Blue Marsh Lake, Berks County, PA

http://www.schuylkillriver.org/detail.aspx?id=75

One of our favorite places to have a picnic and swim too is Blue Marsh Lake, just 15 miles from my home in picturesque Berks County, PA.

 Photos of one such outing:

A Video Slide of another:







Here is a link to a great blog on Berks County

The Other Casualty Of War-Suicide

In Memory of James Aravich 1947-1981

Not all the casualties of war happen in combat. There are many who come home changed forever, self medicating they deal with the pain. Many have committed suicide when the pain was more than they could handle.  They too should be honored for their service for they are just as much a casualty of war.

In memory of James "Snake" Aravich. He was so handsome in his 1966 Phillipsburg High School Senior class picture.  He went to Viet Nam.  His company was captured and he was left hanging in a tree for dead.  He lived to come home, self medicating, and homeless. One November night in 1981 he could no longer take the pain and lay down in front of an oncoming train in Alpha, NJ.

That is  one paragraph on one soldier, read more about this casualty of war: http://www.projectcensored.org/top-stories/articles/1-more-us-soldiers-committed-suicide-than-died-in-combat/

http://www.thefix.com/content/veterans-PTSD-TBI-CTE-addiction?page=all


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/15/veteran-death-nation-shame_n_1427263.html

 http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breaking-news/index.ssf/2012/05/america_churning_out_most_medi.html

Assuring The Survival Of Liberty, Honoring All Who Serve

I am an American, and these are my beliefs...

“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)

"Either war is obsolete, or men are. "Buckminster Fuller

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

When A Property Is Invaded By The Neighbor's Negligence

I found this very lovely blog on gardening entitled Annie's Kitchen Garden.  Below is a photo of her neighbor's hedges invading her property. 
 

This is the comment under this photo on this lovely blog:  My son Scott and I did cut back her hedge, but only where it came onto our property. It had grown so huge and wide, we could no longer get our lawnmower into the back yard! This narrow strip is the only path for the riding mower. Oh, how I miss my old neighbor Pat. she had the hedge professionally trimmed three times a year.

Oh, well. I'll just have to learn to live with it :-( 

Why should she have to live with it?

I think that it is shameful that a neighbor would take advantage of another neighbor in such a manner.  This woman obviously takes care of her property and wants it to have ascetic value. Every property owner pays taxes on each inch of their land.  There is no reason why any resident of that property should be denied access to one single inch of that property because of the negligence of a neighbor.  I am sure that if she checks out the municipal codes the neighbor is in violation and it is most likely legal to cut back over growth onto your own property. In some communities the negligent party is ordered to clean up the overgrowth and if it is not completed in a timely manner the community hires a professional service to clean it up and the negligent property owner is billed, and often fined. 


What makes a Neighborhood? As per Wikipedia: A neighbourhood or neighborhood (see spelling differences) is a geographically localised community within a larger city, town or suburb. Neighbourhoods are often social communities with considerable face-to-face interaction among members. "Researchers have not agreed on an exact definition. Neighbourhood is generally defined spatially as a specific geographic area and functionally as a set of social networks. Neighbourhoods, then, are the spatial units in which face-to-face social interactions occur – the personal settings and situations where residents seek to realise common values, socialise youth, and maintain effective social control."

What makes a neighbor: As per Dictionary.com: 

neigh·bor

   [ney-ber] Show IPA

noun

1.

a person who lives near another.

2.

a person or thing that is near another.

3.

one's fellow human being: to be generous toward one's less fortunate neighbors.

4.

a person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward his or her fellow humans: to be a neighbor to someone in distress.

5.

(used as a term of address, especially as a friendly greeting to a stranger): Tell me, neighbor, which way to town?

I really love the #3 definition:  A person who shows kindliness or helpfulness toward his or her fellow humans.

 What makes a bad neighbor? 

It is my opinion Annie's neighbor is a bad neighbor. Her blatant disregard for her neighbor's property is a form of harassment. To knowingly allow this mess to invade a neighbor's private property.  To disturb persistently!

ha·rass

   [huh-ras, har-uhs] Show IPA

verb (used with object)

1.

to disturb persistently; torment, as with troubles or cares; bother continually; pester; persecute.

2.

to trouble by repeated attacks, incursions, etc., as in war or hostilities; harry; raid.

It is very sad that Annie cannot enjoy her garden as she should be allowed to enjoy it.  Some neighbors need to learn what it means to be a good neighbor.  

Fifty Shades Of Grey

What do you think of this book banning in libraries across the US? http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/05/09/book-banned-fifty-shades-of-grey_n_1503949.html


The funny thing is that I have discovered that the more controversial the book reviews; the more books are sold.  The human psyche is funny about discerning for oneself what one finds acceptable. There are those that spend hours trying to convince the masses that they know what is right for them, and they are just wasting their time.  Perhaps they should take the advice of our God who gave all humans a free will to use...and just let them use it for themselves.


I do not believe in book banning.  Perhaps certain books should be rated as the movies are!

A Prayer

Father, I ask
You to bless my friends, relatives and those
that I care deeply for, who are reading this
right now. Show them a new revelation of Your
love and power. Holy Spirit, I ask You to
minister to their spirit at this very moment.
Where there is pain, give them Your peace and
mercy.. Where there is self-doubt, release a
renewed confidence through Your grace. Where
there is need, I ask you to fulfill their needs.
Bless their homes, families, finances, their
goings and their comings.
Amen.

Sharing: Report: 'Over-Consumption' Threatening Earth

"Dear Lord, Please make the adults responsible and give us a future."

 

  Sharing from: http://www.commondreams.org/headline/2012/05/15#.T7JNg5At5CU.facebook

Report: 'Over-Consumption' Threatening Earth

If rampant misuse of resources continues, even two planets would not sustain us

- Common Dreams staff

Humans are using 50 percent more resources than the Earth can provide, and unless fundamental changes are made in the way we produce energy, food, and if we cannot curb our consumption of other natural resources that number will continue to skyrocket, according to a new report. Released today by the the World Wildlife Fund, The Living Planet Report, warns that if humans cannot shift their behavior by 2030, even two planets will not be enough to support modern society.
High income nations -- which translates into high levels of consumption -- are doing the most damage to the planet per capita. The report names Qatar as the country with the largest ecological footprint, followed by its Gulf Arab neighbours Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates. Denmark and the United States made up the remaining top five, calculated by comparing the renewable resources consumed against the earth's regenerative capacity.
Though the WWF's survey follows many others as it paints a grim scenario of the cumulative pressure humankind is putting on the planet, and the consequent decline in the health of the world's forests, rivers and oceans, it also makes note of the many available solutions.
"We do have a choice," write Jim Leape, WWF International's director general. "We can create a prosperous future that pro- vides food, water and energy for the 9 or perhaps 10 billion people who will be sharing the planet in 2050."
The Living Planet Report finds:
• Biodiversity continues to be lost: Populations of species continue to decline, with tropical and freshwater species experiencing the biggest declines. Learn more
• The U.S. has the fifth largest ecological footprint in terms of the amount of resources each person annually consumes. We rank only behind Qatar, Kuwait, United Arab Emirates, and Denmark in the global rankings of the Ecological Footprint. Learn more
• Resource scarcity is already being experienced across the globe, as 2.7 billion people around the world already are forced to cope with water scarcity during at least one month a year.

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http://www.gp.org/index.php

For Mother's Day, Mom You Were Right There For Me

My Mother Who Was Always Right There For Me

"There You'll Be"

When I think back
On these times
And the dreams
We left behind
I'll be glad 'cause
I was blessed to get
To have you in my life
When I look back
On these days
I'll look and see your face
You were right there for me

[Chorus:]
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be

Well you showed me
How it feels
To feel the sky
Within my reach
And I always
Will remember all
The strength you
Gave to me
Your love made me
Make it through
Oh, I owe so much to you
You were right there for me

[Repeat chorus]

'Cause I always saw in you
My light, my strength
And I want to thank you
Now for all the ways
You were right there for me
You were right there for me
For always

[Chorus:]
In my dreams
I'll always see you soar
Above the sky
In my heart
There will always be a place
For you for all my life
I'll keep a part
Of you with me
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
And everywhere I am
There you'll be
There you'll be 

 

Mother's Day 2012 marks my 20th Mother's Day without your physical presence, but you will always be here in my heart.

Words Of A Wise Man on Muck Raking

Likeness Of President Theodore Roosevelt On Mount Rushmore

 "There are, in the body politic, economic and social, many and grave evils, and there is urgent necessity for the sternest war upon them. There should be relentless exposure of and attack upon every evil man whether politician or business man, every evil practice, whether in politics, in business, or in social life. I hail as a benefactor every writer or speaker, every man who, on the platform, or in book, magazine, or newspaper, with merciless severity makes such attack, provided always that he in his turn remembers that the attack is of use only if it is absolutely truthful... from John Bunyan’s 1678 classic, Pilgrim’s Progress you may recall the description of the Man with the Muck-rake, the man who could look no way but downward with the muck-rake in his hands; Who was offered a celestial crown for his muck-rake, but who would neither look up nor regard the crown he was offered, but continued to rake to himself the filth of the floor.”    ^{Theodore Roosevelt}

 

I remember learning about the Muck Rakers like Upton Sinclair in College English III with Mr. Emery while attending Phillipsburg High School way back in 1969.  I thought perhaps it would be an honorable thing to do; exposing those who take advantage of the regular man who plods on each day to keep a roof over the heads of his family.  


This is why I write my little blog here on BlogSpot to perhaps make a small difference in this world that the Lord our God has given us in good faith.


I am thankful for my two thousand(As per Mixmap) or so readers from as many as 22 different countries since its inception.  Just in the past three months I have tracked with the flags on the left margin, and have gained around 1525 readers from 12 countries. 


Because I value my readers, I strive to report only the absolute truth and you will notice that I often refute the lies that are so callously spread throughout the Internet.  


Tabloid style journalism is so disgraceful. They spread lies faster than a  wild brush fire in California.  Then they wonder why they are not respected by the real journalists that report fact not fiction. 

They have been offered the celestial crown and choose to continue to rake to themselves the filth of the floor!