Ten Interesting Facts About Myself

• I have visited 48 states. All I have left is Alaska and Hawaii.
• I am an ENTP
• I have a rare disorder of an undisclosed nature, I suffer from moderate hearing loss, 24/7 tinnitus, and a long-term shoulder issue.
• I am one of The Few and The Proud.
• I have learned more about who I really am in the last 4 years than all my years before.
• I was once a very good marksman.
• I love what I do for a living, and would do it for free if I could afford to.
• I once gave a very famous rock star a fat lip and a black eye (he deserved it).
• I have driven coast-to-coast 3 times: twice in lifted Jeep CJ-7s, and once in a Datsun 260Z.
• I have plenty of regrets, but I love where my life experience has brought me so far.

My First Love and First Kiss

When I was 4 or 5 years old, a cute little girl next door named Alison stole my heart. We quickly became “boyfriend and girlfriend” and we played “wedding” a lot. Of course, when the “preacher” announced that the husband could kiss his wife, well… Alison and I are still friends.

I had a few girlfriends growing up, and even a short-lived marriage right when I joined the Marine Corps. One day in the barracks I saw a new WM (Woman Marine) that all the other guys were talking about, and I just knew I would never stand a chance with her. I didn’t even dare try to talk with her. One day I went to the barracks laundry room to wash my uniforms, and found a load someone left in the washer. It was a female’s clothing, but I didn’t let that bother me. I just transferred the load to the dryer without ogling the panties (too much), and went on about my business. And then she walked in. Before I could explain that I had moved her clothes into the dryer, and did NOT fondle her gear, she smiled, said she had seen me through the door, and thanked me. And then she hung around and chatted while our laundry finished up. That simple and unassuming few minutes together gave me the courage to ask her out to dinner… and she said yes! Thus followed a magical few months that I will always remember as my first real love… until she graduated Marine Corps Combat Engineer School (at the top of her class!), and she moved back to her hometown… and promptly broke my heart.

My Earliest Memory

Once upon a time, my earliest memory (believe it or not) was of being breastfed. The problem with that memory was that my mother never breastfed me. My stepmother (whom I called “Mom”) finally figured out that what probably happened was that my aunt had probably done it, and I must have thought it was weird, so that’s why it stuck in my memory. Nowadays, I only remember remembering it. Strange how memory works… and sometimes doesn’t work.

When I was 5 or 6 my older sister Diane and I snuck down by the creek near our house, and I watched while she smoked grapevine. She threatened me with physical harm (ok, I may be misremembering that part) against telling Mom and Dad. Guess what I did the moment we got home? Yep. And I lived through it. But I only remember remembering that now.

When I was 14, I witnessed my Dad saving a woman’s life. We were driving his semi truck down a highway in Oklahoma City when he hit the brakes hard. That woke me up out of my bored stupor enough to jump across to his seat and look out the window as he ran across the road and back a hundred feet or so, to where a guy was pointing a handgun at a lady in a car parked at the curb. This all happened within a few seconds - my dad snuck up behind the guy, grabbed his gun, and planted a punch right into his face. The guy fell to the ground, knocked out cold. My dad yelled at the woman to drive away, and she peeled out and took off. My dad tucked the gun under his belt, rolled the guy over against the curb, and trotted back to the truck. He handed the revolver to me, told me to unload it, which I did… as he shifted the truck into gear and drove away… just like the badass Marine he was.

Speaking of violence, I once had a rather significant unwelcome event force me into a desperate but very necessary act. It has really worked to twist me up inside. I have gone for the last 20 years shifting back and forth between remembering it like it had just happened, to thinking it actually didn’t happen, even though it really did. Now that the non-disclosure agreement has expired, maybe I should finally go see a counselor about it.

At this point, my earliest memory that I can honestly recall with clarity is from when I was 13 years old. My dad and I were driving around town, and I was thinking about that breastfeeding memory. No, this isn’t about to get icky - it happened to be shortly after my Mom figured it all out, I found myself thinking about memory, and worrying that my brain would get clogged up with meaningless memories, rather than ones I could hold onto and value. At that moment, a man in a white van turned left in front of us, and waved at my dad. My dad waved back. And now that’s my earliest memory.

I Don't Care Who You Are - This Is FUNNY

“FIRST DEMOCRAT DEBATE HIGHLIGHTS: 2015” —- A Bad Lip Reading of the First Debate
Posted by Conservative 50 - Living The American Dream on Thursday, October 29, 2015

Five Problems with Social Media

Dang - right off the bat, I’ve got a problem with this “30-Day Writing Challenge” thing. Actually, my problem isn’t with the Challenge itself; it’s with how the topic for this first day’s piece is written, which is my point: there are no problems with social media. The technology is progressing in some very interesting and important ways. There ARE some problems with how people use (and abuse) social media, though.

I am the first to admit a mild addiction to some social media tools; Facebook is at the top of that list. My excuse relates to my interest (personal and professional) in how people use technology to learn and improve their lives. I figure that, although I spend too much time on social media, at least I am absorbing knowledge that has contributed to my success as an educational technologist. Like many other people, I waste a lot of time randomly browsing mindless posts, memes, nonsense “news” pieces, biased stories, and other general nonsense, when I could and should be doing something outdoors. And when I am outdoors, sometimes out in the middle of a wonderful motorcycle or mountain bike ride or hike, what do I often do? Yep, I reach for social media, in case one of my “friends” out there might appreciate a selfie of Paul in a cool place. Ugh.

Another problem with social media involves data mining of our thoughts, ideas, comments, preferences, etc. in ways that often surprise people. Ever wonder why an ad for a product you just commented on suddenly appears on the side of your Facebook feed? You don’t really wonder how that happened, right? Does it bother you? I have grown (groan?) accustomed to it.

When people blindly accept the default privacy settings as they sign up for a social media tool ("I'm excited to get started - I'll do that later") they open themselves up to issues they may not foresee. We also need to pay attention to how privacy settings and terms of service agreements change over time, and make sure we are comfortable with where a given tool is headed in regard to how it handles and manages the data it extracts and extrapolates from your interaction.

I wish more people realized that Twitter isn’t just “I just farted!” updates. Sure, there is a lot of that noise out there, but Twitter has proven to be a gold mine for me when I use it as a news and information collating filter. I won’t get into the nuts and bolts of that right here and now, but it’s not too difficult to figure out.

Lastly, a problem… actually, more of a gripe about a certain social media tool I like a lot: Can someone please tell my why the otherwise awesome app that is @Instagram STILL doesn’t implement one of the most basic aspects of social media - SHARING content between users? Why do we need an external app to do this? Can’t those three little dots at the bottom right of each post include a “Repost” feature? ‪#‎instagram‬ ‪#‎ugh‬

Anthropogenic Climate Change?

I wonder how the level of greenhouse gas emissions by cars, trucks, factories (all of the sources traditionally blamed for global climate change) compares to the level emitted by all of the wildfires across the West. And then there is the idea that the wildfires wouldn't be nearly as bad if our National Forests were better managed. Now THAT would be some evidence of anthropogenic climate change.

Motorcycle Tour of Iceland

Check THIS out!

Hypocrisy?

This Will Bend Your Brain

How to Schedule Gmail Messages

I am hesitant to use 3rd-party apps in my Gmail until & unless someone I know has recommended it. Luckily, I keep this page bookmarked for just such an occasion. Let me know what you think of it!

What Happens When You Ignore Your Mom's Texts

Hamburger Meat

THIS says it better than I could ever describe the “picking and pecking and pushing and prodding and poking” that drove me ABSOLUTELY BANANAS in my marriage.

Game-Changer

This is a real game-changer. And by "game," I mean the race-baiting antics and comments of Al Sharpton, Jesse Jackson, Eric Holder, and yes, Barack Obama, among many others.

Build a New Model

Ok, we have built a new model of effective and efficient face-to-face, online, and hybrid education. What's our next step toward greater adoption, Mr. Fuller?

Michael Brown Fact & Fiction

Wait, where is the element of institutionalized racism the mass media and protestors have been claiming?

Transparent? Yes, We See Right Through You

Obamacare architect Jonathan Gruber was caught bragging about deceiving the American people, who he thinks are stupid.

"… if you had a law which said that healthy people are going to pay in, you made explicit healthy people pay in and sick people get money, [Obamacare] would not have passed. Lack of transparency is a huge political advantage. And basically, call it the stupidity of the American voter or whatever, but basically that was really really critical to get for the thing to pass."

UPDATE 11/13/14

Nancy Pelosi doesn't know who Jonathan Gruber is, and has reassured us he didn't help write the Obamacare bill.

I feel better already.

UPDATE 11/14/14

Another video clip has surfaced.

And this one where Gruber confirms Obama was in on the deliberate planning of the deception:

UPDATE 11/15/14

What I see in the video below smells to me like the far-left liberal Marxist tactics exposed in the book "The Liberal Mind: The Psychological Causes of Political Madness."

UPDATE 11/18/14

Former Obama Adviser: Gruber Was 'the Man' on ObamaCare Creation

The Never-Ending TV Company Issue

I don't initiate a support chat in order to receive a sales pitch for a product that isn't marketed toward my best interests. I can't believe in this day and age, we still cannot get TV content a la cart, but instead have to pay for dozens and dozens of channels we will never use, just to get the few we want. Well, at least with the major players we can't. I hate online support chat, but when I do have to enter that realm, I let them have it.

Is Capitalism Environmentally Unsustainable?

Human activity is remaking the face of the Earth: transforming and polluting the landscape, warming the atmosphere and oceans, and causing species to go extinct. The orthodox view among ecologists is that human liberty—more specifically economic activity and free markets—is to blame.

Continue reading here.

Who Are the Racists: Conservatives or Liberals?

The Myth of the Tiny Radical Muslim Minority

Why ADV/DS Motorcylists Don't Wave At Street Bikers

10. They know you probably don't know what a DS or ADV bike is, anyway.

9. They are too busy thinking of that remote mountain lake they are headed to.

8. They don't want to make you feel jealous for being a pavement slave.

7. They are uncomfortable sitting on that 2X4.

6. They use their helmet visor to assist with a head nod.

5. They feel it's unsafe to wave while popping a wheelie off of the sidewalk.

4. They are too busy anticipating the turnoff onto the gravel road up ahead. The gravel road you just rode past without even noticing. Because you can't ride on gravel.

3. They don't wave to people who can't ride on gravel.

2. They got told once by a certain motorcycle gang member they don't wave at "dirt bike m-fers." You might belong to a motorcycle gang.

1. They are too busy riding their own ride, on any road, trail, or goat track they want to ride on.

No WMDs in Iraq? Really?

Let's see how the media spins and/or ignores this.

One Definition of Creativity

One definition of creativity is the putting together of two previously unrelated things and creating something new.

What I Am Reading

"As I got older my ambition began to boil and my fight with the education system intensified. I wasn't the only one who suffered. I would look around the classroom - in the dismal stillness of a teacher's droned lecture, or worse, as the scratch of pencils made the only sound - to see dozens of kids in slow atrophy. Of course, there were those who didn't mind it, or were too young to question the system, as well as those who seemed to actually thrive in the structure - watching them made me feel all the more dysfunctional. What was it they had that I lacked? However, I wasn't alone in my struggles, and over the years saw many brilliant and creative young minds bounded by walls, rules, conformity, and endless boredom. Artists, musicians, athletes, farmers, and free spirits of every kind of been hammered into submission by and archaic, outdated system. Even today it kills me to watch kids drag through school during the years when they should be out in the world, experiencing and learning. What does education do? As Thoreau famously answered: "'It makes a straight cut ditch out of a free, meandering brook.'"


Can you relate to this? I sure can.

US Government Spending in Real Life

Why I Am So MESSED UP

I have finally figured out why I am so terribly MESSED UP - I read almost all of these books as a kid.

15 Classic Children’s Books That Have Been Banned In America

The Bushbama Twins

I'm adding this to my "Obama Has More In Common Than Contrast With Bush" list.

You Might Be Cool, But…

You might be cool because you wear Sperry Top-Siders, but you're probably not I-relaced-my-Sperry-Top-Siders-with-paracord cool. @sperrytopsider #paracord #shoelacesareforpantywaists

A Million Geocaches In the US!

Not too long ago, we "celebrated" a million geocaches worldwide, and I remember thinking geocaching had grown too mainstream.

Now we have a million caches in the US.

A Comparison Of Army and Marine Recruit Training

I came across some footage that compared Army and Marine Corps recruit training, and decided to chop it up for some back-and-forth comparison fun. Enjoy!

Volcano Eruption in Papua New Guinea

You're going to want to turn your speakers way up to be able to hear the volcano blast in this amazing video.

You're welcome.

Obama Ended the Iraq War!

The Pale Blue Dot

What did I get from this awesome message?

I heard "LOVE CONQUERS ALL."

3 Inspiring Quotes from 3 Inspiring Leaders

I have had numerous reasons and opportunity to be contemplating the idea of leadership over the last few months. What better way to pay it forward than to share a little inspiration that was shared with me?

1. Gunnery Sergeant Merritt, USMC Drill Instructor:

"Someone's gotta transform these useless maggots into Marines. Who better than me?"

2. Captain Pete Graves (RIP), former Marine, Federal Bureau of Prisons FCI Sheridan:

"We didn't hire you to enjoy a soft, easy job. We hired you to earn a living by keeping society safe from convicted felons."

3. Mitch Priestly, CEO New Horizons Computer Learning Centers Beaverton, OR:

"You aren't just professional trainers. You are success facilitators. The people you train will directly benefit from your knowledge, skills, and ability to give them what they need for job success."

American Politics Summed Up In One Joke

While walking down the street one day a US senator is tragically hit by a truck and dies. His soul arrives in heaven and is met by St. Peter at the entrance.

“Welcome to heaven,” says St. Peter. “Before you settle in, it seems there is a problem. We seldom see a high official around these parts, you see, so we’re not sure what to do with you.”

“No problem, just let me in,” says the man.

“Well, I’d like to, but I have orders from higher up. What we’ll do is have you spend one day in hell and one in heaven. Then you can choose where to spend eternity.”

“Really, I’ve made up my mind. I want to be in heaven,” says the senator.

“I’m sorry, but we have our rules.”

And with that, St . Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell. The doors open and he finds himself in the middle of a green golf course. In the distance is a clubhouse and standing in front of it are all his friends and other politicians who had worked with him.

Everyone is very happy and in evening dress. They run to greet him, shake his hand, and reminisce about the good times they had while getting rich at the expense of the people. They play a friendly game of golf and then dine on lobster, caviar and champagne.

Also present is the devil, who really is a very friendly guy who has a good time dancing and telling jokes. They are having such a good time that before he realizes it, it is time to go. Everyone gives him a hearty farewell and waves while the elevator rises…

The elevator goes up, up, up and the door reopens on heaven where St. Peter is waiting for him.

“Now it’s time to visit heaven.”

So, 24 hours pass with the senator joining a group of contented souls moving from cloud to cloud, playing the harp and singing. They have a good time and, before he realizes it, the 24 hours have gone by and St. Peter returns.

“Well, then, you’ve spent a day in hell and another in heaven. Now choose your eternity.”

The senator reflects for a minute, then he answers: “Well, I would never have said it before, I mean heaven has been delightful, but I think I would be better off in hell.”
So St. Peter escorts him to the elevator and he goes down, down, down to hell.

Now the doors of the elevator open and he’s in the middle of a barren land covered with waste and garbage. He sees all his friends, dressed in rags, picking up the trash and putting it in black bags as more trash falls from above.

The devil comes over to him and puts his arm around his shoulder.

“I don’t understand,” stammers the senator. “Yesterday I was here and there was a golf course and clubhouse, and we ate lobster and caviar, drank champagne, and danced and had a great time. Now there’s just a wasteland full of garbage and my friends look miserable. What happened?”

The devil looks at him, smiles and says, “Yesterday we were campaigning…Today you voted.”

One of the Quandaries of Our Time

By John F. Di Leo

One of the quandaries of our time is this: why is it that relatively few muslims are jihadist - taking up arms, attacking Christians and Jews, bombing churches, making war on the west, etc. - but virtually none of the billion other muslims on earth ever denounce those who do?

Many assume - or try to convince themselves - that it's because the vast majority completely opposes islamofascist jihadism (even though it's pretty clearly called for in their book), but they stay quiet out of fear. All over the world, the billion moderates are afraid of retaliation from the allegedly miniscule minority of jihadists.

My problem with this is the math. A few dozen jihadists in the USA can't possibly terrorize a million USA muslims into acquiescence on this matter. There must be a different reason.

Here's my theory, though of course I can't be sure... but I'll put it out there and ask what you think...

I think it may be most accurate to compare the way they think of their jihadists with the way we Christians view our religious orders - our priests, ministers, monks, friars, and nuns.

A Christian may not choose to become a priest or nun - you or I may not have any interest in taking the vows and joining that lifestyle himself - but he supports and endorses it fully, and he's GLAD that there are others who are willing to devote their whole lives to the religious life. Other people's kids become priests so that his kids don't have to.

He donates to his church or to his favorite religious order (the Salesian orphanages, the Benedictine monasteries, his local parish), in order to help support those people who are better Christians than he is himself. He's proud of them.

Similarly, a muslim may not choose to make bombs, hijack planes, or lead a paramilitary group in the Afghan desert. It's not his thing. He'd rather act moderate, pretend he's not into such things, have a house in the suburbs and a store or business of his own... and just donate regularly to his local mosque or "Islamic Cultural Center", happy that some of his donation will help support those others who are "better muslims" than he is.

No, this isn't to say that this describes ALL non-terrorist muslims. Obviously there must be some who genuinely are decent, kind people and who disapprove of the "religion-inspired violence" as called for in the quran.

But it's the only explanation I can see for why there are so few in that family of denominations who speak out against it.

Now, that's just a theory. Just my theory. There's no way for me to know if it's right or wrong. And there's no way to tell by taking a survey, because taquiyya would require them to lie and say it's wrong even if it's true.

But I think it's a more logical explanation than the one that says 90% or more of muslims all over the world are afraid of the 10% or less with whom they disagree.

And if I'm right, then there is only one solution: convert them to Christianity, because islam is irredeemable, unreformable, despite the parts of it that are in fact good. The jihadist strain dooms it as a net evil force in the world (along with its core of misogyny, endorsement of slavery, and its extreme violence in its approach to meting out justice)... Christianity admittedly needed reforms by the Renaissance, but I think if I'm right about the heart of islam's universal support for jihadism, it is simply not reformable.

Hope I'm wrong. What do you think?

Orignal Post Here

Nothing To See Here. Move Along…

Fun With Statues

Cure Your Technology Distraction Addiction

If you are reading this blog, you may suffer from Technology Distraction Addiction. I suggest going unconnected for a while, preferably outdoors away from it all. Before you do that, though, check out this interesting article.

Natural Habitat "Restoration"

I was reading this article in the South Lincoln County News (sadly, you have to pay for the full online article), and one of the last sentences caught my eye. It mentions how information on the frogs is useful to Oregon Parks and Recreation "… when it comes to planning restoration projects, helping them figure out when the projects will have the least negative impact on natural resources, like breeding amphibians."

Something in there is making me feel just a little confused…

Gun Control and Crime

"The national Academy of science has reviewed hundreds of studies, and could not document a single gun regulation that reduced violent crime or murder."

Read & view more here.

That Doesn't Make It Right

Our Rights: Defend Them Or Lose Them

A long time ago, I put my life on the line by swearing an oath to support and defend the rights of United States Citizens, one of which reads like this:

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances."

I didn't toss that oath aside when I left military service, and although I haven't lived it to perfection, I do consciously strive to fulfill it.

If you haven't read the First Amendment to the United States Constitution lately, I challenge you to do so, and then recommit yourself to support and defend those rights for yourself and others.

The NFL Is a Non-Profit!?

I really hope this isn't true, but things like this don't really surprise me any more. If I discover it is true, I'm going to research how Paul Tannahill & Associates can become a not-for-profit organization. 

Now accepting applications for new Associates.

A Stimulating Simulation Conversation

"It could take some time to collect enough data to begin peeling back the paint of our universe to see if the walls have been constructed from ones and zeros rather than actual wood."

Read more here.

How to Effectively Beat A Red-Light Camera Ticket

Yes, I know, I also prefer original and fresh content on the various blogs I read. So don't bother reading this excellent blog post about how you might be able to deal effectively with a traffic cam ticket. I don't care, I saved the copy in Evernote, just in case…

You Probably Can't Stomach Another Example of Racism, But…

… check out all of these RACISTS stating opposition to Obama and ObamaCare!

I'm Adding Oprah To My List…

Oprah Winfrey's comments here disgust me. She simply cannot comprehend that some (actually, a LOT of) reasonable people could hold opinions very different from her own, so the only thing her self-limited mind can offer up is that it must be a shallow bias such as racial prejudice. Sadly, she is among many who attempt to marginalize people with differing opinions with that incessant, nonsensical and unsubstantiated claim.

And before you say it, Oprah's comments (NOT Oprah herself) disgust me not because she is "African American," but because she peddles her unearned political influence to shut down meaningful and reasonable dialog about extremely important issues (and not-so-important issues, too, like a $40,000 purse, but that's another reason altogether to be disgusted…).

I notice the only way the Far Left usually refers to anyone they disagree with as "racist" is behind their online anonymity or some other indirect way. Why don't they just come up to us in person and spew that crap to our face?
…
I sent this message to the Oprah Winfrey Facebook page:

Oprah, please don't stoop to race-baiting. A lot of reasonable people hold opinions and beliefs very different from President Obama, and those differences have nothing to do with racial prejudice. Making accusations like you made here:

(link to above video)

may serve to substantiate the popular narrative that Conservatives are mostly racists, but it alienates us and marginalizes our views. Wouldn't you rather be know for listening to and discussing a variety of opinions and outlooks, or are you only interested in left-leaning perspectives? The Right listens to the Left's positions all the time - how about facilitating some balanced dialog that builds on what we all have in common, and moves us all forward from there, since the old "divide and conquer" tactics don't seem to have worked out so well?
…
Wanna join me in holding my breath, waiting for a reply?

Is This a Little Too Thought-Provoking?

This may be just a little too thought-provoking for some, but here goes:

How many of you remember when the APA removed general homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) in 1973? I do. Do you remember concern being raised that the APA would someday do the same for pedophilia? I do.

Guess what.

Since I'm probably on a roll here with provocation of thought, I might as well add a little something as I wonder whether this has had any influence on the APA's latest move:

If you have no idea what any of this has meant, currently means, and will mean to the American culture and society in the future, I suggest you wake up, study up, and stop being part of the problem.

Dare I Add to What The Dalai Lama Said?

"We are visitors on this planet. We are here for ninety, one hundred years at the very most. During that period, we must try to do something's good, something useful with our lives. Try to be at peace with yourself, and help others share that peace. If you contribute to other people's happiness, you will find the goal, the true meaning of life."

- The Dalai Lama 

If I might be so bold as to add:

"If you make it your life's work to help others contribute to other people's happiness, you will have both found and shined light on the goal for others to see, and strengthened the true meaning of life for all humanity."

- Paul Tannahill

The Old "Guns On Campus" Issue Revisited

At the college where I work, students and other campus visitors who hold a concealed weapons permit are allowed by statute to carry concealed on campus, but employees are not, because of a college policy. This results in the college not permitting people it knows from being able to defend themselves and other employees and students, but letting relative strangers carry freely. As a former Marine and law enforcement weapons instructor, it seems a little out of whack to me, as well as to numerous responsible permit-holding employees I know.

Please don’t strike back with an emotion-laden response to this issue, as a wealth of solid facts and statistics back up the position that a policy that allows trained and license concealed carry permit holding employees to carry in the workplace drastically reduces workplace violence. I have studied this issue for years, and I encourage you to do your own research if it concerns you.

This story brought all of these thoughts to mind for me.

Treat People Different To Give Them Equality. Wait… Huh?

From an old Facebook note I wrote a couple of years ago:

---

I attended an education symposium yesterday, where I heard these statements from a panel of educators promoting “equality” for students of color:

“If you want high grades for people of color, you have to reward faculty based on that model.”

"Students need educators that look like they look."

"Treat different people and situations differently - that's the only way we can achieve equality."

I was just a tag-along at this symposium, probably the least-educated and lowest-ranking person in the entire room, so I didn’t offer up a comment to the panel, but if I would have, it would have sounded something like this:

“I’m a newcomer to academia, having built my career in the workforce, in military, government, and private sector workplace training and development. We had pretty much moved past the point of stressing about people’s skin color and race (there is only ONE race: human), but instead promoted the general idea that we all are to strive to further the organizational mission by training and supporting people in their various roles. A red man hires a brown woman to supervise a yellow man to help a black woman train a white man for his new job, with everybody recognizing each other as just people - that’s what gets the job done. “Red, Brown, Yellow, Black and White, they are precious in His sight.” And they are all precious in OUR sight, too.

Accommodating and enabling relationships built on skin color (or, as you call it, “race”) does our students a disservice, and does not prepare them well for life out there in the real world, the workplace that has largely moved past a perpetual focus on differences, and toward a focus on what we have in common to contribute to the mission. You may want to continue embracing  your old-fashioned race-based quotas and efforts to divide along lines of skin color, but the real world movers are PEOPLE who practice mutual respect and dignity across all lines of differences.”

iOS 7 First Impression

I like iOS 7 so far, but I miss the drop shadows behind the icons. The 2-dimensional flat look reminds me of Windoze. The next update to Mac OS X sure better not follow suit, or I'll start a "Give Us Our Mac OS & iOS Drop Shadows Back!" Facebook group. 

Help Kickstart World War 3!

Polar Shift Plotted

Want to see how much the magnetic North Pole has been migrating over the last couple of decades (it averages about 25 miles a year), and where it is projected to move in the near future? Download this file and open it in Google Earth.

Amazing Flash Flood / Debris Flow Southern Utah

Boy Prays to Barack Obama

How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need

How To Turn A Beer Can Into The Only Camping Stove You'll Ever Need from Tom Allen on Vimeo.

Document Expert Could Topple Obama

Question: "How will Obama’s lawyers discredit a forensic document expert that their own law firm extensively relied on? Answer: They won’t be able to discredit him. If they do happen to try to discredit him, every single case Perkins Coie has employed Reed Hayes for will also be discredited."

Read more here.

What a Tragic, Wasted Opportunity

I am just so sad that the first black president of the United States turned out to be such a divisive, hating failure. He has turned out to be something else this country will be ashamed of in the history books, should we last long enough to have history books that tell the story of this time. What a tragic, wasted opportunity.

Martha Finney

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Why Aren't We Here Yet?

California Democrats Pass Bill That Protects Pedophiles

"When the law was passed in California, Republicans did attempt to add an amendment specifying that pedophilia is not covered as an orientation, but the Democrats defeated the amendment.  What the Democrats either failed to realize or didn't care about was that, by labeling pedophilia a sexual orientation, discrimination laws apply and pedophiles cannot be barred from jobs such as teaching preschool based solely on their pedophilia."

How anyone can embrace this evil ideology is beyond me (and don't even get me started on abortion!).

Source:

http://www.charlesmphipps.com/2013/04/california-democrats-pass-bill-that.html?m=1

Let's Be Like Laos

I just read an article about Laos. We bombed them extremely heavily them during the Vietnam war, and they weren't even involved. People there are still getting killed from unexploded US bombs and mines. The writer noticed how nobody he met seemed to be resentful or angry about it. They only expressed kindness and forgiveness. He finally asked his tour guide if their forgiveness is genuine. He replied by asking if anger can change the past.

Atlas Shrugged

Have you read and/or watched Atlas Shrugged? If so, what did you think of it? If not, why not, and what are you waiting for?