SIPEDO SEZ

Will Oursler in an article on graft and corruption in New York City, makes this statement: "Large scale gambling, traditionally the fountainhead of all crime, cannot be carried on without police knowledge and acquiescence."

Every place that gambling exists, crime exists.  You will find robbery, murder, blackmail, extortion, petty theft, grand theft, assault, fraud and more.

From a biblical perspective, the Apolstle Paul writes in I Corinthians 15:33 to stay away from all appearance of evil.  He repeats this in I Thessalonians 5:22

So, why do people gamble?  One simple answer sums it up for me.

GREED.

So, although the word GAMBLING does not appear in the Bible, neither does computer hacking.  Just because it isn't mentioned by name does not mean that it is okay to do.

So.  Is Gambling a SIN?

Since Frank and Candy can't get along, and I try to avoid strife in my blog, except where I instigate it, I have created this topic.  I single out Frank and Candy because I like both of them.  But there are others that are just as hostile toward another.

Go ahead Frank and Candy,  Candy and Frank.  Take your best shots at each other right here.  In fact, let's open this up to everybody.

But be warned, no profanity or anything that remotely resembles it, because those will be deleted.  You must use words that are clearly defined and accepted in academia as legitimate words.

If you have to use profanity to make a point, then you prove how stupid you really are.

Is stupid the right word?  YEP.  It Sure Is.  People who use profanity are 100% stupid.

Let the POTSHOTS begin!

Let me make this short and sweet.  Israel is defending itself against Hamas.  Hamas wants to wipe out Israel.  Hamas attacked FIRST, and has not stopped.

Anyone, and I mean ANYONE that supports Hamas, or Hezbollah and is against Israel is just as extreme as the 9/11 terrorists, and deserve nothing better than to wiped out themselves.  That includes the protesters right here in Florida.

Am I extreme?  You bet your bazookas!

Disagree?  Then you are the problem.

Today I woke up to a blaring alarm clock.  It pierced my eardrums and gave me a headache.  So  I took some ALEVE.  Then I read that it can cause internal bleeding.  "Oh Great" I thought.  Now I'm killing myself.

Today I poured myself a bowl of cereal, and poured some milk on it.  Then I read that the Milk I am using has been laced with hormones that are not good for me. "Oh Great" I thought.  Now I'm killing myself.

I finished my cereal and saw on the news that half of Americans are breathing in soot.  I tried to quit breathing, but that didn't work. "Oh Great" I thought.  Now I'm killing myself.

I sat down to lunch and had a steak sandwich.  My neighbor stops by and she says "did you know that you probably have 50 pounds of undigested red meat in your bowels".  I just looked at her.  "Oh Great" I thought.  Now I'm killing myself.

I took a little time to get some color since I am inside so much, so I went outside to get some sun.  The UPS Driver came with a package and said that I could get skin cancer.  I signed for my package. "Oh Great" I thought.  Now I'm killing myself.

I went inside to check my email.  Someone sent me a message that too much time on the computer and the keyboard can lead to things like carpaltunal, and that there is radiation from my computer monitor that can fry out my brain. "Oh Great" I thought.  Now I'm killing myself.

So, I've decided to start smoking.  I've decided to start drinking.  I've decided to start doing drugs.  I've decided to run out in front of a bus.  I've decided to light my hair on fire.  I've decided to gargle with Clorox.  No matter what I do, I'm killing myself.

Rick Warren has been asked by President Elect Barack Obama to deliver the Invocation at his Innauguration.  Some to the left are rattled by this, we know, especially the gay community and their friends.  The Benediction will be delivered by The Rev. Joseph Lowery, a United Methodist who is considered the dean of the civil rights movement.

Aside from the gay community, others are concerned that when either of these men of the cloth close their prayer that they will say "In Jesus Name" or something to that affect.  But what is so wrong with that?  There is nothing wrong with that at all.  This still is a nation where an overwhelming majority profess to be Christians.

Why is it that small loud mouthed indecent minorities want to quash the views, practices and traditions of the majority?  They are out of place, out of line and out of touch.

If the Invocation and Benediction were offered by those of other faiths, and they invoked the name of Allah, Bashdain, Buddha or Sung Yung Moon, there would be no talk of any of this by this overly vocal loudmouthed disrespectful out of touch out of mind detached from reality pithy minority.

So, if you don't want Jesus' name invoked at the Innauguration, then it is Barack Obama these "people" should be mad at for picking some Jesus Freaks to say the opening and closing prayers.

In Jesus' Name, Amen

I was so sad today to hear that two wonderful women were alone on Christmas.  Nobody called.  No presents.  No Visits.  One is an 80 year old lady with several children and grandchildren.  The other is a recent widow.  Both are so precious and I wish I would have known.  BTW, nobody called me, wrote me, visited me on Christmas either.  Just one of my nephews text messaged me.  Maybe that is why I had such empathy.  At least I had my doggies.  Next Christmas, I want to make sure I ask everyone what their plans are.  I don't have any plans, and since my family and friends ditched me this year, I think I'll ditch them next year.  I'll just have a party for those who might otherwise spend it alone.

Reality bites you in the butt every once in a while, and today was the appropriate time to be reminded. 

Following Jesus is not an easy task.  After all, there is much to live up to.  More than I will ever be capable of in this lifetime.

I say I want to be close to Jesus.  I say I want to be LIKE Jesus.

But think about what that means, TO BE LIKE JESUS.

Jesus was hunted as baby, even as a child.

He was spit upon later in life.

He was cursed.

He was beaten.

He was crucified.

So when someone says that they want TO BE LIKE JESUS, is it just words, or are they willing to travel the road that He did?  Those are tough words for me to say, because I know that in the grand scope of things, that is unattainable.

WIth a little more perseverence, my goal in 2009 is Keep Jesus Near In The New Year.

"spare the rod and spoil the child" is actually found in the Bible, but what does it mean?

The verse is talking about the use of an implement, such as a paddle.

God has perfectly padded one part of the body for discipline.

Using the hand to spank makes the child afraid of the parent.

Using a paddle, and the children fear the paddle, not the parent.

All the parent has to do is reach for the paddle, and the child knows discipline is coming.

Slapping a child in the face is wrong, and the child should slapp back.  If they use dirty language, I find Coast deordorant soap works real good.

But then I have a theory, children are all bad, and you should just wake them up in the morning, every day, and just give them a good spanking.  They're going to screw up anyway, so you might as well stay ahead of the game.

I believe in prayer.  I also believe that when I am out of line with what God wants for my life, or if I have unresolved conflict with my neighbor, that there is a serious problem with my prayers being answered.

Certainly, as Frank said in another blog, I don't expect my prayer to win the lotto to be answered.  But I think it is fair to say that God MAY answer a prayer of that nature if it is what is best for you.

I think of one classic thing.  If you have hate in your life, God does not hear your prayers.  I John 4:8 says that if you do not love, you do not know God.

The idea that God answers prayers is true for those who call Him Lord.

If you are outside of the will of God, and you harbor resentment and hate in your heart, you have entered the realm of Prayer Blockers.

I hear it all the time.  "I'll pray for you" or "You'll be in my prayers" or some other variation of this line.

While I don't have a problem with somebody praying for me, I think that is great, I do have a problem with people who throw that line around, and then do nothing.

If  you say your are going to pray for someone, then do it.  If you don't, then I guess you have become, once again, a liar.

There are those who would say that God does not exist and your prayers are useless.  Those who say that live deprived lives.

So, when someone has a need, whatever it may be, at least be kind enough to say a prayer for them, or for me.

I'd rather someone pray for me and not tell me, than have someone say they will and don't.  I covet the prayers of others.

So be careful the next time you say "You'll Be In My Prayers".

Did you see the news story on FOX about the bank customer who shot a would be ATM robber.  The customer saw another customer approached by 3 men who tried to rob the customer.  The one who saw, took a draw and got one of them in the leg.

GOOD JOB!  This person should be given a medal!

To hell with the police officer that said you should not take the law into your own hands.  They aren't doing anything about it, and they are overstaffed with idiots and understaffed with competence.

Maybe if more people packed some heat, we would see less of this.

The only way to effectively combat crime is to have an educated armed populace.

Anybody who thinks differently, including the police or any politican, IS mentally incompetent.

The state is now in a budget shortfall of over 2 billion dollars, yet they sure did rake it in with gas sales tax over the past few years as it steadily rose.  Now people have lost their jobs, their not driving as much, and oil is in the crapper.  The state budget office forecasted for gas prices to continue as they were up until July of this year.  SURPRISE!!  I predicted that prices would fall below 2004 levels in 2006 and 2007.  Now we are here.  Apparently it doesn't take a degree in economics, business management, finance, or anything else that has to do with managing money and making a budget.

Let's face it, government budget directors are really crappy money managers, forecasters, and could not hold their own in the private sector, that is why they are in government, because they do not have any common sense.

The most unproductive segment of our society are public employees.  And I'm not talking about mildly, I'm talking about every single person who works in a government position.  Even those who DO want to be productive CAN'T because of the "slower than molasses on a cold winter day" attitude of the others.

Could I do a better job?  If the unproductive "I got a government job, so I am better than you" employees would get out of the way, then yes I could.  If you were better than me, then you certainly would not be working in a civil servant position.  There used to be a saying that applied to teachers. "Those who CAN, Do.  Those who Can't, Teach".  I'll revise that, "Those who CAN, are productive workers in the private sector.  Those who CAN'T, work for the government.

So, as the state tries to make up for this shortfall, due in part to decreased revenues from gas sales, we wil continue to have no-nothings controlling the State Budget while oil continue to tumbles.

NOTE:  The State of Florida imposes a per gallon tax on gasoline, in addition to the 6% sales tax, so as gas goes up or down, so does the revenue the state receives.  Each county in Florida may have an additional sales tax tacked onto gas as well, and the same applies to them.

Why is this country in recession.  One simple word. Greed.

Greedy Politicians.

Greedy Bankers.

Greedy Insurance Companies.

Greedy CEO's.

Greedy Real Estate Agents

Greedy Loan Officers

Greedy Salesman

Greedy Crooks

Greedy Consumers

Greedy Religious Groups

Greedy Children

The Rich Get Richer and the Poor Get Poorer is taking on that old familiar adage What Goes Around Comes Around.

Those who are greedy are the ones who caused this Recession.  It was greed that caused the Recession at the end of the Bush 41 Administration.  It was greed that caused the Recession of the Carter Administration.  It is greed that caused the Great Depression.

You can paint it all sorts of colors, give it all sorts of names, but recession is and will always be the direct result of one thing and one thing only:  Greed of the Rich

This was supposed to be a Day without A Gay, a day similar to the one a bit back where Hispanics were suppose to call in sick or whatever to work.  On December 10, the gays were supposed to try this and see if it works.  It didn't work for hispanics, and now it didn't work for the Gays.  Although many gay people thought it was a good idea, they thought the timing was bad.  Do ya think?

This effort encouraged every one who is gay, lesbian, bi-sexual or transgendered to call in "gay" to work, and to not spend any money unless it was at a recognized gay friendly establishment.

Do you work with people who are gay?  Do you have friends and family who are gay?  Are YOU gay? Did anybody you know call in Gay?

As some might suggest, I'm not gay. I don't hate anybody.  I also don't want to know anybody's personal business.  I don't want to see anybody, gay or straight "getting busy" in public with each other.  Get a room.

If you want to call into to work sick, fine, but if you called me and I was your employer, and and you said you weren't coming in because you were gay, I would consider that a voluntary quit.  After all, there are plenty of gay and straight people out of work to replace you.

Needless to say, it didn't work