Just had a thought, yes I can have them.

By definition the GOP is for small government and the Federal Government staying out of a person's business, right?
So how does this justify the pandering to the Christian Conservatives?
Isn't the attempt to force anti-choice down the throats of Americans contrary to "hands off" my person? Now understand, I do not condone abortion, but it is not my choice. Many people would rather not raise children at a particular time in their life. I continually here conservatives rail against having another welfare baby to feed. If that was truly their concern they would be for choice.
Isn't the same attempt to deny the union of any individual to another individual against their ardent platform of "Don't tread on me"?
Again I'm only saying if someone wants to spend their life with someone, why should we care. We should pray.
We cannot legislate abstinence, we cannot legislate choice, we cannot legislate sexual preference and we cannot legislate whether or not to bring another "welfare baby" into this world. That type of legislation is "Communistic". Unlike patriotism, this view of "limited government" is just a cover up for control of our lives.

For God and Country (in that Order)

Logan Laituri, Army veteran with combatant service in Iraq and work with the Christian Peacemaker Teams in Israel and the West Bank, writes a compelling article for sojourners
As always we need to remember what order we serve. about the priorities we should have as Christians and Americans.

I keep receiving those emails.......

Today I received another email from two different friends that told a story about a great hero, Michael Monsoor.
Problem is part of the email was not true.
Claims made in the email said that his story was ignored by the Main Stream Media (MSM), however the opposite is true.  Not only was the story mentioned in the newspapers, it was also featured on NBC Nightly News before it was on Fox News.
I found evidence that refuted those claims.
Why do people pass on things they don't research?????

ScribeFire from Home

Let's see if this works this time.
Follow up later.

Lord knows it may be time!

Yesterday, my wife had an encounter with one of the partners at her job. He has had to sell off his investment business due to lack of income. He has been uninvolved with the other part of his business and now is struggling to regain control. His attacks are based on opinion and not facts.
Pray for my family.

Let's make a new deal.

I have been truly amazed by comments made by the younger generation of adults. My son-in-laws friends recently made this comment, "America has gone downhill since they elected Franklin Roosevelt."

I was not only stunned, but surprised at how uninformed this young man was about history. Sure there are always going to be a number of citizens that thought that the government should have let the economy self-destruct.

I can also sympathize with someone so ill informed.

The new conservatives of the South have bought in to this "big government is bad" philosophy without the advantages of an educational system that teaches contemporary history. Facts are difficult for them to get the heads around. Most of these new conservatives watch television, read by electric lights, drive automobiles, visit national parks and some even have jobs. Truly they do not grasp the impact the "New Deal" had on the nation, but specifically the South. Prior to FDR the South was in the dark, literally. There were no major highways, let alone paved roads. Jobs were created by the government through the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps) . Other articles have been written about its successes and accomplishments. The obvious misinformed individuals either came from "old money", "prejudiced against the poor and others" and ignorant of history.

In both today's economic strife as was in Roosevelt's day, the current administration followed a disastrous one. And today the conservatives continue to blame the current office with the results of the previous one.

Fear not. (An excerpt from Associated Baptist Press)

I wandered up on this story from the Associated Baptist Press just after I received another one of those scathing emails about the unreliability of sites that debunk false emails. After researching the previously mentioned email all of the examples they gave as reliable sites all debunked the claims it made against that site.
When we pass on email information to our friends, we must insure that what we forward is the "truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth." When our political agenda lures us into passing on these false claims it weakens our witness. We are so sure that something is true, we don't check the facts.
There are enough problems in this world, why should we as Christians contribute to the mess?

The link to the article is: http://www.abpnews.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=4496&ltemid==53

Affordable Care Act

Do not think that we are finished. Healthcare is almost a reality for most Americans. A few glitches and hiccups on the first day. But what did you expect? The problems and waiting are not unlike black Friday. If people will stand in line for a Holiday Barbie, then they can surely be patient on healthcare.

What's happenin' here?

What it is isn't exactly clear.
Some time during the week I receive another "well meaning" email from a friend. These emails are almost always funny, including the blatant political ones. Amazing as it may seem in a world full of skeptics, my friends have become sheep. If someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone that knows someone sends out an email claiming a certain "certain-ness" regarding a particular subject it has got to be true.
Last week a friend of mine had a friend of theirs, who had a friend of theirs, who had a friend of theirs; (well you get the picture) send out an email with claims that certain rumor debunking sites were prejudiced, especially against the conservative element. It gave a list of preferred sources that were "more truthful" that a specific one.
The only problem with this email was that the "preferred sources" debunked the email itself. Then claim involved a link to a website, let's say "snopes.com", but did not take you to http://www.snopes.com but instead it took you to http://snopes.com/>. These are not the same website. The first one is the correct link, however the other address takes you to a site that uses the snopes logo off of their listing page, but instead of giving a list of related stories, it gives you a flash message stating "I can't find the page you're looking for. It was probably a page about something really interesting,but the URL you entered doesn't point to anything on this site.
Might I recommend you try the search engine at http://www.snopes.com/search to help you locate the item you want?
You really should try it.
I have lots of great stories to tell you about vanishing hitchhikers,and bloody hooks,and exploding whales,and glurge,and gun-toting grannies,and hairy-armed hitchhikers,and murdered roommates."
Well, beyond all belief the Search Engine "link below" for snopes search engine was an actual link to the correct web address. Imagine that!
Also on this "Page Not Found" is a link to the BS watch, http://www.bswatch.com/. If you dig a little bit at this site you will find a link to Joey Skaggs site, http://joeyskaggs.com/, a well known hoaxer and comedian. Who goes on to say in this commentary http://joeyskaggs.com/html/comm/comm15.html That he has the perfect formula to pull a hoax on anyone. Use the information he gives and you can prank anyone.
Why do these things get passed on by honest, truthful people. Because it fits the agenda they want to push.
I believe, but I am still skeptical. If something sounds too good to be true, it probably is; even if it fits the position you would like to find true. Check the facts, check the source and most of all, be informed.

School Days, School Days Dear Old Golden Rule Days

Thinking back to the time of my youth, I find myself remembering the oddest things. I remember walking home from school, taking shortcuts through the yards along the way. Some days with classmates, some insufferably alone.

I can still recall the machine in the cafeteria of my elementary school having a machine that dispensed milk just like the ones in a restaurant. You know, the ones with the weighted handles that would stop the flow, just in case an errant school child would try to leave it open. The large stainless machine had a whole white milk side and another that gave the “good” kids chocolate milk. Before I moved from the elementary school to the junior high the nostalgia of the machine was replaced by milk in a carton. Five cents for white milk and a whole Six cents for chocolate. Milk, not the 2% kind they serve in schools now, but honest to goodness whole milk. Lunches were 25 cents then. I even remember the food actually tasted good.

I can almost smell the stairwell leading down to the cafeteria from the ground level classrooms. Oiled covered stairs that retained the aroma of the oil used to treat the floors or for that matter any thing wooden in the building. Up and down each hall and each classroom the janitor moved with a deliberate stride. Taking time to push the floor mop along to gather any dust left behind by the traffic of children.

I can remember riding to school with my mom and dad. Taking the new Buick, with chrome holes on the fender, each morning to the land of learning and the planet of play.

Recess stands out in my mind most of all. During our planned excursions to the playground, socialization allowed us to meet others of our age. Recess was the ultimate networking time. Ball games were played after painfully choosing sides. Shouts of “Red Rover Come Over” filled the air. Hopefully your team could withstand the charge of the opposing side, capturing the assailant. Monkey bars (jungle gyms) climbed to the sky. If you were brave enough hanging upside down was a show of daring. Seesaws or teeter totters, what ever you called them, we knew that you tried not to step off while your companion was in the air. Lots of running, jumping and yelling burned off the pent up steam from classroom work.

How those teachers calmed us down I still can't comprehend. Those carefree days gave me a world of experience that I value today: Spend some time in play to remain sane in this fast paced world we live in.

We have forgotten how to play without it being a competition. Play refreshes the soul, as well as the body.

Take time to play today.

What is going on?

I can't log on, well maybe>

Emails!! and Unformation!

I am so tired of people forwarding me an email that they nave not bothered to check the validity. I receive many emails from friends regarding politics and the state of our nation.
They have received them from another friend, who got it from another friend, who got it from another friend, who got it from another friend........Well you get the picture.
Passing along viral messages without checking the truth is not only spreading rumors, it is furthering an agenda.
Today with us having a minority President, the claims range from the simple to the outlandish to the down right hateful. Every thing from phony photos to claims of socialism. Recently an American religious leader made a statement comparing our President to Hitler. Shame on him, not only shame on him, but shame on any one that passed along the mail. Our Christian fathers should not push a political agenda, despite whether or not they agree with their politics. Comparing an individual to a hate-monger is absolutely ludicrous. There is enough strife in our society without having a talking head weigh in with their two cents. It troubles me that my church friends and my pastor revel and laud the inflammatory remarks made by the likes of Rush Limbaugh and Glenn Beck.
Christians, listen closely to these role models and notice not only the tone of their commentary, but the intent of it. They are entertainers, not experts.
How can anyone support the heated claims of someone paid to talk nonstop for hours a day. These speakers pontificate their expertise in all matters, but really have no knowledge of truth.
I visited with my daughter and son in law at a football game. During the tailgate, I overheard one of the "just out of college conservatives" spouting about how FDR ruined the country. This young man attended a land grant college, used TVA power, drove on roads that would not have existed if not for the recovery acts passed during FDR's administrations. He went on to brag about the great contributions of conservatives to improve education, not knowing that the conservatives routinely vote against all school funding. Yet these same individuals will gladly take Pell grants and other government sponsored academic assistance, they do however want someone else to pay for it, just not them. It was perfectly fine for them to get these "government handouts" but heaven forbid they might have to support someone else.
Our conservatives want a large military, but don't want to pay for it. They stymie veterans at every turn, but claim to support our veterans.
Wake up and smell the stink, be skeptical of "too food to be true" emails (especially those that are severely one sided). Discover the truth. Investigate history. Find out what you actually have because some one in our "big" government saw fit to provide it for the ungrateful souls that think security grows on trees.

So long Summer

Long time gone. School has started and the summer passed quickly. Almost impossible to get anything accomplished with the kids back.

KCBS CBJ School

Saturday, wife and I took a Certified Barbecue Judging course for the KCBS (Kansas City Barbecue Society).

Along with this new qualification, my wife and I are certified judges for KCBS, MBN and Memphis in May.

Will be judging a KCBS contest held by the Variety Club of Memphis this weekend.

School Days, School Days.................

Thinking back to a time of my youth, I find myself remembering the oddest things. I remember walking home from school, taking shortcuts through the yards along the way. Some days with classmates, some insufferably alone.

I can still recall the machine in the cafeteria of my elementary school having a machine that dispensed milk just like the ones in a restaurant. You know, the ones with the weighted handles that would stop the flow, just in case an errant school child would try to leave it open. The large stainless machine had a whole white milk side and another that gave the “good” kids chocolate milk. Before I moved from the elementary school to the junior high the nostalgia of the machine was replaced by milk in a carton. Five cents for white milk and a whole Six cents for chocolate. Milk, not the 2% kind they serve in schools now, but honest to goodness whole milk. Lunches were about 25 cents back then.

I can almost smell the stairwell leading down to the cafeteria from the ground level classrooms. Oiled covered stairs that retained the aroma of the oil used to treat the floors or for that matter any thing wooden in the building. Up and down each hall and each classroom the janitor moved with a deliberate stride. Taking time to push the floor mop along to gather any dust left behind by the traffic of children.

I can remember riding to school with my mom and dad. Taking the new Buick, with chrome holes on the fender, each morning to the land of learning and the planet of play.

Recess stands out in my mind most of all. During our planned excursions to the playground, socialization allowed us to meet others of our age. Recess was the ultimate networking time. Ball games were played after painfully choosing sides. Shouts of “Red Rover Come Over” filled the air. Hopefully your team could withstand the charge of the opposing side, capturing the assailant. Monkey bars climbed to the sky. If you were brave enough hanging upside down was a show of daring. They are called seesaws or teeter totters, but all we knew was that you tried not to step off while your companion was in the air. Lots of running, jumping and yelling burned off the pent up steam from classroom work.

How those teachers calmed us down I still can't comprehend. Those carefree days gave me a world of experience that I value today: Spend some time in play to remain sane in this fast paced world we live in.

We have forgotten how to play without it being a competition. Play refreshes the soul, as well as the body.

Take time to play today.

Memorial Day, it's "Q" time!

Smoking (not grilling) any of the following: Ribs, Shoulder (pulled pork) or Brisket; entails using proven methods of “low and slow” cooking. “Low and slow” means keeping the temperature around 200 to 250 degrees.

If you are going to grill ribs without the benefit of smoking, do so. However, if you want true Barbecue Ribs, you must use some type of hardwood to assist in getting the meat permeated with authentic flavor.

Pork Ribs (St. Louis cut, trimmed or baby back ribs)

Look for ribs with a slight fat content, but not too much. This small amount of fat will render out and tenderize the ribs.

Pork Shoulder (Includes the shank bone and the butt, the butt is the upper part of the shoulder; not the hind end) Also select a cut that has a portion of fat, not too much, but enough to add flavor as it renders.

Beef Brisket (choose a cut with good marbling, a mix of fat and meat, the fat enhances the flavor)

Beef Ribs (Select your favorite type and apply the same principles as Pork.

Ribs will take 5-8 hours, or until the bones will pull apart with a gentle tug. After the initial smoking process (the wood is consumed) wrap in foil to finish cooking.

Shoulder, Butt and Brisket require from 10 to 16 hours, seriously. This time is dependent on the size of the cut. With Shoulder, you should be able to pull the shank bone with little effort. Brisket should be cooked to medium to medium well for the maximum flavor and texture. Slice Brisket across the grain for more tender meat.

Anything that takes time, is a labor of love will pay huge benefits.

Start with a very hot fire! It needs to be hot as to not lose heat when the wood chunks or chips are added.

In order to maximize the flavor, yet not over power the meat itself: Soak the wood chunks or chips for at least 30 minutes before adding to the fire.

Only use one type of wood to begin with. Select any hardwood or fruit wood to try. Cook a couple of times with one type of wood to determine your favorite flavor.

Hickory is preferred, but it has what some call a bite. To me there is never enough Hickory. Hickory some times gives people indigestion, because of the heavy smoky taste.

Oak will burn hotter and give a more subtle smoke.

Apple, Peach and Cherry add a hint of the fruit.

After you determine the type of wood you prefer, stick with it until you are happy with your results.

Here it is, Memphis in May

The time is now, I can almost smell the smoke.  Contestants are preparing their cooking areas.
Let the smokin' begin.

Barbecue is defined by the Memphis Barbecue Network (MBN) and Memphis in May (MIM) as pork meat (Fresh or frozen and uncured) prepared only on a wood and/or charcoal fire, basted or not as the cook sees fit, with any consumable substances and sauces the cook believes necessary.

Whole Hog Entry
Defined by the MBN and MIM as the entire hog, whose dressed weight is 85 lbs. or more prior to removal of the head, feet and skin, and which must be cooked as one complete unit on one grill surface.  No portion or portions of the whole hog may be separated or removed and subsequently returned to the grill, prior to or during the cooking process.

Pork Shoulder Entry
Defined by the MBN and MIM as the portion containing the armbone, shank bone and a portion of the blade bone.  The pork ham, considered a shoulder entry, contains the hind leg bone.  Boston butts or picnic shoulder alone are not valid entries.

Pork Rib Entry
Defined by the MBN and MIM as the portion containing the ribsand further classified as a spare rib or loin rib portion.  Country style ribs are not a valid entry.

Patio Porkers
This pork division encourages teams to participate without competing with the "Big Pigs."  Criteria for this division includes:
The team or its head cook must not have competed in a Memphis in May Sanctioned Barbecue Contest.  This does not include competing previously in a Patio Porker Division.
Total grill cooking area is no larger than 15 sq. ft.
Teams must cook with charcoal and/or wood only.  No gas cooking allowed. 
Spare or loin ribs only.  No country style ribs.  See "Pork Rib Entry."

Location:  Tom Lee Park, Memphis, TN on the Mighty Mississippi River

Come see and smell!
Rules courtesy of MBN, MIM and Smoke on the Mountain Galax, VA.

let's use scribefire

This is a test of scribefire.

Summer Time

If you have lived in the Deep South during the Summer months, you will understand this post.
Growing up in Alabama, I became almost immune to the constant heat and humidity of the South. As I grew older, however, the heat was more noticeable. As a youth you are either unaware or unaffected by the heat. When you join the world of employment, the heat becomes oppressive.

My Dad owned a salvage yard (junk yard) for automobiles. I began working for him at an early age. I believe that he just tolerated me to begin with. As the years passed, responsibilities grew as my experience and skill improved. I graduated from door handles and chrome trim to fenders, transmissions, engines and suspension parts.

One particular summer, while still below the lawful age to acquire my license, my Dad allowed me to drive the "cut down" to carry parts from one part of the yard to the office. Our ferry vehicle was a "cut down" Volkswagen Beetle. In other words the body was removed, the frame reinforced, and equipment to remove stubborn parts was attached. I learned how to use an acetylene torch to remove extremely stubborn bolts and remove rear quarter panels to repair other vehicles. Removing the gasoline tanks was a priority when using the torch, to avoid the ignition of fumes or leftover raw gas. Welding became a passion for a few short weeks one Summer.

That Summer was special for another reason. My closest friend at the time was my age, or a little older. He would ride his bicycle over to my house in time for us to ride with my Dad to work. My parents always found it funny and strange that he had to hide his bluejeans at our house, since his mom didn't want him to wear them in public. Each day he would arrive and change clothes. Each evening he would hastily take a shower in our basement before he rode home.

Later in the Summer we were afforded the opportunity to use our "expertise" to get a junker running to drive around the place in our spare time. Pickings were slim since we couldn't take a car that had valuable parts.

We scoured the entire place for a couple of days. Among the wrecks and overused hulks were many different kinds of vehicles. A Chevy, possibly a Dodge, maybe an Oldsmobile, perhaps a Ford, no not really each of them had parts that were valuable to one of the customers. Just when we thought it was hopeless, we stumbled upon an English Ford. There was not a straight piece of sheet metal on the body. Only the floorboard was straight, but the rust had eaten large holes in it. Upon further investigation, it was discovered that only the transmission was worthy of use. We were devastated.

Determined to find a project car we consulted the Holland Interchange Manual, the bible of Salvage dealers. This tome gave the possible interaction of parts not normally used on the same brand of car. We both knew that Pontiacs, Oldsmobiles, Buicks and even Cadillacs used some of the same parts. Long before the scandal came out to the general public. Our investigation revealed to us the possible combinations that were available for interchange and our use. As we had explored our supply of wrecks, we noticed that both the English Ford and a Hillman Minx were actually built by the same company in England; the Rootes Body Corporation. Holding out hope we dug into the Holland to pray for the possibility of a fit. There on the same page it showed that both of these vehicles used the same power train. The Minx would no go, but the little engine sounded alright.

We spent the next several weeks swapping out the transmission from one to the other. Being very inexperienced, it took us about three weeks to perform a job that could have been done in a couple of hours. My Dad and Uncle Jack reveled in the thought that we were becoming mechanics. Eventually we made the change, hooked all the linkage up and cranked our ride. We decided to give it a short drive around the yard, only to discover that the Minx had not one sign of a brake. We tried to coast to a stop, but only collision with another wreck would slow the Minx down. Slowly we learned how to down shift quickly as to slow the car enough to stop.

The rest of that summer we tooled around the junkyard in our convertible Hillman Minx, stopping when we could. This past year my friend passed away after a bout with depression and ill health. A few years ago both he and his dad had strokes. We had become estranged by distance and changing pastimes. Upon his passing, I was unable to attend his funeral. I could not help but think of that hot Summer too long ago.

I wonder if he can wear his jeans in Heaven, if not it wouldn't be Heaven to him............

Donald Duck

My sister is taking creative writing during a continuing education course.
She has written a story about "Donald Duck's Last Vacation". When we traveled cross country to visit my uncle and pick up his sister, my aunt, who was returning from a stint with the Armed Forces Education program. She taught school to Army and Navy dependents in Germany and Japan after WWII. We still have the slides to prove it!.
I had a rubber Donald Duck figure that I dearly loved, I think it was one of the ones made in Italy for the Disney company. My attachment to Donald Duck waned over the years, until he basically fell apart in my hands, only to be relegated to a storage container. My other sister found a picture of Donald and I from the pictures she got from my parents' house.
Rummaging through some boxes I had brought home when we closed up my parents' house several years ago, I came across the crumbling remnants of Donald. He was actually unrecognizable. The smell was still the same. Along with the colors, faded by the years. Memories came gushing over me as I took one last look at Donald. I think he got put back into the same box, if not I will still remember him as my first real toy.
Linus had his blanket, I my Donald.