Month: April 2015

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Our Daily Thread 4-30-15

Good Morning!

4-23-15 076

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On this day in 1789 George Washington took office as first elected U.S. president.

In 1803 the U.S. purchased the Louisiana Territory from France for $15 million.

In 1900 Casey Jones was killed while trying to save the runaway train “Cannonball Express.”

In 1972 the North Vietnamese launched an invasion of the South.

And in 1973 President Nixon announced resignation of Haldeman, Ehrlichman, and other top aides.

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Quote of the Day

“What we see depends mainly on what we look for.”

John Lubbock

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 Today is Willie Nelson’s birthday. From WillieNelsonVEVO

And some old Willie too. Or should I say young Willie….

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 4-30-15

It’s Thursday, so please remember to pray for the folks in PNG.

Anyone else have something?

Psalm 127

¹Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain.

2 It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sleep.

3 Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord: and the fruit of the womb is his reward.

4 As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth.

5 Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate.

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News/Politics 4-30-15

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread

Here’s a couple to start things off. 

1. We will not obey.

From FoxNews  “That’s the blunt warning a group of prominent religious leaders is sending to the Supreme Court of the United States as they consider same-sex marriage.

“We respectfully warn the Supreme Court not to cross that line,” read a document titled, Pledge in Solidarity to Defend Marriage. “We stand united together in defense of marriage. Make no mistake about our resolve.” 

“While there are many things we can endure, redefining marriage is so fundamental to the natural order and the common good that this is the line we must draw and one we cannot and will not cross,” the pledge states.

The signees are a who’s who of religious leaders including former Arkansas Gov. Mike Huckabee, former U.S. Senator Rick Santorum, National Religious Broadcasters president Jerry Johnson, Pastor John Hagee, and Franklin Graham, president and CEO of the Billy Graham Evangelistic Association and Samaritan’s Purse.

 The pledge was co-drafted by Deacon Keith Fournier, a Catholic deacon, and Mat Staver, the founder of Liberty Counsel. Also involved in the document were Rick Scarborough, the president of Vision America Action and James Dobson, the founder of Family Talk Radio.”

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2. More abuse of the H-1B visa program, and of course, at the expense of American workers. 

From ComputerWorld  “At the end of October, IT employees at Walt Disney Parks and Resorts were called, one-by-one, into conference rooms to receive notice of their layoffs. Multiple conference rooms had been set aside for this purpose, and in each room an executive read from a script informing the worker that their last day would be Jan. 30, 2015.

Some workers left the rooms crying; others appeared shocked. This went on all day. As each employee received a call to go to a conference room, others in the office looked up sometimes with pained expressions. One IT worker recalls a co-worker mouthing “no” as he walked by on the way to a conference room.”

“Disney CEO Bob Iger is one of eight co-chairs of the Partnership for a New American Economy, a leading group advocating for an increase in the H-1B visa cap. Last Friday, this partnership was a sponsor of an H-1B briefing at the U.S. Capitol for congressional staffers. The briefing was closed to the press.

One of the briefing documents handed out at the congressional forum made this claim: “H-1B workers complement – instead of displace – U.S. Workers.” It explains that as employers use foreign workers to fill “more technical and low-level jobs, firms are able to expand” and allow U.S. workers “to assume managerial and leadership positions.”

“From the perspective of five laid-off Disney IT workers, all of whom agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, Disney cut well-paid and longtime staff members, some who had been previously singled out for excellence, as it shifted work to contractors. These contractors used foreign labor, mostly from India. The laid-off workers believe the primary motivation behind Disney’s action was cost-cutting. “Some of these folks were literally flown in the day before to take over the exact same job I was doing,” said one of the IT workers who lost his job. He trained his replacement and is angry over the fact he had to train someone from India “on site, in our country.””

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Our Daily Thread 4-29-15

Good Morning!

On this day in 1429 Joan of Arc led Orleans, France, to victory over Britain.

In 1852 the first edition of Peter Roget’s Thesaurus was published.

In 1862 New Orleans fell to Union forces during the Civil War.

And in 1945 the German Army in Italy surrendered unconditionally to the Allies.

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Quote of the Day

“You can’t let one bad moment spoil a bunch of good ones.”

Dale Earnhardt

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 Today is Duke Ellington’s birthday. 

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 4-29-15

It’s Wednesday, so don’t forget to pray for The Gambia. 

Anyone else?

Psalm 125

¹They that trust in the Lord shall be as mount Zion, which cannot be removed, but abideth for ever.

2 As the mountains are round about Jerusalem, so the Lord is round about his people from henceforth even for ever.

3 For the rod of the wicked shall not rest upon the lot of the righteous; lest the righteous put forth their hands unto iniquity.

4 Do good, O Lord, unto those that be good, and to them that are upright in their hearts.

5 As for such as turn aside unto their crooked ways, the Lord shall lead them forth with the workers of iniquity: but peace shall be upon Israel.

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Our Daily Thread 4-28-15

Good Morning!

Today’s photos are from Cheryl. 

blossoms cheryl

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On this day in 1789 a mutiny on the British ship Bounty took place when a rebel crew took the ship and set sail to Pitcairn Island. The mutineers left Captain W. Bligh and 18 sailors adrift.

In 1818 President James Monroe proclaimed naval disarmament on the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain.

In 1914 W.H. Carrier patented the design of his air conditioner.

In 1945 Benito Mussolini and his mistress Clara Petacci were executed by Italian partisans as they attempted to flee the country.

And in 1985 the largest sand castle in the world was completed near St. Petersburg, FL. It was four stories tall.

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Quote of the Day

“It is only when the people become ignorant and corrupt, when they degenerate into a populace, that they are incapable of exercising their sovereignty.”

James Monroe

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 Looks like a random selection day. Both are from K-LOVE

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Anyone have a QoD?

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Prayer Requests 4-28-15

Anyone have something they’d like to share?

Psalm 124

¹If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, now may Israel say;

2 If it had not been the Lord who was on our side, when men rose up against us:

3 Then they had swallowed us up quick, when their wrath was kindled against us:

4 Then the waters had overwhelmed us, the stream had gone over our soul:

5 Then the proud waters had gone over our soul.

6 Blessed be the Lord, who hath not given us as a prey to their teeth.

7 Our soul is escaped as a bird out of the snare of the fowlers: the snare is broken, and we are escaped.

8 Our help is in the name of the Lord, who made heaven and earth.

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News/Politics 4-28-15

What’s interesting in the news today?

Open Thread

I’m posting this early due to breaking news. 

This news from Baltimore will be the obvious lead story tomorrow anyway. 

From MSN/Reuters  “Hundreds of rioters looted businesses and set buildings on fire in Baltimore on Monday in widespread violence that injured at least 15 police officers following the funeral of a 25-year-old black man who died after he was injured in police custody.

The disturbances broke out just a few blocks from the funeral of Freddie Gray and then spread through parts of Baltimore in the most violent U.S. demonstrations since looting in Ferguson, Missouri, last year.

Maryland Governor Larry Hogan declared a state of emergency and activated the National Guard as firefighters battled blazes set by looters. Rioters with baseball bats smashed windows of cars in different areas of town.

Baltimore Mayor Stephanie Rawlings-Blake called the rioters “thugs” and instituted a citywide curfew for all adults and minors beginning Tuesday night. The only exceptions are work and medical emergencies.”

Schools are closed, trains and businesses are shut down. and the O’s were canceled too. 

More of the ugly details here, from TheDailyMail  

And here, from WeaselZippers

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Our Daily Thread 4-27-15

Good Morning!

4-23-15 070

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On this day in 1521 Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan was killed by natives in the Philippines.

In 1805 a force led by U.S. Marines captured the city of Derna, on the shores of Tripoli.

In 1861 President Lincoln suspended the writ of habeas corpus.

And in 1965 “Pampers” were patented by R.C. Duncan.

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Quote of the Day

“Nations, like individuals, are punished for their transgressions.”

Ulysses S. Grant

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 Today is Sergei Prokofiev’s birthday.

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Anyone have a QoD?