Life has been pretty busy lately...just working...working...and working...and work has been busy too.  So...I'm going to attempt to get back in to Xanga...but we shall see.  A lot of nights it seems like I'm spending the whole time writing up reports and such.  Ah well...life goes on.  It is a growing and learning experience to balance all of our various interests and friendships in life...and then learn to deal with bumps in the road too....

Either way...I have a blessed life...

I have a job...

I live in a free country...

I have friends...

Above everything else, I was born in to a Christian household and I know Christ!

Truly...I have a blessed life!!!

Ahhh...this year...what do I plan to do????

Well, looking at last year's resolutions I realize that I still need to reach many of them so I've decided to throw the whole resolution thing out the window...sorda.

I have 2 resolutions....

1) Have a good year!

2) Make monthly goals to encourage myself to work at certain areas  but not exactly standards that I nescessarily expect to meet.  That way I can make slow progress through out the year...and even the littlest progress at the end of the year is something noteworthy rather than falling way short....

Yep...that's about it for me!

Tis the Season....

Christmas is always the time of year where we celebrate the birth of Christ.  Ultimately, Christs birth was his first step in life towards his Death for us.  Through his death we are able to be reconciled to God and have life eternal. 

More than anything this is worth reflecting on...and how does that mean I should live my life?  Is it enough to simply accept God's eternal gift and live this mortal life pursuing my own interests?  Or perhaps because of God's gift I should live my life serving others. 

The New Year is always a mark that many people use to spur them on to accomplishing various tasks in life.  Some people use the time to reflect on where they are in life or the people around them.  Well, these are indeed worthwhile pursuits...however...the day is truly no different than any other day.  Just a day where the earth is at some point around the sun...which it'll be a year before the earth is at the same point again.  Why is that day the first day of the year?  Why not the Winter Solstice or Summer Solstice or one of the equinoxes?  Anyways, just a random thought.....

As far as my Christmas goes...I flew to Washington State to go to Jonny Koeshall's.  Beautiful wedding.  Flew from there to Pittsburgh for Christmas.  Went to a Steelers game which was a blast even though they lost.  Things were a little somber because my 44 year old cousin had passed away a week before.  We were having Christmas with my aunt and uncle but because of the stress my uncle ended up in the hospital the whole time I was there due to a stomach ulcer.  I wasn't real close to my cousin just because of the age and geographical distance growing up...but it's still been hard on the whole extended family.  In the end...death is just the beginning for those of us who believe in Christ so it's mainly just sad about the family left behind. 

So yeah....Happy Holidays and let Christ be the center of you life not just one season a year but all year in every sitution you face!

"Gone Fishing....be back Nov 28th"

Hopefully the quote does not imply anything about my trip to Colorado...when I get back I hope to post more often....as I am quitting my part time job which is making me constantly tired!

Well....the uneducated masses of Missouri have left their mark...

1)  Minimum wage was increased by a dollar.  So....Missouri which has one of the lower costs of living in the nation will start to see inflation as higher wages cause higher prices which indicates a higher inflation rate which in turn will cause minimum wage to go up even higher.  Because in the amendment it stated that minumum wage will be tied directly to inflation rates and the national minimum wage going up when either of those go up.

Bad idea in my opinion...but we'll see.  I'm going to start documenting prices from food to gas to rent to everything else to see if I'm right or not. 

2)  The supposed stem cell amendment which bans cloning also passed.  The problem with the amendment is that it is very specific in its wording so it only bans one type of cloning and actualy leaves a legal loophole for other forms of cloning.  Secondly, it enables private companies to get tax dollars to fund their research...which if they do come up with a medicine they will sell it for a huge profit like all medicines....umm...are the tax payers going to get a return for their tax investment....NOT!  Then on top of that...they are able to use tax dollars but it is illegal for the gov't to regulate the research at all.  Taxation without representation at it's worst....it's not even the gov't that is taxing us....it is a private company.  Blast!

3)  Claire McCaskil got elected to the Missouri Senate....she's a pro-choice democrat which is my main problem with her.  As far as other policies go....they don't matter much to me...just dollars in the grand scheme.

So essentially....aside from the local springfield issues and races...nothing I voted for passed.  Kinda like my sports teams this year....all losers....

Election Day....

America Votes....results are coming in....and where is everyone?  At a basketball game....

I find it ironic that there are some major issues being decided and the masses of Evangel students are at the basketball game.  Even the visiting school (40 miles away) let out school at noon so more of their supporters could come and support their team.   Personally, I think election day should be a national holiday.  If we want people to vote and be involved...perhaps we should call it a holiday and give more people a chance to actually vote rather than force them to squeeze it in to their busy schedules.  Oh well...anyways...I'll post later on how Missouri has voted on the issues...mainly the Stem Cell issue.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OcBpwJ0xYG4

This is a pretty nifty idea...check it out.  I found it on the popular science magazine website!

"A diplomat...is a person who can tell you to go to hell in such a way that you actually look forward to the trip."

-Caskie Stinnett, Out of the Red (1960)-

I found this quote somewhat amusing.  All you have to do is watch news for about 1 hour to think all politicians are a twisted corupt joke of some kind....hopefully there's still a few good ones left that have some values and arn't all about attacking the character of other individuals.  Sadly...all you ever hear about are the jerks and morons.  And to think...they lead this country.....

On the lighter side of life....Penn State won today...

if you don't know...don't ask...

"Nothing is really work unless you would rather be doing something else."

James M. Barrie 1860 - 1937

I've been doing a lot of work lately.....

Tonight...I sleep...and I don't have to set my alarm clock either!!!! What a wonderful feeling!

Socrates (469 BC - 399 BC)

This is an interesting quote.  It's very true in light of there being a "moral anchor of truth" in the universe.  However, if one would say there is no God...then this statement would not at all be true.  For one could not dictate what is evil to another.  Killing deformed infants and the elderly because they are a burden to society could be justified by one culture (ancient practice in some parts of asia minor) whereas this would be an obvious evil to most other cultures.  Only in the light of a some universal truth (God) can one even begin to discern knowledge and ignorance.  Just a random quote I came across....thought it was interesting....

Today was not a fun day....morning job was extremely busy and we were understaffed....and then I got to fire someone!!!  They called in like 2 hours after they were supposed to show up to work (not the first time)...and the owner didn't want to talk to them because we were busy..so he told me to tell him "not to bother coming back."  That was a new experience....hey buddy....you're fired!!!!