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Do you suppose the author exaggerated just a tad with the trillion?
Maybe a "forward looking statement."
"To be is to do" ~ Socrates
"To do is to be" ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" ~ Frank Sinatra
Today we mourn the passing of a beloved old friend by the name of Common
Sense who has been with us for many years. No one knows for sure how old he
was since his birth records were long ago lost in bureaucratic red tape. He
will be remembered as having cultivated such value lessons as knowing when
to come in out of the rain, why the early bird gets the worm and that life
isn't always fair. Common Sense lived by simple, sound financial policies
(don't spend more than you earn) and reliable parenting strategies (adults,
not kids, are in charge). His health began to rapidly deteriorate when well
intentioned but overbearing regulations were set in place. Reports of a
six-year-old boy charged with sexual harassment for kissing a classmate;
teens suspended from school for using mouthwash after lunch; and a teacher
fired for reprimanding an unruly student, only worsened his condition. It
declined even further when schools were required to get parental consent to
administer aspirin to a student; but, could not inform the parents when a
student became pregnant and wanted to have an abortion. Finally, Common
sense lost the will to live as the Ten Commandments became contraband;
churches became businesses; and criminals received better treatment than
their victims. Common Sense finally gave up the ghost after a woman failed
to realize that a steaming cup of coffee was hot, she spilled a bit in her
lap, and was awarded a huge settlement Common Sense was preceded in death
by his parents, Truth and Trust, his wife, Discretion; his daughter,
Responsibility; and his son, Reason. He is survived by two stepbrothers; My
Rights and Ima Whiner. Not many attended his funeral because so few
realized he was gone.
"To be is to do" ~ Socrates
"To do is to be" ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" ~ Frank Sinatra
Point - counterpoint
re: Effective Date of Amendments to NASD Rule 3370 (Affirmative
Determination Requirements) Extended to April 1, 2004
point: "Baloney! Changes? They need to stop being CROOKS!"
#msg-2401976
counterpoint: "IMO, this delay can also be viewed as a good thing since it points out how seriously they are taking the rule, and how they will require enforcement through the NASD. This is a TRILLION dollar mess the naked shorters are in...Best give them some cushion so that the process can be set "right"."
http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=ESWW&read=54035
??? I don't know. Maybe the wait is worth getting it right the first time.
"To be is to do" ~ Socrates
"To do is to be" ~ Jean-Paul Sartre
"Do be do be do" ~ Frank Sinatra
Cassandra,
Thanks for the "heads up" and the "thanks" link.
The guy sure had a lot of chutzpah. I wonder how he thought that word wouldn't get around. Can't help his business. Now, maybe if he had won..........
Mechanic put car on fast track
By Ihosvani Rodriguez
San Antonio Express-News
Web Posted : 01/13/2004 12:00 AM
It's not unusual for a mechanic to test drive a client's car.
But at a local racetrack?
Well, that's just criminal, prosecutors said Monday, right before San Antonio mechanic Rocky Castilleja pleaded no contest to charges of unlawful use of a vehicle.
Even more unusual was the way the lead-footed mechanic was caught.
"I don't even know how to begin to explain how unbelievable this is," said Sofia Aguilar, who purchased the car. "People can't believe this story."
Aguilar took the 1992 Mitsubishi 3000 GT to Castilleja's Kirby-area repair shop, Cast Automotive, on Jan. 11, 2002. It had transmission problems, and someone recommended Castilleja. The car was a college graduation present for her daughter, Regina, now 24.
After two weeks of being told the car wasn't ready, Aguilar went to the shop and saw the silver sports car parked, caked with dirt, on a lawn.
Castilleja, 37, said he had been doing some "diagnostic testing" on the car and that it was driving much better. Aguilar, a secretary at Fort Sam Houston, drove it around the block, and while the car wasn't running better, it did have 190 more miles.
"He told me that he hooked it to some equipment that added miles to the odometer," she said.
Nearly a month later, on Feb. 8, Castilleja's wife called Aguilar and said the car was ready. Come pick it up tomorrow morning, Aguilar was told.
That evening, Aguilar and her family went to River City Raceway and saw a familiar silver car darting down the track. Family members took note but dismissed it as just another shiny car.
They later saw the car take at least two practice trips across the track, while the family joked and began rooting for it because of its likeness, Aguilar said.
Finally, Regina went to pit row to check it out.
There, awaiting another qualifying run, with Castilleja behind the wheel, another 340 miles on the odometer and her "I love Hawaii" key chain still dangling from the ignition, was her car.
"She repeated to me 'I found my car' about four times. I didn't realize what she was trying to tell me. I thought she meant she found the car of her dreams, but she was crying," Aguilar said. "And, yeah, it was our car!"
The family told an off-duty officer in the stands, and according to a police report, a pit-side confrontation with the mechanic ensued.
Aguilar "knew I was going to test drive it," the officer quoted Castilleja as saying.
"At the racetrack?" shot back Aguilar's husband, Juan. "I don't think so."
Castilleja was arrested two weeks later after Aguilar filed a report with Kirby police.
A sentencing date has not been set. Castilleja will likely be put on two years' probation and ordered to pay a $1,200 fine and restitution, Assistant District Attorney Kevin O'Connell said.
Neither the mechanic nor his attorney could be reached for comment Monday.
Aguilar reports that the car was in bad shape after the racing. It's now in South Carolina, where her daughter lives.
So how did the car do at the track?
"It didn't even qualify," Aguilar said.
http://news.mysanantonio.com/story.cfm?xlc=1112973
I know some of you can't relate to this but........
This morning I was standing next to a very fat fellow at a urinal
when suddenly for no discernible reason he confided in me that
he "hadn't seen his thing in 15 years."
Not knowing why he suddenly decided to confide such personal
information to a complete stranger, and not knowing what else to say
and wanting to be helpful, I said, "Why don't you diet?"
Giving me a surprised sideways stare, he said,
"Dye it? What color is it now?"
received via email from my mother! She never talked like that when I was a pup.
Find Inner Peace
I am passing this on to you because it has definitely worked for me...and as we start the new year we all could use a little calm.
By following the simple advice I read in an article, I have finally found inner peace. The article read:
"The way to achieve inner peace is to finish all the things you've started."
So I looked around the house to see all the things I started and hadn't finished....and before leaving the house this morning I finished off a bottle of red wine, a bottle of white wine, the Bailey's, Kahlua and Wild Turkey, the Prozac, some valium, some cheesecake and a box of chocolates.
You have no idea how freakin good I feel....
You may pass this on to those you feel are in need of Inner Peace...
(stolen from RB http://ragingbull.lycos.com/mboard/boards.cgi?board=IMTS&read=462)
A great many people think they are thinking when they are merely rearranging their prejudices. -- William James
ukie,
I, too, noticed a few reruns. One that stood out most recently was the NASA pen, #msg-2373878. It reappeared less than 17 hours after I posted it, #msg-2365496. A couple were repeats by the same poster???
The number of jokes is cut-and-paste overkill, a link to the internet joke site would have been easier, but a couple were pretty good. Definitely a chore to wade through and find them, though.
Looking to buy a frog?
A man walks into a bar and asks the bartender, "If I show you a really good trick, will you give me a free drink?" The bartender considers it, then agrees. The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny rat. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a tiny piano. The rat stretches, cracks his knuckles, and proceeds to play the blues.
After the man finished his drink, he asked the bartender, "If I show you an even better trick, will you give me free drinks for the rest of the evening?" The bartender agrees, thinking that no trick could possibly be better than the first. The man reaches into his pocket and pulls out a tiny rat. He reaches into his other pocket and pulls out a tiny piano. The
rat stretches, cracks his knuckles, and proceeds to play the blues. The man reaches into another pocket and pulls out a small bullfrog, who begins to sing along with the rat's music.
While the man is enjoying his beverages, a stranger confronts him and offers him $100,000.00 for the bullfrog. "Sorry," the man replies, "he's not for sale." The stranger increases the offer to $250,000.00 cash up front. "No," he insists, "he's not for sale." The stranger again increases the offer, this time to $500,000.00 cash. The man finally agrees, and turns the frog over to the stranger in exchange for the money.
"Are you insane?" the bartender demanded. "That frog could have been worth millions to you, and you let him go for a mere $500,000!" "Don't worry about it." the man answered. "The frog was really nothing special. The rat's a ventriloquist."
Stolen from subs to .02 (subs) #board-1505
#msg-2377052 by Dallas Boy50
Various Thoughts On Love
====================
It is wrong to think that love comes from long companionship and
persevering courtship. Love is the offspring of spiritual
affinity and unless that affinity is created in a moment,
it will not be created for years or even generations.
Khalil Gibran
It is with true love as it is with ghosts; everyone talks about it,
but few have seen it.
Francois de La Rouchefoucauld
Love begins with a smile, grows with a kiss,
and ends with a teardrop.
Success is nothing, without someone you love to share it with.
Billy Dee Williams in the movie, Mahogany
Love cures people, both the ones who give it and the ones who
receive it.
Dr. Karl Menninger
Love does not consist in gazing at each other, but in looking
outward together in the same direction.
Antoine de Saint-Exupery
Love is a fire. But whether it is going to warm your hearth or
burn down your house, you can never tell.
Joan Crawford
Love is the answer, but while you're waiting for the answer,
sex raises some pretty good questions.
Woody Allen
Sex without love is an empty experience, but, as empty
experiences go, it's one of the best.
Woody Allen (again)
Love is an ideal thing, marriage a real thing;
a confusion of the real with the ideal never goes unpunished.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe (1749-1832)
Age does not protect you from love but love to some extent
protects you from age.
Jeanne Moreau
Beware you be not swallowed up in books! An ounce of love is
worth a pound of knowledge.
John Wesley
Better to have loved a short man than never to have loved a tall.
David Chambless
Immature love says: "I love you because I need you."
Mature love says: "I need you because I love you."
Erich Fromm
Absence is to love what wind is to fire;
it extinguishes the small, it enkindles the great.
Comte DeBussy-Rabutin
A woman has got to love a bad man once or twice in her life
to be thankful for a good one.
Mae West (1892-1980)
A man in love is incomplete until he is married.
Then he's finished.
Zsa Zsa Gabor
In the arithmetic of love, one plus one equals everything,
and two minus one equals nothing.
Mignon McLaughlin
Hatred paralyzes life; love releases it. Hatred confuses life;
love harmonizes it.
Hatred darkens life; love illumines it.
Martin Luther King, Jr. (1929-1968)
I recently read that love is entirely a matter of chemistry.
That must be why my wife treats me like toxic waste.
David Bissonette
There is only one kind of love,
but there are a thousand imitations.
Francois de La Rouchefoucauld
To keep your marriage brimming, with love in the wedding cup,
whenever you're wrong, admit it; whenever you're right, shut up.
Ogden Nash
The course of true love never did run smooth.
William Shakespeare
You can't buy love, but you can pay heavily for it.
Henny Youngman
Where there is marriage without love,
there will be love without marriage.
Men always want to be a woman's first love,
women like to be a man's last romance.
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900)
Never frown because you never know who might be falling in love
with your smile.
Justine Milton
No woman marries for money; they are all clever enough,
before marrying a millionaire, to fall in love with him first.
Cesare Pavese
Love looks through a telescope; envy, through a microscope.
Josh Billings
No matter how lovesick a woman is,
she shouldn't take the first pill that comes along.
Joyce Brothers
and finally. . .
The Best Valentine's gift
Give her two red roses, each with a note.
The first note says, "For the woman I love"
and the second,
"For my best friend."
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/1045.htm
Prepare to Fly - Let MountainWings.com help lift YOU over the Mountains of Life
If you feel you may be alone on Valentine’s Day
Click below:
http://www.cryofthespirit.com/alone.html
Seven Quotes by Abe
=================
If I were two-faced, would I be wearing this one?
No man is good enough to govern another man without that other's
consent.
Am I not destroying my enemies when I make friends of them?
You have to do your own growing no matter how tall your
grandfather was.
Whatever you are, be a good one.
Nearly all men can stand adversity,
but if you want to test a man's character, give him power.
Whenever I hear anyone arguing for slavery,
I feel a strong impulse to see it tried on him personally.
~Abraham Lincoln (born Feb. 12, 1809)~
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/4043.htm
ONEBGG,
I lurk a lot. Once in a while, reading the posts triggers a neuron and I add my 2 cents.
Vex, one more on indifference:
More good things in life are lost by indifference than ever were lost by active hostility. ~Robert Gordon Menzies
Similar to Shaw's
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference."
~Elie Wiesel~
Full quote:
"The opposite of love is not hate, it's indifference. The opposite of art is not ugliness, it's indifference. The opposite of faith is not heresy, it's indifference. And the opposite of life is not death, it's indifference."
~Elie Wiesel~
"Sometimes we must interfere.
When human lives are endangered,
when human dignity is in jeopardy, national borders and sensitivities become irrelevant. Whenever men or women are persecuted because of their race, religion, or political views, that place must - at that moment - become the center of the universe."
courtesy of thepennyking
Posted over at "quote" #board-388
#msg-2343931
All I want is a warm bed and a kind word and unlimited power.
I don't have any solution but I certainly admire the problem.
I either want less corruption, or more chance to participate in it.
In order to keep an open mind, I am trying to avoid learning anything.
Inform all the troops that communications have completely broken down.
My opinions may have changed, but not the fact that I am right.
My sources are unreliable, but their information is fascinating.
Please don't lie to me, unless you're absolutely sure I'll never find out the truth.
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and whatever you hit, call it the target.
Today's children are required to learn what most people in former times were forbidden to know.
Try to relax and enjoy the crisis.
Sometimes I need what only you can provide -- your absence.
Please don't ask me what the score is, I'm not even sure what the game is.
I don't have any solution, but I certainly admire the problem.
Take Courage! Whatever you decide to do, it will probably be the wrong thing.
I may not be totally perfect, but parts of me are excellent.
The best reason for having dreams is that in dreams no reasons are necessary.
It's good to know that if I behave strangely enough, society will take full responsibility for me.
Appreciate me now and avoid the rush.
Better start rushing before the rush begins!
By doing just a little every day, I can gradually let the task overwhelm me.
Do what you know is right, but try not to get caught.
Even if you're not enjoying the flight, it's futile to threaten to get out and walk.
Even when I'm happy and successful, life still goes on.
Having failed to conquer myself, my best hope now is to arrange an alliance with myself.
I always like to know what I'm doing, but there are times when nobody will tell me.
I could do great things, if I weren't so busy doing little things.
I don't have any solution, but I certainly admire the problem.
I don't understand you. You don't understand me. What else do we have in common?
I hope I can settle my internal conflicts without bloodshed.
I try to take life as it comes, and just hope it keeps coming.
I waited and waited, and when no message came, I knew it must have been from you.
I'll give up my bad habits as soon as equally satisfying good habits become available.
I'm going to spend the rest of my life in the future, and possibly even longer.
Is it you and I who are crazy, or is it everybody else?
It's sometimes easier to do the impossible than to do the embarrassing.
Life is a process of losing our illusions, until we finally lose the illusion that we're alive.
Life may have no meaning. Or even worse, it may have a meaning of which I disapprove.
Maybe I'm lucky to be going so slowly, because I may be going in the wrong direction.
Most of my problems have no answer or else the answer is worse than the problem.
Not only don't I know what tomorrow will bring, I'm still not entirely certain what yesterday brought.
Please don't believe everything you hear about me, regardless of how true it may be.
Should I abide by the rules until they're changed, or help speed the change by breaking them?
Some books make me want to go adventuring, others feel that they have saved me the trouble.
Strange as it may seem, my life is based on a true story.
The task I've been given seems absurd: To wait here on earth until I no longer exist.
The things I fear may all be imaginary, so what I fear most is my imagination.
There is a world which I alone rule, but it ends at my fingertips.
To be sure of hitting the target, shoot first and call whatever you hit the target. Try to be the best of what you are, even if what you are is no good. Try to relax and enjoy the crisis.
Unlike most other people, I'm just an average person. Without me there could be no everybody.
Fun site to visit: http://www.mincedchicken.co.uk/
No wonder the world thinks we're stupid.
When NASA first started sending astronauts into space, they quickly discovered that ball-point pens would not work in zero gravity.
To combat this problem, NASA scientists spent a decade and $12 million developing a pen that writes in zero gravity, upside down, on almost any surface including glass and at temperatures ranging from below freezing to over 300 degrees.
The Russians used a pencil.
OK, done
Came across the story whilst reading some RB posts on IMTS.
All the publicity on "The Passion" may get me into a motion picture theater for the first time since 1972. Have I missed anything worthwhile since then?
If you have a hankering for "live", plan your vacation now.
65th Anniversary Season
Spearfish SD USA
June through August
2004
http://www.blackhills.com/bhpp/pp_index.htm
I experienced this performance back in the mid 60's. May make a refresher visit.
Witnessing moves from revival tent to fast lane
In Daytona 500, Bobby Labonte will try
to steer non-believers with ad for
‘The Passion of the Christ’ on hood
The crew and race car of NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte wait for inspection before the start of Daytona 500 qualifying on Sunday. On the hood of Labonte's car is the promotion of the controversial movie, "The Passion of the Christ." “It’s a chance to get the word out,” Labonte said.
Updated: 1:41 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - When Bobby Labonte takes the green flag in Sunday’s Daytona 500, he’ll be racing for victory — and the Lord.
The hood of Labonte’s car is both a shameless movie plug — “The Passion of the Christ,” coming soon to a theater near you — and some new-style proselytizing for the Gospel.
Yes, witnessing has moved from the revival tent to the fast lane.
“It’s a chance to get the word out,” Labonte said about the ad on his car. “Someone who is curious about Jesus and has never been saved sees the race and says, ’Hmmm, I’d like to see what that’s about.’ ... Maybe we can change their minds.”
NASCAR racing and the Christian faith have often worked hand-in-hand, from infield services for drivers, crewmen and officials to the pre-race invocation to the annual break in the schedule for the Easter holiday.
Now comes a car promoting “The Passion of the Christ,” a soon-to-be-released movie that already has drawn lavish praise from conservative clergy — including the Rev. Billy Graham — but angry denouncements from Jewish groups fearing it will stir up anti-Semitism.
For Labonte, it was a no-brainer to plug Mel Gibson’s film on the No. 18 car, especially since the movie focuses on the seminal event in the Christian faith — the crucifixion of Jesus.
“I know how much it has impacted my life and my family’s life,” said Labonte, a former NASCAR Nextel Cup champion.
Stock car racing is unapologetic about its ties to Christianity, which isn’t surprising for a sport that grew up in the Bible Belt. But, mirroring NASCAR’s attempts to diversify the good ol’ boy image, the word has gone out that all religions are welcome.
“Walking through the garage, yes, I’m unashamed about being a Christian,” said Dale Beaver, a chaplain for Motor Racing Outreach, which conducts half-hour chapel services before events. “If you’re not a Christian, that’s OK. We can still get along.”
NASCAR has attempted to maintain symmetry between its predominantly Christian fan base and those of other faiths.
Hal Marchman, a retired Baptist minister who has given the pre-race invocation since Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, always ends his prayer with “shalom and amen,” incorporating the Hebrew word for “peace” into his Christian beliefs.
“We’re not the only ones,” Marchman said. “I respect the Jewish religion. I respect every religion.”
But it’s not always easy for NASCAR to pull off the balancing act.
Two years ago, Morgan Shepherd put a Jesus decal on the hook of his racing truck before a race in Darlington, S.C. NASCAR officials received complaints — “maybe it was the atheists,” Shepherd said — and asked him to remove the logo. He complied, prompting a backlash from Christian fans.
A few weeks later, NASCAR told Shepherd he could put the logo back on his race vehicles. It’s been there ever since.
“I commend NASCAR and the sport I’m in,” Shepherd said. “They’re not afraid to stand up for what’s right. They let us come in and worship with MRO. We can pray before races. I know they’ve taken a lot of heat.”
He praised retired NASCAR chairman Bill France for resisting any attempts to eliminate religion from the race track.
For instance, it’s hard to imagine NASCAR levying a $5,000 fine on a competitor for wearing a cap with a cross during interviews, which happened with NFL quarterback Jon Kitna in December (the fine was rescinded last week by the league).
From Shepherd’s perspective, NASCAR’s alliance with the Christian faith gives the sport a more wholesome, family oriented image.
“I guarantee you’re never going to see anything like what happened with Janet Jackson,” Shepherd said, referring to the singer whose breast was exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show. “Those things are not going to happen in our sport. Not while Bill France is around.”
While Shepherd said he’s received plenty of praise for his Victory In Jesus racing team, that hasn’t translated into financial backing. His hopes of qualifying for the Daytona 500 were scuttled by a shoestring budget.
“Why does corporate America spend so much money ... supporting things that don’t have moral values?” Shepherd asked. “And here we are, trying to serve the Lord. There’s nothing bad in the Bible. Even if you don’t believe in God, if everyone would just live by the Bible and the Ten Commandments, see how much better the world would be.”
Labonte has plenty of financial backing. In fact, the idea to use the No. 18 car as an advertising vehicle for “The Passion of the Christ” came from his primary sponsor.
Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, has teamed up with Hollywood to promote other movies, including “Toy Story 2” and “The Hulk.” But Gibson’s project took on special meaning after Miller saw the film at a screening in California.
He doesn’t believe the movie portrays Jews as being solely responsible for the death of Christ — a concept blamed for centuries of anti-Semitism.
“The Bible is clear: Jesus was volunteering when he laid his life down,” Miller said. “I don’t feel it’s near the issue people are trying to make out of it.”
And, said J.D. Gibbs, who runs the team, this marketing campaign isn’t intended to keep other faiths in the pits.
“We want everyone to look at this as their sport,” Gibbs said. “It’s not just a Christian sport.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4225802/
Witnessing moves from revival tent to fast lane
In Daytona 500, Bobby Labonte will try
to steer non-believers with ad for
‘The Passion of the Christ’ on hood
The crew and race car of NASCAR driver Bobby Labonte wait for inspection before the start of Daytona 500 qualifying on Sunday. On the hood of Labonte's car is the promotion of the controversial movie, "The Passion of the Christ." “It’s a chance to get the word out,” Labonte said.
Updated: 1:41 p.m. ET Feb. 11, 2004
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. - When Bobby Labonte takes the green flag in Sunday’s Daytona 500, he’ll be racing for victory — and the Lord.
The hood of Labonte’s car is both a shameless movie plug — “The Passion of the Christ,” coming soon to a theater near you — and some new-style proselytizing for the Gospel.
Yes, witnessing has moved from the revival tent to the fast lane.
“It’s a chance to get the word out,” Labonte said about the ad on his car. “Someone who is curious about Jesus and has never been saved sees the race and says, ’Hmmm, I’d like to see what that’s about.’ ... Maybe we can change their minds.”
NASCAR racing and the Christian faith have often worked hand-in-hand, from infield services for drivers, crewmen and officials to the pre-race invocation to the annual break in the schedule for the Easter holiday.
Now comes a car promoting “The Passion of the Christ,” a soon-to-be-released movie that already has drawn lavish praise from conservative clergy — including the Rev. Billy Graham — but angry denouncements from Jewish groups fearing it will stir up anti-Semitism.
For Labonte, it was a no-brainer to plug Mel Gibson’s film on the No. 18 car, especially since the movie focuses on the seminal event in the Christian faith — the crucifixion of Jesus.
“I know how much it has impacted my life and my family’s life,” said Labonte, a former NASCAR Nextel Cup champion.
Stock car racing is unapologetic about its ties to Christianity, which isn’t surprising for a sport that grew up in the Bible Belt. But, mirroring NASCAR’s attempts to diversify the good ol’ boy image, the word has gone out that all religions are welcome.
“Walking through the garage, yes, I’m unashamed about being a Christian,” said Dale Beaver, a chaplain for Motor Racing Outreach, which conducts half-hour chapel services before events. “If you’re not a Christian, that’s OK. We can still get along.”
NASCAR has attempted to maintain symmetry between its predominantly Christian fan base and those of other faiths.
Hal Marchman, a retired Baptist minister who has given the pre-race invocation since Daytona International Speedway opened in 1959, always ends his prayer with “shalom and amen,” incorporating the Hebrew word for “peace” into his Christian beliefs.
“We’re not the only ones,” Marchman said. “I respect the Jewish religion. I respect every religion.”
But it’s not always easy for NASCAR to pull off the balancing act.
Two years ago, Morgan Shepherd put a Jesus decal on the hook of his racing truck before a race in Darlington, S.C. NASCAR officials received complaints — “maybe it was the atheists,” Shepherd said — and asked him to remove the logo. He complied, prompting a backlash from Christian fans.
A few weeks later, NASCAR told Shepherd he could put the logo back on his race vehicles. It’s been there ever since.
“I commend NASCAR and the sport I’m in,” Shepherd said. “They’re not afraid to stand up for what’s right. They let us come in and worship with MRO. We can pray before races. I know they’ve taken a lot of heat.”
He praised retired NASCAR chairman Bill France for resisting any attempts to eliminate religion from the race track.
For instance, it’s hard to imagine NASCAR levying a $5,000 fine on a competitor for wearing a cap with a cross during interviews, which happened with NFL quarterback Jon Kitna in December (the fine was rescinded last week by the league).
From Shepherd’s perspective, NASCAR’s alliance with the Christian faith gives the sport a more wholesome, family oriented image.
“I guarantee you’re never going to see anything like what happened with Janet Jackson,” Shepherd said, referring to the singer whose breast was exposed during the Super Bowl halftime show. “Those things are not going to happen in our sport. Not while Bill France is around.”
While Shepherd said he’s received plenty of praise for his Victory In Jesus racing team, that hasn’t translated into financial backing. His hopes of qualifying for the Daytona 500 were scuttled by a shoestring budget.
“Why does corporate America spend so much money ... supporting things that don’t have moral values?” Shepherd asked. “And here we are, trying to serve the Lord. There’s nothing bad in the Bible. Even if you don’t believe in God, if everyone would just live by the Bible and the Ten Commandments, see how much better the world would be.”
Labonte has plenty of financial backing. In fact, the idea to use the No. 18 car as an advertising vehicle for “The Passion of the Christ” came from his primary sponsor.
Norm Miller, chairman of Interstate Batteries, has teamed up with Hollywood to promote other movies, including “Toy Story 2” and “The Hulk.” But Gibson’s project took on special meaning after Miller saw the film at a screening in California.
He doesn’t believe the movie portrays Jews as being solely responsible for the death of Christ — a concept blamed for centuries of anti-Semitism.
“The Bible is clear: Jesus was volunteering when he laid his life down,” Miller said. “I don’t feel it’s near the issue people are trying to make out of it.”
And, said J.D. Gibbs, who runs the team, this marketing campaign isn’t intended to keep other faiths in the pits.
“We want everyone to look at this as their sport,” Gibbs said. “It’s not just a Christian sport.”
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/4225802/
Things I learned since Isabel
=======================
My son, who lives in the Hampton Roads area of Virginia, was
affected by hurricane Isabel. Power to his area was restored a
bit over 2 weeks after the storm. His wit still remains as he
writes...
Things I learned since Isabel...
Coffee and frozen pizzas can be made on a BBQ grill.
No matter how many times you flick the switch, lights don't
work without electricity.
My car gets 23.21675 miles per gallon, EXACTLY (you can ask
the people in line who helped me push it.)
Kids can survive 4 days or longer without a video game
controller in their hands.
Cats are even more annoying without power.
He who has the biggest generator wins.
Women can actually survive without doing their hair (you just
wish they weren't around you.)
A new method of non-lethal torture: showers without hot water.
Dominion Virginia Power and VDOT are the same company (not
really but their ability to plan are strikingly similar).
There are a lot more stars in the sky than most people thought.
TV is an addiction and the withdrawal symptoms are painful.
A 7-pound bag of ice will chill six 12-ounce Budweisers to a drinkable
temperature in 11 minutes, and still keep a 14-pound turkey
frozen for 8 more hours.
There sure are a lot of trees around here!
Flood plane drawings on some mortgage documents were seriously
wrong.
Contrary to the beliefs of most natives in Hampton Roads, speed
limits on roads without traffic lights do not increase.
Aluminum siding, while aesthetically pleasing, is definitely not
required.
"Just because you're over 35 doesn't mean you can stay out as
late as you want." (At least that's what the Hampton cops told
me during curfew stop.)
Crickets can increase their volume to overcome the sound of 14
generators.
People will get into a line that has already formed without
having any idea what the line is for.
When required, a Lincoln Continental will float; doesn't steer
well but floats just the same.
Some things do keep the mailman from his appointed rounds.
Telemarketers function no matter what the weather is doing.
Cell phones work when land lines are down, but only as long as
the battery remains charged.
Twenty-seven of your neighbors are fed from a different transformer than
you, and they are quick to point that out!
Hampers were not made to contain such a volume.
If I owned a store that sold only ice, chainsaws, gas and
generators...I'd be rich.
The price of a can of soup rises 200% in a storm.
Your water front property can quickly become someone else's
fishing hole.
Tree service companies are underappreciated.
I've learned what happens when you make fun of another state's
blackout.
MATH 101: 30 days in a month, minus 6 days without power equals a
30% higher electric bill ???
Drywall is a compound word, take away the :dry" part and it's
worthless.
I can walk a lot farther than I thought.
A 7-mile stretch of "new" road by the Coliseum doesn't drain
properly...but wait, I learned that 2 months ago.
Water will indeed fill the Midtown Tunnel if the floodgates
aren't shut during a flood. I was pretty sure that was true,
but it has now been proven.
~A MountainWings Original by subscriber Carmela M. Saul's son J~
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/4042.htm
Prepare to Fly - Let MountainWings.com help lift YOU over the Mountains of Life
I think it accidently got posted on a wrong board.
It happens.
Had me confused, too...but that isn't too hard to do at times.
But here's a thought that made me smile:
It is a mathematical fact that fifty percent of all doctors graduate in the bottom half of their class. ~Author Unknown
Original,
Mountain Wings is often a blessing. I have their site "hot keyed" on my computer to check every morning. Part of the morning routine. I email and / or post quite a few of their messages. Some are so light hearted, they even make the JOKES thread.
Prepare to Fly - Let MountainWings.com help lift YOU over the Mountains of Life
Free daily email signup at: http://www.mountainwings.com/
I, too, check the VSN board occassionally for updates. Looks like we may have let Excel know his "vision" is not forgotten.
Excel,
Actually, the VSN board is where I first ran across you back in 2001. Didn't have much sage advice to offer, so was just a lurker. Was curious if the board was still monitored. You answered that.
God Bless
ps: inspiring David and Goliath quote.
P.U.S.H.
=======
A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room
filled with light and God appeared. The Lord told the man He
had work for him to do and showed him a large rock in front of
his cabin.
The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock
with all his might. So, this the man did, day after day.
For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders
set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving
rock, pushing with all of his might.
Each night the man returned to his cabin sore and worn out,
feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.
Since the man was showing discouragement, the Adversary (Satan),
decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the weary
mind:
"You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it
hasn't moved."
Thus, he gave the man the impression that the task was
impossible and that he was a failure. These thoughts
discouraged and disheartened the man.
Satan said, "Why kill yourself over this? Just put in your
time, giving just the minimum effort, and that will be good
enough. That's what the weary man planned to do, but decided to
make it a matter of prayer and to take his troubled thoughts to
the Lord.
“Lord,” he said, "I have labored long and hard in your service,
putting all my strength to do that which you have asked.
Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by
half a millimeter.
What is wrong?
Why am I failing?”
The Lord responded compassionately, "My friend, when I asked you
to serve Me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to
push against the rock with all of your strength, which you have
done.
Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it.
Your task was to push.
And now you come to Me with your strength spent,
thinking that you have failed.
Is that really so?
Look at yourself.
Your arms are strong and muscled,
your back sinewy and brown;
your hands are callused from constant pressure,
your legs have become massive and hard.
Through opposition you have grown much,
and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.
True, you haven't moved the rock. But your calling was to be
obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My
wisdom. That you have done.
Now I, my friend, will move the rock."
At times, when we hear a word from God, we tend to use our own
intellect to decipher what He wants, when actually what God
wants is just a simple obedience and faith in Him.
By all means, exercise the faith that moves mountains,
but know that it is still God who moves mountains.
When everything seems to go wrong...just
P.U.S.H.!
When the job gets you down... just P.U.S.H.!
When people don't react the way you think
they should... just P.U.S.H.
When your money is "gone" and the bills are due... just P.U.S.H!
When people just don't understand you... just P.U.S.H.
P= Pray
U= Until
S= Something
H= Happens
~Author Unknown~
http://www.mountainwings.com/past/4040.htm
Prepare to Fly - Let MountainWings.com help lift YOU over the Mountains of Life
UncleverName,
My sincere apology if you took offense to the word. It was definitely not intended in a lewd female specific manner but rather in the slang fashion of something difficult or unpleasant. My only other uses of the word refers to dogs or complaints.
When you pointed it out, I can see how it could have been seen in an unintended unflattering way.
Again, sorry for the poor choice of words.
Matt,
I've a little experience with networks, run several meters of cat5 cable in my time. One thing I found to greatly relieve the stress involved in troubleshooting intermittent server glitches is to shed the Nikes, pull on my favorite Tony Lamas and properly reboot (kick) the bitch. Doesn't make the server "happy", but does relieve some stress.
linedrive,
Speaking of holes,
There are two kinds of people in the world.
One type will walk into a hardware store to buy a half inch drill bit because he wants a half inch drill bit.
I will walk into a hardware store to buy a half inch drill bit, not because I want a half inch drill bit, but rather, I want a half inch hole.
Excel, Steal away; As you can tell, I stole them first from teapeebubbles.
I'm just a country bumpkin that needs such simplicity to comprehend the otherwise obvious. Many are summations of learnin' by doin'...similar to, "don't squat with your spurs on."
Excel, Good thought, just a wing-over would do it.
Heard a preacher once talking of the "Rapture of the Church." "Oh," he exclaimed, "how would you like to still be a lost sinner whilst the Christian pilot and Christian passengers are caught up to the heavens. Who's going to land your plane?"
Phil,
I've updated the ibox a little to curb politics on this board. I personally don't care for jokes about a sitting president. I've respect for the office regardless of my opinion of the person holding the office. The ballot box is where I post my opinions on this nation's leadership. I have close relatives overseas for whom Mr Bush is their current Commander in Chief. I pray for their safety and His guidance upon the president.
Many a political joke is merely recycled, administration to administration and not exclusively political in nature. The punchline has a _______(insert butt of joke here)_______. Some things are endured in the name of freedom of speech. The way I first heard #3067 (#msg-2326637)was "No," said David, "he plays for the Minnesota Vikings, but I was too embarrassed to say that in front of the other kids." LOL
The BushFlash #msg-2326297 wasn't funny, but definitely thought provoking. As tpb posted, "What you sow, so shall ye reap." Yet again, probably best posted on a political board.
On the bright side, JOKES nailed the "HOT" list for awhile today, thanks to teapeebubbles.
Got 3 of them.
3, 5, and 6
batting .500
Country Wisdom........
This was posted over at JOKES #msg-2326367 by "teapeebubbles".
Some absolutely make sense.
Life is not about how fast you run, or how high you climb, but how well you bounce.
Keep skunks and lawyers at a distance.
Life is simpler when you plow around the stumps.
A bumble bee is faster than a John Deere tractor.
Trouble with a milk cow is she won't stay milked.
Don't skinny dip with snapping turtles.
Words that soak into your ears are whispered, not yelled.
Meanness don't happen overnight.
To know how country folks are doing, look at their barns, not their houses.
Never lay an angry hand on a kid or an animal, it just ain't helpful.
Teachers, Moms, and hoot owls sleep with one eye open.
Forgive your enemies. It messes with their heads.
Don't sell your mule to buy a plow.
Two can live as cheap as one if one don't eat.
Don't corner something meaner than you.
You can catch more flies with honey than vinegar, assuming you want to catch flies.
Man is the only critter who feels the need to label things as flowers or weeds.
It don't take a very big person to carry a grudge.
Don't go huntin' with a fellow named Chug-A-Lug.
You can't unsay a cruel thing.
Every path has some puddles.
Don't wrestle with pigs: You'll get all muddy and the pigs will love it.
The best sermons are lived, not preached.
Most of the stuff people worry about never happens.
The Ten Commandments display was removed from the Alabama Supreme Court
building. There was a good reason for the move. You can't post Thou Shalt
Not Steal, Thou Shalt Not Commit Adultery and Thou Shall Not Lie in a
building full of lawyers and Politicians without creating a hostile work environment.
Sunday cartoon
Some background on the cartoon in case you don't quite get it. An awesome story of ingenuity.
Cubans sail Buick in bid to reach U.S
Fri Feb 6, 7:05 AM ET
By Frances Kerry
MIAMI (Reuters) - A group of Cubans who tried to sail to the United States in a 1959 Buick car fashioned into a boat have been intercepted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard, relatives in Cuba and Cuban exiles say.
Reuters Photo
For four of the 11 people on board, it was not the first thwarted attempt to leave the communist island in a bizarrely converted vintage vehicle.
They had already tried last July to reach Florida in a vessel made from a 1951 Chevy truck, only to be picked up by the Coast Guard and sent home.
The Coast Guard intercepted the bright green Buick-boat on Tuesday during its journey over the 90-mile (140-km) stretch between Cuba and Florida, exile groups said.
In Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard would not discuss the incident, saying agency policy was not to comment on migrant interdiction cases while they were in process.
There was no word on whether the group had been taken aboard a Coast Guard vessel or had tried to sail on once they were spotted by the Coast Guard. If picked up, they would likely be sent home, unless they could make a case for political asylum.
In Cuba, relatives of the six adults and five children -- aged between 4 and 15 -- on the Buick appealed to U.S. authorities not to send them home.
Usually, Cubans caught at sea are repatriated, unless they can prove they have grounds for political asylum. Washington's policy is to monitor repatriated migrants to make sure they are not punished for having tried to leave.
Those Cuban migrants who manage to make it to U.S. shore are generally allowed to stay.
Relatives said the group was led by Luis Grass, who was one of the 12 Cubans repatriated last July after the truck crossing attempt failed, and was seeking a visa for the United States as a political refugee.
Their vessel, seen on images broadcast by Miami television stations, looked like one of the many stately 1950s American cars that still cruise the streets of Havana and other Cuba cities -- except that it was surrounded by ocean.
The group drove into the sea from a beach east of Havana after dark on Monday.
"They sealed the doors and added a double bottom, steel plates for a bow and a propeller," said Eduardo Perez, cousin of Luis Grass, at his home in the Havana suburb of Diezmero.
He said it cost $4,000 (2,200 pounds) to make the Buick, powered by its original V8 engine, seaworthy and pay for cellular phones used to help the look-out for police on the drive to the beach.
Grass, 35, his wife Isora and 4-year-old son, and Marcial Basalta, were aboard last July's attempt in a truck made seaworthy with 55-gallon drums strapped to the sides.
This time Basalta took his wife and two children with him in the Buick owned by a friend called Rafael, who left with his wife and their two sons.
The relatives in Havana called on U.S. authorities not to repatriate the occupants of the Buick, saying they would be punished by the Cuban government for trying a second time.
"The United States should have a little bit of compassion and value the determination of these people," Perez said. "They are clean people. All they want to do is live and work."
"On ingenuity alone, they should be allowed to stay," said Joe Garcia, executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation, a leading exile group.
Many in Miami's large exile population were outraged last July when U.S. authorities repatriated the 12 occupants of the truck, and sank the vessel, saying it was unseaworthy and if it were preserved might encourage copycat efforts.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040206/od_uk_nm/oukoe_cubans_buick_1
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming---Wow....What a ride!!!
More Sunday cartoons
Thanks to BULLarkey for the link
Some background on the cartoon in case you don't quite get it. An awesome story of ingenuity.
Cubans sail Buick in bid to reach U.S
Fri Feb 6, 7:05 AM ET
By Frances Kerry
MIAMI (Reuters) - A group of Cubans who tried to sail to the United States in a 1959 Buick car fashioned into a boat have been intercepted at sea by the U.S. Coast Guard, relatives in Cuba and Cuban exiles say.
Reuters Photo
For four of the 11 people on board, it was not the first thwarted attempt to leave the communist island in a bizarrely converted vintage vehicle.
They had already tried last July to reach Florida in a vessel made from a 1951 Chevy truck, only to be picked up by the Coast Guard and sent home.
The Coast Guard intercepted the bright green Buick-boat on Tuesday during its journey over the 90-mile (140-km) stretch between Cuba and Florida, exile groups said.
In Miami, the U.S. Coast Guard would not discuss the incident, saying agency policy was not to comment on migrant interdiction cases while they were in process.
There was no word on whether the group had been taken aboard a Coast Guard vessel or had tried to sail on once they were spotted by the Coast Guard. If picked up, they would likely be sent home, unless they could make a case for political asylum.
In Cuba, relatives of the six adults and five children -- aged between 4 and 15 -- on the Buick appealed to U.S. authorities not to send them home.
Usually, Cubans caught at sea are repatriated, unless they can prove they have grounds for political asylum. Washington's policy is to monitor repatriated migrants to make sure they are not punished for having tried to leave.
Those Cuban migrants who manage to make it to U.S. shore are generally allowed to stay.
Relatives said the group was led by Luis Grass, who was one of the 12 Cubans repatriated last July after the truck crossing attempt failed, and was seeking a visa for the United States as a political refugee.
Their vessel, seen on images broadcast by Miami television stations, looked like one of the many stately 1950s American cars that still cruise the streets of Havana and other Cuba cities -- except that it was surrounded by ocean.
The group drove into the sea from a beach east of Havana after dark on Monday.
"They sealed the doors and added a double bottom, steel plates for a bow and a propeller," said Eduardo Perez, cousin of Luis Grass, at his home in the Havana suburb of Diezmero.
He said it cost $4,000 (2,200 pounds) to make the Buick, powered by its original V8 engine, seaworthy and pay for cellular phones used to help the look-out for police on the drive to the beach.
Grass, 35, his wife Isora and 4-year-old son, and Marcial Basalta, were aboard last July's attempt in a truck made seaworthy with 55-gallon drums strapped to the sides.
This time Basalta took his wife and two children with him in the Buick owned by a friend called Rafael, who left with his wife and their two sons.
The relatives in Havana called on U.S. authorities not to repatriate the occupants of the Buick, saying they would be punished by the Cuban government for trying a second time.
"The United States should have a little bit of compassion and value the determination of these people," Perez said. "They are clean people. All they want to do is live and work."
"On ingenuity alone, they should be allowed to stay," said Joe Garcia, executive director of the Cuban American National Foundation, a leading exile group.
Many in Miami's large exile population were outraged last July when U.S. authorities repatriated the 12 occupants of the truck, and sank the vessel, saying it was unseaworthy and if it were preserved might encourage copycat efforts.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/nm/20040206/od_uk_nm/oukoe_cubans_buick_1
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming---Wow....What a ride!!!
Sunday cartoons:
Borrowing the link from BULLarkey:
http://cagle.slate.msn.com/politicalcartoons/
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming---Wow....What a ride!!!
Someday Capt, you can maybe have "WiMax" out there. WiMax, Wi-Fi on steroids. #msg-2116448
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming---Wow....What a ride!!!
hogs,
BW scan of 9Feb article:
http://www.villagephotos.com/viewpubimage.asp?id_=7808822&selected=758504
TechTV: "Sneak Peek at 2004's Gotta-Have Gadgets
..., with over 110,000 downloads. Wireless gizmos let loose at CES Kodak Picture Maker Ibiz Virtual Laser Keyboard Motorola MPx200 phone MSN Direct Smart Watch Easy-to-conceal cameras at CES Panasonic D-snap...
From: Fresh Gear > Show Notes
Last airdate: Saturday, February 7, 2004"
http://cgi.techtv.com/search?query_text=ibiz§ion=entire+site&date_range=anytime&x=11....
Can't help with recent IBD, sorry.
Bull, And how do you like the "service" the MMs are giving us?
Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming---Wow....What a ride!!!