If you’re one in a million in China…
…there are 1,300 people just like you
China will soon become the NUMBER ONE English speaking country in the world.
The 25% of India’s population with the highest IQ’s…
…is greater than the total population of the United States.
TRANSLATION: India has more honors kids than America has kids.
The top 10 in-demand jobs in 2010…
…did not exist in 2004.
We are currently preparing students for jobs that don’ yet exist…
using technologies that haven’t been invented in order to solve problems we don’t even know are problems yet.
The US Department of Labor estimates that today’s learner will have 10-14 jobs…
by the age of 38.
1 in 4 workers has been with their current employer for less than a year.
1 in 2 has been there less than five years.
1 out of 8 couples married in the U.S. last year met online.
There are over 200 million registered users on MySpace.
If MySpace were a country it would be the 5th-largest in the world (between Indonesia and Brazil).
The #1 ranked country in Broadband Internet Penetration is Bermuda, #19 The United States, #22 Japan.
We are living in exponential times.
There are 31 Billion searches on Google every month.
In 2006, this number was 2.7 Billion.
To whom were these questions addressed B.G.? (Before Google)
The first commercial text message was sent in December of 1992.
Today, the number of text messages sent and received everyday, exceeds the total population of the planet.
Years it took to reach a market audience of 50 million: Radio 38 years, TV 13 years, Internet 4 years, iPod 3 years, Facebook 2 years.
The number of internet devices in 1984 was 1000.
The number of internet devices in 1992 was 1,000,000.
The number of internet devices in 2008 is 1,000.000.000.
There are about 540,000 words in the English language…
about 5X as many as during Shakespeare’s time.
It is estimated that a week’s worth of the New York Times contains more information than a person was likely to come across in a lifetime in the 18th century.
It is estimated that 4 exabytes (4.0x10^19) of unique information will be generated this year.
That is more than the previous 5,000 years.
The amount of new technical information is doubling every 2 years…
For students starting a 4 years technical degree this means that…
half of what they learn in the first year of study will be outdated by their third year of study.
NTT Japan has successfully tested a fiber optic cable…that pushes 14 trillion bits per second down a single strand of fiber. That is 2,660 CDs or 210 million phone calls every second.
It is currently tripling every six months and is expected to do so for the next 20 years.
By 2013, a supercomputer will be built that exceeds the computational capabilities of the human brain.
Predictions are that by 2049, a $1000 computer will exceed the computational capabilities of the entire human species.
During the course of this presentation…67 babies were born in the US, 274 babies were born in China, 395 babies were born in India, and 694,000 songs were downloaded illegally.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
Those of You Born 1930 - 1979
At the end of this message is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.. If you don't read anything else, please read what he said. Very well stated, Mr. Leno.
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers
Who smoked and/or drank while they were
Pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode
Our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children,
We would ride in cars with no car seats,
No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes, no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day
Was always a special treat.
We drank water
From the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends,
From one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.
We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar
And, we weren't overweight.
WHY?
Because we were
Always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
As long as we were back when the
Streetlights came on.
No one was able
To reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
And then ride them down the hill, only to find out
We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes
a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
No cell phones,
No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS
And we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
And there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
And the worms did not live in us
Forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
Although we were told it would happen,
We did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
Walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal
With disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
Was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them?
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others
who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the
lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives
for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know
how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house
with scissors, doesn't it ?
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from one end to another,
and with the threat of swine flu
and terrorist attacks.
Are we sure this is a good time
to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers
Who smoked and/or drank while they were
Pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode
Our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children,
We would ride in cars with no car seats,
No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes, no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day
Was always a special treat.
We drank water
From the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends,
From one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.
We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar
And, we weren't overweight.
WHY?
Because we were
Always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
As long as we were back when the
Streetlights came on.
No one was able
To reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
And then ride them down the hill, only to find out
We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes
a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
No cell phones,
No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS
And we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
And there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
And the worms did not live in us
Forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
Although we were told it would happen,
We did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
Walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal
With disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
Was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them?
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others
who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the
lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives
for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know
how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house
with scissors, doesn't it ?
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from one end to another,
and with the threat of swine flu
and terrorist attacks.
Are we sure this is a good time
to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
Those of You born 1930-1979
At the end of this message is a quote of the month by Jay Leno.. If you don't read anything else, please read what he said. Very well stated, Mr. Leno.
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers
Who smoked and/or drank while they were
Pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode
Our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children,
We would ride in cars with no car seats,
No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes, no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day
Was always a special treat.
We drank water
From the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends,
From one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.
We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar
And, we weren't overweight.
WHY?
Because we were
Always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
As long as we were back when the
Streetlights came on.
No one was able
To reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
And then ride them down the hill, only to find out
We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes
a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
No cell phones,
No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS
And we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
And there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
And the worms did not live in us
Forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
Although we were told it would happen,
We did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
Walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal
With disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
Was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them?
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others
who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the
lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives
for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know
how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house
with scissors, doesn't it ?
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from one end to another,
and with the threat of swine flu
and terrorist attacks.
Are we sure this is a good time
to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
TO ALL THE KIDS WHO SURVIVED THE
1930's, 40's, 50's, 60's and 70's!!
First, we survived being born to mothers
Who smoked and/or drank while they were
Pregnant.
They took aspirin, ate blue cheese dressing,
Tuna from a can and didn't get tested for diabetes.
Then after that trauma, we were put to sleep on our tummies in baby cribs covered with bright colored lead-base paints.
We had no childproof lids on medicine bottles,
Locks on doors or cabinets and when we rode
Our bikes, we had baseball caps, not helmets on our heads.
As infants & children,
We would ride in cars with no car seats,
No booster seats, no seat belts, no air bags, bald tires and sometimes, no brakes.
Riding in the back of a pick-up truck on a warm day
Was always a special treat.
We drank water
From the garden hose and not from a bottle.
We shared one soft drink with four friends,
From one bottle and no one actually died from this.
We ate cupcakes, white bread, real butter and bacon.
We drank Kool-Aid made with real white sugar
And, we weren't overweight.
WHY?
Because we were
Always outside playing...that's why!
We would leave home in the morning and play all day,
As long as we were back when the
Streetlights came on.
No one was able
To reach us all day. And, we were O.K.
We would spend hours building our go-carts out of scraps
And then ride them down the hill, only to find out
We forgot the brakes. After running into the bushes
a few times, we learned to solve the problem.
We did not have Playstations, Nintendo's and X-boxes.
There were no video games, no 150 channels on cable,
No video movies or DVD's, no surround-sound or CD's,
No cell phones,
No personal computers, no Internet and no chat rooms. WE HAD FRIENDS
And we went outside and found them!
We fell out of trees, got cut, broke bones and teeth
And there were no lawsuits from these accidents.
We ate worms and mud pies made from dirt,
And the worms did not live in us
Forever.
We were given BB guns for our 10th birthdays,
Made up games with sticks and tennis balls and,
Although we were told it would happen,
We did not put out very many eyes.
We rode bikes or walked to a friend's house and
Knocked on the door or rang the bell, or just
Walked in and talked to them.
Little League had tryouts and not everyone made the team.
Those who didn't had to learn to deal
With disappointment.
Imagine that!!
The idea of a parent bailing us out if we broke the law
Was unheard of.
They actually sided with the law!
These generations have produced some of the best
Risk-takers, problem solvers and inventors ever.
The past 50 years
Have been an explosion of innovation and new ideas.
We had freedom, failure, success and responsibility,
and we learned how to deal with it all.
If YOU are one of them?
CONGRATULATIONS!
You might want to share this with others
who have had the luck to grow up as kids, before the
lawyers and the government regulated so much of our lives
for our own good.
While you are at it, forward it to your kids so they will know
how brave and lucky their parents were.
Kind of makes you want to run through the house
with scissors, doesn't it ?
The quote of the month is by Jay Leno:
"With hurricanes, tornados, fires out of control,
mud slides, flooding, severe thunderstorms
tearing up the country from one end to another,
and with the threat of swine flu
and terrorist attacks.
Are we sure this is a good time
to take God out of the Pledge of Allegiance?"
Wednesday, December 16, 2009
CHRISTMAS GIFT GIVING
Over the past several years, I have had to opportunity of being allowed to opt-out of the department gift exchange. This is always the best news for me, in that it saves me a lot of the heartache caused by receiving gifts from others who both don't know me very well or are not willing to make the time to do so.
There are several forms of Christmas gift giving, but two of the most common are White Elephant and Secret Santa.
There is much debate in defining a White Elephant gift exchange. According to wisegeek.com, a white elephant gift exchange is "a popular holiday party game in the United States, with many variations in name and game play. Generally, white elephant parties need a minimum of six participants, although the larger the group, the more entertaining and protracted game play will be. White elephant parties can result in vicious rivalries between players trying to get sought after gifts. The goal of a white elephant party is usually entertainment rather than gain, however." (It should be further noted that a "white elephant gift" is "something which is costly to maintain and difficult to get rid of. Typically, white elephants are also rare and very valuable, complicating the situation for their owners. Any number of things can be a white elephant, from a palatial home to an extravagant necklace. The term has even inspired a form of gift exchange, a white elephant gift exchange, in which people attempt to get rid of their white elephants by finding other people who might want them.").
Before proceeding to defining and commenting on Secret Santa, let me clarify the White Elephant gift exchange. Basically, it's where there's a mixture of good quality gifts and purely crappy and useless gifts. The competition is to try and snag the good stuff and not get stuck with the crap! Some create rules where there can be up to 3 trades with another participant. Personally, I find this particular style of gift exchange to be cruel and a complete waste of time and money and, where no one is happy or appreciative of what they've received.
The second form of gift exchange is called Secret Santa. Defined by wikipedia.com, it's "a Western Christmas tradition in which members of a group are randomly assigned other members to whom they anonymously give a gift. Often practiced in workplaces, or amongst large families, participation in it is usually voluntary. It offers a way for many people to give and receive a gift at low cost to those involved." This particular form of gift exchange is more fun when all members of a group have made and taken the time to get to know their fellow teammates over a length of time and have learned others likes and dislikes, hobbies and other interests. When the aforementioned relational investments haven't been made, then the results can become very similar to that of the White Elephant gift exchange, where no one is happy or appreciative of what they've received.
There are several forms of Christmas gift giving, but two of the most common are White Elephant and Secret Santa.
There is much debate in defining a White Elephant gift exchange. According to wisegeek.com, a white elephant gift exchange is "a popular holiday party game in the United States, with many variations in name and game play. Generally, white elephant parties need a minimum of six participants, although the larger the group, the more entertaining and protracted game play will be. White elephant parties can result in vicious rivalries between players trying to get sought after gifts. The goal of a white elephant party is usually entertainment rather than gain, however." (It should be further noted that a "white elephant gift" is "something which is costly to maintain and difficult to get rid of. Typically, white elephants are also rare and very valuable, complicating the situation for their owners. Any number of things can be a white elephant, from a palatial home to an extravagant necklace. The term has even inspired a form of gift exchange, a white elephant gift exchange, in which people attempt to get rid of their white elephants by finding other people who might want them.").
Before proceeding to defining and commenting on Secret Santa, let me clarify the White Elephant gift exchange. Basically, it's where there's a mixture of good quality gifts and purely crappy and useless gifts. The competition is to try and snag the good stuff and not get stuck with the crap! Some create rules where there can be up to 3 trades with another participant. Personally, I find this particular style of gift exchange to be cruel and a complete waste of time and money and, where no one is happy or appreciative of what they've received.
The second form of gift exchange is called Secret Santa. Defined by wikipedia.com, it's "a Western Christmas tradition in which members of a group are randomly assigned other members to whom they anonymously give a gift. Often practiced in workplaces, or amongst large families, participation in it is usually voluntary. It offers a way for many people to give and receive a gift at low cost to those involved." This particular form of gift exchange is more fun when all members of a group have made and taken the time to get to know their fellow teammates over a length of time and have learned others likes and dislikes, hobbies and other interests. When the aforementioned relational investments haven't been made, then the results can become very similar to that of the White Elephant gift exchange, where no one is happy or appreciative of what they've received.
Wednesday, November 25, 2009
DNA, H1N1 and Boogers
[Child's name] cried histerically today because I cut his nails... He screamed.... "I don't want my nails cut... I can't pick my boogers when my nails are cut."
When I first read the above quote from a Facebook account holder's Status Update, I laughed and thought it was funny and cute. But overnight, my brain manufactured a thought with which I awoke this morning and had to share.
With all the H1N1 legitimaticy and media hype over the past several months, I cannot help but wonder if people are cleaning underneath their finger nails! I've watched most of all the CSI television shows, forensic files and have heard about DNA scrapings most of my adult life. But the above quote got me to thinking, while we have been almost obsessively washing our hands with either/both hand sanitizer and antibacterial soaps after EVERY sneeze and almost literally touching ANYTHING (have we almost completely become a germophobic society?!), are ALL of our hands, including UNDER our nails, getting clean?
I've been somewhat fortunate to have been "gifted" with a birth defect called Nail Patella Syndrome, which affects my finger- and toe-nails, causing them not to grow normally (not even long enough to reach the ends of my fingers!), but I have to keep the nail portion and the cuticles trimmed to prevent them from snagging on clothing. While it isn't painful, I don't have to worry about DNA, since again, there's no room "under" the nail!
So, again, I wonder, are our hands REALLY clean these days? Maybe a more regular trimming of the nails ISN'T a bad idea (and, DON'T FORGET to clean under those nails!)!
When I first read the above quote from a Facebook account holder's Status Update, I laughed and thought it was funny and cute. But overnight, my brain manufactured a thought with which I awoke this morning and had to share.
With all the H1N1 legitimaticy and media hype over the past several months, I cannot help but wonder if people are cleaning underneath their finger nails! I've watched most of all the CSI television shows, forensic files and have heard about DNA scrapings most of my adult life. But the above quote got me to thinking, while we have been almost obsessively washing our hands with either/both hand sanitizer and antibacterial soaps after EVERY sneeze and almost literally touching ANYTHING (have we almost completely become a germophobic society?!), are ALL of our hands, including UNDER our nails, getting clean?
I've been somewhat fortunate to have been "gifted" with a birth defect called Nail Patella Syndrome, which affects my finger- and toe-nails, causing them not to grow normally (not even long enough to reach the ends of my fingers!), but I have to keep the nail portion and the cuticles trimmed to prevent them from snagging on clothing. While it isn't painful, I don't have to worry about DNA, since again, there's no room "under" the nail!
So, again, I wonder, are our hands REALLY clean these days? Maybe a more regular trimming of the nails ISN'T a bad idea (and, DON'T FORGET to clean under those nails!)!
Thursday, November 19, 2009
JCHutchins.net, future entertainment, movies w/o imagination
Recently, I have begun to listen to podcasts*, specifically J. C. Hutchins' 7th Son story-line and its companion, OBSIDIAN and Mark Yoshimoto Nemkoff's Shadow Falls. I have found it to be MORE entertaining than television and movies. Let me explain.
I am 45 years old and have begun to notice that both the television shows and the movies of late have been . . . dull and seldom imaginative. Some movies, like "The Parent Trap", have been repeatedly re-vamped (1961, 1986, 1989, 1998, 2002, 2005). I have watched some movies where I have predicted 98% of each scene change (and that's WITHOUT having read the book from which many are written!) In essence, it's as if the ink has run out of the pens of so many writers!
I have begun enjoying the podcasts more than any television shows and movies I have recently seen. Seldom does a show or movie catch and pique my interest. I have found that, unlike shows and movies, reading books and listening to podcasts help to engage imagination and instill enjoyment.
Last year, Hutchins introduced a new concept of engaging in story-tellng which he has branded as "transmedia", where the reading audience of one of his books, Personal Effects: Dark Art, can actively engage in the story-line by looking up Websites and listening to voicemails relating to the story-line.
As 2010 approaches, I have begun to look forward to future audio-stories. Such artists as J. C. Hutchins and others like Mark Yoshimoto Nemkoff have demonstrated a rare talent in story-telling unlike any I have heard before. I look forward to being entertained by their future stories.
*Podcasts are "Web-based audio broadcasts via an RSS feed, accessed by subscription over the Internet" (Source: www.dictionary.com)
I am 45 years old and have begun to notice that both the television shows and the movies of late have been . . . dull and seldom imaginative. Some movies, like "The Parent Trap", have been repeatedly re-vamped (1961, 1986, 1989, 1998, 2002, 2005). I have watched some movies where I have predicted 98% of each scene change (and that's WITHOUT having read the book from which many are written!) In essence, it's as if the ink has run out of the pens of so many writers!
I have begun enjoying the podcasts more than any television shows and movies I have recently seen. Seldom does a show or movie catch and pique my interest. I have found that, unlike shows and movies, reading books and listening to podcasts help to engage imagination and instill enjoyment.
Last year, Hutchins introduced a new concept of engaging in story-tellng which he has branded as "transmedia", where the reading audience of one of his books, Personal Effects: Dark Art, can actively engage in the story-line by looking up Websites and listening to voicemails relating to the story-line.
As 2010 approaches, I have begun to look forward to future audio-stories. Such artists as J. C. Hutchins and others like Mark Yoshimoto Nemkoff have demonstrated a rare talent in story-telling unlike any I have heard before. I look forward to being entertained by their future stories.
*Podcasts are "Web-based audio broadcasts via an RSS feed, accessed by subscription over the Internet" (Source: www.dictionary.com)
Saturday, November 14, 2009
Muslim or Terrorist?
This past week, I had a conversation with a professor from my alma mater and discussed a mindset that I had formulated over the past few days.
I haven't read the Quran, I'm not a Muslim, but a Christian who has a firm belief that Jesus IS the ONLY way to God.
Twenty-one years ago, I was invited to join and became a part of a religious sect* called the International Churches of Christ (see my videos and watch ALL 7 parts!) which had originally broken away from the Crossroads Church of Christ in FL. Now, having broken off from the Church of Christ, they were separated from that denomination and were NO LONGER being held accountable for their actions and teachings by the leadership of the Church of Christ! And, whenever interviewed by the news media, the separation was far enough removed so that there was no misunderstanding or confusion with their (the ICOC) former affiliation with the Church of Christ.
Like the ICOC, the extremist radical groups like those who attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, might have at one time held onto the original Muslim faith, they are an EXTREMIST group. Because they have taken such an extreme and violent view of their faith, they have separated themselves from the majority of peaceful Muslims you see on television and on the streets of our country.
I have extreme difficulty in believing that we as Americans should hold ALL Muslims and those who have decided to accept that religion as their own, for the vicious atrocities that have been conducted by the extremist radical groups.
When I read of the apostle Paul's original affiliation with the Pharisees (as Saul), he was a radical. But when he came to know Christ, he CHANGED! Again, please understand: I do NOT believe that EVERY person who has decided to accept Islam as their own, is a terrorist. Nor do I believe that they should be treated as such UNTIL they have shown motive otherwise! "Innocent until proven guilty!"
*A "sect" is defined as "a group regarded as heretical or as deviating from a generally accepted religious tradition" (dictionary.com).
I haven't read the Quran, I'm not a Muslim, but a Christian who has a firm belief that Jesus IS the ONLY way to God.
Twenty-one years ago, I was invited to join and became a part of a religious sect* called the International Churches of Christ (see my videos and watch ALL 7 parts!) which had originally broken away from the Crossroads Church of Christ in FL. Now, having broken off from the Church of Christ, they were separated from that denomination and were NO LONGER being held accountable for their actions and teachings by the leadership of the Church of Christ! And, whenever interviewed by the news media, the separation was far enough removed so that there was no misunderstanding or confusion with their (the ICOC) former affiliation with the Church of Christ.
Like the ICOC, the extremist radical groups like those who attacked the United States on September 11, 2001, might have at one time held onto the original Muslim faith, they are an EXTREMIST group. Because they have taken such an extreme and violent view of their faith, they have separated themselves from the majority of peaceful Muslims you see on television and on the streets of our country.
I have extreme difficulty in believing that we as Americans should hold ALL Muslims and those who have decided to accept that religion as their own, for the vicious atrocities that have been conducted by the extremist radical groups.
When I read of the apostle Paul's original affiliation with the Pharisees (as Saul), he was a radical. But when he came to know Christ, he CHANGED! Again, please understand: I do NOT believe that EVERY person who has decided to accept Islam as their own, is a terrorist. Nor do I believe that they should be treated as such UNTIL they have shown motive otherwise! "Innocent until proven guilty!"
*A "sect" is defined as "a group regarded as heretical or as deviating from a generally accepted religious tradition" (dictionary.com).
Friday, November 13, 2009
Stuffed animals good grief?
In the recent Ft. Hood shooting, many people were impacted by this senseless incident. Most times, bank accounts are set up to aid in helping to finance needed expenses. One company's immediate response was: TEDDY BEARS! What?! Lives were lost, children and families are devastated and the response was TEDDY BEARS. While I can see the esthetics and "feel good" of them, I guess I was expecting just a little more.
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