Funny Friday

If you’ve ever had to endure the air travel system in the United States, you’ll get a kick out of this.

Whale Wars

I get off work at 1 on Fridays, which I love because it gives me time to run errands, do chores, have lunch with friends or maybe even take a nap before I pick Aubrey up from daycare. This past Friday, however, I decided to turn the TV on while I folded some laundry. While flipping through the channels, I stopped on Animal Planet, who was having an all day marathon of their last season of “Whale Wars” to lead up to the new season’s premiere later that evening. I got sucked in and ended up DVRing the whole thing because of that whole “having a kid who wants to eat and play” thing.

 I don’t know what it is with my fascination with shows about people on ships in arctic conditions, but I am also hooked on Deadliest Catch, a show on Discovery about crab fishermen. I guess the idea that people can stay on a boat for two months at a time and not go insane fascinates me, not to mention the fact that what they are doing is very risky and, to a certain extent, solitary. At any rate, I finished up the first season of Whale Wars later that night after Aubrey had gone to bed.

 This show documents the crusade of a man named Paul Watson to stop the slaughter of minke and fin whales by the Japanese in a whale sanctuary located in the Antarctic waters between Australia and Antarctica. Paul Watson was one of the founding members of Greenpeace, a protest organization formed in the 1970s. He was voted out of the organization due to his radical tactics and unwillingness to simply protest- this was a man who wanted to actually STOP the things being protested. He calls his organization, “Sea Shepherd”, an intervention group, not a protest group. You can learn more about him and Sea Shepherd here.

 I think the thing that really made my jaw drop was how this group of people really does “intervene” on behalf of the whales. They do everything from taking inflatable Zodiac boats out to the harpoon ships and driving in front of them to try and stop them by putting a big rope into the propeller, to actually jumping onto the harpoon ships in order to create international incidents in which the Japanese and Australian government must face this issue. They are non-violent in their intervention, but do throw some sort of chemical to the other ships that is, in essence, a stink bomb and taints the whale meat on board. They say they never aim at people, they only wish to deter the hunters.

 It seems to me that there are laws in place banning commercial whaling, but no one is enforcing them. The Japanese say they are killing the whales for scientific research, and they are allowed to kill a certain number of whales every year. The Sea Shepherds, however, see every life as one worth saving and intervene on behalf of every whale they can. Until this new season, they had never seen a whale killed. Last season they saved over 500 whales.

 I am not quite sure of my opinion on this effort. On the one hand, I love what they are doing. I mean, who doesn’t love whales, am I right? I think as Christians we are to value every kind of life, from the largest creature on earth (blue whale) to the smallest (the plankton it eats). On the other hand, I believe there is a balance to living in this world while still caring for it.

I have blogged before about my efforts to “green” my life, and how I have made it work for our family. While I think taking all cars off the road would solve a ton of problems (no car accidents, no pollution, etc.), it doesn’t mean that I wouldn’t find it to be a huge inconvenience or accomplish a lot less without that mode of transportation. In this same light, I can’t fully jump on board with the whole Greenpeace movement or become a vegetarian even though I know God loves chickens. A lot of the people on the Steve Irwin (a ship in the Sea Shepherd fleet) are of the mindset that the whales are equal with humans (because they can feel pain like we can). One girl even told the camera that “when it comes to our ecosystem, whales are more important than humans”. This would prove why these people are willing to risk their lives to save these creatures. I would compare their passion to those of us who might do the same to save people, whether it be unborn children or the refugees of Darfur.

I don’t know what possible reason the Japanese have for “researching” on whale carcasses. It all seems so barbaric and these animals do not die peaceful deaths. The saddest thing is that the whales they hunt are some of the most curious, so they go right up to the boat to see what it is, only to be harpooned, thrash around, shot and dragged along the side of the boat. Surely there is a better way for the Japanese to do research. And surely by now they have killed enough to get the information they need. I find myself rooting for these renegades on the Steve Irwin, as radical as they may seem. But is what they are doing any better than the Japanese? Jumping onto someone else’s ship is, in essence, pirate activity. Sinking ships in harbor and ruining propellers is surely illegal, not to mention dangerous.

 I suppose the biggest point that Sea Shepherd makes that gets me on their side is that just because something is legal doesn’t mean you should do it. Just because the Japanese can kill 500 minke whales a year doesn’t mean they should. Our society is driven by money, yet these people volunteer their time and risk their lives for a cause they believe in.

 It may be crazy, and it may not be worthwhile, but you can bet I will be following the adventures of Paul Watson and the crew of the Steve Irwin this season on Whale Wars.

What about you? What do you think? As Christians should we support or agree with Sea Shepherd’s efforts, even though it breaks the law? What do you think God would have to say about killing whales for profit?

Yummy!

  This really is delicious- try it!

Green Machine Smoothie Change the title to “Green Monster” Smoothie, and it’s likely your kids will go wild for this nutritious and energizing drink! 1 cup of fresh spinach leaves ½ cup frozen pineapple 1 small banana 1 6-oz. container of yogurt (try to find Greek yogurt, which has twice the protein and fewer carbs than regular yogurt) 3-5 ice cubes Lemonade or orange juice (use sugar-free or diet lemonade if possible) Blend together and serve – and that’s it!  Perfect for before or after a workout. Recipe courtesy Chris Freytag; www.chrisfreytag.com

Lenten prayer for the day

God of love, I know that you are the source of all that is good and graced in my life. Help me to move from the life of sin to which I so often cling, into the new life of grace you offer me. You know what I need to prepare for your kingdom. Bless me with those gifts. May the Lord bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.

This is taken from here, a great resource of prayers and readings for this season.

Could kick Rick Mitchell for telling me to dress for spring today AND ITS 50 DEGREES OUT!!! GRR.

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Vaccinations NOT a cause of Autism

I had a post on here a while back about the debate of vaccinating your child. To recap, I do vaccinate Aubrey because I believe it is better to be safe than sorry. However, I respect a parent’s right to make their own decisions for their own children.

I just thought this story was relevant to that and wanted to share it.

My eco-friendly iPhone

I know this is going to sound materialistic, but hear me out. My iPhone has changed my life. I am not a big phone person- I don’t call people just to chat, if i have a question I usually text or email. I don’ t know why. I am not too uncomfortable with awkward silences, but to me I guess I just think better when I am typing. And besides, AT&T isn’t my favorite of all wireless carriers- calls often get dropped. BUT all the other stuff my phone can do, well it was totally worth the price tag. How is it “eco-friendly?” you are asking. The answer is that I am sure I have saved at least one tree from being turned into the amount of sticky notes I have stopped having to use thanks to the “notes” application on the phone. I put my grocery list, to-do’s, checklists, etc on there. And if you know me, you know I am a list person so this in itself has made me feel less frazzled. Instead of digging for the 3 sticky notes I threw in my purse, I reach into the front pocket and pull out my phone.

I have gone on two trips since I got it, and I didn’t have to pack a lot of stuff to entertain myself. I can download books, crosswords, and games… not to mention the fact that it is also an iPod so I can listen to music. So why am I talking about my phone so much? The apps. I want to share a few of my favorite apps with you, but I also want to hear from you! I’m always looking for good FREE apps so if you have any you would like to share, please do!

• -Shakespeare. I’m an English person so this is awesome- and FREE! Just go to the app store, type in “free Shakespeare” and you will be able to download ALL of Shakespeare’s works straight to your phone.
• itreblid. If you like the “‘Dilbert” comic strip, you will love this app- downloads a strip daily. FREE!
• Mint. If you need to organize your finances, this is the tool to use. Put in your banking info and it organizes your budget. You don’t have to enter any transactions- since it’s linked to your account, it does it for you and you can see the breakdown of how you spend your money. Free as well.
• Livestrong. On a diet? This is a great tool. You put in any workout activities you did that day, what you ate, your weight, etc and it is all organized. It also shows you how many calories certain activities  can burn, like walking up stairs or lifting boxes. My favorite thing about this is that if you are at a fast food place and want to know what you can eat, you can type the food in and see what is allowed for your caloric intake. It is actually quite shocking, though. One day I typed in “Taco Bueno taco salad” thinking I was being all healthy and up pops 780 calories! GAH! I think I skipped lunch that day…
• Facebook and Myspace. If you don’t know what these are, I don’t know how you managed to navigate to this page haha, just kidding. These apps are great, b/c you can download pics straight to your page from your phone, etc. And I am addicted to Facebook so it keeps me connected.
• iZoo. I downloaded this for Aubrey when we were going to Chile. She looooves animals so I did a search and this popped up. Its got pics of the animals and if you touch the pic, it makes the noise. It is the only time she gets to touch my phone. Ever.
• Cycles. I think if you do a search for “cycles” or “fertility friend” this will come up and it’s free. Ladies can keep track of cycles, ovulation and “activity”. I know it’s kinda weird, but its a handy tool, especially if you are trying (or trying NOT to, actually) to get pregnant.
• Holy Bible. If you ever see me with my phone out at church, I promise that I am not on Facebook. I have my Bible downloaded onto my phone! There are several free Bible apps, I picked the one from LifeChurch.tv and it lets me pick the version I want, plus has a daily devotion and verse. Pretty neat.
• Cowabunga. OMG this game is so fun and it’s free. You basically have to bounce a bunch of cows across a river and they moo and its hilarious.
• Jewel Quest. The only app I have actually paid for. It was $1.99 and worth every penny. If you ever see me on my phone OUTSIDE of church, I am probably playing this addictive and infuriating puzzle game.
• Shazam. Have you ever been driving down the road, listening to the radio and hear a song you like but the DJ doesn’t come on and say who sings it? With this app you can hold your phone near the radio, push the “tag” button and in about 20 seconds the name of the song and artist will pop up, along with the option to purchase it on itunes. Awesome.
• SnapTell. This app lets you take a picture of products with your phone- books, foods, etc at the store and gives you reviews and possibly where else you could buy it for less.
• Take me to my car. I only used this around Christmas when I had to park at Walmart or the mall (gag me). You can basically tag where your car is with your phone when you park so when you come out of the store, it will tell you where and how to get to your car.
• Stitcher Radio. You can select many different radio stations and podcasts through this app, make them your favorites and get updated daily. I have one for People Magazine if I am feeling the need to catch up with Hollywood, another for the BBC radio since I can’t find a station in OKC that plays it all the time, a ton of “mommycasts” and NPR. Keeps the variety all organized for you.

I have a ton more but these are my favorites, and most are free. So, share away, b/c I need some more cool apps!

Today we honor a world-changer

“I Have A Dream” by Martin Luther King, Jr.

Delivered on the steps at the Lincoln Memorial in Washington D.C. on August 28, 1963

Five score years ago, a great American, in whose symbolic shadow we stand signed the Emancipation Proclamation. This momentous decree came as a great beacon light of hope to millions of Negro slaves who had been seared in the flames of withering injustice. It came as a joyous daybreak to end the long night of captivity. But one hundred years later, we must face the tragic fact that the Negro is still not free. One hundred years later, the life of the Negro is still sadly crippled by the manacles of segregation and the chains of discrimination. One hundred years later, the Negro lives on a lonely island of poverty in the midst of a vast ocean of material prosperity. One hundred years later, the Negro is still languishing in the corners of American society and finds himself an exile in his own land.

So we have come here today to dramatize an appalling condition. In a sense we have come to our nation’s capital to cash a check. When the architects of our republic wrote the magnificent words of the Constitution and the declaration of Independence, they were signing a promissory note to which every American was to fall heir. This note was a promise that all men would be guaranteed the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. It is obvious today that America has defaulted on this promissory note insofar as her citizens of color are concerned. Instead of honoring this sacred obligation, America has given the Negro people a bad check which has come back marked “insufficient funds.” But we refuse to believe that the bank of justice is bankrupt. We refuse to believe that there are insufficient funds in the great vaults of opportunity of this nation. So we have come to cash this check — a check that will give us upon demand the riches of freedom and the security of justice. We have also come to this hallowed spot to remind America of the fierce urgency of now. This is no time to engage in the luxury of cooling off or to take the tranquilizing drug of gradualism. Now is the time to rise from the dark and desolate valley of segregation to the sunlit path of racial justice. Now is the time to open the doors of opportunity to all of God’s children. Now is the time to lift our nation from the quicksand’s of racial injustice to the solid rock of brotherhood. It would be fatal for the nation to overlook the urgency of the moment and to underestimate the determination of the Negro. This sweltering summer of the Negro’s legitimate discontent will not pass until there is an invigorating autumn of freedom and equality. Nineteen sixty-three is not an end, but a beginning. Those who hope that the Negro needed to blow off steam and will now be content will have a rude awakening if the nation returns to business as usual. There will be neither rest nor tranquility in America until the Negro is granted his citizenship rights. The whirlwinds of revolt will continue to shake the foundations of our nation until the bright day of justice emerges.

But there is something that I must say to my people who stand on the warm threshold which leads into the palace of justice. In the process of gaining our rightful place we must not be guilty of wrongful deeds. Let us not seek to satisfy our thirst for freedom by drinking from the cup of bitterness and hatred. We must forever conduct our struggle on the high plane of dignity and discipline. we must not allow our creative protest to degenerate into physical violence. Again and again we must rise to the majestic heights of meeting physical force with soul force. The marvelous new militancy which has engulfed the Negro community must not lead us to distrust of all white people, for many of our white brothers, as evidenced by their presence here today, have come to realize that their destiny is tied up with our destiny and their freedom is inextricably bound to our freedom. We cannot walk alone. And as we walk, we must make the pledge that we shall march ahead. We cannot turn back. There are those who are asking the devotees of civil rights, “When will you be satisfied?” we can never be satisfied as long as our bodies, heavy with the fatigue of travel, cannot gain lodging in the motels of the highways and the hotels of the cities. We cannot be satisfied as long as the Negro’s basic mobility is from a smaller ghetto to a larger one. We can never be satisfied as long as a Negro in Mississippi cannot vote and a Negro in New York believes he has nothing for which to vote. No, no, we are not satisfied, and we will not be satisfied until justice rolls down like waters and righteousness like a mighty stream.

I am not unmindful that some of you have come here out of great trials and tribulations. Some of you have come fresh from narrow cells. Some of you have come from areas where your quest for freedom left you battered by the storms of persecution and staggered by the winds of police brutality. You have been the veterans of creative suffering. Continue to work with the faith that unearned suffering is redemptive. Go back to Mississippi, go back to Alabama, go back to Georgia, go back to Louisiana, go back to the slums and ghettos of our northern cities, knowing that somehow this situation can and will be changed. Let us not wallow in the valley of despair. I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frustrations of the moment, I still have a dream. It is a dream deeply rooted in the American dream.

I have a dream that one day this nation will rise up and live out the true meaning of its creed: “We hold these truths to be self-evident: that all men are created equal.”

I have a dream that one day on the red hills of Georgia the sons of former slaves and the sons of former slaveowners will be able to sit down together at a table of brotherhood.

I have a dream that one day even the state of Mississippi, a desert state, sweltering with the heat of injustice and oppression, will be transformed into an oasis of freedom and justice.

I have a dream that my four children will one day live in a nation where they will not be judged by the color of their skin but by the content of their character.

I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day the state of Alabama, whose governor’s lips are presently dripping with the words of interposition and nullification, will be transformed into a situation where little black boys and black girls will be able to join hands with little white boys and white girls and walk together as sisters and brothers.

I have a dream today. I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together. This is our hope. This is the faith with which I return to the South.

With this faith we will be able to hew out of the mountain of despair a stone of hope. With this faith we will be able to transform the jangling discords of our nation into a beautiful symphony of brotherhood. With this faith we will be able to work together, to pray together, to struggle together, to go to jail together, to stand up for freedom together, knowing that we will be free one day.

This will be the day when all of God’s children will be able to sing with a new meaning, “My country, ’tis of thee, sweet land of liberty, of thee I sing. Land where my fathers died, land of the pilgrim’s pride, from every mountainside, let freedom ring.” And if America is to be a great nation this must become true. So let freedom ring from the prodigious hilltops of New Hampshire. Let freedom ring from the mighty mountains of New York.

Let freedom ring from the heightening Alleghenies of Pennsylvania! Let freedom ring from the snowcapped Rockies of Colorado! Let freedom ring from the curvaceous peaks of California! But not only that; let freedom ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia! Let freedom ring from Lookout Mountain of Tennessee! Let freedom ring from every hill and every molehill of Mississippi.

From every mountainside, let freedom ring. When we let freedom ring, when we let it ring from every village and every hamlet, from every state and every city, we will be able to speed up that day when all of God’s children, black men and white men, Jews and Gentiles, Protestants and Catholics, will be able to join hands and sing in the words of the old Negro spiritual,

“Free at last! free at last! thank God Almighty, we are free at last!”

Fare well, George W. Bush.

I only know of probably one other person who might shout an “amen” to this blog, so please know that I am not writing it to fish for any sort of agreement (and those of you who feel the need to hate might do well to refrain from it), but this has all been sitting so heavy on me for the last month or so that I just had to get it out.

 

I am one of the few who will miss George W. Bush. There, I said it. Please hold back the chants of “Crucify!” back until you hear me out. The year 2000 was the first year I could vote. I had no clue about politics or thinking for myself. I registered Republican because that is what my parents were. I called myself a Pentecostal because that is what my parents were. I went to the college they said I would go to, I drove the car they bought me, I had a lovely, blissfully ignorant life. I knew that for whatever reasons, my whole family thought that Bill Clinton was evil and that voting for his VP was not an option. So, I mailed in my absentee ballot since I was in a different town and felt the lovely sensation that November of the guy you voted for being declared the winner (oh, how I miss that feeling).

 

You know what happened next- September 11. That is a day I will never forget. That is a day when I woke up and realized how ugly the world can be. That is a day where I saw fear, terror, and death. It was a day that I saw a grown man, leader of the free world so saddened by what had happened that he cried, for all the world to see. He was determined not to let this happen again. That day, I got angry enough to care. I was glued to the television, obsessed with the news. Even though I was scared, I felt safe. I knew this not happen again. Not now, that we knew what could happen and the harm some meant for us. America would never be caught off guard again.

 

There have been mistakes, oh how there have been mistakes. But there have been victories and triumphs and hope restored to people held down by a dictator. I am not one to judge all of the President’s motives or reasons. I can only take a look at the facts, and the fact is that America has not seen another 9/11 since that day in 2001, and it is because of the man that is our President. Bill O’Reilly states these facts better than I can:

 

“Immediately after the attack on 9/11, the Muslim jihadists had a big wind at their backs. We saw TV pictures of Muslims dancing in the streets as the great Satan America was humbled by al-Qaeda. Almost instantly, the invincibility of the United States was challenged and the physical safety of Americans was at risk. It was very possible that further attacks were close.
Moving quickly, the Bush administration reorganized the FBI into a terror-fighting organization and toppled the Taliban in Afghanistan, disrupting al-Qaeda’s command and control. Those successful tactics blunted a number of active terror plots and resulted in the capture of a number of al-Qaeda big shots, all of whom broke under coerced interrogation. The information they gave up allowed the Bush administration to further damage the terrorist infrastructure.
Then came Iraq, an operation designed to cleanse the Muslim world of the huge terrorist enabler Saddam Hussein. The price of that war is still being debated, but what is not disputed by honest people is that the al-Qaeda foot soldiers that invaded Iraq hoping to defeat the U.S. military were eventually decimated. The price for America in Iraq has been enormous, but al-Qaeda has also paid big.

Today, the terror threat still exists, but it is no longer centralized and has lost most of its momentum. In short, the United States is winning the shooting war and President Bush should get credit for that.”

 

Many do not see George Bush as a defender of the innocent. Many see him as a mass murderer, an idiot, a honky-tonk Texas boy who somehow wiggled his way into the Presidency. I disagree with that assessment. His decisions have been unpopular (according to Gallup, the man leaves with a 34% approval rating). Some have been massively stupid. But there is no denying that he did what he thought was right. He acted on his convictions. We have been safe. Our children have not seen planes turned into weapons, mass terror or people jumping from skyscrapers because they would rather die like that than be incinerated.

 

Unfortunately, a big part of George Bush’s presidency is defined by death. Whether it be the death of over 3000 Americans, the deaths of our soldiers fighting for the greater good- freedom for all-, or the deaths of dictators and terrorists, there has been a lot of it in the past 8 years. But you know what? Because of George Bush’s convictions on right and wrong, I am certain that thousands of lives have been saved- lives that many don’t even define as “viable” or “worth the hassle”. I am talking about the unborn.

 

By not allowing further boundaries to come down when it comes to abortion in this country, the President has saved many lives. By recognizing that God creates all things and that we have no right to stop life before it even begins, we say no to death, selfishness, ignorance and waste. To lay down a death sentence on an innocent baby who has no voice of their own… to take away their chance to breathe the air, to see the sky, to feel another human’s touch, to taste, smell, laugh, cry, and love, well to me that is such an incredible tragedy. Even more so, the tragedy lies in the justification of those who scream and wail about Bush playing God, and yet support a woman’s “right” to do the same with her child. IT IS NOT RIGHT. IT IS MURDER. Christians especially should never ever be on the side of convenient murder. As Christians, we give up our rights as we follow Christ. As a Christian woman, I belong to Christ. I follow His guidance, I deny myself as an “American”, as my own person, and I give up my “rights”. I don’t DESERVE to live in America, but I do. I don’t DESERVE to be a woman, but I am. Just because I am an American woman and the laws of the land say I have a “right” to kill my unborn child for various reasons, DOES NOT MEAN I SHOULD. Women have come a long way in this country, and hurrah for us. But defining our freedom through the choice to murder? That is shameful, that is nothing that I want to be a part of.

 

Tomorrow we get a new president. A man who is ready to sign laws which would further lower boundaries and reasons for abortions. This “freedom to privacy” act is a joke. It would mean that any woman could get an abortion for any reason. “Depressed” because you got knocked up? Abortion. Headache? Abortion. Mistake? Abortion. Can’t afford a baby? Head on down to your local death clinic where the tax payers of America will fund the procedure of vacuuming a baby, a living being, out of your uterus and dumping it in the trash. Too far along? Well thanks to Barack Obama, late-term abortion will be an option now for many. Head on down to the murderers disguised as doctors and let them deliver your entire baby but its head, stab it in the neck and vacuum its brains out. The child’s skull can then collapse, the murderer will pull the baby out and dump it in the trash. If this isn’t infuriating you then I have no idea what would, what could. All in the name of “privacy” and “rights”. It is disgusting.

 

I pray that God opens Barack Obama’s eyes. My heart is heavy, heavy, heavy for tomorrow. I am saddened that the only thing people can see is the color of his skin. I don’t care if you are rainbow colored, if you are going to enable mass convenient murder, and of innocent children no less, I cannot and will not respect you.

 

For now I can only pray that God changes his heart. I pray he succeeds with the war on terror, because if he fails we are all screwed. I pray that Barack Obama will have compassion on ALL who cannot help themselves, not just lazy drug addicts on welfare. Have compassion on the innocent. I mourn the thousands of unborn deaths that will be a result of tomorrow.

 

God, help us.