Throughout life I have tried to understand why certain abnormalities fall into our culture as Americans. A question concerning me at this moment is, “What is the source of poverty, unproductivity, exploitation of America, and crime?”. I have come to no better answer then those 43,000 illegal immigrants in Kansas City, and those 11.3 million in the great country of America. Bear in mind, 8 American Children are sexually abused by those same parasitic border-jumping everyday; that adds up to be a whopping 2,920 annually. This is why I have devoted my life to rid this great nation of such people. This is the struggle not only I face, but the struggle that is waiting for you just around the bend.

On the statue of liberty is reads, “Give me your tired, your hungry, your poor…”. Well, in all actuality it’s the people you know and trust that are tired, hungry, and poor, and until that problem is solved I believe the they need to shut the book. But why are Americans suffering, yet again, take a look at the statistics; when an illegal immigrant gets caught for rape, murder, or drug distribution, America pays $1.6 billion annually in prison costs to feed, clothe, and bathe, the felons that make up more then 30% of America’s prisons, that are not citizens, and shouldn’t even be here in the first place.

To be fair, these statistics and views are not guided to any race, sex, religion, or nationality; but directed to those bottom-feeders who abuse the system and come here to exploit this great nation. One concept that I struggled to understand (but now seeming ever so clear), is that all races, religions, and nationalities have these low-life parasites. Be it Christian, Black, Phillipino, or Asian; all minorities have these characteristics, and eliminating those few is just half of the solution. You must also spread the word of Productivity and teach those with less advanced minds how to cherish America, and work for the good of all citizens, not just yourself.

Don’t forget that these illegal immigrants are the same illegal immigrants that bring over anchor babies; over 300,000 pregnant illegal women arrive annually and give birth on our soil. The average cost annually per child is 7,161 or K-12, according to the center of Immigration Studies. This is all paid for by the so-called “hard-working father” who makes 1-10th of his American counterpart. Cheap Labor sounds pretty good right? Wrong. These “hard-workers” are not paying taxes, not helping out the common welfare of the American people, and definitely not helping America’s current economical situation.

But don’t be naive America, I sure wouldn’t want my future son or daughter to have to deal with these people, you must act now to create a better tomorrow. With love for other citizens in my heart, I have fought procrastination and unproductively, and I now expect you to do the same.

Give thanks to the LORD, for He is good ; For His lovingkindness is everlasting. Oh let Israel say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Oh let the house of Aaron say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” Oh let those who fear the LORD say, “His lovingkindness is everlasting.” (Psalm 118:1-4)

You are my hiding place ; You preserve me from trouble ; You surround me with songs of deliverance. Selah. (Psalm 32:7)

The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. He makes me lie down in green pastures ; He leads me beside quiet waters. He restores my soul ; He guides me in the paths of righteousness For His name’s sake. Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I fear no evil, for You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies ; You have anointed my head with oil ; My cup overflows. Surely goodness and lovingkindness will follow me all the days of my life, And I will dwell in the house of the LORD forever . (Psalm 23)

In the fear of the LORD there is strong confidence, And his children will have refuge. (Proverbs 14:26)

The name of the LORD is a strong tower ; The righteous runs into it and is safe. (Proverbs 18:10)

Do you not know ? Have you not heard ? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator of the ends of the earth Does not become weary or tired. His understanding is inscrutable . He gives strength to the weary, And to him who lacks might He increases power. Though youths grow weary and tired, And vigorous young men stumble badly, Yet those who wait for the LORD Will gain new strength ; They will mount up with wings like eagles, They will run and not get tired, They will walk and not become weary. (Isaiah 40:28-31)

“These things I have spoken to you, so that in Me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation, but take courage ; I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33)

 

But God demonstrates His own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. For if while we were enemies we were reconciled to God through the death of His Son, much more, having been reconciled, we shall be saved by His life. (Romans 5:8, 10)

(tip of the hat to GYvideos)

Found this gem and can’t help but say this is one of the best compilations I’ve seen in a while that isn’t purely a knockout reel.  Enjoy.

Title: Humility! Don’t let your Pride cause the Body to Divide!
Text: A Lot
Central Idea of the Sermon: To maintain unity we must live in humility but what is humility?
Specific Objective: Kids will be challenged to live life in humility.

Introduction: So last week we discussed that in order to live in Unity we must live in Humility. Today we are going to learn what humility is, but first let me ask this… what is the opposite of humility?

TS: Pride!

I. Pride causes the Body to Divide (James 4:1-3)

Exp: St. Augustine described Pride as “the love of one’s own excellence”

Dictionary.com describes Pride as Arrogant or to think more highly of one’s own self.

Jas 4:1 Where do wars and fights come from among you? Do they not come from your desires for pleasure that war in your members?

Prideful people want what they want when they want it no matter what. They don’t stop to think about the effect on others

.

Jas 4:2 You lust and do not have. You murder and covet and cannot obtain. You fight and war. Yet you do not have because you do not ask.

In the end, Prideful people don’t really get what they want.

Jas 4:3 You ask and do not receive, because you ask amiss, that you may spend it on your pleasures.
God will not give the prideful people what they ask for because they ask for selfish reasons.

TS: Now that we know what is NOT humble, what is?

II. Humility is the state of being humble duh!

Exp:

When you are humble you don’t think more of yourself then you should. You recognize that some are better than you. You recognize that you can learn from others.

Ill:  Now i’m pretty good with computers and programs. The other day one of my friends called me asking for some help with her Zune (mp3 player) The program wouldn’t install on her computer right. Now it was in my best intrest to say “oh yeah i can fix it” and make it look like i’m the number one guy to go to.  This would have made me look better in her eyes, however, i knew for a fact that Pastor Matt (Youth Pastor at The Healing Place) would know more than me. Matt actually has a couple of Zunes. It was in her best interest for her to call him.

So what did i do? I humbled myself and said “Look kid, i think this might help but the person you really want to talk to is Matt. He actually owns a Zune.” Why did i do that? Because i was putting her best interest in front of mine.

TS: But what’s the Point?

III. Top Three Reasons to be Humble

Exp: 1.You can’t be saved unless you Humble yourself

2Sa 22:28 You will save the humble people; But Your eyes are on the haughty, that You may bring them down.

Here we find that God will save the humble but he will not save the proud.

2Ch 7:14 if My people who are called by My name will humble themselves, and pray and seek My face, and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven, and will forgive their sin and heal their land.

See where it says THEN. That means that unless you humble urself you will NOT be saved.

2. God will Hear your Prayers

Psa 10:17 LORD, You have heard the desire of the humble; You will prepare their heart; You will cause Your ear to hear,

3. When we humble ourselves God can teach us.

Psa 25:9 The humble He guides in justice, And the humble He teaches His way.

TS: Ok but what does this have to do with Unity?

IV. Humility Won’t split the Body

Exp. Have you ever seen the movie Nightmare Before Christmas?  In the movie there are two towns. Halloween Town and Christmas Town. In Halloween Town the people send all year getting ready for Halloween. That’s their function and purpose in life. In Christmas Town they spend all year getting ready for Christmas, that’s their function and purpose in life.

One day the leader of Halloween Town, Jack The Pumpkin King, gets tired of Halloween. While on a walk one day he stumbles upon Christmas town. He freaks out! He thinks it’s amazing! He sees what the elves and Santa are doing and thinks it’s really cool… Suddenly he starts thinking “you know… i bet i could do this Christmas thing, in fact… i could do it better.”

Jack goes back to Halloween Town and starts planning. They kidnap Santa, make their own toys, everything! In the end Jack messed EVERYTHING up! He had to come to the point where he humbled himself and went back to Santa and admit to the fact that he was wrong. He couldn’t do things better than Santa. Santa was in charge of Christmas because he knew best how to do it.

Conclusion:

If we don’t humble ourselves we can begin to be like Jack. We start thinking  “you know Pastor doesn’t really know what he’s doing, I know better than him.” or “I don’t like they way they are worshiping God, they should do it more like me because i know best” When that attitude starts to creep in, you start to tear the Body of Christ apart. The Pastor of your church is YOUR shepard. He was anointed and put there by God. You should trust his judgment and choices. When you start to think that you are better than your Pastor you start to sow a seed of discord in the body.  When you start to think you are better than the other congregant members then you start to sow a seed of discord in the body.

Unless you humble yoruself and allow God to teach you and grow you… your Pride will cause the Body to Divide.

Redemption – Obedience – Grace

The Master of Self

Grace

Answer the questions, which follow the Scripture Verses below.

John 1:14-17 John expresses the grace of the Father, both in Jesus and us.

¹⁴And  ²⁵³² the Word  ³⁰⁵⁶ was made  ¹⁰⁹⁶  ₅₆₃₃ flesh,  ⁴⁵⁶¹ and  ²⁵³² dwelt  ⁴⁶³⁷  ₅₆₅₆ among  ¹⁷²² us,  ²²⁵⁴ (and  ²⁵³² we beheld  ²³⁰⁰  ₅₆₆₂ his  ⁸⁴⁶ glory,  ¹³⁹¹ the glory  ¹³⁹¹ as  ⁵⁶¹³ of the only begotten  ³⁴³⁹ of  ³⁸⁴⁴ the Father,)  ³⁹⁶² full  ⁴¹³⁴ of grace  ⁵⁴⁸⁵ and  ²⁵³² truth. ²²⁵  

¹⁵John  ²⁴⁹¹ bare witness  ³¹⁴⁰  ₅₇₁₉ of  ⁴⁰¹² him,  ⁸⁴⁶ and  ²⁵³² cried,  ²⁸⁹⁶  ₅₇₅₄ saying,  ³⁰⁰⁴  ₅₇₂₃ This  ³⁷⁷⁸ was he  ²²⁵⁸  ₅₇₁₃ of whom  ³⁷³⁹ I spake,  ²⁰³⁶  ₅₆₂₇ He that cometh  ²⁰⁶⁴  ₅₇₄₀ after  ³⁶⁹⁴ me  ³⁴⁵⁰ is preferred  ¹⁰⁹⁶  ₅₇₅₄ before  ¹⁷¹⁵ me:  ³⁴⁵⁰ for  ³⁷⁵⁴ he was  ²²⁵⁸  ₅₇₁₃ before  ⁴⁴¹³ me. ^{3450  16}And  ²⁵³² of  ¹⁵³⁷ his  ⁸⁴⁶ fulness  ⁴¹³⁸ have  ²⁹⁸³   all  ³⁹⁵⁶ we  ²²⁴⁹ received,  ²⁹⁸³  ₅₆₂₇ and  ²⁵³² grace  ⁵⁴⁸⁵ for  ⁴⁷³ grace. ^{5485  17}For  ³⁷⁵⁴ the law  ³⁵⁵¹ was given  ¹³²⁵  ₅₆₈₁ by  ¹²²³ Moses,  ³⁴⁷⁵ but grace  ⁵⁴⁸⁵ and  ²⁵³² truth  ²²⁵ came  ¹⁰⁹⁶  ₅₆₃₃ by  ¹²²³ Jesus  ²⁴²⁴ Christ.

Scripture Text – [KJV – with Greek Reference Numbers]

Q-7 from John 1:16

What is it we have all received from Christ’s fullness?

Q-8 from John 1:16

Why do you suppose we have received this gift from Christ?

Q-9 from John 1:17

What was given by Moses and why?

Q-10 from John 1:17

What was given by Jesus Christ and why?

Q-11 from John 1:17

What was the purpose of one and then the other?

Philemon 25 Paul’s beautiful salutation to Philemon should be ours to each other.  

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.

Q-12 from Philemon 25

Can you appreciate what Paul was saying in this verse when he said “The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with your spirit. Amen.” If so, describe what that might have meant for the recipient.

My jealousy is driving me mad. I wish it would just go away and let my mind be at peace. I made mathematical equations for jealousy.

Anger + Pride = Jealousy

She is not attractive. Why does he like her? I am better than her. I dread every minute of her presence.

Fear + Confusion = Jealousy

How could he do this to me? I gave everything I had to him. Will he leave me for her?

When I was a kid I may not have admitted it or even realized it, but I loved to have my dad’s attention and ultimately his approval.  When I wasn’t in school I would follow him around at work, whenever his job allowed.  I would walk right on the edge of the sidewalk, just like he always did.  I wore long sleeve button down shirts, just like him.  I even quit wearing shorts because he didn’t like to wear them.  I emulated him because I wanted him to find pleasure in me.  Quite honestly, I still do.

I can only imagine what the human Jesus felt when He heard His Father’s words, “You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.”  Can you even fathom what it will be like to hear that one day?  Even the prospect of hearing it makes me push even harder to become more like my heavenly Father so that I might please Him.

I will admit that when considering the task of pleasing the Father I am overrun with thoughts of monstrous tasks, miracles to perform, etc.  And then I recall that He has asked me to simply follow the example of His Son.  If I study Jesus, His words, His actions, and His purity, with the Holy Spirit’s guidance and work continue to reflect Him more, I just might see that glance over the shoulder and smirk of amusement as He sees someone so small as me attempting to be someone like Him.

You see, it’s that smile that makes it worthwhile.  When He smiles on me I know why I’m here.  I am here for His pleasure.  I am here to please Him by being the best me I can be, the me He created me to be.  Can I do it on my own?  No.  But He doesn’t care that He’s the One who makes it possible, only that I’m committed to the task.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some pleasing to do.  Come along.  Will you join me?

Right. There are some things we knew, that we were called “conspiracy theorists” about, that have now been hacked and proven.

Like, for example, that Teddy Kennedy had worked to block at least one judicial appointment so that it would be filled by “the rightleft type” of Judge. There was a screen left open that caught someone’s attention, the file was accessed, the file got released.

We knew the glowbull worming bullshit was. Somebody hacked the CRU, the files were released, we have the proof. That should put paid to the Crap and Slave, but there’s no guaranteeing that. The government doesn’t seem to care to listen to its constituency any longer. Even though we have the proof, we may still need to install some real fear to get that shit straight. It may end up being the trigger, I am pretty sure it could be, but not 100%.

The Hellcare bill.We know it’s bad juju. The CBO has said it’s bad juju. The Congress still wants to ram it down our throats, despite the immense hue and cry. Even CHURCHES have called for participation in “civil disobedience” if that shit passes.

We knew the G20 was all about the destruction of our national sovereignty to the OWG, and we found the speech from the EU pointing out that very thing. And that ObaMao was going there to do just that.

We know that ObaMao hates America, and there is something DREADFULLY wrong in his background. Why the fuck else would he have spent somewhere in the neighborhood of  2 MILLION DOLLARS hiding his background? When articles from over 5 years ago, from a Kenyan newspaper, suddenly disappear from the archives when they’re discovered and posted on the net. When the script of a TV show about alien visitors hits too close to home, and all of a sudden the producer, director, and writer are fired and the show goes on hiatus until the spring after 4 shows. You know the show will be radically different when it comes back, the propaganda ministry will see to that.

Somebody, somewhere has the files. Undoubtedly, more than one of those somebodies. Why do you think the “wall of separation” between the law/intelligence agencies came back up the instant this pos was in the Whitehouse and could control it. One or more of the alphabet agencies has the dirt. Somebody, somewhere has the proof.

And that somebody, somewhere has SWORN THAT SAME OATH TO SUPPORT AND DEFEND THE CONSTITUTION AGAINST ALL ENEMIES FOREIGN AND DOMESTIC that many of us have. But they are, for some reason, not exposing this truth because of some conflicting oath of secrecy or some shit.

Which one is more important, hmm? Which one? I’d really love to know why we don’t have PATRIOTS defending our nation. “300,000,000 people and we can’t find 545 patriots to run it”. On which side of the line will they stand when America decides ENOUGH? These are the people who can stop the coming hellstorm. These are the people who could release the facts and prevent what is surely coming. These are the people that could monitor the coming elections (should we actually have them) to prevent false signals from the voting machines, catch more people voting than there are registered, ad infinitum.

Alright, they’ve sworn some bullshit “oath of secrecy” that they, for some reason, believe is more important than their OATH to the Constitution, to this very nation.

Wouldn’t it be lovely if, somehow, a firewall was weak? If, somehow, some “hacker” got that/those file(s) so they hit the air/news/net waves? If, somehow, the alphabet agencies got hacked for that/those particular files and we could SAVE THIS NATION? If we could stop the bloodshed that is sure to come if this shit isn’t stopped before it goes ANY further?

The next war to save this country isn’t going to be fought in some bullshit third world country, it is going to be right here. Somebody, somewhere, please remove the mirrors and blow away the smoke. Get the moving crew and turn on the fan. There may be a large number of people who’ve grown fat, lazy, and dependent. But there are more who have not. There are far more who are being pushed to the very edge by the destruction of our founding beliefs, who are on that very edge of taking it back or dying trying.

Somebody, somewhere has the files.

Mechanism of Mind, by Edward de Bono

The Mechanism of Mind, by Edward de Bono

“Freddie was designed as a space age pet for modern living. He is a small black sphere which is completely smooth on the outside. When Freddie is kicked he starts to roll about. To stop him you kick him again. Whenever he comes up against an obstacle he just backs away, moves along it or just changes direction as he feels inclined. The purpose of Freddie is to provide intelligent animation without the owner having to feed him, look after him or take him round the lampposts every evening.”

Freddie’s image is so intriguing that we find ourselves smiling, but not at the implication that our lives might well be similar to his own. When it comes to our mind, to our way of thinking, we resent being told that our mental processes are mechanical, and that there is no separate self or agent initiating or directing our thoughts.

Though Dr. de Bono is a physician and is currently working in the Department of Investigative Medicine at Cambridge University, England, he uses no monkeys, rabbits, rats or electronic brain probes to make his case. He seeks to convince us with models made from pins, lights, switches, blocks, jelly, water and other equally familiar materials.

Put some table jelly in a shallow dish; now spoon some hot water onto the jelly and then pour the water off: as the water melts the jelly, it creates channels. As more water is spooned onto the jelly, the patterns become more diverse and intricate. But soon, no matter where you pour it, most of the water will flow through the channels already created, thereby making these channels deeper and ensuring that any additional water will flow through them. Think of the jelly as the memory surface of the brain, and the channels as memories or associations. The flow of water through these channels is the “interpretation and recording of incoming information. . . the main point is that there is flow, and that the flow is dictated by the contours of the surface.”

In other words, the past shapes the present. But what about new ideas and perceptions? Can we receive them without their being processed by the various patterns which have accumulated through suggestion and repetition, or are we doomed to a constant repetition of past thoughts and perceptions (as the jelly model indicates)? The answer seems to demand a more precise study of the mechanics of the human mind, of the way it is “kicked” in and out of action by influences from outside as well as from within.

Dr. de Bono distinguishes between several different kinds of thought, all of which are equally mechanical, but which nevertheless differ in the results they bring. The most “primitive” form of thought is “natural thinking.” This is the passive associative flow along the contours of the memory surface. It is totally dependent on whatever happens to be accumulated at the moment. There is a momentum from cliché to cliché. “Natural thinking makes use of absolutes and extremes since these patterns become more easily established than intermediate ones.” In de Bono’s words:

“The lack of proportion in natural thinking in some ways resembles the contents of newspapers. The odd, the unusual, the emotional, all get as much emphasis as ordinary events, or more, even though the latter are much more important in real-life terms. Labels and categories are much used in natural thinking since they provide quick interpretation and firm direction of flow. There is little vagueness or indecision in natural thinking since even a slight degree of dominance in one area is sufficient to attract the flow.”

“Logical thinking” differs from natural thinking only as a result of the experience of “non-identity,” or “no.” No conveys an awareness of more than one alternative; it implies a “mismatch,” a conflict between patterns. As a result of no, one pattern or pathway is selected and another is blocked from our attention. “The effect of logical thinking is like that obtained by a farmer who directs the water to his fields by careful blocking of some irrigation channels in order to get the water to flow through the others.” The difficulty is that what may have been useful in the past may be the exact opposite of what is necessary now. Once no has blocked a particular pathway it is likely to continue doing so even when the conditions have changed. “The more emotion that was infused into the no label by upbringing, the more powerful would be its use and its effect.”

With “mathematical thinking” we come to what is supposedly the least subjective form of sequential thought. This kind of thinking, for de Bono, is based on the use of “ready-made recipes,” or “algorithms.” “An algorithm is any fixed pattern which is not derived from presented information but serves to control and sort out that information. Algorithms may be mathematical techniques but they may also be word patterns or any other type of preset pattern.” Instead of the incoming information finding its own path along the contours of the surface, specific channels are pre-cut and the information flows through them. If the “preset pattern” actually represents the given situation then mathematical thinking can avoid many of the errors of natural and logical thinking. Unfortunately, in most cases, neither the algorithm nor the choice of what it processes is itself the result of mathematical thinking.

Dr. de Bono makes it clear that none of these forms of thought can get beyond the limitations imposed by the nature of the memory surface. He therefore offers a fourth classification which he calls “lateral thinking.” This type of thinking is based on the disruption of the sequential flow of our ordinary thought:

“Lateral thinking has nothing to do with chaos for the sake of chaos. Disruption of a pattern in lateral thinking is only in order to let a better pattern form. Later the process can be repeated again. For this reason those chemical methods of disruption which work by upsetting the smooth co-ordination of the mind are useless since the smooth co-ordination of the mind is required to snap the new patterns into coherence. The art of lateral thinking is to bring about the disruption while still retaining the ability to benefit from it in terms of coherent ideas.”

How does one achieve this kind of thinking? Dr. de Bono offers a number of different methods, all of which are dependent on the ability to allow one’s thought to organize itself in a “new” way. But whether this new organization be the result of shocks coming from without, the intentional effort of turning an idea upside down, or the effort of a slight shift in attention, it is always necessary to confront what de Bono calls the “main information sin”–arrogance. “Arrogance appears in many forms. Just as one particular fixed way of looking at things leads to the arrogance of pride so another fixed way of looking at things leads to the arrogance of despair.”

How can we escape this “sin”? Dr. de Bono tells us that one way is through a “realization of the arbitrary nature and historical development. . .” of our attitudes:

“It is not suggested that the realization of the arbitrariness of patterns should lead to a loss of drive and direction. On the contrary, one realizes that patterns are useful no matter how arbitrary, and so one uses them. But uses them without arrogance, with an inquiry about better patterns, and with the willingness to change to better patterns if they should seem more useful.”

But is the interest in “better patterns” sufficient motivation to see and accept the mechanicality of one’s mind? If arrogance is not simply an information sin, if its effects are scattered through our entire being, then perhaps we do need to experience a “loss of drive and direction.” Perhaps freed for a moment from our cerebral manipulations, we will feel the need for a totally new quality of thought–one which could bring us to a wider, more fundamental sense of our existence.

This review first appeared in the journal Material for Thought, Spring 1971 (issue #3), published by Far West Editions. Far West Editions “was begun in 1968 by John Pentland, a direct pupil of G. I. Gurdjieff and president of the Gurdjieff Foundations of New York and California until his death in 1984. Its original purpose was to discover if a more impartial quality of spiritual thought can emerge when a small group of people work at writing while at the same time trying to see themselves as they are.”  Though I am “the author” of this review, it was working in these special conditions that made it possible. You can click on the above link to see what issues of Material for Thought are currently available.

In the past week I have scene to fights that a judge has given it to one fighter and another judge gave the fight to the other in 30-27. Each time I exclaimed WHAT!?!?! (among other words). Those two fights where at WEC 44 between Rob McCullough v Karen Darabedyan and UFC 106 Ortiz Griffin II. There is defiantly a flaw with the judging system in MMA everyone knows that. Now is it all this 10 must systems fault not entirely is it the judges not being well versed enough . There are many problems with the judging and no one culprit is big enough to say they are the reason.

Now in UFC the judges score each round for Octagon Control , Effective Striking , Aggression . Now some of these terms are rather up in the air for interpretation . Take Octagon Control what dose that mean? This rule is the reason I gave Couture the win over Vera at 105 , he Controlled him and negated 90% of the damage Vera could do. Now Vera did get some good strikes in but for most of the fight was negated up against the cage.  These terms could use some further explanation to nooby viewers and for veterans.

Another thing to change would be looking at the fight as a matter of individual rounds and more at the fight as a whole. You wouldn’t look at a painting just as a matter of sections or just its upper right corner. You wouldn’t listen to a song just for 30 seconds. In these fights you should look at damage dealt overall through out the fight. Case in point Machida Shogun , Shogun clearly did more damage OVERTIME through his leg kicks and took out Machidas legs .  If the judges looked at a fight overall and as a whole along with the score cards of the rounds then maybe we wouldn’t get 30-27 one guy and 30-27 the other. Now I wasn’t a fan during Pride days but from what I’ve read they and DREAM and other Japan based promotions do this. There system is by no means perfect either just look at the last Sengoku event.

I don’t claim to have the answer to this problem I’m just giving my take on the matter.  hopefully the matter is addressed through reforms or something because bad judging screw fighters and fans in the end.

From Nick Hunter

The first signature sin Michael Mangis talks about is pride–the greatest sin for C.S. Lewis (see Mere Christianity).  Following are an expansion of the various types of pride that Mangis gives–sorry, I didn’t write down the pages on these. On a side note, as I was trying to find some pictures of pride, I discovered to my surprise by the extent that pride has been co-opted by the G-L-B movement.

Pride—refusal to submit to God; antidote–humility.  Wikki gives the following definition from Augustine, “the love of one’s own excellence.”

Outward Pride—arrogant, haughty and snobbish manners, oblivious to others

1. Vanity—taking credit for, and boasting about that which should actually be credited to God.  An inordinate focus on one’s own image—antidote is modesty
2. Arrogance—a demanding, overbearing and opinionated form of pride
3. Snoberty—pride over race, family class etc that artificially creates a sense of superiority; antidote of simplicity
4. Disobedience-disregard for God’s law-obedience is antidote

Inward Pride—obsesses with others and how they feel about him.  Secret pride

1. Distrust—rejection of God’s will in favor of one’s own will
2. Perfectionism—desire to do everything perfectly—grace or brokenness is antidote
3. Sentimentality—substitutes pious emotion, pomp and beauty for true private reverence and obedience to God.  Antidote is seriousness or simplicity
4. Presumption—distortion of hope, Placing inordinate and disrespectful reliance on self rather than on God.  Anitidote–contrition
   

   Pride by Pieter Bruegel

NAME CHANGES: This is one of the biggest shame our parents have acquired, to the fact that they have adopted outsiders names. I mean, there’s nothing wrong with you naming your child a name that you find beautiful, no matter where it’s from… but if a whole community, country and or continent (majority) start naming their kids, Mohammed, Mariam, Aicha, John, Paul, Michael, Rosa etc… is just sad. These are not original African names.

What happen to African names?

why using another culture to blend within yours?…

They (outsiders) never uses African names to name their kids, nor you will see a white person with a Chinese name etc… and vice versa (though Chinese people fit this shame also). You’re not gonna see an Arab kid with the name Omokwe or Samba.

Some Africans don’t even have African last names (which is even sad).

And many (the ones who actually have African names in their birth certificates) are ashamed of their African names, therefore many changes it when they grow up.

-Now some of you (Muslim Africans to be exact) will come with the attack: “but we’re giving our kids Muslim names from the Quran…” well, “those muslim names” you’re talking about predates Islam (that is when the Quran was revealed to the prophet Mohammed [pbuh]), Christianity, and Judaism. You have Arab Christians with the names Mohammed, Ibrahim, Aicha etc… these names are nothing but cultural (hint: they are names of respected people within Islam whom happened to be Arabs).

Another attack will be: “oh those names are blessed and have great meanings…” then it’s really ignorant because as an Example the name Ibrahim means “Father of many”. If that is the meaning, I’m sure every language in earth is understood by god, therefore why don’t you name your kids Ibrahim (father of many) in your own language. If the term “father of many” is equivalent to “iniminimanimo” in your language, then why not use that word (iniminimanimo) instead of using the arabic word Ibrahim; i mean at the end they all have the same meanings right? Enlighten me.

-Furthermore, any person with a brain will of-course understand where all this have derived from. Colonization have fathered the killings of African cultures.

When the outsiders came; we opened our arms, closed our eyes and put on a smile welcoming a stealthy destruction.

The Europeans came with guns and a religion, left with land and slaves.

The Arabs came with swords and a religion, left with land and slaves.

Although they left, part of them stayed… their cultures stayed with us.

Now, don’t get me wrong because there’s nothing wrong with an African being a Christian or a Muslim, having faith in a given religious belief have nothing to do with adopting an outsiders culture. God is universal. I always use the term “Be a Muslim, not an Arab.”

I’m often told by complete strangers that I remind them of someone – a niece, sister, cousin, neighbor, highschool classmate, etc.  I’ve resigned myself to the fact that I have a common looking face.  Depending on your view, I’ve either been blessed or cursed with ordinary features.  I look like thousands of women who’ve preceded my birth and I’m sure many more similar looking girl babies will be born to generic looking parents.

I’m ok with the fact that I don’t ‘wow’ a crowd with my beauty or leave a lasting Victoria Secret’s model type impression; however, today my contentment with looking like the girl next door came to an immediate and tearful end.

Someone told me that I look like a character from ‘The Office’.  I realize that I’m probably one of about only three American’s who haven’t watched ‘The Office’, so I did what any reasonably curious woman would do.  I came home and Googled the cast’s photos.

Now when this man told me who I looked like, his wife said, “No, her (the character’s) hair is much shorter.”

My hopes of looking like a beautiful actress plummeted as I clicked through the pictures and character descriptions.   I am left wondering how I’ve morphed from a youthful and not completely repulsive young wife and mother into a middle-aged “Phyllis”.

Look for yourself.

http://www.nbc.com/The_Office/bios/phyllis_smith.shtml

Why can’t I get away from the Phyllis’s lately?  First my tree and now me!

If I haven’t posted by noon on Tuesday, I’ve drowned in my own tears.

A sniffling,

This will be the only post I’ll make here that is based purely on my personal vanity.  If you’re not interested in an “I love me” article, don’t click on this:

http://www.msc.navy.mil/msfsc/news.asp?show=1258404233&edition=112009/

Tomorrow I will get back to business.  There are weighty issues out there, slowly evolving with each passing day.  But for now, I’ll simply thank you for your indulgence in my egocentricity (is that a word?) and ask that God continue to bless America.

There are many versions of the Stone Soup story.  The one I am sharing is the only version I have run across personally:

During World War II a young soldier found himself isolated in a small French Town.  This particular town had little food and many of the inhabitants were starving.  It was desperate times for all.  The town’s people were reluctant to share what little they had out of fear for their own survival.  They watched the soldier carefully from curtained and shuttered windows to see what he would do.

They watched the soldier as he rummaged through the piles of discarded items that littered the streets.  Many people had left with what they could carry, leaving some things behind to lighten their loads.  He hunted for several hours before he returned to the fire he had built outside an abandoned building.  In his hand he carried an old dented soup pot, an old rusty fire grate, and a large kitchen spoon.  He had found a small trickle of water spilling from a broken spigot that used to provide clear spring water to the  the town square fountain.   He carried the pot to the fountain and  went about filling the old pot with the fresh spring water.    He then carried it back to his fire where he had placed, over the fire,  the metal grate that he had also found while foraging.  Then the town’s people saw him search the ruins until he found a stone, which he placed in the pot.  The soldier then sat down and waited patiently.

Soon the mayor of the town strolled by.  “What are you doing there?” he asked the soldier.

“I am making stone soup,” was the soldier’s reply.  The mayor rubbed his chin and proceeded to walk to his home that was just down the street.

The grocery store owner also stopped by to see what the soldier was doing.  “What are you cooking there?” the store keeper asked.

“I am making stone soup,” was the soldier’s reply.  The store keeper also continued to walk to his grocery store that was now barren of food.

Throughout the day many of the town’s people strolled by asking of the soldier.  Suddenly the mayor arrived a carrots in his hand.  “Can you use this carrot in your stone soup?” the mayor inquired.  “It isn’t much but you can have it.”

“Thank you,” the soldier said as he took out his pocket knife, cut up the carrot and through the pieces into the pot with a plop.  The mayor turned to the north toward where his office was.

Again, the store keeper arrived bearing two potatoes that he had scavanged from his ravished stores from his grocery. “I have these two potatoes.  Can you use them in your stone soup?”

“Why, yes I can.  Thank you!” he said as he again pulled out his pocket knife and cut up the potatoes into small pieces and threw them into the steaming pot with a plop.  The soldier sat back and waited patiently.

All that day people from the town would walk by offering a small amount of what they had to the soldier for his stone soup.  By the end of the day the smell drifted all through the town.  The town’s people gathered at the soldier’s fire and watched the soup boil.  When the soup was ready the soldier stood and addressed the crowd.  “All of you are welcome to share this pot of soup with me.”

That day the entire town was fed by that one pot of soup.  It was the first hot meal they had had in a very long time.  Alone, they had not even enough to feed themselves, but together, they were able to feed an entire village.

Now, this is not a story of charity but of helping each other.  Those who had a little shared it with the whole.  Those who didn’t have shared the reward.  I am sure that those who had not given went back to their homes and found things to share with the town.  I am sure that there were many other days of stone soup.  Those who did not have to give, gave of their time.  They hunted for more pots, started fires, gathered firewood, contacted people to help, and did what they could to contribute.  There was no charity here, but people working together to help each other.

I think that our welfare system has forgotten this one important fact.  People need to work for what they get.  They need to be able to feel pride in what they do.  Handing people a welfare check  is not enough.  We need to create jobs for people so that they feel good about themselves.  That welfare check needs to be connected to that person doing something to feel productive.  They need to be required to do something for that check, just as if they were receiving an actual paycheck.

Since the state handles this program, I think that it is important to put these people to work doing what ever needs to be done.  There are parks that need taking care of.  There are all sorts of works projects that need warm bodies.  The other day I saw men standing out in front of a manpower center waiting for day labor work.  These are men who want to work and who would feel better working than not.  Even someone on disability can do something.  They can sort donated items at the Salvation Army or the Good will store.   They can repair broken items for resale.  They can do what ever it is that they can do.  We just need to be creative about it.

I am speaking from experience as well as observation.  Most people, given the chance, would rather be working at something than sitting around a house all day.  We need to give them their dignity back and help them to feel valuable again.

Now, on the same subject, I just received “The Most Important Gift Catalog in The World”.  It is called Heifer.   The Heifer International project was established to help people and families move toward self-reliance.  Through this organization if you give just $500.00 a heifer will be given  to a family in third world countries, or you can share the gift by giving $50.00 with others who can’t afford the entire cost. For $1,000.00  a family will receive a Milk Menagerie of four milk producing animals such as one heifer, two goats, and a water buffalo.  Or you can share the expense by giving just $100.00.  The gift of a goat is only $120.00 or $10.00 to share the gift expense.  A pig will cost you $120.00 or $10.00 to share the gift expense.  A sheep will cost you $120.00 or just $10.00 to share the gift expense.  You can give a Knitting Basket gift which includes 4 wool producing animals and the cost is only $500.00 or $50.00 to share the gift expense.    You can give a trio of rabbits for $60.00 or $10.00 to share the gift expense.  You can donate a flock of chicks for just $20.00.  You can even give the gift of bees for just $30.00.  If bees aren’t your bag, how about $150.00 for the gift of a Llama or $20.00 to share the gift expense.  Oh, and then there is the water buffalo.  $250.00 will give the gift of a water buffalo or $25.00 to share the expense.  There are also camels, oxen, donkeys, ducks, guinea pigs, and geese.  You can give the gift of tree seedlings as well as grass seeds so that the animals can be fed.  All this comes with training and instruction for the happy recipients.  So, this year, even though times are tough for us all, why not put the energy of generosity out into the universe so that it can come back to you.

“If you give a man a meal he can feed himself for one day.  If you teach him how to garden, he can feed himself for a year.  The Heifer program is not charity.  It is giving those in need a helping hand up so that they can in turn, give back to their families and their communities.  If we rid the world of hunger, we will rid the world of wars and we teach people to be self-reliant.

So go to:  www.heifer.org/gift

Chris

Nay, they fucking GLOAT over it. They expose the subterfuge involved, and the purpose.

“Yet these problems can be overcome through a joint effort between our countries. Two-thousand and nine is also the first year of global governance with the establishment of the G20 in the middle of the financial crisis. The climate conference in Copenhagen is another step toward the global management of our planet.”

One World Government. Everyone answerable to one central body, individual nations sovereignty defunct, things like Individual Constitutions and Liberty subservient to that one central government.

On the other hand, sounds much like the America of today since “the War of Northern Aggression”. The States were to have principal powers within themselves, the central government was only for the sake of coordinating between them. There’s that pesky 10th Amendment thing popping back in to my head.

Problem is, that Constitution that makes us unique on Earth will be but toilet paper to Brussels. Just like it is to the Whitehouse. Have we been being conditioned? Getting us ready to accept this “OWG”?

We’ll deal with that later, but this G20 sacrifice of our sovereignty must not happen. First we save our nation as sovereign, then we fix our State sovereignty issues.

“MMA is just a sport”. Awesome.