Dear Adam, I hope you had a wonderful time! Thank you for your trust in me. This means so very much to me. I do not know if your readers have blogs of their own but for the ones who do not, to allow someone to write on your site is a very distinguished honor. It means that you trust someone not to trash your site, your readers, and your good name. I pray I lived up to your expectations.

I do know there is one article I had to update twice, with the help of Bubblehead. (Thank you, Bubblehead.) I wish I had never written it, but I believe in leaving my mistakes available for all to see. Why? To let others know, and to remind myself, that I am only human and I do make mistakes.

That is normal. It is NOT normal when someone becomes too haughty as to not admit their mistakes. Not to mention anyone in particular (Obama), but there are some people out there who fit that description.

Getting back to the point. Writers are not always remembered for all the good articles they have written, they are sometimes remembered for their mistakes. I guess everyone will now be able to remember me for a little while anyway.

Adam, it has been a pleasure and an honor to write in your place while you were on vacation. No one, but no one, could ever take the place of you, though. Glad to have you back! Thank God your journey was safe. Welcome home.

BTW, are you going to tell us what you did? Where’d you go? Did you get into any trouble? Just a little? lol. Just as long as you had fun.

Let me know if you would like to rest and have us continue, or if you’re BACK back.

Darn it, I’m sounding silly because I never know how to say bye. So long for now!

PS. Rosemary’s News and Ideas (WordPress) and Rosemary’s Thoughts (blogger). (I made no such promise, Todd! lol)

The UN has a special office named, “United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime”, and apparently they reward people for cleaning up their drug problem. Let’s take a look first at what has occurred in past few years. In the years 2006 and 2007, this province was nearly poppy free.

U.N. Agency Declares Afghan Province ‘Nearly Poppy-Free’.
During a July 6 trip to the province, Afghanistan’s minister for counternarcotics, Gen. Khodaidad, announced that Konar has qualified for two monetary awards totaling $750,000 from the Counternarcotics Trust Fund.

Konar Gov. Sayed Fazlullah Wahidi and his provincial council decided to use $420,000 of that money to upgrade the Konar Teacher Training College with a 60-room dormitory, dining facility and meeting hall. A lack of dormitories requires students of either to commute or to rent local accommodations while attending school.

“This is a great day for Konar and Afghanistan”, said Navy Cmdr. Daniel Dwyer, Konar Provincial Reconstruction Team commander. “When you see the government of Afghanistan, on its own, bringing projects to its people that provide for long-term jobs and economic growth, it shows everyone that progress is well on its way.”

This is wonderful. This is good encouragement, by using other methods of working to achieve a good economy, and this is a way to show other provinces how to prosper without growing the poppies that are aiding the Taliban and AQ. Without this money, who knows? They may even have to get a job! LOL. Seriously though.

The governor of this province is not quite sure yet how spend the rest of the money, but he does have some ideas. He would like to build some irrigation canals, improve education, and then possible use the rest for either one big project or many smaller district projects. I vote for the smaller districts, but that’s me.

He is very proud of the people in his province, especially the elders, as am I, because he knows this would not be possible without their support and efforts.

“The people of Konar deserve the credit for the poppy eradication,” Wahidi said. “All the tribal elders and people of Konar are committed to putting an end to this [poppy] seed, because the smuggling, trafficking and growing of narcotics is forbidden by Islam.”

I don’t care much for the so-called religion, but I’m grateful to them for stopping the spread of heroin. Good job, you guys. Keep up the good work.

PS. I just want to add something that was not in this story but I know to be true. It was also done with ‘a little help’ by the US Military. HOOAH!

Source: DVIDS News.

Cross-posted @ Rosemary’s Thoughts.

May you walk with the LORD always, and when you cannot take another step, may He carry you the rest of the way until you can walk along side Him again.

John McCain is right about naming our enemy in the war on terror, but I respectfully disagree on Veteran’s Education benefits. (Hat Tip: Outside the Beltway.)

Meanwhile, a robbery the Fair Tax Could have prevented.

A blind man defends himself. (Hat Tip: Jules Crittenden.)

Two doggone positive news stories.

Police officer v. python. Advantage: Police Officer.

Click here to download, click here to add this podcast to your Itunes.

Try GotoMyPC free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/podcast

Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, third world county, The Pink Flamingo, Celebrity Smack, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, Dumb Ox Daily News, Conservative Cat, Right Voices, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

A key Barack Obama supporter is indicted. (Hat Tip: Don Surber.)

Hillary’s religion issues. (Hat Tip: Right Mind.)

McCain shows terrorism naivette while allegedly blocking an immigration enforcement bill. (Hat Tip: Michelle Malkin.)

The Republican Party of Hawaii sanctions members of the platform committee contributing to Democrats.

The Republican Party tries to fix the nominating process.

Japan’s solution to global warming: 12 minutes less for baseball games. (Hat Tip: Wizbang Blog.)

California feminists oppose making life easier for pregnant women.

Assisted suicide: now being proposed for teens in Belgium.

Governor Jim Doyle (D-WI) fights for a healthier Wisconsin by encouraging Wisconsins to join a fitness routine.  But is Walking Carbon Neutral? (Hat Tip: Right Mind.)

Wal-Mart gave $296 million to charity last year. Odds of you hearing about it in the press: not much.

A family gives a great gift to the Make a Wish Foundation: A 2600 square foot house.

A Vietnamese man shines a light into the darkness of abortion.

Click here to download, click here to add this podcast to your Itunes.

Try GotoMyPC free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/podcast

Music from the the Podsafe Music Network.

Trackposted to Rosemary’s Thoughts, Nuke Gingrich, Woman Honor Thyself, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Cao’s Blog, The Amboy Times, Wolf Pangloss, A Newt One, Rant It Up, Conservative Cat, D equals S, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

photo credit: tracky_birthdayPodcast

Hillary Clinton is caught telling a whopper and now claims she mis-spoke.

Meanwhile an Aide to Congressman Dan Lipinski (D-Ill.) is apparently violating House Ethics rules by claiming to use his influence to bring tax dollars to a community he’s seeking to be elected to office in.

Then we turn to several companies finding treasure in what would otherwise be trash.

A pro-life bill is signed into law in Ohio.

An ObGyn tells the truth about abortion and makes an impact on future generations through is work.

Click here to download, click here to add this podcast to your Itunes.

Try GotoMyPC free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/podcast

Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, third world county, DragonLady’s World, Right Truth, The World According to Carl, Pirate’s Cove, The Pink Flamingo, Leaning Straight Up, Big Dog’s Weblog, Gulf Coast Hurricane Tracker, , Adeline and Hazel, Right Voices, Eric’s Writing Corner, and D equals S, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Freshman Rep. Zach Space (D-OH) wrote his own ethics plege: No contributions from lobbyists and no lobbyist junkets. He broke the pledge, so he simply erased it from his website in a move reminiscent of George Orwell’s Animal Farm where revisionist pigs changed all the foundational rules until they were left with it is, “All animals are equal, but some animals are more equal than others.”

Meanwhile, Rep. Carol Shea-Porter (D-NH) is upset about the progress of Congress, but seems to put all the blame on everyone bu the Demo0cratic House leadership that she practically marches in lockstep with.

A citizen in Pennsylvania makes sure that K-Mart doesn’t apply the sales tax to exempt items. (Hat Tip: Government Bytes.)

Washington State tries to pull a fast one on taxpayers.

Auctioneering liceneses required to sell on Ebay? One Pennsylvania board wants to do it. (Hat Tip: Club for Growth.)

Should Seattle hetrosexuals sue Alaska Airlines for discrimination?

1 in 5 UN Carbon Credits go to clean energy sources that actually increase carbon emissions. (Hat Tip: Instapundit.)

Sudanese militants march in the street, demanding the execution of a British teacher for allowing a child in her class to name a Teddy Bear Mohammad after himself, while American Feminist groups such as NOW and Feminist Majority are only providing deafening silence.

Face the Facts: Divorce leads to increased stress and helps to foster disruptive behavior.  (Hat Tip: Evangelical Outpost.)

In positive news, the abortion rate drops also a judge says no to American Atheist busybodies over a memorial to fallen state troopers.

Click here to download, click here to add this podcast to your Itunes.

Try GotoMyPC free for 30 days! For this special offer, visit www.gotomypc.com/podcast

The site looks promising, and I’d love to get some time to really get into this. With my own fiction, I think it’s important to understand how these books became so appealing to a mass audience before the comic world took it’s far darker turn in recent years. Of course, there are plenty of modern titles offered, thus the one flaw with the product.

Finally, Kootenai County has done right by Pappy Boyington, the Coeur d’Alene native who became one of the most decorated heroes of World War. I. On a 2-0 vote, with a curious abstention by Chairman Rick Currie, commissioners heeded the continuing plea by local veterans to name the county airport field after Boyington. Commissioners Todd Tondee and Rich Piazza brushed aside lame excuses by the airport board, Currie and others that the name change would cause confusion among pilots and/or that Boyington had character flaws. In other words, the war hero drank too much after his military discharge and his days commanding the famous Black Sheep Squadron. (Then, you might drink, too, if you’d risked your life regularly in dogfights with enemy gunners and spent 20 months as a POW.) Some contend Pappy suffered from post-traumatic stress disorder. Those who belittle Boyington’s bravery are no better than the UWashington student senators who balked at erecting a campus monument to Pappy because they thought a flier who’d shot down 26 planes was a poor role model. At least the kids can be excused for being young and naïve.

It’s a good move. One of our great flaws  is a demand that our heroes be more than human. There’s only one Man who was ever perfect (and we crucified Him.)  By exalting only perfection, you basically kill heroism in individuals, as any of us who are half-way honest compare ourselves to the standard of absolute perfection, we know we can’t live up to that standard, which leads me to say, “I’m no hero.”

Rather, we need to look at heroism for what it is, the extraordinary efforts of imperfect human beings to do somthing good. We don’t pretend that their faults were okay, because they were heroes. But rather, we acknowledge their faults as part of a frail humanity that makes them real, and makes heroism achievable for those of us who struggle in this body of flesh.

Dear Josh: I had something quite interesting happen to me today at lunch that I have to share with you. I was at the Wendy’s drive-up window getting ready to pay when the girl behind the counter said “the man behind you wants to pay for your lunch.”

At first I thought it was my boss or someone playing a joke, but I didn’t recognize him. Then the lady said, “He saw your bumper sticker.” The one that says “My son is in the U.S. Army.”

I could have turned down the offer but I knew what he was trying to say by such a kind gesture, so I went ahead and let this stranger pay for my lunch.

I stopped at the light leaving the restaurant, got out of my car and went back to say thank you and shook his hand. The stranger said, “It’s no problem. Please thank your son.”

Thank you, son, for your service to our country, and thank you, stranger, for your kindness.

It’s folks like that, that make a difference.

Insurance Agent Wins Hemingway Conest. The winner definitely looks the part.

Jessica Osborne, 20, received the gift from a family of regulars at the Pizza Hut where she works in this northeastern Indiana town.

The family — a mother and two sons — stopped in recently for their usual: two Mountain Dews, a cup of hot water for tea and a large Meat Lover’s Stuffed Crust pizza. They requested Osborne as usual and chatted about their lives.

”They make your day better when they come in,” Osborne said.

She said she told them how she had started college twice but had to drop out because she didn’t have enough money. They told her of their plans to move away, and she asked that they say goodbye before leaving town.

They returned last week and handed Osborne a check, folded in half, with money from an education fund they had set up after a death in the family.

”I didn’t want to look at it because I thought I was going to cry,” Osborne said. She did just that when she looked inside.

Osborne said she is now considering her options for where to study photography and journalism. ”I haven’t had time to figure it out,” she said.

God bless them and what a great tip!

From Happy News,  someone in Japan is doing some random acts of kindness:

Envelopes containing 10,000 yen ($82) bills and well-wishing notes have been discovered in municipal toilets across Japan, media reports said, baffling civil servants and triggering a nationwide hunt.

Local media have estimated that over two million yen ($16,400) worth of bills were found at men’s rooms in city halls in at least 15 prefectures (states) in recent weeks.

Each package of 10,000-yen bills, some wrapped in traditional Japanese washi paper, was accompanied by handwritten letters that read ”Please make use of this money for your self-enrichment,” and ”One per person,” according to reports.

Officials are baffled over the identity of the benefactor or any motives, the reports said. Packages turned over to police were to be kept for some time in case someone claimed them.

 Some folks are having fun with their new Iphones:

Apple Inc.’s iPhone frenzy has bred some iFun.

About 350 software developers who attended iPhoneDevCamp, an ad hoc jam session in the Silicon Valley last weekend, managed to produce about 60 new Web-based applications tailored for the mobile gadget, including a bunch of casual games.

Sudoku and Tetris-like puzzles were bound to appear but the creative juices — fueled by bagels, pizza, wine and beer over the three-day event — also led to programs taking advantage of the iPhone’s special features, such as its position sensor or the touch screen that responds to two fingers at once.

With a game called ”Tilt,” players rotate the phone to control a creature who likes to eat falling leaves and butterflies.

In ”Pool,” the display turns into a blue lake that creates ripples when you touch it, and if another member signed into the pool community on another iPhone touches the same spot at the same time, you will catch a fish.

Congrats to the World’s tallest man on getting married at the age of 56. It’s tough for a lot of those taller people to live that long, but getting married. Congratulations to him (and his little woman.)

A couple high school kids are getting to study with NASA scientists.

A Marine bioscientist has identified a potential way to produce biodiesel fuel without diverting our normal food production.

Meanwhile, God’s church is busy throughout the world. In Latin America, Transworld Radio is opening its doors to provide bible training to remotely placed pastors. In Zimbabwe, the church is responding to the needs of those devestated by hyperinflation:

Churches across Zimbabwe report hundreds of people coming to them each week with needs ranging from school fees to medicine and food. The Christian aid worker says at least 50 people show up on her doorstep every day. The program she directs has the means to help only around 15 people per day. She offers a clinic to help with basic medical needs, as well as a twice-a-week feeding project. The program also helps widows taking care of orphans with rent and basic food.

“By far, the greatest problem is meeting day-to-day needs for the average Zimbabwean,” the Christian aid worker says.

“The church has always been more concerned about salvation and tithing, but are we limiting God when the church functions like that?” Motsi asks. “God deals with the nations. He feeds the poor and heals the sick. He wants the nation of Zimbabwe for His purpose and glory. God is redefining the role of the church in Zimbabwe.”

Cross and other pastors agree. Most churches have an ever-expanding social ministry program, relying on God to meet their basic needs every day. Cross says the church also must be an example to the rest of the nation for not only meeting physical needs but how to “move on” with life.

Rosemarie Coleman writes:

There are still decent, honest people in society

I recently was parked on the side of Wal-Mart in Meridian and thoughtlessly left my purse in the shopping cart.

I would like to thank the kind gentleman in the military for finding and returning it to Wal-Mart with everything untouched. How lucky I feel to be spared a lot of hassle and heartache.

Indeed there are still decent and honest people left in our society.

Thank you, thank you sir.

What a fine representative of the people we have serving in our military.

Then we have some Las Vegas school students who politely asked for change and got it:

Even someone who believes you can fight city hall might think twice before taking on the lunch lady. But some second-graders who raised their voices over reheated frozen green beans are being rewarded with tastier vegetables.

The menu at William V. Wright Elementary School is getting a makeover after Constantine Christopulos’ class went on a poignantly polite letter-writing campaign aiming to see less of that particular vegetable in the cafeteria.

”A little boy said, ‘Anything, anything, I’ll even eat broccoli,”’ said Connie Duits, the lunch lady. ”So that one touched my heart.”

The children were careful to offer praise as they expressed their concerns.

”Dear Mrs. Duits, The food is so yummy and yummy. But there are one proplem. It is the green beans,” wrote Zhong Lei.

”We love the rest but we hate the green beans,” wrote Viviann Palacios.

The Las Vegas students undertook the exercise in mini-democracy after the class read a book called ”Frindle,” in which a boy contemplates organizing a boycott of the cafeteria.

”I asked the kids, ‘Is that a respectful way of doing it?”’ Christopulos said. ”And they said, ‘Oh, not at all.”’

As a result of the students’ campaign, the food service department of the Clark County School District sent staff to the school to see what alternatives they preferred.

Good job by the teacher to teach some manners and respect in addressing the issue, while still address the issue. This is enough to provide a small beakon of hope for our political process. If this lesson in civility lasts, maybe someday will talk like reasonable human beings or maybe not.