Thanks, Grant, I needed that.

I was listening to a teaching by Grant Luton today on chapter 2 of the book of Judges, (click here download it) and he said something that struck me as very profound. He said that, "Every decision you make is a test, and every consequence is a teaching."

He then says "-always. I've found no exceptions to that in my life - not a single one."

As I listened, I began to test his statement by thinking about decisions I have made in the past, and come to the conclusion that he is 100% right.

So many times I have suffered the consequences of a bad decision, only to give the results absolutely no thought at all... then do it again! Man, I thank God for His mercy. I am an idiot... but he still loves me.

Have you ever been praying, and been struck by the fact that God loves you? I know that sounds like a statement from "Mr. Obvious", but think about it - meditate on it before you go to sleep tonight.

I think about what I am, what I've done, the things I've said and thought, and He still loves me. He has even allowed me to be called "one of His own". Why would he give His life for such a vile, pathetic creature, such as myself... and then still care enough to gently teach me and guide me through the messes I have created? He cares for me.

When you are praying today, ask God to show you what you are; what's inside of you. I'll warn you before hand, it is going to hurt (If you're anything like me, it may make you a little sick to your stomach). Ask Him why He chose you. If you are a follower of Jesus, then you know that He chose you before time itself was created. From the bottom of your heart, ask Him why - after all you've done, why would He go through what He did for you.

And when He tells you, "Because I love you."
You'll see what I mean.


Grant Luton is the pastor of Beth Tikkun Messianic Fellowship, in Akron, Ohio, and the Author of "In His Own Words"; a book about the intricacies of the Hebrew alphabet. He is a wonderful teacher with a lot of wisdom, and very balanced in his views (he even took the time to correspond with me when my family was making the transition to Hebraic Roots teaching).
Stop by Beth Tikkun's website the next time you are looking for a good bible study, or click here for free downloads of audio teachings on several books of the bible.

The Vivaldi Experience

A good friend of mine recently introduced me to the Vivaldi Collection (Cello Concerti Vol. 3 shown above), and I wanted to tell you that if you enjoy good cello music, you will love this CD.
The cello is played by Raphael Wallfisch (of whom I have never heard of, but I am now a fan), along with the London Sinfonia.

As I listen to this music, I can not help but wonder how the "population at large" can call the music of today "music" in good conscience.
I could not find this particular CD on Amazon, but below is a link to Yoyo Ma playing Vivaldi (Ma is one of my favorites, so I can safely assume this is good). There will be a link added to the sidebar, so if you decide to buy it later, you won't have to search archives.

Day Eight of Hanukkah

Just a picture of our dining room tonight at the final candle lighting of Chanukkah this year.


There are two Hanakias on the bench in front of the window, and one large one on the table. Our boys each lit one.

We hit 2000!

During the Hanukkah holiday, we finally hit 2000 visitors!
I hope you all keep coming back, as I have a lot on my mind these days, and as soon as I get caught up in my shop, I will be posting more frequently.

Happy Chanukkah!

Well, my Exodus test was a flop, so I will have to continue to work the bugs out of it.



(Try clicking on my head again... if it works, it should download the first chapter of Genesis. Right click on my head, and choose to "Open link in new window" or tab, depending on which version of explorer you have)
In the meantime, I would like to wish you a Happy Chanukkah - today is the 3rd day of the eight day celebration, and I hope those of you who are celebrating it this year are having as good of a time with it as we are.

The good ole' days

Yet another good point from Charles at LGF - Check out this poster form the national archives.


...our nation used to use a type of "diplomacy" that ended in victory.

Telling Jimmy the truth... priceless.

I know that I am not embedding this right, but I have about 15 seconds before I have to leave for work, so this will have to do. Click here to see The Jimmy being called just exactly what he has proven himself to be - a bigoted, anti-semitic racist, bent on coddling the undeserving "Palestinian people" in spite of their total disregard for human life.

Rick Warren's "Purpose Driven Lie"

Evidently, Rick Warren went to Syria to meet with their government. Worldnetdaily reported that Warren called Syria "moderate," even though the U.S. lists it as a terror-sponsoring state. (and any moron can see that that is ridiculous when said in light of Syria's track record. -ed.)

Warren is quoted as saying, "Syria is a place that has had Muslims and Christians living together for 1400 years," he says. "So it's a lot more peaceful honestly than a lot of other places because Christians were here first. In fact, you know, Saul of Tarsus, Saul was a Syrian, and St. Paul, on this road to Damascus, had his conversion experience, and so Christians have been here the longest, and they get along with the Muslims and the Muslims get along with them and there's a lot of, a lot less tension than in other places. It's a moderate country and the official government role and position is to not allow extremism of any kind."
The editor of WND, Joseph Farah, asked Warren via email if he had any notes or recordings of the meeting, to which Warren lied through his teeth, and replied,

"We did not tape anything because if (sic) was a courtesy call, like I do in every country..."

Just moments after receiving this reply, Farah found the YouTube video and asked Warren about it. Moments later, the video was removed from YouTube by Saddleback Church.(WND)

The article went on to say that some Saddleback members were "disturbed" by Warrens actions.

......................................

Syria's "moderate" belief system, of course, involves destroying Israel, murdering innocent Jewish civilians, fueling Hezbollah, and walking lockstep with Iran.

......................................

...add this to the pope's recent caressing of the crescent, and you would think that Christians and Muslims were all just a bunch of lovable, cuddly friends.

Pope Prays toward Mecca "like the muslims"

from Reuters News:

"The Pope's dreaded visit was concluded with a wonderful surprise," wrote daily Aksam on its front page.

"In Sultan Ahmet Mosque, he turned toward Mecca and prayed like Muslims," popular daily Hurriyet said, using the building's official name.

His gestures, including support for Ankara's bid to join the European Union and praise for Islam as a peaceful faith, seem to have persuaded the Turks to move beyond the tension following his speech quoting a Byzantine emperor as calling Islam violent.

Now, where would he get that idea?

"...but we don't worship the tree."

Well, it's that time of year again.
Time for people to plaster lights all over their property, inflate giant Santa Clause dolls in their front yards, and spend countless hours and dollars getting into the "spirit" of the holiday. In spite of hearing "Merry Christmas" three hundred times a day, suicide rates go up, and self control goes out the window.

What has happened to the spirit of Christmas?

Better yet, what in the heck is the spirit of Christmas?

I have been mulling this over for a long time now, and I have come to the conclusion that because John said, "Beloved, believe not every spirit, but try the spirits whether they are of God" (1John 4:1), it is time to test the "Spirit of Christmas". If you are still celebrating this holiday as a Christian, there are a few things you should be looking into.

The first thing you will notice, is that virtually nothing concerning Christmas in "from God". That is, it is not in His Word, and it is not commanded by Him. Sure, He was born; even born in Bethlehem, but from the manger scene to the tree, none of it is scriptural, or scripturally accurate.

It may sound like small details, but we are to worship Him in Spirit and in Truth (John 4:24). The magi visited Mary, Joseph and Yeshua at a house - nearly two years after He was born (hence Herod's order to kill the boys 2 and under). Go back and re-read Matthew Ch. 2.
Aside from all of the distorted accounts according to scripture, there is the problem with the Pagan roots of the symbols; the tree, the wreeths, the gifts, the mistletoe, the fat bearded guy, the "yule log", and on goes the list.
Christians know these things, but tend to think that they are doing it for the right reasons; "This may be the only knowledge of Jesus the non-Christians will get" is the reasoning. "We know it has Pagan origins, but it is an opportunity to tell people of the birth of the Savior". Is this reasoning taught by our Messiah in His Word? Nope, He taught the opposite. We are to be a peculiar people to this world - we are to obey His teachings at all cost.

"...but we don't worship the tree."

One of His teachings says not to worship Him as the Pagans do (Deut 12:32).
Remember when Yeshua was talking about trumping God's Commandments for man's tradition? (read Matt 15)

Please, please look up the origins of this holiday for yourself. Pagans laugh at Christians because of contradictions like this. A Wiccan that I work with actually told me that Christmas was a big "selling point" when spreading the Pagan message. They say something like this: "Why would you believe what Christians say, when they don't even know what their own bible says? They say they serve the one true god, but then they steel our practices to worship him - which he tells them not to do!"
God tells us, "Do not learn the way of the Gentiles". Don't even learn it, let alone practice it and incorporate it into the worship of Him!
Read Jeremiah 10 before you start decorating, and remember that we are to flee from even the appearance of evil.
...and what is more evil than something that claims to be from God, and is not?

Lets be like the he Bereans, who "received the word with all readiness, and searched the Scriptures daily to find out whether these things were so" (Acts 17:10-11)

Happy Chanukah!

The Prophet of what?

This is for any of you who still believe "we all worship the same god, we just call him different names".


This is from Turkey, where people are protesting the pope's visit. I wonder what the pope will have to say about signs like these, considering Vatican II says that Muslims and Hindus are included in the plan of salvation (from www.vativan.va):

Catechism: 841 The Church's relationship with the Muslims. "The plan of salvation also includes those who acknowledge the Creator, in the first place amongst whom are the Muslims; these profess to hold the faith of Abraham, and together with us they adore the one, merciful God, mankind's judge on the last day."³³⁰

Does anybody else see a problem with this? I mean, to openly claim that Jesus is not the Son of God? Surely the pope will denounce this heresy... right? Nope, you see, it really isn't that big of a deal.

Catechism: 441 In the Old Testament, "son of God" is a title given to the angels, the Chosen People, the children of Israel, and their kings.⁴⁴ It signifies an adoptive sonship that establishes a relationship of particular intimacy between God and his creature. When the promised Messiah-King is called "son of God", it does not necessarily imply that he was more than human, according to the literal meaning of these texts. Those who called Jesus "son of God", as the Messiah of Israel, perhaps meant nothing more than this.⁴⁵

So anyway...

I have received numerous reports concerning the photo of Mango, and I must say, that I am a little disappointed. He already has a complex, people. If I didn't think the picture complemented him, in his natural environment, I wouldn't have posted it.
I mean really...

Mango, looking a little disheveled.

Mango has been puking all over the floor this week (among other places), and as you can see, he just plain doesn't feel good.

Again with the Sabbath...

I have learned a few things about blogging along the way, and the most obvious to me at this point is that it is impossible to blog "full time" when you have a full time job; try as I might; I can not devote the time that it takes to have a truly successful blog... for now.

Allow me to use this time to share with you an article from Messiah magazine (FFOZ).
I have mentioned before that my family is currently in a transition from “normal” Christianity to “Torah Observant” Christianity.
I was telling my pastor the other day (no, we don’t call him “Rabbi”) that entering into a Hebraic Roots mindset has lead us on a “long strange trip”. My kids get ridiculed at school for not eating pork, they get called “Jew-boy” in the hallways, and their extended families tell them that we are dead wrong. My wife’s family thinks that we are wannabe Jew ’s, and I have am called a “Zionist Pig” at work.
The people in our lives that have the hardest time with our beliefs (?) are other Christians. Sometimes I wonder how people can love Jesus so intently, and at the same time be so opposed to His Father’s teachings and rules. After all, that’s what the Torah is: The Father’s teachings and rules. Who would expect to be invited into a family, and not obey the rules of the one who owns the house? I know Christians that would never enter their own parent’s house with their hat on because it was always a rule growing up – a sign of respect that you take it off when entering; yet we have been adopted into God’s family – his house, and we think that we can ignore his statutes and the five books in His Word that lay the foundation for the faith that we profess. Imagine a child being adopted into a Jewish family. What would the adoptive father think if that child grew up disregarding all of the things the Jewish family did as part of their religion, completely ignoring the rules that have been layed down long before he/she arrived? Imagine the disappointment of the father when the child grows up in his household, having never made an attempt at knowing why his adopted family does what they do. How much more of an interest should we have in God's teachings and rules, as believers in His only Son?

Before I go further, I want to stress that I do not think that we should cling to every Jewish tradition. My wife and I disregard many Jewish traditions that are not scripturally based (my wife doesn’t wave the smoke above the two Sabbath candles, nor do we sing a Sabbath song, etc.). Please notice, however, that she does light the two Sabbath candles. I have yet to find a scripture that tells her to do this, and we regard it as tradition - not commandment. We do it for a couple of reasons; the first being that it is a visual example for my kids; a tangible picture of “The light of the world”. There are two candles - she lights the second from the first, representing the fact that our light comes from Him; the one true Light. The candles also set that day (and dinner) aside from all the other days of the week; it makes it special, which is what He told His people to do from the beginning, “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy (Exd 20:8). Holy means “sanctified” or set apart. Lighting the candles, for us, sort of alerts us to the importance of the day we are entering; it also makes Sabbath dinner stand out in our kid’s minds as well; special food, special glasses with grape juice in them, two loaves of homemade special bread and so on.

I almost forgot about the magazine article I started this post with! It is titled:

“Shabbat (Sabbath) Gateway to HaShem” by Tikvah Michael.

We have had a difficult time with the transition from regular old Saturday to Sabbath Observance – namely, “What can we do and not do?” How do we meet God, rest, refrain from work, chase a three year old around the house, tend to two pre-teens and a seven year old, all at the same time? Not to mention the fact that I have to work on four Saturdays in a row every other month. Tikvah explains in the article that when you start to observe Sabbath, you should treat it as a transformation process - allow God to meet you there slowly but surely. Don’t bite off more than you can chew.

You wouldn't believe what a comfort this article was to me! To hear a believer in Jesus that has been observing Sabbath for almost two decades talk about the transition process with so much grace is unbelievably encouraging. I often wonder if we are just spinning our wheels - we never feel like we did it all correctly. It is an ongoing process, with things changing from week to week.

Hopefully, I will have the chance some day to thank her – I have struggled with some of this stuff ever since we started trying! She also pointed me toward a scripture that gives me a lot of comfort on this “strange trip”; one that I had read, but forgotten about:

Blessed is the man that does this, and the son of man that lays hold of it; that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it, and keeps his hand from doing any evil.
Neither let the son of the stranger, that hath joined himself to the LORD, speak, saying, The LORD hath utterly separated me from his people: neither let the eunuch say, Behold, I am a dry tree.
For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and take hold of my covenant;
Even unto them will I give in mine house and within my walls a place and a name better than of sons and of daughters: I will give them an everlasting name, that shall not be cut off.
Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it, and takes hold of my covenant;
Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of
prayer: their burnt offerings and their sacrifices [shall be] accepted upon mine altar; for
mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people. Isa 56:2-7

Notice how it starts; "Blessed is the man that does this..." not "Blessed is the Jew" or "Blessed
is the person that lives before Messiah is born", but "Blessed is the man that does this..." My favorite part of is “the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him,
and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keeps the Sabbath from polluting it, and takes hold of my covenant; even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer...” That tells me that I am included in this blessing – praise the LORD! That says that I am included in this Sabbath business, and I don’t know why any Christian would be opposed to receiving those promises. I’ll take “joyful in His house of prayer” any time.

If you have never considered trying out the seventh day Sabbath, I would encourage you to start now. I can tell you from experience that it is a little intimidating at times (besause it is new), but it is a fun learning experience that is full of His grace.

I am amazed at how He loves me so much that He is willing to lead me by the hand – knowing what I am; knowing what I’ve done, and knowing all of my faults on a day to day basis. He promises to meet me in that rest, and for that, I am willing to be
called names – by the world, or other Christians – because what ever they throw at me can never compare to the joy that He has promised me when I just simply obey Him, and remember His Sabbath.

The Commandments of God, and the Testimony of Who?

In a recent post, I called on Greg Laurie to go back and look at who the Ten Commandments were given to. Today, I want to look at who the rest of the commandments were given to.

The “Commandments of God” are considered by the Jewish population to be the 613 commandments of the Torah (Genesis through Deuteronomy). It should be noted that no Jew could follow all of the 613. Aside from the fact that we “have all fallen short of the Glory of God” (Rom 3:23), the common Jew has additional reasons for not obeying all of them.

For starters, there is no existing Temple. This excludes the Jew from offering any sacrifice at the Temple, because they were commanded to never offer it anywhere else. So, right from the start, there are a number of commandments that can not be completed by the Torah observant Jew.

Secondly, a male Jew could not, for obvious reasons, adhere to the female cleanliness Laws, simply because he is a man. This means that there are certain Laws that he will never be able to obey. Also in this category (Laws that he can not obey) are the Laws that instruct him redeem his firstborn child (provided he has no children and there is still no Temple); the Laws of leprosy (considering he never contracts leprosy, and there is still no Temple); the Laws of farming (providing he is not a farmer and there is still no Temple); and the list goes on.

For logical reasons, coupled with spiritual reasons, no man can observe the Law in its entirety.

But who is supposed to be doing this Law to begin with? I should start by saying that we are not justified by doing the law. Paul makes that very clear in Romans 3:20, that “by the deeds of the Law no flesh is justified in His sight, for by the law is the knowledge of sin.” We are justified just like Abraham was – through faith.

Is Paul saying that the law is not valid then? No; Paul asks in Rom 3:31, “Do we then make void the law through faith? God forbid: yea, we establish the law.”

We establish the law.

I believe that these laws are for Christians as well. The scriptures that back this claim are too numerous to list in this post, but I will list the most compelling evidence that I have found so far.

If you will turn to Rev 12:17 which states, “And the dragon was wroth with the woman, and went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ.” Do you see it? These people, the “remnant of her seed” keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus the Messiah. This is seen seven times in Revelation (Rev 1:2, Rev 1:9, Rev 6:9, etc).

Also, look at 1 John, 2:3. This verse declares that you can know if you know Him (God). How do you know if you know Him? 1Jo 2:3 “And hereby we do know that we know him, if we keep his commandments”. Notice that John doesn’t claim that we are justified by the commandments, but if we know Him, we will obey them.

I don’t know about you, but I want to know that I know Him. 1Jo 2:4 says that, “He that says, I know him, and keeps not his commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him.”

If you are wondering if this is referring to the “two commandments given by Jesus”, you will have to come back tomorrow. In the meantime, I can tell you for now that these “two” are the same at those 613 I wrote about earlier. If you don’t believe me, check back later; we’ll talk about it.

"The real Clinton emerges..."

I picked a bad time to slow down on my political posts.

The real Clinton emerges

An outstanding piece by Dick Morris about the latest installment of creep-o-rific behavior from the Clintons.

Greg Laurie, not a Jew

I am on the night shift. I go in at 7:00 pm and leave at 7:00 am. Sometimes I listen to Christian radio on my way in to the factory – the music motivates me. One day last week, I started my truck and was getting ready to pull out of the parking lot when I heard Greg Laurie’s voice saying, “And that is why we, as Christians, do not have to celebrate the Saturday Sabbath.” He continued, “You see, that commandment was given to the Jews!” He almost yelled it, as if to say, "Don't you understand!?"

Greg went on to tell his audience why they should obey the rest of the Ten Commandments; why they are still valid in the life of modern Christians, and how they are a good moral framework for us today.

I could not help but think of the ignorance displayed in his comments. Who did he think the other nine Commandments were given to? Where does the Word of God differentiate in the dialogue of the Ten Commandments which ones are for the Jews, and which are for everybody? It doesn’t. Greg Laurie made the statement that a Christian does not have to obey the Saturday Sabbath because it is for the Jews. God’s Word says nothing of the sort. In fact, it says the opposite. Jesus states that The Sabbath was made for man, and not man for the Sabbath (Mar 2:27). Notice that Jesus didn’t say that Sabbath was made for the Jew, but for man.

If we are to follow Greg Laurie’s method of disregarding the things that were “given to the Jews” then we have a huge problem. To start with, the book of James in the New Testament was (as stated in the first sentence) “...to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad...” (Jam 1:1). See the problem? Maybe Greg would have us throw the entire book out. After all, it was given to the Jews, wasn’t it? I don’t think there is any other way to interpret the “twelve tribes”. They are clearly the twelve tribes of Israel. And what about Hebrews? The name says it all. I am no Hebrew, and to my knowledge, neither is Greg.

Greg doesn’t actually follow this rule though. He taught a (prerecorded) message two days later on “Thou Shall not Steel”, in which he stated that we are steeling from God by not tithing a tenth of our earnings to the church. Can you guess which scripture he used to make the claim? Mal 3:8 “Will a man rob God? Yet ye have robbed me. But ye say, wherein have we robbed thee? In tithes and offerings.” A simple study on these “tithes and offerings” will show even the most unlearned Bible scholar that they were commanded to the Jews, in order to provide for the Levites in the Temple. Here it is:

Num 18:26 “Thus speak unto the Levites, and say unto them, When ye take of the children of Israel the tithes which I have given you from them for your inheritance, then ye shall offer up an heave offering of it for the LORD, [even] a tenth [part] of the tithe.”

Did you notice what “offerings” means? Is Greg telling us that we should offer up heave offerings too? I doubt it. I think he has merely transposed out 21^st century meaning of “offering” into the mix. Greg is telling his audience that we are robbing from the Lord by not paying 10% via the offering plate in church every Sunday morning.

I find it absurd that Christians can listen to comments like the ones Greg Laurie is making, and never even think to search them out in the scripture. We are called to make sure our teachers are teaching sound doctrine. I believe that Greg Laurie has fallen short of that goal when it comes to his separating Jew and Gentile commandments. They are all God’s Commandments. As servants of the Almighty, should we be allowing Greg to choose which of God's Laws we are to follow?

And about the "moral law" business. I heard a teacher say once that since Jesus said the greatest commandment is, "Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind." If the greatest commandment relies on our love for God, wouldn't all of his commandments be "moral commandments"?

Just something to chew on.

"...history always begins this morning for liberals"

Some highlights from Ann Coulter’s latest master piece:

...the only reason McCain is demanding that prisoners like Khalid Sheikh Mohammed -- mastermind of the 9/11 attacks, the beheading of journalist Daniel Pearl and other atrocities -- be treated like Martha Stewart facing an insider trading charge is this: "It's all about the United States of America and what is going to happen to Americans who are taken prisoner in future wars."
McCain, along with Sen. Lindsey Graham and Sen. John Warner -- or, as the Times now calls him, the "courtly Virginian" -- want terrorists treated like Americans accused of crimes, with full access to classified information against them and a list of the undercover agents involved in their capture. Liberals' interest in protecting classified information started and ended with Valerie Plame.

... There hasn't been this much railing about the mistreatment of a hostage since Monica Lewinsky was served canapes at the Pentagon City Ritz-Carlton Hotel while being detained by the FBI.

... But being nice to enemies is an idea that has never worked, no matter how many times liberals make us do it. It didn't work with the Soviet Union, Imperial Japan, Hitler or the North Vietnamese -- enemies notable for being more civilized than the Islamic savages we are at war with today. By the way, how did the Geneva Conventions work out for McCain at the Hanoi Hilton?

... Fortunately, history always begins this morning for liberals, so they can keep flogging the same idiotic idea that has never, ever worked...

...As McCain might put it, I hold no brief for al Qaeda, but what would better protect Americans they take prisoner than if America went whole hog and became an Islamic republic? On the plus side, we can finally put Rosie O'Donnell in a burka.

If you have already had your morning coffee, and still feel like something is missing, read the whole thing here.

Here we go again...

Jerusalem Newswire:
Shame March Gets Green Light 
By Stan Goodenough
September 18, 2006

A homosexual organization in Jerusalem is determined to ensure that a twice-cancelled public parading of perverse sexual lifestyles through the streets of the sacred city will take place after all.

The fact that the "Gay" shame event will offend millions of Jews and Christians has only served to intensify the efforts of the "Open House," which successfully persuaded Israel's High Court of Justice to rule that the march will now be held on Friday, November 10.

On that day, the tens of thousands of Jerusalemites who normally use Friday to prepare for Shabbat will have to ensure that they and their children are off the streets if they do not wish to be exposed to half-naked men kissing each other, and gyrating women embracing, in the city Israel's God chose to call His own.

By given the event its blessing, the High Court has helped promote and protect a lifestyle that holds untold numbers of people prisoner. And it has aided and abetted those who have made their goal the perversion and imprisonment of our youth.

There's a huge spider under my "new leaf"!

I am back!

Before I get started, I want to say that I am going to change the format a little around here. The news is really getting on my nerves, and when I allow myself, I become consumed with it. There are only so many things I can say about the communistic, left-wing, terrorist supporting, Bush hating, Mama Sheehan supporting, Gorbachev worshiping, Clinton praising, 9-11 conspiracy mongering, holocaust denying morons before I start to lose my focus.

Things are spiraling out of control in our world, and the Democratic Party is so convinced that the world’s problems are the product of George W. Bush, that they are wiling to blame even the weather on him; then claim that the conservatives are irrational. I have had it.

People like this can not be reasoned with. They are not worth the trouble.

So, while I will not reject the news entirely, I am going to get back to my original vision, and do more Torah studies, more of my art work, more cello posts, and the like. I am open to any and all suggestions; however – if you do not agree with the opinions on this blog, leave. Better yet, go study up and present a logical argument based on fact and rational thought. This may keep you away from the abortion clinic, or from taking the 10 Commandments off of court house lawns for a little while, but trust me; it will do you some good to use your brain for a few minutes. The ACLU can do without you for the time it takes you to study up on some factual history. Don’t be a coward, leaving comments that spew hatred and foul language, without ever conveying an intelligible idea. As members of the Left wing Democratic Party, you know who you are, and you know what I am talking about; your illiteracy and vile remarks reveal you.

...back to business...

All of this talk of vile, disgusting creeps makes for the perfect intro to something that happened to my wife tonight. She had just taken our weiner dog outside to do her business, and when she came back into the house, she had one of these on her arm:

...yes, on her arm; touching her skin, crawling up her arm. After she brushed it off (thinking it was just part of a cobweb that she walked through) she jumped back and said, "Oh my gosh!! That's the biggest spider I have ever seen in my life!"

I continued reading, unconcerned, because I know for a fact that we have seen some pretty large spiders at the St. Louis, and Indianapolis Zoo, so I figured that she was exaggerating. In hindsight, I think she meant to say, "That is the biggest spider that has ever been on my arm!!" That would have gotten my attention. Or, "Hey, is that one of those bird catching spiders - that was just on my arm?"

I nonchalantly got up and started over toward the door; then I saw it. After shuddering about fifteen times, I managed to get it into in a Mason jar (where it sits, safely by my right hand as I type). Its rear end is the size of a small grape, and its legs spread out bigger than an old silver dollar.

Man! Maaaaaaaaan! I will not sleep tonight.

It's title is: "Neoscona crucifera" of the Araneidae family. Supposedly it is "not known to cause serious effects to humans". Personally, I don't care if it was wearing an "I love Ronald Reagan" T-shirt, it still gave me the willies; and it wasn't even on my arm.

She is asleep now. I am going to bed soon, but not without a lot of contemplation, I'm sure.

Where are the rest of them? These things could be hiding anywhere; under the bed, beneath the toilet seat, in my boots, or my sock drawer, even taking refuge in my extremely manly, robust beard while I am sleeping... for all I know, one could be on my back right now, seeking revenge for the imprisonment of his mate...

...or on her arm.

Coming soon...

I will back up and posting soon...

...many overtime days...

...*must

...*get*



...rest*...

The Amazing Ann Coulter

Why is the Republican Party debasing itself?

By Ann Coulter

http://www.JewishWorldReview.com | In addition to supporting Democrat Joe Lieberman over Republican Alan Schlesinger in Connecticut, President Bush is supporting the Democrat over the Republican in Rhode Island, too. In the Republican primary, Bush supports Lincoln Chafee — who votes with Bush on the important issues less often than Sen. Lieberman does — over the only actual Republican in the race, Stephen Laffey.

Apart from Bush, the only person who hasn't figured out that Lincoln Chafee is a Democrat is Lincoln Chafee. As the expression goes, if Chafee switched parties, the average IQ on both sides of the aisle would go up.

It's hard to figure why Bush would support a half-wit like Lincoln Chafee. Maybe he believes his own poll numbers and is trying to help the conservatives by endorsing their opponents.

After Chafee's family money got him into Andover and Brown, he made his living shoeing horses for seven years. In fact, I've often wondered if an errant kick to the head by one of his charges would account for Chafee's rudimentary cognitive abilities.

That remains Chafee's only professional accomplishment — unless you include the "fun zone" for kids on his official Senate Web site. Perhaps we could install a "play zone" like they have at McDonald's in the Senate well to keep Chafee occupied while the real senators go about their business.

When the farrier business proved too taxing for Chafee's intellect, he went into the family business — politics. His father died in office, and Lincoln was appointed by the governor to serve out the remainder of Pop's term in the U.S. Senate. (I know Rhode Island is small, but couldn't they find someone who reads books right side up to fill the seat?) In terms of qualifications for the job, Chafee makes Michael Brown look like Donald Rumsfeld.

Chafee is everything the Democrats like to claim Republicans are, which we are not and they are: silver-spoon morons who get ahead on the basis of family connections (for example, Ned the Red Lamont in Connecticut).

The only reason Chafee calls himself a Republican is that he believes that everyone above a certain income level is required by law to do so.

He learned this from reading "Doonesbury" and watching "The West Wing" while studiously ignoring blindingly obvious facts like: Sens. Teddy Kennedy (inherited millions), John Kerry (married millions — twice, lucky guy), Sen. Herbert H. Kohl (inherited millions), John D. Rockefeller (inherited millions), Mark Dayton (inherited millions), Dianne Feinstein (married millions) and aspiring senator Ned the Red (inherited millions). All Democrats.

In addition to the Democratic trait of having absolutely no idea how wealth is generated, Chafee's other Democratic characteristics include:

• supporting gay marriage;
• supporting abortion;
• opposing the war in Iraq;
• opposing tax cuts.

Stop complaining about taxes — just live off your trust fund like a normal person! Taxes, I note, have virtually no bearing on someone who is not currently earning an income but living off incomes earned generations ago by better men than he.

Chafee even voted against Samuel Alito's nomination to the Supreme Court.

Republicans are always told we're supposed to vote for Fidel Dumbo if he has an "R" after his name so Republican nominees will be confirmed to the Supreme Court. That is true: Save terrorism, there is no more important issue than a president's Supreme Court nominees. But Bush had two Supreme Court nominees and Chafee voted against 50 percent of them, so Chafee doesn't even have that argument going for him.

Chafee explained his vote against Alito — but for John Roberts — by invoking the Democrats' idiotic talking point about maintaining "balance" on the court.

"Balance," like "meaningful consultation with the Senate before choosing the nominee," means precisely one thing: a Republican is in the White House. Democrats subscribe to the Brezhnev doctrine: "What we have, we hold." Their interpretation of elections they win by a plurality is that they have a mandate for Ruth Bader Ginsburg; their interpretation of elections they lose is that this means they get to block all Republican nominees.

Steve Laffey is the molecular opposite of Chafee: He is smart, self-made — and a Republican. He is one of five children and was the first member of his family to go to college — Bowdoin College, and then on to Harvard Business School. He was president of a brokerage firm, a position he acquired by hard work and native talent, not by attending his father's funeral.

Laffey is the sort of decent, talented person that makes you wonder why he would bother entering an irritating profession like politics. But he did, becoming mayor of Cranston, R.I., when the city was near bankruptcy. Within two years, Laffey had raised Cranston's bond rating from the lowest in the country to investment grade, earning him the sobriquet "the anti-Dennis Kucinich."

True, Rhode Island is an overwhelmingly Democratic state, and the chances of any Republican winning the general election are slim. But that's no reason for the Republican Party to debase itself by running someone dysfunctional and illiterate enough to appeal to Democrats.

US Rep. tells the truth!

CNN: MIAMI, Florida (AP) -- U.S. Rep. Katherine Harris told a religious journal that separation of church and state is "a lie" and God and the nation's founding fathers did not intend the country be "a nation of secular laws."

Talk about your "Real Clear Polotics"...

Harris went on to say Separation of church and state is "a lie we have been told," Harris said in the interview, published Thursday, saying separating religion and politics is "wrong because God is the one who chooses our rulers."

She is absolutely correct. It has always bothered me that nobody has ever called this what it is. The 1st Amendment is used to keep Jesus' name out of public school addresses and such, when the Amendment clearly says,

"Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances."

It is obvious that the amendment is geared toward congress not making a law that establishes a State Religeon.

Good for Mrs. Harris.

It wasn't Bush, Zionists, Health Care, or Big Oil; it was my own fault

I ran across a story on the net today that struck a little close to home. Before you laugh at this clip, remember, I did it before this guy. Thank God my incident didn't end up in the headlines.
.......................................


mcall.com: DUI suspect sobers up for court
Nesquehoning man came drunk for initial sentencing Monday.
By Bob Laylo Of The Morning Call

A Nesquehoning man who came drunk to Carbon County Court
on Monday to be sentenced in a drunken driving case will
likely spend more time in jail.
...............................................

Yep, I'll admit it; I showed up for sentencing on a DUI charge drunk back around 1994. I went into the court room after having finished off two bottles of Mogan David 20/20 ("Mad Dog" 20/20) wine earlier that morning.

When I say that I used to be a raging alcoholic, I mean that I was totally consumed by it. Alcohol was all that I thought about. I didn't care about anyone but myself, and how I was going to get drunk again. Be it family or friend, I only thought about the next drink. Even my own child was merely an obstacle in the way of my finding a bottle.

Now, obviously, when I heard the judge say, “I want to see you in my chambers; now!” that afternoon in court, I should have come to my senses, but I didn’t. Even after he sentenced me to a year of house arrest, probation, mandatory AA meetings three times a week, and weekends in jail I hadn’t truly given up alcohol. I was sober for most of that year, but I was still an alcoholic; waiting to be freed from the system again. I stayed sober for the duration of the sentence, and resumed drinking as soon as I had the opportunity. Literally, within about two weeks I was at it again. Three times a week, for an entire year, I had listened to that group of people in those meetings. I knew the routine, I knew their stories, and I knew what each had chosen as their "Higher Power" (I even had my own Higher Power, who I called “god”). Most of them had no hope, other than that very moment in time, their sponsor, and the “Higher Power, in whom they chose to believe in”.

I reached a point in my life where I was starting to lose my mind. I was having hallucinations and panic attacks that started around 9:00 in the morning, and lasted until I could get drunk again. I was vomiting blood on bad days, and pooping blood on the good ones. My wife had left me; my car was repossessed, my landlord kicked me out, I sold my guitar for booze money, and my boss fired me for coming in smelling like liquor. I had absolutely no reason to live. I decided to call out to that “Higher Power” that I had been referring as “god” in all of those AA meetings.

I don’t recall one single person in any of those meetings that ever found salvation from their “Higher Power”. Here, all of these alcoholics were calling their wallet, or Buddha, or Oprah, or pay check; anything they could think of their “Higher Power”, and not one of them had ever been able to say, “I’m no longer an alcoholic. I have been healed of that sickness.” That is of course except for me and one other guy. We both (a couple years apart) found out that you can have all of the “Higher Powers” you want, but there is really only one. You could say that he is “The Highest Power”. Today, because of Him, you can call me a fanatic, you can call me corny, or you can call me a religious nut job - whatever you want, but you can not, today, call me an alcoholic. I have been free from alcohol for 8 year now.

Don’t think for a second that I am naïve. I never said that I do not have the occasional urge to drink, nor did I say that I quit one day and haven’t touched it since. I came out of it slowly, over about a year’s time and I screwed up repeatedly along the way. I tried very hard during those last four years to quit. I hated myself. Though I tried vehemently, I could not quit.

I was offered good help many, many times, and many times I took them up on it. That never changed the fact that I could not quit. I had been to rehab three times. I was kicked out of one, “completed” another, and checked myself out of the last. The last one was the VA Hospital in Danville, IL. The doctors there told me that I had less than a year to live if I continued to drink. To emphasize the point, they put me in a two man room with a severely bloated yellow man named John who was dying from jaundice of the liver. John died in his sleep three days after I became his roommate. The day before John died he told me, “Don’t do what I did Aaron, please, don’t do what I did” every chance that he had. I must have heard it fifteen times that day. I still think about it. A few weeks later I left. Within minutes after leaving, I was drunk.

I do not walk around with a 2,92 Day Token in my pocket today. I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I have confidence someone that is already there, waiting on me. I am free today because of Jesus Christ. I choose to call Him “Yeshua HaMashiac”. Any way you slice it, He is the God of Israel; my King, my Redeemer, my Friend, my Savior, my “Token of Days Without Number”. He has made me free. Do you want to hear something ironic? While Millions of people are out there trying to choose their own Higher Power; be it a guitar, a wedding ring or a dollar bill,

...mine chose me.

If you are struggling with this sickness, you need to know that He is calling your name too – all you have to do is “choose to believe” in Him, and you will soon find out that He has chosen you as well.

Blame George "The Hurricane" Bush - not Iran

I just spent the last half of an hour looking at what the left has to say about George W. Bush. Before you click the “Random Blog” button on the top, hear me out.

Our country is in deep. We have actually become so complacent, so mind-numbingly ignorant of the world around us that there are actually people out there (unfortunately many more than I would like to admit to) that believe – I mean truly, deep in their gut – believe that George W. Bush created all of the tension in the Middle East (including that of the last 2000 years, I assume). That’s not all though; many of these same people also believe that George W. Bush is single handedly destroying the environment, causing cataclysmic hurricanes to devastate parts of the U.S. (not without reason though; he has done this to eliminate blacks on poverty, and simultaneously raise oil prices... he is a “Big Oil” man, you know), undermine the American Middle Class, demolish Free Speech, and lead the world into some mega-apocalyptic catastrophe via any one of his “secret society” memberships (Masons, Skull & Bones, etc.). At any given moment, on any day of the week, just search Blogger for Bush or Iran; you’ll see what I mean (be sure to read the comments - they really show their true colors in the comments).

The people who are making these claims all seem to believe that either they or their favorite Democratic candidate could do a better job. In making their case though, they (as a whole – there are some who do not fit this mold, though very few) use language that is reminiscent of a drunken high school party; “F*&^%^ Bush and his cronies!! If I were in there, that F#$^% B%$&*&^% would get his F%%* “...

I ask you honestly, are we supposed to take the Democratic Party seriously, when these are the people who are endorsing it on a public level? I wouldn’t even trust the least one of these disrespectful degenerates to feed my wiener-dog if I were going on vacation! Is that how they would address the nation? “My fellow F$%#&* Americans... Ahaminajabubba had it right – he’s an alright guy, dudes. We are going to pull our F^&*@* troops out of that SH%&^@H&^&@ today!”

Never in our nation’s history has there been such a far left; so far in fact, that even if you are middle of the road, you appear to be a “Right Wing Nut-job”. All you have to do is be patriotic – yes, I said it – patriotic; or have the slightest will to win; or refuse to “Flip-flop” on issues that you believe in (just ask Joe Lieberman) ; or love Jesus; or hold yourself and your family to a high standard of morals; or study history; or believe the Bible; or call Islamofascists by name; or be able to hold an intelligent conversation without using foul language, or be able to debate an issue without acting like a two-year old; the list goes on infinitely.

At this rate, we need not worry about the terrorist as much as ourselves. We are torn in two, and it appears to be to the core; one side is the product of a Nation that has turned it's back on all that is good and wholesome, while the other side quietly longs to have those days back.

King David wrote:

For, lo, the wicked bend [their] bow; they make ready their arrow upon the string, that they may privily shoot at the upright in heart.
If the foundations be destroyed, what can the righteous do? Psa 11:2-3

I never understood this passage before 2001. Why didn’t he answer the question?
Today, I understand why King David left the answer open. I am sure he was just as dumbfounded; as astonished and speechless at the wickedness going on in his day as we are in ours. What do you do when people are willingly ignorant - and proud of it?

So, I pose the question; “What are we to do?”

Sitting around and waiting for change is not an option.

Mutually assured destruction, just won't work any more

The following is a page from worldnetdaily.com in full:

NUCLEAR WAR-FEAR
WND: Cataclysm fears raised on Islamic 'holy' date
Mideast experts worry Islamic fanatics seeking heaven may spark violence

MAD, or mutually assured destruction, just won't work any more, according to one Mideast expert whose forecasts that the night of Aug. 22 may prove to be cataclysmic are fueling worry around the world.

Bernard Lewis of Princeton has had opinion pieces circulating for two weeks now about how that night, the anniversary of one of Islam's holiest events, could be a time Iran would pick to spark a battle Muslims believe forever will resolve the battle between "good" and "evil."

That MAD policy, which prevented nations for decades during the Cold War from pushing the button, isn't a realistic hope with fanatic Muslims, Lewis said.

"There is a radical difference between the Islamic Republic of Iran and other governments with nuclear weapons," Lewis writes. "This difference is expressed in what can only be described as the apocalyptic worldview of Iran's present rulers."

He said there is developing an "apparently callous unconcern" over who is a victim, or how many victims there are, for terrorists. Lewis believes the perception they hold is that in death any infidel, or non-Muslim, will go to a well-deserved punishment in hell while any Muslims would go straight to heaven.

According to this view, the bombers are in fact doing their Muslim victims a favor by giving them a quick pass to heaven and its delights – the rewards without the struggles of martyrdom. School textbooks tell young Iranians to be ready for a final global struggle against an evil enemy, named as the U.S., and to prepare themselves for the privileges of martyrdom, Lewis said.

He said while a direct attack on the U.S. is possible, Israel is a nearer and more likely target.

As WorldNetDaily has reported, Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad has urged his people to prepare for the coming of an Islamic "messiah," raising concerns a nuclear-armed Islamic Republic could trigger the kind of global conflagration he envisions will set the stage for the end of the world.

He's also said, in a WND report, that Islam and its followers must prepare to rule the world, because it is a "universal ideology that leads the world to justice."

Now comes Lewis, who notes that the world must be concerned about a leader for whom the possibility of death is not a deterrent.

"In this context, mutual assured destruction, the deterrent that worked so well during the Cold War, would have no meaning," Lewis wrote. "At the end of time, there will be general destruction anyway. What will matter will be the final destination of the dead – hell for the infidels, and heaven for the believers.

"For people with this mindset, MAD is not a constraint, it is an inducement," he said.

Lewis noted that Ahmadinejad has talked of Aug. 22 mulitiple times, a date that corresponds to the 27th day of the month of Rajab of the year 1427 for Muslims.

"This, by tradition, is the night when many Muslims commemorate the night flight of the prophet Muhammad on the winged horse Buraq, first to 'the farthest mosque,' usually identified with Jerusalem, and then to heaven and back," Lewis wrote.

Lewis wrote, "This might well be deemed an appropriate date for the apocalyptic ending of Israel and if necessary the world. It is far from certain that Mr. Ahmadanejad plans any such cataclysmic events precisely for Aug. 22. But it would be wise to bear the possibility in mind."

Lewis, the Cleveland E. Dodge professor emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at Princeton University, specializes in Muslim history and interaction between Muslims and the West.

His comments echoed those made just a few days earlier by Robert Spencer, another scholar of Islamic history, theology and law and the director of Jihad Watch.

In an article for FrontPageMagazine.com, he wrote that Farid Ghadry, president of the Reform Party of Syria, noted the commemoration of Muhammad's ascent to heaven from the Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem.

Also, "Atomic Iran" author Jerome Corsi notes that it's less significant whether Hezbollah survives, "but it's really the first chapter in the play for Iran and the Shiite Islam nation to come to ascendancy in the Muslim world."

In the updated edition of "Atomic Iran: How the Terrorist Regime Bought the Bomb and American Politicians," now available in paperback from WND Books, Corsi discusses many of the disturbing developments related to Iran.

Mang's Celebrity Watch: Bill and the Barries

We at MangDiddles don't usually watch celebrities. Celebrities upset my stomach.
There comes a time though, when certain celebrities who have touched our hearts in one way or another burst onto the front page, which leads me to a couple of under reported stories that I thought you might appreciate.

..................................................
Maynardije.org: Cosby Challenges Washington Post

"The Washington Post ran a clip and then they edited it and they had in what they wanted us to see these men saying," he said. "Unless I missed it, I heard not one black man say anything about being a father. I heard not one black man say, 'my responsibility,' not one. The edited version of these people with a camera on a drive-by – I'm looking to media. I don't like people who see and can't tell the truth. . . . A man tells me, 'It's not as bad as it seems.' I don't want to hear that s@#t."
........................................

Editors Note: Please note the use of the words, "drive-by". This is the same term that Rush Limbaugh uses for the media. Also, being as this is a Rated G website, please consider replacing Mr. Cosby's explicatave describing fecal matter with the word "poopy" when relaying this story to your children.

............................................

Next up in the Celebrity Watch - Barry Manilow.
Now, I am not a Manilow fan personally, but I am fully aware of the impact that Barry has on many MangDiddles fans; especially those in Thailand and St. Clare...
.............................................

LOS ANGELES Aug 18, 2006 (AP)— Barry Manilow has canceled his three remaining performances at the Las Vegas Hilton to undergo surgery to repair torn cartilage in both hips, his publicist said.

........................................

In realated news, MangDiddles has obtained Exclusive photos of "The Barry" in which he may be showing his age a little, but appears to be getting along rather well in light of his bad hip. This photo was taken "somewhere in Barcelona".

CNN: We are not biased; MangDiddles: Uh... yes you are.

Recently, Ynetnews.com accused CNN of being biased in their reporting of the Hezbollah/Israel (33 Days) War.

Now, all of you Diddleheads out there know that MangDiddles also made this same claim, but I didn't receive a response from CNN - Ynet did:
................................................

CNN: We are not biased

Global news provider is the most reliable and trusted news organization in the world,
provided balanced coverage of Israel - Hizbullah war

*spit* #cough# !! ... read the whole thing if you have the belly for it.

Ultimately, The Islamofascists Lose

I keep getting asked, "How are you doing with all of this bad news?" or, "You doin' OK, with all of this going on?"

The answer is, "I am doing fine."
I've read the Book, and I know who wins - and it isn't the Islamofascists.
I've been reading a lot of God's Word these days, and being as it can never fully be searched out, I still have plenty of reading to go.

... Oh, and, I've been working on animated Gif's.

Annan sides with terrorists... again.

Yet again, Kofi Annan has sided with Hezbollah.
This only confirms the fact that the UN is a farce.
....................................................

jnewswire.com: Annan Abuses Power - Sides Again Against Israel
By Stan Goodenough
August 20, 2006

For the second time in a month, United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan revealed his pro-Arab bias at the weekend when, instead of condemning the Hizb’allah for breaking the terms of the ceasefire between it and Israel, he condemned Israel for acting in accordance with the provisions of that agreement.

Annan was backed up by his special Middle East envoy and also long-time critic of Israel, Terje Roed-Larsen. (emphasis, of course, mine)

Chinese diplomat tells US to "Shut Up"

Some rather disturbung, and under-publicised news from the The Telegraph.co.uk (though it was first reported By Harry Mount in New York):

.........................

One of China's most senior diplomats has made an extraordinary attack on America, saying that it should "shut up" about China's growing military capacity when America dominates global military spending.

Sha Zukang, China's ambassador to the UN in Geneva, launched his diatribe in an interview with the BBC yesterday during a progamme about China's booming economy and military strength.

"It is much better for you to shut up, keep quiet," the ambassador said, referring to America, raising his voice to a high-pitched yell. "Are you the number one? Is it true that the US has almost 50 per cent of the world's military budget? The Chinese population is five or six times bigger.
advertisement

Why blame China? Forget it. It's high time to shut up. It's America's sovereign right to do whatever is good for them. But don't tell us what is good for China."

The ambassador also said that China would be prepared to go to war with anyone over Taiwan.

"The moment Taiwan declares independence, supported by whoever, China will have no choice," he shrieked. (emphasis mine)

Jimmy Carter: "Historical Facts can be Ignored"

I knew this was coming. "The Jimmy" has reared his ugly head again, and for the short time that his foot wasn't obstructing his speech, he had this to say (Interview with Spiegel):

..............................................

SPIEGEL: Should there be an international peacekeeping force along the Lebanese-Israeli border?

Carter: Yes.

SPIEGEL: And can you imagine Germans soldiers taking part?

Carter: Yes, I can imagine Germans taking part.

SPIEGEL: ... even with their history?

Carter: Yes. That would be certainly satisfactory to me personally, and I think most people believe that enough time has passed so that historical facts can be ignored. (Emphasis mine)

...Read the whole thing here.

...........................................

Ladies and gentlemen, DiddleHeads, we now see the reason why Democrats are so clueless when it comes to world history; “...enough time has passed so that historical facts can be ignored.”

It is no surprise that they insist on trying new resolutions and “peace” treaties, even though the success rate is zero. There has never been a resolution in the Middle East that has held up. If that were the case, the “Global Community” would not be questioning Israel’s right to exist.

Thanks, Jimmy – we can always count on you to reveal the heart of the Liberal.