Hello all, it is 8:30 P.M and I am listening to the Redwalls. For those of you free wheeling, 60's loving, blues music you should listen to them. You would dig them, they have a great groove. The do sound like Bob Dylan only none of them are over 22 and they are from Chicago, and it isn't cool that kids that young can be so cool.
Tales of Woe from History:
Here is a sad story. You probably have all heard of Black Monday. The tragic day of 28 October, 1929, when the world economic systems failed and the Great Depression hit America. Well, little did you know there was yet another Black Monday that also caused a second Great Depression. That's right folks, last Monday, the 28 November 2005 is yet another day that will live in infamy. For you see it was this day, this horrific and most terrible of days, that I, R. Jefferson Jordan and self proclaimed Czar of New Prussia, turned 30! From hence forth it will forever be known as Black Monday as well. Weep not for me, I shall survive. I just spent the day drunk, curled up in a little ball on the floor of my room mourning the loss of my youth. My roommates would occasionally open the door and throw cold water on me just to make sure I was alive. It is a weird thing to turn 30. They say it is the new 20, only a twenty that gives you more trouble in the bathroom. (see blog entry, These Old Bones, for more details.)
I look back over the last decade and don't know what to think. I seem to see more failures then successes but that is usually the way I see things. In all, honesty I am not sure how to judge the last ten years. I guess it is like any other part of life. In some way it exceeds all expectations and in others it is a total buzz kill. (Especially in the area of my lack of romances.) To be honest, it doesn't seem like such a big deal anymore. I'm just glad that I didn't get roasted like my poor friend the Rhino did when he turned 30.
Speaking of Days of Infamy: Today was December 7th, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed by the Japanese 64 years ago. I have lot's of thoughts on the issue but I can't voice the majority of them because they are probably not to P.C. I suppose we got them back in the end. Some people wonder if the dropping of the A-Bomb was really the right thing to do. Those people are morons because, trust me here, most military and history buffs tend to agree it was. Pearl Harbor also started the U.S. involvement in a war that would later produce some of my favourite childhood movies. Oh and it also gave rise to one very crappy movie with Ben Affleck.
Stories From Sears:
What Lies Beneath: I have two stories from working in the mall I would like to share. One, I was walking through the mall the other day and I saw a middle eastern lady shopping. She had the full outfit on. The long robes, the head covering, the scarf thing around her neck, you get the idea. You could only see her hands and face. I tell you all of this because, get this, she was shopping in Victoria's Secret. Go figure. I guess what lies beneath the veil is another story altogether.
The accidental Applauding of Mormonism: The second tale is that there was this guy names Caesar who I really liked. He was a really, really nice, funny guy and very thoughtful and smart. I always enjoyed talking to him at work. Well, I hoped he was a Christian and I asked him one day what his beliefs were. He responded, "Oh, I am a Christian." I said "Alright!" and made a little fist pump action. Then he follows up with, "Yeah I go to the church of Latter Day Saints." All my joy immediately came crashing down around me and I could not think of any viable way out of the situation. I mean, seriously, what could I do from there. Just imagine my dismay. All I could really do is mutter something like, "Oh really, that's interesting." And then turn and stalk of with my tail between my legs as I went to apologize to the Lord for accidentally committing blasphemy and approving of Mormonism.
Well that's it for now folks, stay tuned for next entry with more great moments in OCD History.
Wednesday, November 30, 2005
Sunday, November 13, 2005
Fusion Update
It is Sunday night, France is burning and I am listening to Travis. You will have to excuse me, I have been sick the last three or four days and haven't felt like doing anything. It's some kind of sinus infection or something like that. It may even be Malaria or Scarlet Fever or even Scurvy.
As my prior post indicated, last weekend I attended the Fusion conference in the DFW area. It was awesome. The whole point of the conference was to encourage singles to do something with their lives. It also was geared to helping you find out what that might be and putting you in contact with people who can help you down that path. The speakers were tremendous and dead on target and for you Caedmon's fans they led the praise and worship. At one point they asked us to write down if we could do anything, regardless or time and money, what would it be? I put be a writer or possibly a late night talk show host. I wanted to put down be a dictator as well but decided that was to unbiblical and just plain silly to boot.
Margaret Feinberg spoke as well. She was a liberal arts major who had no clue what to do with life until she discovered writing. Anyways, I was highly encouraged by her story. I think there are two things I got out of the conference.
1. I believe I am called to write. This may sound like a gimme but it is something I have really wrestled with. I mean that it sounds so pie in the sky, like a kid who says he wants to be an astronaut, so it has really been a challenge for me to embrace the idea. Perhaps the truth of the matter is that it has been a challenge to embrace the idea God would be good enough to call me to something so cool. I always have struggled with accepting His goodness. Anyways, after the conference, I am sure of the call to writing and I have a great joy and peace about it. I have no idea where it will take me or what form it will take. I could be published someday or I may end up just blogging. It could be short stories or novels or articles, and it may take two years or ten, I really do not know but I aim to find out.
2. I am open to the idea of missions. I have been thinking a lot about this lately. I love to glorify God and serve in churches and I would love to live overseas, so why not do both? Now, I am not saying I feel called to do this, but what I am saying is I'm very open to the idea of doing so and I think I should explore it some more. That alone is a miracle seeing as how in the past I would dig my heals into the dirt at the very thought of missions or ministry. Anyways, I will explore that path as it seems best through prayer.
And now for the moment you have all been waiting for: the start of a new segment, Great Moments in OCD History. Yes folks that's right, OCD is here and it has left its mark in time and space. This segment is compromised of many tales of obsession. It could be something historical that contributed to or took away from OCD (such as the discovery of anti-depressants), it could be something that happened to me personally or even something I read or heard about. It is wide open to interpretation but it's all good as well. So without further ado, and I don't know how the bang can live up to the hype, I give you:
Great Moments in OCD History:
1. The mission trip: The names have been changed to protect the innocent in this first story. My friends, Ronnie and Jenny Mavis, as well as several other people I know, went on a mission trip to Morocco this summer. While there they went into to minister to the Berber tribes. They are the native tribes who still live the rural life in the wild desert mountains of North Africa. The restroom facilities pretty much consisted of a hole in the ground in a little shack. Hand washing equipment was non-existent. So what do they do for sanitation? I will tell you. Whenever somebody has to go, they use their left hand (or maybe it's the right) for bathroom purposes. This is important because at dinner the use a community bowl that everyone dips out of. For dinner they all use the OTHER hand to eat with and dip into the bowl. This would drive anyone with OCD crazy, just the mere presence of unwashed hands around a dinner table would be enough to make me insane. Add that to the community bowl and I think I would lose it. Consequently my fears would have been justified because all but two people on the trip got very sick from the bowl passing. I mean sick in the, you don't want to be sick in the desert without clean bathrooms, kind of sick. So my fears were doubly rationalized. This is truly a great moment in OCD history and also shows why, if I am called to missions, then it is to somewhere posh and civilized, like Western Europe.
2. The office. This is a true tail of an event that happened to me a few days ago and I decided it had to make the list. I went to an office for a visit. On the way in I decided to go to the restroom. I find said location and see a sign that says, "Doors are kept locked, get keys from secretary." Great, that's a recipe for disease, I thought. Taking keys in and out of restrooms is just not a good idea. So I suck it up and do it. In the process I drop the keys on the bathroom floor. Now the bathroom floor of a men's room is not at all like that of a women's room. It is a thing to be avoided at all costs. It is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. So that made things worse. Then after delicately picking the keys up, I wash my hands, turn to dry them, only to realize that there were no paper towels, only an air dryer! So I dry my hands but I notice that the door is locked and has a knob, and I have no paper towels to open them with. So I think I used my shirt tail, mediocre at best, and walk out with the dirty keys in my hand, wondering just where I could wash myself clean again and how long it would be. The real kicker is the office was a doctor's office! They know better! How could they? Then again it could be brilliant. In house therapy and the spread of Typhoid and other diseases would keep patients coming back over and over again with the sickness's they got from the badly designed restrooms. Go figure.
Well that's it for now folks. I hope you enjoyed the new segment. Faith, as for foot washing I am juxtapositionally opposed to the Christian tradition of foot washing ceremonies. Then again, I try to keep my feet clothed in socks most of the time anyways. More to come.
By the way, does anyone think this trouble in France is merely an accident? On no my friends, Prussian agents have been working at this for sometime and now the undermining of the European Union's infrastructure is well under way. Muahahahhah.
In closing I will leave you with a couple of pictures of me and the pumpkin I carved for Halloween. Like father like son I suppose. Later.
As my prior post indicated, last weekend I attended the Fusion conference in the DFW area. It was awesome. The whole point of the conference was to encourage singles to do something with their lives. It also was geared to helping you find out what that might be and putting you in contact with people who can help you down that path. The speakers were tremendous and dead on target and for you Caedmon's fans they led the praise and worship. At one point they asked us to write down if we could do anything, regardless or time and money, what would it be? I put be a writer or possibly a late night talk show host. I wanted to put down be a dictator as well but decided that was to unbiblical and just plain silly to boot.
Margaret Feinberg spoke as well. She was a liberal arts major who had no clue what to do with life until she discovered writing. Anyways, I was highly encouraged by her story. I think there are two things I got out of the conference.
1. I believe I am called to write. This may sound like a gimme but it is something I have really wrestled with. I mean that it sounds so pie in the sky, like a kid who says he wants to be an astronaut, so it has really been a challenge for me to embrace the idea. Perhaps the truth of the matter is that it has been a challenge to embrace the idea God would be good enough to call me to something so cool. I always have struggled with accepting His goodness. Anyways, after the conference, I am sure of the call to writing and I have a great joy and peace about it. I have no idea where it will take me or what form it will take. I could be published someday or I may end up just blogging. It could be short stories or novels or articles, and it may take two years or ten, I really do not know but I aim to find out.
2. I am open to the idea of missions. I have been thinking a lot about this lately. I love to glorify God and serve in churches and I would love to live overseas, so why not do both? Now, I am not saying I feel called to do this, but what I am saying is I'm very open to the idea of doing so and I think I should explore it some more. That alone is a miracle seeing as how in the past I would dig my heals into the dirt at the very thought of missions or ministry. Anyways, I will explore that path as it seems best through prayer.
And now for the moment you have all been waiting for: the start of a new segment, Great Moments in OCD History. Yes folks that's right, OCD is here and it has left its mark in time and space. This segment is compromised of many tales of obsession. It could be something historical that contributed to or took away from OCD (such as the discovery of anti-depressants), it could be something that happened to me personally or even something I read or heard about. It is wide open to interpretation but it's all good as well. So without further ado, and I don't know how the bang can live up to the hype, I give you:
Great Moments in OCD History:
1. The mission trip: The names have been changed to protect the innocent in this first story. My friends, Ronnie and Jenny Mavis, as well as several other people I know, went on a mission trip to Morocco this summer. While there they went into to minister to the Berber tribes. They are the native tribes who still live the rural life in the wild desert mountains of North Africa. The restroom facilities pretty much consisted of a hole in the ground in a little shack. Hand washing equipment was non-existent. So what do they do for sanitation? I will tell you. Whenever somebody has to go, they use their left hand (or maybe it's the right) for bathroom purposes. This is important because at dinner the use a community bowl that everyone dips out of. For dinner they all use the OTHER hand to eat with and dip into the bowl. This would drive anyone with OCD crazy, just the mere presence of unwashed hands around a dinner table would be enough to make me insane. Add that to the community bowl and I think I would lose it. Consequently my fears would have been justified because all but two people on the trip got very sick from the bowl passing. I mean sick in the, you don't want to be sick in the desert without clean bathrooms, kind of sick. So my fears were doubly rationalized. This is truly a great moment in OCD history and also shows why, if I am called to missions, then it is to somewhere posh and civilized, like Western Europe.
2. The office. This is a true tail of an event that happened to me a few days ago and I decided it had to make the list. I went to an office for a visit. On the way in I decided to go to the restroom. I find said location and see a sign that says, "Doors are kept locked, get keys from secretary." Great, that's a recipe for disease, I thought. Taking keys in and out of restrooms is just not a good idea. So I suck it up and do it. In the process I drop the keys on the bathroom floor. Now the bathroom floor of a men's room is not at all like that of a women's room. It is a thing to be avoided at all costs. It is a wretched hive of scum and villainy. So that made things worse. Then after delicately picking the keys up, I wash my hands, turn to dry them, only to realize that there were no paper towels, only an air dryer! So I dry my hands but I notice that the door is locked and has a knob, and I have no paper towels to open them with. So I think I used my shirt tail, mediocre at best, and walk out with the dirty keys in my hand, wondering just where I could wash myself clean again and how long it would be. The real kicker is the office was a doctor's office! They know better! How could they? Then again it could be brilliant. In house therapy and the spread of Typhoid and other diseases would keep patients coming back over and over again with the sickness's they got from the badly designed restrooms. Go figure.
Well that's it for now folks. I hope you enjoyed the new segment. Faith, as for foot washing I am juxtapositionally opposed to the Christian tradition of foot washing ceremonies. Then again, I try to keep my feet clothed in socks most of the time anyways. More to come.
By the way, does anyone think this trouble in France is merely an accident? On no my friends, Prussian agents have been working at this for sometime and now the undermining of the European Union's infrastructure is well under way. Muahahahhah.
In closing I will leave you with a couple of pictures of me and the pumpkin I carved for Halloween. Like father like son I suppose. Later.
Saturday, November 05, 2005
This Just In
I just went to the Fusion Conference at Irving Bible this week. It was awesome. Really it was just what I needed to hear on so many levels. I will wright more on it soon, but I am tired right now. I met Margaret Feinberg as well, who spoke on writing, which was really encouraging because her story seems simliar to mine in alot of ways. She also reads my friend, Nicole's blog, which is pretty cool as well. Perhaps you would like to read something from the past for now? I recommend A Mighty Wind Doth Bloweth or maybe Czar and Away Vol 1 or 2.
I will, however, tease a new segment I have created for New Prussia that shall appear in my next entry. Picture, if you will, in bold font, (Drum roll please...).......Great Moments In OCD History.
To Be Continued.
I will, however, tease a new segment I have created for New Prussia that shall appear in my next entry. Picture, if you will, in bold font, (Drum roll please...).......Great Moments In OCD History.
To Be Continued.
Wednesday, October 12, 2005
A Little Bit of Social Satire
Well, perhaps updating my blog once a week was a little ambitious on my part. I seemed to have underestimated the level of my own laziness. Once a month seems much more viable. As to those of you interested in my life I am still trying to figure out what to do or where to go. I feel I'm supposed to be just waiting for something but as to what I have no clue. It is currently 8:30 P.M on Wednesday night and I am listening to Sufjan Stevens.
Now that Hurricane Katrina had a little distance let's look at it some more. Here are some real fake articles I made up.
Rich White People Hit By Hurricane As Well! -New York Times
Associated Press- New Orleans, LA. In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina comes a surprising shock. News reel highlights and photojournalists everywhere captured hundreds of images of the poor, inner city filled with destruction and chaos. Amid that destruction another important fact went unnoticed until recently. In the uptown affluent area known as Audubon Park, old antebellum mansions have sustained serious damage. Porches have fallen over and swimming pools are filled with mud and waste. Hot tubs have been destroyed and private gardens and gazebos have ceased to exist.
"I never thought that a Hurricane would hit us as well. I thought being rich and white, as well as protestant, would protect us from the storm. Now I just don't know what to do." Quotes Nathaniel Beauregard, a sugar refinery owner. "I mean look at this place. My SUV is flooded and useless now. The golf course at the country club is a quagmire. Where will I go to smoke cigars and meet good ole' boys now?"
"I doubt our Southern way of life has been this disrupted since the Civil War," adds his wife, Mirabelle Beauregard. "I thought the government was supposed to prevent this. How could they let this happen to us? I thought our tax breaks protected us. We may have to winter in our summer home in upstate New York. Just the thought makes me shudder!"
Black leaders, naturally, are dubious of the damage. Rev. William Jones of the Canal Street Mission says, "We don't really believe this has happened until we see it. The thought of this happening to the aristocratic southern bougiouse is absurd. We know this storm is all racially motivated and I strongly suspect the government itself went into Audubon Park and caused damage just to hide the fact that the rich were protected."
Indeed, many have long suspected the government of spending millions on the Natural Disaster Defense Networks, a system that costs billions and is aimed at protecting the upper crust of society from such events. There is still however no proof the program really exists.
"Even if they were hit by the storm then of course they got cleaned up first," continued the Rev. Jones.
Mr. Beauregard could only respond in shock, "I agree it seems far fetched but we have suffered from this storm as well. We can only hope to make a quick recovery and get back on track with our lives in time for the ski season." He says as he sips a cocktail in his private helicopter on his way back to New Orleans.
Nation Mourns Dead, Gas Prices. -Washington Post
Associated Press- While the nation was still in mourning over the tragic loss of life during Katrina they were hit with yet another tragedy as well. Gas prices sky rocketed to above three dollars a gallon and in some places close to five. "I can't believe how horrible this is. All of those people died and paid the ultimate price and now here we are paying the ultimate price for gas. It may costs more to fuel up my Hummer then my vacation to Europe." Says Cindy Fox in Beverly Hills.
Many people do not know what to think. "It has really filled me with confusion, first I think the President invades Iraq for oil. Now we have a shortage and I'm mad at him for not doing enough to keep the oil flowing. As a blue state Liberal, I am very out of touch with my inner self." Adds Don Cervok in the Chesapeake Bay Area.
Down in the south they are feeling the pinch as well. "God obviously allowed this to happen for a reason. I think maybe it was his way of saying it's okay for me to skim on my tithe so I can afford my weekly Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks." Says Robert Bland of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, TX. "I will be praying for everyone involved though and hopefully like Job, God will reward us for our suffering in the end." We can only hope He does.
Well those are some of my thoughts on the stupid hypocritical world of America, Katrina and fuel. Now for one more death in New Prussia. I really cannot believe all the great TV Star deaths taking place as of late, yet here is another one.
I even mentioned Get Smart in my last blog on Bob Denver and now Don Adams has passed away as well. This was another show of my youth. It combined my love of stupid comedy with my love of espionage and world domination. Who could forget that comical voice? The shoe phone? The bumbling run in's with the Chief, especially in the cone of silence? And of course who could forget the smoldering beautiful Agent 99, who somehow persevered through it all? Would you believe, nobody? I was surprised (although I should have been) to learn Mel Brooks produced the show. Regardless, Don Adams number, 86, was apparently up. Here to you 86, sorry about that Chief.
Anybody catch the two Get Smart phrases? It will be a very, very bad day in New Prussia if Adam West ever dies. BTW- They are making a Get Smart movie with Steve Carrell as Maxwell Smart, it could be funny or it could be chaos. We will see.
Well that is about it for now. I'll catch you later.
Now that Hurricane Katrina had a little distance let's look at it some more. Here are some real fake articles I made up.
Rich White People Hit By Hurricane As Well! -New York Times
Associated Press- New Orleans, LA. In the wake of the devastation of Hurricane Katrina comes a surprising shock. News reel highlights and photojournalists everywhere captured hundreds of images of the poor, inner city filled with destruction and chaos. Amid that destruction another important fact went unnoticed until recently. In the uptown affluent area known as Audubon Park, old antebellum mansions have sustained serious damage. Porches have fallen over and swimming pools are filled with mud and waste. Hot tubs have been destroyed and private gardens and gazebos have ceased to exist.
"I never thought that a Hurricane would hit us as well. I thought being rich and white, as well as protestant, would protect us from the storm. Now I just don't know what to do." Quotes Nathaniel Beauregard, a sugar refinery owner. "I mean look at this place. My SUV is flooded and useless now. The golf course at the country club is a quagmire. Where will I go to smoke cigars and meet good ole' boys now?"
"I doubt our Southern way of life has been this disrupted since the Civil War," adds his wife, Mirabelle Beauregard. "I thought the government was supposed to prevent this. How could they let this happen to us? I thought our tax breaks protected us. We may have to winter in our summer home in upstate New York. Just the thought makes me shudder!"
Black leaders, naturally, are dubious of the damage. Rev. William Jones of the Canal Street Mission says, "We don't really believe this has happened until we see it. The thought of this happening to the aristocratic southern bougiouse is absurd. We know this storm is all racially motivated and I strongly suspect the government itself went into Audubon Park and caused damage just to hide the fact that the rich were protected."
Indeed, many have long suspected the government of spending millions on the Natural Disaster Defense Networks, a system that costs billions and is aimed at protecting the upper crust of society from such events. There is still however no proof the program really exists.
"Even if they were hit by the storm then of course they got cleaned up first," continued the Rev. Jones.
Mr. Beauregard could only respond in shock, "I agree it seems far fetched but we have suffered from this storm as well. We can only hope to make a quick recovery and get back on track with our lives in time for the ski season." He says as he sips a cocktail in his private helicopter on his way back to New Orleans.
Nation Mourns Dead, Gas Prices. -Washington Post
Associated Press- While the nation was still in mourning over the tragic loss of life during Katrina they were hit with yet another tragedy as well. Gas prices sky rocketed to above three dollars a gallon and in some places close to five. "I can't believe how horrible this is. All of those people died and paid the ultimate price and now here we are paying the ultimate price for gas. It may costs more to fuel up my Hummer then my vacation to Europe." Says Cindy Fox in Beverly Hills.
Many people do not know what to think. "It has really filled me with confusion, first I think the President invades Iraq for oil. Now we have a shortage and I'm mad at him for not doing enough to keep the oil flowing. As a blue state Liberal, I am very out of touch with my inner self." Adds Don Cervok in the Chesapeake Bay Area.
Down in the south they are feeling the pinch as well. "God obviously allowed this to happen for a reason. I think maybe it was his way of saying it's okay for me to skim on my tithe so I can afford my weekly Caramel Macchiato at Starbucks." Says Robert Bland of Stonebriar Community Church in Frisco, TX. "I will be praying for everyone involved though and hopefully like Job, God will reward us for our suffering in the end." We can only hope He does.
Well those are some of my thoughts on the stupid hypocritical world of America, Katrina and fuel. Now for one more death in New Prussia. I really cannot believe all the great TV Star deaths taking place as of late, yet here is another one.
I even mentioned Get Smart in my last blog on Bob Denver and now Don Adams has passed away as well. This was another show of my youth. It combined my love of stupid comedy with my love of espionage and world domination. Who could forget that comical voice? The shoe phone? The bumbling run in's with the Chief, especially in the cone of silence? And of course who could forget the smoldering beautiful Agent 99, who somehow persevered through it all? Would you believe, nobody? I was surprised (although I should have been) to learn Mel Brooks produced the show. Regardless, Don Adams number, 86, was apparently up. Here to you 86, sorry about that Chief.
Anybody catch the two Get Smart phrases? It will be a very, very bad day in New Prussia if Adam West ever dies. BTW- They are making a Get Smart movie with Steve Carrell as Maxwell Smart, it could be funny or it could be chaos. We will see.
Well that is about it for now. I'll catch you later.
Sunday, September 18, 2005
Katrina, Katrina, Katrina!
It is 12:30 and I am listening to Whiskeytown right now. Well as per usual it has been a little while since my last blog but I think this is good because it keeps you on your toes. It seems we have had a major natural disaster occur lately and I have yet to comment on it. That's about to change. First though, are some quick hits.
Scottie: Well, in regards to your post on my last blog about Scottie from Star Trek, I reiterate that for what ever reason, Star Trek was not a huge influence on my formative years. I respect it's place in the Nerd Hall of Fame and I love the characters but I was not really into it as a kid. I think it was my parents protection realizing the serious social and romantic consequences that Star Trek could have upon people later in life, that kept me from it. That and the cheap special effects and lack of action. I am not sure my parents protection on my social and romantic life was sufficient though.
Spam on the Run: It appears the mysterious spammer has found my blog as well. I am now forced to, against my will, initiate the anti-spam verification. Sorry. Keep posting though because it does spur me on. ALSO, it has caused me to think of a great term for blogging Spam. I now call it BLAM. Blog+Spam, get it? There will be no blamming here please.
Disclaimer: If you read through all the next sections then you are truly a friend of New Prussia. It is a hunk of reading but I did add some humor at the end.
The Bad in New Orleans: Well first for the most serious stuff. As some of you may know, I led a mission trip to New Orleans last spring break. We worked with a homeless shelter, an HIV hospice and helped clean up a church. I am sure it is all ruined. I was greatly touched by the people to and the inner city we ministered in. Most were poor minorities or homeless, just the type that did not make it out. I have to wonder if any of them are still alive. I have to wonder if the church, which had recently been renovated, still exists. One of the girls on the trip and I had the privilege and honor of leading a semi-homeless guy named Cedric to Christ. He was down on his luck but trying to get back on his feet. That was on spring break and I wonder if it was the last call for him. Is he okay or will I only see him in eternity now? It is one thing to see the stuff on TV, to know it is happening. It is a strangely sad and surreal experience to see it happen, knowing it effected people you were trying to help just a few months ago.
Secondly, I have to wonder to myself, isn't this really just the beginning? Was not all of these horribly things and much, much more predicted in the Bible as time grows short in the world? 9-11, a Tsunami, five or six hurricanes in a row last year, now this one. A new famine in Africa and more flooding in China and other places as well. There are seismic tremblings and minor eruptions of St. Helens in Washington as well. "Wars and rumors of wars," so to speak. I do not mean to say I think the end is here or the rapture will happen within the next year or anything like that. I just mean it is only going to get worse. Think of the reputation New Orleans has. Not just the homosexuality and party mentality but also think of all the crime, the injustice, the crooked officials and cops, the mafia as well as all the crazy Voodoo and witchcraft practiced there. Does this not seem like judgment? I know it is not en vogue for Christians to say this and I know that this is not necessarily all judgment and God can do good things through this, but I can't help but think of the similarities here. I am staying well away from California for some time. I also think all this political grandstanding ticks me off and that leads me to the next point.
The Not as Bad: Now that I have paid some dues let me say a few things. I think all of this political stuff is a load of pig crap. It is definitly not what needs to happen right now. That being said, I will jump right in.
Federal Distress: We all know the government looked slow in this issue. First let me criticize the President. I support Bush for the most part, but I do think he made a few mistakes in the relief effort. I know he was meeting with advisors at his ranch and I know he was saddened by what was going on, BUT I think it was really stupid of him to stay at his ranch as long as he did, and I think it looked horrible. I can't see why he didn't jump on Air Force One and get back to Washington ASAP. He made a big mistake by not publicly taking more initiative sooner. Also as the head of the government the buck does stop with him, so technically he is to blame in a weird unfair kind of way and he did appoint the FEMA director. Yes, the President is not perfect and made a few mistakes but that was not what costs all those lives.
From what I gather, there were a few major errors made here. 1. FEMA and company thought their response systems were sufficient and they weren't. It was only when they find out they aren't that it is to late. Like if you are dehydrated, by the time you feel thirsty it is to late. As far as I can tell, the bulk of the blame should go to the Gov. and Mayor of Louisana. There are laws that prohibit the President from ordering troops into a city for relief. This is done to keep Presidents from becoming dictators and to protect freedom. What it takes is for the Gov. of the state to officially ask for help as well as sign some paper work. The storm hit Sunday night-Monday morning, the levee broke Tuesday, the paper work for help did not get signed until Wednesday. The GOVERNER did not ask for help until Wednesday? And people want to blame the president? Compare this to Mississippi, where albeit, the flooding was not as bad but certainly they were in need of help.. The Governor there called for help very early on and what happened? Help arrived in time and the whole mess in New Orleans did not happen there. I suppose people forget that side of it. Correct me if I am mistaken but I believe there are black people in Mississippi as well. Maybe Bush just hates the black people in New Orleans.
There are all sorts of other stories coming out as well. The Mayor and Gov. did not declare mandatory evacuations, nor did they use the city buses to transport people out. I have even read Bush called them the Friday before the storm hit and begged them to sign the necessary paper work but they would not do it for political reasons. What does the left want? Would they have prefered that the President break the law and send in troops without the proper legal authority? They already think he is a tyrant, is that what they want? Would they prefer it that way instead?
This taxing Levee issue is supposed to be Bush's fault as well. Did people want Bush to fly down there and stick his finger in the break to stop it? Apparently he did not approve funding for state projects that included levee repairs. That is balderdash. The truth is that the levee repairs have been on the books for decades now. At LEAST since the Reagan era if not longer. Why did they not get fixed or funded sooner? Let's look at some reason. For a long time LA refused to raise their legal drinking age to 21, because they would not do this, they got very little federal aid for projects and what aid they did get went mainly to highway maintenece, not levee's. So you can blame the crappy LA government for that. Back during the Clinton years they got funding for projects as well. Where did that money go? It has now come out that a lot of it went to, instead of levee's, building a Marina to support ships?...no...off shore refineries or drilling rigs? no.....hmm where could that money have gone...oh I know, Riverboat Casino's. Yes, it seems a lot of the money for levee's and other work was redirected to help support Riverboat gambling. Let's have a BIG round of applause for the notoriously corrupt state of LA. I could go on and on about this and write pages. I am blown away by the stupidity of people at times.
ABC-Disaster Company: Did anyone see the ABC special the other night on potential disasters in the U.S.A and how we are not ready for them. It made me sick to see them sensationalizing all of this. Their was an earthquake in San Francisco and a plague and nuclear explosion in New York. They simulated these things and showed how unprepared the Government was. Let me see....I think there is word for these kinds of things. Oh yeah, they are called disasters! Of course you can't be prepared for them. You can do the best you can and certainly we can do better, but no one will every be able to be fully prepared for these things. Not for millions of people.
That being said, here are some other probable disasters that the U.S.A. would not be prepared for and that would also, inevitably be George Bush's fault. I have also listed possible course's of action to prevent these things.
-All the bears in North America descend upon Seattle in post-hibernation hunger. This can be prevented by hunting all bears to extinction. Even the Chicago bears.
-Vikings raid the northeast coast, raping and pillaging everything along their paths. In a gross oversight FEMA has absolutely no Viking Invasion Contingency Plan. The best defense is a good offense, invade Scandinavia now OR summon the legendary return of King Arthur and his round table to unify the states and ward off the evil aggressors.
-Disco makes a huge comeback. This might be the scariest disaster of all. It made a mild comeback a few years ago but was avoided for the most part. Next time we may not be so lucky. If it does start to happen the best thing to do is play plenty of Led Zepplin and Rolling Stones as loud and as long as possible. (Note: if New Kids on the Block comeback then it is all over.)
-Atlas gets tired of holding up the earth and throws it off his shoulders. The best plan here it to keep Atlas very happy and content and feed him lots of Campbell's Chunky Beef Soup. (I could not think of anything better then this. Sorry)
-George Bush meets with wizards and summons a giant meteor to hit the earth and split it open. The best action here is, as long as we time the split right, to let it hit, separating the Eastern Hemisphere from us forever. I mean, isn't the Eastern Hemisphere really more trouble then it is worth? Actually the best thing to do is to let the meteor hit the EU.
-Giant squids crawl out from the ocean and devour all in their path. Answer-Operation Calamari, involving government funded openings of thousands of Sushi bars throughout the world.
Well, this is at the top of the list of likely events. There are many other such as alien invasions, vampire prince appearances, and Magneto's return to earth, but the list is just to long. The important thing to remember is that whatever happens, Don't Panic. Cheers.
P.S. Maybe for my next blog, I will have an interview with a real live disaster relief expert and FEMA analyst, my hero Andrew McMahan. He knows everything about disaster planning. After all, he went to Africa and he can tell you, the battle is real!
Scottie: Well, in regards to your post on my last blog about Scottie from Star Trek, I reiterate that for what ever reason, Star Trek was not a huge influence on my formative years. I respect it's place in the Nerd Hall of Fame and I love the characters but I was not really into it as a kid. I think it was my parents protection realizing the serious social and romantic consequences that Star Trek could have upon people later in life, that kept me from it. That and the cheap special effects and lack of action. I am not sure my parents protection on my social and romantic life was sufficient though.
Spam on the Run: It appears the mysterious spammer has found my blog as well. I am now forced to, against my will, initiate the anti-spam verification. Sorry. Keep posting though because it does spur me on. ALSO, it has caused me to think of a great term for blogging Spam. I now call it BLAM. Blog+Spam, get it? There will be no blamming here please.
Disclaimer: If you read through all the next sections then you are truly a friend of New Prussia. It is a hunk of reading but I did add some humor at the end.
The Bad in New Orleans: Well first for the most serious stuff. As some of you may know, I led a mission trip to New Orleans last spring break. We worked with a homeless shelter, an HIV hospice and helped clean up a church. I am sure it is all ruined. I was greatly touched by the people to and the inner city we ministered in. Most were poor minorities or homeless, just the type that did not make it out. I have to wonder if any of them are still alive. I have to wonder if the church, which had recently been renovated, still exists. One of the girls on the trip and I had the privilege and honor of leading a semi-homeless guy named Cedric to Christ. He was down on his luck but trying to get back on his feet. That was on spring break and I wonder if it was the last call for him. Is he okay or will I only see him in eternity now? It is one thing to see the stuff on TV, to know it is happening. It is a strangely sad and surreal experience to see it happen, knowing it effected people you were trying to help just a few months ago.
Secondly, I have to wonder to myself, isn't this really just the beginning? Was not all of these horribly things and much, much more predicted in the Bible as time grows short in the world? 9-11, a Tsunami, five or six hurricanes in a row last year, now this one. A new famine in Africa and more flooding in China and other places as well. There are seismic tremblings and minor eruptions of St. Helens in Washington as well. "Wars and rumors of wars," so to speak. I do not mean to say I think the end is here or the rapture will happen within the next year or anything like that. I just mean it is only going to get worse. Think of the reputation New Orleans has. Not just the homosexuality and party mentality but also think of all the crime, the injustice, the crooked officials and cops, the mafia as well as all the crazy Voodoo and witchcraft practiced there. Does this not seem like judgment? I know it is not en vogue for Christians to say this and I know that this is not necessarily all judgment and God can do good things through this, but I can't help but think of the similarities here. I am staying well away from California for some time. I also think all this political grandstanding ticks me off and that leads me to the next point.
The Not as Bad: Now that I have paid some dues let me say a few things. I think all of this political stuff is a load of pig crap. It is definitly not what needs to happen right now. That being said, I will jump right in.
Federal Distress: We all know the government looked slow in this issue. First let me criticize the President. I support Bush for the most part, but I do think he made a few mistakes in the relief effort. I know he was meeting with advisors at his ranch and I know he was saddened by what was going on, BUT I think it was really stupid of him to stay at his ranch as long as he did, and I think it looked horrible. I can't see why he didn't jump on Air Force One and get back to Washington ASAP. He made a big mistake by not publicly taking more initiative sooner. Also as the head of the government the buck does stop with him, so technically he is to blame in a weird unfair kind of way and he did appoint the FEMA director. Yes, the President is not perfect and made a few mistakes but that was not what costs all those lives.
From what I gather, there were a few major errors made here. 1. FEMA and company thought their response systems were sufficient and they weren't. It was only when they find out they aren't that it is to late. Like if you are dehydrated, by the time you feel thirsty it is to late. As far as I can tell, the bulk of the blame should go to the Gov. and Mayor of Louisana. There are laws that prohibit the President from ordering troops into a city for relief. This is done to keep Presidents from becoming dictators and to protect freedom. What it takes is for the Gov. of the state to officially ask for help as well as sign some paper work. The storm hit Sunday night-Monday morning, the levee broke Tuesday, the paper work for help did not get signed until Wednesday. The GOVERNER did not ask for help until Wednesday? And people want to blame the president? Compare this to Mississippi, where albeit, the flooding was not as bad but certainly they were in need of help.. The Governor there called for help very early on and what happened? Help arrived in time and the whole mess in New Orleans did not happen there. I suppose people forget that side of it. Correct me if I am mistaken but I believe there are black people in Mississippi as well. Maybe Bush just hates the black people in New Orleans.
There are all sorts of other stories coming out as well. The Mayor and Gov. did not declare mandatory evacuations, nor did they use the city buses to transport people out. I have even read Bush called them the Friday before the storm hit and begged them to sign the necessary paper work but they would not do it for political reasons. What does the left want? Would they have prefered that the President break the law and send in troops without the proper legal authority? They already think he is a tyrant, is that what they want? Would they prefer it that way instead?
This taxing Levee issue is supposed to be Bush's fault as well. Did people want Bush to fly down there and stick his finger in the break to stop it? Apparently he did not approve funding for state projects that included levee repairs. That is balderdash. The truth is that the levee repairs have been on the books for decades now. At LEAST since the Reagan era if not longer. Why did they not get fixed or funded sooner? Let's look at some reason. For a long time LA refused to raise their legal drinking age to 21, because they would not do this, they got very little federal aid for projects and what aid they did get went mainly to highway maintenece, not levee's. So you can blame the crappy LA government for that. Back during the Clinton years they got funding for projects as well. Where did that money go? It has now come out that a lot of it went to, instead of levee's, building a Marina to support ships?...no...off shore refineries or drilling rigs? no.....hmm where could that money have gone...oh I know, Riverboat Casino's. Yes, it seems a lot of the money for levee's and other work was redirected to help support Riverboat gambling. Let's have a BIG round of applause for the notoriously corrupt state of LA. I could go on and on about this and write pages. I am blown away by the stupidity of people at times.
ABC-Disaster Company: Did anyone see the ABC special the other night on potential disasters in the U.S.A and how we are not ready for them. It made me sick to see them sensationalizing all of this. Their was an earthquake in San Francisco and a plague and nuclear explosion in New York. They simulated these things and showed how unprepared the Government was. Let me see....I think there is word for these kinds of things. Oh yeah, they are called disasters! Of course you can't be prepared for them. You can do the best you can and certainly we can do better, but no one will every be able to be fully prepared for these things. Not for millions of people.
That being said, here are some other probable disasters that the U.S.A. would not be prepared for and that would also, inevitably be George Bush's fault. I have also listed possible course's of action to prevent these things.
-All the bears in North America descend upon Seattle in post-hibernation hunger. This can be prevented by hunting all bears to extinction. Even the Chicago bears.
-Vikings raid the northeast coast, raping and pillaging everything along their paths. In a gross oversight FEMA has absolutely no Viking Invasion Contingency Plan. The best defense is a good offense, invade Scandinavia now OR summon the legendary return of King Arthur and his round table to unify the states and ward off the evil aggressors.
-Disco makes a huge comeback. This might be the scariest disaster of all. It made a mild comeback a few years ago but was avoided for the most part. Next time we may not be so lucky. If it does start to happen the best thing to do is play plenty of Led Zepplin and Rolling Stones as loud and as long as possible. (Note: if New Kids on the Block comeback then it is all over.)
-Atlas gets tired of holding up the earth and throws it off his shoulders. The best plan here it to keep Atlas very happy and content and feed him lots of Campbell's Chunky Beef Soup. (I could not think of anything better then this. Sorry)
-George Bush meets with wizards and summons a giant meteor to hit the earth and split it open. The best action here is, as long as we time the split right, to let it hit, separating the Eastern Hemisphere from us forever. I mean, isn't the Eastern Hemisphere really more trouble then it is worth? Actually the best thing to do is to let the meteor hit the EU.
-Giant squids crawl out from the ocean and devour all in their path. Answer-Operation Calamari, involving government funded openings of thousands of Sushi bars throughout the world.
Well, this is at the top of the list of likely events. There are many other such as alien invasions, vampire prince appearances, and Magneto's return to earth, but the list is just to long. The important thing to remember is that whatever happens, Don't Panic. Cheers.
P.S. Maybe for my next blog, I will have an interview with a real live disaster relief expert and FEMA analyst, my hero Andrew McMahan. He knows everything about disaster planning. After all, he went to Africa and he can tell you, the battle is real!
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