The Miami 7 "Terrorists" (losers)

These guys are lame! It's unfortunate that they would turn their back on their own country and actively try to do harm to Americans; thank goodness they were too stupid to buy their own shoes.

For me the funniest part was how some of the parents are defending their children. Claiming that they are "good Christian men" and saying this is all fabricated. I promise the government has better things to do than find seven losers in Miami and frame them for something like this, plus who could make this crap up? This goes to show how many parents have absolutely no idea about their kids lives. Parents are observing their children from a distance and aren't actively involved in their lives. Being a whacked out Islam extremist doesn't happen overnight.

I have heard some folks wanting to claim entrapment for these morons so let me real quick clear up what that is. Entrapment is where the Law Enforcement or Government Agency induces, or causes you, to commit a crime. This means you would not have done anything wrong if you had been left alone. CLEARLY not the case here, these jackasses had laundry lists of third grade plans to terrorize the nation. No one did that for them.
Attention Miami 7; Bubba and the boys at the federal prison are looking forward to your arrival.

P.S. I hope the ACLU also sues them for not being more racially diverse as they built their regime. Why can't a white guy get in this club?

African Bushmen Dieting Secret (Hoodia)

Let's start with this, Americans are fat because we eat too much. It's plain and simple for the majority. There are a select few, very few, that have uncontrollable glandular problems and they actually have no control over their weight. Most people simply stuff too much crap in their cake holes and lead sedentary lives which results in being fat. Once you have made your stomach larger by overeating it then requires good discipline and self control to get things back under control, something Americans also lack.

I saw on CNN that African Bushmen have some dieting secret, the secret for these African dudes is they don't have as much food as we do! It's not some miraculous appetite suppressant, there is no McDonald's in the desert. If Americans had to actually hunt, kill, and prepare our own food half of us would starve inside a year.

By the way, it's cool with me if you're fat I don't care. I just don't want to hear the excuses and the gimmicks anymore.

WMD found in Iraq?

Apparently some chemical weapons have been discovered during the course of the war in Iraq. A report that was declassified yesterday reveals some of the details; click here to read the Fox News article, and click here to read the actual report.
WMD was never the issue for me anyway, I stand with the President on his choice to liberate Iraq from the rule of a tyrannical dictator. You can only make your best decision with the intelligence in hand at any given moment. Regardless of stockpiles of munitions, Saddam needed to go. Apparently Iran and North Korea are itching to get in that line now. I wonder how insane hateful people like President Ahmadinejad and President Kim Jong Il achieve office. These guys are incredibly dangerous.

American Civil Liberties Union (sucks)

The young lady pictured above is Brittany McComb. Here is her story:

Brittany McComb was the valedictorian at Foothill High School recently. She graduated with a 4.7 GPA. She earned the right to address the other graduates at Foothill, located in Henderson, Nevada.

She gave a copy of her graduating speech to the school administrators. It contained some Biblical references and even mentioned (one time) the name “Christ.” The school administrators censored some of the Biblical references. They also censored the single reference to Christ.

Then the school officials handed the speech over to the ACLU for approval and/or more censoring. After getting the OK from the ACLU, Brittany’s speech (minus the censored references to the Bible and Christ) was approved. Brittany was warned that if she deviated from the ACLU approved language, her mike would be cut off.

Then came the moment for the big decision. She would not bow down, she decided. She would go with her original version. She stepped to the mike and began her speech. But just before she could utter the name “Christ,” her mike went dead. School officials silenced her. The crowd of 400 jeered for several minutes, angry at the action of the school officials. The ACLU was happy. They had silenced another Christian.

“I went through four years of school at Foothill and they taught me logic and they taught me freedom of speech. God’s the biggest part of my life. Just like other valedictorians thank their parents, I wanted to thank my lord and savior,” Brittany said.

Because she refused to bow down to the ACLU’s idol of gold, she did not get her wish. She was censored.

This young heroine deserves praise and a thank you from those who believe in free speech.

If you would like to fact check you can read the local paper's article by clicking here. If you would like to sign her petition, click here.

Miami Heat NBA Champs (Dwayne Wade)

Last Night I watched a bit of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and the Miami Heat. Dallas looked great in the first quarter and appeared to be ready to force a seventh game. Then this guy takes over, again. I have watched few interviews with Dwayne Wade and he never seems arrogant or pretentious on camera. Likewise he does not play selfishly allowing other players with the open look to shoot rather than forcing his game. I was really impressed watching him play and can certainly see why he is so highly touted. He averaged 40 points during the playoffs and contributed greatly in the rebounding department. Needless to say I was very impressed with him and his game.

Wade is also among the American Christian adults who tithe, according to the Sun Sentinel in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. Wade gave 10% of his $2.6 million salary this season to the Blood Water & the Spirit Ministry on South Prairie Avenue on Chicago's southside. Wade was a tither before he started playing in the NBA.

I think that's cool too. All of this from a 6'4" 212 lb player, well under the NBA average of 6'7". Congratulations to the Miami Heat on their first NBA Championship.

Father's Day 2006

I heard a story yesterday that challenged me , it went like this:

" Down in Sulphur Louisiana there is a grave unlike any I have seen in all my years. There is a grave for an 8 year old girl with a small children's playhouse built on top of it. The father of this young lady was a construction worker who worked very hard to provide for his family. He was never aloof and spent the time he could, when he wasn't exhausted, with his family. When his daughter was 6 years old she asked her daddy if it wouldn't be too much trouble could he build her a playhouse. He responded that he would be happy to do it, as soon as the job he was working on finished up. That job ran into the next project and soon his work projects began to overlap as they so often do with all of us. Two years later, the young girl was playing ball in her front yard with a friend when their ball rolled into the street. As she ran after the ball, she did not see the oncoming car that ended her earthly life in a fraction of a second. The father of this young girl could not be consoled by the countless well wishers that attended his daughter's funeral. Everyone told him what a wonderful girl she was, and that someday he would most certainly see her again in the Kingdom of Heaven. These things he knew and took comfort in that knowledge, yet nothing could take the burden he felt in his heart that he had let his little girl down by never building her a playhouse as she had asked. The same evening of her burial he took the needed materials to the cemetery and built her the playhouse she had always wanted.
Too little, too late."

The moral of the story for fathers, and mothers, is that your time is now. Your child or children will be different from one day to the next and you will never have that time again. We are all busy, and we should always try hard to provide for our families but the one thing we can never earn more of is time.

It reminds of a time when I was visiting with one of my old Navy buddies and I began to complain about some inconsequential fact of life. He looked across the bed of his truck and said " You have everything." How very humbling that moment was for me, and something I will never forget.

Enjoy your children today.

Psa 127:3	Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward.
Psa 127:4	Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth.
Psa 127:5	How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.

Funny Joke (Ebaumsworld)

Stolen From:
Home Remedies
-------------------------

1. If you are choking on an ice cube, don't panic. Simply pour a cup of
boiling water down your throat and presto! The blockage will be almost
instantly removed.

2. Clumsy? Avoid cutting yourself while slicing vegetables by getting
someone else to hold them while you chop away.

3. Avoid arguments with the Mrs. about lifting the toilet seat by simply
using the sink.

4. High blood pressure sufferers: simply cut yourself and bleed for a while,
thus reducing the pressure in your veins.

5. A mouse trap, placed on top of your alarm clock, will prevent you from
rolling over and going back to sleep when you hit the snooze button.

6. If you have a bad cough, take a large dose of laxatives, then you will be
afraid to cough.

7. Have a bad toothache? Hit your thumb with a hammer, then you will forget about the toothache.

8. Everyone seems normal until you get to know them.

9. AND..... Sometimes we just need to remember what The Rules of Life really are: You need only two tools: WD-40 and duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40. If it moves and shouldn't, use the duct tape.

10. If you woke up breathing, congratulations! You have another chance!

11. And finally... Be really good to your family and friends. You never know
when you are going to need them to empty your bedpan.

Fun at Wal-Mart

Let's face it, we all love and hate Wal-Mart. We love the fact that we can go in there and find what we need at probably an unbeatable price. We hate that we will be standing behind ten shirtless dudes who don't bathe as we check out in the 2 open lanes out of 40. That said here are some fun things you can try next time you are stuck in a Wal-Mart. I got this in an e-mail and just changed the format a bit.

Take boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they aren't looking.

Set all the alarm clocks in housewares to go off at 5 minute intervals.

Make a trail of tomato juice on the floor leading to the restrooms.

Walk up to an employee and told her in an official tone "Code 3 in housewares"...and watch what happens.

Go to the Service Desk and asked to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

Move a "CAUTION - WET FLOOR" sign to a carpeted area.

Set up a tent in the camping department and tell other shoppers you'll invite them in if they'll bring pillows from the bedding department.

When a clerk asks if they can help you, he begins to cry and ask, "Why can't you people just leave me alone?"

Look right into the security camera; used it as a mirror, and pick your nose.

While handling guns in the hunting department, ask the clerk if he knows where the antidepressants are.

Dart around the store suspiciously, loudly humming the "Mission Impossible" theme song.

In the auto department, practice your "Madonna look" using different size funnels.

Hide in a clothing rack and when people browsed through, yell "PICK ME!" "PICK ME!"

When an announcement comes over the loud speaker, assume the fetal position and scream "NO! NO!"It's those voices again!

Go into a fitting room,shut the door and wait awhile; then yell, very loudly, "There is no toilet paper in here!"

Personal Space

A few days ago my wife was shopping with all THREE of my children, no small task, when a stranger noticed the baby. This lady rushed towards my wife dropping all of her food items and practically yelling "Ohhhhh, let me hold him!" Uh, Heck no! Is this a southern thing or do people everywhere feel completely comfortable snatching up someone else's newborn? If I offer him to someone I am comfortable with that, but if I don't know you then please stay away. To that woman's credit, he is the cutest kid that has ever been born so naturally everyone does want to hold him.

Political Correctness

I got this in an e-mail today:

***IMPORTANT NOTICE***
~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~ ~~~

Due to the climate of political correctness now pervading America, Kentuckians, Tennesseans, North Carolinians, Virginians and West Virginians will no longer be referred to as "HILLBILLIES."

You must now refer to us as

APPALACHIAN-AMERICANS.

Thank you!

Now if you'll excuse me, I got possums to fry...

Throwing Stones

Yesterday I had the privilege of watching folks stand inside a glass house and throw stones at another person. I have never seen anything like that in my life. Lately I have observed these people wanting several things, but being unwilling to take on the burden themselves. I think that's total crap. These people want a great social club that's run for them without expending much effort themselves.
In general, I am tired of lazy people who want someone else to fix their problems. It reminds me of when I played sports as a younger man. When I played team sports, like football, there was always one guy on the team that would blame other people for anything that went wrong, even if it was clearly his fault. When I played individual sports, like wrestling, there really weren't a whole lot of people I could blame if things didn't go well.

House tour

For my friends and family that live far from us, I made this:

New Movie (Facing the Giants)

I was reading yesterday in this article how this movie was given a PG rating because it is overtly Christian. That's too bad. I went and watched the trailer at http://www.facingthegiants.com/ and the movie really looks great.
I can say that several times in my own life I have wanted to give into fear and that I certainly never got myself through anything. There were a couple of times in the early 90's when I was positive I was going to die, and only God was there for me. More recently I have struggled in some of my leadership positions just trying to do the best that I can and feeling like my best is not good enough for anybody. It's times like those that I have to lean on Him and Fear Not!

Disgrace the Uniform

I read today that First Lieutenant Ehren Watada will refuse his orders to go to Iraq saying that he does not feel compelled to fight in war against a country that did nothing to us. Additionally, he said that he doesn't want to lead his men into combat since he has seen so many families torn apart.

You sir are a disgrace to the United States of America and the United States Army. You swore to support and defend the constitution of the United States against all enemies both foreign and domestic AND to obey the orders of those appointed over you. Your men will be lead by someone else, preferably someone with a pair; you are not preventing them from having to go anywhere. You are simply going to be court martialed and jailed where you can rest easy knowing you won't see any combat.


You should have done your time then resigned your commission OR you should have never signed up for ROTC just for the free scholarship. Good luck in the pokey chicken man.

Dumb People

CNN published the results of the GMAC insurance driving test. I have to say, having traveled quite a bit, I agree with what I read. I guess my opinion is a little skewed because I did learn to drive in Oregon.

Average: 83.7 percent

1. Oregon 90.6

2. Washington 88.2

3. Vermont 87.5

4. Idaho 87.3 (Tie)

4. South Dakota 87.3 (Tie)

6. Montana 87.2

7. Nebraska 87.0

8. Kansas 86.8

9. Iowa 86.7

10. Wyoming 86.2

11. Wisconsin 86.1

12. Minnesota 86.0

13. Alaska 85.8

14. California 85.6

15. Indiana 85.2 (Tie)

15. Colorado 85.2 (Tie)

17. Michigan 85.1

18. North Dakota 85.0

19. West Virginia 84.8

20. Utah 84.5

21. Mississippi 84.4

22. Illinois 84.3

23. Tennessee 84.2

24. Texas 84.0 (Tie)

24. Kentucky 84.0 (Tie)

26. New Hampshire 83.9

27. Arkansas 83.8

28. Virginia 83.5

29. Arizona 83.4

30. Georgia 83.2 (Tie)

30. Louisiana 83.2 (Tie)

32. North Carolina 83.1 (Tie)

32. Maine 83.1 (Tie)

34. Ohio 83.0

35. Oklahoma 82.9

36. Alabama 82.8

37. Missouri 82.7 (Tie)

37. Delaware 82.7 (Tie)

39. Nevada 82.6

40. South Carolina 82.3 (Tie)

40. Florida 82.3 (Tie)

42. Pennsylvania 82.1

43. New Mexico 81.5

44. Connecticut 80.9

45. Hawaii 80.7

46. Maryland 79.5

47. New York 79.4

48. New Jersey 78.6 (Tie)

48. Massachusetts 78.6 (Tie)

50. Washington, D.C. 76.5

51. Rhode Island 75.1

P.S. I am moving up in the Mconahey rankings.

Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

How dangerous is this guy? He says one day that Israel should be exterminated and that the holocaust is fiction, then tells everyone he is just enriching uranium to light his country. I must say that I, personally, am terribly frightened of this man. It should also be frightening that Russia and China seem to be ok with this dude. Those countries try to act above board when the world is focused on them, but they still concern me. By the way that is Mahmoud with the Syrian President Bashar Al-Assad, another really peaceful guy. I promise no one in that picture is wearing deodorant.

I wonder if the U.N. will acutally do anything besides their age old tactic of "Stop!" "Ok now stop!" "We really mean it, STOP!" "umm could you maybe stop doing that?" "Is there anyway we can help you?"

The FDA and their new mission

This article has some good and bad points. I will, of course, feel free to point out what I perceive to be the good and bad.

The good:

"We must take a serious look at the impact these foods are having on our waistlines," said Penelope Slade Royall, director of the health promotion office at the Department of Health and Human Services.

That is absolutely something that shoul dbe investigated, and I consider that a good study to be undertaken and reported on. Getting this type of information widely publicized and into the hands of this nation's people is a great idea.

The bad:

Consumer advocates increasingly have heaped some of the blame on restaurant chains like McDonald's, which bristles at the criticism while offering more salads and fruit....
The report encourages restaurants to shift the emphasis of their marketing to lower-calorie choices, and include more such options on menus. In addition, restaurants could jigger portion sizes and the variety of foods available in mixed dishes to cut calories

It's ridiculous to think that it's someone else's fault that you can't control your gob-hole. The bottom line is learning self control and moderation. I am not saying that is easy for everyone, but let's not blame the people who provide the food.

Holy ridiculous crap!

Now really, why did her sexuallity have to be stated? No one even cares about the romantic aspect of superheroes, this is obviously to get the "it's ok to be gay" message to young people. This is almost as stupid as the time they tried to make Superman a vegetarian. I take that back, this is much worse. There is truly no reason to state that Batwoman is gay other than to get that message into kids heads.
I have to say they did an excellent job making her look just like all they gay women I see, I can only assume that when she takes off her costume that she has a killer softball mullet and isn't quite so svelte. That observation is of course only based on the sampling of lesbians I have encountered, not to say it's a requirement to look that way to be gay.

Movie Review (Failure to Launch)

I hit the dollar theatre last night with my wife since my Mother-in-law was in town and could watch the girls. Because my son is still breastfed he went with us to the movie. When we walked in holding the carrier some jackass said "Oh great, a baby!" to which I replied "Oh great, a jackass!" and sat right in front of him. Turned out he ran his mouth more during the movie than the baby.

Now for the review, Matthew Mconahey (misspelled) is a 35 year old who still lives at home and Sarah Jessica Parker is a person who specializes in getting men like this to leave home. Ignoring the fact that you probably can't make a living doing this, the movie was excellent and had some tremendously funny parts. Every part was extremely well cast, and the "unknowns" really held their own on screen with the big names. Terry Bradshaw cannot act a lick but fit well in the father character role and has an exceptionally gut busting scene in which he bares his 57 year old body to the world. His natural self was well suited to the role. The "Alias guy" was fantastic and both of the other close friends also delivered great performances. For the ladies, Matt McConaughey bares his chest at least once or twice and is typically charming. For the dudes, I just don't see the attraction to Sarah Jessica Parker but she did a great job in her role as well.

I highly recommend this as a date movie, probably equally as good as a rental since the big screen doesn't offer any enhancement to most romantic comedies.

My Son

Matthew Mconahey

There are a select few who will understand why matthew mconahey has his misspelled name on this page. To them I say it's on!

Immigration Analogy

This is a quote from another blog that I felt deserved spreading around:

"Here is a letter making its rounds on the internet. It was published in a North Carolina newspaper. Whoever wrote it, was spot on. It really puts this immigration issue in focus.

To the Editor:
Recently large demonstrations have taken place across the country protesting the fact that Congress is finally addressing the issue of illegal immigration. Certain people are angry that the U.S. might protect its own borders, might make it harder to sneak into this country and once here, to stay indefinitely.

Let me see if I correctly understand the thinking behind these protests.

Let's say I break into your house. Let's say that when you discover me in your home you insist that I leave. But, I say, "I've made all the beds and washed the dishes and did the laundry and swept the floors: I've done all the things you don't like to do. I'm hard-working and honest ... except for that part where I broke into your house.

"According to the protesters, not only must you let me stay, you must add me to your family's insurance plan and provide other benefits for me and my family. My husband will do your yard work because he too is hard-working and honest ... except for that breaking in thing.

"If you try to call the police or force me out I will call my friends who will picket your house carrying signs that proclaim my right to be here. It's only fair, after all, because you have a nicer house than I do, and I'm just trying to better myself. I'm hard-working and honest .... ummmmm .... except for that breaking in thing.

"Besides. What a deal it is for me! I live in your house, contributing only a fraction of the cost of my keep, and there is nothing you can do about it without being accused of selfishness, prejudice and being anti-housebreaker!

Did I miss anything? Does this sound reasonable to you? If it does, grab a sign and go picket something. If this sounds insane to you call your senators and enlighten them because they are stumbling in the darkness right now and really need your help."

Another Funny Commercial (Dish TV)

In one of the new Dish or Direc TV ads there is a family talking about how "shocked" they were at cable prices and how they decided to give one of the satellite providers a try. It's all pretty standard fodder until they talk about their kids teacher giving satellite TV an "A+". They cut to the teacher in her "classroom". This woman is about 23-25 yrs old and has on a red button up shirt that is unbuttoned all they way to her waist clearly showing nothing but a bra underneath. I am not saying this is indecent or anything, I just wonder how this got approved as an elementary educator in her classroom dressed this way. I can't find a picture of her right now but when I do I will insert it into this post, it's too funny.

Funny Commercial (Dove Campaign)

So, Dove has started their "campaign for real beauty" which isn't the worst idea ever, it's just getting implemented poorly. What they have decided to do is show average, or above average, sized ladies in their commercials, which I have no problem with. The problem I have is that they have decided to show these ladies in underwear and bikinis. It's cool if you aren't a size 4 or 6 but YO KEEP IT COVERED UP! I don't have a beautiful athletic body, so guees what I KEEP IT COVERED UP. It was actually gross looking in the commercial, and truly why do you have to be mostly naked to sell soap?

Captain Dude got quoted

Captain Dude got quoted on bugly, what an honor. It's a great day when a veteran blogger like the velvetmantis uses you as a reference, even if it's about underwear.

You Should Be a Film Writer

You don't just create compelling stories, you see them as clearly as a movie in your mind. You have a knack for details and dialogue. You can really make a character come to life. Chances are, you enjoy creating all types of stories. The joy is in the storytelling. And nothing would please you more than millions of people seeing your story on the big screen!

What Type of Writer Should You Be?

I also wanted to throw out my quote of the week for this Friday:

"If you can't laugh at yourself don't worry, I'll do it."
Captain Dude

Should be a good day

When I got to work this morning one of my co-workers, the riddler, was blaring some funky music and singing pretty loud. That's the way I like to start my day, someone having a great time not caring what's going on around them. Hopefully with that start I will be able to finish the four reports I have due by Friday.

Memorial Day

Next Monday is the traditional observance of Memorial Day. This day is set aside in remembrance of our fallen heroes. These are the men and women who were not only brave enough to choose to serve their country, that is Veteran's Day, but actually lost their lives preserving our freedoms or trying to give those freedoms to other people. I would ask that on this day you put aside your politics and opinions for just a moment and give them the respect they deserve. Whether or not you agree with what they did it is still a tremendous sacrifice to lay down your life for others. If you are unsure about the specifics of observance please click here.

Greater love hath no man than this,
that a man lay down his life for his friends.
John 15:13

Prayer is Answered

Awhile back I posted this:

Lately I have tried to live my life according to the words in Isaiah 6:8 by serving in any capacity God wanted to use me. I have to say he is wearing me out right now though. I am hopeful that I can wrap up a few outstanding issues in some of the areas where I serve and be able to relax a little. If that isn't the case then I have faith he will provide me with the strength I need to get through these next few months.

After having my family completed with the gift of my third child, and lots of prayer by myself and my church family, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. I can reasonably say I will be able to rejoin my bandmates soon, it has really been hard not playing with them. Now I need to make sure that I stay focused on prayer for my family, my church, and my country. I believe that God answers all prayer, it's just not always the answer we wanted. The hardest thing to bear is your prayer being answered with a no or wait. The good thing is that it teaches us to pray for God's will and not our own.

Just to be clear when I say God I mean God who sent his only Son Jesus to die for MY sins that I might live forever in the kingdom of Heaven. Not some distant, remote or obscure mystical type figure.
SG

Movie Review (Chronicles of Narnia;The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe)

I rented this for our "family movie night" this past Saturday. It was quite a challenge to take on a story that so many people have read, and a story that provides a beautiful metaphor for Christ's sacrifice. For the cast, relative unknowns delivered outstanding performances in the children's roles and the main adult charachters were also superb. While the theme of the movie is simply wildly fantastic, the story was brought to the screen in a very real sense. Andrew Adamson, of Shrek and some Batman fame, presented the story consistently and wonderfully. The scenery and action scense were pretty well done, although I would like to have seen all of the cgi done as well as Mr Tumnus' legs and the centaurs. It might be that they actually wanted some of the charachters to appear less real to enhance Aslan's appearance. As expected Aslan giving his life to prevent the death of an undeserving "traitor" was done exceptionally well, and conveyed the message of Christ's sacrifice completely.
I recommend this movie to ages 5 to 155, there are some frightening scenes but that's why the parents should be there with their children.

LeBron James

I know the Cavaliers lost their series, and I don't really even like basketball that much, but this kid is really good. I watched him for the first time last night then decided to look up some of his stats after seeing how well he plays. I just wanted to say how impressed I was with his game, and how well he seems to handle himself both on and off the court.

Movie Review (King Kong)

I am a fan of the original movie even though the entire premise of the movie becomes semi-ridiculous with the whole ape loves a woman undercurrent. I will also admit that I had pretty high hopes for Peter Jackson's remake, I normally try to view a movie with a clean slate but just couldn't this time.
So for my review here is the good:

Jack Black delivered a great performance in a non-comedic role.
All of the actors held their own and played their parts very well.
SOME of the cinematography is absolutely exceptional. ( Island natives scenes, stage scenes, some of the jungle.)


Here is the bad:
WAY too much cgi animation. I understand the need for animated parts, but I am pretty sure the entire thing was shot on a blue screen.
All of the "monster" scenes went a bit too far. It felt like a video game at times.
The exagerration of some of the animals was ridiculous. The bats and some of the "bugs" at the bottom of the valley were plain ludicrous.

Here is the ugly:
Naomi Watts is a pretty girl and actually looked athletic enough for many of the jarring scenes; however, she has a set of choppers that would make Bugs Bunny Jealous.
Adrien Brody was also exceptional yet definitely not the classic "leading man". I actually like to see non-pretty actors sometimes.
Jack Black, 'nuff said.
It was neat to see "plain" looking folks taking the lead and some of the "pretty" actors work in supporting roles

Overall I would not recommend the movie. I feel like Mr. Jackson was kind of going for a Lord of the Rings type of film and Kong just doesn't have enough to work with. I would love to see a version that was more true to the original although, as stated previously, the entire animal person love theme undercurrent is ridiculous to start with.

Oprah Winfrey (divine?)

I think Oprah Winfrey does some absolutely marvelous things for SOME people, and at times exhibits the type of kindness we should all strive to give others. I also think that whoever wrote this article is off their rocker. It is sad that people still try to conform God to themselves instead of themselves to God. Oprah is not divine, and is not a good spiritual role-model. Oprah believes marriage is archaic and has no place in modern society, this flies in the face of several doctrines not just christianity. I don't mean to knock Oprah, just anyone who views her this way.

Once again, to clarify, when I say God I mean God who sent his son Jesus to die for MY sins that I, a common sinner, might live forever in the Kingdom of Heaven. I don't mean some ephemeral superstitious god that you cannot know, or have to learn a secret handshake, or be of a certain "level" to see the inner sanctuary.

What is torture?

Did you know that the poster child for the "torture" being conducted in our military facilities was supposed to be the 20th hijacker on 9/11? This article is interesting in that it actually states that this man intended to be cutting open Americans and flying a jet into out Capitol yet his torture is so awful. I hope his life sucks until the day he dies, if it weren't for Jose' Melendez this guy would have killed many more people with zero remorse. The worst thing about the whole situation is the Mr. Melendez's actions would be considered unfair and discriminatory by today's standards. Thankfully he was allowed to do his job. The tactics used are very mild compared to what real torture is. Having music blared into your room or being sleep deprived, maybe having womens underwear put on your head is certainly not the worst thing in the world. Having your fingernails extracted, electro-shock, and chemical interrogation would be torture. The PC police should have to go to S.E.R.E. school. It's just as bad as anything our detainees have been faced with.

All that being said, I do think it was ridiculous that some of those jackasses "played" with inmates and snapped a bunch of pictures, that is certainly grounds for dismissal and should be dealt with accordingly. Sadistic idiots like that should not be guarding prisoners, but unfortunately we are forced to let people who aren't qualified have jobs they shouldn't have becuase we try to treat everyone equally. People who will be guarding deadly prisoners like these should have a bit tighter selection process, but of course that might hurt someone's feelings so we will let whoever volunteers have the job.

Next time you have the privilege of meeting a veteran please thank them for what they did/do, and leave your politics out of it.

American Idol (Chris Daughtry)

Sometimes I wonder if this contest is fair, or do I really just like a style of music that isn't popular? Probably I just like music that isn't popular, but now I don't have any contestants I would enjoy watching. On the plus side I did hear someone refer to Elliot Yamin as "teen wolf" which I found very funny. Feel free to sign the petition, click here.
I also like the conspiracy theories:

Rebecca Romijn loves Taylor?
Link 1
Link 2

This week's funny

If you aren't a parent it won't quite be the same but here goes.

Every now and then I find these notes under my pillow or stuck to the back of my laptop that are simply the funniest thing ever. I will find this brightly colored piece of construction paper with typically some sort of picture drawn on it which represents my family. Often written in crayon but sometimes just whatever piece of parchment and writing utensil was closest. When I unfold the piece of paper or discover the post-it stuck to my screen there will, invariably, be some little girl giggling that will emanate from around a corner or under a bed or behind a door. The picture will show all members of the family having some sort of fun together whether it's playing outside, playing a game, watching tv, or just having supper. The text will read as follows:

" Dear Daddy
I love you,
I hope you do to
love,
sekret mirer"

So far I have been unable to catch this person but I do have a pretty good idea who it might be. This is one of the many joys of parenthood I thought I could pass along.

Psalm 127: 3-5

More crappy drivers

Is there honestly a reason everyone seems to drive 10-20 M.P.H. over the speed limit now? Everywhere I go I see ridiculously agressive drivers who fly by me then sit and wait for me at the next traffic light or stop sign. I was going 35 mph in a 30 mph zone yesterday and some jackass passed on a curve just to turn into a subdivision entrance. He wasn't late for work, which isn't a good excuse either, or trying to get medical attention, just headed home. I haven't seen a speeder pulled over for years anywhere. I want the cops to get out there and start slowing people down, in fact the only place I have ever seen a cop looking for speeders in the last several years is on the interstates. Even there they seem to let people go 15 over and recently I saw two huge semi trucks going 80 in a 55 right past a cop and he did nothing. I am going to keep writing to my local Police until I see something done about all these crappy Nascar "wanna-be" drivers. Here is a great web page on how cool you are if you drive like one of these idiots. Click here.

I am also getting really tired of seeing idiots with cell phones trying to negotiate things like intersections. I mean I don't mind people talking if they use a heasdset or on the open road, but it's really stupid to try in traffic. If you would like to know how talented you really are at multitasking get two of your friends and have each one of them start reading a different story to you that you haven't previously heard. Take a quick test at the end and see if you were paying attention equally, I bet one story suffered more than the other. For more on this subject click here.

I had no idea

I didn't know illegal immigration was so expensive. Check out some of this stuff:
Yahoo Answers
L.A. Daily News

Some of these numbers are astounding, please remember that this refers to illegal immigrants only. Legal immigrants pay taxes and contribute to society just like any other U.S. citizen.

Celebrities and their causes

Has anyone noticed that celebrities attach themselves to causes which require intervention from politicians? I agree that the atrocities in the Sudan are awful and something should be done, I don't mean to downplay that. Truly, what is keeping celebrities from feeding the homeless right here in this country, or helping to build a home for a single mother who left an abusive situation or lost someone? I see some athletes doing that but not any movie stars. Is it not high-profile enough, or does it place too much accountability directly on the individual choosing to be involved?

National Immigration Day

Today thousands of immigrants, legal and illegal, are going to boycott shopping and going to work or school. This display is intended to show the American legislators how critical they are to our society. While I welcome immigrants to this country, I only welcome them through the legal channels. Illegal immigrants tend to not pay taxes and send the majority of their income back to their families in some other country. I also don't understand how skipping work and school will display what productive citizens they are or how vital to our economy they might be. I had hoped there would be better organization and the ability to argue their point rather than taking to the streets to protest en masse. Once again I feel that this tactic will backfire. Large crowds that are very passionate about their cause often turn into something violent or are viewed as hostile by those who aren't part of the movement. In my town there is not much impact, five Mexican restaurants are closed and a few stores. Those stores serve predominantly hispanic/latino customers so that is not really affecting anyone's routine.

Good News

No one else named Clausen will be playing at Tennessee. Jimmy Clausen has decided to go play for Charlie Weiss at Notre Dame. I am not really a Vols fan, and I am certainly not a Clausen fan. Jimmy is purported to be the best of the three brothers, but that really isn't saying too much. I do hope that he goes on to have a fantastic career at ND and fully takes advantage of the great coaches they have there. It's creepy how much he looks like Casey, I hope he isn't as arrogant.

Cell phones while driving

No Kidding!

Tom Cruise (off the deep end)

So, did anyone see this guy last night with Diane Sawyer? I think he has lost his marbles, everything he said sounded like he was a used car salesman trying to convince the world to buy some borken down rust bucket. I don't know who is managing his medication, but the crazy mood swings between Oprah and last night are pretty entertaining. By the way he also can't remember the last time he had a cold and attributes that to Scientology. Scientology is just a fantastic topic on its own, but can bea easily summed up with the word Xenu. Xenu has enslaved us all with his psychic influence, and L. Ron Hubbard figured out how to save us all. by the way Xenu is an alien, not a protest marching alien a real "I got a flying saucer" alien. Here's some fun reading on the religion that seems to be very popular right now. Pretty soon I won't be able to go to the movies anymore, all the actors irritate me too much. I wish they would just go back to being pretty.

I'm so buff

I have been wanting a Bowflex for several years, and finally broke down and bought one. I am already feeling the benefits and I haven't used it. It's like it grows muscle for you, just lugging the three hundred or so odd pounds up the stairs made me feel incredibly fit. Perhaps I will use it again three years from now. I debated some before and after type photos, but the before stuff would honestly just be bad news for everyone, and the after might be six or seven years from now.

Movie Review (Wedding Crashers)

This movie was fun to watch despite one or two small shortcomings. First let me say you must enjoy juvenile typically "male" humor to like this movie at all. If that's your bag, you will be in stitches during certain portions of this movie. Truly the only thing I didn't like was the tendency to drop some F-bombs in th emiddle of a scene that was funny enough without extra swearing. This type of problem was also evident in the movie The 40 Year Old Virgin. That being said the story is a riot balancing between tense moments of being busted and laugh out loud moments where I could not contain myself at all. For those of you that have seen this flick, the conversation on the stairs in the mansion between the two main charachters was a timeless piece of comedy. Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson are perfect for this and will hopefully work more together in the future. Christopher Walken also delivered a perfectly balanced and well-acted charachter, something that is all too rare at the movies today. I do recemmend seeing this if you don't mind the premise and the sometimes overly strong language.

Movie Review (Monster In-Law)

This movie sucks, and I don't mean "I'm a guy who doesn't like romantic comedies" type suck. I mean "Perhaps you can die of boredom" type sucking. I belive the story and script are well-written, but the acting was horrid. Jennifer Lopez and Alias dude were mediocre, and Jane Fonda was TERRIBLE. Wanda Sykes could have made the movie, but all she said the whole time was stupid stuff like "Oh, shit!" The main reason I think it was the acting and not the story was that when J-Lo's roomates are in a scene it's pretty decent. Unfortunately, those scenes are pretty rare. The story was predictable but could have been funny if the acting or perhaps the directing of certain actors had been better. I recommend avoiding this picture at all costs.

Representative McKinney's apology (or not?)

I would like to first say that I appreciate the efforts of our lawmakers and elected representatives. They make enormous sacrifices and work very hard. Now please read this "apology".

"There should not have been any physical contact in this incident," McKinney said.

"I am sorry that this misunderstanding happened at all, and I regret its escalation and I apologize," she said surrounded by colleagues on the House floor.

She said she would vote for a resolution expressing support for the efforts of Capitol Police.

Is she apologizing for her actions, or the actions of the officer? This is the kind of double-talk that gives both Democrats and Republicans a bad name. It's the way petulant children apologize when forced by a parent.
Example given:

"I am sorry you are such an idiot!"

Great Video

Eye Opener

I recently had to quit the praise team at church for a few months because I am actively serving in too many areas. This was a difficult decision since I get so much enjoyment from leading worship, and being around my fellow band members. The eye opener was two weeks ago my 6 year old was worshipping next to me during the praise service, and in the middle of the second song she stopped cold and said "Why aren't you up there?" I realized my children have never seen their father not leading worship. I knelt down and explained to her that "Daddy is too busy right now." My beautiful sensitive little girl stuck her hands on her hips, looked me up and down then asked "Doing what?!?" As far as she is concerned I should be up there since I can be out in the congregation at that moment, unfortunately the 3-6 hours a week that ministry involves just aren't there for me right now. I am very hopeful that I will be able to rejoin the band soon, I miss it.

Islam doesn't suck

No, it isn't ok to bash Muslims it does appear to be perfectly acceptable for a Muslim to kill a Christian however they see fit though. The top picture speaks for itself. You would think the story of that poor man who converted to Christianity would spark a little more debate than it has. I hope he gets to live in peace somewhere without some jackass hunting him down and killing him for no good reason.

In another rant I have noticed that several Latino groups are protesting in the streets about some new immigration law. I have to say that taking to the streets in this manner may cause people to enact the very legislation they are trying to fight.