Middle America's Worldview

You certainly know by now that the world is flat. And if you haven't yet heard, you will soon that we're in danger of falling off the edge.

New York Times columnist Thomas L. Friedman sparked a national discussion about workforce readiness and U.S. competitiveness in a new, global economy with his 2005 best-seller, The World Is Flat. And concern over math and science achievement among U.S students has been at the forefront of much of this conversation.

The recently-released results from the 2005 National Assessment of Educational Progress science tests seem to support the increasingly persistent arguments that students are falling behind in math and science, to our detriment. Scores for high school seniors were down, and those for mid-dle-schoolers were flat. The rise in fourth-graders' scores suggests that the advances made by younger children are erased by the time they get to high school.

Intel Chairman Craig Barrett has joined those sounding the clarion cry for better math and science education. His approach is unapologetically uncompromising: If we don't turn it around, our economy will suffer.

"The blunt truth is: The new global economy is technology-based," Barrett told a group of education writers and reporters in New Orleans in June. "Everyone else is educating scientists. And if we don't start doing the same, we'll lose our lock on the innovations and markets of the future."

Barrett cited these statistics as examples of how our education system is broken:

• U.S. students rank 18th in science and 19th in math among developed countries.
  
• U.S. 12th-graders rank below the international average of 21 countries in general knowledge of math and science.
  
• Students in 11 out of 15 countries recently outperformed U.S. students in an advanced math assessment.
  
• 30 percent of students in the U.S. do not graduate from high school.
  Barrett's solutions were uncompromising, as well. We need to change the way we train and pay our teachers, he said. Accountability must have teeth, and schools should have competition. (He deftly sidestepped a reporter's question about whether he'd hire a qualified foreign worker over an equally qualified U.S. worker if the foreign worker would take a lower salary.)
  
  

Schools should stop comparing test results with their neighbors or with schools in other states, said Barrett. Instead, they should be comparing results internationally.

"Education is a human and a civil right," said Barrett. "To say we don't have the money, to say it costs too much, it'll take too long, it's too hard-these are excuses, and it's outrageous for us to keep making excuses."

Kathleen Vail, Managing Editor

I have been meaning to read the book called 'the world is flat' ever since I heard about it. I have it reserved at the library now.


Essentially what I am seeing is the students are being taught to take the tests rather than the how in logically to learn on their own. It has been a concern of mine for some time.


Personally, I do not think throwing money at it, is an answer. I think it takes the teacher to do it. However, yes, you need to give the teacher the means to perform her duties. However, having 30 kids in one classroom without support doesn't help. On the other side, having no accountability from the parents or teachers is not answer either.

I find it interesting for those that cannot accept the Bible as factual historical documents. They continue to view the bible as a reference of religion as opposed to written documents in history.

I pulled some resources and quotes on the reliability of the Bible.

The oldest Bible versions available to us today are millennia old. The Masoretic Text, written in Hebrew, became the standard authorized Hebrew text around 100 AD. It existed prior to the writings of the New Testament, confirmed by the Dead Sea Scrolls as early as 168 B.C., and was used as the official Hebrew Old Testament at the time the biblical canon was established.

Source

Few accept the significance in finding the Dead Sea Scrolls.

Notice how no other ancient book's text is questioned or maligned like that of the Bible. For instance, Aristotle's Ode to Poetics was written between 384-322BC. Our earliest copy of this work dates 1100AD, and we find there are only 49 extant manuscripts. Note that the gap between the original writing and the earliest copy is 1400 years. A second example is Plato's Tetralogies, written 427-347 BC. Our earliest copy is 900 AD, and there are only 7 extant manuscripts to study. The gap between the original and the earliest copy is 1200 years. What about the New Testament? Jesus was crucified in 30 AD. The New Testament was written between 48-95 AD. The oldest mss date to the last quarter of the first century, and the second oldest 125 AD. This gives us a narrow gap of 35 to 40 years from the originals written by the apostles.

Source

We see the bible as opposed to any other historical document has the least amount of time gap from event to writing.

So other than the above, shouldn’t we also have some outside sources to back the Bible’s writings? Other than the obvious writings of the great Josephus.


Here is a great link depicting some archeological finds that support the events of the Bible.

Here is another link on the same above website showing additional sources backing certain biblical events.

The above doesn’t even touch on the many prophecies written in the bible that have come to be.

One quick example is the following.

Daniel 11:3-4: "And a mighty king will arise, and he will rule with great authority and do as he pleases. But as soon as he has arisen, his kingdom will be broken up and parceled out toward the four points of the compass, though not to his own descendants, nor according to his authority which he wielded, for his sovereignty will be uprooted and given to others besides them."

[The "mighty king" was Alexander the Great (336-323 BC) who, shortly after conquering the Persian Empire, died abruptly at the age of 32. His empire was not bequeathed to his children (who were murdered) but instead was divided up amongst his generals (the Diadochi). Four lesser kingdoms emerged from the rubble of Alexander's empire: Greece, Asia Minor, Syria, and Egypt.]

Source

For me relying on the Bible as fact doesn’t really take much faith as much as logical findings.

Another night of little sleep. I know the cause of my unrest. Primarily it's stress regarding the School Board. Initially it's the unknown of the climate you will enter into. The last two I entered into was pure fiasco and a show, arguments, ect.

I had an idea of what I was going to enter into last night. I had intended to suggest one way; with the information I currently had. However, while I was there with provided new information, I began to change my mind.

I realize I am not providing specifics. This is done purposely. It boils down to this. I had a perception of what I was going to do. While I was acquiring more information during the process, my perception changed. I think I surprised some (myself included)and disappointed others. But, unfortunately, in this arena I cannot make everyone happy. You have a 5 panel board. Decisions are made as a group. At the end of the meeting, you hope your decision will be the best for the kids.

Now that this is done, perhaps I can get some sleep in the future.

I couldn't get sleep due to my worry of how the meeting will be. Now I cannot rest due to my worry I made the better decisions.

I guess I actually care too much.

I couldn't sleep worth a flip last night. The wife woke up around 4 a.m. this morning. I was in bed till around 5:30 a.m.

Last night in my later hours of selfish pity me, I watched episodes 4,5,and 6 of Travel the Road. It's about 2 young missionaries traveling around the world doing the great commission. I found the dvd at Lifeway store in Fort Worth for 2 bucks. It was very fascinating. Watching these types of documentaries, witnessing how others live in the 3rd world country puts a different view on our lives here in United States.

It makes your realize some kids and parents literally not eating one good meal a day where-as in America you have many families throwing away their food (ours included) every week. It re-opened my eyes once again just how good we have it in the United States.

So with pride swollen, today I will apologize for being cranky and try to get a new attitude.

"Your a cranky old man." These words from my wife tonight.

Yeah, I felt like a woke up in a bad mood this morning. I thought I was keeping it pretty reserved to myself. It's just one of those days you wake up and pretty much emotionally and physically tired.

Unfortunately for my wife, when I am tired, I tend to be short. So, the less conversation the better. I made it through work fine and the kids remain with their heads today, so I wasn't all that bad, right?

Sigh.

Perhaps it's due to having 4 additional kids over for a sleep over while we are not even in 48 hours of being home. Yes, being home after gone for a hell of a week of work.

Perhaps it's due to the realization of my body not able to withstand 10 hours of hard work per night on top of the regular work during the day. It's hell getting old.

Perhaps it's due to frustration with the School Board. There is only a limited amount one can do, irregardless if it's with the best of intention.

Perhaps, its due to some other stuff I would rather not blog about.

Gee, I am cranky today.

Since I was cranky the wife sent me to the bedroom. I watched a great documentary showing archeological findings to validate the Exodus across the Red Sea. I combed Google and found this website here that pretty much shows the same but not all what was on the DVD.

I think there are some wine left over from the weekend in the fridge. Perhaps that will help.

I have always been fascinated by lost civilizations and objects of history.

(June 29) - Texas archaeologists believe they may have located the remains of Noah's Ark in Iran's Elburz mountain range.

The Bible places the Ark in the mountains of Ararat, a mountain range theologians believe spans hundreds of miles, which the team says is consistent with their find in Iran.

The Bible also describes the Ark's dimensions as being 300 cubits by 50 cubits -- about the size of a small aircraft carrier. The B.A.S.E. Institute's discovery is similar in size and scale.

300 cubits by 50 cubits is equivalent to 437.5 feet by 72.9 feet in hebrew.

A good description of Noah's Ark can be found here

The ark has the same cargo capacity of a modern cargo ship. The above figure shows a comparison with a 550 ft long cargo ship. The ark had a volume of 1.4 million cubic feet and a gross tonnage of 14,000 tons. This is the equivalent of 522 railroad box cars. The ark could have carried over 125,000 sheep-sized animals. Interestingly, there are less than 18,000 species of land animals alive today. Also, the average size of most animals is less than that of a sheep.

"There's this idea, if we can prove that the ark existed then we can prove that the story existed, and more importantly, we can prove that God existed," said Bruce Feiler, author of "Where God Was Born."

I agree, this would be as significant of a find as the lost Ark of the Covenent. Nearly every culture has some form of flood story ingrained in its history.

Sumerian King List describes a flood. The sumerians ruled in Mesopotamia before Abraham.

The Gilgamesh Epic of Babylonia is a long saga of an ancient king. It includes a massive flood which contains several similiarities to the Genesis account.

Incan legends of a great flood also tells of a great flood and the events surrounding it.

Some other interesting facts regarding the Genesis account.

How did Noah round up all those animals?
God brought the animals to Noah and they entered the ark.

Didn't Noah just take two of every kind?
No. Noah took two of most kinds of animals, but he took seven of the kinds of clean animals. here is a list of unclean animals per Wikipedia.

How many rooms were in the Ark?
There could have been over 500 large rooms of 10x10x14 plus aisles. If many of the 14-foot high rooms were divided into two levels, there could have been nearly 1000 rooms or stalls. Some rooms were for animals and some rooms were for food.

The word "ark" means "box" in Hebrew.

Noah lived another 350 years after the flood began. He died at the age of 950 (Genesis 9:28,29)

Abraham, David and Jesus came from the line of Noah's son Shem.

Jesus speaks of Noah in Matthew 24:35-39 and Luke 17:26-30.

Peter writes about Noah in 1 Peter 3:20; 2 Peter 2:1-5; 3 1-13.

It rained 40 days and nights. All the springs of the great deep burst forth. The waters flooded the Earth for 150 days. Afterwards, God sent a wind and the waters receded (Genesis 7:24)

To put the dimensions of the ark in perspective.

Think of this, the arks width would be 75 feet in length. A semi-truck with a trailer would be a mere 70 feet in length. So when you get nearly ran over by a semi-truck going 80 miles an hour down the highway, the width of the ark would be 5 feet longer. This isnt the length or height, but the width.

The length would be 450 feet in length. A football or soccer field is only 300 feet in length. So when you watch the superbowl and see that green field, the ark would be another 150 feet in length.

The height of the ark would be 45 feet. This cruise ship is 45 feet in length or The original rules stipulated that the pitching rubber be 45 feet from the plate

It was hard and busy last week. Essentially we had to get to Enid, Oklahoma for a new ordering system to be installed.

We made it there Sunday evening fine. Monday morning I hit the hospital as if on a regular schedule. Unfortunately, I didn't receive a quote, unquote time schedule, so it was a come in and be told how long to stay per day. One day, I was there nearly 20 hours straight. It sucked but hey this is a live.

Needless to say it was a weary week. Compound this on Wednesday night to find out I had to work on my dedicated travel day, did not set well. But alas, we worked through it.

We drove straight to Fort Worth, Texas early Thursday morning. It was about a 5 hour drive from Enid. I had to basically jack in and work the remaining day.

The Friday, I worked from the hotel, as I did the remaining of Thursday. I kept my regular hours on that day.

Friday night was quaility time with my wife. Some of Kel's friends watched the kids as she and I hit a fancy place called Texas De Brazil. I never been to a place like this one. The food was to die for. I was so stuffed, it wasn't funny. I thought it was cool. They had these simple circle green/red cards. You would flip it over to the green side if you wanted them to bring you the meats on skewers. Place it on red, when you had enough. You could easily had a feast on the salad bar alone. Afterwards, we simply walked the mall near the hotel as well as some bookstores. Ahh the simple things in life.

Saturday it was our turn to watch the kids. We took them to Chuckie Cheese (blah) to burn some energy off. On the way, we hit a new store (new to us) called Mardel. Man, I could spend some money in there. We acquired 2 christmas gifts there for the kids. Among other things.

Sunday we left for home later than I wanted too. After being away from home for a week, with or without the family, I simply want to get home. On the way, I was fortunate to be able to listen to "Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace" CD's. Simply put, they are awesome.

Now I find myself home, Monday morning. I have already mowed mine and the neighbor's yard. Made my necessary calls and followed up with work. Yeah, all that before 11 a.m. local time.

I still need to get some work done, some house stuff before I take the kids to speech this evening. I better stop blogging and get back to work. Later.

SAN FRANCISCO — Researchers at Hewlett-Packard Co. (HPQ) have developed a tiny wireless data chip that can store up to 100 pages of text and could ultimately be used in a variety of consumer and commercial applications, HP said late on Sunday.

Developed over four years by HP Labs' campus in Bristol, England, the chip is about the size of the head of a match and could potentially store a patient's medical chart on a hospital band, said Howard Taub, associate director at HP Labs.

"There's no question that it has long-term potential," said Tim Bajarin, president of market research firm Creative Strategies of Campbell, California. "But keep in mind this is a technology announcement. It's difficult to predict what applications will be developed and what we would call the 'killer application' for this."

Consumers could store audio commentary, music or short videos on such a chip, affixed to a printed digital photograph.

Devices to read and write data on the chip would then eventually be embedded in cell phones, handheld computers, personal computers, printers, or small standalone readers.

"This really bridges the digital and physical worlds," Taub said. "The digital data is attached to the physical object it's related to."

Palo Alto, California-based HP plans to take the technology to industry standards bodies in hopes of it being welcomed across the technology sector, Taub said.

While broad commercial applications are at least two years away, HP will license the technology to partners, customers and rivals well before that.

"Licensing will almost definitely be part of it," Taub said of HP's plans to cash in on its investment in the technology, which was developed by the "Memory Spot" team within HP Labs.

While similar in some ways to RFID — radio frequency identification — chips, there are key differences in Memory Spot technology in data transfer rates, storage and security.

The chip can transfer data at 10 megabits per second, 10 times faster than Bluetooth wireless technology, comparable to Wi-Fi rates and far faster than RFID.

Also, HP has managed to store up to 4 megabits — 512 megabytes, comparable to flash-memory-based "thumb" drives — in working prototypes of the chip, far more than an RFID chip can store.

HP said the chips could be embedded in paper or stuck to surfaces, and may be sold eventually as self-adhesive dots.

"At a buck a piece, that could be a really good business," Taub said, noting that at production volumes of millions of chips, a dollar per chip would be a reasonable cost.

The chip is comprised of a capacitor array, modem, loop antenna, a targeted microprocessor, memory driver and memory, all fabricated as one piece, which helps cut production costs.

It needs no battery or external electronics, getting its power via inductive coupling from the read-write device, Taub said.

Inductive coupling is an energy transfer from one circuit component to another through a shared electromagnetic field.

The reader must be touched to the chip or placed within a millimeter for data transfer to occur, which could render it safer than typical RFID chips, whose range of up to about 10 feet exposes them more to data thieves, Taub said.

Since I have been reading Dave Ramesy's Money Makeover book, I have been wanting to get a second part time job. Note part time. I had applied to Walmarts ever growing 'opening positions'. Low and behold I was hired. The first night was a simple orientation and cover some cvl's. These are basically watch videos and answer them accordingly. Some are required 100 percent scores while others are not. Not too bad. This was Wednesday night.

Friday night, I hit my official first night as a Unloader. It went fast and very manual driven. I was to be there 5 p.m. to 1 a.m. I made it in early enough. I admit, it was tough. I don't mind working, I never did. But for this guy who have been sitting at a PC during work for the last 5 years, going to tough physical labor; well it wasn't easy. I was proud of myself to keep up with the kids (I felt older than most back there)compounded to the fact it was shorthanded. I found out later we do not get to leave till its all done. Needless to say, it wasn't till 1:40 a.m. when we are done. That night, in sweat dripping clothes, I went home, took a cool shower and a tylenol p.m.

Saturday, I was up early but sore and stiff. It was freaking over 100 degrees, but the yard had to be done. We were leaving for Enid on Sunday, and would be gone for a week. So in the heat of the day, I did the yard.

That Saturday night, I cruised in with only one leg sore. They had 5000 items to unload. Fortunately, one of the three trucks was done before we arrived on our shift. However, it took them 4 hours to do it. All those items were already on pallets. Even with my newbie eyes I could tell how some looked like they were about to fall over. There were only 3 unloaders scheduled (yes one was me). Needless to say, they had to pull some ISC (I found out later these were your cart pullers, assistance, ect.) just to help us unload the remaining trucks. This was miraculously done by 7:30 p.m. However, those ISC guys split after it was unloaded. So that left the 3 of us to pull the 5000 items out on the floor, sweep the unload area, ect. Some of the department personell did come back to pull their stuff out. This helped, but again it was 1:50 a.m. before we could accomplish everything.

So, home again, this time two alieves with my shower. Sigh. I hate to admit it, but I don't think I can cut it. I think this over carefully as I drive us to Enid on our 2.5 hour drive. Realizing, I spent 10 hours at Walmart each night which included one hour mandatory lunch without pay. So 9 hours paying 6 bucks equal $54. After taxes, I probably made $50 for 10 hours away from my family in a hot box working my a$$ off. I don't think I can really justify this.

It's now 5:30 in Enid, OK and I am about to drop. I had maybe 4 hours of sleep last night and I am feeling it.

I simply cannot afford to work myself down to being sick and complicating my main day job. Perhaps, I can find another means of extra income.

Check out this Cool Ad!
If only it was true for all our Representives.

I finished my 1863 book the other day. Rather than grabbing another Civil War book I had on my personal shelf, I found another one. I dropped off the library books today and briefly searched on the shelf. I was in luck finding The Church of Liberalism Godless by Ann Coulter. I only have read one other book called Slander from the same author. I was excited to find it, due to the coverage on it awhile back.

Swhickers World has a good post on the book.

Opening the book you hit with this on the first two pages.

They exchanged the truth of God for the lie, and worshiped and served the creation rather than the Creator. . . . Therefore, God gave them up to pas¬sions of dishonor; for their females exchanged the natural use for that which is contrary to nature.—Romans 1:25-26

Liberals love to boast that they are not "religious," which is what one would expect to hear from the state-sanctioned religion. Of course liberalism is a religion. It has its own cosmology, its own miracles, its own beliefs in the supernatural, its own churches, its own high priests, its own saints, its own total worldview, and its own explanation of the existence of the universe. In other words, liberalism contains all the attributes of what is generally known as "religion."
Under the guise of not favoring religion, liberals favor one cosmology over another and demand total indoctri¬nation into theirs. The state religion of liberalism demands obeisance (to the National Organization for Women), tithing (to teachers' unions), reverence (for abortion), and formulaic imprecations ("Bush lied, kids died!" "Keep your laws off my body!" "Arms for hostages!"). Everyone is taxed to support indoctrination into the state religion through the public school where innocent children are taught a specific belief system, rather than, say, math.
Liberal doctrines are less scientifically provable than the story Noah's ark, but their belief system is taught as fact in government schools, while the Biblical belief system is banned from government schools by law. As a matter of faith, liberals believe: Darwinism is fact, people are born gay, child-molesters can be rehabilitated, recycling is a virtue, and chastity is not. If people are born gay, why hasn't Darwinism weeded out people who don't reproduce? (For that, we need theory of survival of the most fabulous.) And if gays can't change why do liberals think child-molesters can? Pedophilia is a sexual preference. If they're born that way, instead of rehabilitation, how about keeping them locked up? Why must children be taught that recycle is the only answer? Why aren't we teaching children "safe littering".

We aren't allowed to ask. Believers in the liberal faith might turn violent—much like the practitioners of Islam, the Religion of Peace who ransacked Danish embassies worldwide because a Danish new paper published cartoons of Mohammed. This is something else they can't be taught in government schools: Muslims' predilection for violence. On the first anniversary of the 9/11 attack, the National Education Association's instruction materials exhorted teachers, "Do not suggest that any group is responsible" for the attack of 9/11!

If a Martian landed in America and set out to determine the nation's official state religion, he would have to conclude it is liberalism while Christianity and Judaism are prohibited by law. And not just in Cambridge, Massachusetts, where it's actually on the books, but throughout the land. This is a country in which taxpayers are forced to subsidize "artistic" exhibits of aborted fetuses, crucifixes in urin and gay pornography. Meanwhile, it's unconstitutional to display a Nativity scene at Christmas or the Ten Commandments on government property if the purpose is to promote monotheistic religion. Nearly half the members of the Supreme Court--the ones generally known as liberals...

(Copyright of Ann Coulter)

Wow. This is only on the opening of this book!

This one caught my eye yesterday.

By Andrea Lafferty
Executive Director, Traditional Values Coalition

July 12, 2006 - Defenders of the institution of traditional marriage were encouraged by three state court decisions in the past week. The Supreme Courts of Georgia and New York came down on the side of judicial restraint in legal challenges to bans on same-sex marriage. And, the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court actually ruled correctly on a marriage amendment.

In Georgia, the court ruled that a marriage amendment passed by 77% of the voters in 2004 was constitutional and overturned a lower court decision violating the clearly expressed will of the people. Georgians have the right to amend their own constitution to define marriage as a one-man, one-woman union.

In New York, homosexual activists had challenged a ban on same-sex marriage, claiming that the New York Constitution mandated such marriages. The 4-2 decision declared that there is no constitutional right in New York for homosexuals to marry. The court also noted that such decisions should be in the hands of the legislature, not the courts. The New York Court of Appeals displayed judicial restraint, a welcome change from judicial activists who routinely impose their political agendas upon the American people.

In writing about the New York decision, Newsday described these judicial activists as individuals who view the U.S. Constitution, state constitutions and laws like Etch-A-Sketches. Noted Newsday, "These judges ignore what actually was intended and written, turn things upside down, shake and then write whatever they want."

This is an apt description of the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco and the Supreme Judicial Court of Massachusetts, which found a "right" to homosexual marriage in the 1780 Constitution of that state. A review of history shows that sodomy was a criminal offense in Massachusetts in the 18th century (and elsewhere), so it is unlikely that the state Constitution mandates same-sex marriage. The Supreme Judicial Court obviously viewed the state Constitution as an Etch-A-Sketch and eagerly imposed homosexual marriage upon Massachusetts.

Fortunately, this same court recently ruled that the Massachusetts state legislature and the people could vote on a marriage amendment to overturn this tyrannical decision. It was good of them to acknowledge the democratic process. Perhaps, there is hope for Massachusetts after all.

Judicial restraint is an alien concept to many judges, who view themselves as the real rulers of our nation. Judge Robert Bork has described these judges as “our robed masters” and has warned against the dangerous anti-democratic values that motivate these men and women.

A decade ago, Bork warned about judicial activism on the Supreme Court, noting they are " our masters in a way that no President, Congressman, governor, or other elected official is. They order our lives and we have no recourse, no means of resisting, no means of altering their ukases. They are, indeed, robed masters."

This is why it is so important for the Senate to confirm judicial conservatives to the federal bench "including the next vacancy on the Supreme Court. We must have men and women on the bench who understand that their role is to interpret, not make the laws. We must confirm judges who believe in judicial restraint and are not motivated by a desire to impose their own wills upon the American people.

Our choice is clear: We will be ruled by the people and their representatives or by unaccountable robed masters. Americans must demand that the Senate confirm judicial conservatives to our courts" or we will continue to lose our democratic freedoms to judicial tyrants.

Although the above article is obviously on the conservative view, it brings in light a current issue. There's an issue of proper legislation vs interpretation. I think the sentence "The court also noted that such decisions should be in the hands of the legislature, not the courts." nailed it on the head.

In my opinion, put it in the hands of the people to vote on and see what occurs. This allows the people, not higher ranks to choose. Yes, there is a possibility it could go on either side of the fence. However, the media can make hey day and the networks can gain alot of money for the advertising of both sides.

This would allow the proper legislature process to occur. Those that lick their finger and stick it in the air (view polling to make their decisions) might find themselves running in circles.

I was told there were 9 out of 20 sex offenders found within the Dept. of DHS. Doing some digging around on the net, I tried to see if this was indeed the sad case.

I never did find an artcile speaking of it. I did run across the National Sex offender public registery
If you have any info, please comment on it.

I really need to get my desk organized. Awhile back, my desk at home was falling apart. We moved it out (piece by piece) and acquired 2 new desk. Kel is working more at home with her work as well. The office definitely looks more efficient, but I still lack in organizing my new desk. The problem I am having is, I don't exactly know how I want it setup yet. I have ideas, but as of yet, I have not implemented them yet. Once I have it organized, I feel I can get alot more done effectively.

Another busy week ahead. Although, yesterday was only Monday (a real monday, if you know what I mean), it sure seemed it was more than one day. I woke up early to get some stuff done at work. I had to run an errand that morning and when I returned to work, it wasn't till 5:30 p.m. est before I could look up. Unreal. This on top of a stressfull Board Meeting last night, called for a glass of wine. Yes, the glass was good last night.

Next week, I have to run to Enid, Oklahoma. A facility will be going through a new order system install. I will leave that Sunday and return home the following Sunday.

I see Kel's schedule going down, and my schedule of running going up this summer.

I am actually enjoying a lazy day this Saturday. I was able to play in the pool with the kids and Kel's dad. We played a tournament of chicken. Basically, one kid on each of our shoulders and they wrestle to pull each other off. I have a blast playing it (as the kids do). However, my shoulders and neck are now sore and tired. LOL

We live near Backbone mountain and I keep driving by a "historical marker" when I head into Poteau. I finally caught the monuments words today. It's a marker dedicated to the battle of backbone mountain. I am nearly finished with my reading of 1863 The Rebirth of a Nation by Joseph E. Stevens. The book is written as a narative, yet the timeline is factual. I found it totally fascinating. It covers month by month, broken in 3 segments of the last year of the Civil War. Ever since I read Politically Incorrect - American History, I have grown fascinated with the Civil War. I have Team of Rivals and "Civil War Curiosities" to read next.

I'm off to enjoy the rest of my day.

My wife passed along this online news article describing a new Witch school was being implemented in Hoopeston, Illinois.

I recall attending a district school board meeting held in Oklahoma recently. During the meeting one of the district leaders commented on many witch covens springing up in Oklahoma. I found that tidbit interesting. When you think of the bible belt of America, you really do not consider other non-christian religions flourishing.

I had to check out the Witch Schools website. They claim "The school has roughly 120,000 active students who enroll in Witch School's Internet courses, which range from Druid and Celtic history to crystal and gem magic,..". That's quite a number of active students (thinking of the 80-20 rule) for one site.

The main website link is found here

Starting July 1st, 2006, we will be open from 11:00 am until 6:00 pm, Six Days a Week, through October 30th. You can visit us everyday this summer of fall. It is a way to visit, and discover the wonders of magic.

In Witch School , we have a lot to offer a visitor, once we know ahead of time. We conduct classes on a daily basis, if three or more paying students are available. We also offer Initiations, Dedications, and even Rituals. We are a six day a week operation, so we can always accommodate you no matter what your schedule might be.

They definitely have their doors open for new recruits. Too bad christian churches were not this dedicated.

Today, Hoopeston is a town of Six Thousand People, and the Pagan population totals in the area of fifty people, who live or visit Hoopeston regularly. We have more than a hundred visit on any given weekend. We are developing our own press including the Daily Spell and Magick TV, our own shops, and our own way of doing things. We have dedicated ritual space, a library, and other things that we are hoping for. We are steadily integrating ourselves with this small community.

I find it fascinating there are only 50 out of 6000 people, yet outside travelers are probably keeping the town alive with their purchases and tax.

We are also the World Headquarters for the Witch School as well, with members on over 80 countries. Also the World Headquarters of the Correllian Nativist Church , which encompasses over 120 groups across five continents. So local, nationally and internationally, Hoopeston has become a hub for the Pagan community. It’s also very humble and modest as you would expect for Pagan people.

This is why it's referred to as the Pagan Community. Not because of only 50 out of 6000 people, rather the hub of a major distribution of pagan theology.

I would have to say, if I was near the place, I would have to check it out. Not because I believe or support the theology. However, given the continued growth, it would behoove others to learn from their process.