socks

Split pea soup - this is the basic recipe: (I don't use all the herbs but use the primary veggies, and sub Dijon Mustard for the dry.). http://www.cooks.com/rec/doc/0,1848,154167-242199,00.html I'd cook longer than that recipe online states, simmer for at least an hour or until vegetables are all softened. After cooking complete, remove the veggies and peas from the liguid and blend/puree them. Consistency is up to you, smooth and soupy or chunkier, whatever you like. Add croutons, creme fraiche, or sour cream for the topping.

Hi Eagle - really? Passed over here? For writing a book opposing some of Wierwille's doctrine? Here? My impression of GreaseSpot Cafeterium is that if Wierwille buttered his toast on the bottom instead of the top it would be sliced, diced, researched, re researched, debated and ultimately be proven 1. wrong 2. theologically toxic and 3. insane. And that would be for just the first 10 years after which it would be revisited for the newbies, again and again in case anyone missed it. No flaw goes unexplored here and no detail is too small to warrant attention. Big stuff? Oh yeah. So it may have just been a hiccup in the flow. Dunno. All is well though and all who come to this thread seeking succor and solace will be accepted and given the maximum amount of license and minimum amount of abuse allowed by law. So consider yourself in, ticket punched! Welcome! I'm also concerned about the shutting down of our borders and the effect that would have. I'm sure few in politics will truly say "shut" down but the result of clogging them with more process- dunno. My position is that the TSA and federal government still doesn't have a handle with what it's trying to do currently and I think it's due to the fact that we haven't clarified what it is something like airport security is supposed to actually accomplish other than make sure that someone doesn't carry a stick of dynamite on the plane and ask someone for a match. It's clumsy at best which wouldn't matter if it didn't slow everything down, make flying confusing and costly for everyone in time and money. I am Hispanic, father's side all from Spain and Mexico. Still can't speak Spanish to save my life, have no accent other than West Coast Whatever, and get mixed up visually with a bag of Latin/Italian/Sun Tanned. In the winter I go pale but not Scandinavian white by any means. I have a beard, dress quite snappily and other than thin hair look about like the average Old Guy looking for his keys. Depending on the situation I can be singled out for lots of things. I'm not that as far as I know but I'm sure that in some Neo Nazi White Supremacist Citizen Pride Klueless Kluk Klan clean sweep of our coasts I might end up in Tijuana looking for cab fair. The lack of intelligence is a big part of the problem that I see in our security intelligence programs. I don't trust cops to hit what they're shooting at or know when to not shoot to be honest, I certainly have reservations about the TSA and other agencies related to "national security". Your idea sounds interesting, wonder how it could be administered?

Indeed. I would probably put gratitude, thankfulness in the list of things that dare I say replace fear, and the Bible appears to put a "thankful heart" high on the list of attitudes. An overwhelming sense of gratitude and thankfulness comes as a result of being mindful of the life in Christ. Humility. Through recognition of one's place in the world, with God and how we got there. Are getting there. I think, in general it's easy to understand as we come in contact with Christ and enter into that hmmm....paradigm (yechy word but it's a new year) that's put forth. To add: WW made the statement: Ok, the concept I was referring to is more often called LANGUAGE DRIFT. But you can see it happens all the time, as long as a language is spoken-a "living" language. A "dead" language doesn't change. This is an important point. "Folksonomy" in information architecture is where classifications of data are shared, more collaborative and can move and shift. As I've encountered that concept in my work it's reminded me a lot of how theology shifts. To a certain extent, the information in the Bible is a known quantity. Add what one wants take out what another wants, put it all back in plus any variables and you have a sum total of data. Textual criticism does fundamental winnowing. The language issue is more stable than a changing living language as WW notes, which makes that work more doable. Even allowing for differences and disagreements and gray areas, the actual content of what we would then generally call "the Bible" can be known and a baseline can be established. So - what do we get when we have a workforce of oh, I dunno, say 5,000,000 (pick any big number) workers of all the required areas of expertise, who put in oh I dunno, say 10,000 hours each (pick any big number) over a period of years - decades, millenia (pick any long period).....? I don't think it's the knowledge that's lacking - there's plenty of that raw data stuff, much that the average person with minimal instruction can access not even counting the millions of trained, educated and passionate geniuses working on it. And the work goes on, and improves, right? If Biblical Research were a NASA space mission it seems like we'd be building Wal-Marts on Alpha Centauri by now. I'm not suggesting that the work is done or that the conclusions on everything are clear but I do think that the work is doable and based on the language itself is more knowable and understandable than some theology makes it. We encountered that in the Way - where "apparent contradictions" weren't allowed to stand in some cases because they simply "couldn't" mean or say what they appear to....there must be a mistake on man's part somewhere (well, duh...) or something somewhere that if we can just dig it up and shine the light on it just right will SAY WHAT IT HAS TO SAY, "in the original". Anyway, yes, the Bible talks a lot about fear, but frankly I don't think the lack of fear is the root cause of VPW's direction or what went on in the Way. Some people don't fear, don't care, don't give a crap, for whatever reasons and never will. You can beat on them all day and they don't care. Some do and will get away with whatever they can. Fear of punishment doesn't produce doing the right thing in all cases, it can also produce avoidance, denial and dishonesty too. Lots of fear - lots of b-s too in that scenario. Just thinking out loud.

I John 4 has the composite statement on fearing God - this version states it thusly: 17 By this is love perfected with us, so that we may have confidence for the day of judgment, because as he is so also are we in this world. 18 There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love. 19 We love because he first loved us. I have a clearer vision and impression of life through Christ that in it's purest form removes the conflict of life, the dread of death and the fear of God's judgment. I think we all know that this life can go in the toilet pretty quick. With Christ I have a view into God's perfect love and there I may be get goose bumps and chills at times but "fear" - no. Not in the sense that I do what I do because I know God can kick my asz at anytime. I already knew that. I know what that part might look like, at least to a degree. At that point I'm like a kid faced with an aggressive shark in the water. Same thing - I'm lunch, I know that. But I don't see God that way because He's "so loved the world" that He's "given His only Son", that I might be saved, brought to Him and made whole. "Acceptance" is a word I use for it that reflects what I read in the inspired writings of the Bible. I have feared many, many, many things in life over the years including God. Through Christ I don't fear God though. I just don't. The Shepherd and His sheep, the Way and those who follow. Etc. etc. Frankly I can't think of much I'm afraid of period. Food poisoning, some bad shell fish maybe. Funky plane flight. Bad news. Good things I'm not afraid of though and to me, God is good and goodness is swirling everywhere so there's plenty of good air to breathe where the fear is rare. The immensity of the "respect" part of phobos, the fear of the Lord is much stronger however than a nod and a tip of the cap. I really do believe, as many of you, that these things of God, Jesus Christ, God's passion for His creation and people, this life and the life to come - these are real things to me. When anyone enters into this arena to act on God's behalf - to teach, to advise, counsel, intervene, direct, pastor as with the Shepherd - we enter a very special place, "holy" and sacred. To "lead" or try to is not a casual effort. And anyone who gets mixed up in God's affairs in His name with ill intent, greed, to seek "one's own" they're going to end up s--t creek without a paddle. It always turns out badly.

Indeed, to some degree I think anyone who's honest with their investment of time in the Way has to balance the kinds of things you're saying there and come to some conclusions sky. This has to be done outside the "it's still the Word and the Word is true no matter what happens" paradigm. To a great degree I think that paradigm is the incorrect one to sort through these kinds of issues - because it disconnects the individual's experience from what they're evaluating, when in fact the individual's experience should be the one that they rely the most on. When The Way states "experience is no guarantee for truth", the individual ends up having to accept a given "truth" as in fact true, with no further means of validating or understanding it. In fact, for many Wayfers it hasn't mattered whether they actually understand something taught as much as knowing it, ie, being able to recite it from memory. So an individual ends up floating in a pool of knowledge with no need of validating, experiencing or understanding it in a personal way. Yikes. I've posted before the most distressing thing I remember seeing was a Region/Limb Boss at a Corps meeting who had "missed" a call in the week before and was desperate to get the "notes". The person with the notes was trying to tell him about it and discuss it with him and he grabbed the note paper from him and opened up his Bible, started scribbling and said "Just gimme the notes, so I can teach it, that's all I need"..... yeah, teach something you haven't put a second into thinking about, considering and weighing. Great idea, not. One idiot regurgitating the regurgitations of the previous idiot. But yeah, again - I don't see these splinter groups as having great impact when and if they promote something "new" and it ends up being pretty much the same as what everyone else does, in practice. Doctrines that are different maybe, but the promises of "power" and "results" have to produce tangible, measurable "things". All the feel good, it-saved-me stuff is fine but you can get that in many diverse groups and efforts including those that aren't based in a religious foundation.

U.S. demographics in 2011? These #'s are debatable but useful. http://www.indexmundi.com/united_states/demographics_profile.html http://www.adherents.com/adh_dem.html One might say that the bustin' size of Baby Boomers who (understandably) want to live longer, better and retain the qualities of life enjoyed by a younger mind and body are driving today's emphasis on youth. The want to be young, fit into their old size jeans and retain all the good of what they remember about themselves, knowing now what they didn't know then... I think of that every time I hear and watch a TV commercial. In the 50's and 60's it was commercially verboten for TV commercials to be loud, aggressive, intrusive. The read was that those who had money - the older generation who worked all day - wanted to relax, chill, be at home watching the tube. That's changed over time obviously - today we hear the recycling of older music, mixed with newer technology. It's a fascinating development, the way the old is not that different than the new and what's new today contains such a huge volume of reference to the BB's past. Yet I think the gap is there - it may be meaningful for the BB's to hear and see their own past relived now, seemingly older, wiser but still vigorous and vibrant - yet it's really not on the radar of the 20 somethings, who can appreciate it but aren't living it (or living it again). The Evangelical history in the U.S. the last couple hundred years is also a way to view what's happened - that and the various distinctions between Fundamentalism and Evangelicalism over the years. To me, the concept of "splinter" groups in the Way is a very minute part of a very small segment of a much larger picture we can view many different ways, smaller cuts of a small pie that's getting smaller every year. Without trying to predict the future I don't see their platform as powerful enough to differentiate them out of the 'crowd' of available religions, churches, faiths, sects and societies. Figure - Christianity has a basic message and a lot of storefronts all over the world. If "a" group comes out of the gate one year advertizing new! different! better! powerful! versions.....................there will need to be a delivery on the promises at some point, or it will fade back into the background of everything else. Look at the Way Nash of the 60's and 70's - if someone never "got" the results or had anything at all to show for what they were doing then they eventually modified what they were doing. Sooner or later, some modification had to be made. Even those who say they're still just doin' what they were doing 30 years ago aren't - none of these splinter groups are doing what the "founders" were doing in the 60's and 70's, doctrine has changed or been "improved", practices and rituals are different. Similar but very different. I don't think they're all bad by any means - it's a free country. I don't have a vested interest in them being good, bad, right or wrong. People do a lot of weird, perfectly legal things that only a few are interested in.

Much Merry Christmas to you too! Hmmmm, "Christmas Carol" - well, the "ghosts" serve as metaphors for the past, present, and future. There is no "Christ" centered message, true. I suppose it means a lot of things to a lot of people. It's been a long time since I read it, frankly I don't think I've ever seen the entire movie of it or if I have which one - there's quite a few versions over the years if my impression is correct. Much of Christianity believes those who are now dead in the "flesh" are alive in the "spirit" but I took the "ghosts" as metaphors for the self examination a person might do of their own life, reflection, etc. I don't recall Dickens referencing "men of the cloth" specifically or making a Church versus the "ghosts" moral to be drawn....? Not sure about that but I may not be remembering it correctly. Upon reflection the Scrooge character recognizes that he can help the Cratchit family and by helping the younger boy he saves his life without which there would be an "empty chair" - that image remains strong in my memory of what I took away from the story - we can rationalize a past that's already occurred but if we knew we could change a future by what we do today we might act differently and thus make a different (and in that story a better) past that we will recall in that future. I have a statement that informs my daily life today which is somewhat similar - it's not an original thought but the way I put it is "The future has a past. Make it one you will want to remember". Mostly though it's a story. Doesn't cross my path much so it doesn't bug me one way or the other.

By any other name, a fan page. A minor point - the addendum devoted to copyright law is interesting. Their quotation of the 1988 Berne Act - the U.S. ratified it in 1989 and they're stating it's position which is 1. that all works moving forward do not specifically require a copyright designation in or on the media it's contained in to claim unique ownership and 2. all works prior require the appropriate copyright registration with the "c" in place on the media that contains the work, in their case magnetic tape and more specifically the box or container it's stored in. (it could also be in the audio but that's blurry as it can be added later - a moot point after the U.S. signed on to the '88 resolution) and clarifying that works prior to that date are governed by the laws in place at those times, notably that the absence of a "c" symbol denotes a lack to claim ownership and that works can move into public domain without it, etc. etc. This is a hairy topic, and not nearly as open/shut as they state, although they state their position clearly. The entire purpose of copyright law is to protect the unique rightful ownership of a thing and provide a framework to support that. This goes round and round all the time and sophomoric discussions on the nature of ownership abound but bottom line, copyright protects. From who? and what? Therein lies the uh, conundrum in their presentation and what caught my eye. The real question is always the same - who is the rightful owner of a "thing" - can it be proven if required? The way the laws have moved is in the direction of more clearly recognizing what's always been true, that a "thing" belongs to the person(s) who created or produced it. The purpose of the laws is to protect that ownership and apply some governance to that protection. Laws don't grant anything in this case, not really - they support, recognize, validate, etc. From that view a challenge to the true ownership of something like the Way's SNS tapes is hilarious - it may be that they don't want to "own" them lock stock and barrel, forever, each and every one or don't care - "no harm no foul" - but it would never be correct to say that they don't "own" them as the names of the tapes themselves and the labels, not to mention the actual content, all reflect a unique ownership. In courts lawyers can take things away from others and get decisions but they don't change the actual realities around a "thing" as to what it is, who created it, etc. Funny too is that copyright law historically is largely driven by the means of reproduction, which could also be known as "theft" if it's reproduced by someone who doesn't own it. Or not - someone could produce something and announce it's open to anyone to do anything they want with it. "Open source" code, "shareware" app's, are modern examples of that. Is that what the Way did with it's SNS tapes? I'd feel better reading it if it just said words to the effect - "the spirit of the intent for the content of the SNS tapes VPW is on were meant to be used by anyone anywhere at any time for the furtherance of the material on them and if you disagree, see you in court." That would be more honest IMO. I just get a real LMAO off at the fact that all of the frothy language about VPW and the work and effort and blah blah is piled on a mile high, only to end with a legal-nit-twister mote-in-the-eye-writ they feel required to place to prove why they can indiscriminately use the things of The Way knowing full well the Way "owns" those tapes and the content, by rights, but they feel can do what they want legally, without The Way's permission. They just want to do what they want to do and f you, with a little legalese added to support their actions. I guess they had a good Teacher.

I like your approach Steve. Many years ago shortly after I was married I was up late one night studying, books all over the living room floor of our place. I was leaned over on my arm and dozed off zzzzzzz....I woke up with a start! to a voice saying my name, "socks!". I dozed off again - "Socks!".....scared the crap out of me, I was alone there in the room. I got up and went in the bedroom, wife snoozing deeply in sleep. I went back and gathered my books together and wrapped up what I'd been doing. As the years go on the fear goes out of a person's life on some things, acceptance and resolve replace the shock of sudden awareness, understanding. There's always an element of surprise to life I think, goes with the territory. Each new day presents it's own opportunities. Part of my resolve is to expect the unexpected and so keep (try to anyway) myself open to the immense diversity of a life that's been produced by a God who appears to thrill at magnanimous creation. I once witnessed to a guy years ago and the topic of "hell" came up in the conversation. He said "That's my Tuesday, what else is new?" Life for him wasn't good and the idea that life for eternity might not be either was acceptable. When he heard that Christianity was all about a deliverance and ascendance to a better life, a life that was intended for him as much as anyone else, he scoffed. "Not for me", was his reaction. His own assumptions about himself prevented him from including himself in anything like that. And he wasn't afraid at all, he actually felt that's the way it is and if that's the way it will be, fine. In essence, why would God "love" him when his own life had proven time and again he didn't seem to be lovable? From there to seeing God's love through Jesus Christ was a process for him and when it hit him, dawned on him finally it was....well, like he was born again. And he was, quite literally. Not afraid though - incredibly relieved, thankful, overwhelmed. The magnitude of that reality was like a passing from death to life, he indeed had that identification with Christ that's spoken about. The fear of being what he had been left, although I know it nagged at him at times as it would with anyone I think. But coming back to that state of being loved that he'd accepted he continued in that path. No idea what he'd doing today but I hope he'd still doing well. I think the actual authentic experience many people have is like that - the balance of knowing more, what might be, what could be, what will be with what is and who and what we are now. Within that are all the things you're writing about, however the state of being balanced there is what geisha describes, IMO.

Yeah, the date's a moving target, and the exact date isn't known although there's math and calendaring that puts it in September which is fine with me - me 'n' Jesus are Virgo's! Way too cool. And they used to call September babies "New Year" babies, being 9 months give or take, from the New Year. Watch out for the egg nog I guess. As an RC doing life until I was about 18, I don't recall that it was ever promoted as the known date but rather the date it's celebrated globally, a date. For that matter I guess any date would do for remembrance. Early on the Way and VPW's rant about Christmas was that it wasn't the biblical date, was a pagan holiday instituted to pander to pagans and that most of the symbology including Santa Claus was all devlish hooky pook. Putting a downer on Christmas is a serious kick in the nads if you're a kid though, hoping for something cool under the tree...I was an adult, young and old and every year I was in the Way though, we had a tree of some kind, exchanged gifts, visited families and enjoyed it. When we were in the Way Corps residence program we went home for the holidays and had a great time with family. The manger, the shepherds, the Magi, yeah, I got it. But look at the Way - they ended up with a "WOW" auditorium, a Fountain of Living Waters, Memorials for VPW and his brother Harry, and an assortment of their own holidays that would choke a Hallmark Card stand. Traditions are just that and any society will have them. The Way just thinks theirs are better. Nothing new there. I may not be the average but while I understood and digested the historical and biblical issues - hey, it's fuggin' Christmas. Have a good time or at least don't bring everyone else down if you don't want to. That's the way I felt about it. Still do.

I do enjoy the salutation too mudflaps. Season's greetings is nice, Happy Holidays - these general terms work for me too because it is a season of varying holidays. I have friends of many faiths and assorted beliefs/non-beliefs and frankly many I work around or with that I have no idea what their faith is - so a broader greeting serves well. But I'm a Christian, I celebrate the birth of Christ and no I don't buzzkill every conversation about it with "did you know Jesus wasn't born in December????" I feel comfortable extending the greetings that represent me, "Merry Christmas" and enjoying the chance to connect with others in context. If anyone's offended I'll take my party elsewhere. If they want to be nasty about it, fuk 'em. Leave it to Wayfers to make one of the most powerful times of the year a big drag. For a lot of people "Merry Christmas" works regardless though - for many the merry in Merry Christmas is about the sharing part, the giving (and receiving!), community and family - it's a great time of year for everyone, or can be. It's also a tough time of year for many as we lose loved ones or are separated in some way from the traditions we know and love - so a little tenderness goes a long way, to quote Otis Redding.

Thanks. Safe to assume the formal training dates back 30? or more years. My own investigation into the work of ex Wayfers like Schoenheit, Lynn and a couple others is that it lacks scope and a thorough and sound methodology for research. The accumulation of data is reasonable enough on certain things but the analysis applied to it is skewed by what seems like a rush to judgment. You can't move quickly in analysis, you have to be thorough. They seem to work in a vacuum of their own heightened sense of self-importance. Some of the conclusions they come to are presented as being sound but qualified with an overall air of "this is the best we know at this time". Like their position at one time (and may still be) regarding God's "foreknowledge". I read some of it and a couple things sent to me and it was one of the largest loads of b-s--t I'd seen in at least a week, up to that time of course. I don't begrudge anyone the time and effort or the freedom to develop their own theological postulations but for them to teach this stuff from their cardboard pulpits is ludicrous. And no one but their small group of followers cares. That vacuum thingie again. I keep my feelers out on a host of topics, issues, efforts and I never see his name come up anywhere except amongst ex Wayfers. Course mine doesn't either, just sayin'....

Rejoice - a question for you a little off topic but related - I've gotten the impression that Schoenheit is considered their "theologian" and all around biblical "academic" authority and is largely the checkpoint for what they teach. Outside of years and personal effort (not to be underestimated) I don't know of any academic credentials he holds. Not that he needs any but I don't see that he has ever completed any formal educational programs outside of his own study and work within the assorted Way and post Way organizations he's been affiliated with....? Are you or anyone else aware of any? Here http://www.stfonline...bout/board.html - this is still online. it reads like he hasn't and doesn't. It also reads like STFI is (or was) much smaller than their business titles indicate ("CEO".....) - anyone know approx. how many members they have? Or what their yearly sales were for 2010? Sales dollars might be a better gauge of their size. My own sense of these groups is that their membership counts have shared many of the same members, one is "with" one but also another, with a core group of single-owner members that are counted on for financial support and participation. An exception might be Geer's franchise members, who seem to be more restrictive and prefer to be single-owners of their members. Actual growth has never been great or powerful, from what I understand and has mostly been in small fits and starts, friends of a friend, marriages and births, that kind of thing. This can be seen in Lynn's group and online presence - youtube for instance - he has a host of videos up, and some appear to have a lot of "Comments" and activity - but if you look at the likes and dislikes of videos, they're either very low or about the same number for most of them, indicative of a core group of viewers. And the comments are usually driven by a small group, not a string of single post comments from many viewers. So I assume they're very small, with a small number of core members and participants that are shared with other groups or churches. Where there's smoke there isn't always fire....

Hi. Hi. Feel better now? Personally I don't hand out direct information on this or other boards about how to reach people unless I know who's asking. I don't know most the people 'round here by face and those I did I probably haven't seen for 25 years or more. I'm sure you're a perfectly nice and swell person, so don't take this as an insult, since I viewed this I didn't want to leave you feeling all alone. If you know the city they're in and can figure out the spelling, try online searches and the like. Most of what comes across GS is just a city and a year anyway. Best wishes.

If you travel in and out of any large airports with any regularity johniam, you will be. There's an assumption at major airports that you will know enough to not take a knife to the Gates - and think about it - you weren't a passenger with a ticket or boarding pass - what's your intent? It's simple to you but if you step back and consider what "they" are looking for - and what is that exactly he asked? - it's not simple at all. Yeah, I agree krys - standardized approaches have up and down sides. My thought at this time is that IF this approach to airport security is continued there needs to be a better way to accomplish it. Otherwise we end up with this mish mash we have now. To handle all eventualities in a non-standardized environment would require better technology and resources than we are putting into it now. But yeah I think you have a very good point - if it isn't one thing today it'll be another tomorrow. We don't get a lot of traction chasing down the last problem we found, it's the next one we need to know about. Just my thoughts, I appreciate the input here. I'm thinking more about this now that I'm flying more the past couple years. I know the drills and go through without any real problems. But my little ones from time to time are really the tiny tips of a big iceberg I think.

George Carlin wondered about some of this too....some profanity provided a jolt of clarify. He may have changed his tune later, don't know, but he makes a point or two. <br> <br> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uQdC-e82gmk?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Man can change aspects of himself but he can't change who and what he is. We are what we are. A true integral transformation of a person can't happen only in their "mind", by changing their perceived reality. I can't grow 12 inches taller because I think in my mind I'm 12 inches taller. When you say you're the "god of yourself" you can only mean that you are in control of what you think about yourself and the actions that you can control with your mind and body. (and some would argue you don't control that much). But I'd be fine with saying you can think whatever you want about anything you want. I won't call that being a "god". It's just being you. I don't think we're "gods", each of us and don't see how or why anyone would feel that way. The claptrap of the "Church of Satan" is all b-s IMO. But it's not the beliefs you have to be concerned about there and you don't need a "church" to formalize a credo to do whatever you want. It's the people you gotta watch out for.

Fear? Yes and no. I feared God all my life as a Roman Catholic because I believed my eternal fate was in the hands of a somewhat whimsical bizarre force. I knew Christ but abstractly, not in a personal way. The personal relationship was something I pursued on my own, to be honest. Life seemed too abstract in their playbook. The only people that seemed bullet proof lived lives of extreme physical denial and hardship and were cast as "Saints". I was no saint, I knew it and figured I didn't have a snowball's chance in hell of coming out good on the other side. Through Christ I see God and what I see is different than most of that. I see concern, love, forgiveness, effort, direction, purpose, intelligence, a connection to His creation. I won't say God "makes sense" to me now, that would be presumptuous to the nth degree but through Christ I see my place in God's world or I might put it that I have a place in God's world, one that He wants for me. Acceptance is a big word in all of that for me. As an RC I never felt or understood myself to be very simply accepted by God, with or without Jesus Christ. I was afraid because it seemed as if the odds were very much against me and at best I'd be the last one out of Purgatory to turn off the lights. Through Christ I feel the odds are very much in my favor, the idea that humanity is God's creation and that we have a destiny of God's design - that comes together for me through Jesus Christ. I do fear God however, knowing all of that now. I can't brand my own experience into everyone else but for me there was a "train wreck" moment, the light at the end was long gone, where I felt the whole thing barreling down the track at me like a runaway train and it hit me as hard as it could hit anyone. Talk about jumping the tracks. At that point the dark abyss looked pretty inviting by comparison. And then - I realized God's love, straight and pure. Gently but forcefully pulling me up and out and in. Love in the face of another person. The goodness of God is so powerful it is somewhat overwhelming. From there the entire reality of Jesus Christ came into clear focus, it meant something, it was real, powerful beyond what I'd ever thought and as real as my own skin. And so it's been ever since. God I would say is like the ocean to me, which I love. I swim like a porous rock but I love the water. The life, the power, the strength of the tides and waves, the ebb and flow of it all, the sparkle and tint of the sun on it, through it, the smells, the blues and the greens. I'm very careful in and around the water, the ocean. It doesn't play by my rules, I play by it's rules. I fear what it can do, could do, I love what it is and does and that I can enjoy it. Having a "Rock" in the midst of that, a place that's my own, means something to me. God is like that, to me. Fear? I would say it's part of the awareness I have of God, yes but not it's entirety. Beyond my scope and grasp but through Christ, an entrance, a means to understand and join together with. In my clearest moments I can be carried with Him, confident that I'm in Good Hands.

Thanks Ways. :) The more I read about this topic the more I go hmmm. These posts here - I'm digesting. I've read that the most effective anti-terrorist risk management and prevention goes on outside the travel/airport context - identify the people before they try to board a plane. Makes sense. We do need to be diligent at the airports though, much more than we are now IMO. Given the grief we all seem to go through I wouldn't complain if it seemed better informed by intelligence and technology. The stuff we do now has a lot of stupid in it from what I see.

My mistake, Twinky. I meant if for Open. Here I'm ripping Airport Security and can't click to save me life. Can it be moved? It's a short topic although I've been in vent mode. I've been figuring out who to send my thoughts to. I don't want to get into the airline/airport system as I don't know exactly what's at the other end. Maybe write a legislator, dunno. FAA? I hesitate to get on anyone's list. First issue to me is the overall consistency of the systems and standards. I know it's known that's a problem so it's not new by any means. But the way it's set up now it doesn't seem to guarantee that all airports and airlines will respond the same way to the same kinds of issues. Second is the airport itself - I think the security measures should apply to anyone entering the airport property, the buildings, check in, ticket counters. Basically if you walk in the doors for anything you're subject to a minimal amount of security review. That would support the entire effort. Why wait till you're going to your Gate? If you can get to the line to go through the flight scanners with something dangerous you're already a risk. Third would be to establish expectations so everyone knows up front what's up - I think the overall passenger attitude is to get through the whole thing as fast as possible and that it shouldn't take a long time. I would prefer that it take more time to be honest - an additional 10 minutes per person would be about right - screen every single person going through every single time - who are you, where are you going, what are you doing and why. When bags and coats and stuff are scanned allow for time at that point for finding out exactly what is going through. That would be a more sensible approach to security IMO if we're going to do it. I went through with a carry on electric guitar several years ago - had it in a travel bag, it had onboard electronics that require a 9 volt battery and a vibrato mechanism that has a rod that comes in and out. I took the 9 volt out, and the rod and had them separate. I expected it to be scanned separately and it was. But the person doing it didn't know exactly what they were looking for and wanted to know what the battery was for. I explained. They had to get another person to look at it who knew what it all was but he didn't actually look inside the guitar cavities to see what was in them. I expected them to want to look it over and I was prepared for that but they didn't. The guy just said oh yeah, I get it and passed me through. This was on a flight to Los Angeles - going and coming, same thing. I know a few guitarists must come and go out of SFO and LAX with guitars so it surprised me that they didn't have a process for them. I don't think it can be assumed that because a guitar looks like a guitar that that's all it is so I'd feel better going through more review than less. Between what's done and what I'm asked and what isn't done and not asked is a big gap IMO. Anyhoo...

The military pin thing is downright scarey Kit. I really started giving this some thought this year when I was ahead of a guy on crutches - this is the honest to God truth. He was using metal crutches and had a pretty serious looking cast on his lower leg. I could hear him talking behind me and he'd looked online and called the airlines and wasn't able to get a human on the line. He'd gone to the airline desk and they'd told him to go through the normal line and they'd know how to handle it. Now he was there in line still asking and was going to hold up the entire line which he really didn't want to do. First they asked him while he was in line - and this is the truth - , could he remove the metal cast....he said no. They asked him if he could walk without the crutches, he said no. They told him he had to be able to walk through the scanner or the alternative was to go through the full body scan and exam and they'd have to examine his crutches and cast. They didn't offer him a wheel chair, although I suppose if he'd asked for one they'd have gotten it. He told them he could walk, he was fine but couldn't they just look at his cast and crutches and see that when he went through the scanner what they were. They said no. He ended up heading off to the Room where he was going to have to go through an entire shake down and examination. I heard him saying "I wish I'd been told this at the airline desk" and they were telling him something about the airline desk not being the authority on it. Catch - 22 - a -go go. Okay - I get that there has to be a process but it was more like a guessing game or 10 Questions or something. It was the fact they didn't appear to have a process for that in place that everyone involved knew and that they could immediately initiate that was weird - it didn't make me confident they knew what they were doing. They made it seem like he was doing something wrong and by not knowing what to do and asking questions he was suspect. The entire tone of both people that dealt with him was obnoxious for want of a better word. Most of the time it's a breeze, I know what to do, do it and skeedle on to my gate. But if I stop and consider what's being done I feel less secure. Why? Because the airport is filled with 1000's of people, well 100's anyway, that are all over the external areas of the airport from drop off to the entries to the lines in front. Nothing's secured about those areas. Security appears to be reactionary - act on the last perceived or real threat. And not to be unkind but if I was to be completely honest many of the check point personnel don't act either mature or intelligent. In Houston couple years ago a group of them held up a security line arguing about who was getting the next break - this is the honest truth - they had to stop the line while a supervisor was called to sort it out for them. It was like the 5 Stooges Go To The Airport. The level of discussion wasn't professional to say the least, it was like listening to cranky kids. I understand that being a problem but if they don't have the break schedule worked out what else isn't?

Meant for Open...Scusami! As the year comes to a close I ponder the times I've flown this year, in and out of several airports including several times out of the same ones. Airport security is a misleading term IMO. Security should imply predictability and when it comes to checking in and through to get on a plane it's anything but. As for feeling secure only if standing around with a room full of strangers getting undressed is your thing. Recently my wife and I went through together and she went through the scanner with her belt on. Forgot to take it off. Oops. She walked right though and realized later at the Gate she hadn't taken it off. Apparently the metal in her belt buckle wasn't thick enough to set off the alert and it's density of metal that does that. Which got me to thinking - why are we expected to take off our belts anyway? What threat do they pose? None actually, it's simply that a buckle can be large enough to have something in it. But apparently something very small and dangerous has a pretty good chance of getting through. Other than that a belt is a belt. And since many of the passengers start belting down drinks once they're in the air it seems a little....useless, all that effort around belts. Water? Dangerous. Bad. Water can take an entire plane crew down with a single gulp. After you're through Security though no problem, Secured Safe Water is sold at prices that would scare a Sheik. Sometimes I take my ring off, sometimes not. I did that flight and placed it in my....shoe. BEEEEEP! Since shoes can carry bombs anything in a shoe is cause for a secondary level of review which I wasn't aware of. In the sole, hmmm, okay I get it, most of us don't have secret compartments in our shoes for chapstick. The personnel could see what it was, but procedures are procedures. Brief stop at the side area and I was on my way. Without any explanation of what they were looking for or had found. The person wiped my shoes with a little dabber thing though which seemed friendly if not a little...odd. I figured it out for myself since questions aren't allowed and if you ask more than once you can be identified as a Problem, not a good idea these days. . Which got me to thinking - ear rings, nose rings, assorted pins and pokers throughout one's body go right through, as long as they're small. I guess if you had a hammer inserted through your butt cheek that would set it off but something like a spanky new pin, no problem. Tip - take whatever you have in your pockets and put them in your coat pocket - take a coat of some type for that purpose. It goes right through, money, wallet, guitar picks, combs. Saves time of having all that loose stuff in the bin to gather up on the other side. But the overall impression I've gotten is that from flight to flight this can change. I saw a guy getting bullied by one of the personnel for not pushing his bag and bins through - "Come on, they're not going to go through on their own!" He was pretty obnoxious. I got the same routine for not moving fast enough, despite the fact that the conveyor was stopped more than it was started and when people pushed stuff through it got stuck and they were ripped for not waiting. Bad moods? That one particular flight was pretty weird all around though. Which got me to thinking - some of these people at the Security Check Ins seem intelligent enough but some....not so much. And a lot of what they're doing is making value judgments of what they see and hear. Like my back pack -always take it. Everything loose goes in plastic bags for easy access. I've taken cameras, cables, chargers, electronic e-cigarettes with batteries and atomizers, all manner of gee gaws and stuff. I've probably got enough voltage to start a decent camp fire in it and it all looks like a gnarly mess on their monitors which translate mass into color codes - yet it always - always goes through. And that got me to thinking - purses. Everything I don't carry is in my wife's plus all of her stuff. They always - always go through and at the speed of scan. No one ever even looks or opens them up to see what all the wires, batteries and electronics are or what they do. But I got pulled over in one security check in because I took a bottle of shampoo - that was in a plastic bag - but was 2 ounces over the allowed amount - that day. Never ever been stopped for that bottle which I've taken as part of my Emergency supplies-in-case-the-airline-donates-my-bags-to-charity plan - never a problem, it's a size that's compliant with regulations and always in it's own little plastic bag. But it got zinged that time. Not since though, just that once. I don't want more intrusion but it's got me to thinking - what do they think they're actually accomplishing? I'm familiar with all of the information related to the process, read it. I respect the need to process passengers and they're stuff, I want a secure environment. I'm still moderately confused. Between the dangerous belt buckles and the threatening shampoo I have started to wonder - what are we really doing? We live in the "i" society, where everyone has their i this and i that and will protect the sanctity of our privacy with guns bought at the nearest Wal Mart but then - we will get undressed in public with total strangers and be ready to explain just why we need so much shampoo. To be secure........

1) The Roman Catholic Church. Raised RC, educated for 10 years in the Parochial school system. I know West Coast RCism. I understood why VPW didn't "like" the RC religion. I didn't either. Still don't. I don't hate them though. I don't think he did either, he didn't really have a background in Catholicism that I saw. Maybe he really just took exception to all that coin going there way that could have been going to The Way. I do think they should be shut down as a tax exempt organization while they're under investigation for the many claims of abuse and deceit that have been brought forward especially since there seems to be such an organized network of deceit, hindrance and obfuscation. So should the Way Nash, except that there don't seem to be any current suits or legal actions pending against them. That has nothing to do with VPW though. Or maybe it does - either way, many people feel that way. I can't help it that they suck so badly but I don't like it.

Fundamentals, baby, it's all fun da mentals. Y'know? <br> <br> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/GyXDbhZv6sg?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>

Saw them about a week ago in a club...now we got Minks! <br> <br> <iframe width="560" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/dRbPCfmClxs?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe> <br><br> Don't want your money honey, don't need your car, I'm doing alright, I'm doing alright so far. <br><br> <iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/PxNnEEK6uG0?rel=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>