Black Belt Expectations

It has been a crazy month, let alone the past couple of weeks, what with all of the personal excitement and nerves about my latest Tae Kwon Do belt testing. Now you may be wondering why this event is any more important than any other belt testing, and that is understandable, so let me provide some background.

Two years ago this August I signed up for a 3 class trial of Tae Kwon Do at the academy that my daughters had spent the summer at. I was 39 years old weighed about 225 to 230 lbs and my cholesterol was at around 235. Add on top of that my diet consisted of fast foods, soft drinks, and candy. Yes I was a walking advertisement for medicine companies and the US heart association. I could not walk up one flight of stairs with out getting out of breath, and could barely do anything physical with my children with out needing an oxygen tank. I realized at that time that if I did not do something I would, despite not drinking or smoking, be in the hospital with a heart attack, or worse dead in the next 5 to 10 years.

So I did something that up until last month, my mother though I was crazy for doing, I tried out martial arts, Tae Kwon Do to be specific, I saw several older adult males in the class and figured if they were able to do it I should be able to as well, especially since I was at one time a respectable college level swimmer as well as could hold my own in other sports. So with a summer of watching my daughters and a little courage I signed up for the trial class package, which is actually a really good value, $19.95 for 3 lessons and you are provided a uniform as well. So it actually is a great deal and the opportunity to try something at a very reasonable price.

Well needless to say even before my first class I was interested, I walked on the training mat, a 39 yr old overweight, former college athlete, and was immediately greeted by two Black belts and a Green Belt who came over and welcomed me and offered words of encouragement ranging from glad to have you, to just do what you can and do not be afraid to ask questions. Needless to say that first lesson was if not completely forgettable, it was an experience, I had considered myself a reasonably agile and limber person from my swimming days. Suffice it to say I was neither agile nor limber, and I walked off of the mat soaked in sweat, tired and wondering if I had done the right thing. The next morning my body reminded me of just exactly how out of shape I was, I ached all over, and also in places that I did not know I could ache, but for the first time in nearly 15 years it was a good ache, my body was telling me that I was doing something good and I was reminded of all of the time I spent in the pool and in the gym, and all of the blood, sweat and pain I went through to accomplish what I did, and you know what it was something that I realized that I had missed these past 15 years.

Fast forward through twenty months of classes, aches, sore joints, failures, successes, significant diet changes, as well as the multiple belt tests and tournaments, and we come to the last weekend in March of this year. I am now a senior Red Belt and am testing for my level 1 First degree Black Belt, also called probationary rank, however instead of doing things the easy way, I attempted to test for my level 1 instructor certification. Double dipping at a testing is not always the best thing to do, especially when you are making a major jump in rank like I was. I knew I was taking a calculated risk doing this however I felt that if I was not prepared for both I was not prepared for one. So everyone who was testing lines up and warms up, and I am getting focused upon my belt testing, and things are going well. I feel good, stretch out well and go and sit down waiting to be called up to test when I am thrown the ultimate curve ball, the head of the academy that I attend starts to talk about the instructor certification program, and at that time I realize that my belt testing is going to come second and that I need to switch mindsets. As the description of the program is finished and my name is called, I take a deep breath, answered up sharply and moved to my position on the floor. I can only guess why they chose to run things in this order, maybe it was because he wanted to see me at my freshest when testing for the instructor certification, maybe it was because he wanted to see how those being tested would react to an unpredicted change of plans, who knows? Needless to say I blew through that testing and did well, and I completed my belt testing with out so much as a single mistake.

So I walk out of testing knowing I have done as well as I possibly can, and then the waiting starts. See we are not informed of our test results till the following Monday, at which time you will get a call from the academy if you failed or No Changed at the test. Needless to say the waiting was the worst part, but nobody who tested from our family received that phone call. which meant not only did I pass my instructor test but also my belt test and was now a black belt. Now I have come to realize that being a black belt means being held to a higher standard both in the class room as well as outside of it, what I did not realize was that the standards for someone like me, an (supposedly mature) adult who is both a black belt and an instructor were even higher, not only am I expected to assist in lower classes but I also need to expect to be called upon in my own class to assist, demonstrate, or even teach some of the lower ranks if necessary. The ironic thing is some family members have asked me if I now regret taking on these responsibilities and I tell them emphatically, "not in the least, if anything I am enjoying the challenge of living up to what is expected of me."

Now I expect some of you are asking, well now that you have your black belt, what else do you plan on doing? Well to be honest, this rank is simply the beginning of the journey, my ultimate goal is to achieve both an advanced Black Belt rank (4th degree or higher) as well as becoming a level 4 or 5 instructor. Beyond that I do not know but as of now getting to, testing and passing my test for 4th degree Black belt is a journey that will take around 5 years of work, possibly more if for some reason I no-change, however that is one thing that I do have some control over, and to be honest with everyone, I will do everything that I possibly can to avoid that.

So back to my personal health, if you look back to when I started I was 39 yrs old, around 230 lbs, with a cholesterol of around 235, in less than 2 years I am down to between 200 and 205 lbs, and at last check my cholesterol was at 188. So it comes back to this, Tae Kwon Do has provided me with not only wonderful new challenges, but also probably has added maybe 10 or 20 years onto my life. Will I stop? not if I can avoid it, both for my physical as well as my mental health.

God bless and enjoy.

Things that make you proud

There are a few things in life that make people really proud. Having your child accomplish something is one of the joys in life that never gets old. My oldest daughter spent spring break with her Grandmother. They spent that time doing things that Grandma's and their grandchildren do, such as going to movies, and fun things, but they also spend a lot of their time making a quilt together. Below are a few of the pictures of that event.








I am so proud of her, this was also the first time she had spent more than one night away from home without Mom or Dad.

Board Break a thon Video

Board Break a thon announcement

I have been studying Tae Kwon Do for a little over 1 year now and our academy's booster club has an annual community event. It is a board break-a-thon, and all of the proceeds go to the Katy ISD D.A.R.E program. Last year we raised over $4500 as a group for the program and we want to do even better this year. It is a good program and a lot of fun for all of those that participate. As an added bonus I'll provide photos of myself or my kids breaking the boards that are purchased by readers here. I'll even make sure your name is on the board. Please help support D.A.R.E. You can contact me through here or the e-mail on the flyer.

I hope to raise at least $300 for this cause.

Second Annual Board Break-A-Thon

· Saturday October 27th 3:00-5:00

· Hosted by the C3 Booster Club

· Help the Community by raising money for Katy Area D.A.R.E Programs

· Location: Allen Samuels Dodge on Katy Freeway

See the flyer for more details
Board break a thon flyer

Headlines I have collected

Ex-Marine, 72, Teaches Pickpocket a Lesson
New Jersey mutt wins ugliest dog crown in California
Judge rejects $54 million lawsuit over lost pair of pants
Millionaire, 84, died fleeing Harris probate court
Disney to scrap lucrative direct-to-DVD animated sequels
Is Earmark Disclosure a True Measure of Transparency? Actually the question is do we actually have a conservative or at least honest democrat?
Embattled Duke Rape Case Prosecutor Mike Nifong Could Get Jail Time
Senate Votes to Increase Fuel Economy Standards in Cars, SUVs
Sens. Hillary Clinton, Barbara Boxer Dispute Conversation About Reining in Conservative Talk Radio So who do you believe, a moderate/conservative republican or two flaming liberals
Prince William Turns 25, Gains Part of Diana's Inheritance Now the question is will he be king instead of his father, and who will he marry....
Bush Administration Opposes Making Immigration Bill Easier on Employers
Vatican Reverses Annulment of Ex-Rep. Joseph Kennedy's First Marriage
Computer Hacking Plagues Department of Homeland Security
County rescinds Westpark Tollway fee hike
Plan for new taxes on oil companies stalls
N.H. Town Hopes to End Standoff Between Police and Couple Barricaded in Home Since January
FOHacker Claims to Have Posted 'Harry Potter' Plot on Internet
Police Say Washington Baby Died After Mom Taped Pacifier in Infant's Mouth
The perils of carving a path to the Taliban's front door
Fireworks sales likely to blast off
Duke prosecutor testifies; ex-lacrosse player weeps

One more voice saying celebs are not role models

I am always thrilled when someone stands up and either questions or condemns the actions of someone from the "entertainment" industry. It does not matter if it is politics, fashion, or behavior. The sooner people realize that these people should always be held to a higher standard, as well as not be held in as high regard, we will be a whole lot better off.
The following article again sounds the warning that rich little tarts like Britteny Spears, Paris Hilton, and Lindsay Lohan should never be role models and that the press is responsible for their continuing inappropriate behavior.

Here is what I mean.

I always cringe every time people show concern over the antics of celebrities and about the impact they can have over impressionable youngsters.

Other celebrities like Paris Hilton and Lindsey Lohan created their own uproar with sex tapes and flashing the paparazzi. In a two month time period, Lohan went panty-less four times in front of hordes of cameras. Consequently, a famous person being naked or at least giving full frontal nudity is more than enough to create a media sensation. And the tabloids and the press loved it.

Unfortunately, too many people have an unrealistic expectation of celebrities being role models to young people. Britney Spears is not a role model. And neither is Paris Hilton or Lindsey Lohan. More often than not, their outrageous behavior is done to garner publicity and attention or to feed their own insatiable egos.

The author is spot on about the fact that 99% of the actions that these young "ladies" do are to get more attention and feed their egos. If only someone had been there when they were younger to hold them accountable for their actions, things might be different.

But if parents in particular and society in general are actually expecting these beautiful sexy starlets to be positive role models to young girls, then they are going to be terribly disappointed.

NBA superstar Charles Barkely created a backlash when he adamantly insisted that he is not a role model. Lots of people were taken aback and some basketball fans were furious by such a bold but truthful statement. But as iconoclastic as Barkley is, he is definitely right when he further asserted that ordinary people like parents and teachers ought to be the role models for kids.

And it is also time for ordinary people like parents to step up to the plate and behave like mature responsible adults so that they can give kids the direction and support they need, especially during the turbulent times of their lives. And most importantly, parents who create a nurturing environment can have a profound influence upon their children if they apply themselves to it and become a moral authority that can be respected.

However, if parents fail to step up to the plate and assert their influence, then Britney Spears and others will be more than happy to influence the next generation of youth.

Catholic Leader Urges John Edwards to Fire Second Blogger After One Quits

UPDATED
Second Blogger has resigned. Just proves that the heat can be applied if done correctly.

Apparently John Edwards has learned nothing in the past four years let alone the last 2 weeks. I mean this is the man who got rich off of huge class action lawsuits, and failed to get the Democratic nomination for President because he was to liberal, and unwilling to stand up and be counted on any issues. The only person that has flip-flopped more than Edwards is Hillary. Now despite the fact that he had on staff, two people who were spewing violent hateful speech on their personal blogs towards those that held opposing views and anyone who did not agree with them, and he does NOTHING. ZERO, ZIP, ZILCH, NADA, he could have terminated them and stood up and said that those sort of attitudes and behavior was not going to be accepted, but instead, he sits around like a limp noodle and says that they are entitled to post their comments on their personal blogs, but is should not reflect upon his campaign. Yeah right, I am sorry but your employees and their actions even outside the workplace are a direct reflection of the organization.

Here is the second story about Johnny and his hate bloggers. You decide who is correct on this issue. I know who I would agree with.

Catholic Leader Urges John Edwards to Fire Second Blogger After One Quits

Democratic presidential contender John Edwards isn't fit to be president if he can't even fire a campaign Web logger who offended a large voter constituency, the president of the nation's largest Catholic civil rights group said Tuesday.
“If he can’t make a decision of this sort to get rid of bigots on your payroll, then he’s essentially disqualifying himself from the White House. I think he’s finished,” said Bill Donohue, president of the Catholic League for Religious and Civil Rights.

That is what opens the article and to be honest he has a good point.

"Bill Donohue — anti-Semite, right wing lackey whose entire job is to create non-controversies in order to derail liberal politics — has been running a scorched earth campaign to get me fired for my personal beliefs and my writings on this blog," Marcotte posted on the Pandagon blog.

I think she has proven that she is the one who is the lackey and hate monger.

Among the offending entries was Marcotte's, who wrote: “The Catholic church is not about to let something like compassion for girls get in the way of using the state as an instrument to force women to bear more tithing Catholics.”
The posting by McEwan was headlined to address religious conservatives: "What don't you lousy motherf——ers understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our beds and our families?"

Well that sure is a strong statement about the fact that she is one of the brainwashed liberal masses who seem to think that Christian conservatives want to control everything. When it is every liberal in the world who sits around and suggests rules and guide lines by which everyone else but themselves have to live by. You read the article, and if you can stomach it check out her blog and see what I mean.

John Edwards is this who you want as president?

Hey let's lets talk about the presidential canidates...

John Edwards is now getting heat from the Catholic League for failure to fire a couple of bloggers who have posted intollerant and biggoted comments on his blog.

By not firing Andrea Marcotte and Melissa McEwan, Donohue said, Edwards is promoting anti-Catholicism. He said the 2008 Democratic contender's actions should be viewed in the same way it would be seen if Edwards had not fired a staffer who had used the 'n'-word.

"He's nothing more than David Duke with a blow-dried haircut," Donohue said of Edwards.

Then we have these tidbits from Michelle Malkin on her site Hot Air about it. Check out these videos.
hot-air-theater-presentsamanda-marcotte/
hot-air-theater-presentsamanda-marcotte-part-ii/

Edwards has these comments about the comments, but please note that he has failed to terminate these people.

"Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but that kind of intolerant language will not be permitted from anyone on my campaign, whether it's intended as satire, humor or anything else," Edwards added, saying he believed of Marcotte and McEwan that "it was never their intention to malign anyone's faith

Then you have the standard appology that is supposed to cover all of the bases when it makeing things better. Yeah Right...

Another posting by McEwan is headlined to address religious conservatives: "What don't you lousy motherf——ers understand about keeping your noses out of our britches, our beds and our families?"
In the statement released by the Edwards campaign, Marcotte said her "intention is never to offend anyone for his or her personal beliefs, and I am sorry if anyone was personally offended by writings meant only as criticisms of public politics."
McEwan said "Shakespeare's Sister is my personal blog, and I certainly don't expect Senator Edwards to agree with everything I've posted. We do, however, share many views — including an unwavering support of religious freedom and a deep respect for diverse beliefs. It has never been my intention to disparage people's individual faith, and I'm sorry if my words were taken in that way."

It is amazing how badly people try to cover up the hate from the liberal left...

Despite saying the postings "personally offended me," Edwards decided not to fire Marcotte, who writes for the Pandagon blog, and McEwan, who runs the Shakespeare's Sister blog, for comments they made on those sites.

Then when the announcement that they had been fired was floating around look at the attack dogs fly around...

Reports that Marcotte and McEwan had been fired, although incorrect, sparked movement across liberal-leaning blogs to begin targeting Patrick Hynes, a Republican strategist and consultant to John McCain's presidential exploratorycommittee.

And finally there is this comment from these people.

"I'm not going to say a lot about this right now, but suffice it to say that the fact I cast a vote, without hesitation, for a Catholic during the last presidential election might suggest I'm not anti-Catholic," she wrote. "My degree from Loyola University might also suggest the same."
Another Catholic group, Catholics in Alliance for the Common Good, issued a statement saying it was satisfied with Edwards' actions following the "religiously intolerant remarks."
"We accept Senator Edwards' assurances that he too was offended by comments made by recently hired staffers and that religious intolerance has no place in his campaign," said the group's executive director, Alexia Kelley, who added that since roughly one-fourth of the U.S. population is Catholic, Edwards can't take the religion's members for granted.

I'll leave the rest for you to decide. Pass the word to all your friends about this and let's not let it die....

Questions of Faith...

So where do I start...
A friend of mine whom I'll call Shakey who has his own blog is having problems with life, business, and faith. He sits down and because of his upbringing, and current conditions he starts to question both his faith, as well as the existence of God. Understandable. When you are pushed to the brink during a crisis, you start to re-evaluate everything in an attempt to "fix" things. The problem is Shakey has yet to resolve is crisis of faith, he is still searching for answers, and every time he gets one question answered, three more open up. This is a perfectly natural event, people who are in that sort of self examination mode will have that happen till all of their doubt is either confirmed or disbanded. The thing is Shakey is being very open with this personal conflict he is in and has made some very interesting comments about churches, faith, and such, as well as posted some very interesting questions for discussion on his blog.
So then we have Dude, who in response to an e-mail by Shakey issues some very interesting comments, in response. Now it is not that Dude is anti- anything, it is just his perspective is a bit different from others. He is an upstanding guy and has always treated others fairly and been willing to engage in fair and open debate on issues. This is one of those times when Dude has decided to open up debate on the e-mail that Shakey sent . Here are some bits from his posting

• God won’t ask what kind of car you drove. He’ll ask how many people
  you drove who didn’t have transportation.
• God won’t ask the square footage of your house. He’ll ask how many
  people you welcomed into your home.
• God won’t ask about the clothes in your closet. He’ll ask how many you
  helped to clothe.

There are others, and I can describe them all in only one way… bullshit. Let me explain. There are things in this life I can control and there are things I can’t. I am responsible for the things I can control. I pray over the things I can’t control. I act on the things I can. That’s it

Dude, what you just described is faith... You control your life and pray for guidance/protection against that which affects you but you cannot change.

We all possess the strength and ability to live well. Let’s go get ‘er done and quit blaming God or pretending that we have an inside track on howGod will judge us. Results speak for themselves

Well said. We should not sit around and blame God, or feel sorry for what has happened to us. Does God allow bad things to happen, yes or else we would still be living in the Garden of Eden. Those that have true faith are those that have the will power to stand up and continue to fight for what they want even when they get knocked down. It is those that are willing to end up battered and bloodied in the fight for success that are the real winners. People who sit around and whine and complain about how their lot in life is so horrible are the ones that are looking for a hand up. God is in everyone who believes in him, and he may not give you a hand up when you are knocked down, but he is there to encourage you when that happens and to pat you on the back when you succeed despite all the evil and inequity in the world. The best example I could put forth for Shakey is in the Book of Job.

In the land of Uz there lived a man whose name was Job. This man was blameless
and upright; he feared God and shunned evil. 2 He had seven sons and three
daughters, 3 and he owned seven thousand sheep, three thousand camels, five
hundred yoke of oxen and five hundred donkeys, and had a large number of
servants. He was the greatest man among all the people of the East.

Follow the rest of the story if you do not know it. Basically Satan questions Job's faith and God, tells him to test him. So Satan does everything that he can to make him "curse" at the lord, but despite all that he is put through, Job accepts the things that are happening to him as out of his control and prays to God to help him deal with these troubles, all the while he continues to live his life as well as he possibly can, and with the same faith, and desire to be a good person as he had when he was prosperous and healthy.

So the lesson of life that Dude talks about is just reinforced in the Book of Jobe.

Headlines for Today

7 Large Tunnels Beneath U.S.-Mexican Border Raising Security Concerns

London Prison Changes Direction of Toilets in Respect to Islamic Law
The Wealthy Far More Likely to Be Audited on Their Taxes

Cops Taser Student Running Naked Through High School Cafeteria

Microsoft Releases Windows Vista to Masses

12-Year-Old Boy Becomes 14-Year-Old Girl, World's Youngest Sex Change Patient

Gaza Cease-Fire Between Hamas, Fatah Holding

Official: Siberian Girl Paid Teens $570 to Kill Parents

Saudi Official: We're Working With Lebanon to Calm Crisis in Iraq, Lebanon

WWII Vet, 84, Wins $254 Million Lottery Jackpot

Bonds passes physical, gets one-year deal from Giants

Super Bowl comes home

Hall of Famer Singletary to interview for Dallas job

If he returns, Clemens says it won't be full season

Greatest hits, in the palm of your hand

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

WHAT TEACHERS MAKE

The dinner guests were sitting around the table discussing life. One man, a CEO, decided to explain the problem with education. He argued, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?”
He reminded the other dinner guests what they say about teachers: "Those who can, do. Those who can't, teach." To stress his point he said to another guest; "You're a teacher,Bonnie. Be honest. What do you make?"
Bonnie, who had a reputation for honesty and frankness replied, "You Want to know what I make? (She paused for a second, then began...)
"Well, I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I make a C+ feel like the Congressional Medal of Honor. I make kids sit through 40 minutes of class time when their parents can't make them sit for 5 without an I Pod, Game Cube or movie rental...
You want to know what I make?" (She paused again and looked at each and every person at the table.)
I make kids wonder.
I make them question.
I make them criticize.
I make them apologize and mean it.
I make them have respect and take responsibility for their actions.
I teach them to write and then I make them write.
I make them read, read, read.
I make them show all their work in math.
I make my students from other countries learn everything they need to know in English while preserving their unique cultural identity.
I make my classroom a place where all my students feel safe.
I make my students stand to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the Flag, Because we live in the United States of America.
Finally, I make them understand that if they use the gifts they were given, work hard, and follow their hearts, they can succeed in life. (Bonnie paused one last time and then continued.)

"Then, when people try to judge me by what I make, I can hold my head up high and pay no attention because they are ignorant... You want to know what I make?

I MAKE A DIFFERENCE. What do you make?"

This is PC out of control

Chicago Christmas Festival Nixes 'Nativity Story' Ads Over Fears of Offending Non-Christians

When I first read the title of this story is thought here we go again. Then I went from disgust to anger and finally to complete outrage at the fact that there are so many spineless people in the world today. I mean being afraid to offend non-Christians when advertising a Christmas festival? For the total lack of sanity, Christmas is a CHRISTAIN holiday, and any non Christian who is offended should then be prepared to have your holidays placed in the same crucible of censorship. But we all know that this will never happen because that would be offensive to sit down and eliminate mention of Ramadan, or Kwanzaa, for fear of hurting these poor peoples feelings and intruding in their freedom of religion, not to mention their free speech rights. The US was the last I looked started by Christians but now despite still being the single largest religion in the country we are forced to subjugate our faith, and holidays for the sake of inclusiveness.

CHICAGO — A public Christmas festival is no place for the Christmas story, the
city says. Officials have asked organizers of a downtown Christmas festival, the
German Christkindlmarket, to reconsider using a movie studio as a sponsor
because it is worried ads for its film "The Nativity Story" might offend non-Christians.
New Line Cinema, which said it was dropped, had planned to play a loop of the new film on televisions at the event. The decision had both the studio and a prominent Christian group shaking their heads.
"The last time I checked, the first six letters of Christmas still spell out Christ," said Paul Braoudakis, spokesman for the Barrington, Ill.-based Willow Creek Association, a group of more than 11,000 churches of various denominations.
"It's tantamount to celebrating Lincoln's birthday without talking about Abraham Lincoln."
He also said that there is a nativity scene in Daley Plaza — and that some vendors at the festival sell items related to the nativity.
The city does not want to appear to endorse one religion over another, said Cindy
Gatziolis, a spokeswoman for the Mayor's Office of Special Events. She acknowledged there is a nativity scene, but also said there will be representations of other faiths, including a Jewish menorah, all put up by private groups. She stressed that the city did not order organizers to drop the studio as a sponsor.
"Our guidance was that this very prominently placed advertisement would not only be insensitive to the many people of different faiths who come to enjoy the market for its food and unique gifts, but also it would be contrary to acceptable advertising standards suggested to the many festivals holding events on Daley Plaza," Jim Law, executive director of the office, said in a statement.
Officials with the German American Chamber of Commerce of the Midwest, which has organized the event for several years, did not immediately return calls for comment. The festival started Thursday.
An executive vice president with New Line Cinema, Christina Kounelias, said the
studio's plan to spend $12,000 in Chicago was part of an advertising campaign
around the country. Kounelias said that as far as she knew, the Chicago festival
was the only instance where the studio was turned down.
Kounelias said she finds it hard to believe that non-Christians who attended something called Christkindlmarket would be surprised or offended by the presence of posters, brochures and other advertisements of the movie.
"One would assume that if (people) were to go to Christkindlmarket, they'd know it is about Christmas," she said.

Katy TKD Project D.A.R.E fundraiser

Our Tae Kwon Do Booster club is going to be having a board breakathon on October 14th to help raise money for Katy ISD’s D.A.R.E program. Detailed information about the event will be posted here, I am going to be participating in the event and am looking for sponsors. You can help with as little as a single $5 per board sponsorship you can help support fantastic program . Your participation will be greatly appreciated. Contact me here or here through this site and I'll provide the information on where to send the sponsorships. Thank you in advance.

Talking Veggies Stir Controversy at NBC

Ok everyone, the secular PC police are at it again... This time NBC is basically ripping what is the core message out of Veggie tales. See the story below. This is just another example of people thinking that they know what is best for us. The sad thing is most of these same people are liberal left leaning people who are anti-family, anti-church, anti-responsibility. Read the quote at the end by the creator of the series and for once the PTC has it right.


Talking Veggies Stir Controversy at NBC

LOS ANGELES — Bob the Tomato and Larry the Cucumber always had a moral message in their long-running "VeggieTales" video series. But now that the vegetable stars have hit network television, they can't speak as freely as they once did, and that's got the Parents Television Council steamed.
The conservative media-watchdog group issued a statement Wednesday blasting NBC, which airs "VeggieTales," for editing out some references to God from the children's animated show.
"What struck me and continues to strike me is the inanity of ripping the heart and soul out of a successful product and not thinking that there will be consequences to it," said L. Brent Bozell, president of the Parents Television Council. "The series is successful because of its biblical world view, not in spite of it. That's the signature to `VeggieTales.'"

"VeggieTales" is a collection of animated home videos for children that encourage moral behavior based on Christian and biblical principles. More than 50 million copies have been sold since 1993, according to Big Idea Inc., which produces the series.
Two weeks ago, NBC began airing 30-minute episodes of "VeggieTales" on Saturday mornings. The show was edited to comply with the network's broadcast standards, said NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks.
"Our goal is to reach as broad an audience as possible with these positive messages while being careful not to advocate any one religious point of view," she said.

Buffalo Chips. They are simply trying to eliminate all references to God or faith because they do not want to offend anyone.

"VeggieTales" creator Phil Vischer, who was responsible for readying episodes for network broadcast, said he didn't know until just weeks before the shows were to begin airing that non-historical references to God and the Bible would have to be removed.
Had he known how much he'd have to change the show — including Bob and Larry's tagline, "Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much," that concludes each episode — Vischer said he wouldn't have signed on for the network deal.
"I would have declined partly because I knew a lot of fans would feel like it was a sellout or it was done for money," he said, adding that "there weren't enough shows that could work well without those (religious) references."

This is someone who is standing up and telling things like they are

All programs set to air on NBC must meet the network's broadcast standards, said Alan Wurtzel, a broadcast standards executive. "VeggieTales" was treated the same as any other program, he said.
"There's a fine line of universally accepted religious values," he said. "We don't get too specific with any particular religious doctrine or any particular religious denomination."
Vischer said he understands the network's position.
"`VeggieTales is religious, NBC is not," he said. "I want to focus people more on `Isn't it cool that Bob and Larry are on television.'"
Marks said the network is "committed to the positive messages and universal values" of the show and expects "VeggieTales" to continue airing.
But Bozell isn't satisfied.
"If NBC is so concerned about that four-letter-word God, then they shouldn't have taken `VeggieTales'," he said. "This just documents the disconnect between Hollywood and the real world."

You sit and hear the garbage coming from the network executive's mouth and are amazed that he is in the position that he is. However that along with the fact that he signed a show that is 100% Christian and think that you can rip it apart and still have the same show? Please I do not agree with a lot of things that l. Brent Bozell says but this time he is right on track with his last comment

My 15 Minutes of fame

A few days ago I got an e-mail from an AP reporter Liz Austin Peterson who was interested in one of my comments about Kinky Friedman over on lonestartimes.com. She wanted to interview me for an article that she was doing with regards to Kinky's appeal to a growing number of disgruntled conservatives. Well I figured I had nothing to lose and called her back. We had a very interesting conversation that lasted about 15 to 20 Minutes and she used my comments in the article. Here is the article in it's entirety.

Friedman saying what angry conservatives want to hear
09/11/2006
By LIZ AUSTIN PETERSON / Associated Press
Cigar-chomping cowboy Kinky Friedman seems to be offering a home for conservatives disgruntled by Gov. Rick Perry's administration.

Independent gubernatorial candidate Kinky Friedman has said he'll reduce state spending, eliminate the new business tax and use the state surplus to curtail illegal immigration and crime in Houston if he's elected in November.

It's a platform that resonates with Republicans who say they feel betrayed by Perry's policies, especially the new business tax they call a state income tax in disguise.

His platform so closely matches the agendas of groups like Texans for No New Taxes and Citizens for Lowering Our Unfair Taxes, that conservative radio host and state Senate candidate Dan Patrick wonders whether Friedman stole their ideas.

"What his campaign platform is now is what I've been talking about for years," said Patrick, who is heavily favored to win his northwest Houston district in November. "I think it's fascinating that he has figured out in his campaign where the majority of conservatives stand on the issues when others have not."

Friedman also stands with Republicans who want to see prayer and the Ten Commandments back in schools and he frequently quotes or praises conservative icon Ronald Reagan and other GOP leaders.

And he's taking a harsh stance on illegal immigration, saying he'll add 8,500 National Guard troops to the border, fine companies tens of thousands of dollars for hiring illegal immigrants and force migrants who want jobs in Texas to pass a criminal background check and buy a foreign taxpayer ID card.

Experts say Friedman has almost no chance of pulling enough voters away from Perry to win the race. And Perry spokesman Robert Black said he believes conservative voters will stick with what they know.

"This (Perry) is far and away not only the most conservative candidate on the ticket, it's the most conservative governor the state's ever had," Black said.

Friedman campaign manager Dean Barkley says Friedman is just speaking his mind, with no strategy to jockey for the anti-Perry favorite among the three other gubernatorial candidates. "Why would you impose a brand new large tax burden on any Texan when you're sitting on a pile of money?" Barkley said, referring to the state's multibillion-dollar surplus. "It just makes no logical sense of why you'd do that."

The Legislature approved the new tax format this spring, bringing in new business tax money to replace local school property taxes they cut to answer a Texas Supreme Court ruling that declared the state's dependence on property taxes illegal. The tax takes effect next year, and the first due date for businesses is May 2008.
Supporters of the new tax say it's more fair because only about one in every 16 Texas businesses paid the tax it replaces. Most Texas businesses, including Dell Inc., use well-known accounting tricks to avoid paying it.

But critics say businesses that lose money could still owe money because the tax is based on a percentage of net receipts instead of net income.

Friedman and other opponents of the tax say that amounts to a state income tax. And he says he worries the tax will hurt small businesses the most because they don't own as much property as bigger companies and won't get as much relief from the property tax reductions.

"That is simply taxing the people who have been a bit successful and been playing by the rules," Friedman said recently. "It shifts the tax burden. It doesn't create new revenue as something like legalizing casino gambling would do."

Harris County Republican chairman Jared Woodfill says true conservatives will be turned off by Friedman's support of gambling, gay marriage and abortion.

He's won the support of Bill Weldon, a 39-year-old project manager for Continental Airlines and lifelong Republican who's mad about the business tax and skyrocketing property appraisals.

Weldon says he likes Friedman's ideas about education, the border and taxes. And he's willing to live with his qualms about the death penalty and his support of abortion rights because the governor has little power over those laws.

"He can throw out all the crazy ideas he wants, you know, but if he doesn't have the senators' and the House members' support, it doesn't matter," said Weldon, of Katy.

While Patrick says 90 percent of his callers tell him they plan to vote for Friedman, as a Republican, he says, he wants "the home team to win."
But it's not that cut and dry for Weldon.

"I'm a conservative first. I'm a Republican second," he said. "I believe in a common sense approach to things. The way things are sitting right now, there is no common sense in what Gov. Perry has been doing."

I give Liz credit for keeping my quotes accurate and not trying to twist my words around. Granted the discussion covered many other topics including the Trans Texas Land Grab, and Death Penalty, but the comments she has included get my point across.

A Fathers Prayer

Every night I check on you when you are sleeping
into your room I move trying to keep you from waking
I look down into your crib to and see you there
slowly my hand touches my lips and I pass a kiss
my hand moves slowly carefully down to feel you breathing
I hear you sigh feel you breath see you move
it is then that I can go knowing you are safe for the night
I say a prayer every time l leave you behind
I know the lord is watching over you
and every time I come home and see your smiling face
I know that the lord has blessed me for one more day
These days go by so fast and furious
it seems like only yesterday when you were born
I know that the time that has past can never be recaptured
I only have pictures and memories
the day you rolled over, the day you crawled, the day you stood up
the smile you always seem to have on
the bright eyes you have when you have awakened from a nap
the red eyes when you are not happy
the big sigh when I rock you to sleep at night
the wet shirt that I get when you are given a bath
the giggles as you chase the cat
the squeaks, and da-da and ma-ma, and all of the other sounds you make
the unconditional love that you have towards me
the unconditional drive that I have to protect you
the dirty shirt I get from feeding you dinner
the joy I get from seeing you grow
as you get older daddy will not seem wiser
but always remember that
no matter where you are
no matter what you do
you will always be daddy's baby girl
and I will ALWAYS LOVE YOU

Daddys Charge to a big sister

The days go by to fast,
The months passed
The years flown by,
I sit her now thinking back to the day you were born
The day my life became that much more full
Full of joy
Full of happiness
Full of surprises
Full of laughter
Full of games
Full of LOVE
Every day after work no matter what you are doing
When I come home you remind me that it is all worth it.
The long hours at the office
The long hours doing the chores
The long hours every night where I lay down and wonder if I am doing a good job
What I do know is what others tell me.
I hear that you are:
A good little girl,
I hear that you are:
So very quick to learn
I hear that you are:
So very polite and considerate towards others.
I hear all these things and I see them my self and realize:
that you are not the helpless little baby I held in my arms so long ago.
But you are a wonderful smart little girl

It seems like forever in the past, that day you were born,
It seems like we have experienced everything: but I know there is so much more than
The time in the hospital, the scraped knees, all of the visits to the doctor, every time I wondered if there was something that I forgot to do that caused the problem, Our time together, getting kolachies, or McDonalds, Those days when mommy was “teaching the teachers”, or the week that Mommy was out of town and it was just the 2 of us alone but together.
Through it all you always have had a hug and a kiss for daddy when we would get back together after a day apart.
I have no regrets about the past,
I have many dreams about the future
I hope to be able to share them with you as time goes by
Our Family is growing
You will soon be the big sister
Just remember
That no matter what happens
You are my first-born
You are my pride and joy
You are my inspiration for now and forever
I know that you will be the best big sister you can
And I will ALWAYS LOVE YOU

Love

Daddy

How Time Flies ( A fathers thoughts to his daughter on her 1st birthday)

It is hard to believe that a year has passed since I first held you in my arms.
You have given me so much joy and happiness that I cannot express.
I can only look back, smile and pray that I have been a good father.
I know I am not perfect, and I do make mistakes, but the mistakes I make
are ones of love and caring and trying to do the right thing
How time flies it seems like:
It was only last month that we brought you home from the hospital
How time flies it seems like:
It was last month that we rushed you to the hospital again because you were sick
How time flies it seems like:
It was only last week when you started to recognize me when I looked at you in your crib
How time flies it seems like:
It was only last week when you first started to move around the house,
first rolling like a ball
then scooting like an inch worm
then crawling
now walking all over and getting into everything that your little hands can reach.
How time flies it seems like:
It was only yesterday that I held you in my arms, just moments after you were born,
a tear ran down my cheek,
a tear of joy not of sadness
a tear of excitement not of depression
a tear of hope
a tear of love.
How time flies it seems like:
It was only last night that I held you in my arms and said a prayer that the lord would help me be the best daddy I can.
I know that in the years ahead you will continue to make me smile, laugh, cry, yell at you, yell for you, and test my patience.
But I also know that you will always be my baby girl
and I will always love you.

Happy First Birthday Christina.

Love Daddy.

Rules of Life - according to Bill

There are some basic rules of life and living that everyone experiences as both a child and adult. Some of the rules are rules of nature, some are rules of society, some are rules of evolution. So without further delay here are some of the Rules of Life - according to me

1) Life is not always fair - Despite the overwelming desire to believe that you will always get a fair shake, that is not true.

2) An individual can be smart, People as a whole are no better than cattle. - It is the herd mentality and it showes up everywhere.

3) no matter what you do, people will compete against each other - you can not keep score, or say it is only for fun, but the desire to be the best is so ingrained in humanity that it cannot be eliminated.

4) Not everyone will like you, nor will you like everyone - enough said

5) Not everyone is worthy of your respect - jsut a sad fact

6) everyone will be screwed out of something that at some time in their life, it is what they do after that happens which will determine their course of life

7) most people will only do the minimum to get by. The secret to suceess is to find those that have the drive to over achieve

8) people that preach about something in a loud and overbearing manner are usually trying to hide something else.

9) you will always have to deal with idiots in your life. The only thing you can do is protect yourself from the backlash of their actions.

As more come to me I'll post them

Tools for your foundation in Faith

There are ways in which I am not that different from most Christians. I was raised in a home with loving parents, attended Sunday school and church services while young. Now while I was not raised in an environment that had extremely strong evangelical background, I did develop what I would call a structure to my faith. As I went through my teenage and college years like many do, my attendance at church could be described as inconsistent, at best, non-existent in most cases. There were many times when I would be questioned by others about my faith and religion in general. My answer was always the same, “My relationship with God does not need a building or others to be complete.” In some ways I was right but in others I was way off base. Yes my relationship with Jesus Christ and God do not need a building because when I let them into my life to guide me they became part of who I am and what I do. However it is the relationship with others who have accepted Christ into their lives that is a vital part of my life that was missing.

I returned to active church attendance about 4 years ago. At that time my wife was looking for a church home with one goal in mind. That goal was to find a church home for our children, who my wife felt needed to have both some religious education, as well as another place to assist us in raising our children with a strong moral,ethical, and Christain foundation. As she was bouncing from church to church on Sundays she would come home and discuss what she had found. Most of the time she walked away with concerns about that church or simply knowing that this was not the place for us. As she was reaching the breaking point, she challenged me to find a church, “that I would be willing to join”

Well the gauntlet was laid down and I took her up on it. Suffice it to say I was successful in finding a church home for my family and am a proud and active member of that church family. That being said, as I became more active in the church, I found that my foundation in faith was woefully thin. It was not thin because of a lack of belief but thin because of a lack of education. This revelation had brought me to the current situation I have before me. Being an avid reader, if I can find something that peaks my curiosity then I will devour every thing on that topic. So I set out to find some literature on which I could expand and strengthen my foundation.

I have read many Christian books, including the Left Behind Series; however one thing that struck me was the fact that many of these books were as much about preaching as they were about teaching. Frustrated I started digging through the religion section of every bookstore I frequent, looking for the right text, the right story, the right communication. Then one day I found Sarah Arthur’s devotionals Walking with Bilbo, Walking with Frodo, Walking Through The Wardrobe. Now I have not read the first title, but the other two I have read and they are just the ticket for me. Here is an example of what I am talking about

Fantasy literature is suddenly cool, thanks to The Lord of the Rings. And we’re not talking about the fluffy stuff, either (in which Benji the Brave raises the Horn of Ippydoo to call forth the god Mork during the Age before People Knew How to Tell Time). No, we want the good stuff. We want cosmic battles between the forces of light and darkness, battles in which all the peace-loving people of the earth must band together or be lost to oblivion. We want interesting characters who face the threat of annihilation bravely—and die well. We want suspense, action, romance, and hard-won happy endings.

If we’re honest, we want life itself to be that way. Deep down we suspect that it is. But on the surface, it looks … well... fluffy. For example, those are not Orcs approaching us in the cafeteria, telling us we’re sitting at their table. They’re just big guys in jerseys whose grandmothers probably love them dearly and wish they would brush their teeth more often. Those are not Wizards teaching our advanced algebra classes. They’re just middle-aged folks in street clothes whose biggest battle with the forces of darkness is trying to get us to memorize the quadratic formula. We ourselves are not Elves, or Dwarves, or even Hobbits (although some of us are still growing into our feet). We’re just ordinary people who want life to be more than just homework and dating and going somewhere warm for spring break.

But don’t be fooled. Life is more than fluff. Underneath the crust of our existence is a battle between the forces of good and evil, a battle that began at the dawn of time and will continue to the last age of the world...

…As Gandalf said to Pippin, "If you have walked all these days with closed ears and mind asleep, wake up now!"* Frodo is leaving the front door of Bag End. Will you walk with him

Sarah has found a way to take something that I both know and love,Tolkien's Lord of the Rings and C.S Lewis's Chronicles of Narnia, and help me learn more both about myself and about the teachings in the Bible. The greatest irony of all of this is the fact that in high school I wrote my senior term paper on the Christian foundations of Tolkien’s LOTR.

In Walking with Frodo, Sarah takes 9 different pairs (nice LOTR parallel) and builds a compelling picture of how and where each of the characters from LOTR fits into the Christian foundation that Tolkien had built through his own faith. Sarah, takes opposite pairs and gives you the foundation from which you can make the decision as she puts it “'So each of us, like Frodo, is faced with a choice: to humbly persevere in the tasks our Savior-King has chosen for us to do, or to slowly succumb to the darkness.' "Included after the base discussion is a message for reflection and several bible verses which reinforce the theme.

For example the first pair of devotionals is about Choosing Darkness or Choosing Light. The characters that are the example set are the Balrog that the fellowship faces in Moria, and Gandalf himself. Sarah discusses the fact that despite knowing that he will most likely fall Gandalf makes the decision to step into the light and make the ultimate sacrifice

One online review comments

The book explores positive and negative choices like pride vs. humility and despair vs. hope and offers Bible verses and study questions. The writing is approachable; the lessons are backed with examples from Tolkien’s world,

Over all this book and Walking through the Wardrobe are fantastic books for someone who like myself, is either a late to life Christian or someone who is looking for some sort of way to expand upon his/her foundation of faith.