Rick Says

Republicans

2006-09-22T21:08:00.000-07:00


They call themselves "the "Party of ideas", but how many are good ones. Here's a whole slew of humdingers. A liberal political rant.

I'm confused about fashion

2006-08-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

I'm really confused. Just when I thought I was supposed to take my baseball cap, and carefully bend the bill so it has a perfect curve, things have changed. Now it seems like you're supposed to keep the bill perfectly flat, and rotate the cap on your head about 30 degrees so the bill is facing either 10 o'clock or 2 o'clock. I was on the bus yesterday and there were 2 guys sitting opposite each other. One had a cap on with the curved bill, and the other had the cap with the flat bill cocked to the left. Can someone tell me how I'm supposed to wear my baseball cap?
Also, are the baggy jeans barely held up to your knees with the crotch hanging down to your ankles, are they going to be around awhile, and should I invest in some?

Getting Older.....

2006-08-24T18:23:00.000-07:00

As I get ready to turn 44 this month (God willing) I'm living in today, but also looking back and looking to the future. Defining my priorities and resolving to do what I can to make life better. Here are some of my "44" resolutions.

1) ALWAYS live by the Golden Rule...Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

2) Be more open with others and allow people to see the real "me".

3) NEVER be anyone's Door Mat.

4) I will not overly concern myself with what others think about me. I'm over 40 now and I've earned the right to be myself.

5) Priorities = God, Family, Country including my wife's family

Favorite saying - It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool than to open one's mouth and remove all doubt.

Likes - peace, harmony, health, nice people, my cats, guppies, the outdoors, world news, ships, ocean waves, honesty

Dislikes - loud obnoxious people, know-it-alls

Loves - (see #5 above = priorities)

Hates - anything Evil

Wishlist - Vacation to visit family spread out across the USA, Alaska Cruise, Home Theatre with awesome flat tv and surround sound, peace and happiness for everyone.

Birthday wishlist = Happy Birthday phone calls

Back In The Saddle

2006-08-24T16:49:00.000-07:00

Jeesh, a lot has happened here lately. Between the stomach cramps and diahreaa, I have spent a lot of time in the john. Went to the doctor, they took blood and 3 stool samples, and until I get over this thing I'm babying my stomach as much as I can. Lots of gelatin made with fruit juice.
The old computer with a 233mhz processor took a flying leap off the front porch last Sunday and re-assembled itself into a twisted heap of metal on the concrete. Some would call it artwork. I call it a pissed-off owner and a junked computer. In its place is a Compaq Presario Desktop from WalMart. Taking it for its first test drive right now.
Still waiting for SSDI backpay, getting so close right now I can almost hear the kachink. My lawyer got his share and so the pie is being sliced and divided. Maybe I'll end up with a few crumbs or at least a small slice. LOL In the meantime my payday for SSDI went from the 4th Wed of the month, to the 3rd of the month. That means this month I get 2 checks almost back to back. That helps a bunch.
Our email address is still RnKTapp@peoplepc.com.
That's it for the updates from here, please say a prayer for my tummy!

Need Ideas For Summer Squash!

2006-08-18T17:59:00.000-07:00

Usually every Friday here lately we get a free basket full of fresh organic vegetables grown locally here, from the local health dept. This week there was a whole extra bag of nothing but summer squash...zuccini, yellow squash, "pan patty" squash, etc. Tonight I sliced and cooked some in a pan on the stove with some onions, in coconut oil, and it was real good. Does anyone have any useful ideas on other ways to cook summer squash?

Living In Today

2006-08-17T12:37:00.000-07:00

This is what is on my mind today, and so here it is. Rather than wistfully look at yesterday, and fret over what could have been, or what we did wrong, or what we should have done, OR, rather than look at the future, and worry needlessly over things we have no control over, it would be so great if we could learn to just Live In Today, enjoy the moments that will never pass this way again, the here, the now, the everyday things that make life special, we would be so much happier. Too often I find myself thinking about negative things, things that take away from the enjoyment that life has to offer every single day. Being happy in today and in the moment and being thankful for every little thing is so much a part of learning to be happy. And it is a choice that we can consciously make. We can choose to be happy, we can choose our thoughts, we can choose our goals. If we stay focused on our goals and choose to pattern our thoughts in a positive way, the results tend to follow our thoughts and our lives become better and more fulfilling, and we get one step closer to reaching our goals.

Blog-Lazy

2006-08-12T08:07:00.000-07:00

Yes, the past few days I have not been as vigilant as I could be. I have to admit, it is because I haven't been online as much. I've still been trying to keep up with what's going on, and I have much to write about, but the inspiration has to flow and the energy has to line up and my coffee has to be just right, you see a lot of things behind the scenes go into making a blog like this....LOL...Trust me, I will "Opine" about something soon. (see, Bill O'Reilly, I can use that word too!)

Soy Milk and Soy Product Alert

2006-08-09T09:09:00.000-07:00

After a Heads Up from Mary, we did some web research about soy milk and soy products. There are web sites that say soy products Prevent cancer, and there are some that say it Causes cancer. The meat and dairy industry are large and powerful, and want to prevent people from using soy products. The soy industry is also large and powerful, and want people to use soy products. So it can be confusing to sort out the truth. But it appears to us from our research that soy products and especially products like soy milk, which contain soy isolates, are actually more harmful than they are good! The link above at the title has some useful information. My next step is to research Rice Milk.

Opportunity

2006-08-07T11:47:00.000-07:00

Sunday morning I watched "Meet The Press" and saw an interview with Condoleeza Rice. I was really impressed with the interview, and came away with a higher opinion of her in her role as Secretary of State.
In particular, one view she expressed about the middle east and the war there was encouraging, and also a lesson relevant to everyday life. In answering all the questions about the conflict and the negative views about the prospects for a cease-fire, and doubts about anything good coming out of this mess, she reminded us that every crisis, no matter how bad it is, also brings with it opportunity. She said that our goal (U.S.) is to make full use of any opportunity that presents itself, to help with the overall picture in the middle east. The news media is focusing on the damage this war will have, and Condoleeza answered question after question that was negatively directed, and she responded with great poise and dignity.
How great it would be, if we could view every crisis that comes up in our lives, as an opportunity for good, and an opportunity for growth.

St. John's Wort and whey protein

2006-08-06T12:25:00.000-07:00

Recently we started taking St. John's Wort, and I'm wondering if anyone else has any experience with this herbal supplement. It is the most widely used herbal supplement in the U.S. It is supposed to have antidepressant qualities. Reportedly it takes up to a few weeks to have a noticeable effect, I can't say that I have noticed any great positive effect yet, but on the other hand it has had no negative effects.
Also, we recently started taking whey protein, and are mixing it with soy milk. It is a way to make sure we are getting adequate protein, seeing as we don't get much meat protein. Has anyone else tried whey protein or soy milk? Surprisingly the soy milk doesn't taste bad to me, we are using the organic vanilla flavored soy milk.

Pics of our daytrip to Seattle

2006-08-05T06:56:00.000-07:00

On Thursday, we went to Seattle for the day. We took public transportation. All the way to Seattle and back to Shelton, round-trip, was only $7.50 each, and most of that was for the ferry ride from Bremerton to Seattle. Ferries are used by commuters quite a bit back and forth to Seattle from different cities, and also to Canada. The Washington DOT operates most of the ferries, I think.

British Accents on TV

2006-08-02T08:45:00.000-07:00

Have you noticed the trend on TV for people with British accents? It seems like we in America now have an insatiable appetite for the sound of the British accent. I have to admit, I love the way Cat Deeley (hostess on SoYouThinkYouCanDance) says the word "jidges" when she introduces the judges.
Have we run out of talent in America? Is there a talent shortage here? Do we have to go to the shores of Great Britain or Australia now to find someone who can do an Infomercial and show us all about the "Magic Bullet" smoothie maker?
Think about it....How many personalities or TV shows or commercials can you think of that have someone with a British accent now? Here's a few....the gecko on the Geico insurance commercial, the TV show The Nanny, it seems to me it kind of started with the game show "The Weakest Link". After that the English accent just sort of took off and now on a whole LOT of shows you hear the accent. I wonder what the Next fad will be for accents on TV? I say it will be the German accent next. (Dr. Z on the Chrysler commercial, also Volkswagen commercials). I'm still partial to my wife's Boston accent, though....I wonder if it was the accent that hooked me?

I Love You Mom

2006-08-01T07:13:00.000-07:00

Politics dictating scientist's reports

2006-07-31T11:35:00.000-07:00

I watched 60 Minutes last night and was informed (not surprised) about how the Bush administration has been editing and censoring what the top NASA scientists are able to report, and whether or not they are able to be interviewed by the press, specifically about Global Warming issues. This has been going on for a while, and after much uproar the White House has finally decided that NASA scientists can be interviewed by the press ONLY if the scientists say that they are sharing only their views and not the Government's.

Our weekend

2006-07-30T13:52:00.000-07:00

We started out on our bikes Saturday morning, went to quite a few yard sales, didn't buy anything, and then we decided to ride our bikes over to the Mason County Fair, a few miles away. We got there, secured our bikes, and one of the attractions, Jerry Harris, "Master Hypnotist" was getting ready to start his show. He needed 10 volunteers, and Kathy decided to be a volunteer. They were placed on chairs on the stage, and then he went to work. I sat in the audience and watched, and I have to tell you that I had been up until that time a major skeptic. After the show we were able to purchase a dvd of the show, and watched it at home. It was very interesting, and humorous. Soothing music and relaxation techniques induced a state of ultra-relaxation. As a spectator I have to say that I believe there is something to it. What, exactly, I don't know. Anybody have any experiences or opinions?
After that we spent the afternoon walking around and looking at all the exhibits, and the 4H exhibits really inspired me to want to get into crafts and make something. Lots of cool crafts, and agriculture exhibits, too. Animals too, there were Llamas, goats, pigs, horses, cows, rabbits, chickens, birds, you name it.
The ham radio club had a neat exhibit, too, and had a booth where you could send messages like a telegram to anyone, via radio. I wrote out a message for Dad, it was supposed to be relayed via ham radio to Georgia, and then a ham was supposed to call him via phone to tell him the message. I screwed up, though, I think I wrote down Dawn's phone number instead of Dad's (0402 instead of 1769). It has been so long since I have called anyone on the phone, my memory of phone numbers is getting bad! So, if Dawn gets a phone call from the ham radio club with a message for Dad, that is why...LOL...
Anyway, it was a beautiful day at the fair, saw Many, Many exhibits, didn't stay for the rodeo, though, because it would have been dark out by the time it was over and we were on the bikes. We put 9 miles on the bikes yesterday and who knows how much we walked at the fair!

Bicycling update

2006-07-29T09:12:00.000-07:00

34 miles on the bike odometer so far...we saw a deer on the bike path last week, it just stood there, a doe, about 20 feet from us. That was really neat. Right in town, too. How's everyone doing with exercise?

Forrest Gump Goes To Heaven

2006-07-27T20:01:00.000-07:00

Thanks to my sister Dawn for this hilarious one!

FORREST GUMP GOES TO HEAVEN

The day finally arrived. Forrest Gump dies and goes to Heaven.
He is at the Pearly Gates, met by St. Peter himself. However, the
gates are closed, and Forrest approaches the gatekeeper.
St. Peter said, "Well, Forrest, it is certainly good to see you.
We have heard a lot about you. I must tell you, though, that the
place is filling up fast, and we have been administering an entrance
examination for everyone. The test is short, but you have to pass it
before you can get into Heaven."
Forrest responds, "It sure is good to be here, St. Peter, sir. But
nobody ever told me about any entrance exam. I sure hope that the test
ain't too hard. Life was a big enough test as it was."
St. Peter continued, "Yes, I know, Forrest, but the test is only
three questions.
First: What two days of the week begin with the letter T?
Second: How many seconds are there in a year?
Third: What is God's first name?"
Forrest leaves to think the questions over. He returns the next day
and sees St. Peter, who waves him up, and says, "Now that you have had a
chance to think the questions over, tell me your answers."
Forrest replied, "Well, the first one -- which two days in the week
begins with the letter "T"? Shucks, that one is easy. That would be Today
and Tomorrow."
The Saint's eyes opened wide and he exclaimed, "Forrest, that is not
what I was thinking, but you do have a point, and I guess I did not
specify, so I will give you credit for that answer. How about the next
one?" asked St. Peter.
"How many seconds in a year? Now that one is harder," replied
Forrest, but I thunk and thunk about that, and I guess the only answer can
be twelve."
Astounded, St. Peter said, "Twelve? Twelve? Forrest, how in
Heaven's name could you come up with twelve seconds in a year?"
Forrest replied, "Shucks, there's got to be twelve:
January 2nd, February 2nd, March 2nd.... "
"Hold it," interrupts St. Peter. "I see where you are going with
this, and I see your point, though that was not quite what I had in
mind.....but I will have to give you credit for that one, too.
Let us go on with the third and final question. Can you tell me God's
first name"?
"Sure," Forrest replied, "it's Andy."
"Andy?" exclaimed an exasperated and frustrated St Peter.
"Ok, I can understand how you came up with your answers to my first
two questions, but just how in the world did you come up with the name Andy
as the first name of God?"
"Shucks, that was the easiest one of all," Forrest replied. "I learnt
it from the song, "ANDY WALKS WITH ME, ANDY TALKS WITH ME, ANDY TELLS ME I
AM HIS OWN. . . "
St. Peter opened the Pearly Gates, and said: "Run Forrest, run."

Politics in our house

2006-07-27T09:21:00.000-07:00

James Carville, the famous Democratic strategist, is married to a famous Republican Strategist, Madeline something-or-other. Ever wonder how they stay married?....LOL

The web address for my blog is "rickandkathysaid", but the title of the blog is "Rick Says". Just so that I don't confuse anyone, I should state that the views expressed here are mine alone. Kathy and I go head to head sometimes about politics, she is conservative and sides more often than not with the Republican agenda. Even so, she still has SOME redeeming qualities and is actually a great wife.....LOL....I'd like to see her start a blog of her own, and maybe I can get her to do that. She likes to read what I write, though, and we both are strongly opinionated in some areas. Please don't anyone ever take offense if my views on an issue don't match up to yours. God created us all differently, we are all a special "recipe", just like Mary wrote about in her recent post.
I think healthy debate is stimulating and helps to exercise our brain.
Unless, of course you're a Republican and don't have a brain to stimulate.....LOL

Any Questions?

2006-07-26T16:53:00.000-07:00

George W. Bush - 4 years National Guard - No Combat

Dick Cheney - 5 draft deferments - No military service, no combat

John P. Murtha - 37 years USMC, 2 Purple Hearts, Bronze Star with a Combat "V", and Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry

Any Questions?

Guns don't kill people, Doctors do

2006-07-25T22:29:00.000-07:00

Cary's post is so funny but so true. I don't agree with everything Cary writes, but it is OBvious that he has moments of true clarity..LOL...he's gained a reader here.

Wishful Thinking

2006-07-25T16:36:00.000-07:00

I wish we could have a President who is not a career politician, not a Republican or a Democrat, and not owned by any special interests. I wish we could have a President who was a born Leader, who could rise above the politics and the media "white noise", head and shoulders above the fray of CNN or FOX. I wish we could have a President who had an unblemished character, whose rise to power didn't depend on the treasury chests of wealthy corporations. I wish we could have a President whose every move didn't depend on a right-wing base or a left-wing base. I wish we had a President that our children could truly look up to as a human being and a Leader, a President who could Unite our country and inspire our Youth, rather than divide it along party lines. I wish we could have a President who would inspire the Parents of today to be better Parents, rather than look for parenting solutions in Government. I wish we could have a President who would inspire us as citizens to become better stewards of the earth God has given us to live on. I wish we could have a President......

2006-07-25T09:59:00.000-07:00

I went to the Dr. yesterday and got my recent lab report, and my cd4 count is at 567, compared to 301 in April. The AFP tumor marker (liver cancer test) went down to 10.3, compared to 16 in April. Cd4 percentage went up to 24.1, compared to 22 in April. My liver enzymes have "reversed", meaning that my ALT levels are higher than my AST levels, which is normal. In April they were the opposite, my AST was higher than my ALT. Currently my ALT is 67, and my AST is 61. All of the other lab readings are in Normal range, except my protein, which is 8.4 (normal is 6.3 to 8.0) and my platelet count, which is 133 (normal is 150-400). Everything has been improving. All the prayers, and making the changes that I can, are having an effect. My next labs will be in November, and my prayers and our goal here are for even better health and better labs. Last night we celebrated with ......dare I mention......PIZZA!........that is a rare treat for me nowadays, and I sure enjoyed it. Everyone thank you and please keep me in your prayers, and especially pray for everyone that is sick, and especially today for my uncle as he recovers from surgery.

Christianity has been hijacked!

2006-07-23T13:09:00.000-07:00

A Very thought-provoking article. I'd like to consider myself a red-letter Christian. Another great reason to wear red on Fridays!

Let's Get Real

2006-07-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

The Declaration of Independence

2006-07-23T07:20:00.000-07:00

The Declaration of Independence

In Congress, July 4, 1776

The Unanimous Declaration

of the Thirteen United States of America

When in the Course of human events, it becomes necessary for one people to dissolve the political bands which have connected them with another, and to assume among the Powers of the earth, the separate and equal station to which the Laws of Nature and of Nature's God entitle them, a decent respect to the opinions of mankind requires that they should declare the causes which impel them to the separation. We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object, evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security. such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world. He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good. He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them. He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only. He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures. He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people. He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within. He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws of Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands. He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers. He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries. He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our People, and eat out their substance. He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures. He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power. He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation: For quartering large bodies of armed troops among us: For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from Punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States: For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world: For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent: For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury: For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences: For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies: For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments: For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever. He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us. He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the Lives of our people. He is at this time transporting large armies of foreign mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation. He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands. He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions. In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince, whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people. Nor have We been wanting in attention to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends. We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the Protection of Divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
JOHN HANCOCK, President

Attested, CHARLES THOMSON, Secretary

New Hampshire

JOSIAH BARTLETT

WILLIAM WHIPPLE

MATTHEW THORNTON

Massachusetts-Bay

SAMUEL ADAMS

JOHN ADAMS

ROBERT TREAT PAINE

ELBRIDGE GERRY

Rhode Island

STEPHEN HOPKINS

WILLIAM ELLERY

Connecticut

ROGER SHERMAN

SAMUEL HUNTINGTON

WILLIAM WILLIAMS

OLIVER WOLCOTT

Georgia

BUTTON GWINNETT

LYMAN HALL

GEO. WALTON

Maryland

SAMUEL CHASE

WILLIAM PACA

THOMAS STONE

CHARLES CARROLL

OF CARROLLTON

Virginia

GEORGE WYTHE

RICHARD HENRY LEE

THOMAS JEFFERSON

BENJAMIN HARRISON

THOMAS NELSON, JR.

FRANCIS LIGHTFOOT LEE

CARTER BRAXTON.

New York

WILLIAM FLOYD

PHILIP LIVINGSTON

FRANCIS LEWIS

LEWIS MORRIS

Pennsylvania

ROBERT MORRIS

BENJAMIN RUSH

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN

JOHN MORTON

GEORGE CLYMER

JAMES SMITH

GEORGE TAYLOR

JAMES WILSON

GEORGE ROSS

Delaware

CAESAR RODNEY

GEORGE READ

THOMAS M'KEAN

North Carolina

WILLIAM HOOPER

JOSEPH HEWES

JOHN PENN

South Carolina

EDWARD RUTLEDGE

THOMAS HEYWARD, JR.

THOMAS LYNCH, JR.

ARTHUR MIDDLETON

New Jersey

RICHARD STOCKTON

JOHN WITHERSPOON

FRANCIS HOPKINS

JOHN HART

ABRAHAM CLARK

Drink Responsibly - An Oxymoron

2006-07-22T20:01:00.000-07:00

Ever noticed the beer commercials...."Drink Responsibly"? That is funny if you stop and think about it. The effects of alcohol impair your judgment, and so what are they saying...."Impair your judgment, but not too much"? Also, beer is sold by the 6-pack, 12-pack, 24-pack, and so on....of course the more you buy, the cheaper it gets...Do they expect you to buy a six-pack and just drink one or two? The commercials are very subtly trying to tell you that drinking is a responsible, ok thing to do. How many drunk drivers that killed someone actually set out at the beginnning of the evening to be reckless with a disregard for safety? The sneaky thing about alcohol is that after the first one, the second one goes down smoother, and by that time your judgment is impaired, and you tell yourself that "you can handle it", and your judgment of YOURSELF is impaired, and so you are not being responsible, even though you think you are. Does that make sense? Drink Responsibly? HA Ha Ha.....A lie straight from Hell!

Priority of Moral Values and Sins

2006-07-22T16:52:00.000-07:00

As Christians and as people with moral values, it seems to me as though we place a higher priority on some moral values than others, and we tend to have different priorities based on our convictions or beliefs. Who justifies the priorities, and how should they be set? For example, 2 of the major symbols of Christianity are the cross and the dove, the cross symbolizing the sacrifice paid for our sins, and the dove, symbolizing the Holy Spirit, and peace. At Christmas time, it's all about "peace on earth, goodwill toward men". On that basis, it would seem that a high moral value for Christians should be peace. Why is it then, at a cost of thousands of innocent lives, a higher priority than peace is placed on war? Why is there a moral value attached to this? I'm really having a hard time with this, and if someone knows the answer to this, please enlighten me. (I'm talking about what's going on in Israel, Iraq, and Afghanistan). On the same lines, why do we place a higher priority on some sins than others? In our criminal justice system, we have degrees of seriousness for offenses...ie. misdemeanor, felony, Class A, B, C, etc. and different crimes carry different degrees of punishment. Do we subconsciously do this also in our own minds with sins? Do we rate one sin a "misdemeanor" and another a "felony"? Does God rate sins? Is the sin of Gossip a lesser sin than theft? Is adultery a greater sin than cheating on your taxes? Is homosexuality a greater sin than rape? Is drinking or doing drugs a sin? Is smoking cigarettes a sin? (your body is the temple of the Holy Spirit) If that is your argument, then over-eating is a sin, drinking coffee is a sin, etc. So WHO decides what is a worse sin than others, do we judge someone else because of a sin we see in them, thinking that their sin is "much worse than my sins"? We see a homeless drug addict on the streets, thinking in our righteous minds, "their sin got them there" and do we pat ourselves on the back because we haven't committed these sins? I challenge us all to think about these things, and then reflect on what is the Greatest Commandment.

2006-07-20T18:35:00.000-07:00

Great news today......Below is a copy of a letter I received in the mail today. The text is all discombobulated and it has something to do with rich text formatting, but the letter is here.....this is the first letter I have EVER received in the mail about my lab tests, PERIOD. And this doctor isn't really aware of all the nutritional changes I've made, I casually mentioned that I had cut out most meat and dairy, but I've never really discussed nutrition with him. In the letter he mentions reviewing my "progress".....(I am not taking any medications)......First of all Thank God for the improvement, Thank Everyone for prayers, and Thank my wife for helping me to make serious changes in diet and exercise. It DOES make a difference!!

July 17, 2006
@reet S. Brar, MD
Mr. Richard Tapp Rodney W. Joe, MD 1907 Olympic Highway North Lot #1
James F. Kruidenier, MD Shelton, WA 98584

Benjamin F. Merrifield, MD Dear Rick:
William J. Mitchell, MD I have received the report of the blood tests which were obtained recently and I am pleased to report that your blood tests have improved. The special liver cancer test has not risen and the liver enzymes are in a stable range.
Bruce A. Silverman, MD As we discussed, I would like to see you again in about three months so that we can review your progress. Best regards. Kathryne A. Wagner, Mb Sincerely
Victoria M. Moore, PA-c
William J. Mitchell, MD OLYMPIA 500 Lilly Road NE WJWdle Suite 204 07/18/06 Qlympia, WA 98506 360/413-8250 cc Dr. Steven Standeart
fax 360/413-8830
ABERDEEN loo6 N. "H" Street Aberdeen, WA 98520 360/538-4343 fax 360/532-1480
SHELTON 939'Mountain View Dr. Suite 120 Shelton, WA 98584 360/427-2733 fax 360/42-7-2741

2006-07-19T11:48:00.000-07:00

This will be controversial, and is not meant to get anyone riled up, but rather to think for a minute. As President Bush gets ready to use his veto power for the first time to stop stem cell research, I wonder if this is for the cause of morality, or what is the real reason. I don't have a firm opinion about Stem Cell Research, because I don't know all the facts. But when I think about all the innocent civilians, women, and children that were killed in Iraq and Afghanistan, in the name of stopping weapons of mass destruction, but which we ALL know was more directly revenge for 9-11. Revenge. How sweet it is, right? Vengeance, justified vengeance right?? But what did those innocent women and children have to do with our "vengeance"?? An eye for an eye?? And so if George Bush is claiming some kind of moral reason for vetoing the stem cell research bill, I have to say PuhLease...and if anyone wants to claim that it is "unpatriotic" to not go along with everything Bush does, just because he's our President, I have to remind you that President Bill Clinton had a lot of "haters" around when he was President. The personal morality of Bill Clinton was embarrassing and a disgrace, but in my opinion Bush is a greater disgrace in the value that he places on human life and dignity, and the swagger with which he exercises the power of an office to which he wasn't even elected, but rather appointed by the Supreme Court. I believe in God and love God with all my heart, and I am sick of people who try to pin your patriotism or religion or lack thereof to your support of Bush. There, I said it, I feel so much better......

2006-07-18T13:12:00.000-07:00

Today please remember my uncle in your prayers. Pray for strength and courage for him and his family, and for healing and for his surgeries to go well. Also remember my other uncle who just recently had surgery in your prayers. Thank You.

2006-07-16T11:19:00.000-07:00

The answer to yesterday's trivia question is........FRITO'S CORN CHIPS. That's right, if you don't believe me get a bag and look at the ingredients....Corn, Corn Oil, and Salt. Now put that next to a bag of Doritos or Cheetos and compare......by the way, the Wal-Mart brand of corn chips, "Great Value", has the same ingredients as Fritos, and tastes the same, costs a lot less though. On another note, yesterday we picked up a bread machine, a "Breadman Ultimate" at a yard sale, with instructions and everything, for only $5. Kathy made our first loaf of bread last night, and storebought bread does not even compare to home-made. We are looking for good bread recipes, and so if anyone has a favorite, please share it with us so we can try it. Today, we got a bicycle for Kathy, from Wal-Mart. We had a nice men's bike at the house that I had been starting to use, and now we both have bikes, and we just got back from riding together. There is a paved bike path not far from here and we are getting sunshine, fresh air, and excercise all at the same time....oh and don't forget the sun-tan too!!

2006-07-14T21:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a trivia question for you....if you know the answer, post a comment.....first correct answer wins...something.....this is fun.... OK..Question: What branded snack food has been around since 1934, when the recipe was purchased for $100, has only 3 ingredients, NO preservatives, and you can find it in the snack food aisle of Any grocery store or Any 7-11store?

2006-07-13T15:01:00.000-07:00

First of all Happy Birthday to Kim, my oldest sister! Here's wishing you many more, and much success and souls won in your ministry in Boise. Today my thoughts are about something I've been noticing more and more in my life lately. Sometimes I tend to stay "inside myself" and focus on me and my problems or issues and what I need to do for "me". When I'm able to focus on others, and the people around me every day, and what their needs are, sometimes just a cheerful word or encouragement make a big difference in someone else's life, and I feel better in the process. And the less selfish I am with my own "feelings", and the more I turn that focus on other people's feelings, it seems the happier I am. So being generous and putting other people first is not just a "material" thing, being generous emotionally and taking steps to make someone in our life have a better day, is rewarding.....whether it is a kind word to my spouse, the check-out person at the store, the person on the phone I'm talking to, it's a good feeling to stop and think about the kind of day someone else is having, and do a little something to try and make it even better.

2006-07-12T13:03:00.000-07:00

This really steams me.....another area of life the govt wants to run.....Updated: 11:02 AM EDT
Teen Fights for Right to Pick Cancer Treatment
By Martha T. Moore, USA TODAY
(July 12) - Abraham Cherrix, 16, went through chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease that left him so weak that his father carried the 6-foot-1 youth from the car to the house. Doctors tell him he needs a second round of chemo to get rid of the cancer that reappeared in February.
Abraham says no, and his parents are backing him up.
Now the Virginia family is in juvenile court, the parents are charged with medical neglect and the Accomack County social services agency has joint custody of Abraham. The agency asked the court to order the boy to undergo chemotherapy.
A court hearing continued Tuesday. Each side plans to appeal an adverse ruling, family lawyer Barry Taylor says.
Abraham and his family are treating his cancer with an herbal remedy four times a day and an organic diet under the guidance of a clinic in Mexico. The remedy, called the Hoxsey method, has not been clinically tested, and there is no scientific evidence that it is effective, the American Cancer Society says.
Although he is not old enough to cast a vote or buy an alcoholic drink, Abraham argues that he is old enough to make decisions about treatment to save his life.
"This is my body that I'm supposed to take care of. I should have the right to tell someone what I want to do with this body," he says. "I studied. I did research. I came to this conclusion that the chemotherapy was not the route I wanted to take."
Abraham - full name Starchild Abraham Cherrix - lives with his four younger brothers and sisters and parents in Chincoteague, where his dad, Jay, runs a kayaking outfitter and his mom, Rose, home-schools the kids. A lump on Abraham's neck discovered last year turned out to be Hodgkin's disease, which has a high survival rate with treatment - 85% of patients are alive five years later, according to the American Cancer Society.
Chemotherapy and radiation left Abraham bald, racked with fevers and too weak to play tag with his siblings. "His legs would buckle under him. It pretty much devastated him," his mother says.
Another round, at higher doses, "would kill me, literally. No joke about it," Abraham says. "The first round of chemo almost killed me in itself. There were some nights I didn't know if I would make it."
Mary Parker, director of the Accomack County Department of Social Services, declined comment, citing privacy law. So did a spokesman for Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters in Norfolk, Va., where the Cherrix family says Abraham was treated.
In Texas last year, a court ordered 13-year-old Katie Wernecke to live in a foster home for five months while she received chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease. Her parents wanted her to take intravenous vitamin C instead. The court returned Katie to her family after she finished chemotherapy and allowed the alternative treatment. Her website says she is "doing very well ... but she is not cancer-free yet, so there is still a battle to win."
Other families refuse treatment for children for cultural or religious reasons: In 1999, a Massachusetts court ruled that a hospital could give 17-year-old Alexis Demos a blood transfusion after a snowboarding accident even though her Jehovah's Witness faith led her to refuse it.
In deciding whether a child or parents can refuse medical treatment, courts consider the child's age and maturity and the family's reasoning in declining treatment, but also whether the treatment has been shown to work and whether the child has already had the treatment, says Arthur Caplan, director of the Center for Bioethics at the University of Pennsylvania.
"The easiest cases to get a court to order treatment is when the children are young and the treatment is absolutely as efficacious as we have," Caplan says. That, he says, includes treatment for Hodgkin's disease, which "has a proven track record."
"The hardest ones are 17-year-olds who've had (the treatment) before, it doesn't work that well, and they sound like they really understand what's going on," he says.
Rose Cherrix says her son is getting medical care, just not the care that his doctors recommend. "We tried their way, and it didn't work," she says. "We truly want to see him get better, and whatever it takes for him to get better we will do. But if he doesn't have a very good chance of coming through this chemo, which he doesn't, I'd much rather him have quality of life."

2006-07-10T23:11:00.000-07:00

Ever noticed that just when you think life is great, and sailing along, just when you think "hey, life is going to be really good now", that it seems that the forces of darkness zero in on you and your family and single you out to be a target? No person in particular, no one "has it in for you", it's just like travelling down the highway with the cruise control set, got the stereo on, listening to tunes, watching the scenery, and then all of a sudden you hit a pothole that about throws you out of your seat, you bang your head on the roof of the car and you have to grab the wheel to keep from hitting the ditch. Well, sometimes life is that way, and teaches you to always keep your eyes on the road......reminds me of a song that the melody is going thru my mind right now....precious saviour, lead and guide us, till we reach that heavenly shore....the song about life is like a journey on a train....at the moment I can't remember the words, does anyone recognize the song?

2006-07-10T23:00:00.000-07:00

Chocolate Pudding Here's a dessert we tried for the first time tonight, Kathy got it from a website, and it is really delicious. No preservatives, low in sugar, and yummy! ( This recipe makes about 2 servings, so double or triple accordingly) 2 TBSP cornstarch, 2 TBSP unsweet cocoa, 1/4 cup sugar, 2 cups skim milk, 1 tsp vanilla extract. In a medium saucepan, combine corn starch, cocoa, and sugar. Mix well. Gradually add milk, stirring to disolve cornstarch and cocoa. Cook over medium heat, stirring until mixture comes to a boil. Continue to cook 2 to 3 minutes stirring. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Pour into custard cups and chill.

2006-07-09T18:54:00.000-07:00

Here's a really Great idea for a healthy snack or dessert. Buy some unflavored gelatine in the grocery store near the Jello section. Take clear fruit juice (unsweetened grape, apple, etc) and make according to the package directions. We have been trying it and it tastes Great! Plus, the added benefits are.......extra hydration in these warm summer months, totally sugar-free and preservative-free, and guaranteed your kids will love it too!! Another recipe on the package that we tried and like is a parfait that you make with yogurt, and the gelatine. You get a little sugar from the yogurt, but not too much, and it tastes really good too. The recipes we have used are on the back of a box of Knox original unflavored gelatine.

2006-07-06T22:21:00.000-07:00

As days go by, my goal is to highlight a thought or subject and write about it here. Most of it is already written about somewhere by someone, and the only thing that makes what I write unique is that it is something I have experienced, learned from, and something that I personally have found meaningful, in my own life. Today my thought is.......Don't Ever, Ever, Ever sell yourself short or allow anyone else to. Don't ever let anybody try to make you feel worthless. One thing we all need in life is a compass, to set our direction and help us keep from getting lost. A compass is very, very, important, I cannot emphasize it enough. Without a compass we are all truly lost. I believe our compass should be the Bible, and as long as the Bible is our compass we will never get lost, and if we do happen to lose our bearings, our compass will help to guide us in the right direction. Better than any GPS satellite, the Bible is not only a compass, it is a handy shield, sword, and flashlight all rolled into one. If I could pick one book, and only one book, to be able to have for the rest of my life, it would be the Bible. In the communist countries where people are not allowed to have a Bible, it is because the communist governments don't want their people to have a compass, the government wants to be the compass. As we just recently celebrated the 4th of July, one of the freedoms that we should not ever take for granted is the freedom of worship and the freedom to have, read, and own a Bible.

2006-07-05T18:49:00.000-07:00

When I was eating a lot of junk food, no one could tell me that I should change my eating habits. I didn't think it was anyone's business except my own. With that in mind, I don't want to try and tell anyone how they should eat, just hopefully generate some "food for thought".
80 percent of the packaged food in grocery stores today didn't exist 20 years ago. Produce sections have gotten smaller and smaller, and the frozen food/microwave food sections have grown larger and larger. Packaged dinners are the norm now, everything is "Quick and Easy". Well, it just makes sense that there has to be some kind of trade-off for "Quick and Easy". That tradeoff is the fact that you are replacing healthy food with empty calories that are highly processed. "Enriched Bread"......I used to think that meant it was actually good for you......Surprise! It is so highly processed that you get more harm than good from it..........Campbell's Soup....MmmmMmmmGood???? I think NOT......check the sodium content....it will get your blood pressure going...literally.....just about all canned and/or processed food has way too much sodium and added chemicals to be even remotely healthy...Meat and Dairy.....Do you know how much steroids and hormones cattle are given to fatten them up and increase production? The average dairy cow today produces Many times the amount of milk the same cow did 20 years ago, and that is a direct result of the hormones and steroids given them....and when they gather cattle together in a huge feed lot to fatten them up, they put antibiotics into their feed, because with that many cattle that close together while they are being fattened up, they are more likely to get sick, and so they give them antibiotics "just in case".
It is not easy to make major changes in nutrition all at once, but you might be surprised, once you start paying real close attention to it, that before long your eating habits will change for the better....Bottom Line......Fresh Veggies and Fruits, Whole Grains are good........Bad is anything with processed sugars....pastries, desserts, etc, red meat is bad. Of course your mileage will vary, and we all need a treat now and then...but there is a wealth of information on the internet about nutrition, and it is the one thing that we do have control of when it comes to our health.

2006-07-04T22:01:00.000-07:00

How much is too much? This is deep....so hold on and put your thinking cap on. How much should we subject ourselves to when we are faced with illness, in the hopes of living longer, and how important is it? For example, I have a liver disorder, and an immune system disorder, which at the moment are not causing me any great pain or suffering, and there is only one treatment for the liver disorder, and that treatment lasts 48 weeks and makes you sick, and has a lot of other potential bad side effects. This is a question that is on my mind probably every day, and sometimes I get philosophical about it. As humans we all have a strong will to survive, and none of us really want to die. There are treatments that can be offered, which have varying success rates, but sometimes the treatment itself makes you sicker than the disease. What lengths should we go to in order to stay alive? If there is a 15% chance of cure, and for that fifteen percent chance, you have to endure a year of being sick, is it worth it? The answers to these questions are individual choices, and no one can make those choices for us. Just like everything else, we live (or die) with the choices we make and their consequences. Sometimes we don't have a choice and just have to play the best we can with the hand that is dealt. Praying for wisdom and guidance helps, and talking about it helps too. This is a subject that a lot of people are not comfortable with....I have to realize that.....I myself have had to consciously think about it for more than 10 years, about mortality and death and the fact that we really are human and will not live in these mortal bodies forever. I think most of us go through life not thinking much about death, until someone close to us dies. Then we eventually go on with life and death isn't in our conscious thoughts. If we thought about death more, maybe it would affect the way we live our lives

2006-07-04T14:17:00.000-07:00

Happy July 4th to everyone, and let us always be thankful for sacrifices made in our behalf so that we can enjoy the freedoms we have today. Let us never take for granted the simple freedoms, and let us never give up a single one of them. In some countries you can't sit down and express your opinions and share them for all the world to see. And let's pray that our country and its leaders are guided in the right direction.

2006-07-02T23:14:00.000-07:00

When I was a child in the 60's, because my father was a minister, I was naturally in church all the time. When preachers spoke about the Bible Prophecy and the end times, it was hard to imagine at that time a world where your every move could be tracked, where you could be prevented from buying and selling without the "mark of the beast" and the whole concept was hard to understand, given the technology that we had in those days. Now even with Bible prophecy being fulfilled right before our eyes, people still don't believe........it reminds me of in the Bible when people were asking Jesus for a sign......I don't know exactly where it is at, but Jesus replied that even with a sign, they still wouldn't believe. How true it is....and with the current flare-up between Israel and the Palestinians, we could be closer to the end of times than we realize.....but God only knows......

2006-07-01T13:22:00.000-07:00

Personal growth.....I don't know exactly what triggers it, other than adversity and tough circumstances. I think everyone has their own levels and their own areas, and it differs from one person to the next. When I look at others, sometimes I admire what I see in that area, and sometimes I see shortcomings in other people, or what I perceive to be shortcomings. When I view these things, it is through the lense filter of my own life experiences. My lense filter is different than anyone else's, and our individual lense filters are as unique as our fingerprints. And they are constantly changing. When I look back to when I was a young adult, I viewed life in a very different way than I do now. My views have evolved and they constantly change and will still keep evolving as long as I live. I believe that God is the only one without a lense filter, and that in Heaven we will view things the way He does. He sees things crystal clear. I think our goal shoud be to come as close as we can to the way He views things, and of course we will never reach that goal as long as we are human. It is a great goal and an effort well worth working at, though.

2006-06-30T16:45:00.000-07:00

Being optimistic or pessimistic.....How our attitude and gratitude affects our life. One thing I'm still learning on a daily basis, is how my outlook actually affects my life. I'm challenged with life-threatening illnesses that could take me out at any time, and I don't know what will happen from day to day. I have come to accept the fact that I am mortal, and medical tests would indicate that my life could end soon. How do I live with that knowledge and still enjoy life as it is? I have found that the key to it all is being utterly grateful and thankful for every single little thing in my life. An attitude of gratitude makes life truly enjoyable for me. There is So much I have to be thankful for.......And even on those days or moments when things are bad, and it is so hard to be thankful, one thing that always works for me is The Lord's Prayer. I can say that from memory no matter what else is going on or what I am thinking about, and if my thoughts start to wander into feelings of resentment or bitterness or fear or anything like that, I interrupt those thoughts and start reciting The Lord's Prayer. Even when I go to bed at night, if I don't have a very prayerful attitude, I start saying The Lord's Prayer, and before I know it I am sound asleep sleeping peacefully. And the more I say it, the more I am consciously reminded about the principles in the prayer itself.

2006-06-29T23:04:00.000-07:00

With the world today changing so rapidly, with computers, cellphones, dvds, ipods, none of these things were part of our life when we were children. Living in the "information age", and the "global community", the world seems much smaller, and just about anything is only a mouse-click away. Speed is everything now, everything is faster, but we don't seem to have any more free time than we ever did. I often wonder how the next generation views life, I wonder what it would be like to be growing up now. Just like our parents and grandparents, we can tell our children how life was like when we were young, but unlike us, children live only in today and they can't possibly fully undersand the changes in the world, and none of us really knows what the long-term effect of these changes will ultimately have on the future of our world, all I can see is that the Rapture must be near, but of course we don't know when............if our world stays on its present course, I can't see it surviving the next hundred years without either a nuclear holocaust or the atmosphere being destroyed by chemicals to the point it is uninhabitable. The momentum of the planet is already in that direction and I'm not sure that it could be reversed by human intervention.

2006-06-29T10:34:00.000-07:00

Have you ever been sitting at your computer, typing in a name and password, and you get the dialog box that says "Do you want Windows to remember this password?" Well, if I accidently typed in the Wrong password, and then checked the box for Windows to remember it, does that mean I'm doomed forever to Windows using a Wrong password?.......LOL.....Anyway, welcome to my blog, and like Mary I hope to write and share thoughts. For me, sometimes it will be about serious issues, sometimes just thoughts and reflections, and sometimes just whatever "stuff" is on my mind. I hope to channel some creativity here. Seeing as this is the first blog I won't get too deep. I just got up a while ago, fed the 4 cats, had my 1st cup of coffee and cig, and the house is quiet and Kathy still asleep. So I set up this blog and now its time to go get another cup of coffee........and think about what the next idea will be that I can write...