This morning’s news brings reports of at least 40 more murders in Mexico at the hands of drug cartel thugs:
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/07/10/at-least-40-killed-in-mexico-in-24-hours-in-suspected-drug-cartel-attacks/?test=latestnews

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. THY WILL BE DONE, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but DELIVER US FROM EVIL.
For Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, forever and ever. Amen †
Let us pray for the Lord to lead our leaders and us in the paths of righteousness for His Name’s sake; that His grace and mercy will reign supreme in our families, churches, states, and nation.

Are you following the last shuttle flight this weekend?  Did you see the liftoff?  What do you think about the future of space exploration – should the government continue to support the space program financially, or should private enterprise lead the way?

Okay, all of you Treepers, I want to hear your best jokes!  I’ll start out.
President Clinton is out jogging, and he encounters a man with some puppies. Clinton asks the man what kind of puppies they are, and the man responds, “They’re Democrat puppies, Mr. President.” Clinton thinks that is so great that the next day he brings the first lady to see these puppies for herself. He asks the man to tell Hillary what kind of puppies they are, and the man responds, “They’re Republican puppies.” The president looks puzzled and says, “Yesterday, you told me they were Democrat puppies.” The man smiles and says, “Yesterday, they were. But today, they have their eyes open!”

This is a chapter from a short story that was written by my ten-year old grandson.  The story is a rather long adventure about a Snow Leopard named Shadow who is searching for her lost cub, Sparky.

The chapter I am sharing here is special because, as he writes, “When I wrote this my dog Darby was dying.  I dedicated this to her.  I cried writing Ol’ Chuck.”

The dedication reads:  “Dedicated to – Darby the dog.  I love you Darby.  You are the most perfect being I have ever met.”

This touched my heart, and that is why I am sharing it with you.

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Today in 2011, today when the United States is so deeply in debt, today as our national representatives seem unable to make the hard decisions, what am I willing to sacrifice for the Greater Good of my country?  By Greater Good, I mean that the individual sacrifices something in order to benefit everyone.  I know this is a negative comment to make – but – how can we convince our fellow citizens that the building is on fire when we can’t even convince them that it is a good idea to defund NPR?

 In general terms, we know it is a good thing to limit our spending to the money we earn.  Our government has been spending far beyond the limits of income for some time now, and this is exacerbated because income is decreased during a period of recession, and the spending is increased at the same time, greatly increasing our annual budget deficits. (more…)

“If you seek a pleasant peninsula, look about you.”  The official state motto of Michigan encourages both visitors and residents to enjoy their surroundings.

 People who have never visited my home state think of it as an industrial state, home of the Big Three auto makers, so this statement may seem strange to you:  Michigan is one of the most unusual of the fifty states.  It is split into two peninsulas, and is surrounded by four of the five Great Lakes, giving it 3,200 miles of coastline, more than the Atlantic coast of the United States.  It has a beautiful and diverse landscape – virgin pine forests, beautiful waterfalls and inland lakes, fertile farmlands, and the tallest sand dunes in North America. (more…)

We have discussed extensively the difference between Progressive/Liberal ideology and Conservative ideology.   But I think perhaps it is time to reinforce something very important.   LIBERALS DO NOT CARE HOW THEY ARE PERCEIVED.  Every end justifies their means.  Period.   One only has to look at recent events to find examples of their ridiculous behavior, and our inherently flawed approach that “it makes them look silly, childish, foolish, et al”.  They just don’t care.  (more…)

One of the joys of having grown children is that they sometimes produce grandchildren. Now that I have more time to focus on things other than the daily demands of life, I like to think about things that will delight my grandsons, 10 and 7.
Often the things that delight them are simple. They look forward each year to building the gingerbread house for Christmas, for example. (more…)