In the case of a calendar, the term "better late than never" doesn't really apply. Be that as it may; I have uploaded a new calendar. I didn't post anything about it until today, but the link on the right-hand side of your screen pointed to the February edition. This month I chose to highlight a phenomenon not altogether uncommon in the local skies: sundogs caused by sunny skies, cold, blustery winds, and plenty of blowing snow.
Click here to download a printable calendar in PDF format.
If you have Adobe Acrobat Reader installed, you're good to go. It may take a little bit for the program to load, but the file should download reasonably quickly. Click on the icon below to download the free Adobe Reader if necessary.
When you print the PDF, fold along the lines and tape or staple at the bottom. You will then have a free-standing desk calendar with one of the more beautiful parts of those bleak prairie winters!
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( 3 / 118 )
I've seen a lot of hay/straw still out in the fields around town. I don't know if that was intentional, or if the snow came before the owners could get them out. In any case, they make a good object when one wants to describe the bleakness of winter with a photo! These are just northeast of Bismarck. The drifting snow helps.
I did venture out of the truck a bit in this area. The snow was drifted in pretty hard, and it was solid enough in most places to keep me from breaking through. Of course, once I got way out there, I'd sink past my knees. Grrrr.
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( 3.1 / 253 )
Yesterday I was unable to attend a committee hearing on Senate Bill 2278 (PDF), which seeks to add "sexual orientation" to the state's anti-discrimination laws. It's a sneaky "foot in the door" for the homosexual agenda, one which has to be stopped.
I would gladly have given testimony at the Judiciary Committee hearing yesterday, but couldn't make it. I have, however, sent emails to my legislators. I urge you to do the same. It wouldn't hurt to follow up with a phone call. The text of my email is below, and you can feel free to cut/paste relevant portions of it for your own email.
--Begin message--
I'm a constituent of District 30, and unfortunately was unable to attend the judicial committee meeting on SB 2278 this week. This is the bill to amend state law regarding discrimination by adding the term "sexual orientation". I'm writing to voice my strong opposition to this bill. I have tried to find information on the status of this bill, but have been unable to do so. If it continues to the floor for a vote, I must urge you to vote NO on this bill, and to urge your fellow Representatives to do so as well.
Like those who founded our country, I'm a Christian. Because I believe the Bible, I believe that homosexuality and its variants are wrong. It's my Constitutionally protected right to think so, and to exercise my beliefs freely. The people behind SB 2278 don't agree with that; in fact, they want to legitimize their sinful act at the expense of the religious freedoms of others.
Don't get me wrong, I'm not one of those wacky Westboro types that pickets funerals and the like. I actually joined the Patriot Guard to oppose those people. But I don't appreciate having someone try to ram their sexual agenda down the throats of North Dakotans. I believe that homosexuality is an abomination according to the Bible, but so is ALL sin. That includes theft, adultery, lying, etc. Just because the physical manifestation of homosexuality is more offensive than the others doesn't mean we're singling it out. By the same token, we don't have "thieves advocacy groups" pushing legislation trying to legitimize their sin, do we? There aren't any "Liars' Pride" parades that I know of. But there is a very strong pro-homosexual lobby; they seek to be legitimized by passing legislation guaranteeing that they get special status above other citizens, and that's wrong.
One reason why legislation like this has been labeled "insidious" by legislators in other states such as Indiana which are evaluating "hate crimes" legislation is the "aid ,abet, or induce" part of it. If "sexual orientation" is added to this law, and a pastor preaches out of the Bible that homosexuality is wrong, these groups intend for the pastor to be prosecuted for any perceived "hate cimes" or "discrimination" against homosexuals by anyone who heard his sermon. They are not really interested in equal rights; their goal is to silence all opposition to their sin. They know that it is frowned upon by most Americans, so they wish to legislate the opposition into silence by fear of prosecution.
Case in point: my wife and I own a duplex. For years we have rented the other half of it to help make our house payment. We've rented to friends or acquaintances the whole time. If I wanted to list it as an available rental property, but declined to rent it to a homosexual couple because I don't want this sin entering my home, the proponents of this bill would have me face legal penalty. My religious objections, guaranteed by the Free Exercise clause of the 1st Amendment as well as the section of ND state law that SB 2278 attempts to amend, would be irrelevant if these people had their way. I am not seeking legislation to hang Bible verses on the wall in their house; yet they are seeking the force of government to force me to allow their sin into mine.
People who chose homosexuality deserve no more protection under the law than the rest of us. They don't want "equality" per se; if that was the case, they would not be trying to use the force of law to trump my freedom of religion. I believe that seemingly innocuous legislation like SB 2278 is the beginning of a slippery slope where the "rights" of people with deviant sexual practices take priority over the Constitutional freedoms guaranteed to all Americans. That's the hidden agenda behind SB 2278, and the reason why I believe it deserves a resounding defeat.
Thank you for your time.
Clint F
Bismarck, ND
--End message--
I could add more to this post, but that email sums it up. Here are some resources for you in finding your legislators and making your voice heard. That's the system of government we enjoy, folks...let's make use of it!
These links will open in a new window. The PDF link will launch Adobe Reader on your computer.
Full text of SB 2278 (PDF format)
Actions on SB 2278
Find your legislative district, if you don't know it already
Senate member directory, where you can find Senators for your legislative district
House member directory, where you can find Representatives for your legislative district
North Dakota Family Alliance, who fights the good fight while the rest of us neglect our duty to influence our government.
It's time to get active, folks! Activist groups emboldened by their party's success at the national level are going to be pushing their agendas harder than ever. It's up to us to stop them. We have a form of government that only works if the people get involved in it. Our opposition has no problem getting their activists going; we need to do the same. If we don't care enough to send an email or place a phone call, we get the government we deserve.
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( 3.1 / 23 )
I'd gotten into quite a habit of featuring North Dakota's ubiquitous windmills for a while there. These days, not so much. Chalk that up to the fact that we've been so incredibly busy around our house that I simply haven't had much time to run around with the ol' camera. I got a rare opportunity to do so the other day, and of course a windmill was among the photographic targets acquired.
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( 3.1 / 162 )
Super Bowl XXXVI had a special significance outside the football realm: it was the first after the terrorist attacks only a few short months before. Concerns about security ran high, as the nation was traumatized by the events of September 11th and worried whether more such attacks on civilians were in store. Thanks to President Bush, we have not been hit since, but some healing was in order. Who best to deliver a halftime show to help along the way than U2?
The YouTube video I'm going to link to below contains the second half of the show. I have a copy of the full show, raw as it was sent from the truck to the network, but I don't have permission to put it online. The first song they play, Beautiful Day, is also on YouTube; just search for "U2 Super Bowl Halftime" and you'll find it. But the part that had me standing, jumping, and cheering that day was the second song, perhaps their most famous: Where the Streets Have No Name.
When Bono is walking with the microphone before he begins to sing, he quotes Psalm 51:15 – "O Lord, open thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise." In an episode of VH1's Behind the Music, U2’s manager tells the story of how, in the band’s early days, he’d find them in the bus after their shows reading the Bible instead of out partying it up. Apparently they're Christians of some sort. According to the program, they almost called it quits when all the fame took hold because they didn’t know what it might do to them. They didn’t break up, however, although Bono has since jumped the shark. I like their music and choose to remember where they supposedly came from.
This year's show featured buffoon Bruce Springsteen, who claims his career got a kick-start after writing an anti-President Bush song. Whatever, I have no time for a bunch of wacko liberals. At halftime I treated my family to some pizza and garlic breadsticks in the kitchen, taking them down to the TV room for the start of the 3rd quarter. As far as I'm concerned, wacko politics aside, I've already seen the only halftime show I'll ever need to see.
On a side note, apparently there were two Christian quarterbacks this year. I'm told by a friend that Kurt Warner is a Christian by a friend at church who's a big sports fan. My friend Chuck has been friends with Ben Roethlisberger since high school and was his church youth group leader, and he told me Ben is a born-again believer. Just a cool tidbit about the game I thought you might enjoy. I've always been a Steelers fan, and Ben rides (or did ride) a Suzuki... so it's easy to guess which team I was hoping would win!
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( 2.9 / 128 )
Calendar
