Happy Thanksgiving, all you turkeys!

A man in Phoenix calls his son in New York the day before Thanksgiving and says,"I hate to ruin your day, but I have to tell you that your mother and I are divorcing; forty-five years of misery is enough.

"Pop, what are you talking about?" the son screams. We can't stand the sight of each other any longer," the father says. "We're sick of each other, and I'm sick of talking about this, so you call your sister in Chicago and tell her."

Frantic, the son calls his sister, who explodes on the phone. "Like heck they're getting divorced," she shouts, "I'll take care of this,"

She calls Phoenix immediately, and screams at her father, "You are NOT getting divorced. Don't do a single thing until I get there. I'm calling my brother back, and we'll both be there tomorrow. Until then, don't do a thing, DO YOU HEAR ME?" and hangs up.

The old man hangs up his phone and turns to his wife. "Okay," he says, "they're coming for Thanksgiving and paying their own way."

Isaac is a daddy!

I'm amazed.

Close but no Moshiach

If anyone remembers last year, James Cameron, the documentarist of "The Lost Tomb of Jesus", claimed to have discovered Jesus' tomb - with Jesus still in it. There were rather disturbing implications from this, not the least of them being the dissolution of Christianity, were these claims substantiated by fact.

However, such claims were in fact unsubstantiated:
"Amos Kloner, the first archaeologist to examine the site, said the idea fails to hold up by archaeological standards but makes for profitable television. Kloner said that of 900 burial caves found within four kilometers (two and a half miles) of Jerusalem's Old City and from the same era, the name Jesus or Yeshua was found 71 times, and that "Jesus son of Joseph" had also been found."

Apparently the names "Mary", "Joseph", and "Jesus" were some of the most common names in the period. I also find it likely Jewish leaders would attempt to fabricate such a site if they could not produce the body of Christ.

I think Cameron knew this all along, and his documentary (released prior to the publication of the squashing) was merely a clever way to make money for himself. For exploiting such a clever opportunity he should be commended. For blaspheming he is probably damned.

Pachabel Marries Metal

I have long thought classical music, if properly arranged, would excel in the metal setting. Instead of a chamber orchestra we have a metal band in place. What would great string music sound like on an electric guitar? The guitar and violin have roughly the same range and are similar enough that I thought it would be perfect. Two years ago at HoneyRock, a Service Teamer played part of Vivaldi's Summer Concerto on the electric guitar and it was great. Now I found something even better than that fragment: Pachabels' Canon in D....on the electric guitar.

Watch it for yourself (and note how many views/comments it has).It is amazing. If your interest is perked, search for Vivaldi and Bach metal arrangements...you won't be disappointed.

Politics

Those who propose to take charge of the affairs of government should not fail to remember two of Plato's rules: first, to keep the good of the people so clearly in view that regardless of their own interests they will make their every action conform to that; second, to care for the welfare of the whole body politic and not in serving the interests of some one party to betray the rest. For the administration of the government, like the office of a trustee must be conducted for the benefit of those entrusted to one's care, not of those to whom it is entrusted. Now, those who care for the interests of a part of the citizens and neglect another part, introduce into the civil service a dangerous element — dissension and party strife. The result is that some are found to be loyal supporters of the democratic, others of the aristocratic party, and few of the nation as a whole.

All this the citizen who is patriotic, brave, and worthy of a leading place in the state will shun with abhorrence; he will dedicate himself unreservedly to his country, without aiming at influence or power for himself; and he will devote himself to the state in its entirety in such a way as to further the interests of all. Besides, he will not expose anyone to hatred or disrepute by groundless charges. but he will surely cleave to justice and honour so closely that he will submit to any loss, however heavy, rather than be untrue to them, and will face death itself rather than renounce them. {87} A most wretched custom, assuredly, is our electioneering and scrambling for office. Concerning this also we find a fine thought in Plato: "Those who compete against one another," he says, "to see which of two candidates shall administer the government, are like sailors quarrelling as to which one of them shall do the steering." And he likewise lays down the rule that we should regard only those as adversaries who take up arms against the state, not those who strive to have the government administered according to their convictions.

It's a shame really. We should read more Cicero.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABBY!

My goodness, can it be possible? Baby Abby is fifteen!!

If you'd never been born then you might be a Wasn't.
A Wasn't has no fun at all, no he doesn't!

You take some pretty cool pics.

Have a super day! and a best Fifteen ever.