indeed plagiarized the Harry Potter books. However; I do know that Mrs. Rowlings plans on completing a Harry Potter encyclopedia in a couple of years and if a lexicon is all ready out there, it could hurt the sales of her encyclopedia.

I'm glad I'm not sitting on that jury.

On one hand, Mrs. Rowlings has made a lot of money from Harry Potter and she has created an industry of Harry Potter related books, toys, etc. It's not going to hurt anyone to have someone make a couple of bucks. (As a Harry Potter fan, I do have to say that I wouldn't buy the lexicon, nor will I buy her encyclopedia either.) Since she's planning her own encyclopedia it does sound like she's only worried about her business future.

On the other hand, if all Mr. Vander Ark has done is rearrange her words, then that is stealing.

I'm really, really glad I don't have to sit on that jury.
God Bless

A Little Economic Sense

According to an article in US News & World Report, we're heading back into an era of Big Government. Our economic woes are such that the government will have to get more involved. If done right, it isn't necessarily a bad thing. But, we all know that it won't be done right.

Here's a few of my off the top of my head ideas.

1. The government needs to be proactively involved in producing a complete electric car. Tax breaks should be given to the car companies to offset some of their research costs. We know this car has existed -- one that can drive highway speeds and travel up to 300 miles on a single charge -- it just hasn't been cost effective. The second part of this is the government needs to give tax breaks to anyone who purchases said car. I can't afford a $30,000 car -- even if it will drop my gas to nearly nothing, but if the government subsidizes the manufacturing and the purchasing, I'm sure I could swing $20,000 for the car.

2. All this talk about Social Security being overdrawn in 2017 is beginning to piss me off. First, Social Security used to have a surplus until the government started borrowing against it. The time for that to completely stop is now. Also, let's put some of that borrowed money back and then let's see if we're still behind. Finally, we need a national retirement plan. The truth is that we need older workers to get out of the way for younger workers. If everyone works until they drop dead, what are young people going to do for jobs? That being said to keep this funded let's eliminate the cap on the tax. No matter how much you earn, pay both Social Security and Medicare taxes on it. So, no more cut off at $92,000.

3. We need to take a good long look at what the government subsidizes. (Yeah, I know I said electric cars, but hear me out.) Nearly everybody gets something from the government. For example, farm subsidies. Huge company farms are subsidized and that's not what the plan was for. This should be changed to only help the little farmer compete. There are other things we subsidize and we need to take a good long look at them to see if they're really needed.

God Bless