Neat 'Net Nerdiness

Another really cool tool for those for whom geekiness is a way of life:

NOAA Sunrise/Sunset Calculator

Maybe I did learn something after all

My high-school English teacher would be proud:

Phoney Phonetics?

Neat 'Net News

Not sure to what extent I should trust Micro$oft, but here's a pretty cool tool I ran across recently...

Password Creation Guidelines

Original intent

What did the Framers of our nation actually say and do?

Are we so naive that we buy into the revisionist historians' nonsense that permeates our institutions of "higher" learning?

America, the Ten Commandments, and the Culture War

Here's another.


And, just so we have the alternative viewpoint, here's a different (albeit wrong)slant:

Secularism and De-Christianization: Religion in America

Global alarmism

Not too long ago, AP (Apologetics Press, not the other "AP"), published this fantastic piece on "The Deification of Nature"

Today, I ran across an excellent article on the WSJ opinion site dealing with a "Climate of Fear".

These two articles share a similar vein of thought, namely, environmentalism and its associated byproducts (not to mention the billions spent "combatting" a phantasm no one seems to have been able to give a definitive shape - wonder why that is?) have too long been wielding an inordinate level of influence in the world of late. To "them", this "global climate shift" is supposedly caused by my standard of living.

Heh. What's next? The Green Police?

What it all means

After reading some of my daily reads, I feel like I've known some of these bloggers for a long time. I began blogging back in August '05, if I recall correctly.

I've been contemplating these things for the better part of a week, so please, bear with me. I'm writing to say that, as a male clan member in this blogdom, I have quickly grown to admire and appreciate all of the blogs of individuals who are truly striving to live righteous and godly lives. It encourages me to no end to know what wonderful people they all are and how they are raising their own children. It gives me hope in a world that seems intent on expunging God, truth, and right from everyones' minds.

I sincerely appreciate the "choosinghome" blog, Ladies Against Feminism, Amy's Humble Musings, and many others in the same vein. What beauty it is to behold those who are patterning their lives after God's blueprint. We've been studying the "de-Christianization" of America in our Wednesday night class over the last few weeks, and I must admit, it has been an eye-opening experience for me. I see the writings of God-fearing men and women from the early days of our nation, and how they pleaded with God to bless this nation, so long as they humbled themselves before him and recognized their dependence on His providential hand, as well as confessing their own weaknesses and shortcomings, all the while recognizing the exclusive superiority of Christianity above all other religions to bring true salvation and brotherly love to all mankind. I see the emphasis, or rather, the seamlessness of God's Word within these cherished documents, as if each man and woman's vocabulary was founded upon God's Holy Word, and none could speak, but as it were from mouths of righteousness and holiness. God's Word was indeed the foundational bedrock upon which their educational experiences were built.

I see aspects of these same traits in the people who host my favorite blogs, and I am encouraged by it. I realize we all face challenges in our daily walk; in our own personal lives. My sincere gratitude is extended to you all for the example and encouragement you provide to me daily.

I say all of this as I contemplate what the future holds for those precious Winkler children. I can only hope that this does not affect them in an utterly negative way. I was moved to tears this past Sunday as I prayed during our worship assembly that my wife and I, as well as other young families at our congregation can raise our children in the nurture and admonition of God's love, and show them how to genuinely love each other and God's Word.

May we all turn back to Him, the Life-Giver and Sustainer, from Whom ALL blessings flow, and realize the foolish hopelessness in any other.

Choosing

There is a fine art to choosing the correct pocket knife.

Ladies, the purchase of a pocket knife for your significant other can be a fantastic choice for an anniversary gift or special occasion, but be forewarned, the particulars of locating "the right purse" also apply to pocket knives for men. At least some men, anyway.

Color - I have a few friends who pride themselves in being a member of "the orange knife club", proudly displaying their blaze-orange-flanked Case XX upon demand. Most men, however, choose a particular color for a particular purpose or function. Most men probably wouldn't carry a blaze-orange Case XX to a formal function, any more than you ladies would wield a banana-yellow number with a formal black evening gown. It's just not done. Bleh. I personally carry a blue anodized Victorinox almost everywhere because it blends well with blue jeans, but also for other reasons mentioned below. I have a wonderfully well-crafted Benchmade which I carry when hunting because it's flat black and can be concealed during sunny days in the tree stand.

Shape - Curved, straight, flat, thick - it all depends on the function you're needing. Different blades serve differing purposes. A straight-edged blade is okay for whittling and such, but a blade with a slight curve is much more practical in a wider variety of settings. Who wants to have a honking-big, tri-bladed Buck hunting knife bulging out from a pair of khakis? Cargo pants, maybe, but not something dressy, which is a nice segue into...

Size - It does matter. Partially for concealment, but mostly because of practicality. Having a knife that fits your hand when you need it is supremely important. Ladies, you wouldn't carry a backpack if a snappy little coin purse would suffice. Likewise, your man could easily lose a finger or two by not having the right sized blade.

Style - Ladies, raise your hand if you still think macramé is fashionable. Enough said. It's okay. Just own it. But realize, this is kinda' like having a ten-dollar-plastic-handled-Pakistan-stamped-blade-survival-kit-knife-in-a-fake-leather-pouch handed to you for a birthday present. Ugh. Which leads me too...

Material - Carbon steel, ceramic, mylar, carbon fiber, brass, nickel, platinum, gold titanium, stainless, plastic, bone, fiberglass (huh?), whatever. Find out what your man prefers and stick with it. Better yet - just let him pick ;o)

Feel - This ties in closely with size, weight, and balance. A cheap knife feels, well, cheap. Period. Rough edges or stamped handles versus carved handles make all the difference in the world. A well-crafted piece of cutlery not only feels right, it IS right.

Weight/Balance - Too heavy, and it is useless. Too light for the intended purpose, and it's also worthless. I combine these two because they are so closely intertwined. Just as your purse is a burden if not chosen carefully, so is a man's pocket or hunting knife. I personally find the best-weighted and best-balanced knives typically run in the pricier category.

Having said all this, honestly, ladies, would you prefer your beau to pick your purse, or do it yourself?

Update II - subs

As covered earlier, I have made some modifications to some of my project studio equipment. Below, you will see where I have added an XLR connection for balanced input, as well as a 1/4" TR speaker output jack to the rear of my JBL 6010B amps.





The next photos are of a mod I performed on my Yamaha O1v digital mixer. I got tired of the power cable constantly getting in the way, every time I tried to close the travel case in which it was kept. So, I located an IEEE standard power connector from a computer monitor someone had scrapped along the roadside and, with a little metalwork to the power supply, was able to make this sweet mod. Much easier to deal with. I'll be doing the same mod on the JBL amps as well, when I can find time.

Berated [sic] Slapstick

Been very busy lately, so I haven't had much time to post an entry here, but I was updating my profile recently and remembered a FUNNY movie I had seen a little while back.

If you're an MST3K fan, or a fan of old B-rated "drive-in" flicks (think: Creature From the Black Lagoon, Attack of the 50 Foot Woman), you'll probably I know you will like this one:

Lost Skeleton of Cadavra

I sleep now.

Futile - Part II

As covered earlier, Mexico apparently feels it is their duty to view the world (or at least the neighbor just to their North) as subservient to them, and ignore any supposed "border" between the two respective nations.

House Republicans Want Mexican Military Incursions Explained

"According to U.S. Customs and Border Protection, there have been 231 such incursions since 1996, an average of more than 28 per year..."

There is a LOT more behind this story - FOR EXAMPLE, but I don't have time right at the moment to go into it.

Updated 1/31: More fodder.

Broken Promises

The high price of 'free' trade

Who do we thank for this one? I think we all know who.

Not just the U.S.

Those crazy Canucks might not be so crazy after all...

"The last thing we need is another windbag pundit spouting archaic cliches about biased bloggers, pyjamas, mom's basement and the lack of proper sourcing, nuance and logic."

dustmybroom: Free Press Attacks Conservative Blogs

Algore gets into the fray as well

Algore must live in his own warped version of reality. The fact that conservatives ("ultra-conservatives") are being elected to public office with increasing frequency across the North American continent ought to be evidence to the pedantics that people are "sick and tired" (to abuse a Hillary Rodham cliché) of being pushed around.

O Canada, we feel your pain.

When an ungodly society defines the terms...

"The experts tell us that it's good for our children if we're away from them for eight or nine hours each day, taking those hours for our own trivial pursuits. Raising children is not nearly the intellectual exercise that working for a corporation or a government entity is, according to the post-modern mom, who is fully trained in the idea that anyone can raise her child better than she. Some moms teach other children in public schools, but pawn their own child off to a daycare worker. It's okay though, because we're teaching our children to be independent, whatever that vague definition means. Our society refuses to believe that children actually need their true mom and dad, as infants and toddlers and even beyond."

Read the rest here:

ENMESHMENT: THE LATEST WAY TO BREAK UP FAMILIES

Good times.

Stumbled upon this today and had a momentary relapse into another world...a la 1979.

Jart in My Head

Good times. Yeah. Good times.

"BARK." ZAP. "YEEEOOWW."

The Mad Monk told on himself recently.

MadMommaMonk did a better (read: funnier) job of explaining. And even provided a visual.

Shopping - with children

I recall the days when Mother packed the four of us up in whatever vehicle we had at the time (usually a van) and headed out to shop. I thought this was an insightful article which may provide some help for weary mothers. (Especially if you're THIS super-woman.) Had this one sitting on the back-burner for a few days.

This is for all of you mothers who...have your hands full with young ones and don't always have the ability to go grocery shopping alone.

Grocery Shopping With Lots of Little Ones (and Enjoying It!): A Primer

Now serving...

Now that I have the red Swingline® stapler, here's a new toy I want for my office...

Ticket please

Nothing like some cool office "accessories" to brighten your day.

Pah-wham!

I'm an avid fisherman and hunter, and I also enjoy reading a well-written hunting story. I can only hope my children will enjoy these activities as much as I do, and learn to appreciate the simplicity and beauty of God's creation all the more. The following probably captures my philosophy regarding hunting better than anything I've ever read. Enjoy!

Black-powder Bushytails

Here's a link for those of you who wish you could be somewhere else today...

Smile!

"A Dream Denied"

This is TOO FUNNY!

Berkeley, CA makes list of top "Meanest Cities" in the US

As reported by the IBS and AP:

Top 20 Meanest Cities

1. Sarasota, Fla.
2. Lawrence, Kan.
3. Little Rock, Ark.
4. Atlanta
5. Las Vegas
6. Dallas
7. Houston
8. San Juan, Puerto Rico
9. Santa Monica, Calif.
10. Flagstaff, Ariz.
11. San Francisco, Calif.
12. Chicago, Ill.
13. San Antonio, Texas
14. New York City
15. Austin, Texas
16. Anchorage, Alaska
17. Phoenix, Ariz.
18. Los Angeles, Calif.
19. St. Louis, Mo.
20. Pittsburgh, Pa.

So, my question is this: Exactly what dream is being denied?

My city didn't even make the list. Guess we'll have to try harder next year. :oP

Who said it first?

St. Augustine - though all men do wrong, right is not diminished
Mark 10:29 -
Matt. 10:37 -

Resistance is futile. You will be assimilated.

"There has to be an integrated reform that includes a temporary worker program, but also the regularization of those people who are already living in receptor countries," Mexican Foreign Relations Secretary Luis Ernesto Derbez said.

Mexico Demands U.S. Allow More Immigration

Ahem. "...receptor countries..."

Huh?

Left-wing brilliance shines.

Oh, my.

Via dustmybroom:

"Best quote of a year only three days old."

Oh, and check out the "Leaf Pride" link on the right-hand side of the link above.

Ugh. Darcey's comment said it best: "I have to take a shower."

Apparently, it's not just Americans having troubles.

Accounting, banking, and other generally accepted accounting principles

The trick to good humor is, of course, having a firm basis in reality and truth, being able to take an objective perspective, all while maintaining the illusion that we ourselves are not the object of said humor poking fun at something or someone.

The following makes me laugh, but only because it's precisely the way banking actually works...

Banking Catechism

The banking industry is laughing because the joke is on us.