Happy New Year everybody!!!

I only remember this happening to me once in my career. It wasn't quite this blatant, but I could tell what she was up to. She was really pissed when I came back with her ticket.

Another good example of why we live in SoCal!!

Faith in Decline

Since WWII, worship has dwindled starkly in Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan and other advanced democracies. In those busy places, only 5 or 10 percent of adults now attend church. Secular society scurries along heedlessly.

Pope Benedict XVI protested: "Europe has developed a culture that, in a manner unknown before now to humanity, excludes God from the public conscience." Columnist George Will called the Vatican, "109 acres of faith in a European sea of unbelief."

The United States seems an exception. This country has 350,000 churches whose members donate $100 billion a year. The United States teems with booming mega churches, gigantic sales of "Rapture" books, fundamentalist attacks on evolution, hundred-million-dollar TV ministries, talking-in-tongues Pentecostals, the white evangelical "religious right" attached to the Republican Party, and the like.

But under the radar, much of America slowly is following the path previously taken by Europe. Little noticed, secularism keeps climbing in the United States. Here's the evidence:

* Rising "nones." Various polls find a strong increase in the number of Americans - especially the young - who answer "none" when asked their religion. In 1990, this group had climbed to 8 percent, and by 2008, it had doubled to 15 percent - plus another 5 percent who answered "don't know." This implies that around 45 million U.S. adults today lack church affiliation. In Hawaii, more than half say they have no church connection.

The rest of this article, written by James A. Haught, author of "Fading Faith The Rise of the Secular Age," can be found at http://unreasonablefaith.com/.

Hugh Hefner is engaged to December '09 centerfold Crystal Harris. (center) Harris is 24 and Hefner is 84. Viagra is a wonderful thing!!!

Why we live in SoCal!!!

Went for a bike ride at Puddingstone Lake Monday. I couldn't do my usual figure 8 around the lake and Brackett Airport because of the mud and rain from all the recent rain. You can see by the photo below that the entire road is blocked, and this isn't a puddle but overflow from the lake.

It wouldn't have done much good to get thru the road above because the other end of the road was also blocked. This is usually a 2'-3' wide river crossing.

But as you can see, it was a beautiful day for a bike ride. A little chilly, but perfect to try out my new long sleeve bike shirt. The lake is pretty high from all the recent rain, and there were several crews of guys in the park cutting up fallen trees.

Got about a half an inch of rain in a quick storm Saturday night and there is more expected Wednesday.

So let's see, what have I been up to the last few days??? Last Thursday Karen and I went out to lunch at Vince's Spaghetti House. They have a great antipasto salad that they only serve during lunch. It has meat, lettuce, cheese, black olives, and peppers. This is the small!!! Quite tasty!!!

We did out traditional Christmas Eve mall stroll. We went to the Ontario Mills Mall about 1:30 pm and picked up Cinnabons for Christmas morning. As you can see it was quite crowded. I almost got run over by a lady with a stroller.

Santa saw me with a camera and gave me the "thumbs up."

We went to Karen's brother's house for Christmas dinner this year.

This is Uncle Dennis and his two daughters, Aubree and Megan.

Nice form Mr. President!!!

This is pretty small to read, so you can click on it and it should get bigger or read below:

The upper right hand corner panel reads:

Charlie Brown: Isn't there anyone who understands what Christmas is all about?

Linus: Sure, I can tell you what Christmas is all about.

Middle panel:

Linus: December 25th is associated with the birth of many pagan gods including Mithra, Horus, Hercules, Zeus, and Sol Invictus. The Roman festival Saturnalia would also end around this time. Christianity imported many of these pagan myths and traditions into it's own customs around 400 AD.

Linus: Today Christians express outrage that Christmas is losing it's Christian roots. This is ironic since it was Christianity that hijacked the holiday in the first place to make it easier to convert new followers.

Linus: Nevertheless, it is a wonderful opportunity to share our love with friends and family, and commit acts of goodwill for those that are less fortunate. It is a time for children to revel in their innocence and wonder about the world, and adults to find their inner child.

Bottom panel:

Linus: That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

I couldn't have said it better myself. By the way, has anyone seen my inner child???

For me Christmas is all about family and friends. In no specific order are those who are important to me in my life.
































Karen and I want to wish each and everyone of our friends and family, shown above or not, a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays.