Child Labor - longshoreman puts 4-year-old son on payroll Animal Kingdom - studies show no limits to intelligence of animals That Stinks! - NYC doorman fired for having bad breath
On this day in history: December 7, 1941 - Pearl Harbor, Oahu bombed by Japanese planes
Born on this day in history: December 7, 1932 - Ellen Burstyn (1932 - )Actress. Born Edna Rae Gillooly in Detroit, Michigan. Burstyn left home at the age of 18 to work as a model. In the late 1950s, she landed her first regular acting gig, as a dancer on television's The Jackie Gleason Show, billed as Erica Dean.
Scripture of the Day: "Jesus said to her, 'I am the resurrection and the life. He who believes in me will live, even though he dies;'" (John 11:25)
Video of the Day: Terry Fator, Part 5 of 5 - submitted by Frank
Here is the graphic that appears on my new T-shirt.
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The microwave exploded! I made a casserole of celery, white onion, baby carrots, and red potatoes. I placed the casserole dish in the microwave, set it for 5 minutes, pressed the power button, and the microwave exploded! Flames appeared inside the oven, smoke emanated from the vents, and the acrid stench of burning electronics permeated the air. I jerked the microwave's power cord from the wall, extricated the casserole dish, and tossed the smoldering, reeking carcass that was once a GE Profile microwave oven onto the front steps.
I sautéed the vegetables. When they were nearly done, I added two large boneless, skinless chicken breasts to the sauté pan. It was a delightful meal.
Later that evening, while watching "Bait Car" on Court TV, Laura asked, "Would you like some popcorn?" "Yes," I said—snickering quietly. It did not take Laura long to determine that it would be impossible to make microwave popcorn without a microwave oven!
On this day in history: December 5, 1933 - Fourteen years of Prohibition end when Utah ratifies the 21st Amendment.
Born on this day in history: December 5, 1935 - Little Richard (1035 - ) Musician, born in Macon, Georgia, USA. One of the early and most flamboyant stars of rock 'n' roll, he sang and played piano in church choirs and with gospel groups throughout his childhood, performing in medicine shows on the Southern vaudeville circuit. He made his recording debut with RCA in 1952 in Atlanta, and continued to record in a blues style for independent labels in Houston and New Orleans over the next four years. In 1956 he had a breakthrough single, "Tutti Frutti," which sold three million copies and established his basic style of histrionic singing and manic piano playing. Over the next three years he sold over 18 million records and appeared in several motion pictures, but in 1960 he became a minister in the Seventh Day Adventist church and renounced rock 'n' roll and his own homosexuality. He returned to rock in 1963, touring England with the Beatles and Rolling Stones, and he straddled the worlds of pop music and evangelism over the next 30 years. In 1986 he became an inaugural member of the Rock 'n' Roll Hall of Fame. "Tutti Frutti" was named the official rock song of the state of Georgia in 1989.
Scripture of the Day: "Therefore Jesus said again, 'I tell you the truth, I am the gate for the sheep. I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. He will come in and go out, and find pasture. The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full.'" (John 10:7, 9-10)
Video of the Day: Terry Fator, Part 3 of 5 - submitted by Frank
Recommended Site:Nikon Photographer - A free forum for all photographers (NOT just Nikon users!) and anyone interested in photography!
A Baby's Hug
We were the only family with children in the restaurant. I sat Erik in a high chair and noticed everyone was quietly sitting and talking. Suddenly, Erik squealed with glee and said, 'Hi.' He pounded his fat baby hands on the high chair tray. His eyes were crinkled in laughter and his mouth was bared in a toothless grin, as he wriggled and giggled with merriment.
I looked around and saw the source of his merriment. It was a man whose pants were baggy with a zipper at half-mast and his toes poked out of would-be shoes. His shirt was dirty and his hair was uncombed and unwashed. His whiskers were too short to be called a beard and his nose was so varicose it looked like a road map.
We were too far from him to smell, but I was sure he smelled. His hands waved and flapped on loose wrists. 'Hi there, baby; hi there, big boy. I see ya, buster,' the man said to Erik. My husband and I exchanged looks, 'What do we do?' Erik continued to laugh and answer, 'Hi.' Everyone in the restaurant noticed and looked at us and then at the man. The old geezer was creating a nuisance with my beautiful baby. Our meal came and the man began shouting from across the room, 'Do ya patty cake? Do you know peek-a-boo? Hey, look, he knows peek- a-boo.' Nobody thought the old man was cute. He was obviously drunk. My husband and I were embarrassed. We ate in silence; all except for Erik, who was running through his repertoire for the admiring skid-row bum, who in turn, reciprocated with his cute comments. We finally got through the meal and headed for the door. My husband went to pay the check and told me to meet him in the parking lot. The old man sat poised between me and the door. 'Lord, just let me out of here before he speaks to me or Erik,' I prayed. As I drew closer to the man, I turned my back trying to sidestep him and avoid any air he might be breathing. As I did, Erik leaned over my arm, reaching with both arms in a baby's 'pick-me-up' position. Before I could stop him, Erik had propelled himself from my arms to the man.
Suddenly a very old smelly man and a very young baby consummated their love and kinship. Erik in an act of total trust, love, and submission laid his tiny head upon the man's ragged shoulder. The man's eyes closed, and I saw tears hover beneath his lashes. His aged hands full of grime, pain, and hard labor, cradled my baby's bottom and stroked his back. No two beings have ever loved so deeply for so short a time.
I stood awestruck. The old man rocked and cradled Erik in his arms and his eyes opened and set squarely on mine. He said in a firm commanding voice, 'You take care of this baby.'
Somehow I managed, 'I will,' from a throat that contained a stone. He pried Erik from his chest, lovingly and longingly, as though he were in pain. I received my baby, and the man said, 'God bless you, ma'am, you've given me my Christmas gift.'
I said nothing more than a muttered thanks. With Erik in my arms, I ran for the car. My husband was wondering why I was crying and holding Erik so tightly, and why I was saying, 'My God, my God, forgive me.' I had just witnessed Christ's love shown through the innocence of a tiny child who saw no sin, who made no judgment; a child who saw a soul, and a mother who saw a suit of clothes. I was a Christian who was blind, holding a child who was not. I felt it was God asking, 'Are you willing to share your son for a moment?' when He shared His for all eternity.
The ragged old man, unwittingly, had reminded me, 'To enter the Kingdom of God , we must become as little children.'
Sometimes, it takes a child to remind us of what is really important. We must always remember who we are, where we came from and, most importantly, how we feel about others. The clothes on your back or the car that you drive or the house that you live in does not define you at all; it is how you treat your fellow man that identifies who you are.
True South - Chuck Norris blasts "The Golden Compass" Police State - cops test surveillance system at tree lighting Monkey Business - young chimp beats college students
On this day in history: December 3, 1974 - Civil aviation authorities in England issue a warning to pilots to avoid a 40-foot-long inflated pig. The aeropork had escaped its tether during a Pink Floyd photo shoot.
Born on this day in history: December 3, 1930 - Jean-Luc Godard (1930 - ____) director. He was a founder of French New Wave cinema; his controversial films include "Breathless," 1960 and "Hail Mary," 1985.
Scripture of the Day: "Then Jesus declared, 'I am the bread of life. He who comes to me will never go hungry, and he who believes in me will never be thirsty.'" (John 6:35)
Video of the Day: Terry Fator, Ventriloquist - Part 1 of 5 - submitted by Frank
Here is a photograph of the new Nikon D3 professional digital SLR. I am impatiently awaiting mine to arrive. Click to enlarge.
Recommended Site:Nikon Photographer - A free forum for all photographers (NOT just Nikon users!) and anyone interested in photography!
Friday evening, we had six-cheese ravioli for dinner. Laura brought this treat home from Sierra Nevada. It was delicious. We also enjoyed some of Sierra Nevada's fresh bread and wonderful dipping oil.
Saturday morning, I arose at 7 AM. It was 28 degrees when I started making a giant batch of chili. AccuWeather is a Sidebar Gadget on my Vista Ultimate Desktop, and I checked my email just before I began preparations for making the enormous batch of chili. I used 6 pounds of ground sirloin, 4 white onions, 12 Jalapeños, 4 stalks of celery, 2 Habaneros, 8 Roma tomatoes, 1 red bell pepper, 2 packages of Carroll Shelby's chili seasoning, 8 tablespoons of Gebhardt's chili powder, 4 tablespoons of ground Cayenne pepper, 2 tablespoons of ground black pepper, and 2 bottles of Sierra Nevada Celebration Ale. The chili simmered all day, and we enjoyed it for dinner. At the table, we added fresh cilantro, chopped green onions, grated cheddar cheese, and sour cream.
Sunday morning, Laura sang in the choir at Harvest Christian Center. We attended the early service. Laura stayed to sing in the choir at the late service. I scurried home and made a scrumptious frittata, with five small white potatoes, two small white onions, two heads of whole, peeled garlic, six Jalapeños, six jumbo eggs, a package of New York-style link sausage, and cheddar cheese. It was a treat, and half remains for a future meal.
For dinner that evening, we enjoyed some beef tamales. These tamales were produced by a lady who attends Harvest Christian Center. She and her daughters produced 48 dozen authentic, traditional tamales for a fundraiser for one of the young members of the congregation. He will soon leave to attend a Christian college in Texas. The church has been holding fundraisers to help defray the costs he will encounter. We are having a large yard sale for this purpose on the 15th.
Tell Wal-Mart, "Thank you"!
- for ending corporate contributions to national homosexual activist groups.
- for resisting pressure to treat homosexual partners the same way as married couples for purposes of giving employee benefits.
- for not censoring the word "Christmas" in marketing materials during the Christmas-shopping season.
- for supporting the Salvation Army's Red Kettle campaign by allowing their bell-ringers to solicit contributions on Wal-Mart property--and for throwing a $1 million donation in the kettle.
No corporation as large as Wal-Mart will ever be perfect in all of their corporate practices. But in the last year and a half, Wal-Mart has shown that it will listen to the concerns of its customers who hold to traditional values and that it has the backbone to resist at least some of the demands of "political correctness."
So when you shop at Wal-Mart this season, tell your local store manager, "Thank you and Merry Christmas!"
