Sorry!

My sincerest apologies for my slight hiatus from blogging over the past week. Between juggling my paralegal course, working on a website for the CHC Student Leadership Council, and designing a new jet engine that works equally well in space, I have simply had no time for the blog. But hopefully this will change. Yesterday I attended the 6th annual Men's Night Out at Porter Memorial Baptist Church in Lexington, KY. They had a very interesting speaker for the night: ex-mobster Michael Franzese. I will be making a few posts on his testimony soon. Until later. . . . In Him, David S. MacMillan III

Photos of Petrified Peach

I promised in my last post to share some photographs of a petrified peach loaned to me by George. So, without further ado:

From the top, this looks much like an ordinary rock. Flat on one side, but still rather mediocre But take a look at the other side!

Here you can make out the distinct impression left by the peach pit. The discoloration on the left side is not a scooped-out portion of the rock; it is just a different color of stone.

This is a nice view of the basic peach shape. Note the bubbly depression in the top forward portion. Apparently, the peach half was discarded due to rotting, and the rot spread to the outer skin before petrification.

I am holding the peach half here to give you a better idea of the size and overall shape. It is composed of very hard, nonporous rock. However, the outside and the inner portion still show amazing detail when viewed up close.

So what do you think?

In Him,

David S. MacMillan III

Petrified Peach Squashes Long-Age Dogma

In my last post, Katrina Victims Finally Come Home, I spoke about a family left homeless by the devastation of Hurricane Katrina that we are helping to move into their new house in my city. The youngest son, George (not his real name), showed me a chunk of rock that looked suspiciously organic in origin as we moved dresser drawers and other furniture. "Take a look at this petrified peach half I found, David! I dug it out of our backyard in Mississippi." I examined it, and sure enough this was all that was left of a peach that had been cut in half with a knife and thrown out for some reason. The features were preserved so beautifully that I could see the individual lines left by the peach pit in the flesh. I was going to post a photo on this site but I was unable to obtain it to take pictures. Perhaps I will post an image later. This family used to live near the mineral-rich Mississippi River delta. So I did some research and discovered that peaches originated in China and were not introduced into the Americas until colonists settled in Virginia around 1630. The appearance of having been cut by a very sharp object and its location near the Delta (which was not settled by Europeans until the 1820s) would make it seem that this peach was even younger than the 370 years old stipulated as a maximum by the first introduction into Virginia. We are generally told that petrification take hundreds of thousands or even millions of years as minerals slowly replace plant tissue. But obviously this peach was petrified less than 400 years ago and probably less than 200 years ago. Not only that, but the process was fast, judging from the intricate details now preserved in solid rock. Maybe the dogma of millions of years and long geologic ages is not that well founded. . . . In Him, David S. MacMillan III

Katrina Victims Finally Come Home

My readers may remember the family I spoke of several months ago that lost their home in Hurricane Katrina. Since some of their relatives attend our local fellowship, this family has stayed in my city for around 4 months. The family consists of Mrs. Sarah and her two sons, Ryan and George (not their real names). Their father is on a police force in the Gulf area. I was able to help Ryan set up a website to try to help teens displaced by Katrina and Rita find out where their friends are. Mrs. Sarah is battling cancer and cannot drive, so our family was able to take her to and from her chemo appointments. Our families have grown close over the past few months. Recently we located a home for sale that the owner was willing to rent out. Its size and location was perfect for Mrs. Sarah and her family, so today we were able to move most of their belongings into their new dwelling. Everyone in this area has been extremely generous. A local carpet store gave hundreds of dollars worth of carpets to warm the new home free, and other businesses gave the family discounts and other things to help make the new house a home. Please thank the Lord for these generous people, and keep this family in your prayers. This is a hard time for them, but things are beginning to look up. In Him, David S. MacMillan III

Bush Lied! Don't blame me, I voted 4 Kerry.

Bumper stickers like the one above really show a lack of mental capacity. Especially the use of the word "lied". I can handle "Bush was wrong". After all, it is a free country and everyone is entitled to their own opinion. But using the word "lied" . . . come on! One would have to think that the left would have gotten over it 15 months after the election. Wikipedia defines a "lie" as:

"A statement made by someone who believes or suspects it to be false, in the expectation that the hearers may believe it."

So in order for someone to lie, they must believe or strongly suspect that their statement is false. I would assume that the bumper stickers proclaiming "Bush Lied" refer to his allegations of WMDs by Iraq. This, they say, was the reason we went to war and subsequently Bush lied to get us into war. Actually, we had ample reason to declare war on Iraq ever since they fired on our planes after the Gulf War. But since the liberals would never listen to that, I will meet them on their own grounds: the infamous WMDs. It is debatable whether there were actually WMDs in Iraq and in Saddam's power. Remember that absence of evidence is never evidence of absence, especially when Saddam was warned repeatedly by France that the U.N. weapons inspection was coming. By going through the U.N., our inspectors waved a flag at the Iraqis advertising our intent to end their schemes long before we actually did any inspecting. And we did find "weapons of mass destruction", no matter what the media would have us to believe. Not only were many of Saddam's missiles too large for the range imposed by U.N. sanctions after the Gulf War, but our military also found warheads used to transport chemical weapons and chemical weapons factories. But again, the issue of whether there were any WMDs is irrelevant. The question is whether Bush thought there were any WMDs or not. And the answer to that question is an emphatic "YES!" Every intelligence force on the planet firmly believed that Saddam Hussein possessed weapons of mass destruction.

"I think Saddam Hussein's weapons of mass destruction are a threat, and that's why I voted to hold him accountable and to make certain that we disarm him." (John Kerry, March 2003) "Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts chides the administration for waiting too long to make the case for invasion and do "the hard diplomatic work" of enlisting allies. But he says leaving Saddam Hussein "unfettered with nuclear weapons or weapons of mass destruction is unacceptable." (USA Today quoting John Kerry, February 2003) "Convincing evidence of Saddam Hussein's possession of weapons of mass destruction should trigger, I believe, a final ultimatum from the United Nations for a full, complete, immediate disarmament of those weapons by Iraq. Over the next hours, I will work with my colleagues in the Senate to fully examine the evidence offered by the secretary for a complete and close reading. But, on its face, the evidence against Saddam Hussein appears real and compelling." (John Kerry, February 2003) "Without question, we need to disarm Saddam Hussein. He is a brutal, murderous dictator, leading an oppressive regime. He presents a particularly grievous threat because he is so consistently prone to miscalculation. He miscalculated an eight-year war with Iran. He miscalculated the invasion of Kuwait. He miscalculated America's response to that act of naked aggression. He miscalculated the result of setting oilrigs on fire. He miscalculated the impact of sending scuds into Israel and trying to assassinate an American President. He miscalculated his own military strength. He miscalculated the Arab world's response to his misconduct. And now he is miscalculating America's response to his continued deceit and his consistent grasp for weapons of mass destruction." (John Kerry, January 2003)

Senator Kerry was on the U.S. intelligence committee investigating the possibility of Saddam having WMDs. Kerry had access to the same information that President Bush had.

"Saddam Hussein's regime represents a grave threat to America and our allies, including our vital ally, Israel. For more than two decades, Saddam Hussein has sought weapons of mass destruction through every available means. We know that he has chemical and biological weapons. He has already used them against his neighbors and his own people, and is trying to build more. We know that he is doing everything he can to build nuclear weapons, and we know that each day he gets closer to achieving that goal." (John Edwards, October 2002, emphasis mine) "If Saddam rejects peace, and we have to use force, our purpose is clear: We want to seriously diminish the threat posed by Iraq's weapons of mass destruction program." (Bill Clinton) "We urge you, after consulting with Congress and consistent with the U.S. Constitution and laws, to take necessary actions, including, if appropriate, air and missile strikes on suspect Iraqi sites to respond effectively to the threat posed by Iraq's refusal to end its weapons of mass destruction programs." (Senators Levin, Lieberman, Lautenberg, Dodd, Kerrey, Feinstein, Mikulski, Daschle, Breaux, Johnson, Inouye, Landrieu, Ford and Kerry in a letter to Bill Clinton. Emphasis mine.)

Need I say more? In Him, David S. MacMillan III

An Argument with Earth: Concrete 1, David 0

Breaking News The Associated Crush

On-the-spot news sources indicate that yesterday at around 5 pm David MacMillan, author of the popular blog "In Rejection of Mediocrity", was at his suburban home watching his sister play with a small scooter. He walked up to and uttered the words which generally precede regrettable incidents: "Hey, watch this!" Moments later David found himself sprawled on the driveway. Somehow his balance had become slightly out-of-touch and as a result he catapulted over the scooter, catching himself on his left palm. Measurements indicate that a force of over 700 Newtons shot up his arm and across his bent elbow joint, leaving him lying in pain on the concrete. David complained of intense nausea at the time of the accident and a subsequent limited range of radial motion in his injured limb. Little was thought of the incident until later at around 9 PM, when news trucks caught footage of his mother examining his arm in their garage right after she arrived home. Mrs. MacMillan eluded the media that followed the family van away from the house, but it is now known that David was taken to the nearby hospital and admitted for intense swelling of his left elbow. The X-rays (shown below) were just released to the Associated Crush by David's media agent, Dr. Letitslip Talksalot. They show a separation of growth plates in the wrist and a bad sprain of the ligaments and muscles of the elbow.

David declined an interview, but it is generally thought that his blogability (the measure of his ability to blog) will be decreased by a large factor over the next week or so. An image (not shown here) was obtained of the arm in a hospital sling. "It is unlikely," said Dr. Talksalot, "that the arm will be casted."

Associated Crush, Washington, B.C.

In Him, David "Sprained" MacMillan III

Ariel Sharon Suffers Stroke, Israeli Politics Flipped

Breaking News Yesterday, Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon suffered a massive stroke and cerebral hemmorage, sending the Israeli government into an uproar. The stroke came just as Sharon prepared to enter the hospital to have a surgical procedure done. He had suffered a minor stroke in December 2005 and had been placed on blood-thinning medication. At this time a hole in his heart was found that was scheduled to be repaired today, January 5th. The decision to place Sharon on blood thinners has been highly criticized by members of his party, as it contributed greatly to the cerebral hemmorage that took place yesterday. A cerebral hemmorage occurs when a weak blood vessel in the brain bursts, spilling blood all over the brain. The blood thinner, an anticoagulant, prevented the spilled blood from clotting, aggravating his injury. During Sharon's incapacitation, power has been transferred to Israeli vice-premier Ehud Olmert. If Sharon is permanently disabled, Olmert will remain in power for 100 days, during which a crisis election will be held.

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This sudden change comes as a shock to the Israeli political system. Sharon's popularity before his second stroke was 80%, and he was a favorite to win a third term in the upcoming elections. Now, with the figurehead of the centrist party Kadima possibly gone, the Israeli people will be forced to look elsewhere for their leader. Sharon was a Prime Minister very friendly to the Palestinian state as Israeli Prime Ministers go. It was he who expelled thousands of Israeli settlers from their homes in the then-Israeli-held Gaza strip, opening it up to the Palestinians. This act, apparently an effort to appease the Palestinian authority, was in the opinion of many quite foolhardy. The Palestinian goal is to take all of Israel "piece by peace" if they cannot take it by force: a strategy that Sharon played into quite well. I quote Dr. David Reagan:

"Arafat spelled out his current strategy several years ago to the Arab world, and the strategy was later adopted officially by the terroristic Palestine Liberation Organization. It is called the "phased plan." Realizing that they could not defeat Israel with war or terrorism, they decided that the road to victory was deceptive diplomacy. Arafat would talk about peace in return for land, while rallying the anti-Israeli Western powers to put pressure on the Israeli government to capitulate. Once he got a toe-hold in the land, he would then use that as a base for renewed attacks on Israel. In short, he would take Israel in phases. It is a clever strategy that he has spelled on in detail in many public speeches, just as Hitler outlined his strategy in detail in Mein Kampf." (emphasis mine)^Original

Now, with Sharon potentially on his deathbed and his Kadima party in shambles, perhaps the time has come for Israel to select a strong leader. A leader who will not be misled by the PLO's deceptive diplomacy. Should such an event take place and Israel end its foolhardy "Land-for-Peace" policy, the PLO will be forced to resort to terrorism and outright war. Syria would likely release the SCUD missles it has been buying from North Korea, resulting in an Israeli counteroffensive likely involving nuclear weapons. Such events could likely lead to a full-scale Middle-Eastern war as prophecied in Ezekiel 38 ^{(Read it)}. So how shall we then live?

"Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.

On the earth, nations will be in anguish and perplexity at the roaring and tossing of the sea.

When these things begin to take place, stand up and lift up your heads, because your redemption is drawing near." (Luke 21:8-18)

In Him, David S. MacMillan III

New Year's Resolutions

Happy New Year!

Over at The Account, David Ketter has a very interesting article on New Year's Resolutions. He sees the traditional resolution to "do better", even among Christians, as telling God, "Well, You can help me here, but only on my terms." Check out his article. On the other hand, the Harris twins over at the Rebelution have a different outlook. They hold to the principle that we can do all things through Christ who gives us strength. Take a look at their article here. Honestly, I think that both sides are expressing the same viewpoint in a different way. But a little controversy never hurt anyone! While I am at it, I have decided to post a resolution for this blog. This is not something that I have tried and failed to do in the past, just a new direction I think this blog should go. Traditionally, this blog has been composed of medium-to-long informative articles that are nonetheless interesting enough to keep your attention. I usually wait for other people to link to my articles. I will not be deserting my daily (or daily wannabe) column, but I do resolve to have more posts like this, where I reference what is going on in the homeschool blogosphere. I will also try to have more links in this type of post. The way I see it, it is better for everyone to have many short posts full of links than it is to have an occasion long post without any. To help me with this, I need all my readers to join the effort and inform me of newsworthy topics going around the blogosphere and in the news. Rather than writing a long article on my opinions, I will try to provide quips from various sources complete with links, and a shorter summary of my views.

To inform me quickly and easily, click the "News Room" link at the top of my sidebar.

So what do YOU think of the new approach?

In Him,

David S. MacMillan III

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This post made later than date shown below due to technical difficulties.