He is Risen!!

Doubt it? Wanna see some evidence? Perhaps you should start here:

http://www.leaderu.com/everystudent/easter/articles/josh2.html

or you might want to take a look at this:

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2964/resurrection-evidence.html

And then....does it really even matter?

http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/2964/resurrection-evidence.html

The Bird Flu Panic

I'm very interested to know where other people stand on this issue. Big L and I are still discussing it. First - a little background on our reaction to other similar situations.

Y2K - I wasn't blogging yet, but I did have several people ask me as a "level-headed person, rational person" (what were they thinking??) what my plans were at the time. Others were buying expensive generators, sending their wives and children to live in RV's away from cities, stockpiling food and water. We did none of these.

9/11 - We never changed our habits and continued flying as we normally would've. Also, we have not responded to the advice to stockpile duct tape, plastic, water and food in our home...even though we live minutes from some of the largest oil refineries in the country.

Hurricane Rita - we watched the predictions of a monster storm, analyzed the charts of where our house would be in such a situation, packed our bags and left. And we also planned ahead for the traffic and mayhem of the evacuation of millions from this huge metropolis, so we took plenty of snacks, water, toilet paper, buckets for the kids to use, and we left in the evening so our kids would sleep for most of the journey. Just in case, we also took our gas burner, a large soup pot, and enough ingredients to make a pot of soup for an entire traffic jam, which fortunately we never had to use.

Now this brings us to the Bird Flu Pandemic Panic. What should we do, if anyting? Well, first we need some information. Will the Bird Flu ever even reach the US? Experts say yes, and by the fall of 2006, based on the current locations of infected birds and normal migration patterns.

But the big question remains, will it mutate to a form that can pass from human to human? And if it does, how easily and quickly will it spread? Well, if you believe the expert Robert G. Webster, who is credited with first recognizing the link between bird flu and human flu, the answer is that we face about 50/50 odds of it mutating into a human to human situation.

The part of "The Flu Hunter"'s article that most disturbed me, however, was this:

If the virus does mutate, it does not necessarily mean it will be as deadly
to people as it is to birds. But experts such as Webster say they must
prepare for the worst. "I personally believe it will happen and make
personal preparations," said Webster, who has stored a three-month supply of
food and water at his home in case of an outbreak.

"Society just can't accept the idea that 50 percent of the population could die. And I think we have to face that possibility," Webster said. "I'm sorry if I'm making people a little frightened, but I feel it's my role."

Most scientists won't put it that bluntly, but many acknowledge that
Webster could be right about the flu becoming transmissible among humans, even
though they believe the 50 percent figure could be too high.

Researcher Dr. Anne Moscona at New York Weill
Cornell Medical Center said that a human form may not mutate this year or next —
or ever — but it would be foolish to ignore the dire consequences if it
did. "If bird flu becomes not bird flu but mutates into a form that can be
transmitted between humans, we could then have a spread like wildfire across the
globe," Moscona said.

It just so happened that when I read this article I was in the process of supervising my children's bath. I looked over at my 4 and 6 year old innocently playing in the tub and thought of their asthma and Webster's bleak 50% of the population.....and I knew this time I would have to take some precautions.

So, Big L and I have devised a plan. We figure if it "really happens" and the bird flu mutates into a human to human disease, it will be quick. We will pull our children out of school and homeschool them until it passes. We have set 3 months as our target for preparedness. So each week, when Big L goes to the grocery store, he purchases 2 large containers of water and some extra non-perishables which we are storing in our garage apartment closet. We are buying things like pasta, powdered milk, canned soup, peanut butter, crackers and breakfast bars. We figure that way we can contain ourselves at home (both of us have the ability to work from home) and wait it out.

Illegal Immigration and Fedral Control of Church Work

Boy, that's an all-consuming title, isn't it? I'm trying to wade through all the mumbo jumbo out there to put together some thoughts of my own on this.

My first reaction....I'm always angered when people protest in the US by waving flags from another county. Hey, if you're so proud of it....LIVE THERE instead of the HERE!

But then I did some research, and I'm disturbed by at least a couple of items in the House's legistlation. First of all, they want to make illegal immigration to the US a felony. Why? Well, for one thing, convicted felons cannot be admitted later as LEGAL immigrants, so one time over here illegally and you're out forever.

More importantly to me, the law actually requires churches to verify the legal status of people before offering them any help or assistance. Now wait just a minute! The church has always been a place of totally a-political immunity. I don't care how or why a person comes to the US, if they show up needy on the door of my church, we're helping them with food or clothing or whatever else we see fit! I cannot abide ANY legislation that seeks to control the actions of the church, who they can help, how they help, etc. What's next, we can only help people in need if we don't mention anything about God?? This is an absolute overstep on the part of the House, and one that I will protest vehemently.

All of this makes me ask "Why can't we ust enforce the laws we already have?" Are new laws really necessary? I totally agree with GWB on this one.

I mean, let's face it, the only reason the GOP can even pretend to support this is under the fear that terrorists will infiltrate the US through our borders with Mexico. If it's truly terrorists we're after here, then why can't we allow those verified as "non-terrorists" to have work passes here for a period of years?

I realize that keeping terrorists out is a HUGE priority, but has anyone stopped to think of the impact this could have on our standard of living and our economy? Do you live in a brick house? Those would become a luxury only the very wealthy could afford. Do you employ a periodic housekeeper? Forget it when they become unionized citizens unless, again, you're extremely wealthy.

I happen to know a family that would've been adversely impacted by these proposed laws. We've been friends with them for over 10 years now, and at first they were here illegally. They have since become legal....something that never could've happened under the new laws. They are some of the most honest, hard-working, wonderful people we know. They simply wanted a better life for their children. Don't we all? I hate to see terrorists once again force us to change the way we live, which is exactly what will happen if this law is passed as it stands.

I'm not the only one back...

The Dixie Chicks are too. And apparently they can hold a grudge like nobody's business! Their new CD will break out with a single called "Not Ready to Make Nice" which references their hatred of Bush and the whole controversy that caused them to go missing for 5 years. What they seem to *still* not get, is that nobody gives a rat's rear-end what they think about politics. That wasn't the problem. No matter what side of the fence you're on though, you should be angered when someone representing America bashes the current president on foreign soil, to non-Americans, when America is in diplomatic negotiations with that country! I was just about ready to let my kids listen to the Chicks again (I still have a bad taste in my mouth), but this first single has totally changed my mind. I suppose this is going to be their mantra for the rest of their career.....may it be as short lived as possible:

Not Ready to Make Nice
Words and music by Emily Robison,
Martie Maguire, Natalie Maines, Dan Wilson

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

I’m through with doubt
There’s nothing left for me to figure out
I’ve paid a price
And I’ll keep paying

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and
round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if
I could‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I
should

I know you said
Can’t you just get over it
It turned my whole world around
And I kind of like it

I made my bed and I sleep like a baby
With no regrets and I don’t mind sayin’
It’s a sad sad story when a mother will teach
her
Daughter that she ought to hate a perfect
stranger
And how in the world can the words that I
said
Send somebody so over the edge
That they’d write me a letter
Sayin’ that I better shut up and sing
Or my life will be over

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and
round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I
should

I’m not ready to make nice
I’m not ready to back down
I’m still mad as hell and
I don’t have time to go round and round and
round
It’s too late to make it right
I probably wouldn’t if I could
‘Cause I’m mad as hell
Can’t bring myself to do what it is you think I
should

Forgive, sounds good
Forget, I’m not sure I could
They say time heals everything
But I’m still waiting

Hey chicks....now that you mention it, I'm still mad as hell too! Thanks for reminding me!

WHERE have I BEEN???

Well, it's been nutty around here. For the most part, I've been absent from the blog because of some medical issues. Nothing too serious. Mainly, the kidney stones that cropped up a year ago starting causing some problems again, and long story short I had to have lithotripsy on both kidneys to get rid of all the stones.

But the great news is, I'm all better and I'M BACK!