Merry Christmas!

As We Continue Down This Path...

My reply to this post: 


How horrible was it that Cain killed Abel? Evil has existed since that time!

An excerpt from the song "I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day" that was written in 1863;

 And in despair I bowed my head;
"There is no peace on earth," I said;
"For hate is strong,
And mocks the song
Of peace on earth, good-will to men!"

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
"God is not dead, nor doth He sleep;
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men." 

WE all know so many good people and have witnessed so much love each and every day in our own lives, let us count our blessings and lean on the promise Christ came to convey; Life Everlasting because HE came to deliver us from sin.

Tax The Rich: An Animated Fairy Tale ~Ed Asner

Badge Of Honor

There Is No Peace On Earth I Said...

Truly He taught us to love one another,

His law is love and His gospel is peace.

Chains he shall break, for the slave is our brother.

And in his name all oppression shall cease.

"Oh Holy Night"

Adolphe Charles Adam (1847)

♥

The following article is from: Guardian Africa Network

The Uganda anti-homosexuality bill is back in parliament. Its return was announced by the speaker, Rebecca Kadaga, who, according to this report, is committed to passing it by the end of the year, although Ugandan activists believe it could be passed as early as this week.

Speaker Rebecca Kadaga told the Associated Press that the bill, which originally mandated death for some gay acts, will become law this year.

Ugandans "are demanding it", she said, reiterating a promise she made before a meeting on Friday of anti-gay activists who spoke of "the serious threat" posed by homosexuals to Uganda's children. Some Christian clerics at the meeting in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, asked the speaker to pass the law as "a Christmas gift".

The latest news is that the death penalty clause has been removed although the threat of death remains. The second objective states the bill will "prohibit and penalize homosexual behaviour and related practices in Uganda as they constitute a threat to the traditional family".

The phrase "related practices" could mean anything and leaves the door open to subjective interpretations. This is later spelled out in more detail to the extent that "touching – with the intent to commit a homosexual act" is a crime. Any form of advocacy and failure to report an offense will be subject to a fine and up to three years in prison. This will include medical staff, counselors, priests and pastors, employers and family members. One of the worst aspects of the bill is in clause five, which effectively allows "victims" to kill anyone they claim has committed a homosexual offense against them.

[1] A victim of homosexuality shall not be penalized for any crime committed as a direct result of his or her involvement in homosexuality.

The violence has already begun as LGBTI (lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and intersex) and those perceived as being LGBTI have been arrested and harassed. Once the law is in place the potential for acts of physical violence against LGBTI people is very real. We should not forget the murder of David Kato in January 2011. Under the anti-homosexuality bill his murderer would be free today. This clause is an open invitation to lynch LGBTI people so in reality the death penalty remains.

The jurisdiction of the bill extends beyond the borders of Uganda and includes the "nullification of inconsistent international treaties, protocols declarations and conventions". It remains relevant if:

[a] a person who, while being a citizen of or permanently residing in Uganda, commits an act outside Uganda, which act would constitute an offence under this Act had it been committed in Uganda; or

[b] the offence was committed partly outside and or partly in Uganda.

Although we are told the bill is supported by the majority of parliament and the country, there are dissenting voices. Blogger Sebaspace says that some politicians, including the president, do not support the bill. He also quotes the former mayor of Kampala as saying he thought the bill unnecessary but that it was too risky to oppose it, which begs the question of how many other parliamentarians support the bill for similar reasons, including, some say, Madam Kadaga herself.


We already know that Uganda's president, Yoweri Museveni, doesn't like the anti-gay bill because he has said so publicly. Yes, it was wrung out of him by a persistent foreign press but Museveni is on record about his views which are that homosexuality is not new in Africa and, more pertinently, that he doesn't want anything to do with this bill. His motivation for rejecting the bill is debatable of course – but that's not our concern right now.

One of Museveni's long term advisers, John Nnagenda, is also on record condemning the bill.

We also know that the outgoing leader of the opposition, Forum for Democratic Changes's Kizza Besigye, would have decriminalized homosexuality if he had had the chance because he is on record saying so a month before the last elections, which he lost to Museveni.

The complete bill in PDF format can be read here. For updates and questions on how to support the campaign to stop it follow on Twitter: @frankmugisha and @Seba_Space  PDF format can be read here. For updates and questions on how to support the campaign to stop it follow@frankmugisha and @Seba_Space

♥

And in despair I bowed my head:

"There is no peace on earth," I said,

"For hate is strong and mocks the song

Of peace on earth, good will to men."

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:

"God is not dead, nor doth he sleep;

The wrong shall fail, the right prevail,

With peace on earth, good will to men."

"I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day"

Henry Wadsworth Longfellow ( 1867)

♥

Why do we celebrate Christmas, Why did HE come down to us?

John 8:1-11

King James Version (KJV)

8 Jesus went unto the mount of Olives.

² And early in the morning he came again into the temple, and all the people came unto him; and he sat down, and taught them.
³ And the scribes and Pharisees brought unto him a woman taken in adultery; and when they had set her in the midst,
⁴ They say unto him, Master, this woman was taken in adultery, in the very act.
⁵ Now Moses in the law commanded us, that such should be stoned: but what sayest thou?
⁶ This they said, tempting him, that they might have to accuse him. But Jesus stooped down, and with his finger wrote on the ground, as though he heard them not.
⁷ So when they continued asking him, he lifted up himself, and said unto them, He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her.
⁸ And again he stooped down, and wrote on the ground.
⁹ And they which heard it, being convicted by their own conscience, went out one by one, beginning at the eldest, even unto the last: and Jesus was left alone, and the woman standing in the midst.
¹⁰ When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?
¹¹ She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more.

Unconditional love is known as affection without any limitations.

The Fiscal Cliff ~ Budget Cuts...

Watch this video made by a kid from a nearby school here in  Berks County, PA

President Dwight Eisenhower ~ Military–Industrial Complex

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953

To learn more about the Military Industrial Complex: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military%E2%80%93industrial_complex

Algae Biodiesel Fuel Available in Redwood City, CA

Many of you may remember this adorable child in one of our most favorite Christmas movies Prancer. Well here is what she is doing today...
Rebecca Harrell Tickell
Just filled up on Algae Biodiesel at the gas station! That's right! We were the first people in line at the pump here in Redwood City (San Fran). Thanks Solazyme and Propel for making algae fuel finally available to the public.
Like · · 58 minutes ago near Redwood City, CA · 

She and her husband Josh are trying to Save Planet Earth and doing a great job too! Thank You Rebecca and Josh Tickell!

Veterans Day 2012

“Let every nation know, whether it wishes us well or ill, that we shall pay any price, bear any burden, meet any hardship, support any friend, oppose any foe to assure the survival and the success of liberty”~ John F. Kennedy

In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved, and were loved, and now we lie
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.

— Lt.-Col. John McCrae (1872 - 1918)

What we now know as Veteran's Day was originally designated a holiday by President Woodrow Wilson to commemorate the signing of the Peace Treaty of WWI on November 11, 1919 and it was called Armistice Day.

Armistice by definition is a temporary suspension of hostilities by agreement of the warring parties; truce.

This day was first known as Veteran's Day on November 8, 1954, and it then became a day to honor all Veterans of All wars.

This year while we honor those who served in our armed forces, let us not forget that war should always be a very last resort in resolving conflict, and that the original purpose was to remember the END of war.

"History teaches that war begins when governments believe the price of aggression is cheap." Ronald Reagan

"Every gun that is made, every warship launched, every rocket fired signifies in the final sense, a theft from those who hunger and are not fed, those who are cold and are not clothed. This world in arms is not spending money alone. It is spending the sweat of its laborers, the genius of its scientists, the hopes of its children. This is not a way of life at all in any true sense. Under the clouds of war, it is humanity hanging on a cross of iron." Dwight D. Eisenhower April 16, 1953

I know not with what weapons World War III will be fought, but World War IV will be fought with sticks and stones. ~ Albert Einstein

Press Coverage Video Of The Devastation Of Seaside Heights, NJ

Seaside Heights was like Disney to many of the shore lovers of NJ! Many of us have memories of a sunny summer day spent there with family. When you look at the devastation of a place you knew very well it really does hit home. 

Many were fortunate to have no loss of life, but certainly a loss of their way of life and livelihood. Acknowledging that there are other disasters in the world where there was a greater loss of life and livelihood doesn't diminish the overwhelming sense of hopelessness when viewing the devastation in this video.

Remembering how a flood from Hurricane Ivan had taken out our beloved historical Bushkill Park of Easton, PA in 2004 and it hasn't recovered makes me wonder if the Seaside Heights we remember will recover from this loss or become somewhat of a different kind of shore destination.

Below is a video slide of Seaside Heights from our trip there in 2010 including several shots of the pier in the video before the devastation of Hurricane Sandy.

Here is another blog of the damage to Ocean Grove with a video and slide: http://jardinami.blogspot.com/2012/11/ocean-grove-before-and-after-hurricane.html

Jersey Shore/Seaside Heights Pier before and after Hurricane Sandy

I saw the above photo of Seaside Heights Pier after Hurricane Sandy hit the Jersey Shore on October 29, 2012 and thought of the last time I had been there.  Here is a slide of my memories of our 2010 Jersey Shore vacation which included Seaside Heights.  This past year we vacationed in Avon By The Sea, and Sea  Bright.

Stewarts Root Beer Stand Tuckerton Oct.29, 2012

Stewarts Root Beer Stand Tuckerton 2010

Russell Means

SIOUX FALLS, SOUTH DAKOTA
Wednesday, October 24, 2012

Russell Means died Monday, October 22nd, 2012, at the age of 72. In this program, Means speaks about his experiences at Wounded Knee forty years after the attack in South Dakota and highlights the history of Native Americans in the U.S., specifically his personal struggles with the American government. In February of 1973, Oglala Lakota Indians and members of the American Indian Movement seized and occupied the town of Wounded Knee, South Dakota. For the next few months hostilities ensued, resulting in both Native American and U.S. officials’ deaths. Russell Means was indicted on charges related to the event but was never convicted. Means was also a film and television actor and has published an autobiography titled, “Where White Men Fear to Tread.” This program was hosted by the Center for Western Studies at Augustana College.
Please go to this link and watch this video, you will be all the better for taking this time to learn about our Native American People: http://www.c-span.org/Events/C-SPAN-Event/10737432361/

 I Love A People ~ George  Catlin

I love a people who have always made me feel welcome to the best they had.

I love a people who are honest without laws, who have no jails and no poorhouses.

I love a people who keep the commandments without ever having read them or heard them preached from the pulpit.

I love a people who never swear, who never take the name of God in vain.

I love a people who love their neighbor as they love themselves.

I love a people who worship God without a bible, for I believe that God loves them also.

I love a people whose religion is all the same, and who are free from religious animosity.

I love a people who have never raised a hand against me, or stole my property, where there was no law to punish them for either.

I love a people who have never fought a battle with white men, except on their own ground.

I love and don't fear mankind where God has made and left them, for there they are children.

I love a people who live and keep what is their own without locks and keys.

I love a people who do the best they can.

And oh, how I love a people who don't live for the love of money

George Catlin: http://americanart.si.edu/catlin/highlights.html

American Indian Movement: http://www.aimovement.org/

The Lutheran Church and AIMhttp://www.livinglutheran.com/seeds/a-relationship-with-native-nations.html#.UI2e3G_A9Lc 

Voting Green Party November 6th

This is from my son-in-law Mike:

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  I posted this to my wall as one of my normal political rants, but I thought this one was so important that I'd personally send it to some of my favorite political chatters online in case you missed my wall. Even if you don't totally agree, please consider sharing with anyone you know who leans 3rd party.
  I think I finally have an OUTSTANDING argument for you to vote Green Party (or another 3rd party) on November 6th. I'd like to think ALL my arguments were good over the past year that I've been so heavily on this bandwagon, but this one I think answers your final concerns. Ok, I'll admit. Even though it is mathematically possible, the chances of enough Americans having a "coming to Jesus" moment to miraculously get Jill Stein in office on November 6th are quite slim. So therefore, the skeptics' argument to me is "don't waste your vote and vote for the lesser of two evils." Well, here's ANOTHER reason your vote is not wasted. If a third party gets 5% of the national vote on November 6th, that will give them $20+ million in federal matching funds in the next major election. And unfortunately, we know that the only reason Obama or Romney will be our next President is because they have $$. An extra $20+ million would be HUGE in getting a Green candidate actually elected in the near future. But even if we don't make 5%, then 3% would be the best independent party showing in recent history, which would also get us more on the map by the media. And again, what's the second most important thing after money? The media. So YOUR VOTE IS NOT WASTED even if Stein/Johnson/Anderson/Goode/Barr/etc. don't win! There. Do you feel better now? VOTE THIRD PARTY and tell Romney and Obama to forget it.

  

Where did piss poor come from ?

Interesting facts that I received in an email today, and thought I would share them:  Where did piss poor come from ? We older people need to learn something new every day... Just to keep the gray matter tuned up. Where did "Piss Poor" come from? Interesting History. They used to use urine to tan animal skins, so families used to all pee in a pot. And then once it was full it was taken and sold to the tannery... if you had to do this to survive you were "Piss Poor". But worse than that were the really poor folk who couldn't even afford to buy a pot... They "didn't have a pot to piss in" and were the lowest of the low. The next time you are washing your hands and complain because the water temperature Isn't just how you like it, think about how things used to be. Here are some facts about the 1500's: Most people got married in June because they took their yearly bath in May, And they still smelled pretty good by June. However, since they were starting to smell, Brides carried a bouquet of flowers to hide the body odor. Hence the custom today of carrying a bouquet when getting married. Baths consisted of a big tub filled with hot water. The man of the house had the privilege of the nice clean water, Then all the other sons and men, then the women and finally the children. Last of all the babies. By then the water was so dirty you could actually lose someone in it. Hence the saying, "Don't throw the baby out with the Bath water!" Houses had thatched roofs-thick straw-piled high, with no wood underneath. It was the only place for animals to get warm, so all the cats and other small animals (mice, bugs) lived in the roof. When it rained it became slippery and sometimes the animals would slip and fall off the roof. Hence the saying, "It's raining cats and dogs." There was nothing to stop things from falling into the house. This posed a real problem in the bedroom where bugs and other droppings Could mess up your nice clean bed. Hence, a bed with big posts and a sheet hung over the top afforded some protection. That's how canopy beds came into existence. The floor was dirt. Only the wealthy had something other than dirt. Hence the saying, "Dirt poor." The wealthy had slate floors that would get slippery In the winter when wet, so they spread thresh (straw) on the floor to help keep their footing. As the winter wore on, they added more thresh until, when you opened the door, It would all start slipping outside. A piece of wood was placed in the entrance-way. Hence: a thresh hold. (Getting quite an education, aren't you?) In those old days, they cooked in the kitchen with a big kettle that always hung over the fire. Every day they lit the fire and added things to the pot. They ate mostly vegetables And did not get much meat. They would eat the stew for dinner, leaving leftovers In the pot to get cold overnight and then start over the next day. Sometimes stew had food in it that had been there for quite a while. Hence the rhyme: �Peas porridge hot, peas porridge cold, peas porridge in the pot nine days old�. Sometimes they could obtain pork, which made them feel quite special. When visitors came over, they would hang up their bacon to show off. It was a sign of wealth that a man could, "bring home the bacon." They would cut off a little to share with guests And would all sit around and chew the fat. Those with money had plates made of pewter. Food with high acid content caused some of the lead to leach onto the food, causing lead poisoning death. This happened most often with tomatoes, so for the next 400 years or so, tomatoes were considered poisonous. Bread was divided according to status. Workers got the burnt bottom of the loaf, the family got the middle, and guests got the top, or the upper crust. Lead cups were used to drink ale or whisky. The combination would sometimes knock the imbibers out for a couple of days. Someone walking along the road would take them for dead and prepare them for burial. They were laid out on the kitchen table for a couple of days and the family would gather around and eat and drink and wait and see if they would wake up. Hence the custom; of holding a wake. England is old and small and the local folks started running out of places to bury people. So they would dig up coffins and would take the bones to a bone-house, and reuse the grave.. When reopening these coffins, 1 out of 25 coffins were found to have scratch marks on the inside and they realized they had been burying people alive. So they would tie a string on the wrist of the corpse, lead it through the coffin and up through the ground and tie it to a bell. Someone would have to sit out in the graveyard all night (the graveyard shift) to listen for the bell; thus, someone could be, saved by the bell or was "considered a dead ringer. And that's the truth. Now, whoever said History was boring!!! So get out there and educate someone! ~~~ Share these facts with a friend. Inside every older person is a younger person wondering, 'What the heck happened?' We'll be friends until we are old and senile. Then we'll be new friends. Smile, it gives your face something to do! Soon we'll all be Piss Poor

Michelle Obama is a LOYAL American, proving the liars wrong again!

Just another example of the LIARS who love to PHOTO SHOP and disseminated their lies on the Internet! This makes me so angry! Who comes up with this CRAP? How desperate are they to use deception to promote their agenda!

Here is the REAL photo!

Here is a link to the entire story with more photos: http://theobamadiary.com/2011/11/11/san-diego/

Go Get Em Joe

Trick or Treat For UNICEF

How Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF 

Supports Child Survival

 http://youth.unicefusa.org/trickortreat/About/

Rash Decisions

A huge fear of mine, is that young girls who think that they are wiser than the adults in their lives can handle a relationship and will fall prey to their desire to be loved by that "perfect boy". Then they make rash decisions that can alter their entire life in a single moment. I wonder what awaits this teen because of this rash decision: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2012/10/kara_alongi_teen_whose_tweet_s.htm

The Real Cost Of Fossil Fuel...

Sharing from Facebook: 

In fact, coal is so economically disastrous that the mainstream journal American Economics Review found that the electricity generated from coal actually does more damage to the economy than the electricity is worth. Grist’s David Roberts notes that “Coal-fired power is a net value-subtracting industry. A parasite, you might say. A gigantic, blood-sucking parasite that’s enriching a few executives and shareholders at the public’s expense.”

http://www.treehugger.com/energy-policy/true-cost-fossil-fuels.html

Watch The Whole Thing, All The Way Through & Then THINK!

 

VOTE GREEN, VOTE CONSCIENCE, PUSH THE REAL AGENDA FORWARD, MAKE THE DIFFERENCE!  

“Being ignorant is not so much a shame, as being unwilling to learn.”
― Benjamin Franklin

“The most fatal illusion is the settled point of view. Since life is growth and motion, a fixed point of view kills anybody who has one.”
― Brooks Atkinso

The message of this video is real, it is time for change, we have been following the agenda of Big Corp for far too long, we have had our heads in the sand, we need to use Democracy to make the difference.  We need to get back our right to VOTE...we have lost it...our elections are tainted...we are no longer ruling as a United States but we are being ruled by the 99%.   United we stand VOTE Green!

My favorite quote from this video is this:  "We waged wars on poverty not poor people!"

 http://www.jillstein.org/

JIll Stein Rap...

Jill Stein

Thanks to students Connor Hallman, Adam Hersko-RonaTas, Hunter Pauker, and Isaih Porter for making this Jill Stein, Green New Deal rap! Watch, enjoy

Jill Stein On Climate Change

 
From Jill Stein Facebook Page

Climate change cannot be ignored any longer! Take part in the National Day of Action on Sunday and join our digital Town Hall at 4pmPST/7pmEST to hear about Jill's proposed solutions. (Special guests Colin Beavan will moderate and Bill McKibben will be our science expert.) http://www.jillstein.org/digital_town_hall_climate_change_q_a_with_dr_jill_stein

Back Porch Smoking Food On An Electric Grill

My husband Roger purchased this electric grill last summer in the "Bargain Cave" at Cabelas here in Tilden Township/Hamburg, PA.  He kept telling me that it was a smoker too and that we could use wood chips in it to smoke food.  

This past August while shopping at Cabelas Roger purchased some wood chips.  He ended up getting two bags, one Hickory, one Apple Wood.  I think they were about six dollars a bag.

They were definitely worth the six dollars.  A bag will last quite a long time.  The first thing I roasted was a standing rib pork roast using the Apple Wood on Labor Day. It was so moist and so delicious! There were no leftovers.   

The next thing I smoked were New York Strip Steaks using the Hickory Wood, and honestly we did not care for our steak with a Hickory flavor.  

I then smoked a ham using a combination of the Apple Wood and the Hickory Wood following the directions on the ham for the amount of time at 350 degrees.  It was absolutely scrumptious! My porch smelled like Cracker Barrel!  That is another benefit of this grill. When you smoke food your outdoor living space smells like a 17th Century Farm Living Re-enactment! It reminds me of our beloved yearly first week of October visit to Millbrook Village on Mine Road in Hardwick Township, NJ.  

I suppose any kind of grill with a lid will work.  You just place the chips on a sheet of aluminum foil and fold over enclosing the chips, then poke many holes in the top.  Place the package  on the rack next to the thing you are going to roast/smoke. I put the foil package of wood chips on the grill about twenty-thirty minutes before the food item, to get the wood started. 

Because I wanted to save the ham juices I created a pan using several sheets of heavy duty aluminum foil, I loosely covered the ham and about halfway through removed the cover.  I added the glaze in the last 20 minutes.   

I made a soup with the leftover ham and bone and it also had a smokey flavor and it was very tasty! 

My next attempt at smoking will be a Turkey! Not sure if I want to wait until Thanksgiving though.  I am too much of a Traditionalist to have Smoked Turkey on Thanksgiving!

The Wise Words Of Jack Barker, Political Activist and Blogger

PA Ren Faire Oktoberfest Is Back Again ~ 2012

It is back again Oktoberfest at the PA Ren Faire: http://www.parenfaire.com/faire/weekend8.php

Photo Album From Past Faires:

The Frist Day Of Autumn At The Jersey Shore

We attended our niece's wedding on September 21, 2012 in Sea Bright, NJ/Jersey Shore. The next afternoon, the first day of Autumn 2012 we took a ride down to Ocean Grove, Avon By The Sea, and Neptune City.