Woman Escorted Off Bus For Reading Bible Aloud ?!?!??

I find it hard to believe this actually happened in the great state of Texas, but there's a reason Madalyn Murray O'Hair based her American Atheist Society in Austin. If the lady in the story was reading at the volume level the news clip describes, this must be one thin-skinned bus driver! From the website of CBS-11 in Fort Worth:

Woman Escorted Off Bus For Reading Bible Aloud

Carol Cavazos; FORT WORTH (CBS 11 News) ― A passenger on a Fort Worth bus says the T. Bus Service discriminated against her religion. Christine Lutz says she was reading her Bible to her children when the bus driver asked her to stop or get off the bus.

Lutz, a Seventh Day Adventist, and her children were on their way to church. "She then said, 'Well I don't think this is the place or the time to do so.' And I said, 'Oh, but it's the perfect time and the perfect place since it is our Sabbath and it is the time with the Lord and therefore I'm going to continue.' And I continued," she explained.

Then, a TRE supervisor came on board. Lutz also told him that she would not stop reading. She and her family were escorted off the bus. "This was definitely a clear cut case of persecution," she said. "Anyone who is loud will be asked to be quiet," said representative Joan Hunter. "That is a standard policy across country in the transit industry." It doesn't matter what is said, the T has a policy of no loud or abusive behavior.

"It's only if the other passengers will complain, or it's obviously so loud it's distracting the operator, that we will ask them to stop," Hunter explained.

Of course, it's just a personal observation of my own that most atheists are incredibly thin-skinned and overly sensitive.

Whiners.

~~JD~~

Friday's Feast!

Appetizer: Name 2 things you would like to accomplish in 2008.

We're going to buy a house. I'm going to finish RN school, with any luck at all.

Soup: With which cartoon character do you share personality traits?

One of the undesirable side-effects of being raised by the boob tube as a babysitter is that you tend to emulate the characters you see on the TV. I can not only quote Bugs Bunny extensively, I've even pulled more than a few of his pranks from time to time. Since the current generation doesn't know Bugs Bunny, they find this hilarious; and for the older generations it's a great conversation starter about Cartoons and their vaudeville derivatives.

Salad: What time of day (or night) were you born?

I think it was 1:38 am, but i don't remember very well. I was very young then. (See previous answer about quoting Bugs Bunny.)

Main Course: Tell us something special about your hometown.

Valparaiso Indiana, where I was born, is a medium-sized Midwestern town 15 miles directly south of the tip of Lake Michigan. It's also the hometown of Patricia Ireland of the N.O.W.; Beulah Bondi (who played Jimmy Stewart's mother in "It's A Wonderful Life" as well as "Mister Smith Goes To Washington"; and Orville Redenbacher, the King of Popcorn. They have a "Popcorn Festival" the first weekend of every September in honor of Orville.

San Antonio Texas, where I currently live and never want to leave, has a median year-round temperature of about 68 degrees, is the 2nd largest city in Texas, and the fastest growing city. It's the third largest tourist destination in the USA, and is home to the Alamo, as well as the Riverwalk, probably the most beautiful tourist attraction anywhere. Plus it has 15% of the population employed in health care, with 18 major hospitals (most with more than two campuses; which means more than enough work for little old nurse me.)

Dessert: If you could receive a letter from anyone in the world, who would you want to get one from?

Funny you should mention that. When we were going through our storage unit last week I found a bunch of letters written to me during Desert Storm. A couple were from my grandmother ("Nana") who died in 2000. It was like getting letters from her all over again.

So I guess there ARE benefits to my wife being a Packrat.

~~JD~~

A Note for my San Antonio Readers

You need to go to Sears -- right now.

San Antonians remember that in the 60's and 70's the Central Park Mall was the big place to hang out or cruise if you were a teenager. When the mall fell on harder times in the 90's, the property was sold and a new series of shops were built. However, the old Sears store was retained and is still open for business on the property.

Unfortunately, with the new construction of the shops, plus the rebuilding of the I-410 /San Pedro interchange, as well as the rebuilding of the street behind the store, it's now almost impossible to get to the old Sears. Plus a lot of Folks think it went defunct along with the old mall, so business is down.

Way, 'waaaayyyyy down.

The good news is that they've had huge sales at the Sears store for the last couple of months to drum up business. I went down there last week to buy my traditional New Year's pair of work shoes, which usually run about a hundred bucks or so. I walked out with TWO new pairs of Nikes, a pair of dress shoes, and a pair of Lands End all-weather moccasins for less than $150.00.

Four pair of shoes. I haven't owned that many pair of shoes since I was in the service!

You need to go to this Sears. Nice staff you'll never meet; and they'll let you walk away with the store.

Get movin'!

~~JD~~

I'm Baaaaaack! Miss Me?

Heh. Like I actually Went somewhere or something . . .

That "thing" I was dying to tell you about two weeks ago . . . will not be happening. We found a fantastic little house that we were bidding on but couldn't make the financing happen. We tried VHA as well as conventional financing, but one thing or another conspired to make it not happen. That was a shame, because we're really really ready to get out of the apartment scene. Fortunately, it was also a good learning experience, because we learned all the paperwork we needed (and which I have safely ensconced away for future applications) and we're already pre-approved for our next loan, which should be in the early summer when we've saved up a better down payment.

So we didn't get the cute little house; but we're ahead of the game for next time.

~~JD~~

Christmas at Casa Largo 2007

We had a pretty good Christmas at Casa Largo. We all ate until we were stuffed, which was (for me) much less this year. My doctor has been shuffling my medications and my appetite has decreased dramatically since October -- as has my weight. Usually I can eat a dozen or more hot wings in a sitting -- this year it was a struggle to eat only six.

We opened out presents, and my pick of the litter was this postcard Ariane and I found at an antiques shop:




How a postcard from the 1960's Bozo's Circus got to San Antonio I don't know -- but there it was for sale for a few bucks. The damned thing is probably priceless.

After we woke up and had lunch we went and saw two movies. Will Smith in "I Am Legend" was magnificent, but the whole storyline was so depressing that we came out of the movie decidedly mixed. However, we perked right up with watching Tom Hanks' "Charlie Wilson's War," which was alternately touching and hilarious. Phillip Seymour Hoffman shows why he won an Oscar, and should probably be nominagted for this movie, too. The movie gives a straightforward, no-holds barred look at how deals are made in Congress and names names. Well worth your time, and you come out smiling.

Going to bed now -- gotta work in the morning.

~~JD~~

Merry Christmas!

This house is now officially the "Most Over-Decorated home" -- EVER.



I'm sitting here at Casa Largo with a tall, cool strawberry daquiri with 'waaaayyyy too much Rum in it, as the lovely and gracious Ariane and I watch "It's a Wonderful Life" and "Miracle On 34th Street" in rapid succession. Appetizers of chicken wings and cheese abound, with Beef Bouginon for midnight dinner. Right now the even money has it we'll eat before then, with presents at the stroke of midnight. (Ariane worked today and got up at 2am, so she's pretty wiped.)

The kittens are nestled all snug in their beds, while visions of catnip mice dance in their heads.

And it may just be the rum; but Donna Reed was pretty hot in her day.

Merry Christmas.

~~JD~~

Another One For Santa's "Naughty" List . . .

An old Christmas tradition at most Holiday gatherings are the old grudges that re-appear and boil over into the festivities. These grudges are triggered by the most insignificant actions. Sometimes it's not about the actions; it's about the issues. It just takes a small thing to pick open the scab and all the old things come boiling out.

So it's not really about opening the Christmas present. From yesterday's Associated Press (via Breitbart.com)

Woman Allegedly Stabs Husband Over Gift
Dec 21 11:07 PM US/Eastern

ROCK SPRINGS, Wyo. (AP) - A woman stabbed her husband with a kitchen knife following an argument that began when she accused him of opening a Christmas present early, authorities said Friday. Misty Johnson, 34, was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and battery, a felony, and misdemeanor domestic battery. Her husband, Shawn Fay Johnson, 34, was treated at a hospital for a wound to the chest, police said.

Authorities said Shawn Johnson called 911 just before 1 a.m. Wednesday to report that his wife had stabbed him. He told police that his wife started arguing with him over his opening a Christmas present, according to court records. As the argument escalated, Misty Johnson accused her husband of having an affair, authorities said. Police Detective David Thompson said he didn't know what the present was, or if it was intended for the husband.

Not that the present had anything to do with the fight, officer.

~~JD~~

Archbishop Believes In the Bible; Mainstream Media Completely Miss The Point

The Headline on THE DRUDGE REPORT read "Archbishop of Canterbury says nativity 'a legend'...", which was enough to grab my attention quickly. The Archbishop of Canterbury doesn't believe in the Christmas Story? What The . . . ????

Clicking through to the Linked page brought me to the British newspaper THE TELEGRAPH, where the headline read similarly " Archbishop says nativity 'a legend'." The story that followed, however, read very differently, and showed just how little the reporter knew about their Bible:

Archbishop Says Nativity 'a Legend'

By Sophie Borland: 1:25pm GMT 20/12/2007

The Archbishop of Canterbury said yesterday that the Christmas story of the Three Wise Men was nothing but a 'legend'. Dr Rowan Williams has claimed there was little evidence that the Magi even existed and there was certainly nothing to prove there were three of them or that they were kings.

(John's Note: That is certainly supported by the 2nd chapter of Matthew:

2:1 After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, in the time of King Herod, wise men from the East came to Jerusalem 2:2 saying, “Where is the one who is born king of the Jews? For we saw his star when it rose and have come to worship him.”

2:11 As they came into the house and saw the child with Mary his mother, they bowed down and worshiped him. They opened their treasure boxes and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.

So there were an unspecified number of wise men, who gave three types of gifts. Not necessarily three wise men -- the text is not specific.)

Dr Williams argued that the traditional Christmas story was nothing but a 'legend'. He said the only reference to the wise men from the East was in Matthew's gospel and the details were very vague. Dr Williams said: "Matthew's gospel says they are astrologers, wise men, priests from somewhere outside the Roman Empire, that's all we're really told. It works quite well as legend."

(John's Note: well, it only says "wise men" -- which could mean anything. But I'm still with the Archbishop so far.)

The Archbishop went on to dispel other details of the Christmas story, adding that there were probably no asses or oxen in the stable. He argued that Christmas cards which showed the Virgin Mary cradling the baby Jesus, flanked by shepherds and wise men, were misleading.

(Okay; here we part ways a bit. In Biblical times it was common to have an "upper room" area to the stable for the stable staff to bed down in for the night. It was elevated above the livestock to take advantage of the heat generated by the animals - so there may have been animals present -- just not in the face of the baby Jesus. And nowhere in Matthew of Luke does it mention the shepherds met the Wise Men. So we're still in general agreement here.)

As for the scenes that depicted snow falling in Bethlehem, the Archbishop said the chance of this was "very unlikely".

(Agreed. Whens the last time you saw snow in the near-desert of the the Holy Lands?)

In a final blow to the traditional nativity story, Dr Williams concluded that Jesus was probably not born in December at all. He said: "Christmas was when it was because it fitted well with the winter festival."

(This is probably true, as Luke notes:

2:8 Now there were shepherds nearby living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night.

The footnote to NetBIBLE says:

Some argue that shepherds were among the culturally despised, but the evidence for this view of shepherds is late, coming from 5th century Jewish materials. December 25 as the celebrated date of Jesus’ birth arose around the time of Constantine (ca. a.d. 306-337), though it is mentioned in material from Hippolytus (a.d. 165-235). Some think that the reason for celebration on this date was that it coincided with the pagan Roman festival of Saturnalia, and Christians could celebrate their own festival at this time without fear of persecution. On the basis of the statement that the shepherds were living out in the field, keeping guard over their flock at night it is often suggested that Jesus’ birth took place in early spring, since it was only at lambing time that shepherds stood guard over their flocks in the field.)

now, for the despicable part. He was debating a comedian on the BBC. Whose brainless idea was that?

His comments came during an interview on BBC Radio 5 Live with Simon Mayo yesterday. Later on in the show, the Archbishop was challenged by fellow guest Ricky Gervais, the comedian, about the credibility of the Christmas story. Gervais told Dr Williams he was concerned about "brainwashing" of children who are sent to faith schools at an early age, comparing teaching that God exists to belief in Father Christmas. Dr Williams said faith schools expose children to the full range of human experience and values and he did not believe they indoctrinated people.

"Brainwashing???" Wotta maroon! Sounds more to me like the BBC set up the Archbishop, and the Telegraph ran around spreading the story that 'the Archbishop doesn't believe?'

Typical. Why doesn't this surprise me? No, No -- no media left-wing bias here -- nothing to see, Move along, Move along . . .

~~JD~~

John's Christmas List, Part V

I honestly don't expect to get this for Christmas; although I'd **LOVE** to. But I expect to order this soon thereafter.

Handheld Birds® Software. Software supported by following PDAs; Tungsten E, E2, T2,T3,T5, T/X; Zire 72; LifeDrive; Treo 650 Smartphone. Requires Windows 2000 or XP and HotSync Manager 4.0 or greater to link PC and PDA.

Item 73786 ................... $199.95
Limited Inventory: Order Soon to Ensure Availability.

Man! Talk about turning your Palm Pilot® into a Star Trek Tricorder! And the "Play the Song" feature would drive the cats Nuts!

~~JD~~

John's Christmas List, Part IV

This is something I have to have!!! I have a TON of old cassette tapes that need converting to MP3s, and this is just the little gem to do it. From the HAMMACHER SCHLEMMER Christmas Catalog:

The Cassette-To-MP3 Converter.

This dual cassette player allows you to convert your out-of-print cassette tapes to MP3 format for preservation without the need for a conversion service. The device plugs into a computer (PC or Mac) with the included USB cable, and with the included software, your cassette recordings are converted into MP3 files and stored on your computer for playback on an iPod® or other MP3 player. The software allows you to break songs into individual tracks, and the player has metal/CrO2 and noise-reduction settings. High-speed dubbing allows you to speed up conversion times. Plugs into AC. 5 1/4" H x 16 1/2" W x 8 3/4" D. (5 lbs.)

Item 74084 ................... $149.95
Available for Immediate Shipment. (Hint, Hint!)

~~JD~~

John's Christmas List, Part III

I want this movie -- badly! Unfortunately, it hasn't been released yet, but if you consider yourself and kind of conservative thinker, This is the Trailer you NEED to see: HILLARY, The Movie.

~~JD~~

Christmas Card Arrives 93 Years Late

Under the perrennial "The Post Office Sucks!" category, we have this today from Yahoo News:

Christmas Card Arrives 93 Years Late

Fri Dec 14, 4:13 PM ET: OBERLIN, Kan. - A postcard featuring a color drawing of Santa Claus and a young girl was mailed in 1914, but its journey was slower than Christmas. It just arrived in northwest Kansas. The Christmas card was dated Dec. 23, 1914, and mailed to Ethel Martin of Oberlin, apparently from her cousins in Alma, Neb.

It's a mystery where it spent most of the last century, Oberlin Postmaster Steve Schultz said. "It's surprising that it never got thrown away," he said. "How someone found it, I don't know."

Ethel Martin is deceased, but Schultz said the post office wanted to get the card to a relative. That's how the 93-year-old relic ended up with Bernice Martin, Ethel's sister-in-law. She said she believed the card had been found somewhere in Illinois. "That's all we know," she said. "But it is kind of curious. We'd like to know how it got down there."

The card was placed inside another envelope with modern postage for the trip to Oberlin — the one-cent postage of the early 20th century wouldn't have covered it, Martin said. "We don't know much about it," she said. "But wherever they kept it, it was in perfect shape."

For some reason the mainstream media just loves to go ga-ga when misdirected and lost mail is found. The truth is that as older, smaller post offices are phased out and their equipment removed, finds like this are rare, but do happen. A postcard/letter that fell behind a scale or postage meter ages ago is discovered and sent on to it's intended recipient.

I think it's kind of commendable that the Post Office didn't just throw it away, but went to all the trouble and expense to locate the letter's next-of-kin.

Good for them!

~~JD~~

Friday's Feast!

Appetizer: Make up a word and give us its definition.

BURGLEFARTZ (Burr'-gull-fahrtz) (n) An unintended bodily function noise made when one is trying to be exceptionally quiet. (Example: As I snuck into the house late one Saturday night, my burglefartz woke up the dog, who began to bark.)

Soup: What is currently your favorite song?

Anything from the Vince Guaraldi Trio's soundtrack of "A Charlie Brown Christmas."

Salad: What’s at the top of your Christmas wish list this year?

Countdown Creations Apollo 11 Spacesuit Replica mentioned previously, there's always an Electric Lawnmower

I had one of these when we lived in Indiana, and they are GREAT! No pollution; no gasoline or oil, no fumes, and very quiet.

Main Course: Name a scent that reminds you of someone special in your life.

Baking bread always reminds me of my grandmother Isobel Shurr. She always made the very best dinner rolls for Thanksgiving and Christmas dinners.

Dessert: Who is someone on television that you feel probably shouldn’t be, and why?

Jerry Springer. He has no redeeming social or moral qualities. There's a very hot corner of hell reserved for him for the lives he's destroyed.

~~JD~~

Winter Creeps In On Little Wet Feet

The storm that's slamming New England currently with snow and freezing rain brushed by San Antonio Monday night. Brushing by gracefully like an old lover, she bumped lightly past the greater South Texas area and left everything cold, wet, and dripping with possibilities. Traffic slowed to a standstill Tuesday morning as if in awe of the might storm tiptoeing past; and pedestrians fell to sidewalks as if bowing to the storm's might.

Although they should try not to land on their butts when they bow. Painful.

We've had a couple of days in the 40's and one night in the 30's -- but not really unseasonal weather. I've worn my coat one day so far, and a sweatshirt the rest of the time, which is more than sufficient. I laugh quietly at the south Texas natives who shiver and make such a fuss about the 50 degree weather, like they're enduring Ice Station Zebra conditions. Most of them are the same ones that complained the air conditioning wasn't cool enough in the summer -- no they complain it's too cold. (It's been set at 69 degrees the entire time without change.)

**********************************************************************

I have the radio station on to the "Official San Antonio Christmas Music Station", playing constant Christmas music. It's been a hard year, and I feel the need for a little boost to my merry-making this time around. Christmas comes but once a year, and resistance is futile -- it'll come whether we brick up the chimney or not. Might as well get in the spirit and enjoy it. I could certainly use the Cheer.

I think that's the reason so many Grinches appear about this festive time of year. They're overworked, overstressed, short on time, short on money, and short of temper. They feel like they just don't have time for the holidays and try to postpone them mentally, and end up missing them entirely.

Don't resist. Eat a candy cane for me today.

~~JD~~

JD's Christmas List, Part 1

Just in case anyone was wondering what to get me for Christmas, here's something I've been admiring all year from the Countdown Creations at THE SPACE STORE website:

Apollo 11 Spacesuit Replica

Step into the boots of Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin — literally — as you donn this museum-quality replica of their iconic spacesuit, the same they wore to make mankind's first small steps and giant leaps across the Moon's Tranquility Base!

The design and molds for this spacesuit replica were taken from an authentic NASA Apollo-era A7L garments. They are built to our exact specifications with the highest attention paid to every detail.

Made from a heavy weight Nylon Cordura, this suit was built for wear and tear. It can be worn or placed on display. Truly fantastic for the collector or museum. Features:

* Apollo 11 Space Suit Aluminum Cuffs
* Aluminuml Neck Ring
* Aluminum Hose Fittings
* Nylon Cordura Fabric

Apollo 11 Helmet
* Two (2) Side Sun Shields
* Outer Gold Sun Visor
* Aluminum Neck Ring

Snoopy Cap
* Stretchable Material
* Foam Ear Covers
* Elastic Chin Strap

Front / Back Pack
* Snapping Aluminum Hose Couplings
* Air Hoses
* Metal Front Pack (attaches to suit)

Space Gloves
* Heavy Canvas Material
* Rubber Finger Tips

Space Boots
* Fit Over Your Shoes
* Canvas and Rubber
* Straps


Availability: Please allow 6-8 weeks for delivery. As this item is custom-made, no discount codes will be accepted and all sales are final.

Item SSUITAP11REPL Price $9,500.00

I have no idea what I'd do with this. Be fun to have one, though.

~~JD~~

Friday's Feast

Appetizer: What was the last game you purchased?

For me, I bought the Solitaire program for my Palm Pilot. That was in 2001.

Soup: Name something in which you don’t believe.

I don't believe in stupidity. Ignorance is curable; stupidity is forever.

Salad: If you could choose a celebrity to be your boss, who would you pick?

Wayne Rogers. After he left M*A*S*H playing "Trapper John", he took his salary and parlayed it into a multimillion dollar fortune. He's a very astute businessman and knows what he's doing.

Main Course: What was a lesson you had to learn the hard way?

If you're in the mood to get really, Really drunk, first of all you shouldn't be drinking at all. Second, you should not involve any type of whiskey -- particulary Jim Beam. And Third, avoid calling out your ex-girlfriend's name at the top of your lungs.

No, really.

Dessert: Describe your idea of the perfect relaxation room.

Wide-screen TV with surround sound. La-Z-boy recliner with massage and heat. Laptop with broadband Internet hookup. And a mini-fridge with mint chocolate chip icre cream.

~~JD!!