Islamist Militants Slaughtered 6 Innocent Lawmakers, 19 Innocent Civilians, 5 Innocent Security Guards and 2 Innocent Hotel Workers At Somali Hotel! Religion of Peace eh?

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MSNBC News

Militants slaughter lawmakers at Somali hotel

written by Associated Press

Tuesday August 24, 2010

MOGADISHU, Somalia — Islamist militants wearing Somali military uniforms stormed a hotel favored by lawmakers in the war-battered capital Tuesday, firing indiscriminately and killing 32 people, including six parliamentarians.

A suicide bomber and one of the gunmen were also killed in the brazen attack just a half-mile (1 kilometer) from the presidential palace. The attack showed the insurgent group al-Shabab, which controls wide areas of Somalia, can penetrate even the few blocks of the capital under the control of the government and African Union troops.

Tuesday's well-planned assault came one day after al-Shabab warned of a new "massive war." Sheik Ali Mohamud Rage, an insurgent spokesman, said the attack by members of the group's "special forces" targeted government leaders, foreign agents and "apostates" at the $10-a-night Muna Hotel.

Survivors of the hour-long slaughter described seeing bodies strewn throughout the hotel and people scrambling to safety through windows. An 11-year-old shoeshine boy and a woman selling tea were among the dead.

In an interview with The Associated Press, one parliamentarian said she was jolted awake by the popping sound of gunfire. Saynab Qayad said three fellow lawmakers staying on the top floor of the three-story hotel drew their guns while other guests fled out windows.

"Smoke filled my room after bullets smashed my window. I hid myself in a corner of the room. Then a guest next door came to my door, screaming 'Come out! Come out!' And when I came out bullets continued to fly around.

"I went back to my room and locked my door. Shortly afterward, the hotel staff asked me to come down and put me in a room at the second floor with four other survivors," she said. "The body of a member of parliament was lying at that small room's door."

A manager at the Muna Hotel, Abdullahi Warsame, said the attack was carried out by two gunmen who first fired on people sitting under a tree, then opened fire at the reception desk. The gunmen then moved to the second floor, where they battled security forces and armed parliamentarians, he said. The two fought until they ran out of ammunition, when one blew himself up, Warsame said.

After it was over, Somali government forces tied the body of one of the dead assailants to the back of a pickup truck and dragged it through the dusty streets of the capital, a scene eerily reminiscent of how bodies of dead American soldiers were treated following the disastrous Black Hawk Down battle of 1993 in Mogadishu.

Tuesday's attack only extended the stream of warfare that rattled Mogadishu on Monday, when 40 (INNOCENT) civilians died in fighting between al-Shabab and Somali and African Union troops.

Somalia's deputy prime minister told AP that 19 civilians, six members of parliament, five security forces and two hotel workers were killed Tuesday — a total of 32. Two attackers also were killed, said Abdirahman Haji Aden Ibi, the deputy prime minister. A government statement said 31 people were killed. There was no way to immediately reconcile the figures.

Please click HERE to read the entire article...

Employee DEFIES Disneyland DRESS CODE And DEMANDS To Be ACCOMDATED With Her Relgious Beliefs! Pt. 2 of 2

I have sat on this story for a week. I was floored when I first heard about this news on my FOX local evening news channel 11. I could not believe the nerve of this employee DEMANDING to impose herself on her employer in this manner. I honestly don't give a crap that she is Muslim. What caught my attention was this employee's PUBLIC DEFIANCE of the Walt Disney Corporations DRESS CODE and company policy. First off, this female employee has worked for this Disneyland restaurant for 2 1/2 years and now suddenly she has a revelation of religious commitment that she must follow. CAIR claims that this sudden change came as a result of her receiving her U.S. citizenship. That is not how I see it. I see this as the Council of Islamic Relations USING HER as an IMPOSITION. CAIR is attempting to IMPOSE their ISLAMIC beliefs on everything AMERICAN! And this is direct proof. Disney is an American ICON! The religious discrimination laws were created to prevent employers from firing you or harrasing you based on your religious beliefs. CAIR is using their members to manipulate this law to IMPOSE their religious PRACTICES on American employers!

Let me use myself as an example. Let's say that I worked for an investment banking firm for a couple of years and was a practicing buddhist in my personal time. Well those investment banking firms don't care what I do in my personal time and don't care about my spiritual beliefs. All these firms care about is my work ethic and job performance I have been hired to do. Now imagine if I suddenly shaved my entire head of hair and showed up to work with a bald head. Do you honestly believe my employer is going to accept this? HELL NO! How is this a professional look? Yeah sure a guy can get away with a nicely waxed bald head, but NOT a woman. Not in the business world. My point is, every employee in every field has their OWN DRESS CODE. In the investment banking securities industry, we must dress in professional attire. There is no way I could show up wearing buddhist attire with a shaved head and DEMAND they change their company policy to accomodate my religious beliefs. Are you kidding me?! The same would be true if I suddenly showed up with a Hare Krisna robe and a shaved head. I also want to make clear that it would be UNACCEPTABLE for me to show up to work if I dyed my hair a wild color or showed up to work with visible body piercings in a professional working environment.

Your religious beliefs are PRACTICED in your personal time and when you are working for an employer, you should follow their company rules and guidelines. Every employer gives you a handbook on the first day of your employment. It outlines your work hours and dress code and code of conduct. If you don't like it, you are FREE to look for employment elsewhere! Nobody is forcing you to remain working there.

I hope and pray that the Disney Corporation tell both this employee and CAIR to take a hike and take their UNREASONABLE SELFISH DEMANDS with them. Whatever you do, PLEASE do not settle this out of court that is what they want. Disney, PLEASE do not give in to their religious imposition! This employee has known about your dress code since she accepted your job offer over 2 years ago. Disney, you have even gone so far as to accomodate this employee's religious beliefs and keep her job by relocating her and she has REJECTED this offer. Disney hired this employee to REPRESENT them NOT represent herself and her beliefs! The position she accepted as a hostess/waitress in one of Disney's restaurants REQUIRES a UNIFORM/COSTUME that ALL of their employees must wear! If CAIR was serious about promoting American - Islamic relations they would have a record of PRACTICING RESPECT! Which their long term actions have proven to be contrary! Religion of peace and tolerance? YEAH RIGHT! Well that is certainly NOT what CAIR is promoting! Next thing we'll be hearing is CAIR pushing their members to DEMAND employers give them time for prayer interrupting their work schedule! Watch, it's ALL ABOUT THEM!

UNIFORM is defined as Unvarying; All the same; Consistent; Conforming to ONE. What is it about this definition that this employee and CAIR do not understand?!?!

Employee DEFIES Disneyland DRESS CODE And DEMANDS To Be ACCOMDATED With Her Relgious Beliefs! Pt. 1 of 2

My FOX LA channel 11

Muslim Worker: Disneyland Banned Her Head Covering

written by Hal Eisner

Thursday, 19 Aug 2010, 10:02am PDT

Anaheim - A Muslim woman who works as a hostess at a Disneyland restaurant alleged Wednesday the theme park would not allow her to appear in front of customers while wearing her head scarf.

Imane Boudlal, 26, appeared outside the resort's Grand Californian Hotel after filing a complaint with the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

She said when she wore the hijab to work Sunday, her supervisors told her to remove it, work where customers couldn't see her, or go home.

Boudlal, who wore the scarf in observance of Ramadan, chose to go home but reported to work for the next two days and was told the same thing.

"Miss Boudlal has effectively understood that they're not interested in accommodating her request either in timing or good faith," said Ameena Qazi, an attorney from the Council on American-Islamic Relations who is consulting with Boudlal.

Disneyland spokeswoman Suzi Brown said Disney has a policy not to discriminate. The resort offered Boudlal a chance to work with the head covering away from customers while Disneyland tries to find a compromise that would allow Boudlal to cover her head in a way that fits with her hostess uniform, Brown said.

"Typically, somebody in an on-stage position like hers wouldn't wear something like that, that's not part of the costume," Brown said. "We were trying to accommodate her with a backstage position that would allow her to work. We gave her a couple of different options and she chose not to take those and to go home."

Boudlal, who is a native of Morocco, has worked at the Storyteller restaurant at the hotel for 2 1/2 years but only realized she could wear her hijab to work after studying for her U.S. citizenship exam in June, Qazi said.

She asked her supervisors if she could wear the scarf and was told they would consult with the corporate office, Qazi said. Boudlal didn't hear anything for two months and was then told she could wear a head scarf, but it had to be designed by Disneyland's costume department to comply with the Disney look, Qazi said.

She was fitted for a Disney-supplied head scarf but was not given a date when the garment would be finished and was told she couldn't wear her own hijab in the interim.

Boudlal wore her own hijab to work for the first time Sunday.

"After these two months and this complicated process, she decided to come forward," Qazi said. "She really wanted to be able to wear it on Ramadan."

Boudlal has the support of her union, which has been in a bitter fight for months with Disneyland over an expired contract for hotel workers. Brown accused the union of distorting the facts in Boudlal's case to distract from the key issues in the contract fight.

Leigh Shelton, a spokeswoman for the union, said Boudlal's coming forward now had nothing to do with the negotiations.

"There's absolutely no correlation," said Shelton, who's with Unite Here Local 11.

Dog and Deer: Best Friends Forever!!! ♥

Awwwwwwe!!! I just have to share these feel good video's of these two beautiful creatures loving each other and having fun together! Thanks to Ellen Degeneres for referring me to these two on Twitter. If you would like to see more, Isobel Springett has uploaded several video's of Pip and Kate for your viewing pleasure. :)

Gladiator: My Name Is Maximus Decimus Meridius

Woot Woot!!! I get excited everytime I watch this scene. I saw this movie this past weekend and I was all pumped up again! This is the BEST scene... Great inspiration! Honor, Integrity, Respect. EPITOME of a TRUE LEADER!

Do you know who you are? Do you know what you stand for?

FREEDOM: Words of Wisdom Shared by Osho

‎"Be respectful of yourself,

and be respectful of others.

Be proud of your freedom.

When you are proud of your freedom,

You want everybody else to be FREE.

Because your freedom has given you

so much LOVE and so much GRACE.

You would like everybody else
in the world

to be FREE, loving, and graceful."

~ by Osho

The True National Debt! Excellent Piece!!! MUST READ It's Time To Take Those Rose Colored Glasses Off For Your Own Good!

Zero Hedge

The True National Debt

written by Tyler Durden

Tuesday August 24, 2010

When I read Paul Krugman and the other Keynesian boneheads saying that our debt is not a problem, they quote figures about our debt of $13.3 trillion versus our GDP of $14.6 trillion not being so bad. That is only 91% of GDP. They point to World War II when our national debt reached 120% of GDP. They say everything worked out after that.

Well lets analyze that comparison for just a second. In 1945, Europe, Russia and Asia lay in ruins. The devastation was epic. The United States stood alone as the only unscathed country in the world. America became the manufacturer to the world. We rebuilt Europe and Asia. Our GDP soared, as our National Debt declined from $269 billion in 1946 to $255 billion in 1951, remaining below $300 billion until 1963.

Today our reported National Debt is $13.362 TRILLION. This is the first big lie. There are two entities named Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac that happen to be 80% owned by the US government. Anyone who thinks these two companies can operate without the backing of the US Government are delusional. The US taxpayer is on the hook for these two disastrously run companies. Somehow, government accounting doesn’t require their debt to be considered the responsibility of the US taxpayer. This is a fraud, pure and simple. Their debt is our debt.

According to their latest 10Q filed in early August (links below), their debts are:

•Fannie Mae: $3.257 Trillion

•Freddie Mac: $2.345 Trillion

The true National Debt of the United States is $18.964 Trillion. Therefore, our debt as a percentage of GDP is really 130%. This is beyond the level reached during World War II. We are no longer the manufacturer to the world. We are the consumer to the world. The country adds $4 Billion per day to the National Debt. Our GDP is stagnanting with future growth no better than 2% being realistic.

Kenneth Rogoff and Carmen Reinhart, after analyzing data over 200 years throughout the world, have concluded that once debt reaches 90% of GDP, a tipping point is reached. Crisis and collapse will ensue.

After looking at data from 44 countries spanning 200 years, they’ve concluded that at ratios of debt to GDP up to 90%, there’s not much correlation between government debt and economic growth. Above 90%, however, median economic growth rates fall by one percentage point and average economic growth rates fall by about four percentage points. That makes the 90% level a kind of make-or-break point for countries that are hoping to grow their way out of debt. If the government debt load climbs above 90% of GDP, economic growth slows so much that growth is no longer a viable solution to reducing that debt. Above the 90% level, governments serious about reducing their debt load have to increasingly rely on “solutions” such as reducing wages and depreciating their currencies, which might over time increase global economic competitiveness enough to give a boost to national economic growth. In the short to medium term, however, these “solutions” inflict real pain on the citizens of the countries since they reduce standards of living.

The U.S. is well beyond the tipping point. By the time Obama exits Washington DC in 2012, the ratio will be 140% of GDP. That is if the currency collapse doesn’t happen first.

Shadow Inventory to Take 3 Years to Clear: Standard & Poor's

[ABC news 06/10/10] As a result, estimates of homes in the shadows vary widely between 2 MILLION and 8 MILLION. By comparison, approximately 5.5 MILLION homes are expected to change hands this year, of which about a third are in some kind of distress.

High estimates usually include include repossessed homes that have not yet been listed for sale, homes that have been moved from the delinquent bucket and into foreclosure, and homes that are more than 60 days delinquent.

Housing Wire

Shadow Inventory to Take 3 Years to Clear: Standard and Poor's

written by Jon Prior

Tuesday, June 15th, 2010, 12:09 pm

The shadow inventory of distressed properties that back residential mortgage-backed securities will take nearly three years to clear at the current sales rate, according to the credit rating agency, Standard & Poor’s (S&P).

The shadow inventory is the amount of homes with delinquent mortgages yet to move through the foreclosure process. S&P narrows the definition down to the amount of outstanding properties 90 days or more delinquent, in foreclosure, or in REO status but not yet on the market.

S&P puts the total principal balance of the shadow inventory at $480bn or 30% of the entire non-agency market.

“Given this backlog, we believe that average home prices could fall again if demand doesn’t rise in step with the potential influx of supply,” said Diane Westerback, S&P credit analyst.

But the shadow inventory isn’t equally distributed across the US. Although the shadow inventory remains at historic levels, it varies from city to city. S&P reviewed the top-20 metropolitan statistical areas (MSAs) included in the S&P/Case-Shiller Home Price Indices.

S&P found the largest shadow inventory in New York City. There, it would take 103 months to clear the distressed properties, or more than 8 years. The national average is at 34 months. Phoenix had the smallest shadow inventory. That market would take 16 months to clear the amount distressed properties yet to hit the market.

Estimates on the shadow inventory, and the time it will take to clear, vary firm to firm. Morgan Stanley most recently said it could take four years to clear. Barclays Capital reported that it could peak at 4.7m in the summer of 2010. The research firm, Capital Economics, said the shadow inventory could reach 5.5m by the end of 2011.

Existing Home Sales Dropped A RECORD 27.2%; Their Lowest Pace In 15 Years! This Data Doesn't Even INCLUDE The Shadow Inventory!

I know this is not great news. But it is the TRUTH about what we are facing as a nation economically, financially and politically. This data doesn't even include the SHADOW INVENTORY. It is kinda nice to be vindicated after being called every name in the book basically telling me that I am creating a fearful environment. Well I have one thing to ask all of you. Do you prefer to be told the truth so that you can prepare and protect yourselves or do you much enjoy being told continued lies and be totally caught off guard when the sh*t hits the fan? Only you can answer that question. I will continue doing what I've been doing and that is keeping you aware of things I feel you need to know for your own good. Here is something I want for you to think about, why do you think "they" would deliberately lie to you? Perhaps because they want to keep the markets propped up so "they" and "their" friends could sell off at the high prices. After they have sold off, all of you who are the consumers and investors en masse are left screwed with the depressed prices. Isn't that what a con-artist does best?! Keeps your attention on whatever, meanwhile they are ROBBING YOU BLIND!

[CNBC 08/24/10] The struggling U.S. economy, held up by "artificial" stimulus, is not unlike a "drunk that keeps drinking," Ken Langone, former director of the New York Stock Exchange and co-founder of Fieldpoint Private Bank and Trust told CNBC Tuesday.

"We have not begun to take the cure," Langone said. "We should have taken the cure a couple years ago...we've prolonged it by the stimulus packages."

Langone also dismissed growing worries that the United States will slide into a second recession—chiefly because the banker doesn't believe the U.S. economy ever really recovered.

"It's not a double-dip—we never came out of it," Langone said. "We were artificially propped up."

"We've got a lot of problems to address and the sooner we get started...the better we're gonna be," he added.

Note to Obama/Biden: How is that "Recovery Summer 2010 tour" working out? You've spent OVER $1 TRILLION dollars so that we can watch the economy tank! STOP blaming the past for your current FAILURES! STOP deflecting attention away from your HORRIBLE money management inabilities! The people of the United States want to hear you take FULL RESPONSIBILITY for ALL of your ACTIONS since you both took off 18 months ago! Of course you will keep patting yourselves on the back as long as you keep setting these low standards for yourselves. Meanwhile, the rest of us look on in complete AWE as you continue to PROUDLY TOUT your sheer incompetence.

President Obama keeps insisting that we are headed in the right direction. Well, it is if you are looking forward to taking a nose dive off a cliff. The ditch G.W. Bush left us in was NOTHING compared to what's coming down the pike caused by B.H. Obama's new policies and spending habits. No I don't want to go backwards, but neither do I see President Obama's direction as a viable and productive path. You know you don't have to take my word for it, simply LOOK AROUND you, pay attention to how many business' have closed in your area when you drive around and how many public services have been cut, talk to small business owners, talk to friends and neighbors how the economy is effecting them. When you do this, you will immediately start to hear the constant bullsh*t spoken by these politicians saying how wonderful everything is. Yeah maybe for them, after all they're spending our taxpayer money for their lavish lifestyles. But MOST certainly not mainstream America!!!!!!! We have been LEFT TOTALLY SCREWED!

*******************************************************************

CNBC

Existing Home Sales Hit 15-Year Low; Housing Market Weakens

written by Reuter and AP

Tuesday August 24, 2010

Sales of previously owned U.S. homes dropped more steeply than expected in July to their lowest pace in 15 years, an industry group said Tuesday, implying further loss of momentum in the economic recovery.

The National Association of Realtors said sales dropped a record 27.2 percent from June to an annual rate of 3.83 million units, the lowest level since May 1995. June's sales pace was revised down to a 5.26 million-unit pace.

The record drop in existing U.S. home sales in July showed that the country must still do more to improve the economy, White House spokesman Bill Burton said Tuesday.

Analysts polled by Reuters expected existing home sales to tumble 12 percent to a 4.70 million-unit pace from the previously reported 5.37 million units in June.

One reason the market is hurting is that buyers and sellers are in a standoff over prices. Many sellers are reluctant to lower their prices. And buyers are hesitating because they think home prices haven't bottomed out.

"It really is a self-fulfilling prophecy," said Aaron Zapata, a real estate agent in Brea, Calif. "If all buyers perceive that home prices are coming down, then they will stop making offers -- and home prices will come down."

The housing market is also being hampered by the weakening economic recovery. Unemployment remains stuck at 9.5 percent and many potential buyers worry they might not have a job to pay the mortgage.

Prices have fallen in part because foreclosures are running about 10 times higher than before the housing bust. Though the average rate for a 30-year fixed mortgage has sunk to 4.42 percent, many people can't qualify because banks have tightened their lending standards.

What is meant by the grace of God? I Was Just Led To This Beautiful Message I Would Like To Share It With You

What is meant by the grace of God?

written by Rev. Dr. Katherine M. Lehman

When we speak of God's grace, we mean all the good gifts we enjoy freely in life. There are so many. We could spend a lifetime celebrating them: blackberries, buttercups, moonlight, salamanders, etc. A more summary approach is to affirm that life itself is the fundamental gift, with all its delights. For us, the gift of life includes the wondrous gift of being human, finding ourselves plopped down in the midst of the larger gift of creation. That is the bedrock of grace—creation, life, human being. As humans, we are given a unique place in the created order. The creation stories in Genesis are ways of celebrating this original grace. In the stories, God pronounces all creation, including humankind, very good, that is, full of grace.

We also use the word grace to mean the secondary gifts we perceive in the skill and intelligence of creatures. The gospel says the boy Jesus grew in grace and favor, meaning he began to exhibit his unique personality and potential to contribute to his community. We speak of the beauty of a lion or a dancer, saying they exude an animal grace, discerned in the vitality and fluidity of their movement. When we use the word graceful to describe a creature, it's because the creature is being expressive of its God-given self.

There is another way of speaking about grace that is more about redemption than about creation. Whereas God pronounced original grace, the other side of the story is when we head off on our own, ignoring the Giver. This headstrong straying we have called original sin, meaning our freedom to choose the not so good, to turn aside from original grace. Ironically, this freedom is itself the most unique grace given humankind by God, the capacity to choose our own way, which must necessarily entail the possibility of choosing poorly. Because we have not always chosen the most graceful path, we have ended up in some miserable, blind alleys along the way. When we grasp our predicament and call for the help we had previously spurned, amazing grace comes to the rescue.

As in the beloved old hymn, the amazing kind of grace is God's gift of redemption, the grace which prompts us to repent, causing us to think again when we find ourselves in a bad way, and which prompts us to return, putting us back on a more godly path. This turning and returning we call conversion. As another simple hymn says, conversion is turning, turning, til we come round right. When we forget grace and our need of it, amazing grace prompts our memory and then upholds our will, our intention to right our lives, to make amends. The process of continual conversion is the grace most associated with the Holy Spirit. It is also called sanctifying grace. The action of this kind of grace is summarized as repentance, confession, and amendment of life. We rely on grace to make us whole, personally and communally, over time.

Redemptive grace is focused most clearly in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus of Nazareth, whom Christians call Christ, meaning the one chosen to deliver this particular grace. We might refer to Jesus as Grace himself, as Grace in the flesh, as Grace walking around. The grace of Christ can inspire us in such a transformative way as to change our awareness of ourselves, of our potential as human beings and as humankind, and our awareness of God's gracious purpose for us and through us for all creation. It is this changed awareness which recognizes a still more specialized form of grace—the grace made available to all who choose to serve God's hope for all in Christ. This is the grace which makes us disciples and is available as spiritual power for goodness' sake. Jesus exhibited this kind of power and challenged us to do the same.

The spiritual power demonstrated by Jesus, and the saints who have sought to imitate his cooperation with God, is the energy which continues to heal the world, to bring it into more and more wholeness. This specialized grace is available to any who want to offer themselves in gratitude, to enlist in God's vision for humankind and to discover our proper place in creation as we serve. This is the grace that makes us into earth stewards for Christ's sake. This grace is the assistance given us when we choose to become the people that God means us to be, giving ourselves over to whatever goodness we are meant to create, to redeem, to sustain. This kind of grace comes with the breathtaking awareness that we are participating in the very life of God, and it's awesome good!

A Special Message From Jesus. I Don't Care If You Know The Bible Cover To Cover And Have It Memorized, That Proves Nothing So Does Satan! It's What's In Your HEART That Counts!

There is NOT one person on this planet who has lived a perfect "sinless" life. If they claim they have, they are lying to you. This applies to self-righteous people with a holier than thou attitude. Do they NOT KNOW that this attitude in and of itself is a sin?!

Seven Woes

[Matthew 23 NIV]

1. Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples: 2. "The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. 3. So you must obey them and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice what they preach. 4. They tie up heavy loads and put them on men's shoulders, but they themselves are not willing to lift a finger to move them.

5. "Everything they do is done for men to see: They make their phylacteries wide and the tassels on their garments long; 6. they love the place of honor at banquets and the most important seats in the synagogues; 7. they love to be greeted in the marketplaces and to have men call them 'Rabbi.'

8. "But you are not to be called 'Rabbi,' for you have only one Master and you are all brothers. 9. And do not call anyone on earth 'father,' for you have one Father, and he is in heaven. 10. Nor are you to be called 'teacher,' for you have one Teacher, the Christ. 11. The greatest among you will be your servant. 12. For whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

13. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You shut the kingdom of heaven in men's faces. You yourselves do not enter, nor will you let those enter who are trying to. 14. Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you devour widows’ houses, and for a pretense make long prayers. Therefore you will receive greater condemnation.

15."Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You travel over land and sea to win a single convert, and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of hell as you are.

16. "Woe to you, blind guides! You say, 'If anyone swears by the temple, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gold of the temple, he is bound by his oath.' 17. You blind fools! Which is greater: the gold, or the temple that makes the gold sacred? 18. You also say, 'If anyone swears by the altar, it means nothing; but if anyone swears by the gift on it, he is bound by his oath.' 19. You blind men! Which is greater: the gift, or the altar that makes the gift sacred? 20. Therefore, he who swears by the altar swears by it and by everything on it. 21. And he who swears by the temple swears by it and by the one who dwells in it. 22. And he who swears by heaven swears by God's throne and by the one who sits on it.

23. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You give a tenth of your spices—mint, dill and cummin. But you have neglected the more important matters of the LAW—justice, mercy and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. 24. You blind guides! You strain out a gnat but swallow a camel.

25. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You clean the outside of the cup and dish, but inside they are full of greed and self-indulgence. 26. Blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and dish, and then the outside also will be clean.

27. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs, which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of dead men's bones and everything unclean. 28. In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29. "Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30. And you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our forefathers, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.' 31. So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets. 32. Fill up, then, the measure of the sin of your forefathers!

33. "You snakes! You brood of vipers! How will you escape being condemned to hell? 34. Therefore I am sending you prophets and wise men and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify; others you will flog in your synagogues and pursue from town to town. 35. And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar. 36. I tell you the truth, all this will come upon this generation.

37. "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing. 38. Look, your house is left to you desolate. 39. For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, 'Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.'"

A Special Story About A Man And His Dog. I Thought About This Story While Writing My Previous Post. The Moral Of The Story: Don't Be FOOLED!

A Man and His Dog

A man and his dog were walking along a road. The man was enjoying the scenery, when it suddenly occurred to him that he was dead.

He remembered dying, and that the dog walking beside him had been dead for years.. He wondered where the road was leading them.

After a while, they came to a high, white stone wall along one side of the road. It looked like fine marble. At the top of a long hill, it was broken by a tall arch that glowed in the sunlight.

When he was standing before it he saw a magnificent gate in the arch that looked like mother-of-pearl, and the street that led to the gate looked like pure gold. He and the dog walked toward the gate, and as he got closer, he saw a man at a desk to one side.

When he was close enough, he called out, "Excuse me, where are we?"

"This is Heaven, sir," the man answered. "Wow! Would you happen to have some water?" the man asked.

"Of course, sir.. Come right in, and I'll have some ice water brought right up." The man gestured, and the gate began to open.

"Can my friend," gesturing toward his dog, "come in, too?" the traveler asked.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we don't accept pets."

The man thought a moment and then turned back toward the road and continued the way he had been going with his dog.

After another long walk, and at the top of another long hill, he came to a dirt road leading through a farm gate that looked as if it had never been closed. There was no fence.

As he approached the gate, he saw a man inside, leaning against a tree and reading a book.

"Excuse me!" he called to the man. "Do you have any water?"

"Yeah, sure, there's a pump over there, come on in."

"How about my friend here?" the traveler gestured to the dog.

"There should be a bowl by the pump."

They went through the gate, and sure enough, there was an old-fashioned hand pump with a bowl beside it.

The traveler filled the water bowl and took a long drink himself, then he gave some to the dog.

When they were full, he and the dog walked back toward the man who was standing by the tree.

"What do you call this place?" the traveler asked.

"This is Heaven," he answered.

"Well, that's confusing," the traveler said. "The man down the road said that was Heaven, too."

"Oh, you mean the place with the gold street and pearly gates? Nope. That's hell."

"Doesn't it make you mad for them to use your name like that?"

"No, we're just happy that they screen out the folks who would leave their best friends behind."

Sharia Law States That "Homosexuals Must Be Killed" For Merely Existing! Muslims Speak Out!

Thought my gay friends may want to see this... :*(

ABSOLUTE MUST WATCH VIDEO!!!

Islamic Sharia Law states that being Gay requires CAPITAL PUNISHMENT and you've got to be killed/executed. In other words you DO NOT have the right to exist on this planet. Let me tell you right now that God Almighty does not feel that way about you. God loves you as you are and embraces you right where you are. You are and have always been a child of the MOST HIGH God. Don't you ever forget that God is your Creator, God is your Source. God's WORD does not condemn you nor does God's WORD cause you to live in shame. Who is God's WORD? Jesus (Yahshua) is the living breathing WORD of God. When you welcome or ask Jesus to come live in your HEART, you are in essence inviting the Holy Spirit to come live inside of you. Loving God is a CHOICE. God wants for you to LOVE Him of your own FREE WILL.

"And He said unto me, My grace is sufficient for thee: My strength is made perfect in your weakness." [2 Corinthians 12:9] "The LORD God is a Sun and Shield; the LORD gives favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from those whose walk is blameless." [Psalms 84:11] God gives light, illumination, revelation and protection; He gives favor and His presence.

Islamic Sharia Law has NOTHING to do with God's Law nor God's Grace. These are laws created by BARBARIC men who still live in the stone ages! These Radical Islamist have NO RESPECT for life nor freedom. Therefore, they have NO RESPECT for God Almighty who is LIFE and FREEDOM. Satan comes to steal, kill and destroy! Satan is the great deceiver and the author of confusion! There is NOT one person on this planet who has lived a perfect "sinless" life. If they claim they have, they are lying to you. This applies to self-righteous people with a holier than thou attitude. Do they NOT KNOW that this attitude in and of itself is a sin?!

Matthew 22:34-40 (New Living Translation)

The MOST Important Commandment

34. But when the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees with his reply, they met together to question him again. 35. One of them, an expert in religious law, tried to trap him with this question: 36. “Teacher, which is the most important commandment in the law of Moses?”

37. Jesus replied, “‘You MUST love the Lord your God with ALL your heart, ALL your soul, and ALL your mind.’ 38. This is the first and greatest commandment. 39. A second is equally important: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40. The ENTIRE LAW and ALL the demands of the prophets are based on THESE TWO commandments.”

In other words we should praise God above all else and place God first in all that we do. And second, we should treat others the way we would want to be treated. If you want to be treated with love and respect, then you must convey the same to others. The same is true if you treat others with disdain and disgust and disrespect, I can assure you that you will receive the same in kind.

40 Inspirational Movie Speeches in 2 Minutes!!!..... I Love It ♥ Great Job Matthew!

Matthew Belinke did an AMAZING job putting this video together. Enjoy! I have provided a transcript below.

TRANSCRIPT:

Shame on you. This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you're going to let it be the worst. And I guarantee a week won't go by in your life you won't regret walking out, letting them get the best of you. Well, I'm not going home. We've come too far! And I'm going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause. A day may come when the courage of men fails... but it is not THIS day. The line must be drawn HERE. This far, no further! I'm not saying it's going to be easy. You're going to work harder than you ever worked before. But that's fine, we'll just get tougher with it! If a person grits his teeth and shows real determination, failure is not an option. That's how winning is done! Believe me when I say we can break this army here, and win just one for the Gipper. But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time: you've got to get mad. I mean plum mad dog mean. If you would be free men, then you must fight to fulfill that promise! Let us cut out their living guts one inch at a time, and they will know what we can do! Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are lions! You're like a big bear, man! This is YOUR time! Seize the day, never surrender, victory or death... that's the Chicago Way! Who's with me? Clap! Clap! Don't let Tink die! Clap! Alright! Let's fly! And gentlemen in England now abed shall know my name is the Lord when I tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they'll never take our Independence Day!

10 Inspirational Quotes by Christopher Morley

Christopher Morley (May 5, 1890 – March 28, 1957) was an American journalist, novelist, essayist and poet. He also produced stage productions for a few years, and gave college lectures. Author of more than 100 books of essays, poetry, and novels, Morley is probably best known for his 1939 novel Kitty Foyle which was made into an Academy Award-winning movie. Another well-known work is Thunder on the Left (1925). From 1928 to 1930 Morley co-produced theater productions (dramas) on New Jersey stages.

He was one of the founders and long-time contributing editor of the Saturday Review of Literature. A highly gregarious man, he was the mainstay of what he dubbed the "Three Hours for Lunch Club". Out of enthusiasm for the Sherlock Holmes stories, he helped to found the Baker Street Irregulars and wrote the introduction to the standard omnibus edition of The Complete Sherlock Holmes. In 1936 he was appointed to revise and enlarge Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (11th edition in 1937, and 12th edition in 1948). He was one of the first judges for the Book of the Month Club, serving in that position until the early 1950s. [source: wikipedia]

10 Inspirational Quotes by Christopher Morley

1. Read, every day, something no one else is reading. Think, every day, something no one else is thinking. Do, every day, something no one else would be silly enough to do. It is bad for the mind to continually be part of unanimity.
   
   
2. The real purpose of books is to trap the mind into doing its own thinking.
   
   
3. There is only one success - to be able to spend your life in your own way.
   
   
4. The courage of the poet is to keep ajar the door that leads into madness.
   
   
5. The enemies of the future are always the very nicest people.
   
   
6. The bicycle, the bicycle surely, should always be the vehicle of novelists and poets.
   
   
7. There are three ingredients in the good life: learning, earning and yearning.
   
   
8. No one appreciates the very special genius of your conversation as the dog (and cat) does.
   
   
9. There is only one rule for being a good talker - learn to listen.
   
   
10. We call a child's mind 'small' simply by habit; perhaps it is larger than ours is, for it can take in almost anything without effort.

BONUS

I had a million questions to ask God: but when I met Him, they all fled my mind; and it didn't seem to matter.

BONUS BONUS

Humor is perhaps a sense of intellectual perspective: an awareness that some things are really important, others not; and that the two kinds are most oddly jumbled in everyday affairs.

Artist Expressing Their Uniqueness!

I would like to focus on art this evening. The picture above is a Salvador Dali piece titled, "Stillness in Time". I am using this Salvador Dali painting as an illustration for my response below. Each one of us has something unique to offer the world and we express this uniqueness in the format that comes most natural to us.

"Art is the process or product of deliberately arranging elements in a way to affect the senses or emotions. It encompasses a diverse range of human activities, creations, and modes of expression, including music, literature, film, photography, sculpture, and paintings. The meaning of art is explored in a branch of philosophy known as aesthetics." [source: wikipedia]

Take this Salvador Dali piece, I don't find it attractive. I would not want to pay money for this and then hang it on my wall. Even if someone gave this piece to me as a gift I would not hang it on my wall. But that's because it doesn't suit my taste. It doesn't mean I do not respect him as an artist nor does it mean that I don't appreciate his masterpiece. There are many people around the world who swoon over Salvador Dali works of art. That is a beautiful thing for both the artist and the receiver. Why you ask? Well because they have both found the perfect match that suits their taste.

I follow Mary J. Blige on Twitter because I love her as an artist. A woman sent Mary J. Blige a twitter message and she shared this message with us by retweeting (RT). I mention that because I would not know that this person asked her this question had she not retweeted (RT). I cleaned it up a little so that it could read more legibily. I would like to share my response with you that will conclude what I've shared with you above.

RT @MsDan371 @maryjblige Mary! Why are all your songs melodramatic tunes that explores the complexities of relationships! There are couples that are very happy!
8:12 PM Aug 5th

To which I replied, Did it ever occur to you that she is an artist EXPRESSING HERSELF and HER EXPERIENCES? RT @MsDan371 @maryjblige There are couples that are very happy.
8:33 PM Aug 5th

@MsDan371 cc: @maryjblige You either love, appreciate and connect with her masterpieces or you don't. As with any work of art.
8:41 PM Aug 5th

The Sky Full of Stars... What More Do You Need?

This beatiful message below should help you put things into perspective. But I would also like to share one of my own personal messages that helped me in my early 20's. My boss/mentor used to always tell me "Don't sweat the small stuff." To which I asked, "What is the small stuff." and he replied, "EVERYTHING." :)

The Sky Full of Stars... What More Do You Need?

[source: OSHO International]

Misery is an indication that you are going astray, a natural indication that you have lost track of truth. Bliss simply says that you are falling in line with the whole. Things are becoming harmonious, the garden of the Beloved is coming closer: the air feels cooler, winds bring the fragrance of the flowers, freshness, a new thrill, a new enthusiasm. Then you are moving towards the garden of the Beloved. Maybe you cannot see yet, but the direction is right.

Sometimes it happens that you become one, in some rare moment. Watch the ocean, the tremendous wildness of it -- and suddenly you forget your split, your schizophrenia; you relax. Or, moving in the Himalayas, seeing the virgin snow on the Himalaya peaks, suddenly a coolness surrounds you and you need not be false because there is no other human being to be false to. You fall together. Or, listening to beautiful music, you fall together. Whenever, in whatsoever situation, you become one, a peace, a happiness, a bliss, surrounds you, arises in you. You feel fulfilled. There is no need to wait for these moments -- these moments can become your natural life. These extraordinary moments can become ordinary moments -- that is the whole effort of Zen.

Don't wait for some great bliss to descend on you. It never happens. Great bliss is nothing but small pleasures accumulating in your being. The total of all the small pleasures is the great bliss. Eating, enjoy it. Drinking, enjoy it. Taking a bath, enjoy it. Walking, enjoy it. Such a beautiful world, such a beautiful morning, such beautiful clouds... what else do you need to celebrate? The sky full of stars... what more do you need to be prayerful? The sun rising from the east...what more do you need to bow down? And amidst a thousand and one thorns a small roseflower arises, opening its buds, so fragile, so vulnerable, yet so strong, so ready to fight with the wind, with the lightning, with the thunderings. Look at the courage... what more do you need to understand trust?

Over 90% of Bills Passed Secretly With No Debate, No Vote!!!

ABSOLUTE MUST WATCH! PLEASE GET INFORMED!

This seriously needs to STOP!

The Senate passes over 90 percent of legislation without any debate, without amendment, and without a roll call vote. NO MORE FREE RIDES on the taxpayers dime! We pay ALL of you to READ THE DAMN BILLS and know the laws that you are passing that will AFFECT ALL OF US CITIZENS! and another thing, QUIT EXCLUDING YOURSELVES from the LAWS that you IMPOSE on all of us citizens!

God Wants You To Know That You Are NOT ALONE!

Wow! This is an AMAZING song! God wants ALL of us to know that we ARE NOT ALONE! Please listen to His message for you!

I spent the day debating global issues as usual with a number of different people from all over the world. Although today I was being extra challenged on all fronts. It has been an insane week of sorts with an extra heap of bullsh*t thrown on all of us. On top of that, the dark forces have been giving it all they've got. The following Telegraph article confirmed what I had been feeling this week:

[Telegraph UK 08/20/10] Albino girl, 11, killed and beheaded in Swaziland ’for witchcraft’: As her friends looked on, the man shot her in the back before dragging her away. Her headless body was found upriver a short time later.

These evil people are not even doing this in secret. This was BOLD doing this in public like that and then dragging her body like it was nothing. I wrote this in response to this article, "May God help us all... :/ The dark forces have kicked it up several notches! All of us really NEED to have our roots buried DEEP in the Spirit! and vigilantly protecting ourselves and those we hold dear by pleading the blood and by way of prayer and meditation in earnest." All I have to say is that this week has left me feeling much like a spiritual martial artists with many things happening at once and coming from all sides.

This was my last comment I posted on facebook this evening, "What comes to mind right now is satan is the author of confusion. satan comes to steal, kill and destroy. Whether you believe in God or satan or NOT... demonic forces do exist and so do Angelic forces. The spiritual battle is on HIGH ALERT! So with that being said, always remember the following: "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." [2 Timothy 1:7]"

After I posted this, I decided I was done debating for the week or just done. I logged off and went to the store to buy beer, chips and dip so I can come back home, relax and watch a light hearted feel good movie. I had a great conversation with the cashier about beer choices and he helped to lighten up the mood and put a smile on my face. Then as I was driving back home, this song came on the radio!!! There was NO DENYING that was God letting me know that everything is going to be okay and just continue to put my trust and faith in Him. I cried tears of happiness the rest of the way home and now I'm sharing this message with you so you too can feel the same sense of love and security from our Heavenly Father. Yahshua is the best friend you'll ever have. ♥

Oh believe me ALL of my TRUST and FAITH is in God Almighty and NO ONE ELSE. The same should be true for you. I know that God will have the last WORD. After all, God is Alpha and Omega... the Beginning and the End.

For You I Will ~ by Monica

Yes, when you're feeling lost in the night

When you feel your world just ain't right

Call on me, I will be waiting

Count on me, I will be there

Anytime the times get too tough

Anytime your best ain't enough

I'll be the one to make it better

I'll be there to protect you, see you through

I'll be there, and there is nothing, I won't do

I will cross the ocean for you

I will go and bring you the moon

I will be your hero, your strength, anything you need

I will be the sun in your sky

I will light your way for all time, promise you

For you I will, yes yeah, yeah

I will shield your heart from the rain

I won't let no harm come your way

Oh, these arms will be your shelter

No, these arms won't let you down

If there is a mountain to move

I will move that mountain for you

I'm here for you, I'm here forever

I will be your fortress tall and strong

I'll keep you safe, I'll stand beside you right or wrong

Lay my life on the line, for you I will fight, oh

For you I will die, with every breath, with all my soul

I'll give my word, I'll give it all

Put your faith in me, put your faith in me

And I'll do anything...oh...

I promise you, for you I will

Son of Iranian Muslim Terrorist Group Hamas Founder, Rips Ground-Zero Mosque

What leaves me scratching my head today is why would liberals who have ALWAYS REBELED against RELIGION for as long as I can remember, SUDDENLY strongly SUPPORT the Muslim religion and are even going out of their way to DEFEND them! Why? Most especially my gay friends. Don't they KNOW that Muslims HATE gay people and would be HAPPY to have ALL GAY PEOPLE EXTERMINATED off of the face of this planet without ANY REMORSE!

UPDATE 08/21/10: I woke up this morning with this in mind, I have a question to pose to all of my gay friends. How would you feel if these so-called Moderate Muslims planned to erect a 13 story Mosque on Santa Monica Blvd in West Hollywood or on Castro Street in San Francisco or on Christopher Street West in Manhattan?!?!?! Hmmm... I seriously want you to chew on this question for a while. How would that make YOU FEEL? And what if you voiced your discontent about their building this Mosque where I stated above and asked them to please reconsider building elsewhere and them turning around and giving you the middle finger with a LOUD F*** Y** we have the RIGHT to build this Mosque here and we don't give a damn if it MAKES YOU UNHAPPY!

No one is saying the Muslims don't have the RIGHT to build that Mosque. Just like I would have the RIGHT to build a multi-level Gay Club next door to the Mosque and I would have the RIGHT to build a pork speciality restaurant on the other side of the Mosque. The difference between "them" and me or someone like me is that I would NOT consider taking this kind of action OUT OF RESPECT FOR THEM. Therein lies the difference! They DO NOT KNOW the meaning of the word RESPECT.

I do not hate Muslims per se. I love and respect peaceful loving Muslims. I followed Benazir Bhutto for many years. She was a peace loving Muslim. She was very OUTSPOKEN about the radical islamic faith. And guess what? Benazir Bhutto was ASSASINATED in Pakistan right before their elections by the RADICAL MUSLIM EXTREMIST that she was trying to EXPOSE many many TRUTHS about. They had to take her LIFE because she posed a THREAT against their agenda to FORCEFULLY CONVERT muslims and non-muslims to their SICK PERVERTED VERSION of the Koran and wanting to IMPOSE SHARIA LAW on the WORLD!