More In Favour Of Marriage...

Feel blue, say "I do" as weddings boost mood: study


NEW YORK (Reuters) - Lonely? Feeling low? Try taking a walk -- down the aisle. Getting married enhances mental health, especially if you're depressed, according to a new U.S. study.

The benefits of marriage for the depressed are particularly dramatic, a finding that surprised the professor-student team behind the study.
"We actually found the opposite of what we expected," said Adrianne Frech, a PhD sociology student at Ohio State University who conducted the study with Kristi Williams, an assistant professor of sociology.
They expected to find that one spouse's depression weighed too much on the marriage, but "just mattering to someone else can help alleviate symptoms of depression," Frech said.
Frech will present their findings at the American Sociological Association's annual meeting in Montreal on Sunday.

The researchers used a 3,066 person sample that measured symptoms of depression -- such as an inability to sleep, or persistent sadness -- in the same people both before and after their first marriage.
They found that depressed people experienced a much more extreme decrease in the incidence of those symptoms.
"Depressed people may be just especially in need of the intimacy, the emotional closeness and the social support that marriage can provide ... if you start out happy, you don't have as far to go," Williams said.
On the other hand, if you're not depressed, marriage could have the opposite effect, Frech said.
People who were happy before getting married and end up in a marriage plagued by distance or conflict -- qualities associated with a depressed spouse -- might be better off single.
"It seems right to say that people who are not depressed are at risk, that if they marry a depressed person this could be a bad deal for them," Frech said.

No (M)Alice In Wonderland

This was sent to me by, of all people, my ex-wife. Kudos to her for remembering how much I love Alice Cooper!
Read below!
************************************************
Alice Cooper To Open Christian Youth Center

Tuesday, August 1, 2006
Excerpts from USA Today:

Alice Cooper is opening a center where kids can learn to play guitar, shoot
hoops and find Jesus? Apparently so.

The 58-year-old father of shock-rock is teaming up with Grand Canyon
University in Phoenix to establish a $3 million youth haven featuring a
"school of rock," a concert hall and sporting attractions.

"It's a sanctuary where they don't get shot, they don't get stabbed, they
don't have to worry about somebody trying to sell them drugs," says Cooper,
who plans to announce the project today (Tuesday).

He concedes that some parents might view him as unlikely, if not
objectionable, in the role of a philanthropist bringing morality and
religion to America's young people.

"It's a great juxtaposition," he says. "Trust me, I walk that tightrope
every day. Part of the fun is the edge of it."

Cooper says those who understand his shtick recognize that the show has
always been a blend of farce and satire. They also know that he became a
born-again Christian 16 years ago when he quit drinking.

Since 1995, Cooper has operated the Solid Rock Foundation, a non-profit
organization that provides money to children's causes and college
scholarships to Christian students.

Cooper insists that his stage persona is a polar opposite to his personal
life: He has been married 30 years "without cheating" on his wife, and they
have raised three children.

The son of a minister and grandson of an evangelist, Cooper says America
"needs a good hypodermic needle shot of morality."
That will be one goal for his 20,000-square-foot recreational hall, to be
known as The Rock, on the urban campus of Grand Canyon University. It will
be open to children 12 to 18 at no charge; the prime target is at-risk
teens, whose parents may be in jail or on drugs, and whose brothers are
thugs.

"Even kids who grow up in gangs have a creative place in their body," Cooper
says. "They have a choice between a 9mm and a nine-iron."

Cooper, who still tours with his band five months each year, says alcohol
and tobacco will be banned at The Rock. There won't be a chapel, but
counselors will proselytize by example and offer religious guidance to kids
who want to learn about the faith.

"We are overtly Christian," he says, "but we're not going to beat you over
the head with a Bible."

The project, still in design stages and not fully financed, is scheduled to
break ground next year. An artist's rendering shows a concert hall,
recording studios, game rooms, a basketball court and a rock-climbing wall.

Cooper says he's seeking corporate sponsors to provide everything from
guitars to construction materials. In the meantime, his foundation will
raise money with an annual golf tournament and a Christmas music show.

Grand Canyon University will provide the land, security and some of the
financing, says Brent Richardson, CEO of the non-denominational Christian
school. Richardson concedes that some of the university's patrons and its
10,000 students may be leery of the shock-rock image.

But he says Cooper has an honorary degree from the university and has
provided hundreds of thousands of dollars in scholarships through his Solid
Rock Foundation.

"Look at his actions," Richardson says. "I think it's a great thing, and I
don't worry about it at all."

Even in the early years, Cooper says, his shows featured no foul language,
nudity or satanic glorification. In fact, he says, more than 30 of his songs
assail devil worship.

On the other hand, there were songs about necrophilia, sadomasochism and
hedonism; his theme was "Nothing in moderation."

Cooper says he and his family will be regulars at The Rock, working with children and helping to produce shows. He says no decision has been made on
an emblem for the school, but he would prefer that it not have anything to
do with Alice Cooper. Then, with a mischievous grin, he suggests, "How about
a cross through my heart?"




****************************************************************
And the following news article is being reprinted without permission. Tough beans!

******************************************************


Alice Cooper to Build Teen Center in Ariz.

Alice Cooper's Christian foundation to develop teen center in Phoenix

PHOENIX, Aug. 1, 2006
By TERRY TANG Associated Press Writer

(AP) For all the envelope-pushing Alice Cooper has done as a shock rocker, he also knows the value of boundaries, especially for children.

"Kids love boundaries. We used to fight against them. But in all reality, what we really did want was to know where we could go. Of course, you always step over the line just a little bit to see what's going to happen," said the 58-year-old rocker, known for his ghoulish makeup and hits such as 1975's "Welcome to My Nightmare."

Cooper said his Christian, nonprofit Solid Rock Foundation has begun fundraising efforts for a 20,000-square-foot teen activity center to be called The Rock, to be built at Grand Canyon University in West Phoenix.

The $3 million center will feature a recording studio, indoor basketball courts, rock-climbing walls, coffeehouse, game room and concert hall. Construction is expected to begin next year.

"People don't lay in the sun in southwest Phoenix. There's lots of shootings going, there's lots of meth going on, there's lots of gangs," Cooper said. "In the middle of all that is a bunch of 12-, 13-, 14-year-old kids that can go one way or the other."

Officials for Grand Canyon University, a private college with a Christian focus, came to Cooper with the offer to build the youth center on the campus. Cooper has given scholarships to the school for more than five years.

"We're not going to beat them over the head with a Bible," Cooper said. "But we're certainly going to be available to tell them that that's available to them."

Cooper, who spends about seven months of the year at home in suburban Paradise Valley, said that when he walks off the stage, "I'm going back to Phoenix, play golf, work on Solid Rock, go shopping and do everything that a father and a husband's supposed to do."

"I watched all of my best friends _ Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, Keith Moon _ every one of them, die trying to live their image," he said.

"The one thing that my generation learned was `be a rock star when it's time to be a rock star.'"

Another Reason That Marriage Is Good

This article is copied, from the Yahoo Homepage.

All legal rights remain the rights of the authors.


Staying Single May Shorten Life-Span -



WEDNESDAY, Aug. 9 (HealthDay News) -- Staying single all your life may not be good for your health.

That's the conclusion of new research that shows that people who never marry face an even greater chance of dying early than people who have been divorced, separated or widowed. All of these groups had shorter survival prospects than people who were currently married.

The effect held true across all age groups, even younger ones, the researchers noted.
"This seems to happen all the way along," said lead researcher Robert Kaplan, professor and chair of the department of health services at the University of California, Los Angeles, School of Public Health. His team published the findings in the September issue of the Journal of Epidemiology and Community Health.

Previous research had found a connection between being married and a longer life expectancy and, more specifically, between being married and a lower incidence of heart disease. Marriage is considered a rough proxy for "social connectedness," which experts believe can help people live longer.

Most of these studies, however, haven't distinguished between people who are separated, divorced or widowed and those who have never been married. "We're getting at never-married people," Kaplan said. "That hasn't been looked at as much."

The authors argued that widowed and divorced people are more likely to have children and are thus more likely to be socially connected. Never-married people would not have these benefits.

To test their theory, the researchers looked at the 1997 U.S. National Death Index and the 1989 National Health Interview survey.

In 1989, almost half of the sample were married, almost 10 percent were widowed, 12 percent were divorced, 3 percent were separated, 5 percent were living with someone, and 20 percent had never been married.

The death rate for people who were unmarried, whether because of divorce, separation or widowhood, was significantly higher than it was for those married and still living with their spouses.

But among those not now married, the effect was strongest for those who had never been married and was more pronounced among men than among women. Compared with currently married folk, people who had been widowed were almost 40 percent more likely to die between 1989 and 1997, while those who had been divorced or separated were 27 percent more likely. Those who had never been married were 58 percent more likely to have died than those who were married and cohabitating.

The findings held true across all age groups, and with different causes of death, not just heart disease, according to the researchers. For those aged 19 to 44, the main causes of early death among never-married adults were infectious diseases, presumably HIV/AIDS and other external causes. For the older segment, the main causes were cardiovascular and other chronic diseases.

According to the authors, the risks of being never married were similar to the risks of having increased blood pressure or high cholesterol.

It's not clear if there is a cause-and-effect relationship. "We don't know if it's causal," Kaplan cautioned. It's possible that never-married people suffer from poor health or engage in risky behaviors, either of which could make them less likely to marry, he said.

Additional research done since this study was completed has yielded identical results, Kaplan added.

Gaming Fun

My Baldur's Gate II update!
Okay, so, my party of adventurers finally contacted the head guy in the Shadow Thieves organization (his name escapes me right now, so I'll call him BTD - Big Thief Dude), and...
...BTD promised to help the 6 adventurers rescue Imoen!
First, of course, they had to do a few small favours for him. The first two were simple and easy jobs, The third involved going to the caverns below the city graveyard and attacking the Vampires organization. And that was a CRAZY hard fight! In the end, they had to face the leader, Bodhi. Dick and friends beat on Bodhi for, like honestly, it must have been three or four minutes, while she just stood there and took it! Then, apparently unharmed and a little bit amused, she took off in a wisp of smoke and was gone. But not before dropping hints that she was in league with Irenicus. And that they would meet her again.

Following the orders of BTD (now I remember, his name was Arin Linvail!), the party boarded a ship sailed by a pirate crew, and they transported us to an island. Disembarking, the adventurers were immediately attacked by a few Vampires and pirates. No big deal.
There was a small town to explore, and Dick's Six (my new name for them, at least for now) explored it. After a few adventures there, we learned that we would have to enter Spellhold, an asylum on the island, one for crazy people with power. That was where Imoen was being held.
But they needed to have a wardstone that would let them into Spellhold, so they tracked down the one Cowled Wizard in the town and killed him for his wardstone.
On the way out fo town, Dick's Six met up with a Shadow Thief that Arin Linvail (BTD) had sent to help them find Spellhold, and they were led along the path to it, then left alone again.

Entering the asylum, Dick's Six were shown around by the curator/director, who then revelaed himself to be none other than the recently freed (by his own power, i guess) Irenicus! He had been experimenting on Imoen again, too, the ba**ard! Irenicus locked up Dick's Five. I say "Five", because Yoshimo was revealed to be Irenicus' plant in the party, although Yoshi stated that he did what he did on fear of death from Irenicus if he disobeyed. Then Irenicus experimented on Dick as well.
Apparently, Irenicus learned, finally, what he had wanted to discover through his experiments, and asked his accomplice Bodhi (surprise, surprise!) to dispose of the five heroes, and Imoen.
But Bodhi made a bad mistake, in deciding to play with the heroes instead, and she let them all loose in the deadly Dungeon Maze that she had designed.
Now, joined at last with Imoen, they are a party of six once again, and are trying hard to stay alive in this dungeon and escape to wreak justice upon all evildoers!
Okay...
That's it for now!
Ciao!

Shadows Of Amn

Okay. I think i mentioned a while back that I was playing a game on my computer, namely Baldur's Gate II: Shadows Of Amn.

Well, I still am. And, in lieu of saying something else in this blog, i thought i would give you all a great big update on this funnest of games.

As we speak, I am playing in Chapter Two of my game, exploring the teeming and mysterious city of Athkakla with my main adventurer, the hero of The Sword Coast (in Baldur's Gate I) and the Hero of Baldur's Gate city, Dick Splinters.

Here is a picture of Dick.

As you can see by this picture here,

my main character is leader of a party of 6 adventurers. Currently, our goals are to explore, liberate the oppressed, treasure-hunt, find and rescue our missing (captured) companion, and discover who the mysterious wizard Irenicus is.

Several of the characters, along with Dick Splinters, started the game by waking up in an underground horror dungeon, where they had been tortured and experimented on for who knows how long. Irenicus is the man who kept them there, and they do not yet know why. The prison they were kept in, and burst out of (fighting for their lives the whole way), was underneath the city of Athkakla.

My main character is a level 10 Ranger, whose natural racial enemies are Giant Spiders of all kinds. Dick is a Chaotic-Good Half-Elf. He is equipped with a Ring Of Fire Protection, a Ring Of Protection +1, Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), the Helmet Of Balduran (gives Armour Class and Hit Point bonuses), a Girdle Of Piercing, a Long Bow +2 called The Ripper, a 2-handed sword called Sword Of Chaos +2, the Horn Of Blasting, and Full Plate Mail Armour.

Athkakla is a major bustling city (in the country of Amn), with many differrent areas, and both it and the surrounding countryside are greatly influenced by the warring between powerful factions seeking to control all. The Cowled Wizards are the most visible of the mysterious groups - they regulate all magic, and have outlawed all magic that is not practised by themselves. They have arrested one of my party, Dick's lifelong friend Imoen (more on her later).
The other parties are, in no particular order...
- The Shadow Thieves, a local and powerful Thieves Guild that Dick has begrudgingly temporarily allied his party with, as The Shadow Thieves organization have insinuated that they can help Dick to find and rescue his captured companion (after doing them some favours and passing a few tests, all of which Dick performed with brute force, as all who died at his hands were worthy of death)
- The Vampires, the undead killers who only come out at night, are headquartered in caves and caverns below the city graveyard, and are super-secretive (and, naturally, purely evil)
- and The Harpers, a group that is usually thought of as Good, but the Harpers in this town have twisted hearts and only want to further their own aspirations for their own gain.

And now, as I promised, more about Imoen.
This is Imoen.



She was captured by The Cowled Wizards, along with the evil Irenicus, immediately after the party broke out of the underground torture chambers. The two were arrested for unlawful use of magic, both Dick's best friend and his most hated enemy taken away from him by this mysterious and powerful group. When last seen, Imoen was a Level 8 Mage and a Level 7 Thief. She was my hero's companion all through Baldur's Gate I, and was his foster sister as well. They both hailed from the citadel of Candlekeep (South and West of the city of Baldur's Gate), where they were raised by their foster father Gorion (now deceased), and kept in the dark about their own past. Skilled at both opening locks and shooting a short bow, and more recently having gained many skills as a magic user, Imoen was going to be hard to replace in the short term in the group.

But, the party needed a thief, so, they let Yoshimo into their ranks on a 'permanent' basis.

Yoshimo was found wandering the dungeons beneath Athkakla. Also good with a bow and with opening tricky locks, Yoshimo came with his own special sword that belongs to him only. Yoshimo is a class of Thief known as a Bounty Hunter - strangely enough, he never appears to be hunting anyone as his profession would suggest, and Dick Splinters has become worried that Yoshimo has been planted into his party by Irenicus...but better to have "Yoshi" where he can be watched, than worry about him sneaking up behind at night with a knife in his hand..

Yoshimo has a cloak that renders him undetectable by magical means, Boots Of Stealth, Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), Shadow Armour (+5 Studded Leather, with a bonus to Hide In Shadows), Yoshimo's Katana Sword +1, and a Short Bow +1 called the Tuigan Bow (it allows 3 shots per round of fighting).
"Yoshi" is a Level 14 Bounty Hunter, Human, True Neutral in alignment.

The lovable Minsc is also in the party of adventurers. Minsc is...indescribable, really. Let's start it off by saying, flat out, Minsc is crazy. No, I do not mean that he likes to rush into battle, although that is true. I do not refer to him being fearless, although that is nearly true as well. Rather...well, Minsc's constant companion is Boo. Boo is, in Minsc's opinion, a "miniature giant space hamster". Sadly, Boo is just a small furry hamster that Minsc carries with him. And talks to. And Minsc insists that Boo talks to him, too. Minsc says very crazy things, and has many memorable lines. Yes, Minsc is quite clearly not right in the head. Interestingly enough, Dick killed Minsc in Baldur's Gate I (he was too annoying), but apparently somebody revived him at a temple and he is back. Great...

This is Minsc (seen pictured with Boo).



Minsc is a good guy, if you can get past the insanity thing. He charges into battle, and fears nothing. He is as strong as a tank. Minsc, like Dick Splinters, is a Level 10 Ranger. He is a Human, Chaotic-Good in alignment. His Racial Enemy is Vampire.
Minsc has been equipped with a Composite Long Bow +1, a Girdle Of Bluntness, a Ring Of Earth Control (charm Earth Elemental, and +1 to Armour Class Bonus), Full Plate Mail Armour +1, Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), and the Dragon Helm helmet (gives fire, cold and electrical resistances). He is also armed with the 2-handed sword Lilarcor, a talking sword that is nearly as crazy as Minsc is (I think Boo is the only sane one of the bunch!) and which gives him some immunity to charm and confusion). Minsc was one of the companions found underground with Dick.

Also underground and enduring torture at the beginning of Baldur's Gate II was the True-Neutral Half-Elf Jaheira. Jaheira is slowly becoming Dick Splinters' love interest, as her former husband Kahleid was killed (tortured to death) by Irenicus. She started off annoying and weepy (in BG I, she was whiny and snobby), but has become a strong and valuable companion. Jaheira was also a companion of Dick's throughout Baldur's Gate I.
This is Jaheira.



She is a Level 9 Fighter, and a Level 12 Druid. She sports Delver's Plate Mail +2, a Dragon Scale medium Shield +2 (which grants fire, cold, and electrical resistance), a Ring Of Human Influence (raises her natural Charisma to a high of 18, and allows her to charm people once per day), Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 6), a Helm of Charm protection, a Scimitar +1, and a Sling +2.

Meanwhile, when the party got topside, one of the first persons they added to themselves was the powerful but inexperienced female Aerie. Aerie is a winged elf, who had her wings cut off of by her captors when she was young. Eventually, she was rescued by her "Uncle", who gave her a job in his circus. The adventurers, led by Dick Splinters, rescued her when investigating the circus, which had been cursed by a powerful illusionist. Her Uncle saw that she wanted to explore the world, so he allowed Aerie to join the group. Aerie has displayed a keen interest in Dick Splinters, and he has been polite but kept her at bay - one love is enough!
This is Aerie...



Aerie is a Level 9 Cleric, and a Level 11 Mage. She is an Elf, Lawful-Good in alignment. She wears a Girdle Of Hill Giant Strength which gives her the Strength score of 19. She has a Cloak Of Protection +1, and a Traveller's Robe (Armour Class +1 versus Missile Weapons, and AC +1 Bonus vs. Breath Weapons). Like all Mages that wish to cast spells, she wears no armour. She has Arla's Dragonbane, which is a +3 Sling. Also she wears a Ring Of Wizardry and a Metaspell Influence Amulet, which together let her memorize 5 extra spells. Aerie is finished off with the Staff Of Rynn +4 as a close range weapon, and Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 3).

Dick had Nalia in his party for a while, who was a Level 9 Mage and a Level 4 Thief. But he found her rather weak in fighting skills,



so he let her go once they had liberated her family home from the Trolls who had taken over it, and replaced her with Anomen.



Anomen, who at the time I met him was a Level 8 Cleric and a Level 7 Fighter, was not what he was expected to be. Although he had great Clerical spells, he was not the close-in fighter that the group was needing at the time. Within a few days, Anomen was cut loose from the party as well.
Eventually, the party of adventurers was rounded out with the addition of Valygar.



Valygar is a Level 9 Ranger, a sub-class called a Stalker. His Racial Enemy are Golems. Valygar is a Human of Neutral-Good alignment. He wears the Corthala Family Armour (which grants Immunity to Charm, as well as Fire and Acid and Magic Damage Resistance), and has the Corthala Family Blade, a +2 Katana with a +2 Armour Class bonus. LOL - I think that, other than Dick Splinters, Valygar is the only adventurer I have seen yet with a last name!
Valygar has Bracers Of Defense (Armour Class 4), a Helmet Of Defense (Electric, Fire, and Cold resistance), and the Ring Of The Ram (doles out 5-30 pts of damage once daily). Also, he is further equipped with another sword, a Katana +1, and wields both of his Katanas at once, giving him twice the amount of attacks! He is a great close-in fighter, and stands up well to punishment, making him the perfect addition to this group.

The other potential member choice that had to be made was over the mage Edwin. But Dick remembered Edwin from Baldur's Gate I (indeed, Dick KILLED the evil Edwin in BG I!). One of the first conversations with Edwin in this game centered around Dick mentioning that he thought Edwin was dead..."I seem to remember killing you myself" , or something to that effect.

To make sure, remembering how annoying and self-centered and conniving Edwin was, my party members joined Dick in killing him again, this time for good, hopefully. Rest in pieces, Edwin. Bwah-ha-ha-ha!


As I continue the adventuring, I find that Dick Splinters and his companions are now also the Heros Of Imnesvere (a small village which has twice been rescued by this party, and where Dick now has his own cabin and the mantle of Protector of the Village), and they are the Heros of Trademeet, a larger community in the middle of the forest where much commerce takes place. Trademeet actually erected statues of all 6 party members at their central square, surrounding a cool and serene fountain. Erection of a Dick statue - imagine that!

Happy adventuring, folks! More updates will be coming!
And, as Minsc says,
"Go for the eyes, Boo - go for the eyes!"

random pix

Oh...?...

Have you ever noticed...

That the people who are most supposed to care, don't?
And there is no explanation for it.
Or for stupidity.

Spare Fun And Games

Well...
It's a deep subject.

Okay, seriously though.
In my spare time these last few months, I have gotten back into playing good old adventure/hack-n-slash video games. First, i played the all-time bestest game ever made for the pc, Baldur's Gate. Then, when i had completed that game, I "portaged" (think 'early-Canadian fur traders carrying canoes between rivers' - now do you get my "drift"?) my main character into it's sequel, Baldur's Gate II - Shadows Of Amn. A more in-depth game, and one I have only finished once before, so it is taking me a long time to complete. Plus, i usually only play it on my weekends. But it is a hoot. I thoroughly advise the Baldur's Gate series of games for any and all PC-platform gamers out there. There is none better, and never will be.

Other than that, I finally had two days in a row with practically no tooth pain, which has been lovely. I am in desperate need of having two very rotten wisdom teeth pulled out of my head. I will be making the appointment to do that on Tuesday - hopefully, they will get to it before the end of the month. (Yowsers! Nasty teeth, those are!) As well, I have been very busy getting cleanings done (three so far, another one scheduled for November), and fillings too (7 down, 5 to go). So my dental office loves me, of course. I'm sure I am paying for a new car, or vacation, for somebody in that office.
Oh well.

As well, I think i amy have forgotten to mention that I recently got a 'promotion' at work, to Lead Hand. Basically speaking, I am lead operator and semi-supervisor during two of my five weekly shifts, which carries more responsibility and a very slight pay increase. I am not so sure that I get respected or noticed or praised for a good job any more than usual (not at all) at work, but at least i have been promoted in theory and in name. If nothing else, since it is seniority-based, at least it proves that I have staying power at my place of employment. And it puts me one step closer to getting off of the graveyard shift, and to some more normal working hours. Close, but not there quite yet...Keep me in your prayers...

Ciao for now!

The Furry Kids

A pic of Felix (left) and Toby (right).

New Pics

So, like, this is how I look right now.
Remember, you are only as old as you feel.
And you only feel as old as you can remember.
And cold cuts taste bestest with mayo.

People Are Strange

Have you ever noticed...

Have you ever noticed that, sometimes, the reaction that you get from people is almost the opposite one that you have expected?

Truly, people are a marvelous and versatile and resilient folk. Just when you think you have one figured out...Bam!...they surprise you.

Toby's Birthday

important notice!

Happy Birthday to my kitty, Miss Toby Lerone (Toblerone, or Toby).
It was her birthday yesterday, and she turned 11 years old! She even got her daddy to sing Happy Birthday to her!
Happy Birthday, Toe-Beast!

Hurricanes, FEMA, and the Gulf Coast

Here is a direct quote, taken from a news article off of the Yahoo site.

Though the White House called for tighter coordination among all levels of government, state directors said they remain confused about the new role of a federal disaster oversight commander — or how it fits into the chain of command.

"I don't know what that person's real job is," said South Carolina emergency director Ron Osborne. "It's still nebulous if he's going to slow down the response efforts, or if there is going to be a conflict. ... As long as you've got more people involved, it seems like coordination would take longer."

In an interview Monday, Homeland Security Undersecretary George Foresman said the department and FEMA have gone far beyond the 11 fixes that the White House ordered by June 1, the hurricane season's start, to plug federal preparedness gaps that Katrina exposed.

Aside from creating or revamping systems to track supplies, alert the public to approaching storms and register evacuated victims in shelters and hotels, Foresman said the department has been working closely with state and local officials to make sure they are in sync with Washington long before disaster hits. But, he said, many of the federal changes are largely designed to back up state and local responders whose efforts have failed.

"I understand the concerns that are expressed, but we have to recognize that the federal government is not the responder of the first resort," Foresman said. "It's a responder of last resort. There are a lot of things the state and locals need to be doing as well."

Hello!
Have we (as people) learned nothing at all from this disaster!
With "more people involved" coordination "would take longer."
At last, somebody speaks with sense!
And this - "federal changes are largely designed to back up state" responders "whose efforts have failed."
Yes, yes, YES!
We, as people, have become blame-shifters and finger-pointers. We want to be mollycoddled and taken care of, and when things go sour we want to blame somebody, then elect somebody who will give us handouts.
Now, i am the first to say that last hurricane season was awful. I was glued to the tv - i wept over the damage and the loss of life.
But i was sickened as everybody rushed to blame the federal government.
Why was more blame not put on the state governments, the local city governments, and the people themselves?
Who has the responsibility, in times of disaster? The government? Or the people?
The federal government...it isn't there job to bail people out in every disaster that happens. That falls, firstly, to the local community, then it falls on the city or county, then on the state. Lastly, and very lastly, when all those levels have failed and have been exhausted, THEN the federal government moves in and helps out.
It is a simple system.
And it works.
Unless, all those lower levels fail because of poor planning of their own and poor and inadequate response, and then turns around and cries about how the federal government let the people down
It's sickening, it really is sickening...

Another Deeep Thought

Well, the Christian life certainly is unique, isn't it?

We walk, each and every day, through a war zone, we are surrounded by war in the heavenly places, a war that is over our souls. We have an enemy, who lives to destroy us. And what do we do...?...

In what other war could people stroll around the battlefield, ignoring the clashes and skirmishes going on around them, lost in their own thoughts, not even aware of what is happening around them? In what other war would you find people like that, who would stand there, with no armour on, in the middle of a raging bloody battle to the death, and simply stand there until we get hacked four or five times by some large and menacing enemy with a broadsword in his hand, and then fall down and scream for help? The sword at our side is there, but rusty. But we have long since forgotten what that thing on our belt is, it becomes more of a keepsake or momento of something than the weapon that is really is. And as we lay wounded and defeated, with the enemy looming over us...

...the army rushes in around us at the general's command and saves our butts. Taken to the field hospital, our wounds are nursed. But long before we are healed, we grow bored, and off we go again, to wander around the battlefield looking for shiny stones and other things to distract ourselves with, until the enemy spies us and it all happens again.

Tell me, in what other war would this scene actually happen? Because you and i both know that this is the scene that greets most Christians, day after day. We start off our day defeated. We walk through it defeated. And time and time again, we carry with us the scars of battles lost, battles that we did not even deem to realise were taking place over us.

We live in a war zone. The battle is unseen, but deadly real. Much more real than the things around us that we can touch - more real than the money in our bank accounts, more real than our SUVs, more real than that tree over there.

We live in a physical world. But answer me this - what is around this physical world? What is outside of it, what surrounds it - what was here before it, exists still, and will still be here when it is no more? The answer is, the spiritual world. Our physical world was created by God, and it is where we currently reside. But we also live in the spiritual world.

That doesn't have to be all mystical and mumbo-jumboey. Think about it this way - we live in the world, on the earth, within it's atmosphere. But we also live in the universe. Without the universe, there is no earth. The universe surrounds the earth, and incorporates it. The earth is in the universe, and is part of the universe, and so we are in the universe. In the same way, we live in the physical world, but that is just a created place that exisits within, and wholly surrounded by, the spiritual world.

We need to start looking at things differently. Correctly. We have, for far too long, been told what to believe by the world around us, when that is supposed to be dictated to us by God through His Word.

Lord, we need a change, to wake up from our sleep. And Lord, it needs to start with me.

HelpMeet Promise

Somewhere around October 7th 2008 or so…

The word of the Lord that came to me, through my father…

God told me “Assuredly I have chosen a helpmeet and she is My choosing, and if you will walk in obedience, in due season it will be revealed to thee, then shall thy heart sing as the harp upon the mountains of Israel when the enemy fled and the glory of the God of Israel filled the land. Look not for her, neither to the right or to the left. For I have a plan, sayeth the Lord, and I am never late.”