Mick's Blog

The puns are hard to pass up.

Previously I posted T. Boone Pickens solution to the energy "problems" of this country. here
I was skeptical of his motivations. Now HOLMAN W. JENKINS, JR. of WSJ.com reviews the "Boone Doggle"

In a form of social peacockery, the greater the misallocation of resources proposed, the more lavish the ovation -- though here Mr. Pickens has already been outdone by Al Gore.

Imagine that trying to out ALGORE Al Gore.

As usual Gary DeMar has important things to say about how we use the Bible as a source of "life"
While Gary and I may disagree on some of the conclusions we draw from a vigorous study of the scriptures, I beleve he is right on by saying that the Bible needs to be the starting place for all the answers to life.

Read his article "Why We Lose"

find Codex Sinaiticus here

by BOB DAVIS, DAMIAN PALETTA and REBECCA SMITH
at WSJ.com page one 07252007

Federal and state governments alike are increasingly hands-on in their effort to deal with failing businesses, plunging house prices, worthless mortgages and soaring energy prices. The steps add up to a major challenge to the movement toward deregulation that has defined American governance for much of the past quarter-century since the "Reagan Revolution" of the early 1980s. In fact, some proponents today of a bigger oversight role for government are Republican heirs to the legacy of President Reagan

Read article UNRAVELING REAGAN

Moses records in Exodus 33:13-16 (ESV)

13Now therefore, if I have found favor in your sight, please show me now your ways, that I may know you in order to find favor in your sight. Consider too that this nation is your people.” 14And he said, “My presence will go with you, and I will give you rest.” 15And he said to him, “If your presence will not go with me, do not bring us up from here. 16For how shall it be known that I have found favor in your sight, I and your people? Is it not in your going with us, so that we are distinct, I and your people, from every other people on the face of the earth?”

Many times I have asked myself this same question, how shall it be known that I have found favor in God’s sight? By extension, what about my family? The key Moses says is God’s going with us, it makes us distinct from every other people on the face of the earth. Moses helps us to understand we must know God’s ways and know God in order to find favor in his sight.

So what does that have to do with the Dark Knight?

Batman says

Sometimes, truth isn't good enough, sometimes people deserve more. Sometimes people deserve to have their faith rewarded.

Paul Asay says in his review

That Batman attempts to reward the people of Gotham’s faith with a life of two faces.

On one side of it, Batman creates a lie—a flat-out fabrication that patronizingly presumes he knows what's best for Gotham's citizens, and that they're too fragile or shortsighted to accept the truth. In an age when we are all wary of lies, deceptions and governmental cover-ups, this kind of fabrication (well-meaning though it may be) feels especially wrong and, in any case, always violates one of God's core commandments: Don't lie.

Batman tries to tell us it is ok for the good to do bad things, if we can expect evil to be stopped by our actions. Yet, the Psalmist says in Psalm 119:113-118 (ESV)

113I hate the double-minded, but I love your law. 114You are my hiding place and my shield; I hope in your word. 115Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. 116Uphold me according to your promise, that I may live, and let me not be put to shame in my hope! 117Hold me up, that I may be safe and have regard for your statutes continually! 118You spurn all who go astray from your statutes, for their cunning is in vain.

So the Psalmist describes our cunning as vanity when our cunning is placed against the ways of God. The Psalmist warns us a against the mentality of the dark knight. He call us to be lights in the world. (2 Cor 4.6)

Asay continues,

On the other, Batman takes Dent's sin on his own shoulders, leaving the DA, in Gotham's eyes, pure and spotless and clean. Sound familiar? It can be read, at some level, as an echo of the sacrifice Christ—utterly innocent, yet humiliated and judged on our behalf—made for us.

Jesus is the perfect innocent face (2 cor 4.6), for people who look around at all of the evil in our current time. Jesus offers a faith that declares that God is in the world and He wants us to change it. To make it better, by showing people how to live. We are to stand up against evil and not be corrupted by it.

see panaramic view here

I received this from the local home school group 07-15-2008

Ohio's regulations have been in place for 19 years. As you know, the regulations are very favorable for Homeschoolers. Some recent developments indicate that those regulations may be at significant risk. The Ohio State Board of Education has decided to place the home education regulations under a formal review.

There is an immediate and urgent need for every citizen in the State of Ohio who cares about protecting the freedom to home educate to log onto the Ohio Department of Education's link for public feedback. This link will be available in the next few days. The public comment link will only be available for a short time so it is imperative that we all move very quickly. Again, it is very important that you and anyone you know provide feedback to the department.

Many of you remember the threat to home education posed by HR6 in the early 90's. This review could have a similar effect.

CHEO has set-up a website for Ohio home educators to stay informed and to be notified when action is necessary. Please go to the site and sign-up for notifications as soon as possible. Also, please forward the link to anyone you know in Ohio who cares about our freedom to home educate. Here is the link:

http://OhioHSAlert.org

By Scott McKnight

I have never been a fan of either “football” nor golf. I have compare golf to watching the paint dry. “Football” on the other hand looks like a real sport, but it seems to much like ice hockey to me without the sticks or polo with out the sticks or horses

I found this funny though.

1. In golf you score anywhere from 70 or so to 100; in soccer you are lucky if you get 2 and sometimes get 0.
2. In golf your opponent is a friend; soccer players try to injure their opponents.
3. In golf you play on grass with hills and sand and trees and water.
4. In golf you can have a conversation with a friend; soccer players cuss at their opponents.
5. Fans at golf tournaments behave.
6. Golfers don’t cheat. (Think Milan.)
7. In golf you wear nice clothes; in soccer you wear weird colors with weird designs.
8. Golf shoes look cool; soccer shoes don’t.
9. If you tie in golf, you play “golf” until someone wins; if you tie in soccer, you play the kids game of kicking against a goalie until someone feels cheated.
10. You can play golf until you die; if you play soccer when you are thirty you feel old.
11. In golf time stands still; in soccer there is a timer.
12. Tiger Woods vs. the guy who head-butted the opponent.
13. No one in golf intentionally knocks the ball out of the field of play.
14. Words like mashie, niblick, guttapercha, and brassie.
Finally, in golf you say “nice shot” or “nice golf shot” to your opponent; in soccer the goalie acts like someone is cheating when the other team scores.


read article here

Thanks again to PlymouthRock
Rock blogs about the toy so I thought I would give in a try.
Here is Matthew 24 in the ESV by wordie



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By T. BOONE PICKENS

One of the benefits of being around a long time is that you get to know a lot about certain things. I'm 80 years old and I've been an oilman for almost 60 years. I've drilled more dry holes and also found more oil than just about anyone in the industry. With all my experience, I've never been as worried about our energy security as I am now. Like many of us, I ignored what was happening. Now our country faces what I believe is the most serious situation since World War II.

The problem, of course, is our growing dependence on foreign oil – it's extreme, it's dangerous, and it threatens the future of our nation.

read article here