Old Blogs - Nonscience: How to Eat a Holy Diet - Recipee #1 - 4/10/07

How to Eat a Holy Diet - Recipe #1

Locust Bisque
This recipe is from Bert Christensen's website at: http://bertc.com

1 gallon locust shells
2 onions, roughly chopped
1 clove garlic, chopped
1 celery stalk
2 carrots
1/2 tsp. powdered mace
salt and pepper to taste
1 cup whipping cream

Put all ingredients except whipping cream into a large stew pot, and fill with water. Bring to the boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 3 hours. Process in blender or food processor in batches, and strain before returning to clean pot. Add whipping cream, being sure not to allow it to boil.

Serve with animal crackers.

Serves 6.

Old Blogs - Nonscience: How to Eat a Holy Diet - 4/10/07

How to Eat a Holy Diet

The Bible has some very strict rules about how to be holy through diet and that you *should* practice the dietary rules outlined in Leviticus and Exodus in order to be holy.

Rule # 1 - It is God's Law that you eat a holy diet!

Your best bet is to become a vegan and not eat any processed foods. That way you can make sure that you aren't eating any creature that moves on the ground. Be holy because God is holy!

"Every creature that moves about on the ground is detestable; it is not to be eaten. You are not to eat any creature that moves about on the ground, whether it moves on its belly or walks on all fours or on many feet; it is detestable. Do not defile yourselves by any of these creatures. Do not make yourselves unclean by means of them or be made unclean by them. I am the LORD your God; consecrate yourselves and be holy, because I am holy. Do not make yourselves unclean by any creature that moves about on the ground. I am the LORD who brought you up out of Egypt to be your God; therefore be holy, because I am holy."


Rule #2 - Only eat meat during the evening

But... if you can't give up the meat, then just make sure that you eat fish (not shell fish) and only eat in the evening. If you eat *any* animal during the day you are unclean simply because you've touched part of the carcass... forbidden animal or not. Plus, you'll have a LOT of laundry to do if you eat during the day. Eating only in the evening saves you the hassle of constant washing because in the evening you're automatically clean! Also, this means you can only hunt and prepare the animal in the evening too... unless of course you don't touch the animal while doing so.

"If an animal that you are allowed to eat dies, anyone who touches the carcass will be unclean till evening. Anyone who eats some of the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening. Anyone who picks up the carcass must wash his clothes, and he will be unclean till evening."


Rule # 3 - Count the legs!

Flying insects are one of the most abundant food sources on the planet! You'll never go hungry with this holy dietary tip!

Insects have six legs, so they automatically walk on at least four of them. However, some insects may have fewer than six legs or even fewer than four! This can happen when a kid pulls the legs off of an insect once he catches it and then lets it go. To be sure you have an insect that flies and walks on all fours, be sure to count the legs! You absolutely must count the legs on the insect before eating it! If it has exactly four legs, you can not eat it!

However, there are exceptions to this four-legged rule. You may eat locusts, katydids, and grasshoppers who have two missing legs.

"All flying insects that walk on all fours are to be detestable to you. There are, however, some winged creatures that walk on all fours that you may eat: those that have jointed legs for hopping on the ground. Of these you may eat any kind of locust, katydid, cricket or grasshopper. But all other winged creatures that have four legs you are to detest."


Rule #4 - Stick to Chicken Tonight.

As long as you eat it in the evening, chicken is ok to eat. I didn't know that bats were birds... but they are also off limits.

'These are the birds you are to detest and not eat because they are detestable: the eagle, the vulture, the black vulture, the red kite, any kind of black kite, any kind of raven, the horned owl, the screech owl, the gull, any kind of hawk, the little owl, the cormorant, the great owl,the white owl, the desert owl, the osprey, the stork, any kind of heron, the hoopoe and the bat.'

Rule #5 - Beef, it's what's for dinner.

As far as animals that chew their cud and have a split hoof go, you can't get much more cud chewing than a cow. But remember, only in the evening. No hamburgers for lunch! Oh, and NO CHEESE GOATBURGERS! EVER!

"You may eat any animal that has a split hoof completely divided and that chews the cud."
"Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk."

Old Blogs - Milwaukee: Snow Removal - 2/26/07

Snow Removal

In Milwaukee we are supposed to remove snow from the sidewalks so that people in wheelchairs can get by. If the snow is not removed from the sidewalk within 24 hours, the owner of the property is charged a fee.

This sounds resonable, however, we recently received a decent snowfall that made snow removal a bit of a pain... literally (my back is killing me). After 2 hours of mid-morning shoveling, I woke up the next morning to find that the city snowplows had undone all of my hard work. The plows ended up spraying all of the snow from the street into my yard and all over my sidewalk. This street snow was thicker and heavier than then snow I had shoveled earlier and meant that I had to reshovel everything again!

Also, because my neighbors are elderly and have had a number of strokes, it means that unless I don't shovel their sidewalk too, they will get a fine! So... after 2 hours of shoveling, I ended up having to go back out and reshovel my walks and theirs. Thank you city snow plows. Thanks a heap!

If I am expected to have the snow off of the sidewalk within 24 hours, for what I assume would be daytime use, then how about plowing the streets BEFORE everyone gets our their shovels!?

Old Blogs - Milwaukee: Property Taxes - 2/26/07

Property Taxes

I keep hearing about how Republicans want to lower property taxes and how Democrats want to raise them. I think this is a bunch of bologna.

My wife and I have owned a house in Milwaukee for 5 years. During that time, our our property taxes have gone up $700 to a total of $3700. In total, it's quite a hefty sum that is covered, in part, by the amount we get back from our federal returns. The kicker is that we don't even own a fancy house. We live in a decent working-class neighborhood with good neighbors, but our house is the ugliest on the block and parts of it are falling apart.

I'm not as angry about the taxes as I am about people lying about them. At least when the Democrats say that they are going to handle taxes by raising them or lowering them as needed, they are telling more truth than the Republicans.

Every election I hear nothing but Republicans screaming not to vote for a Dem because they want to raise taxes. Its true, I haven't seen a big percent increase in taxes... but it's a lie that Republicans won't raise them. They just don't raise the percentage.

Every year we've lived in our house the amount we pay in taxes each year has gone up. How can it go up every year if the Republicans aren't increasing taxes? Easy! They don't increase the percentage paid on every $1000 of your home's worth... they just reassess the value of your house every year! Apparently, the city thinks my house is worth $60,000 more than it was 5 years ago when we bought it!

Yep. They are raising taxes too! BUT they're lying about it by inflating the value of housing rather than increasing the percent of the tax.

I don't have a problem paying for schools, roads, hospitals, and things like that... but don't lie about it to me!

Old Blogs - Milwaukee: Transportation - 2/27/07

Milwaukee Transportation

Milwaukee is a great city. I've lived in many large cities: Akron, Detroit, Orlando, New York, Boston... and I'd have to say that Milwaukee is one of my favorites. I would rank it as #2 on my list.

Boston would have to be first on my list with Milwaukee as a very very close second. Both cities are some of the cleanest I have lived in. They both have a variety of events throughout the year, so it's hard to get bored. The only reason Milwaukee isn't first is because it lacks a reliable and usable public transportation system.

Sure, we have buses. But the problem is that if you need to go anywhere not directly on the bus line or if you don't want to spend all day riding the bus to run errands, there's no way to get around. I would love to be able to take the bus downtown and then ride my bike to go everywhere I need to go, but the buses aren't set up with bike racks.

I've called the Transportation Department about this and got answers of: "The garage isn't big enough to hold all of the busses if they have racks on them." and "The racks cost too much." and "We're adding more bus lines so that you can go more places." Unfortunately, I don't know how valid the issue of garage space is, but as for the other two answers... the bus lines have been cut... NOT added to... and there's a federal grant that would cover almost the entire cost of the bike racks... so they can't use those two excuses.

Apart from the bike/bus issue, we really need a commuter line. I know that we have something like $98 Million to build a public transportation system and just can't agree on what type. Here's a hint... the Waukesha-Milwaukee commute on I94 is hell!

With the Marquette interchange already torn up, why are we not putting a rail down the middle? It would certainly save some money to do it now rather than trying to figure out where to put it later and having to tear everything up again. Also, to save some room, it could even be a double decker train where westbound tracks are above eastbound.

I know there's talk of the Milwaukee-Chicago extension of the Metra... but let's start with the Waukesha line first. It's the worst traffic problem and many of the people who live there work downtown. Also, unlike the Metra system, let's have a car for people with bikes. That way if people work 4 blocks from the train, they can bike the rest of the way to work and at the end of the day, they can bike from the train to home.

Apart from time savings of not having to wait for an hour in stopped traffic and not having to try to find parking downtown, a Milwaukee-Waukesha line already has another advantage over the current system... Park and Ride. The line could be set up to use, as train stops and parking lots for commuters, the I94 Park and Rides that are already in existence.

One thing that I do know about public transportation is that as gas prices rise, the demand and use of public transportation also rises. Also, if the system isn't usable, people won't use it. A Milwaukee-Waukesha line would probably be one of the most used commuter lines we could construct. It would also help to revitalize areas of downtown and the night life. (When people ride the train, they don't have to worry so much about who's the D.D. for the night.)

A list of stops on the line could be:

*Waukesha I94 & G:
*Waukesha I94 & F: Quad Graphics Pewaukee
*Waukesha I94 & 18/Y
Milwaukee I94 & Moorland: Quad Graphics New Berlin
Milwaukee I94 & Mayfair: Quad Graphics West Allis/Zoo
*Milwaukee Petit/State Fair
Milwaukee Miller Park
Milwaukee 27th Street
Milwaukee Pottawatomie/Marquette
Milwaukee St.Paul/Amtrak
Milwaukee Summerfest/Art, Science Museums

*Denotes Park and Ride stop

To make this work for more than partying... you would also need to have it hook up with a good downtown transportation system. This could be buses, monorail, or light rail and would have to go to or be very near to places of higher population and places that people go for business or pleasure. It would most definitely have to hit Water St. bars and Theater district, the mall downtown, Brady St., the convention center, hotels, Harley, and yes... the airport. (The ferry would be nice. I guess you could make a 794 line from the airport, Bay View, and the ferry, up to Summerfest and hook it up there.)

Old Blogs - Dec. 20, 2005

Tuesday, December 20, 2005

Holiday Trees

Are you tired of the "War on Christmas?" Well, so am I!

Oh yeah, and why is it that some so-called Christians have to turn EVERYTHING into fear and war?

The Christmas tree was not originally Christian and STILL belongs to other religions that the Christians "borrowed" it from (and now ALSO belongs to Christianity). It is, now, in fact, a Winter-Solstice-Aessulapius-Woden-Christmas Tree. Being that that is a mouthful to say... and that the government is not allowed (by the First Amendment of the Constitution) to respect the establishment of ANY religion (that means they can't call it a Christmas tree), it may be a Christmas tree to you, and a Solstice tree to me, but to the government, it's a Holiday Tree!

There is no war on Christmas. You are free to call it what you wish and to celebrate whatever holiday you want - as are others. The very same amendment that does not allow the government to call it a Christmas Tree also protects your personal right to call it a Christmas Tree and to greet everyone you meet with a big smile and a "Merry Christmas!"

So... that being said... here's the facts.... and have a very Happy Hanukkah!

http://www.religioustolerance.org/xmas_tree.htm

"The first decorating of an evergreen tree began with the heathen Greeks and their worship of their god Adonia, who allegedly was brought back to life by the serpent Aessulapius after having been slain." ₅ The ancient Pagan Romans decorated their "trees with bits of metal and replicas of their god, Bacchus [a fertility god]. They also placed 12 candles on the tree in honor of their sun god" ₂ Their mid-winter festival of Saturnalia started on DEC-17 and often lasted until a few days after the Solstice. In Northern Europe, the ancient Druids tied fruit and attached candles to evergreen tree branches, in honor of their god Woden. Trees were viewed as symbolizing eternal life. This is the deity after which Wednesday was named. The trees joined holly, mistletoe, the wassail bowl and the Yule log as symbols of the season. All predated Christianity. ₅

The Christmas tree tradition dates back to Western Germany in the 16th century. They were called "Paradeisbaum" (paradise trees) and were brought into homes to celebrate the annual Feast of Adam and Eve on DEC-24. ₄ They were first brought to America by German immigrants about 1700. Christmas trees became popular among the general population about 1850. ₂

Senator Sues God

State Senator Ernie Chambers Sues God
Chambers says its to prove a point about frivolous lawsuits.

POSTED: 1:52 pm CDT September 17, 2007
UPDATED: 3:04 pm CDT September 17, 2007

OMAHA, Neb -- State Senator Ernie Chambers is suing God. He says it to prove a point about frivolous lawsuits.

Chambers says senators periodically have offered bills prohibiting the filing of certain types of suits. He says his main objection is the constitution requires that the doors to the courthouse be open to all. Chambers said, "Thus anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody - even God."

Chambers said he decided to file this lawsuit after a suit was filed in early September in federal court against Lancaster County Judge Jeffre Cheuvront. He's the judge who was hearing a sexual assault case, where the woman wants to use the words "rape and victim" during her testimony.

Chambers lawsuit, which was filed on Friday in Douglas County Court, seeks a permanent injunction ordering God to cease certain harmful activities and the making of terroristic threats.

The lawsuit admits God goes by all sorts of alias, names, titles and designations and it also recognizes the fact that the defendant is “Omnipresent”.

In the lawsuit Chambers says he’s tried to contact God numerous times, “Plaintiff, despite reasonable efforts to effectuate personal service upon Defendant (“Come out, come out, wherever you are”) has been unable to do so.”

The suit also requests that the court given the “peculiar circumstances” of this case waive personal service. It says being Omniscient, the plaintiff assumes God will have actual knowledge of the action.

The lawsuit accuses God “of making and continuing to make terroristic threats of grave harm to innumerable persons, including constituents of Plaintiff who Plaintiff has the duty to represent.”

It says God has caused, “fearsome floods, egregious earthquakes, horrendous hurricanes, terrifying tornadoes, pestilential plagues, ferocious famines, devastating droughts, genocidal wars, birth defects, and the like.”

The suit also says God has caused, “calamitous catastrophes resulting in the wide-spread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants including innocent babes, infants, children, the aged and infirm without mercy or distinction.”

Chambers also says God “has manifested neither compassion nor remorse, proclaiming that Defendant “will laugh” when calamity comes.

Chambers asks for the court to grant him a summary judgement. He says as an alternative, he wants the judge to set a date for a hearing as “expeditiously” as possible and enter a permanent injunction enjoining God from engaging in the types of deleterious actions and the making of terroristic threats described in the lawsuit.

sigh...

Life's too short...

Bizarre Bikes

Sideways Bike

Tree Branch Bike

Rail Bike

The Stinkbike by Saul About as useful as mudflaps on a tortise...

Garage Refuse Recumbent by dome_head Who says you can't afford a recumbent!?

Office Chair Bike by Woodenbikes Now this is a much better use of an office chair. Check out that "bucket seat!"

Wooden Bike by Matin No pedals? WTF!?

Propeller Trike by Damon Vander Lind

TallBike by Tim Anderson No Welding Needed! (probably not too safe)

18 Foot Tall Bike

New McCarthyism

http://pressesc.com/01182668252_espionage_indicators


Also, here's the pdf of what YOU can do to help stop espionage... http://www.ncix.gov/archives/docs/Your_Role_in_Combating_the_Insider_Threat.pdf
Funny, the list of things that describe the type of person who would be vulnerable for exploitation and use in espionage all describe the President...

* Drug or alcohol abuse.
* Repeated irresponsibility.
* An "above the rules" attitude.
* Financial irresponsibility.
* Repeated impulsive behaviors.
* Extreme immaturity.
* Willingness to violate the rights of others to achieve one's own ends.
* Accumulating or overwhelming life crises or career disappointments.
* Willingness to break rules or violations of laws and regulations.



FBI to restrict student freedoms
Submitted by Canada IFP on Sun, 2007-06-24 06:58.Americas | United States | News

US university students will not be able to work late at the campus, travel abroad, show interest in their colleagues' work, have friends outside the United States, engage in independent research, or make extra money without the prior consent of the authorities, according to a set of guidelines given to administrators by the FBI.

Federal agents are visiting some of the New England's top universities, including MIT, Boston College, and the University of Massachusetts, to warn university heads about the dangers of foreign spies and terrorists stealing sensitive academic research.

FBI is offering to brief faculty, students and staff on what it calls "espionage indicators" aimed at identifying foreign agents.

Unexplained affluence, failing to report overseas travel, showing unusual interest in information outside the job scope, keeping unusual work hours, unreported contacts with foreign nationals, unreported contact with foreign government, military, or intelligence officials, attempting to gain new accesses without the need to know, and unexplained absences are all considered potential espionage indicators.

Faculty, staff and students are encouraged to monitor their colleagues for signs of suspicious behaviour and report any concerns to the FBI or the military.

"What we're most concerned about are those things that are not classified being developed by MIT [Massachusetts Institute of Technology], Worcester Polytech [Worcester Polytechnic Institute] and other universities," Warren Bamford, special agent in charge of the FBI's Boston office, told the Boston Herald. "It's to make sure these institutions receive training...[on] what spies look for. There are hundreds of projects going on that could be useful to a foreign power."

"My understanding is that what the FBI is proposing is not illegal, but it does raise questions about the chilling effect in regard to academia,"Chris Ott, Communications Manager of the ACLU of Massachusetts told WSWS. "What will it mean about feeling free to pursue information? People on the campuses will be afraid to ask questions or take on the investigation of certain areas, say, for example, nuclear energy. "

University administrators have expressed their appreciation of FBI efforts.

"It was a very nice offer," Robert A. Weygand, vice president for administration and a former Rhode Island congressman told the Boston Herald. "We are taking it under consideration."

Last year the FBI initiated the College and University Security Effort (CAUSE), in order to establish an "alliance" between the Federal agency and academic institutions.

According to the FBI, through CAUSE, Special Agents in charge meet with the heads of local colleges to discuss national security issues and to share information and ideas.

Learning something new...

I've always had ideas for stories that never get written. I recently started writing one of them... the problem is, I see my stories in comic book form. I've been trying to find someone to draw what I see, but I've had no luck finding anyone who is comfortable with their drawing ability...

So... I've decided to try to teach myself how to draw.

Here's my first attempt. I know that the lines are too dark in some places and not dark enough in others... and that it makes my character look a bit lion-like... and that my character looks very tired and thin... like he's in a K-hole or something... but... again, it's my first attempt at drawing.

I'll post more attempts as I do them. Maybe I'll learn some patience from this exercise as it takes quite a lot of it!

Frack you, you fracking Nazi bastard. - A letter to the Pope.

I'm sick of dealing with people's fracking feelings. I don't give a damn if I "hurt your feelings". Frack you. You hurt more than feelings all the damn time... You hurt families and entice violence toward people! ...but heavens forbid anyone say anything against you or your "church." You have long said that I am a danger to children, marriage, family... and that I'm going to be the downfall of society. Seems to me more evils have been committed in the name of your God than I have *ever* committed. Heck, even more evils have been committed by you, you Nazi bastard ...and you call *me* evil!? Whatthefrackever. Then, you get mad and say it's "grotesquely obscene" when people displayed signs outside your church that said "No Vat" (as in Vatican). Yes... you can call people abominations, evil, and even be a fracking Nazi.... but when people hold up signs saying "No Vat" in protest to the Vatican's role in politics... it is *those* two words that you consider "grotesquely obscene." You're a fracking idiot. I wish there were a hell for you to go to.