Sunday, March 29, 2009

The 10 Cannots

These quotes were written in 1916 by William J. H. Boetcker, a Presbyterian minister. He referred to them as the "10 Cannots." Food for thought.


1. You cannot bring about prosperity by discouraging thrift.

2. You cannot strengthen the weak by weakening the strong

3. You cannot help the poor man by destroying the rich.

4. You cannot further the brotherhood of man by inciting class hatred.

5. You cannot build character and courage by taking away man’s initiative and independence.

6. You cannot help small men by tearing down big men.

7. You cannot lift the wage earner by pulling down the wage payer.

8. You cannot keep out of trouble by spending more than your income.

9. You cannot establish security on borrowed money.

10 You cannot help men permanently by doing for them what they will not do for themselves.

Thursday, March 19, 2009

Firearms Refresher

“(The Constitution preserves) the advantage of being armed which Americans possess over the people of almost every other nation...(where) the governments are afraid to trust the people with arms.”

~ James Madison


“The best we can hope for concerning the people at large is that they be properly armed.”

~Alexander Hamilton


“What country can preserve its liberties if its rulers are not warned from time to time that their people preserve the spirit of resistance? Let them take arms.”

~ Thomas Jefferson


“If the representatives of the people betray their constituents, there is then no recourse left but in the exertion of that original right of self-defense which is paramount to all positive forms of government, and which against the usurpations of the national rulers may be exerted with infinitely better prospect of success than against those of the rulers of an individual State…. The citizens must rush tumultuously to arms, without concert, without system, without resource; except in their courage and despair.”

~ Alexander Hamilton


“Those who hammer their guns into plows will plow for those who do not.”

~ Thomas Jefferson


Firearms Refresher Course


1. An armed man is a citizen. An unarmed man is a subject.

2. A gun in the hand is better than a cop on the phone.

3. Colt: The original point and click interface.

4. Gun control is not about guns; it's about control.

5. If guns are outlawed, can we use swords?

6. If guns cause crime, then pencils cause misspelled words.

7. Free men do not ask permission to bear arms.

8. If you don't know your rights, you don't have any.

9. Those who trade liberty for security have neither.

10. The United States Constitution (c) 1791. All Rights Reserved.

11. What part of 'shall not be infringed' do you not understand?

12. The Second Amendment is in place in case the politicians ignore the others.

13. 64,999,987 firearms owners killed no one yesterday.

14. Guns only have two enemies; rust and politicians.

15. Know guns, know peace, know safety. No guns, no peace, no safety.

16. You don't shoot to kill; you shoot to stay alive.

17. 911: Government sponsored Dial-a-Prayer.

18. Assault is a behavior, not a device.

19. Criminals love gun control; it makes their jobs safer.

20. If guns cause crime, then matches cause arson.

21. Only a government that is afraid of its citizens tries to control them.

22. You have only the rights you are willing to fight for.

23. Enforce the gun control laws we already have; don't make more.

24. When you remove the people's right to bear arms, you create slaves.

25. The American Revolution would never have happened with gun control.


See more interesting quotes here at Walter E. Williams website

Monday, March 16, 2009

The Rabbit Farm




Recently, we found out that the two male rabbits a friend gave to us are actually a male and a female. This seems to be a familiar story among rabbit owners world wide. Unfortunately, we were not around to separate them and nature took care of things the way nature usually does, quickly and ferociously. For those of you who do not know, the earth is far from a fragile place.


So we decided to try again, although this time I looked to state extension for a little help. The first order of business was to build a new rabbit hutch. My first attempt is pictured below (off of its original table) and was mainly used for sleeping quarters. We have a "rabbit run" for them to play in during the day.



I found a new design (here at Penn State Extension) and modified it for what I thought would fit our needs. It’s made out of pine and hardware cloth. And most importantly, can be divided into one or two hutches (three in the future).



So far, I have not sold the kids on the idea of rabbit farming. Petting the furry little creatures is one thing, eating bar-b-qued rabbit appears to be something from a parallel universe. The rabbit preparation video I found on YouTube did not win me any support either.


See how to prepare rabbit here at YouTube!


I wonder what the kids would think of a soft, fluffy, rabbit fur pillow?


The family voted and it is strictly rabbits as pets, the dad being out voted. The kids can have the proceeds from any rabbits they sell. And if they want more rabbits, they have to market these first. Then maybe we’ll add to the rabbit farm a little more. Real entrepreneurship training for the kids. Or will it be that our house is over-run with rabbits? Stay tuned!


(5 days old and already a new coat of fur)

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Second Chances

John 8:1-11

1. But Jesus went to the Mount of Olives. 2. At dawn he appeared again in the temple courts, where all the people gathered around him, and he sat down to teach them. 3. The teachers of the law and the Pharisees brought in a woman caught in adultery. They made her stand before the group 4. and said to Jesus, “Teacher, this woman was caught in the act of adultery. 5. In the Law Moses commanded us to stone such a woman. Now what do you say?” 6. They were using this question as a trap, in order to have a basis for accusing him. But Jesus bent down and started to write on the ground with his finger. (Note) 7. When they kept on questioning him, he straightened up and said to them, “If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her.” 8. Again he stooped down and wrote on the ground. 9. At this, those who heard began to go away one at a time, the older ones first, until only Jesus was left, and the woman still standing there. 10. Jesus straightened up and asked her, “Woman, where are they? Has no one condemned you?” 11. “No one sir,” she said. “Then neither do I condemn you,” Jesus declared. “Go now and leave your life of sin.”



Note:

Greg Laurie has suggested that Jesus wrote the secret sins of the accusers into the sand. Can you imagine seeing your worst moments written in the sand before a group as God in human form gazed into your eyes?

Sunday, March 1, 2009

How to weather a recession

These are character building times, as the old timers would say. And now is a good time to reflect on changes that you can control to make a positive impact on your life and others. If you want to raise the status of your indispensability at work, it’s time to show that you have an iron clad spine and a large set of… um…. attitude. Listed below are some ideas to get started on your attitude adjustment. Although these ideas were generated from the point of view of success on the job, most of these habits would transition quite well at home.


Complain Less

Don’t waste your energy, or anyone else’s with whining and complaining. Recessions are stressful and the threat of layoffs are one of the best known cures for a good night’s sleep. Now is the time for you to dig in and show some backbone. Try to be a morale booster during tough times.


Work Smarter

Focus on your ideal customer and avoid “one size fits all” philosophy. Do what you do best and don’t try to be everything for everybody. Spreading yourself or your company too thin will ensure mediocrity at a time when you and your company need to stand out.


Become Irreplaceable

Learn a new skill. Assume more responsibility. Understand what your company needs and be willing to take on multiple roles. Making your company more successful is one way to solidify or advance your career.


Stay on top of technology

What can the internet do for you? Try a conference call to save thousands of dollars instead of bringing everyone together for a meeting. Share photos, spreadsheets and other documents real time with more than one person online, usually for free. Voip phones, instant messaging, and blogs can allow you to provide personal contact with clients without leaving the office and nearly free. Email instead of sending letters or faxes. This saves costs of ink, postage, and equipment.


Be Visible

Now is not the time to take an extended vacation; nor come rolling in at 9:30. You may be earning less due to cutbacks, but you need to contribute 100 percent if you want your company to survive and continue to be employed. Don’t just keep your nose to the grindstone, stand out and be a positive force at work. Do people actually know who you are and what you can do for them?


Never stop networking

Make a list of 50 people who are not part of your inner circle. Send them an email, make a phone call, or stop by just to say hello. The more people that you know, the more opportunities you may find in a time of need.


Have a plan “B”

Be sure to keep your resume updated and return head hunters calls, just in case. Always live within your means and put more emphasis on “saving up for a rainy day.” It’s a great idea to have more than one income source if you have opportunities for part time and weekend work.