This photo was posted on Facebook this morning.

My response:

The ancient philosophy of Tao teaches that we should all strive to be one with nature. That everyone and everything in our universe is made of the same "stuff" and inter-connected. The idea of "superiority" is man made and not a part of nature. The sun casts its rays on everyone and everything equally. If your philosophy of life involves superiority instead of unity, it is not as nature intended. Spread your love as the sun spreads its rays of light - in all directions, without prejudice or favoritism.

Pennsylvania State Representative Rick Saccone sponsored this bill:

That the House of Representatives declare 2012 as the “Year of the Bible” in Pennsylvania in recognition of both the formative influence of the Bible on our Commonwealth and nation and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the holy scriptures.

Rep. Saccone explained that, “As not only Pennsylvania, but the United States, continues to face great tests and challenges, House Resolution 535 serves as a reminder that we must look to our faith in God and the Holy Scripture to provide us with the strength, wisdom and courage to conquer these great trials,” said Saccone. “All over the Pennsylvania Capitol, one can easily see the tremendous influence that Christianity and the Bible have had over our founders and predecessors. These images and quotes illustrating the beliefs and morals that have shaped our great Commonwealth must never be forgotten.”

The Freedom From Religion responded by saying, “Our constitution grants sovereignty not to a deity or a ‘holy book,’ but to ‘We, the People.’ There is no reference to God, the bible, the Ten Commandments or Jesus in the U.S. Constitution, just as there are no references to ‘consent of the governed,’ ‘civil liberties’ or ‘democracy’ in the bible. Those who have truly studied the bible realize that it is a moral quagmire, a behavioral grab bag, which has been used to justify automatic rule, tyranny, slavery, the degradation of women and gays, child abuse, war, atrocity and mayhem,”

 

The bill passed 193-0!! Do you suppose that next year will be the year of the Koran?? Probably not.

RETARDED GRANDPARENTS

After Christmas, a teacher asked her young pupils

how they spent their holiday away from school.

One child wrote the following:

We always used to spend the holidays with Grandma

and Grandpa. They used to live in a big brick house but Grandpa got

retarded and they moved to Florida , where everyone

lives in nice little houses, so they don't have to

mow the grass anymore!

They ride around on their bicycles and scooters and

wear name tags because they don't know who they

are anymore.

They go to a building called a wreck center, but they

must have got it fixed because it is all okay now.

They do exercises there, but they don't do them very well.

There is a swimming pool too, but they all jump up and

down in it with hats on. At their gate, there is a doll house with a little old man

sitting in it. He watches all day so nobody can escape.

Sometimes they sneak out, and go cruising in their

golf carts! Nobody there cooks, they just eat out.

And, they eat the same thing every night --- early birds.

Some of the people can't get out past the old man in the

doll house. The ones who do get out, bring food back

to the wrecked center for pot luck.

My Grandma says that Grandpa worked all his life to earn

his retardment and says I should work hard so I can be

retarded someday too.

When I earn my retardment, I want to be the man in the

doll house. Then I will let people out, so they can visit their grandchildren.

Thanks Jan!!



Yin/Yang - Male/Female

Went for a bike ride today (Wed) at Bonelli Park. It was a gorgeous day. Clear skies, with temps in the low 80's.   Looks like the local mountains got a little snow on Monday.  This is where I like to see the snow from.  I don't need to be in it to enjoy it. 

It rained on and off most of the day Monday.  As you can see, the road along the west end of the airport has a little bit of mud.  So I got my bike a little muddy as well as my left shoe that went into the mud at one point almost to my ankle. 

Rode about 15 miles in all.  Twice around the lake, and once around the airport.  I even got in a bit of meditation while taking a break and eating an apple.  Don't worry Jack, I rinsed off my bike when I got home.  LOL!!

Actress Betty White got a standing ovation at the People's Choice Awards.  Betty White turned 90 years old this week.  You go girl!!!

"Rick Perry has dropped out of the presidential race. Apparently, America did not want a conservative, gun happy, intellectually-challenged governor of Texas for president. At least not again."
---Jay Leno

Former Los Angeles Laker star, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, was named as a cultural ambassador by Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton today.  Kareem will "promote the importance of education, social and racial tolerance, cultural understanding and using sports as a means of empowerment."

Thanks to action by a broad and bipartisan coalition of Internet users, companies, and organizations, the U.S. House of Representatives has now put the brakes on SOPA, a well-intentioned but deeply flawed bill that would use Internet censorship to combat overseas copyright infringement. Even President Obama's White House has joined the opposition.

But nevertheless, the Senate is continuing to move forward — and fast — with its equally dangerous version of the bill, called PIPA, the Protect-IP Act. As written, PIPA would import censorship and surveillance techniques pioneered by countries like China and Iran, reversing longstanding U.S. policy on Internet freedom, betraying U.S. First Amendment values, damaging our standing around the world, threatening our job-creating innovators, and undermining Internet security for everyone.

Miss Wisconsin, 23 year old Laura Kaeppeler, was crowned Miss America Saturday night in Las Vegas.  The win provided her with a $50,000 college scholarship.  Other than being a Green Bay Packers fan, I can't tell you too much about her because Google and Wikipedia sites are both dark today to show their support against pending legislation on Internet censorship.
 

Coming & Going

I wrestled with one of these sheets once - and lost.  Thankfully, Karen is much more adapt at folding our fitted sheets than I. 

Jodie Foster at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards. Like a fine wine, she seems to get better with age.

So live each day to it's fullest

Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie at the 2012 Golden Globe Awards last night. Angelina was asked on the red carpet what she looked forward to the most this evening and she replied, "climbing into bed with Brad."  Yikes!!!!

Went for a bike ride Saturday in Riverside along the Santa Ana River Bed. Friday evening Anaheim P.D. arrested a guy they believe killed a homeless guy at Imperial Hwy. and Paloma Ave., near the park where Karen drops me off on Sundays for my ride to the beach. They haven't said if this guy did the other three homeless murders in the last couple of weeks.

It was in the mid 60's and overcast, as you can tell by these photos.  Lots of water in the river.  Crossing the water treatment center I found a large group of crows.  Reminded me of the movie "The Birds." 

This photo of a Southern California sunset was posted on Facebook by Donna Stevens. 

As I've pointed out before, the Occupy Wall Street Movement has changed the national conversation. The 1% has done everything in their power to remove the demonstrations from public view so that they don't have to face the consequences of their actions.  The movement is far from over.  Get involved.

Kitchen music

In honor of my pending 60th birthday, I went out today and got a tattoo.  The tattoo signifies "KF squared" as Karen and I have the same initials.  Didn't hurt much at all.  But like my son Corey said, "that little thing?"  In fact I've felt more pain giving blood when they are digging around trying to find my tiny veins.  It's on my left chest.  It took about ten minutes to apply. 

Yakhchal in Yazd Province

By 400 BC, Persian engineers had mastered the technique of storing ice in the middle of summer in the desert. The ice was brought in during the winters from nearby mountains in bulk amounts, and stored in a Yakhchal, or ice-pit.

Above ground, the structure is comprised of a large mud brick dome, often rising as tall as 60 feet tall. Below are large underground spaces, up to 5000m³, with a deep storage space. The space often had access to a Qanat, or wind catch and often contained a system of wind catchers that could easily bring temperatures inside the space down to frigid levels in summer days.

Pretty smart.

For more see:  http://www.eartharchitecture.org/index.php?/archives/1045-Yakhchal-Ancient-Refrigerators.html

Its Friday 13th!!!!