Religious Leader Calls for Government Leader’s Death

The leading mullah in Iran came on national Iranian tv calling for the Iranian government to take out George W. Bush (or Barack Obama, you choose).

Oh wait, nope that’s wrong…Rick Warren said it was probably a good idea to take out the leader of Iran.  Romans 13 going a little far here huh?  Submission to government authorities sure does have a long stroke.  Here’s an article which tends to have a certain approach but it gives the Warren quotes:  here

A real update coming from me soon, but this one grabbed my attention and wouldn’t let go.

 

New news

There’s a street in town that smells like the inside of a KC-135 refueling plane. I don’t know why I remembered that smell so much, but I really missed it and loved smelling it again.

and it’s official…I’m becoming old

 

Going to the polls

As some of you know I’m not voting in this presidential election.  It’s not because it’s difficult to vote from overseas.  It’s not because I’m ambivilant or uninterested.  It’s not because I don’t realize it’s importance.

Here’s a recent leter by Heather M. Carson which covers one of the most important topics that led to my decision.  The others being two-party factioning, black-and-white divisive politiking and many another tool and aim by what I see as at surface two men who have little differences in policy or aim (and by aim I mean personal gain and renown and coinceited arrogance).  This is just one issue (albeit one of the most important) where I believe they are both fatally flawed and where people make equally terrible decisions based on the premise.  For 8 years we have had a pro-lifer in the office who has done little to nothing for unborn children.  In fact, $2.2 billion in federal funds went to planned parenthood in Bush’s pro-life administration.  Regardless of your stand on the issue, that’s a pretty bad policy for a pro-lifer.  Likewise McCain will by all signs continue Bush’s policy of war (Obama will too, but he’s still the ‘peace’ candidate).

Here’s the letter (which I’m posting because it’s the one-issue vote that I think sways many of you and which I think needs consideration for tomorrow):

Abortion is a despicable crime against humans. But be CONSISTENT in your pro-life stand!

It’s important to recognize that there are other lives being taken as well. Lives that McCain AND Obama support being taken: those of foreigners. I understand and agree that abortion is a very important issue to take a stand against, but too many Christians end up supporting the murder of foreigners (which includes civilian mothers and babies and children) by supporting the Republicans. Our purpose as Christians is to go and make disciples of all nations, to spread the gospel. This is being hindered by the murdering foreign policies of both parties. The word “American” leaves a bad taste in the mouths of many foreigners. How open to Christ will they be if we, as Christians, support killing them!

By all means, fight for the lives of unborn and born babies!!! Peacefully protest, support Pregnancy Resource Centers!! Yes, voting for Obama will result in people being killed. So will voting for McCain. DO vote your conscience. I personally can only support candidates that are consistently pro-life: anti-abortion and anti-war. There are other candidates that fit this bill. It will not be throwing away your vote to vote your conscious.

So while I support no candidate, I urge you to take this last day and find a candidate who will be pro-life in the deepest sense of that phrase.  The lesser of two evils is still an evil.

 

AIG post bailout & a brief update

$139,375.30 for rooms. $147, 301.71 for “banquets.” $1,488 for the Vogue Salon, which features manicures, pedicures and hairstyling. $6,939.09 on golf. $2,949 for tips. $5,016.32 at the Stonehill Tavern. $3,064.71 for in-room dining and the lobby lounge. That’s part of the $440,000 bill from a recent weekend bash that an American International Group Inc. subsidiary threw for its top performers at the posh St. Regis resort, on a bluff overlooking the Pacific Ocean.

Thanks for having fun for the rest of us.

link here

I’ve successfully traversed from Ha Noi down to Sai Gon by bus (and continued by bus to Long Xuyen to turn around back to Sai Gon by motorbike).  Hang has a job now in the city which means we’re finally living in the same town again.  It also means that I’m not looking forward to going to Long Xuyen as much tomorrow.  Hendrik (the German), Eric (the Red), and my two lovely volunteers are there though (as well as a handful of other beautiful people) so it’ll be a good first stop for the Delta tour.  More words and pictures when the chaos called ‘tour of posts’ comes to an end in another week and a half.