Saturday, October 28, 2006

Beta Blogger Customizing Equals Time and Searching

I finally got an opportunity to work on customizing my Beta Blogger template - No where near done but I am much closer than I was yesterday.
The two things that were toughest was trying to figure out what I was doing and then doing it.

As soon as you go to customise your template it automatically removes everything that was not "original" on the template you first signed up with on the original Blogger.com site.

Any special things you may have added, Sitemeter, Haloscan (with ALL past comments), links to favorite sites, Blog Explosion, Blog Soldiers, Blogmad, The list goes on and on.

The two things I wanted to first correct was Haloscan and Sitemeter.

Sitemeter was easy. I could have put it on the sidebar but I wanted it on the bottom outside of the box provided.

**** Be sure to Backup / Restore Template and download it to a safe place on your hard drive. **** (I actually went a step further and saved my entire blog month by month to a special folder by right clicking on the monthly archive link and clicking 'save page as'.)

I opened two windows to the Edit Template. - One of the two windows I clicked on 'Classic View' and the other I clicked on 'expand widgets'. This gave me access to the old HTML and the new template.



I was able to quickly cut the Sitemeter code from my old template and it took 3 tries to find the spot I wanted it to go. Right after 'footer-wrap 1> way, way, way near the bottom. - Saw there was a similar line with a number 2 in it so I duped the line so I now have footer wrap 1, 2, & 3... - Guess I'll see how that works later


The preview, clear edit and save template buttons work real good. I know because I used them a lot.



The Haloscan was a bigger problem. First the connection to past comments was deleted so they appeared lost. They were not however. They were just waiting at Haloscan for the connection to be inserted into the new template.

Beta-Blogger inserts all the info you need to use their commenting service and gives no clues as to how to remove it and make Haloscan work. Remove it you must or people will be given two choices as to where to leave comments...

The Haloscan boards had a good piece on it. Googling the right searchwords brought me to The Logical Philosopher's posting and whose instructions worked wonderfully. I would drag the instructions to this posting but it is just as easy for you to click on the link. - Give him a "Howdy-Howdy Hi" in his Haloscan comments if you find his work helpful...



I'll post more on this tomorrow. Some of the stuff I just cut and pasted into a HTML friendly box Beta Blogger provides. I'll be working on it some more then. I want to change the background picture and add some links to the blog surfing shops...


- I would like to leave tonight with this quote from the Logical Philosopher concerning the move to Beta-Blogger-Beta:

"For those already on Blogger wanting to do it: FOR THE LOVE OF ALL BLOGS THAT ARE HOLY - WAIT!!"



P.S. Thanks to Cary Cartter of It's Obvious for the help with where to put the background instructions. He didn't know it but I knicked the code & gathered the position from his Blogsite...
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Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Best Cartoon on the Web!

I've posted on this before and I'm posting on it again.

Being Five!






Good clean humor that the whole family can enjoy. George Sfarnas is a wonderful cartoonist and I recomend you stick a banner on your website to make it easy for you to revisit "Georgie" - A five year old blogger that uses voice recognition software (he can't read or write yet!) - and whose life is as innocent as a five year old's should be AND who wishes his grandmother would stop leaving comments on his blog...

Be sure to check the beginning strips in the archives.

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World Still Wonders if Tan Nguyen is Guilty

Maybe not the whole world but just portions thereof. I am anyway.

OK! Quick paragraph to get you up to speed if you missed the news on this:

A forged letterhead topped a mailer written in Spanish and sent to Spanish voters in Orange County, California. One line in the mailer said, - "Be advised that if your residence in the United States is illegal or if you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that can result in incarceration, and possible deportation for voting without the right to do so." (Translation taken from letter to U.S. Attorney General) - Involved was a Republican running for California's 47th Congressional District against Lorreta Sanchez, Tan Nguyen. - Tan said he knew nothing about the letter (still says so at the time of this posting), fired a staffer, state Department of Justice has opened a voting rights investigation. Tan Nguyen, who is running on an Anti-Illegal Immigration platform, has had his offices and home searched by the feds, his computers were confiscated, mucky-mucks from both sides of the aisle including Gov. Schwartzenegger want him to quit his run for congress and Tan still won't quit at the time of this posting. - The leader of the organization whose letterhead was abused, Barbara Coe, said she had recieved death threats as a result of the mailing.

There are variations of the above translation that went from English to Spanish and back to English. - One line missing in most news accounts is the first paragraph:

"You are receiving this letter because you have recently registered to vote. If you are a U.S. Citizen, I urge you to participate in the democratic process of voting."

As stated by commenter Captain Nemo (who pointed this out to us) on my previous posting about Tan Nguyen, "By necessary elimination, the rest of the letter speaks to those who are NOT citizens, i.e., legal and illegal immigrants who have not been naturalized. Neither group is allowed to vote."

Also Gustavo Arellano of - The OCweekly dot com The Blotter - notes that the Spanish newspaper, La Opinion (largest Spanish newspaper in So. Cal) changed the wording of the original letter and wonders why. So do I!!!

Nguyen has been on the radio and apparently made a donkey (Democratic pet) of himself. - Republicans don't trust the guy because he just recently changed party affiliations and appears to be just a wannabee politician. - Democrats want him out because they don't need the competition against their incumbent congresswoman. Tan is just losing all the way around. He still won't quit. You must admit he does have tenacity.

I can still find nothing about the death threats or indications of who forged the letterhead. The words in the letter itself I still think are no big deal. Legal and illegal non-citizens are not supposed to vote and some do. The letter merely told them what they already knew but the letter itself is what everyone seems to concentrate on.

I thought forgery through the USPS is a federal offense. - That is where the real story is. - For that answer we will have to wait a bit longer.

I'd like to know who forged the letterhead. Maybe it was the same person who forged the Rathergate Memos!!!


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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

A Short Conversation

My wife leaves for her work prior to me leaving for mine. So I fix a bit of breakfast for us. Usually toast or oatmeal or perhaps cereal if the milk hasn't gone bad.

Then we sit at our computers sharing breakfast, news, email updates from friends etc.

This morning I fixed a couple slices of toast for each of us and put peanut butter on both with a few raisins on one piece and sliced banana on the other one. Brought the plates into the computer room. She said, "Thanks", and set hers to the side.

A few minutes later she picked up the plate and noticed the repast I had presented to her.

"Oh wow! Bananas and raisins! Looks good." as she took a bite and continued working with her mouse.

I looked at my computer clock and said, "Whoops, You're running out of time."

She looked at her screen and clicked her mouse and said, "Darn it!"

Clicked mouse again.

I leaned back to get a better view of her screen. "What?"

"Oh! It happens every morning."

"What?" (I'm wondering if her computer is frozen.)

"Running out of time."

~~~~~~

prying1 wonders...

Is this more proof that men don't pay attention to what is being said even when they are saying it???

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Does Talk Radio Have 'Objective' Hosts?

I received an email from Media Matters dot Org today with the lead line: Not fair, not balanced: Sean Hannity shows his true colors

The email stated:


Last week on his nationally syndicated radio show, Fox News host Sean Hannity encouraged Democratic voters to "stay home on Election Day," adding that, "your vote doesn't matter anyway." He asserted that Democrats should not turn out to vote "for the sake of the nation" because Democrats' votes "won't change who occupies the White House" and Democratic "candidates have absolutely no idea how to win the war on terrorism."

On the same program, Hannity misrepresented the Democratic Party platform, stating: "I don't think abandoning our troops on the battlefield, or closing your eyes to enemy communications or listening to enemy communications in our country, or killing the economy, or supporting illegal immigration, I don't think that's something to run on."

Comments like this demonstrate how Hannity and other right-wing media figures hope to impact the upcoming election -- regardless of their spin about being objective.


prying1 sez: I don't remember any right wing talk show host saying they are objective. All of them claim to be Republicans or Libertarians. They present news and stories with right wing commentary and are up front about their views on it.

Often times I hear on their shows both sides of a news story (ridiculing one side) and then the breaktime news report comes on and gives only one side (the side that was ridiculed).

As far as Hannities statements re: abandoning our troops on the battlefield, or closing your eyes to enemy communications or listening to enemy communications in our country, or killing the economy, or supporting illegal immigration - That and "HATE BUSH" is all the Democrats have been presenting as a party platform.

Well! That and "raising taxes"...

- Quick Update - While proofreading this after posting it I see I missed Sean's words "Killing the economy". He did cover the "raising taxes"... - Good for him!


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Monday, October 23, 2006

Cut and Run Republicans

A lot of talk recently about "Cut and Run Republicans" - I have yet to meet any although I've heard a few calling in on the talk radio shows. Supposedly they feel that the Republicans should loose this election cycle. They should loose the majority they have in the Senate and Congress. Then all of those left in office and those who run in the following elections will know that their base wants them to pull further to the right. Shrink government, lower taxes, punish criminals, step up the war on terror, fix social security, stop the outsourcing of jobs and/or whatever other pet projects they want.

Partner of mine was wondering if they will make a movie about it. He has the central line. The one they can use in their advertising. See if you can figure where the plot will be stolen from...


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I'M MAD AS HELL!!! AND I'M NOT GOING TO DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT!!!


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Saturday, October 21, 2006

Moonbats Rising

I finally got some free time today to blogsurf my personal blogroll. Looks like it is going to take while because I've not been visiting my friends as much as I would like. Taking a while to catch up on some of them...

Stopped by Huffington Compost and found he was under attack by liberals on one of his postings.

The one line he posted, "G> No terrorist attacks on US soil" drew these remarks from his commentors.

- quote: -
"A draft is coming because we are going to war with Iran."

and

"No terrorists brought war to us, Terrorists performed a single act of terrorism, which we then, like base simians, attack the weakest guy available to make ourselves look tough. Nice huh? America, World Bully. So, if we've been under attack by terrorists for over 15 years, why is it that when Clinton tried to do something about it, the Republicans kept shouting about "wag the dog" and trying to distract america from his marital and extra-marital affairs? Could it be that politics is your only real worry, and that american safety means nothing?

- end quotes -


prying1 sez: I'll ignore the lower case 'america" and say: "A SINGLE ACT OF TERRORISM"??? - Then the commentor admits that "Clinton tried to do something about it"??? - These people just will not admit that evil people have been killing, want to continue killing and will continue killing innocents around the world. The Moonbats will not understand that WE ARE AT WAR!

Cole, U.S. Embassies (remember the one during Carter's administration?), World Trade Center (hit twice not once), not to mention that more nations on this planet have been hit by terrorists than not!

Moonbats are going to be voting for Democrats in the upcoming elections. Osama bin Laden and the terrorists would love to vote for Democrats and Democrats would accept their votes. For all we know they might have fistfuls of absentee ballots and Democrats would love it if they did. As long as they get their power back!!! - Hate Bush is all they have this election cycle...

Don't help the Moonbats and terrorists get their way!Vote Republican or stay home!

Democrats cannot be trusted to take the war on terrorism seriously! They do take the Moonbats seriously. We saw that when Michael Moore was seated next to Jimmy Carter!


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The Salvation Army Story

On occasion I meet people that belong to the Salvation Army. I don't really think of the group as a 'denomination' although I guess it is. The good works they do is a result of their relationship with God and not a means towards acquiring salvation as some might think.

Their group has the best record for having donations go towards helping people as opposed to going to operations or advertising. I know that when I drag a bundle of stuff to them, donate cash to or shop at one of their thrift stores the proceeds will have the most impact for what they direct it towards. I trust them more than I do some other charity groups.

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John at Scotwise has a posting on the founders of the Salvation Army. Quite a good read. Inspiring and informative. Take a couple minutes and check it out. - Oh! Leave John a comment to let him know you've visited.


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Thursday, October 19, 2006

Orange County Mailing Scandal - Scare Tactic Letter

Updated with a new post here -

I'm always amazed at how quickly Republicans jump on their own when irregularities are found out. - On the other hand I'm always amazed at how slowly Democrats will jump on their own when irregularities are discovered. If Democrats jump at all...

We've seen examples of this through the Scandals/Ethics Charges of Mark Foley (ex-R-FL) - (Quits in disgrace) and Harry Reid (D-NV) (Who Can't Bleed)

- For those who missed the news, it was revealed that Mark Foley had been having homosexually charged computer comunications (IM's) with a young male page. I've heard that the communications were actually after the page had turned 18 but the press and opponents still called the affair pedophilia. The page, it appears, was responding to Mark Foley's IM's as a gag, just leading him on, and was not really seeking a sexual relationship with Foley. Mixed in the story is the fact that their were first some emails sent that were not at all risque and later the IM's that were. The two get mixed up in the retelling.

Harry Reid on the other hand apparently had sold property to a casino lobbyist pal in 2001 and two years later recieved $700,000 from it's next sale. He did not report it to the Senate Ethics Committee on which he was serving at the time.

While the two stories have different motivations both concern ethics and the Republican is out on his ear while the Democrat is going to change his report filing with the Senate...

Mixed also into the scrum is Dennis Hastert (R-IL who is accused of knowing of the (innocuous) emails in advance and also of working to pass a highway bill that increased the value of property he owned.


~~~~~~

Now I turn to the "Orange County Mailer Scandal". - A letter written in Spanish was sent out to Hispanics in Orange County, California in which it stated, "You are advised that if your residence in this country is illegal or you are an immigrant, voting in a federal election is a crime that could result in jail time." - It also said federal officials are keeping a searchable database – available to anti-illegal immigration groups – that tracks people casting votes. -

- What was left out of the letter were the words, "Immigrants who are adult naturalized citizens are eligible to vote." - Had that been put in it would be no big deal EXCEPT - The letter was on a forged letterhead. - The mailer was sent on letterhead from the California Coalition for Immigration Reform

Barbara Coe, founder and chairperson of the Huntington Beach based anti-illegal immigration coalition, said her group had nothing to do with the mailer.

Coe is quoted as saying: "We would never send a letter like this to an individual, because we don't know their status," ... "The letterhead was altered and I've never head of any Sergio Ramirez," (Whose name was signed on the letter). ... "Who really knows what the story is?"

Coe has received death threats. (prying1 sez: I hope that is being investigated!!!)

~~~~~

Tan D. Nguyen, The Republican running for office against Representative Loretta Sanchez (D-CA) said that he had no knowledge of the mailers and fired a staffer and is treading water trying to stay in the race. Republicans and Democrats both are calling for him to quit. Everybody wants him to be thrown underneath the bus. - Well! Almost everybody.


U.S. Immigration Reform PAC Supports Nguyen and California Flier
The Washington, D.C.- based U.S. Immigration Reform Political Action Committee (USIRP) reiterated its endorsement for congressional candidate Tan D. Nguyen and said it sees "nothing wrong" with a bulk-mail flier his campaign sent to the foreign-born in Orange County, Calif., warning that illegal immigrants cannot vote.

USIRP Communications Director Phil Kent said, "What is wrong with sending a message that immigrants here illegally cannot vote in elections? A campaign or individual has every right to disseminate that opinion under the First Amendment -- especially when you consider this is the No. 1 suspect district in the country because state and federal probes revealed over 1,000 illegal aliens voted in the 1996 November's congressional election."

~~~~~

prying1 sez:
I think that everyone is too quick to jump on the "HANG HIM AND HANG HIM HIGH" bandwagon both in this instance and in other unethical goings on. It seems that nobody wants to wait for the investigations to start much less finish.

If Tan D. Nguyen, it is found out, knew of the forged letterheads then I think he should be given the boot. One thing I have NOT seen in all the news accounts is a translation of the entire letter. I'm told supposedly what it says but...


Update: Finally found a spot where the actual letter was posted: - Click here for PDF file - Thanks to The Liberal OC dot com and hat tip to LAist dot com...

Now I need an interpreter...

Ed Dickson of Fraud, Phishing and Financial Misdeeds notes in the comments that the State Department of Justice raided Tan Nguyen's home... - I wonder again if the death threats against Barbara Coe are being taken seriously???

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Iraq Divided into Two States -

- On Paper & In Bent Minds Only!

Over at Talisman Gate is a posting entitled, Al-Qaeda Declares Government, Islamic State in Iraq"

Some Quotes:


The "Official Spokesman" of the "Ministry of Information" of the "Islamic State of Iraq" has kindly informed the world, through a new Shura Council of the Mujaheddin video released on the internet today, that Iraq is now divided into two.
~~~~~
The "Official Spokesman" declared that the territory that the jihadists currently control in Iraq is roughly equal to the territory of the state of Medina founded by the Prophet Muhammad during the early days of the Islamic call, and that it finds itself under similar internal as well as external threats.
~~~~~
The new head of state is someone called "Abu Omar Al-Baghdadi" - a name previously unheard of.
~~~~~
Kofi Anan immediately extended diplomatic accreditation to the Islamic State of Iraq.


Nibras Kazimi The brains behind Talisman Gate did immediately let on that the last line was a joke. Not a "Farfetched" one though.

Then we have Mohammed, blogger of "Iraq the Model", posting with the title, " Me in the new Islamic State!"


Both Nibras and Mohammed agree that the entire "Declaration" is nothing more than last gasps of al-Qaeda.

Mohammed said, "To me it looks like the position of al-Qaeda has gotten so bad after the heavy blows it received at the hands of our liberators in the MNF and our brave brothers in our army and the patriots who rejected al-Qaeda and its agenda."

and

"But we are still here, at least the majority of us are,
Our liberators and allies are still here,
The voters are still here and the elected are still here."

~~~~~

prying1 sez: Now is not the time to back out of Iraq! Vote for Republicans and not "Cut and Run Democrats" who would only allow groups like al-Qaeda to gain strength.

~~~~~~~~

Hat Tip to AubreyJ


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Sunday, October 15, 2006

Who Has the Book of Life In Their Hands?

I recently had some email communications from a man in the U.K. We went back and forth for quite a few times before he blocked my emails to him. I could go through a different email account to get in the 'last shot' but it would not settle in my stomach very well. I've decided to let God handle him. But I also decided to post on the exchange. (Italics are from his answers to my emails)

~~~~~

It started out with this character following me to this website, my Blogspot home, from a comment I left on Scotwise. (A Christian pastor whom God led from Scotland to Australia - Wonderful, edifying and most often quite humorous postings on his blog. I recomend visiting him. - Since I've been reading Scotwise I've come to love John Telfer Brown like a brother. And rightly so since he is a true brother in the Lord.) -

He (the commenting character not Mr. Brown!) posted a comment that was not at all related to my posting and was really out of place.

I answered his comment and emailed him to let him know I had responded. From there the exchange took place off blog through emails.

Let me say at this point that I've no doubt that this gentleman is a Full Blood Christian and is subject to all the rights, privileges and ultimate destinations as a result of his (as is every Christian's separate) relationship with the Living God and God's Only Son Jesus Christ. That we will meet after this life is inevitable and I can't wait to see his expression at that point outside of space and time as we now know it. He doesn't seem to want my kind to be admitted...

It seemed right from the start of these communications that the saying, "Words mean things" had no real impact on this person's thinking. The fact that certain words might have more than one meaning never entered into his conversations. Right from the start the word "disciples" (and it's various forms) had only one meaning (the ones he chose) and no bending was allowed. As a result Mr. Brown and I were outside of God's chosen family and until we repented (another word with a single meaning) we were doomed to become God's footstool. (Hell, as taught by most denominations, is not the destination of those outside of the list he seemed to hold. The lost - as are Mr. Brown and I - are to be made "God's Footstool".)

Personally I wouldn't mind being that close to God on a continual basis. Footstool seems as good a job as any especially since I can't play a harp and am not musically inclined. I might make a good gatekeeper if St. Peter wants to take a break on occasion. - But I digress...

My personal idea of Hell (not the one in Michigan) is a place that is not so much hot and filled with demons with pitchforks but an area outside of space and time that is devoid of God and anything good that goes with Him. That includes His feet. Total disatisfaction with anything would be the ruling force. The seven deadly sins of pride,lust, anger, covetousness, gluttony, envy, and sloth would be ever growing and never satisfied, forever and ever, Amen. - Conversations with neighbors would always end up in arguements.

But I digress (again... - or is it still???).

In our email communications I read lines such as this: "If you believe what Mr Brown believes, you don't have a relationship with The Living God..."

and

"You don't have a living relationship with Jesus Christ, nor do most of mainstream 'Christianity' because they are all too busy 'earning' their salvation by works or sanctification by progress."

~~~~~

What the entire back and forth of messages had become by the time they were finished was an appeal on his part that I define all key words used in Christianity exactly as he desired and leave the dictionary or any thought I had on the definitions out of it. Otherwise God would not accept me. I would be outside the fold.

This is a form of legalism that went far beyond the Catholicism I was raised in prior to my born again experience. I say that because I know Catholics that love God and are born again. - That the word "Disciple" could mean more that one thing seemed to be beyond his reasoning. The term "Child of God" must never be used even as a term of endearment. 'Son' or 'daughter' is OK I guess but not 'child'. - Quote - "A son or daughter of God matures by growing in Grace and Faith. A child will always be a child - immature - no growth and no inheritance."... (convoluted thinking with a scriptural basis followed) - end quote -

Again

"You don't have a living relationship with Jesus Christ, nor do most of mainstream 'Christianity' because they are all too busy 'earning' their salvation by works or sanctification by progress."

- Neither the words "Salvation" or "Sanctification" can have a twofold meaning of a onetime experience and an ongoing process. If you believe in a twofold definition, your born again experience is for naught... In spite of Deuteronomy 31:6/Hebrews 13:5...

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prying1 sez: In February of 1971 I asked Jesus to come into my heart. That is what I said! "Jesus, Come into my heart!" I did not know any bonified, accredited, Ok'd by the Pope or Jesse Jackson prayer. It was what I knew I needed and it was all I said. Hell's bells. I didn't know to even ask for forgiveness or express a desire to repent. - I did repeat "Jesus, Come into my heart!" a few times but then,

"He Touched Me"!

Just like the song sez. I was never taught that song in my Catholic upbringing but I learned from experience what it meant before I even heard it.

- No one will ever take that experience from me and I, myself, would have to work real hard at lying to myself to think it was a hallucination, any kind of emotional workup, nonsense or a work of Satan. - HE TOUCHED ME!!!

Since that date I have met Mormons, Jehovahs Witnesses, Seventh Day Adventists, Armsrongians, Catholics, Baptists, First Church of Godians, First United Pentacostians, (Never met any "Last Church" peoples - those are the ones I'm really wondering about...) and assorted others that tell me my relationship with God doesn't count because I don't belong to their group or follow their catechism.

This joker was telling me (as have some others) "I have no organisation and no following, nor do I need the former, nor do I want the latter. All I am doing is giving a warning that belief in a non-gospel will lead to nowhere other than you and Mr Brown hearing these words: Matt 7:22-23 "Many will say to me in that day, Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils? and in thy name done many wonderful works? 23 And then will I profess unto them, I never knew you: depart from me, ye that work iniquity."

!!!!!

I cannot speak for Mr. John Telfer Brown (once again, of Scotwise fame) because His relationship is with God before it is with me. I am not so presumptuous as to think I hold John's relationship with God to any single scripture that even ungodly people can quote. If I did it would be the "Well done my good and faithful servant" one. (Smiley face here)

Here is a tip to those who quote that "depart from me" scripture to me. On that day I will not be saying, "Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in thy name? and in thy name have cast out devils?..."

I got it all planned. I'm gonna be pretending I don't see Jesus coming up on me and I'll sorta have my back turned to him a bit. Then at just the right time I'm gonna sniff the air a bit and say with a cowboy drawl, "I smell sheep!"

I know He will laugh even though He has heard it before. Heck. I know for a fact that Jesus reads my blog!

And still He will laugh!


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A Quick Homespun Conversation


True Story (It just happened!)

Husband: "Why is every light in the house on?" (ALMOST an exageration...)

Wife: "Because I'm home."


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Election Day Commercials

prying1 sez:

I was watching TV last night and caught a commercial for one of the state propositions coming up on the California ballot. It was meaningless except to drum in the VOTE NO, VOTE NO, VOTE NO...

The groups joined together and announced as having paid for the commercial are recent coalitions of fine upstanding citizens that nobody knows anything about. Are they pro-union? Anti-union? Pro-abortion? Anti-abortion? In favor of higher taxes? against higher taxes? Pro big government? Against big government?

- Is what they were saying true or designed to deceive??? -

NOWHERE in the commercial did it say what the proposition was actually for.

Do your state a favor and spend an hour or so checking out the actual ballot information you receive. Go online and find the info first hand at your state's own website. Find the info through search engines - OR - Some of the political bloggers you trust. Email them with any questions and I bet most would be happy to give their opinion or links to sites they know about. They certainly do it on their blogs everyday.

If you can't make the time to check out who or what it is exactly you are voting for do the rest of the counttry a favor and stay home on election day. Let those who get informed do the voting for you and just hope the majority are not the Michael Moore Moonbats...

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Friday, October 13, 2006

Zango - 180Solutions - Scams, Problems and Headaches!

Since I posted on Zango on Sept 30, 06 I've been getting a lot of visitors typing in "Daniel and the Bus" with or without "Zango" tagged on. I can only surmise that people get to the point I wrote about in my posting (Zango wants to download an .EXE file) and they back off to check it out first. Good for them!

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UPDATE! - Some people coming by only want to see the video, Daniel and the Bus, and could care less about Zango. They know it is bad stuff. - So! here is a link to go see the video free for nothing! Without mucking up your computer. -

Some of the other stuff on this webpage is tawdry at best. Surf there at your own risk. Especially since Zango owns the site!

- http://"target="_blank">http://www.tacobomb.com/html/Guy-Jumps-Under-Bus.html -

For those wishing to know more about Zango continue reading...
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I can only feel sorry for those who click to download and then install the program. It comes from a company that can only be described as disreputable at best.

Benjamin Edelman has a webpage entitled, The Effect of 180solutions on Affiliate Commissions and Merchants which says this:



Software from 180solutions (also known as MetricsDirect) redirects many affiliate commissions to 180. As a result, merchants pay commissions to 180 (and its advertiser partners) even when no commissions are payable under the terms and conditions of merchants' affiliate programs, and even when commissions are properly payable to other affiliates. 180 causes these commissions to be paid via at least 84 different affiliate accounts, using multiple intermediary domain names that redirect affiliate tracking HTTP traffic, making 180's activities particularly difficult to track and to prevent.



prying1 sez:
I'm not a brilliant person but that sounds disreputable to me. Some people think that 180solutions and Zango are trying to clean up their act but until they do and get a proven track record it is best to avoid them.

Quotes from Spywareinfo.com's Forums re: Zango


Zango.com is related to 180solutions, Inc. - a well known Adware supplier - we help plenty of people get 180solutions infections off their computers. Beware of installing anything from them - you may get more than you bargained for.

Like maybe the Zango Search Assistant? From Zango: "While the Software is installed on your computer, Zango may collect information about you and the websites you visit."




I had Zango on my PC, and at first thought it was a game site that my daughter had downloaded. For a couple days, I didn't bother looking into it, but then IE kept getting redirected to Zango.com at startup.

My firewall was screaming that a couple of .exe programs were attempting to send info out. I did not recognize the dns they were going to, so I ran SB S&D, Ad-Aware, and HiJack this and they discovered quite a few problems: Browser hijacker, adware, spyware, and the toolbar was loaded with ads which were always different.

I cleaned up all remnants of Zango, and the PC was fine again.

I would suggest re-thinking using Zango.



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Wednesday, October 11, 2006

Schwarzenegger On Jay Leno's Tonight Show

But Not Phil Angelides

Most people have heard by now that California has a "STAR" for a governor.



Arnold Schwarzenegger

As governors go he has had his ups and downs. Some things he has done were good in my opinion and other things he has done were pretty stinky. That is once again in my opinion.

Since I'm always right we will hold my opinion in high esteem and run with the previous paragraph. (Please don't quiz my wifey-poo on me being always right. She might bring up that one time...) Ignore the fact that what I thought stinky the libs loved & vice versa...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) appeared on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno - 11 OCT 06 -

What will not be on Jay Leno's show (at least at this point in time) is a rebuttal performance by Phil Angelides who is running against Arnold.

The Phil Angelides campaign said the television show is being unfair, and a California congressman filed a complaint on Phil Angelides' behalf with the Federal Communications Commission. - - More here from NBC4 TV - - The idiot campaign operatives WANT Phil Angelides to go on the Tonight Show!

Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger (R-Calif.) is currently leading over the Angelides campaign with double digits.

If The Tonight Show With Jay Leno had Philly Baby (not to be confused with Philly Cheese Steak) come on the show three things would happen.

1: Half the audience would fall asleep.
2: The other half would switch to Letterman.
3. Arnold's lead would go to triple digits.

I say in the interest of fairness NBC should let Phil Angelides go onstage with Jay Leno! Better yet, AMERICA should demand they do so! After all. Many people who watch Jay Leno are not old enough to know who Mr. Peepers is and this would give them a chance to see what they missed by being born so late in the last century.



(Guess which one is running for the Governator's job?)


Angelides promises to run the California into the same dirt that produced the tainted spinich. California can expect higher taxes, drivers licenses for illegals, higher wages for union members which is all the state has for it's employees and most likely will Phil Angelides will pull any National Guard off their current border duties...

He would do all this and more after mesmerizing into an opiate like stupor every living creature in the state.




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Tuesday, October 10, 2006

"One Night With the King" Looks Promising

One Night with the King - The Story of Esther -

I just found and watched the preview and it looks like one of the Hollywood spectacles that old timers like me are likely to enjoy.

It has swords in it so I'm sure Hugh Hewitt and Emmett of the Unblinking Eye will approve. Looks to have romance too but hopefully the sword scenes will make up for that.

- Rated PG with the notice, "Violence, Some Sensuality and Thematic Elements. -

When I read the words Thematic Elements on the ratings notice I had to ask, "What the heck does that mean?" - I could figger out the violence & sensuality on my own but this was new to me. It has probably only been around for 10 years or so. - Anyway! So I did a search engine run on it. - Here is what I found on the Motion Picture Association of America's web pages:


(from F.A.Q. page)

- Question: I have noticed "thematic elements" in the rating reasons - what does that mean?


Answer: Thematic elements are those elements of a film that do not necessarily fit into the traditional categories such as violence, sex, drug use and language, but may be of particular concern to parents. This rating reason raises a warning to parents to learn more about a film before they allow their children to view it. These thematic elements may include death, coming-of-age issues, verbal abuse, illness, abortion, and other serious subjects or mature discussions that some parents feel may not be appropriate for their young children.



Looks to me to be a rather vague term to use in rating pictures. I tried to see on their pages why "Thematic Elements" was used for this picture but could not find anything to even give a clue. - I thought, "Maybe they want to warn Muslum parents that it is a positive story about Jews." -

Then, in my search for more I hit a web page and remembered I had heard of "Thematic Elements" before. Nehring the Edge posted on the movie Facing the Giants with his article, "JESUS LOVES YOU BUT HOLLYWOOD THINKS YOU’RE A JERK" and the link he provided to the news article that used the term.


I did find a page of reviews from some real live people (not paid critics) that have seen the movie. - This site the reviews are on - IMDb "The Internet Movie Database" - is a good one for U.S. visitors to bookmark because it has movie theatres searchable by zip code. What's showing (with links on the titles), phone numbers and times. - Pretty handy -

Did I get sidetracked?

I guess so.

Here is the link to the trailer! Watching it sold me on seeing it on the big screen. Filmed in India so the palaces are real and not sets. Looks to be a real good film.

See you at the movies!


~~~~~

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Friday, October 06, 2006

Timing is Everything!

I was told this story by a co-worker at a place I worked years ago. Oh, I should mention the co-worker just happened to be black. That is an integral part of the story. I'll call my co-worker Jim because

1. To protect the innocent and

2. I've forgotten his name.

Jim was born and raised in So. California. Los Angeles County to be more exact. This story takes place in the very early 60's. I'm telling it as I remember it but you should know know I heard it in the early 80's. The conversation recounted might not be exact the the meaning was there...




One summer when Jim was 9-10 years old he was sent to visit his grandparents and family in Little Rock, Arkansas. He got to play with cousins and neighborhood children and had a really good time. Until one day a two white boys riding on a single bicycle came into the black neighborhood. One was sitting on the handlebars, had a BB gun and was shooting it off. He hit Jim's girl cousin in the face with a BB.

Jim saw which way they were heading and took off through a couple yards. On his way he found a loose board and picked it up. As the boys on the bicycle rounded a corner they were confronted by Jim with his board.

Thwock!

The kid on the handlebars was hit in the face with that board. A tangle of white boys and bicycle with a black boy smacking them. About this time one of the neighbors came out and grabbed Jim and dragged him away to his grandparents house. Jim didn't realize what he had done. For a black boy in early 60's Arkansas to hit a white boy with a board, a fist or a marshmallow was a capital offense. Even if he was defending his cousin against a BB gun.

This was the point in time that they told him that he would be killed for hitting a white boy. Jim was scared and didn't understand. In California where he was from black and white kids played together and sometimes would fight without all this broohaha. They would fight, stop fighting and go back to playing. Why was it so different here?

Jim's grandparents hid him at another neighbor's house while they dealt with the police and as soon as it got dark they had friends drive him out of the city. He told me of how confused and scared he was as he was hiding in the back seat covered with a blanket and trash. They took him to Texas and put him on a bus for home.

So much for a fun summer vacation at grandma's and grandpa's house.

Fast forward to the very late 70's. Jim is visiting his grandparents in Little Rock. Enough time had passed and he no longer resembled the little black boy that whacked a white boy. Besides, Arkansas had changed quite a bit. The entire country had changed quite a bit. Dr. Martin Luther King had made his 'I have a dream speech' and it took hold. People were working on judging other people not by the color of their skin but by the content of their character. By all means racism had not ended but it was riding the back bumper not driving the car.

Jim, decided to go to the movies one day. While he was sitting in the movie theatre, waiting for the movie to start, more people coming in, a white man entered the theatre and sat next to him. No longer were the drinking fountains and rest rooms labled white and black. In Little Rock a white man and black man could sit side by side in a movie theatre. No shouts of nigger lover resounded as would have in previous years.

He and the white gentleman started a conversation. Usual small talk. Jim from California. Other guy born and raised in Little Rock. It turned onto the subject of changes in attitudes concerning the races in America.

Jim told him of his previous visit to little Rock and of the kid with the BB gun and him with the plank.

That was when the man said, "I'm so glad to meet you. I've felt so bad ever since that day I shot at your cousin and you whacked me with the board. I was a real little ass and have regretted my actions of that day. I was worried they would find you and kill you because of me and was real glad you got away. I want to tell you I'm sorry for what I did."

Jim apologised for whacking him with the board and the two were able to watch the movie together with uplifted hearts.

They left the theatre as friends.

Reconciliation can do wonders for the soul!



prying1 sez: Was it a coincidence that these two, nearly 20 years after the offense were able to get a burden off their hearts? I think not. - Divine appointments are great. - This was one of them.

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Wednesday, October 04, 2006

Pretty Spiffy Hand Drier

Ever go into a restroom and after washing your hands turn to find one of those air hand driers? No paper towels. Just the air drier. I hate that. It means precious time standing there with soggy hands for 30-40 seconds. AND you know they won't be dry when you leave the rest room. Hey! 30-40 seconds of valuable time I could be doing anything else but standing there not getting my hands dry.

For guys this really isn't too big a problem because we have shirts to wipe our hands on unless we are at some wedding reception and forced to wear a suit. Then we have to dry our hands on the back of our shirt under our jackets. There is always the toilet paper which instantly turns to sludge and sticks to the hands or the disposable toilet seat covers which are not really absorbant. I don't know how the ladies handle it because I'm too much of a gentleman to ask 'em...

Well! The solution is coming to a gas station and restaurant near you real soon (I hope). You might want to get one for your home. Although you will have to wait a bit. As of the time of this posting it is still in the testing stages in hospitals, several restaurants and service stations across the pond in the UK.

It is the DYSON AIRBLADE HAND DRIER!



Short video here!


Mr James Dyson, the inventor, says, "The Airblade scrapes your hands clean with a high speed sheet of air,...It's a bit like a windscreen wiper."


The air shoots out of two slots the width of a human hair at 400 MPH (640 kph) and all the water forced off is sterilized with an iodine filter Then the water is atomised into the air.

The old hand driers suck in dirty washroom air - heat it up - blow it back onto clean hands and so clean hands end up exposed to washroom bacteria.

This device takes only 10 seconds to dry your hands. That saves 20 to 30 seconds! Not only that. This device will actually get your hands dry.



Thank You Mr. Dyson!

~~~~~
Hat tip to: Tom Simonite at NewScientistTech.com -
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Monday, October 02, 2006

WHO ARE THESE IDIOTS?

I CAN'T BELIEVE IT!

Recently I started getting emails saying I've won or a free product is on it's way to me...

They have ALL been caught in my Yahoo email spam box.

They proliferate beyond reason.

That tells me that they have been working.

- People answer the emails like they are not SCAMS!!! -

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Update!!! - SPAM EMAILS WITH THE LINES:

PlayStation3 Voucher #PS3-13151
Victoria's Secret Voucher #VSC-11283
E-TicketWinner Winner #S9-VM732
Claim: Home Depot Voucher Winner #D8-SL283
Claim:Home Depot Credit Ticket Winner #X8-SL67
PlayStation 3 Voucher #PS3-51874
Victoria's Secret Voucher #VSC-01715
Get 2 Boxes of Coffee, Programmable Coffemaker, and 2 Travel Mugs
35 oz. of Downy Fabric Softener On Us.
Get Tide Laundry Detergent On Us.
ETC. ETC. ETC.

ARE ALL SCAMS!!!

~~~~~~

Listen up people! Do you know what spam is? In case you don't here is the definition from MSN Encarta - I don't care if you don't trust MSN! This definition can be found free for nothing elsewhere if you don't trust this source.

spam


noun (plural spams)
Definition:

electronic junk mail: an unsolicited, often commercial, message transmitted through the Internet as a mass mailing to a large number of recipients
...
It goes on to say that the word probably came from the: Monty Python's Flying Circus in which all items on a menu contained Spam(tm)... - Spam, spam, spam, spam, spam, and eggs but we're out of eggs.
~~~~~~
Got it? Montey Python was filled with JOKES but spam in the can is filled with parts that would normally be used for cat and dog food...
~~~~~

Well that sentence lined me up for a lawsuit but at this point I don't care!

~~~~~

Here are some one liner email subjects that are scams whether you believe it or not:

Home Depot Voucher Winner #543-3222
Airline Ticket Voucher Winner #7823-78512
Gillette Fusion Razor On Us
Airline Ticket Voucher Winner #KA8-MS243
Home Depot Voucher Winner #543-3222
Home Depot Voucher Winner #89321-9802
Gillette Fusion Razor On Us
True.com Membership On Us.
Fast Food Voucher #MCD-15822
Secret Shopper Job Offer #YTB-81546
Here's Your True.com 7 Day Membership On Us
Home Depot Voucher Winner #789-08967
[none]
ue SAVE 82%: VIAGR*, AMBIE*, CIALI*, XANA*, RIVOTRI*, LEVITR*, CIPRO, MERIDI*, C...
Fwd: WARNING
(email name)YOU ARE THE CONSOLATION PRIZE WINNER!!!!
~~~~

I was getting just a couple a day of this crap and all of a sudden it exploded. I had to go through over 75 to pull out the lines above and that is all from the past 2 days. Most were repetative to the point of being ridiculous The last couple don't really count. I just threw those in because they were there. They are still scams!

~~~~~

I'll go through only one of them here and if you have problems with it EMAIL me and I will stick your email address on any 2 you choose and forward them to you. You can be the one "digging a little deeper" and wasting your time with this stuff.

~~~~~~
Gillette Fusion Razor On Us
- open email - Find link - Right click on link - click on properties - Highlight the address given and cut-n-paste address into new window. DELETE THE LAST PART OF THE STRING UP TO OR INCLUDING FORWARD SLASH(/) for security reasons. Click on GO and Whoo Hoo! - A page opens for - http://www.smoothershave4free.com/?config=1212&src=WC-51712aaaCD104:76461:
Copy: - www.smoothershave4free.com - and run though Google - Find ONLY THREE HITS! (at the time of this posting) - Check the hits and discover that all the hits are spam on free online bulletin boards -

~~~~~

Double check the web page offered through this online scam and see:

1: They want your email address - Then you wil get the !!PRIZE!! (Whoo Hoo again)!
2: box stating, "I certify that I am a U.S. Resident over the age of 18,
and I agree to the Privacy Policy and Terms and Conditions." - - - It is prechecked for your convenience. (They only have your best interests at heart.)
3: At the bottom of the page of - - is the small print DISCLAIMER!!!: To receive the incentive gift you must: 1) register with valid information; 2) complete the user survey; and 3) complete at least 1 Silver, 1 Gold and 1 Platinum offer. Purchase may be required. Please read Terms & Conditions for details. (TYPICAL PAP THAT LEAVES YOU NO RECOURSE!) Upon completion of all requirements, we will ship the incentive gift to you with free shipping.

SmootherShave4Free.com is an independent rewards program for consumers and is not affiliated with, sponsored by or endorsed by any of the listed products or retailers. Trademarks, service marks, logos, and/or domain names (including, without limitation, the individual names of products and retailers) are the property of their respective owners.

~~~~~

Completing the requirements will cost you how much???


prying1 sez: I know it is not you that is encouraging this email spam by answering to it... It is not your friends because they know better... It is people that are third cousins of friends of your friends.

And for what? A razor that they loaded up on from their local 99 cent store.

Every person that answers spam emails should have their keyboards smashed with a rock!!!

~~~~~




~~~~~

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