A Pile of Rant

I find it amusing that people will actually remember what I blogged ages ago. The other day someone asked me about a film or something and when I replied, they'd like to have a cow because that is not how I responded a year ago. Well excuse me! You see, a year ago was a long time. If ppl kept the same opinions about things and the same convictions or beliefs to the T it would be a boring world with boring people! RT? Anyway, finally got into the spring yard work mood this weekend. went out and got an S load of topsoil for the box around my plum tree and planted wild flower seeds. Hopefully they grow to look nice. I got tired of trying to get flowers to grow in that shaded area. Although the Impatients are nice they are too common and we've had them for the last 25 summers. Cindy wants to plant tomatoes this year, so more power to her, we will buy her some tomato plants when its time to plant. I think it's more important to let someone of her age to get involved and plant something or help out in a hobby kind of yard work thing, even if it is totally wacked.. she will keep the interest as long as someone pats her on the back and says.. 'good job'! So the yard may look funny (im sure it wont) but Cindy will plant what she wants! The baby fish are growing fast.. no new pics yet but they are coming.. im busy and lazy.. so i guess the happy medium is normal.. RT?Anyway I added a new blog to my list of daily read blogs (Angry Agnostic) while at the same time I deleted one from my daily read list because it had music playing.. I dont know why.. but it pissed me off that someone would have the nerve to play their music on my computer trying to read and enjoy my own music. The part that pissed me off the most is that I use Mozilla Firefox for my browser and when I read my blogs I open all 15 of them in tabs. So when the music started playing.. I had to exit them one at a time to see who was playing the music.. and at that point.. I just deleted it! If you dont use Mozilla Firefox you've got to try it. its great if nothing more than using tabs. I can open pages in tabs instead of a new browser window therefore saving system resources and keeping my comp running fast as usual.

TURN IT OFF!

I don't read blogs with music- Kelly said it good - although i'm probably not a music snob only because i'm not sure what exactly it mean.......... my music is better than yours.

Arrgh with my photos

Still having trouble finding a lens that will focus close enough to the fry before they get any bigger. my regular 18-55mm lens won't focus close enough. An extension tube will not fit the lens. I now am borrowing a macro lens and for some odd reason, it will not focus through glass and water. OH WELL !! I'm thoroughly frustrated, time for bed!

Pro Sports players

You ever see those people who are so wrapped up in sports that their moods are actually dictated by the player or team that they idolize? Well it's true, there are those people that have 'their player' and their life is run by them. If it be a basketball star, they have the shoes, the shorts, the jersey the sweat band etc. And they act like them and think they are as good as them but in reality they are not as good as them. But because they carry that star's name on their clothing and on their walls and the team logo on their vanity plate they now feel more worthy. If their player has a good game or scores big it makes them feel good and strong and skilled and athletic. Like they just played hte game. Pretty much there are those people who are never going to be pro so they live a life through a professional athlete.

Living a lie

i often wonder if i'm living a lie or how many people i interact with each day are living a lie. i mean, like we get up each morning eat breakfast go to work or school come home eat dinner indulg ourselves in what we like or have to do for about 6 hours then go to bed just to start the routine over again. dont get me wrong i enjoy most of my days at work and what i do when i arrive back home, but in the grand scheme of things its like a tiny world inside his big world and everyone does their part to make it go round. what could the lie be that we live? i often here people say that the christian life is a lie. could it be? they say that god is a lie. could he be? they say that being nice and good and thoughtful is decietful and a lie. is it? i dont think so. i think it is all true all good and all desperately necessary. so why the doubts and wondering about the big lie?

My Fish

I am back to a topic that, in the past, was not the most loved. With comments such as (paraphrased) his fish are his only friends. Anyway, my fish. They take alot more time than the average person probably thinks. That's why it is called a hobby, because it takes a considerable amount of time and effort to raise them right. Recently I sold all the occupants of one of my 75g tanks. The ones sold included two big tiger oscars, one small golden oscar, some african glass cats, and two jack dempseys. I thought I had pics of all of them online.. but I don't. Oh well, i'll put them up later. I replaced that whole clan with two Parachromis Motaguensis "Jaguar Cichlids". One male and one female. The reason why I got these two is because they are a mated pair. The thing with most Parachromis is that they don't just mate with any fish of the opposite sex. You have to put them in with a bunch of the same species and let them fight it out and pair up on their own. That part of the deal was done by my friend John from the hidden reef. He has been successful with breeding this pair and I hope I am too. Which leads me to something else. Is there anyone who has an old aquarium or fish tank that they are looking to get rid of.. if so.. email me. And we'll work something out if I am interested. I am kicking around the idea of building an aquarium in my basement this fall/winter. I am looking at an aquarium somewhere between 350 and 1000 gallons. And believe it or not.. It will be built out of plywood with a glass front. Yes it will hold water, no it will not leak, yes its been done before, yes its safe! There at detailed instructions here if anyone actually cares to look at them. I still have my prized Parachromis Dovii "Wolf Cichlid" in my other 75g aquarium. And in my 29g lives a lonely Yellow Zebra Cichlid which you can see better here and a Chinese algea eater. So there it is.. If anyone wants some baby Jags just let me know.. because once she spawns nature will take its course with the de-population of the fry. This female laid approx. 1600 eggs less than one month ago.

That's all for now folks. If anyone is interested I will post pics of the eggs, fry etc. if that occurrs.

JF

Blogger comments

*ATTENTION*This is NOT an attack on Jon Carlson, I respect the man*btw, congrats on the wedding coming up soon!

After a recent comment about Jon's blog I decided to blog in some detail why I think that most blogs should have comments enabled. You see, awhile back I had comments disabled on a certain blog post. It was unintentional but it happened to be controversial as I recall and my friend Shauna inquired as to why I had comments diabled on this post, at that point I realized that if I blog publicly and especially if I blog things that could tend to be controversial, I am somewhat obligated to allow public comments. The reason being that if I post something that someone has a question about and they email me, I could be offended by the email, hurt that I was wrong, or any other reason and just ignore the email. Or if the blog their own response to my blog , I may not know them or their blog and therefore not ever read what they had to say. I think that by me having my comments enabled, I am then vulnerable to people publicly scruntanizing what I have to say. If they ask the question or make the comment in private, I can snuff it and go on, if they do so in public I am more likely to respond. I respect the opinions of anyone else and what they do with their own possessions, But that, folks, is why I keep comments turned ON.

But then again, I don't have the same concerns as others, I'm not sure who else besides Shauna actually reads this thing.

Click me click me

Notice the gooooogle ads to the right? click them,, yes,, whether you want to or not!

Raping the Holy City

That's right! There is about to be a rape committed but not by a single person. It is by the gay and lesbian community. They plan to have their "World pride festival" in Jerusalem this summer. I'm still wondering what they are actually proud of. But that's another topic. There are religious leaders from around the world teaming up to put a stop to the festival. btw, what makes them religious 'leaders'? Self appointment? idk, that's something i'd like to know.. its seems that most religions, even though they have a supreme being that they worship, have some mortal human that they also worship. idk.. You can read the whole story about the homo city.. i mean holy city.. HERE

Answer 1 Q

I will not elaborate or bring T Schiavo back up, so ppl don't tell me i'm stuck on it. BUT One last question, and I would love an answer. Send this blog around the world so I can get my answer.

"What harm would it have done to let T Schiavo live in her parent's care? What would it have hurt?"

Answer me that 1 Q, That's all I ask, I don't think there is an answer

Easter

Found this on this blog and thought it was interesting

Pastor Bill was preaching this Sunday (yesterday) and he raised an interesting point. I found it fascinating, so I thought I'd share it with all of you. But first, it seems as though a little context is called for:

Matthew 28: 8-10
8So the women hurried away from the tomb, afraid yet filled with joy, and ran to tell his disciples. 9Suddenly Jesus met them. “Greetings,” he said. They came to him, clasped his feet and worshiped him. 10Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid. Go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee; there they will see me.”

Pastor Bill brought up an interesting point. You see women's testimony didn't really hold much water in Jesus' day. Pastor Bill cited Josephus (a historian from around the time of Jesus). He wrote about legal statutes regarding the treatment of the testimony of women. I'm paraphrasing here, but the jist was this, Women can't be trusted because they are the 'irrational' and 'emotional' sex.

Indubitably, Jesus knew this. Yet, with this understanding of the law, culture, and mores of his day he instructed the instruments of his ressurection to be women. Jesus recognized that women were seen as untrustworthy, but he bucked the system.

Of course, as Jesus probably well knew, his disciples didn't really trust these women--their words were to them like 'nonsense.'

Still, the fact remains that despite the women's unlikely status as messengers of the good news, as bringers of truth, Jesus entrusted THEM with the message. Jesus saw the system and saw that it was sinful, and behaved in ways appropriate and just and right--despite being in a 'man's' world.

Jesus Christ, the feminist.

Have You Seen Me?

Back to Shiavo

I didn't want to write about this again.. but I think it will clear up my previous post a bit. I'm not going to say that either side is 'wrong' because i'm not there and all any of us get to hear is what the media and other first handers choose to tell us. I think the difference between this case and any of the other thousands of cases where people starve to death, is that there is one man who wants her dead and cremated and her parents who want her alive. It's the husband's word over the parents. Don't you think that we have a moral obligation to stay on the 'life' side rather than the 'death' side if there is reasonable doubt? There are cases heard every day in our courts that the judge says that there is reasonable doubt in the evidence so this person will not get the death penalty. Well you cannot tell me that there is not reasonable doubt in this case.. and that is not even being there and witnessing anything!

I have another thought. There are congressman and senators for our great nation who voted against bills to help Terri and who want this decision left entirely left up to the husband. Those elected officials feel that it is ok for her to starve to death even tho she is innocent by all our standards today. NOW, If someone in the right power decided that all lifers in our prisons should be denied food and water until the day that they died of dehidration or starvation, the same senators and congressman would be in an uproar because the basic human rights of these prisoners were being denied! Now let's look at this a little closer. Terri's parents agreed to pay ALL expenses that their daughter incurred. Prisoners eat up tax dollars every day! Terri is innocent of any crime or wrong doing by today's standards. The prisoners are guilty and are getting what they deserve by today's standards. I could go on and on.. but im not in the mood! get the picture,, they would say that it is 'inhumane' and a denial of their rights! OK, what now, Terri Shiavo is not a human and has no rights?? Anyone who would, in the case of doubt, not be on the side of 'life' needs to get checked into a mental hospital! OR have a very good arguement!!

.....

Doesn't it seem like when you need ppl the most.. the ones that should be there.. just turn their shoulder and 'walk out' on you?

New York New York

As Frank Sinatra sings.... I'm thinking about vising New York City in a week or two.. Just for the day on a Sat. But I've never been there and was looking for stuff online of what's in walking distance from the train and all that jazz.. if anyone is so inclined to share any info with me i'd be glad to hear it. either as a comment or at jfm@safeplace.net. :)

Scott Peterson deserves to die?

As you probably heard, Scott Peterson got the death penalty for allegedly killing his wife and her un-born child. I mean, if that's what the jury and the judge think is justice, ok, but I would love to ask the jurors these questions;

1. How could you put yourself in such a powerful position to say whether a man lives or dies?
2. Did "Thou shalt not kill" come to mind during the sentencing phase?
3. Do you think an eye for an eye is still relevant in todays society?
4. If you believe an eye for an eye, does 'turn the other cheek' or 'do not avenge your wrongs, I will repay, I am the Lord' have any weight to it or is it just selective scripture?
5. Do you think it will haunt you that you decided that a man should die?
6. Do you have a conscience?
7. Are these questions annoying
8. Do I look fat?

Oh wait, sorry, forgot where I was... But for real.. I think it is one of the most amazing things that a person can assume such power to decide that a man should stop breathing and die. I think that one of the hardest verses in hte Bible for Christians to believe or go by is "Do not avenge your wrongs, I will repay, I am the Lord" (paraphrased) .. idk.. I will never serve on a jury because I don't believe that we as humans should decide punishment when it clearly says "do not avenge your wrongs". Idk, maybe i'm the only one who doesn't get it.. [shrugs]

Welfare addicts

Ok, so i couldn't wait till later to write this.....I think that each one of us honest working tax payers in the City of Philadelphia supports a family from the ghetto. My reasoning is this.. I would guess that 75% of the people who live in certain parts of the city are on welfare, have an access card (food stamps), live in section 8 housing, and send their kids to public schools. Maybe they really cannot get the job to pay for their bills. BUT here is one big reason I would be willing to bet, why they don't try to earn an honest living like the rest of us! Because if they are low income, they are eligible for a welfare check, food stamps/access card, and section 8. If they were to get a job they would be bumped up into the next bracket and would lose some of their ridiculous benefits from the city. So in their state of mind,, why get a job and try to earn a living like the honest ppl do? If they do they will lose out! It is the City making it too easy to stay where they are.. But then again as Mayor John Street said himself, "We run this city now"> Yeh, we can tell.

Gun control, YES

Actually, NO! After the 22 fatal shootings in one week and 76 so far this year in our wonderful City, our wonderful Mayor decides that we need stricter gun laws, a moratorium on gun permits and make it harder to get guns......legally. Now you see that is the key word here,,, "LEGALLY". Thinking that stricter gun laws and making it harder to get a permit to carry will cut down on gun violence and will get illegal guns off the street is the same thing as thinking that if we say it is bad for society, low income families will get off of welfare and foodstamps and move out of section 8! It just ain't happenin. (the welfare/section 8 ppl are a rant for another time, but believe me.. i got my opinion) If it were illegal to own a gun in the city, those shootings would have still happened last week. It is not the legal people with guns and permits to carry that are the danger and the menace to innocents.. it is the drug dealers, the crack addicts, the thieves.. etc. they are the ones with illegal guns and doing the crime with them. If a person wants to purchase a gun for protection and they pass the background checks.. good for them, if they have a clean record they deserve to have a gun if they so desire.. Our wonderful Mayor needs to get his head out of the dark area and realize that if they were make it illegal to own a gun, the honest people would lose out and the criminals would still have them. There would actually be MORE illegal guns owned in our wonderful great city.

Legal Justice?

Sometime it seems that the justice system we have in our great nation is the "easy way" out for some criminals.. it never really physically hurts them. At the Acme in our neighborhood.. a few guys have been robbing women as they go back to their cars. They will sometime ask if they can walk them to their cars or help with their bags.. then rob them of cash AND groceries.. I mean, yeh, you could call the cops and have them arrested.. but that won't necessarily stop them.. I was talking to a friend about it and we thought it would be cool to bait them.. when we suspect them to be in the lot.. to send a willing girl into the store and on her return.. allow the man to walk to the car and when he attempts to rob her.. we move in.. and beat the piss out of the guy and then.. we call in the police.. I'm sure he would be alot less prone to assume his prior activities after that beating.. cops can't beat a guy and get away with it.. so it needs to be ppl off the street gettin pissed about this guy/guys and doin something about it. And yeh,, its legal.. its called "citizen's arrest" he just happened to resist a little bit.. that's all.

Annoyance

The nations suckiest cell phone service provider has got to be Nextel. Yeh, yeh i know that they at one time were the biggest but they are also the worst! Everytime I call a "Nextel Subcriber" I get one of two messages, either "The nextel subcriber you are trying to reach is unavailable, please try your call again later".. OR "please wait while we locate the nextel subcriber you are trying to reach".. or both!! Never with any other company.. even T-Mobile.. which I have. they just go right through.. but for some reason with Nextel.. the network cannot locate its subscibers.. tonight I was trying to get ahold of someone for something that was somewhat important and I kept getting the first message! Now when I talk to them tomorrow.. They will probably tell me that they had their phone on all night! AS USUAL!! NEXTEL SUCKS!!

WHile I'm at it I might as well add another annoyance.. i think it only annoyed me because i was already annoyed.. but something that i think it really dumb.. is "Under Construction" signs on a website... I mean.. aren't all websites under construction all the time.. if they weren't ppl would get bored with them and never come back!! I could put a big UNDER CONSTRUCTION sign on this blog because I update it every once in awhile..

I really wanted a grilled chicken sandwich from Salerno's tonight.. but I slept too long and they closed...