This is just plain cool.

Ok...how do I get one???

1,825 Days Later

The Mars Rovers were built to go only for 90 days. Yet, they are going strong 5 years later. I know our American Car Companies can do great things too!!

A New Year Resolution

I am a day late in this post and ironically my resolution is to write more in 2009. In reflection over the past year I realize that there is much to be thankful for. It is so easy to be caught up in my own feelings and fears to forget to see how God has provided and will continue to provide through out this new year. My hope is that future writings will make me more aware and more appreciative of God's work in my life and in this world in general.

Alaska glaciers grew this year

Not only did the Artic cap not melt, but the ice mass in Alaska is actually growing. This is not to suggest that we should not look for alternative fuels and be good to our enviroment. But what it does suggest is that perhaps man's influence on the enviroment and specifically global warming is not as significant as the pundits would have us believe. And the costly fixes that they demand are not needed.

Cardboard Testimonies

My church did this last Sunday and it was an incredibly powerful service. We had 40 individuals cross our stage and the power and glory of our Lord and Savior was present.

Tax Cut Myth

If I just listen to the political ads, I would think that George W. Bush cut the taxes on the rich and soaked the middle class with taxes. But that is not the case. As a matter of fact, according to the the IRS and Wall Street Journal, the very rich are paying a huge hunk of the burden. Here are some interesting numbers: 97% of the taxes are paid by the top 50% of income earners. 86% of the taxes are paid by the top 25% and this is an increase from 84% prior to the Bush administration. Finally, 39% of the taxes are paid by the top 1% of the rich people in this country.

How much more patriotic can the rich people be?

September 11th

Has it really been 7 years since I walked into Leo's office saying a plane flew into one of the towers in New York? I remember sitting in my office listening to the radio when the first reports of the attack came over the airwaves. Initially it was there was amazement that a comercial plane could "accidently" hit the towers. Minutes later, when the second plane struck, there was no doublt this was of evil design.

Adding my views to the mix: September 11th

It's the Little Things...

I found this story about how the DNC handle the flags after their convention rather disturbing. I also question the choice of credential design used at the DNC convention. All this goes to what I can only conclude is a lack of respect for our flag and for our country. You have a potential first lady who has only become proud of her country when her husband became the Democratic nominee.

Flag Etiquette
STANDARDS of RESPECT

The Flag Code, which formalizes and unifies the traditional ways in which we give respect to the flag, also contains specific instructions on how the flag is not to be used. They are:

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  The flag should never be dipped to any person or thing. It is flown upside down only as a distress signal.


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  The flag should not be used as a drapery, or for covering a speakers desk, draping a platform, or for any decoration in general. Bunting of blue, white and red stripes is available for these purposes. The blue stripe of the bunting should be on the top.


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  The flag should never be used for any advertising purpose. It should not be embroidered, printed or otherwise impressed on such articles as cushions, handkerchiefs, napkins, boxes, or anything intended to be discarded after temporary use. Advertising signs should not be attached to the staff or halyard


• 
  
  The flag should not be used as part of a costume or athletic uniform, except that a flag patch may be used on the uniform of military personnel, fireman, policeman and members of patriotic organizations.


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  The flag should never have placed on it, or attached to it, any mark, insignia, letter, word, number, figure, or drawing of any kind.


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  The flag should never be used as a receptacle for receiving, holding, carrying, or delivering anything.

When the flag is lowered, no part of it should touch the ground or any other object; it should be received by waiting hands and arms. To store the flag it should be folded neatly and ceremoniously.
The flag should be cleaned and mended when necessary.
When a flag is so worn it is no longer fit to serve as a symbol of our country, it should be destroyed by burning in a dignified manner.

Artic Ice

Remember towards the beginning of the year they were predicting that the artic ice was going to completely melt away?? Guess what? It did not happen. As a matter of fact, there is 30 per cent greater amount of ice on August 11, 2008 than it was on the August 12, 2007. Imagine that.

Hmm...I am beginning to think that all this man made global warming stuff might belong in the same category as big foot. But as my friend's 10 year old son told me (about bigfoot), if it appeared in the Macomb Daily....it must be true.

This is just cool

I don't know about you, but I find this very cool. Makes me want to go out and chase a storm!

Update: it is ashame it is no longer available. It was really awesome.

A Member of the Family

Meet Jesse. He is a 15 pound, 6 week old German Shephard. He belongs to my daughter and I am thankful I don't have to clean up after this pooch!!!

Oil from Bug Poop

I really don't know what the big deal is about bacteria that give off "oil" as a waste product. Washington D. C. has been giving off hot gas for years!!

This cracks me up...

One Picture Every Day Spoof - Watch more free videos

I like creative photo's and videos. This one is pretty funny.

At least they are good hockey players....

Another side to the Global Warming Arguement.

This is a very interesting video and does show that there is another point of view and perhaps the debate is not over. I find it interesting that we can even suggest that a scientific debate to be over especially when the science is so uncertain. Dire enviromental predictions depend on models which depend on assumptions about complex planetary systems that no one fully understands. These models are based on linear mathmatics which try to describe chaotic systems. Which is why the models are inherently flawed and forever changing. With all these uncertainties built into the global warming arguements, the conclusions that they produce are at best speculative.

Universal Health Scare

For those who think that Univerisal Health care is going to cover everyone univerisally....well...just check out what goes on in Canada. Certainly this is an extreme case, but the rules that will be imposed on us under a Univerisal Health Care plan will leave many without medical benefits. I think a better way would be to create a system where individuals can purchase their own plans like they do auto insurance. Also, the government could give tax credit for health care expenditures, dollar for dollar, rather than waiting for some thresh hold to be obtained.

What Liberalism is About...

Finally, Democrats reveal their true colors and intentions. Oil, Health Care and who knows what else!

Global warming...My motives...

Joel responded to a post on Global warming I had written. Joel said...
"Read Peter Doran's clarification of one of the articles you posted. I bring this up because the essential part of the global warming arguement should be about facts and interpretation, not a shotgun blast of journal titles that seem to contradict other scientific findings. Also, anyone who has been involved in scientific research knows that the idea that scientists are a "team that goes along (with the 'popular' idea)" knows that statement to be far from the truth. Finally, I can say that personally, my environmentalism was caused by my learning and understanding of science. Many of you suggest that environmentalists become scientists to forward misleading theories based on previously-held beliefs. I think you are way off the mark here."

Joel suggests that I hold a belief that enviromenatalists become scientists to forward misleading theories. That is not true. What I do believe is that there is certainly a force to treat as absolute fact a cause for global warming and I have been saying that more research is needed to determine what the reasons are. Peter Doran acknowldeges that even in the Antartic that some areas show a warming trend while others show a cooling trend. He acknowledges that more needs to be studied in order to determine a actual trend. I know he believes that on a global scale, temperatures are rising. I am sure he believes it is cause by humans, but he does not know, just like I don't know that it is not.

Joel was critical of the "shot gun blast" of journal titles. That is not a shot gun blast, but a list of scholary articles, many published in refereed journals showing what other people are researching. This type of thing is essential in a scientific debate. It also shows that human caused global warming is not a fact. It is a hypothesis that still needs testing.

One of the main reason I feel strongly about showing the other side of the debate is because nothing ticks me off more than when I hear from a politician or read letter to the editor suggesting a solution to global warming is to raise taxes on gasoline. That is just idiotic. No matter how high the price of gas goes, the distance I drive to work will remain the same. I will still burn fuel. I still will put carbon dioxide into the air. And the earth will warm or cool as it pleases.

Sobering Video

Newt Gingritch offers some thoughts on the war on terror and how displaced from reality we are. I think he makes some good points regarding the nature of these Muslim terrorists and how our secular logic does not apply.

Happy? Groundhog Day!

According to reports, we are going to have 6 more weeks of winter. Thanks Phil....thanks!