New Orleans before Gustav

For anyone who has ever been to New Orleans, this video will be a surreal, almost disturbing video.

Never have seen it this quiet. And I've seen it many times.

New Oreans Goes Quiet

There has been a huge influx of people coming into my city from the south, fleeing the incoming Gustav. I wonder if there is a little reluctance this time about opening churches, camps, and other facilities to any and all who ask. I know of multiple churches and camps that opened their doors to N. O. people during Katrina, as an act of charity and Christian love toward those in need. How was their kindness repaid? Most had to completely gut their facilites afterwards - urine and feces on the walls and floors, vandelism, and theft. Not to mention that there were multiple incidences of drug and alchohol usage, loud offensive music, and open sexual activity in front of other refugees.

New Orleans has for many years been a toilet, and every once in a while, it gets flushed.

Interesting side note:

Gustav means "staff of the Goths". The Goths were a nomadic Germanic people that overran the Roman Empire in the early centuries of the Christian era.

Size Matters?

At yahoo news, you can view a 2006 photo of Sarah Palin being sworn in as Governor of Alaska. Under the caption is a noticeably biased remark about the photo:

In this Dec. 4, 2006 file photo, Todd Palin, right, holds the Bible for his wife, Sarah Palin, as she is sworn in as Alaska's governor during an inauguration ceremony in Fairbanks, Alaska. As the political community turned desperate for any clues about the potential running mate of Republican Presidential candidate, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., speculation moved toward several dark horse candidates including Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, the so-called 'hockey mom' credited with reforms of her tiny, out-of-the-way state.
(AP Photo/Al Grillo)

Tiny, out of the way State? Check your geography. Does the state a candidate comes from have any significance at all? Is the size of that state a real issue?


Let’s compare Alaska, where Palin has governed, and Arizona, the state McCain represents, to Illinois, that Obama represents –and Delaware, the state Biden represents.

Alaska is the largest state of the 50 states
Arizona is the 6th largest state.
Illinois is only at number 24
Delaware is 49th.

Does size matter after all? If it does, the GOP wins.

The liberals are desperate. They are resorting to schoolyard bullying tactics and name calling, and juvenile ones at that. Nya nya na nya nya.

Patriots are Racist

I was listening to NPR today (National Public Radio), not because I like their left-wing radical politics, but because I like classical music. Today when I tuned in, an interview was ongoing between the liberal talk-show hostess and a black political science professor. He was “pointing out” to her and to the audience that “recent studies” have shown that in white America, the more patriotic an individual is, the more likely he is to be racist.

I’m not kidding you. This guy really said that. In White America, as he called it, the flag has come to stand for “white” America and subtle racism – in that, if you don’t look like me (the white guy) then I hate you and you don’t belong here.

My yelling at the radio did not help anything. He continued in his hate speak while the gushing hostess did nothing whatsoever to challenge or question his statements.

So now, because I’m a Patriot and love my country, I’m a racist.

I got mad and put in a CD. I’m wondering now, though, if he didn’t eventually end up referring to Christians as being the primary and most committed patriots, thus throwing us into the racism category as well. Anyone want to bet a flag on that one?

Brilliant!

This strategic move, this calculated, well timed, closely guarded until just the right moment decision is nothing short of brilliant.

I've followed and admired Palin for a while now, and when I read that she was a possible candidate, I doubted seriously that she had a chance. Didn't think she would be even remotely considered - she was only on the list for appearance's sake.

What a shock. But this shock changed my whole outlook.

Talk about timing. Talk about coup d'état. I'm pleasantly, cautiously,encouraged.

The success or failure of a presidency depends largely on those who surround and advise the president. I haven't seen anything significant in McCain's campaign to indicate that he was receiving wise counsel. But this decision changes my outlook. This decision tells me that behind the scenes, maybe...just maybe...there was talk about those of us who had decided to sit this one out. Those of us who were so disgusted with the GOP that we were willing to hand over the job to the enemy - in hopes that there would be something to salvage of this country four years from now that a new, revived and back-to-the-right GOP would seek with a vengeance - and with a new respect and back-to-its-roots attitude and a candidate to match. Maybe they got the message - and just in the nick of time I might add. The VP choice will make the difference. I'm ready to abjure. I'll pull the lever. I'll give the GOP one last chance.

I would not be doing this had it been Lieberman, Ridge, Romney, or any of the other tired faces.

I'll bet I'm not alone. And watch the Hillary fans desert the DNC in droves.

All that talk about RACISM from the Obama camp every time someone criticizes him - they had better tread lightly - lest THEY be accused of SEXISM.

Keep your inner circle, McCain. You might just pull it off.

Out of the Desert

In my post of July 10th I mentioned that I was snowed under. I was. But I was also in the desert.

Snow in the desert? Well, in case you’ve never been there, let me explain.

If you’ve been a Christian for quite a while, then you’ve been in a desert at one time or another. The signs are easy to spot. You feel a sense of distance between you and your Lord. You feel alone, even though you know you aren’t. You find yourself straying from the path a little more frequently. Things start going wrong, and instead of going to the oasis you run farther into the desert. Then the enemy shows up. He’s smart, isn’t he? He knows just what buttons to push and what temptations to throw in front of you to try to make you stumble. Maybe you do stumble. Then you blame everyone and everything but yourself. You fill your time with actions and works instead of with Him. Eventually, your hunger and thirst for Him gets almost unbearable. But you’ve wandered so far out into the desert that you feel like it will take forever to get back to where you came from.

That’s where you are (I was) wrong. Consider Jesus’s time in the desert (from Matthew chapter 4).

And when he had fasted forty days and forty nights, he was afterward an hungred.

I’ve been in the desert that long. My fasting was self imposed. I was fasting from God, from His presence, from His Word, and not from earthly bread.

And when the tempter came to him, he said, If thou be the Son of God, command that these stones be made bread.

The tempter came to me too. If your God is so great, why doesn’t He get you out of this desert you are in? Where is He?

But he answered and said, It is written, Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God.

I knew, though I didn’t FEEL it, that God was still there. I knew I needed to get back in the Word.

Then the devil taketh him up into the holy city, and setteth him on a pinnacle of the temple, And saith unto him, If thou be the Son of God, cast thyself down: for it is written, He shall give his angels charge concerning thee: and in their hands they shall bear thee up, lest at any time thou dash thy foot against a stone.

I was tempted to throw in the towel. People had let me down. Friends had hurt me. I felt unappreciated, overworked, misunderstood and insignificant.

Jesus said unto him, It is written again, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God.

I got pretty rebellious with God. Demanding. Blaming. He could have put me in my place quickly, but instead, He listened. He guided through His Spirit. He spoke to me through His Word and through the sermons I heard.

Again, the devil taketh him up into an exceeding high mountain, and sheweth him all the kingdoms of the world, and the glory of them; And saith unto him, All these things will I give thee, if thou wilt fall down and worship me.

I considered what my life would be if I did throw in the towel and live for myself. But studying those lost around me and their lives, I realized that I would be miserable without Him, and that in fact, I was already miserable – BECAUSE I was without Him.

Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

I decided to seek Him once again. Fervently, with a hunger and a thirst. Focus back on Him and not on myself.

Then the devil leaveth him, and, behold, angels came and ministered unto him.

The enemy hates it when we pray to and worship God. Because when our eyes are on God, that means our back is towards the devil.

I have so many angels around me ministering to me that I couldn’t count them.

Vote for Obama to Prove you aren't Racist

In our local paper, someone wrote in to say basically that anyone who is against Obama for president is a racist. He said the criticism aimed at Obama is a subliminal message of racism.

Sound familiar? It does to me.

This is the same tired old "you're a racist" accusation - a common tactic when liberals have no substance to their arguments. It is Liberals who are obsessed with race. They see a racist behind every tree they hug.

When 94% of whites polled say they are going to vote for the white man regardless of issues, THEN you can cry racist. But what do you do when 94% of the black population says they are going to vote for the black man regardless of the issues?

I have black friends, of varying social and economic backgrounds, that don't like Obama and have no intentions of voting for him. But they are in the minority. Remember: 94% of blacks polled say they intend to vote for Obama. The same poll says 54% of whites say they'll vote for McCain. If we're talking racism, lets talk about 94% compared to 54%. Which number looks more racist to you?

My dislike of Obama is not about race. I don't like McCain either, but I'm not voting for Obama because of where he stands on ALL the issues that are important to me. He's not qualified, he's not a leader, he has no substance, he's arrogant, he associates and friends with real racists and he'll be detrimental to both our economy and our country's safety.

And seeing a sublimal message in that? I guess if you look long and hard enough, you will see racisim in it - just like seeing a divine portrait of the Virgin Mary in your peanut butter sandwich.