Um, no

No.

Pray at the Pump

I don’t have much time to post this since Belle is clamoring for another round of “Farm Animal Friends” so my commentary will be left to a minimum.  We all know gas prices are high right now and it’s hit some of us more than others.  We’re reacting in different ways – some of us by cutting down on “unnecessary” driving (because all our driving is so necessary) or riding bikes more or whatever else.  Apparently one group is responding through prayer.  I encourage you to go read the post from Jesus Shaped Spirituality (a blog I am greatly enjoying), but here’s a taste:

“For example, one evangelical has taken his particular view of rising gas prices and started a movement called “Pray at the Pump.” Somehow, the rise of gas prices is a sign of the end times and praying at the pump for God to lower prices will apparently prove that he’s in charge.

Of course, one wonders if it ever occurred to anyone that the inconvenience to the American lifestyle of mobility and affluence isn’t really something that God would respond to as an act of mercy…So somewhere a homeless man or a family struggling to put food on the table will see a group of middle class suburban Christians gathered around a gas pump, praying that God will have mercy and get things back to where we can all go on about our business. 

I don’t have to spend much time asking if Jesus would join such a prayer meeting.”

Police kill man seen beating child to death

Police kill man seen beating child to death - Crime & courts- msnbc.com

According to this news story people saw a man beating a toddler up on some country road in Turlock.  Apparently people "tried to intervene" but the man brushed off their efforts and "went back to it."  I'm not sure I understand what "try to intervene" means, and I understand the whole concept of diffused responsibility, but the fact that anybody could watch a man do this to a child is beyond my ability to understand.  Even the elderly couple could have made themselves enough of a nuisance to force the guy to stop.  Tragic.

Correlation between names and crime

A recent study has shown a relationship between weird names and crime.  Apparently the more unusual your name, the more likely you're involved in criminal activity.  Michael is the most popular name, which means those named Michael are least likely to be criminals.

 

Of course we all know correlation does not equal causation, but I figured Michael would appreciate it.

Owwwww

Being the old man that I now am with a job and a baby and all that, I hit the sack around 8:30ish tonight.  I woke up around 10:40 with a pretty severe toothache.  After sitting in bed for a while I got up and took some painkillers, something I've had to do a few times today.  I tried to lay back down but the pain was too severe...hopefully the meds will kick in soon and I'll be able to get back to sleep for school tomorrow.  It feels like I may have to get a root canal on this tooth that I had work done on last Wednesday.  That would make three...but a root canal would be a welcome sweet release from this pain.  Good Lord.  It's pretty lousy timing...my dentist is closed Mondays.

I highly recommend everybody go to the dentist every six months, brush and floss twice daily.  You'll save yourself a lot of pain and money.

Pictures up!

This morning I uploaded some pictures you should enjoy.

 

First, a set from the trip we took to Marine World (Six Flags) in May.

 

Second, a set from Mother's Day Weekend of this year.

 

 

Finally - yesterday our neighbors invited us over with Belle to pick some very fresh (and very awesome) berries in their backyard. We got some great pictures there too.

Enjoy - there are some great ones there.  We got a new camera so we're able to capture Belle more clearly and in action than ever before.