Friday, March 31, 2006
Ya gotta see this fishing video...it's a HOOT! (You "real" fisherman out there will especially like it!) -- Chuck
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Much More Than A Magazine!
"There are hundreds of articles, true stories, humour... and thousands of links to churches, ministries, schools . . . People tell us it's the largest listing of these in the Pacific & Asia region on the internet."
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Wednesday, March 29, 2006
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates - "On his last visit to IranTop of Form 1, Canadian-based blogger Hossein Derakhshan was detained and interrogated, then forced to sign a letter of apology for his blog writings before being allowed to leave the country.
"Compared to others, Derakhshan is lucky. Dozens of Iranian bloggers have faced harassment by the government, been arrested for voicing opposing views, and fled the country in fear of prosecution over the past two years.
"In the conservative Islamic Republic, where the government has vast control over newspapers and the airwaves, weblogs are one of the last bastions of free expression, where people can speak openly about everything from sex to the nuclear controversy.
"But increasingly, they are coming under threat of censorship...."
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If this blogged article strikes a nerve�whether of agreement or disagreement�be sure to read the responses that follow it. There's some real food for thought here! -- Chuck
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Sunday, March 26, 2006
"Not long ago, I was supposed to meet a former student for breakfast. But that week I paid little attention to my calendar and totally forgot the appointment. About 90 minutes after we were supposed to meet, it dawned on me what I had done, and I called the student. He was forgiving, assuming that I must have overslept after a long semester."I had a split second to decide whether I would allow his assumption to stand. By saying nothing, I could let him think I had just overslept. I could make up another story. Or, I could come clean and tell him I had simply forgotten him.
"I sensed an inner tug to lie or, more precisely, to allow him to believe an untruthful account of the event. Some might call it a "little white lie," which means a lie that we rationalize as insignificant. But it would have been deceptive, whatever I called it.
"Not that I have never lied, but in this case, I resisted the inclination to deceive. I have been consciously working on telling the truth. I have become convinced recently that learning to live a fully honest life is one of the most difficult moral challenges I face. And yet it is hardly talked about in the churches I know."
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A thing or two about us infidels
John Gleeson
A report from the engineers of hell
Anonymous...
Once upon a time when the devil and his management team were observing Stalin and Hitler doing their dirty work, a decision was made that the current version of hell was not nearly bad enough for these two, so they got the corps of engineers to design and build a whole new section more fitting for the likes of these two.
After they were done, they were very pleased at having taken eternal misery and torture to a whole new level, just in time for the arrival of Stalin and Hitler. All was well.
A few years ago, reports started tricking down into the deepest pits of hell about a new pending arrival. Then the man was checked out, it was decided the engineers would have to take it up a whole bunch of notches. As of today, they are working 24/7 preparing the kind of hell one could only have imagined until now. It will be ready just in time for the current North Korean leader and his father who is in a holding pit with Stalin and Hitler.
Even devils shudder when they are told about the Kim Jong sector.
"Don't ask me for the source of this story.
"Just know that from the inside reports I am getting, it is unimaginable for the healthy human mind to comprehend what is going on there [in N Korea] and how believers are hunted down, tortured endlessly in front of their children, then burned at the stake while their kids are forced to light the fire.
"It is my prayer that this story will serve to do one thing: That God's people in the free world will beseech Heaven on behalf of our brothers and sisters in North Korea. His body, our body is paying the ultimate price, when one part of the body hurts, so should the others. Their cry to us is: DO NOT FORGET US! "
"For the third straight year, the isolated communist nation of North Korea remains atop the annual Open Doors International "World Watch List" of countries where Christians are persecuted.
"Christianity is observed as one of the greatest threats to the regime's power," the 2005 World Watch List report states. Exact figures are difficult to obtain, but it is believed that tens of thousands of Christians are currently suffering in North Korean prison camps, and at least 20 Christians were shot or beaten to death in 2004 while in detention."
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WINSTON CHURCHILL ON ISLAM
Thursday, March 23, 2006
WINSTON CHURCHILL ON ISLAM
"How dreadful are the curses which Mohammedanism lays on its votaries!
Besides the fanatical frenzy, which is as dangerous in a man as hydrophobia
in a dog, there is this fearful fatalistic apathy. The effects are apparent
in many countries. Improvident habits, slovenly systems of agriculture,
sluggish methods of commerce, and insecurity of property exist wherever the
followers of the Prophet rule or live. A degraded sensualism deprives this
life of its grace and refinement; the next of its dignity and sanctity.
The fact that in Mohammedan law every woman must belong to some man as his
absolute property, either as a child, a wife, or a concubine, must delay the
final extinction of slavery until the faith of Islam has ceased to be a
great power among men. Individual Moslems may show splendid qualities, but
the influence of the religion paralyses the social development of those who
follow it. No stronger retrograde force exists in the world. Far from being
moribund, Mohammedanism is a militant and proselytizing faith. It has
already spread throughout Central Africa, raising fearless warriors at every
step; and were it not that Christianity is sheltered in the strong arms of
science, the science against which it had vainly struggled, the civilization
of modern Europe might fall, as fell the civilization of ancient Rome."
Sir Winston Churchill (The River War, first edition, Vol. II, pages 248-50
London: Longmans, Green & Co., 1899 )
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Checked by AVG Free Edition.
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Michael Coren on Da Vinci Code
Tuesday, March 21, 2006
Michael Coren
| Sat, March 18, 2006
It is somewhat ironic to see Dan Brown, author of The Da Vinci Code, sitting in a British court and defending himself against charges of plagiarism by the writers of a previous book about the Holy Grail. Ironic because both books are utter nonsense. Brown's defence against plagiarism is that his work is original. His defence against writing rubbish is that his book is fiction and he doesn't claim to be a historian. Problem is, that's not entirely true. Brown includes a "fact" section and slips in references to various non-fiction works throughout his book. As flawed as these volumes may be, they are genuine books and are used to convey a sense of authenticity to Brown's text. They also serve to convince the gullible that his thesis has some credibility. The Holy Grail, he argues, was not an object but a person - Mary Magdalene. Who carried the child of Jesus. Brown writes that this is ancient wisdom. Not quite. It is in fact an anti-Christian libel that was first stated not before but 100-300 years after the Gospels were written. There is no evidence at all that it is true, but acres of proof that it is sheer fabrication. Then come the mistakes. The heroes of the book are chased by a crazed and murderous "Opus Dei monk." There is, however, no such thing as an Opus Dei monk. Opus Dei is an organization of orthodox Roman Catholics, composed mostly of lay people. There are some priests within the organization but no monks. Nor is Opus Dei sinister or violent. It educates, works with the marginalized and performs charitable works. After this, Brown says that during the Middle Ages the Church burned five million women as witches. Really? If so, there would have been almost no adult women left anywhere in Europe. In fact around 40,000 were killed, for various reasons. Brown bases much of his story on precise details of the paintings of Leonardo Da Vinci. Yet he mistakes the size of a central piece, The Virgin of the Rocks, by 18 inches. He writes extensively about the Priory of Sion and says that is was founded in 1099. It was actually founded in the 1950s. He also writes that until the Council of Nicaea in 325 AD nobody believed that Jesus was divine. Laughable. Christians always believed that Christ was divine, from the earliest martyrs in the years after the Resurrection. The Gospels, claiming that Jesus was God, were written in the first century and we have actual copies from the second. Christian writings outside of Scripture, such as those of Ignatius, Justin Martyr and Clement, also date from the second and early third century and they too, of course, claim divinity for Jesus. One doesn't have to agree with the claim, but only a fool or a liar would pretend that the claim was not made. All the Nicaea Council did was to codify these beliefs. There was no time when followers of Christ thought of him as anything other than the son of God. If so, they would not have died for him. Leading medieval historian Sandra Miesel goes so far as to say that the book is so full of errors that, "I'm actually surprised when The Da Vinci Code is correct about anything at all." The anti-Christian and in particular anti-Catholic bigotry in the book is astounding. If someone had written such horrors about, for example Muslims, he would not be published, let alone become a bestseller. Hypocrisy, just like dishonesty, wins the day yet again. |
[Chuckz Blog] "Tolerance", Afghan style...
Posted by Chuck to Chuckz Blog at 3/21/2006 11:29:31 AM
Sunday, March 19, 2006 � Last updated 3:48 p.m. PT
Afghan Christian could get death sentence
By DANIEL COONEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Afghan man Abdul Rahman is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death after being charged with converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under this country's Islamic laws, a judge said Sunday. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
Afghan Christian could get death sentence
By DANIEL COONEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
Afghan man Abdul Rahman is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death after being charged with converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under this country's Islamic laws, a judge said Sunday. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan man is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death on a charge of converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under this country's Islamic laws, a judge said Sunday.
The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in Afghanistan and highlights a struggle between religious conservatives and reformists over what shape Islam should take here four years after the ouster of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime.
The defendant, 41-yer-old Abdul Rahman, was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told The Associated Press in an interview. Rahman was charged with rejecting Islam and his trial started Thursday.
During the one-day hearing, the defendant confessed that he converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Mawlavezada said.
"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam."
Mawlavezada said he would rule on the case within two months.
Afghanistan's constitution is based on Shariah law, which is interpreted by many Muslims to require that any Muslim who rejects Islam be sentenced to death, said Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the state-sponsored Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
Repeated attempts to interview Rahman in detention were barred.
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Posted by Chuck to Chuckz Blog at 3/21/2006 11:29:31 AM
The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in Afghanistan and highlights a struggle between religious conservatives and reformists over what shape Islam should take here four years after the ouster of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime.
The defendant, 41-yer-old Abdul Rahman, was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told The Associated Press in an interview. Rahman was charged with rejecting Islam and his trial started Thursday.
During the one-day hearing, the defendant confessed that he converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Mawlavezada said.
"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam."
Mawlavezada said he would rule on the case within two months.
Afghanistan's constitution is based on Shariah law, which is interpreted by many Muslims to require that any Muslim who rejects Islam be sentenced to death, said Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the state-sponsored Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
Repeated attempts to interview Rahman in detention were barred.
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Posted by Chuck to Chuckz Blog at 3/21/2006 11:29:31 AM
- Johnny on the Spot - Daily Devotional
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Sunday, March 19, 2006 � Last updated 3:48 p.m. PT
Afghan Christian could get death sentence
By DANIEL COONEY
ASSOCIATED PRESS WRITER
An Afghan man reads the holy Quran at a mosque in Kabul, Afghanistan on Sunday March 19, 2006. Afghan man Abdul Rahman is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death after being charged with converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under this country's Islamic laws, a judge said Sunday. (AP Photo/Musadeq Sadeq)
KABUL, Afghanistan -- An Afghan man is being prosecuted in a Kabul court and could be sentenced to death on a charge of converting from Islam to Christianity, a crime under this country's Islamic laws, a judge said Sunday.
The trial is believed to be the first of its kind in Afghanistan and highlights a struggle between religious conservatives and reformists over what shape Islam should take here four years after the ouster of the Islamic fundamentalist Taliban regime.
The defendant, 41-yer-old Abdul Rahman, was arrested last month after his family accused him of becoming a Christian, Judge Ansarullah Mawlavezada told The Associated Press in an interview. Rahman was charged with rejecting Islam and his trial started Thursday.
During the one-day hearing, the defendant confessed that he converted from Islam to Christianity 16 years ago while working as a medical aid worker for an international Christian group helping Afghan refugees in the Pakistani city of Peshawar, Mawlavezada said.
"We are not against any particular religion in the world. But in Afghanistan, this sort of thing is against the law," the judge said. "It is an attack on Islam."
Mawlavezada said he would rule on the case within two months.
Afghanistan's constitution is based on Shariah law, which is interpreted by many Muslims to require that any Muslim who rejects Islam be sentenced to death, said Ahmad Fahim Hakim, deputy chairman of the state-sponsored Afghanistan Independent Human Rights Commission.
Repeated attempts to interview Rahman in detention were barred.
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Buzzard, Bat & Bumblebee...
Monday, March 20, 2006
BUZZARD
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
If you put a buzzard in a pen that is 6 feet by 8 feet and is entirely open at the top, the bird, in spite of its ability to fly, will be an absolute prisoner. The reason is that a buzzard always begins a flight from the ground with a run of 10 to 12 feet. Without space to run, as is its habit, it will not even attempt to fly, but will remain a prisoner for life in a small jail with no top.
BAT
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt,painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
The ordinary bat that flies around at night, a remarkably nimble creature in the air, cannot take off from a level place. If it is placed on the floor or flat ground, all it can do is shuffle about helplessly and, no doubt,painfully, until it reaches some slight elevation from which it can throw itself into the air. Then, at once, it takes off like a flash.
BUMBLEBEE
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
A bumblebee, if dropped into an open tumbler, will be there until it dies, unless it is taken out. It never sees the means of escape at the top, but persists in trying to find some way out through the sides near the bottom. It will seek a way where none exists, until it completely destroys itself.
PEOPLE
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up.
In many ways, we are like the buzzard, the bat, and the bumblebee. We struggle about with all our problems and frustrations, never realizing that all we have to do is look up.
Tell Congress: Compassion, not Criminalization in Immigration Reform!
Friday, March 17, 2006
From the Sojourners Newsletter...
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"America is a stronger and better nation because of the hard work and the faith and entrepreneurial spirit of immigrants.... Our country has always benefited from the dreams that others have brought here. By working hard for a better life, immigrants contribute to the life of our nation."
- President George W. Bush, Jan. 7, 2004
Over the years, the energy, hope, and cultural diversity of immigrants have shaped the nation we are proud to call home today. Yet recent months have seen the amplification of voices increasingly hostile to America's vital immigrant population. Congress is currently engaged in a high-stakes debate over how to reform our broken immigration system.
+ Click here to urge your senators to promote compassionate immigration reform
http://go.sojo.net/campaign/immigration/iw8kunizl5b66nt?
"The alien who resides with you shall be to you as the citizen among you; you shall love the alien as yourself, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God" (Leviticus 19:34).
In an approach patently hostile to the alien who resides with us, the House passed the Border Protection, Antiterrorism, and Illegal Immigration Control Act of 2005 (H.R .4437) last December. Too much of this bill is punitive, focusing on establishing and enforcing stricter rules and missing opportunities for positive, comprehensive reform. Of particular concern is a stipulation in the bill that would make it a felony to provide any humanitarian assistance to undocumented people. Perpetrators of the crimes – including churches and community workers – of feeding the hungry or caring for the sick would face steep fines and up to five years in prison.
+ Click here to urge your Senators to promote compassionate immigration reform
The debate on immigration reform has now turned to the U.S. Senate. Late last week, the Senate Judiciary Committee began discussion of Chairman Arlen Specter's (R-Pa.) immigration reform bill. While Specter's proposal is a marked improvement over H.R. 4437, the troubling provisions in the House bill could still be enacted in Specter's proposal, or in a bill from Majority Leader Bill Frist (R-Tenn.) A Senate bill on immigration may include expanding the definition of alien smuggling to criminalize the everyday activities of doctors, teachers, and community workers, and denying protection to refugees and battered immigrants who used falsified documents to flee an oppressor. While Specter's proposal includes a guest worker program, it does not provide a path to citizenship for the 11 to 12 million hard-working undocumented immigrants who comprise a vital part of the American workforce. In short, the bills the Senate is debating flatly deny opportunity, hope, and security to some of the most vulnerable among us.
+ Click here to urge your senators to promote compassionate immigration reform
"I was a stranger and you welcomed me," (Matthew 25:35).
The bottom line is this: Congress is getting the terms of the debate all wrong. Punitive, enforcement-only measures like those in H.R. 4437 not only run contrary to the biblical mandate to welcome the stranger among us; they are chillingly anti-work, anti-family, and anti-community, and they will only exacerbate the problems of our fractured immigration system. We join with the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, World Relief, and a host of other faith-based advocates in calling for a comprehensive approach to immigration reform that:
- addresses the root causes of migration,
- provides a path to citizenship for undocumented workers,
- establishes appropriate worker protections for U.S.- and foreign-born workers, and
- removes the unnecessary and harmful legal obstacles that currently keep families separated across borders for decades.
+ Click here to urge your senators to promote compassionate immigration reform
When Jesus was asked, "Who is my neighbor?" his answer was clear and compelling in the story of the good Samaritan (Luke: 10). As his followers, we are called to tend to the suffering stranger in our midst, on our Jericho road. Let's help, not hurt, our neighbors pursuing the American dream of security, freedom, and opportunity.
+ Click here to urge your senators to promote compassionate immigration reform
In peace,
The Sojourners and Call to Renewal organizing and policy team
Adam, Christa, Duane, Laurna, Matt, Nadia, and Yonce
Adobe Macromedia Flash Products Contain Vulnerabilities
National Cyber Alert System
Cyber Security Alert SA06-075A
Adobe Macromedia Flash Products Contain Vulnerabilities
Original release date: March 16, 2006
Last revised: --
Source: US-CERT
Systems Affected
Microsoft Windows, Mac OS X, and other operating systems that use
the following products:
* Adobe Macromedia Flash Player
* Adobe Macromedia Flash
* Adobe Macromedia Flex
* Adobe Macromedia Breeze
* Adobe Macromedia Shockwave Player
Overview
There are critical vulnerabilities in Macromedia Flash player and
related software that may allow an attacker to take control of your
computer.
Solution
Apply Updates
Adobe has provided the updates for these vulnerabilities. To obtain
the update, visit the Security Bulletin. US-CERT recommends that
you update to the most current version of your Macromedia product.
Description
Some features of Macromedia products contain critical
vulnerabilities. If an attacker can convince you to open a
malicious Flash file, which may be hosted on a web site, he or she
may be able to take control of your computer or cause it to crash.
The Macromedia Security Bulletin provides updates that address
these vulnerabilities. For more technical information, see US-CERT
Technical Cyber Security Alert TA06-075A.
References
* US-CERT Technical Cyber Security Alert TA06-075A.html -
<http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA06-075A.html>
* US-CERT Vulnerability Note VU#945060 -
<http://www.kb.cert.org/vuls/id/945060>
* Macromedia - APSB06-03: Flash Player Update to Address Security
Vulnerabilities -
<http://www.macromedia.com/devnet/security/security_zone/apsb06-03
.html>
* Microsoft Security Advisory (916208) -
<http://www.microsoft.com/technet/security/advisory/916208.mspx>
____________________________________________________________________
The most recent version of this document can be found at:
<http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/alerts/SA06-075A.html>
____________________________________________________________________
Feedback can be directed to US-CERT Technical Staff. Please send
email to <cert@cert.org> with "SA06-075A Feedback VU#945060" in the
subject.
____________________________________________________________________
For instructions on subscribing to or unsubscribing from this
mailing list, visit <http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/signup.html>.
____________________________________________________________________
Produced 2006 by US-CERT, a government organization.
Terms of use:
<http://www.us-cert.gov/legal.html>
____________________________________________________________________
Revision History
Mar 16, 2006: Initial release
--
No virus found in this outgoing message.
Checked by AVG Free Edition.
Version: 7.1.385 / Virus Database: 268.2.4/282 - Release Date: 3/15/2006
Finding Eternity Here - Daily Devotional
Thursday, March 16, 2006
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"There's a heap of thorny issues related to Christian singleness: What is the most appropriate model for dating and courtship? Is chastity realistic for adult singles? Why have congregations fallen short in successfully integrating singles into the life of the church? We can't deal with them all here. But there is one practical issue that, for our money, rises to the top: Where are all the men? Both anecdotally and statistically, the disparity in the ratio of single women to men in the church is alarming. In this excerpt from their new book, The UnGuide to Dating
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Dutch Immigrants Must Watch Racy Film
Ever wonder just how bad it can get? Read on...
Dutch Immigrants Must Watch Racy Film:
"The camera focuses on two gay men kissing in a park. Later, a topless woman emerges from the sea and walks onto a crowded beach. For would-be immigrants to the Netherlands, this film is a test of their readiness to participate in the liberal Dutch culture.
If they can't stomach it, no need to apply.
Despite whether they find the film offensive, applicants must buy a copy and watch it if they hope to pass the Netherlands' new entrance examination.
The test - the first of its kind in the world - became compulsory Wednesday, and was made available at 138 Dutch embassies.
Taking the exam costs $420. The price for a preparation package that includes the film, a CD ROM and a picture album of famous Dutch people is $75."
"We certainly need humane immigration reform in this country, but a mean-spirited criminalization approach that focuses only on border security is not the answer. We can't realistically deport nearly 12 million people, and if we somehow could, our economy would go into a tailspin. Most of the undocumented people I knew were some of the most hardworking, family-oriented people in my neighborhood. They came to this country for the same reasons people have come here for during the past 400 years: economic, religious, and political freedom. Many of them fled civil war in their countries or economic conditions so desperate that risking everything to come to this country really wasn't a choice. And most of the young people I worked with had come here at such a young age they had no memories of their home country. They assimilated into our community, learned to speak the language, and educated themselves; yet by no choice of their own, they live in legal limbo. "
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Clayblog: Of Tornadoes and Culture
Tuesday, March 14, 2006
From our son-in-law Jim Clay's web log. Look's like our family in SW Missouri were really "in for it" last night! -- Chuck
Clayblog: Of Tornadoes and Culture: "Of Tornadoes and Culture
Well, last night was interesting.
As I began to realize that a very intense, tornadic storm was heading directly toward us, (about 10:00 PM), I was trying to decide what we should do. We could have hid in the closet or even our skanky little cellar, but I didn't really like either idea.
The TV reports were coming in about 3 inch hail, and it made me cringe to think of our van being trashed by hail. The path of the tornado was heading just north of us, but close enough to make me know that it was time to jump in the closet or get out of dodge.
So I hastily decided that by driving just a few miles south, we would be out of the path of the storm and away from the hail. I told the boys (who were still awake and already scared since they had heard the sirens) we were leaving. They leaped from their beds with great joy and scattered to the van like rabbits.
I gave Jason the keys and told him to go unlock the van, while I started trying to wake the girls. Jenette had already taken Jenna out to the van, so I started by waking up Jordan. She gradually woke up (at this point I realized I should have done all this ten minutes sooner!), and after leisurely using the bathroom, dawdled out to the van.
Then I started trying to pick up Jewel, but I realized that she had wet the bed and she was completely soaked. She was totally asleep, so I just tried to strip her down as fast as I could. We were going so fast that I picked her up, grabbed a clean blanket, and rushed her out to the van. Jenette was very surprised to see the poor cold little naked thing! Then I ran back in, grabbed Joy, and ran out to the van carrying her under my arm like a football, (she squealed every time I took a stride) and threw her in.
Read on at the link above...
"
"I started this site back in 1996 and every year I've planned to hold my version of the "Razzies
"In 2005, Web Pages That Suck featured 293 Daily Suckers
"After viewing the "winners" you'll probably say to yourself, "I've seen worse web site car wrecks than what's here." Contrary to public perception, Web Pages That Suck (WPTS) does not just feature web design car-wrecks. If I just wanted car wrecks, I'd put up only sites created with Microsoft FrontPage. These sites have at least one major problem that's seen over and over again. Now that you've seen them, don't make the same mistakes."
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Remembering Tom Fox, Christian Peacemaker - SojoMail 03.13.06
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| SPECIAL ISSUE: Remembering Tom Fox, Christian Peacemaker | 03.13.2006 www.sojo.net |
 EDITORS' NOTE | ^top |
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As we mourn Tom's death, we focus on his solidarity with the unnamed tens of thousands of Iraqi dead, disappeared, detained, and tortured. Christ is present in their suffering (Matthew 25). Yet, we also recognize that Tom's suffering is special because it was in voluntary obedience to Christ's call to suffer as he did to prove his love for both neighbors and enemies: "If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake, and for the sake of the gospel, will save it" (Mark 8:34-35).
As evidenced by the outpouring of support and sympathy from across religious and national boundaries, Tom's life and death are a testimony to the truth of Jesus' gospel - and a challenge to all who claim to follow it.
- The Editors |
| IN MEMORIAM | ^top |
| Tom's last journey by Doug Pritchard Our brother Tom has begun his final journey home.
He left Anaconda military base at Balat, Iraq, at dawn on Mar. 13 (9 p.m. EST, Mar. 12), and is expected to arrive at Dover Air Force Base in Delaware at 1 a.m. EST, Mar. 14.
CPT Toronto was originally informed by Canadian authorities at 1:30 p.m. EST Mar. 10, that a body had been found in Baghdad which was likely that of Tom Fox. An hour later, when the CPT Iraq team asked officials at the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad if they could come to identify the body, they were told that it had already left on a military transport for Dover. Officials had repeatedly assured the team over the previous three months that CPT would be able to accompany our colleagues home "if at all possible." They now said that their only focus was getting the body back to the USA as soon as possible. At 8 p.m. EST, the U.S. State Department confirmed the identity as Tom Fox based on fingerprints.
The next day, Mar. 11, at 10 a.m. EST, CPT Iraq learned that Tom's body was still at the Anaconda base at Balat. The U.S. Embassy arranged for Beth Pyles, a member of the CPT Iraq team, to travel to Anaconda, and she was able to keep vigil with Tom for the next 36 hours until his departure. Meanwhile, CPT members Rich Meyer and Anne Montgomery travelled to Dover, and have been in the vicinity since 5 p.m. Mar. 11, keeping vigil and awaiting Tom's arrival.
Pyles was present on the tarmac at Anaconda as Tom's coffin was loaded onto the plane for Dover. She reported that his coffin was draped in a U.S. flag. This is unusual for a civilian, but Tom may not have been uncomfortable with this since he had always called his nation to live out the high ideals which it professed. Iraqi detainees who die in U.S custody are also transported to Dover for autopsies and forensics. On this plane, right beside Tom's coffin, was the coffin of an Iraqi detainee. So Tom accompanied an Iraqi detainee in death, just as he had done so often in life.
At Tom's departure, Pyles read out from the gospel of John, "The light shines in the darkness and the darkness did not overcome it" (1:5). In honour of Tom's Iraqi companion, she spoke the words called out repeatedly from the mosques of Baghdad during the Shock and Awe bombing campaign in March 2003, "allah akhbar" (God is greater). She concluded the sending with words from the Jewish scriptures, "The LORD gave, and the LORD has taken away; blessed be the name of the LORD" (Job 1:21).
Dawn broke. The contingent of Puerto Rican soldiers nearby saluted. The plane taxied away. Venus, the morning star, shone brightly overhead as the night faded away. Godspeed you, Tom, on your final journey home to your family and friends.
Doug Pritchard is a co-director of Christian Peacemaker Teams. |
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Remembering Tom Fox by Celeste Kennel-Shank Some said they wanted revenge. Others said they were trying to forgive those who took his life. Others came to pray tribute to their former friend and colleague.
In a discussion led by Tom Fox's colleagues and professors from Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding on Saturday night in Washington, D.C., participants pondered peace issues, response to Fox's death, and the possibility of reconciliation with those labeled enemies.
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| Reflections from Christian Peacemaker Teams We mourn the loss of Tom Fox CPT statement
'Why are we here?' Most recent reflection by Tom Fox before his abduction
'Dikes that are overflowing, not with water, but with blood' by CPTer Michele Naar Obed |
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Remembering Tom Fox
by Celeste Kennel-Shank
SojoMail 3-13-2006
"Some said they wanted revenge. Others said they were trying to forgive those who took his life. Others came to pay tribute to their friend and colleague.
"In a discussion led by Tom Fox's colleagues and professors from Eastern Mennonite University's Center for Justice and Peacebuilding on Saturday night in Washington, D.C., participants pondered peace issues, response to Fox's death, and the possibility of reconciliation with those labeled enemies.
"It was 'a conversation Tom would want us to have,' said Lisa Schirch, professor at the center and friend of Fox. Schirch, several of her colleagues, and students in the master's degree program of the university in Harrisonburg, Virginia, traveled to Washington, D.C., for the event."
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Dude, Where's My Civil War?
Monday, March 13, 2006
March 5, 2006
Dude, Where's My Civil War?
By Ralph Peters
Maybe actually being on the ground in Iraq Manhattan
And riding around with the U.S. Army, looking at things first-hand, is certainly a technique to which The New York Times wouldn't stoop in such an hour of crisis.
Let me tell you what I saw anyway. Rolling with the "instant Infantry" gunners of the 1st Platoon of Bravo Battery, 4-320 Field Artillery, I saw children and teenagers in a Shia slum jumping up and down and cheering our troops as they drove by. Cheering our troops.
All day - and it was a long day - we drove through Shia and Sunni neighborhoods. Everywhere, the reception was warm. No violence. None.
And no hostility toward our troops. Iraqis went out of their way to tell us we were welcome.
Instead of a civil war, something very different happened because of the bombing of the Golden Mosque in Samarra U.S.
Think Abu Musab al-Zarqawi intended that?
In place of the civil war that elements in our media declared, I saw full streets, open shops, traffic jams, donkey carts, Muslim holiday flags - and children everywhere, waving as our Humvees passed. Even the clouds of dust we stirred up didn't deter them. And the presence of children in the streets is the best possible indicator of a low threat level.
And we didn't just drive past them. First Lt. Clenn Frost, the platoon leader, took every opportunity to dismount and mingle with the people. Women brought their children out of their compound gates to say hello. A local sheik spontaneously invited us into his garden for colas and sesame biscuits.
It wasn't the Age of Aquarius. The people had serious concerns. And security was No. 1. They wanted the Americans to crack down harder on the foreign terrorists and to disarm the local militias. Iraqis don't like and don't support the militias, Shia or Sunni, which are nothing more than armed gangs.
Help's on the way, if slowly. The Iraqi Army has confounded its Western critics, performing extremely well last week. And the people trust their new army to an encouraging degree. The Iraqi police aren't all the way there yet, and the population doesn't yet have much confidence in them. But all of this takes time.
And even the police are making progress. We took a team of them with us so they could train beside our troops. We visited a Public Order Battalion - a gendarmerie outfit - that reeked of sloth and carelessness. But the regular Iraqi Police outfit down the road proved surprisingly enthusiastic and professional. It's just an uneven, difficult, frustrating process.
So what did I learn from a day in the dust and muck of Baghdad Iraq
The country may still see a civil war one day. But not just yet, thanks. Violence continues. A roadside bomb was found in the next sector to the west. There will be more deaths, including some of our own troops. But Baghdad Iraq
So why were we told that Iraq Iraq Iraq
But there's no way we can let irresponsible journalists off the hook - or their parent organizations. Many journalists are, indeed, brave and conscientious; yet some in Baghdad
They're safe in their enclaves, protected by hired guns, complaining that it's too dangerous out on the streets. They're only in Baghdad Baghdad
And the Iraqi stringers have cracked the code: The Americans don't pay for good news. So they exaggerate the bad.
And some of them have agendas of their own.
A few days ago, a wild claim that the Baghdad
I doubt it.
If reporters really care, it's easy to get out on the streets of Baghdad
I'm just afraid that some of our journalists don't want to know the truth anymore.
For me, though, memories of Baghdad will be the cannoneers of the 1st Platoon walking the dusty, reeking alleys of Baghdad
I'll remember that lieutenant investigating the murder of a Sunni mullah during last week's disturbances, cracking down on black-marketers, checking up on sewer construction, reassuring citizens - and generally doing the job of a lieutenant-colonel in peacetime.
Oh, and I'll remember those "radical Shias" cheering our patrol as we passed by.
Ralph Peters is reporting from Forward Operating Base Loyalty, where he's been riding with the 506th Infantry Regiment, 101st Airborne Division.
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