The boys can sit ANYWHERE they want with ANYONE, and they chose each other...! Awwwwwwwwwe
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2010-04-30
Kid's party at gym
2010-04-29
2010-04-28
2010-04-27
This would be cool if it's true!
An explorer examines wooden beams inside what some are nearly certain is the remains of Noah's Ark.
A group of Chinese and Turkish evangelical explorers say wooden remains they have discovered on Mount Ararat in eastern Turkey are the remains of Noah's Ark.
The group claims that carbon dating proves the relics are 4,800 years old, meaning they date to around the same time the ark was said to be afloat. Mt. Ararat has long been suspected as the final resting place of the craft by evangelicals and literalists hoping to validate biblical stories.
Yeung Wing-Cheung, from the Noah's Ark Ministries International research team that made the discovery, said: "It's not 100 percent that it is Noah's Ark, but we think it is 99.9 percent that this is it."
There have been several reported discoveries of the remains of Noah's Ark over the years, most notably a find by archaeologist Ron Wyatt in 1987. At the time, the Turkish government officially declared a national park around his find, a boat-shaped object stretched across the mountains of Ararat.
Nevertheless, the evangelical ministry remains convinced that the current find is in fact more likely to be the actual artifact, calling upon Dutch Ark researcher Gerrit Aalten to verify its legitimacy.
“The significance of this find is that for the first time in history the discovery of Noah’s Ark is well documented and revealed to the worldwide community,” Aalten said at a press conference announcing the find. Citing the many details that match historical accounts of the Ark, he believes it to be a legitimate archaeological discovery.
“There’s a tremendous amount of solid evidence that the structure found on Mount Ararat in Eastern Turkey is the legendary Ark of Noah,” said Aalten.
Representatives of Noah's Ark Ministries said the structure contained several compartments, some with wooden beams, that they believe were used to house animals.The group of evangelical archaeologists ruled out an established human settlement on the grounds none have ever been found above 11,000 feet in the vicinity, Yeung said.
During the press conference, team member Panda Lee described visiting the site. “In October 2008, I climbed the mountain with the Turkish team. At an elevation of more than 4,000 meters, I saw a structure built with plank-like timber. Each plank was about 8 inches wide. I could see tenons, proof of ancient construction predating the use of metal nails."
We walked about 100 meters to another site. I could see broken wood fragments embedded in a glacier, and some 20 meters long. I surveyed the landscape and found that the wooden structure was permanently covered by ice and volcanic rocks."
Local Turkish officials will ask the central government in Ankara to apply for UNESCO World Heritage status so the site can be protected while a major archaeological dig is conducted.
The biblical story says that God decided to flood the Earth after seeing how corrupt it was. He then told Noah to build an ark and fill it with two of every animal species.
After the flood waters receded, the Bible says, the ark came to rest on a mountain. Many believe that Mount Ararat, the highest point in the region, is where the ark and her inhabitants ran aground.
Arizona, Oklahoma, Shows that it's not the nation, just the Feds!
Strict Abortion Measures Enacted in Oklahoma
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: April 27, 2010
The Oklahoma Legislature voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to override vetoes of two highly restrictive abortion measures, one making it a law that women undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before having an abortion.
Though other states have passed similar measures forcing women to have ultrasounds, Oklahoma’s law goes further, requiring a doctor or technician to set up the monitor where the woman can see it and describe the heart, limbs and organs of the fetus. No exceptions are made for rape and incest victims.
The second measure passed into law Tuesday protects doctors from malpractice suits if they decide not to inform the parents of a unborn baby that the fetus has birth defects. The intent of the bill is to prevent parents from later suing doctors who withhold information to try to influence them against having an abortion.
Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat, vetoed both bills last week. The ultrasound law, he said, was flawed because it did not exempt rape and incest victims and was an unconstitutional intrusion into a woman’s privacy. He painted the other measure as immoral.
“It is unconscionable to grant a physician legal protection to mislead or misinform pregnant women in an effort to impose his or her personal beliefs on a patient,” Mr. Henry said.
The Republican majorities in both houses, however, saw things differently. On Monday, the House voted overwhelmingly to override the vetoes, and the Senate followed suit at 10:42 a.m. Tuesday, making the two measures law.
The ultrasound law was part of a bill that was struck down by the state courts last August because it violated a clause in the Oklahoma Constitution that requires bills to deal with only one subject. Republican lawmakers vowed at the time to pass it again.
This year, Republican leaders passed five separate antiabortion bills to satisfy the courts’ concerns. Mr. Henry signed one into law: it required that clinics post signs stating a woman cannot be forced to have an abortion, that an abortion cannot be performed until a woman gives her voluntary consent, and that abortions based on a child’s gender are illegal.
Two other antiabortion bills are still working their way through the legislature. One would force women to fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their reasons for seeking an abortion and then post statistics online based on the answers. The other restricts insurance coverage for the procedure.
Though many states have passed similar laws aimed at curbing abortion, with Tuesday’s action, Oklahoma appears to have become the most hostile to women seeking to end a pregnancy, said Dionne Scott, a spokeswoman for the Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy group for abortion rights based in New York.
“It’s the most extreme ultrasound requirement in the country,” she said.
By JAMES C. McKINLEY Jr.
Published: April 27, 2010
The Oklahoma Legislature voted overwhelmingly Tuesday to override vetoes of two highly restrictive abortion measures, one making it a law that women undergo an ultrasound and listen to a detailed description of the fetus before having an abortion.
Though other states have passed similar measures forcing women to have ultrasounds, Oklahoma’s law goes further, requiring a doctor or technician to set up the monitor where the woman can see it and describe the heart, limbs and organs of the fetus. No exceptions are made for rape and incest victims.
The second measure passed into law Tuesday protects doctors from malpractice suits if they decide not to inform the parents of a unborn baby that the fetus has birth defects. The intent of the bill is to prevent parents from later suing doctors who withhold information to try to influence them against having an abortion.
Gov. Brad Henry, a Democrat, vetoed both bills last week. The ultrasound law, he said, was flawed because it did not exempt rape and incest victims and was an unconstitutional intrusion into a woman’s privacy. He painted the other measure as immoral.
“It is unconscionable to grant a physician legal protection to mislead or misinform pregnant women in an effort to impose his or her personal beliefs on a patient,” Mr. Henry said.
The Republican majorities in both houses, however, saw things differently. On Monday, the House voted overwhelmingly to override the vetoes, and the Senate followed suit at 10:42 a.m. Tuesday, making the two measures law.
The ultrasound law was part of a bill that was struck down by the state courts last August because it violated a clause in the Oklahoma Constitution that requires bills to deal with only one subject. Republican lawmakers vowed at the time to pass it again.
This year, Republican leaders passed five separate antiabortion bills to satisfy the courts’ concerns. Mr. Henry signed one into law: it required that clinics post signs stating a woman cannot be forced to have an abortion, that an abortion cannot be performed until a woman gives her voluntary consent, and that abortions based on a child’s gender are illegal.
Two other antiabortion bills are still working their way through the legislature. One would force women to fill out a lengthy questionnaire about their reasons for seeking an abortion and then post statistics online based on the answers. The other restricts insurance coverage for the procedure.
Though many states have passed similar laws aimed at curbing abortion, with Tuesday’s action, Oklahoma appears to have become the most hostile to women seeking to end a pregnancy, said Dionne Scott, a spokeswoman for the Center for Reproductive Rights, an advocacy group for abortion rights based in New York.
“It’s the most extreme ultrasound requirement in the country,” she said.
2010-04-26
2010-04-25
2010-04-23
2010-04-21
Good job!
Every one of my Sparkie relatives got an award tonight! Awesome guys!
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2010-04-20
Work is great!
This is one of our owner's latest practical jokes...! Fun place to work. It's a foam camera made up to look like a real one. ;)
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2010-04-19
Happiness is...
...a warm iPod...when your brother has a three hour gym practice, that is!!
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It's not just me! This, just in from the associated press...
Poll: 4 out of 5 Americans don't trust Washington
WASHINGTON — America's "Great Compromiser" Henry Clay called government "the great trust," but most Americans today have little faith in Washington's ability to deal with the nation's problems.
Public confidence in government is at one of the lowest points in a half century, according to a survey from the Pew Research Center. Nearly 8 in 10 Americans say they don't trust the federal government and have little faith it can solve America's ills, the survey found.
The survey illustrates the ominous situation President Barack Obama and the Democratic Party face as they struggle to maintain their comfortable congressional majorities in this fall's elections. Midterm prospects are typically tough for the party in power. Add a toxic environment like this and lots of incumbent Democrats could be out of work.
The survey found that just 22 percent of those questioned say they can trust Washington almost always or most of the time and just 19 percent say they are basically content with it. Nearly half say the government negatively effects their daily lives, a sentiment that's grown over the past dozen years.
This anti-government feeling has driven the tea party movement, reflected in fierce protests this past week.
"The government's been lying to people for years. Politicians make promises to get elected, and when they get elected, they don't follow through," says Cindy Wanto, 57, a registered Democrat from Nemacolin, Pa., who joined several thousand for a rally in Washington on April 15 — the tax filing deadline. "There's too much government in my business. It was a problem before Obama, but he's certainly not helping fix it."
Majorities in the survey call Washington too big and too powerful, and say it's interfering too much in state and local matters. The public is split over whether the government should be responsible for dealing with critical problems or scaled back to reduce its power, presumably in favor of personal responsibility.
About half say they want a smaller government with fewer services, compared with roughly 40 percent who want a bigger government providing more. The public was evenly divided on those questions long before Obama was elected. Still, a majority supported the Obama administration exerting greater control over the economy during the recession.
"Trust in government rarely gets this low," said Andrew Kohut, director of the nonpartisan center that conducted the survey. "Some of it's backlash against Obama. But there are a lot of other things going on."
And, he added: "Politics has poisoned the well."
2010-04-18
2010-04-17
Obama: Small steps, big changes
Ok, I don't care what the issue is...! But when you have the President sitting down with activists and his officials and devising a plan for how to change our country in secret "without having to fight about it with congress"... Well, you have a SERIOUS problem and should be VERY afraid.
Remember, this isn't some right wing wacko Tea Party theory that this is happening. It is in the Washington Post. They don't seem to have a problem with it either...
----------------------------------------------------------
Gay visitation order shows how Obama brings big change with small actions
By Michael D. Shear
Washington Post Staff Writer
Saturday, April 17, 2010
President Obama's decision Thursday night to grant same-sex couples hospital visitation rights is the latest and most visible example of a strategy to make concrete steps toward equality for gays and lesbians without sparking a broad cultural debate or a fight with Congress.
The approach has angered some of the president's fiercest supporters, who are eager for bold change.
Soon after Obama's election, staffers from the Human Rights Campaign presented the transition team with a list of 70 actions the president could take without congressional approval.
The activists sat in a room at the transition's headquarters as a stream of soon-to-be officials with the departments of Justice, State, Labor and Health and Human Services rotated in for discussions, according to several of those present. Melody Barnes, who now heads the president's domestic policy council, sat in, too.
Over the next several months, the administration quietly began acting on the recommendations: The State Department started issuing embassy ID cards to same-sex partners of diplomats; Housing and Urban Development ended discrimination in housing assistance programs; HHS pledged to change its policies regarding HIV-positive visitors and immigrants.
2010-04-16
Now what is wrong with this statement!?
"Obama orders most hospitals to grant gays visitation rights"
-Orders them? HOW!? Under what authority!?
-What is wrong with the USSA!?
-Orders them? HOW!? Under what authority!?
-What is wrong with the USSA!?
Just what we need... Freedom from Religion!!!! Geeeeeesh!
Madison Federal Judge: Nat'l Day of Prayer Unconstitutional
Posted Friday April 16, 2010 19 minutes ago
MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Federal Judge Barbara Crabb of Madison says the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional, because it violates the 1st Amendment’s ban on laws establishing religion. Crabb ruled Thursday in favor of Madison’s Freedom from Religion Foundation, which filed suit against the White House to end the president’s annual proclamation.
Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor called the decision courageous. She said it invades Americans’ freedom of conscience when the president tells them to pray. The Justice Department says it will review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal it.
Jordan Sekulow, an attorney for a legal group started by evangelist Pat Robertson, is confident Crabb’s decision will be overturned. He says it does reflect the mainstream of judicial thinking throughout the country. Crabb says her decision will not be enforced until all appeals are exhausted. So the White House said it would declare the National Day of Prayer for May 6th. The day had its origins in 1952, when the Reverend Billy Graham called for such an event.
Congress passed a law in 1988 setting the first Thursday of May as a National Day of Prayer. Former President George W. Bush held activities on that day. President Obama ended those events, but he still issued the declaration and encouraged Americans to pray on their own.
Posted Friday April 16, 2010 19 minutes ago
MADISON, Wis. (WTAQ) - Federal Judge Barbara Crabb of Madison says the National Day of Prayer is unconstitutional, because it violates the 1st Amendment’s ban on laws establishing religion. Crabb ruled Thursday in favor of Madison’s Freedom from Religion Foundation, which filed suit against the White House to end the president’s annual proclamation.
Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor called the decision courageous. She said it invades Americans’ freedom of conscience when the president tells them to pray. The Justice Department says it will review the ruling before deciding whether to appeal it.
Jordan Sekulow, an attorney for a legal group started by evangelist Pat Robertson, is confident Crabb’s decision will be overturned. He says it does reflect the mainstream of judicial thinking throughout the country. Crabb says her decision will not be enforced until all appeals are exhausted. So the White House said it would declare the National Day of Prayer for May 6th. The day had its origins in 1952, when the Reverend Billy Graham called for such an event.
Congress passed a law in 1988 setting the first Thursday of May as a National Day of Prayer. Former President George W. Bush held activities on that day. President Obama ended those events, but he still issued the declaration and encouraged Americans to pray on their own.
2010-04-15
650 Tea Parties today
are you attending one, or otherwise performing your community service!?
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Our Contract
"(1) Protect the Constitution: Require each bill to identify the specific provision of the Constitution that gives Congress the power to do what the bill does (82.03 percent).
"(2) Reject Cap & Trade: Stop costly new regulations that would increase unemployment, raise consumers prices, and weaken the nation's global competitiveness with virtually no impact on global temperatures (72.20 percent).
"(3) Demand a Balanced Budget: Begin the Constitutional amendment process to require a balanced budget with a two-thirds majority needed for any tax hike. (69.69 percent)
"(4) Enact Fundamental Tax Reform: Adopt a simple and fair single-rate tax system by scrapping the internal revenue code and replacing it with one that is no longer than 4,543 words -- the length of the original Constitution. (64.90 percent).
"(5) Restore Fiscal Responsibility & Constitutionally Limited Government in Washington: Create a Blue Ribbon taskforce that engages in a complete audit of federal agencies and programs, assessing their Constitutionality, and identifying duplication, waste, ineffectiveness, and agencies and programs better left for the states or local authorities, or ripe for wholesale reform or elimination due to our efforts to restore limited government consistent with the U.S. Constitution's meaning. (63.37 percent)
"(6) End Runaway Government Spending: Impose a statutory cap limiting the annual growth in total federal spending to the sum of the inflation rate plus the percentage of population growth. (56.57 percent).
"(7) Defund, Repeal & Replace Government-run Health Care: Defund, repeal and replace the recently passed government-run health care with a system that actually makes health care and insurance more affordable by enabling a competitive, open, and transparent free-market health care and health insurance system that isn't restricted by state boundaries. (56.39 percent).
"(8) Pass an 'All-of-the-Above' Energy Policy: Authorize the exploration of proven energy reserves to reduce our dependence on foreign energy sources from unstable countries and reduce regulatory barriers to all other forms of energy creation, lowering prices and creating competition and jobs. (55.51 percent).
"(9) Stop the Pork: Place a moratorium on all earmarks until the budget is balanced, and then require a 2/3 majority to pass any earmark. (55.47 percent).
"(10) Stop the Tax Hikes: Permanently repeal all tax hikes, including those to the income, capital gains and death taxes, currently scheduled to begin in 2011. (53.38 percent).
2010-04-13
Someone slept in my bed...
And he's STILL there. :)
I bet you that backpack is full of Beanies too!
Haha. Cute little guy!
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What is a Tea Party?!
"Realizing that no matter how much you like tea... If it comes at the price of your freedom, you will still THROW IT IN THE WATER"
-Alan Keyes, Tue, Apr 13, 2010
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I did my part, you do yours.
I introduced 3 people to the freedom movement tonight. Will you become involved? Do you value life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness!?
God save the State of Ohio! God save the USA!
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A thot from the Tea Party...
"Every morning, when I get up, I read the Bible and the new york times. That way, I can see what each side is up to..."
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2010-04-11
2010-04-10
2010-04-09
Don't give up!
One down, 400 or so to go!
------------------------------------
Filed at 8:54 a.m. ET
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan tells The Associated Press that he'll retire from Congress rather than seek a 10th term this year.
Stupak has drawn criticism from opponents of the recently enacted health care overhaul after leading a bloc of anti-abortion Democrats whose last-minute support was crucial to its approval by the House.
The Tea Party Express is calling for his defeat at rallies in his sprawling northern Michigan district this week.
------------------------------------
Filed at 8:54 a.m. ET
TRAVERSE CITY, Mich. (AP) -- Democratic Congressman Bart Stupak of Michigan tells The Associated Press that he'll retire from Congress rather than seek a 10th term this year.
Stupak has drawn criticism from opponents of the recently enacted health care overhaul after leading a bloc of anti-abortion Democrats whose last-minute support was crucial to its approval by the House.
The Tea Party Express is calling for his defeat at rallies in his sprawling northern Michigan district this week.
2010-04-08
Andy's built a city
He's decided he wants a Lego City set, so he made one.
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2010-04-07
The boys were yelling...
"There's a big bee in the house!". They weren't kidding!
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2010-04-06
2010-04-04
It was quiet...
and as parents, you all know, that's not good. So, I hunted the boys down, and this is what I found them doing. ;)
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