Mass Manipulation for Dummies

I'm not very manipulative, but I dare say I could pull off mass manipulation better than the drive by media. Take this whole "global warming thing." If you want to create mass pandemonium and chaos, then pay a little attention to the weather and plan propaganda accordingly.

Like in the 70's, the scientists were crying out, "Prepare for the ice age!" during one of the hottest summers anyone had seen in quite a few decades. Then, they cried global warming just as one of the coldest, most bitter winters set in.

Doesn't that sound ridiculously familiar? History does repeat itself, does it not?

I blame Al Gore for this current wave of media panic about global warming. I hadn't heard much of anything since Captain Planet (blech!) until "An Inconvenient Truth" hit theaters.

Their timing was almost good this time around. After all, it did take everyone longer than usual to get to winter this year, but now that it's here... It's hit with full force. As far as temperatures go at any rate. Up here in the frozen north we're looking at highs in the teens and single digits for the next ten days (one day of sub zero temps!). Now, there is not as much snow as other years, so perhaps we should try raising panic over the oceans drying up and using the mere 4-6 inches of snow as our proof of it.

And if you couldn't necessarily predict what the weather did, just wait a few days and claim that your research shows that this is just the start of some terrible and sinister apocalyptic weather pattern to be blamed on the Big Three. That might, just might work better than crying "GLOBAL WARMING!" when it's -3 outside.

It just cracks me up to hear news reports on global warming followed up by a story on frozen citrus fruit in California trailed by headlines of freezing rain in Dallas, Texas.

Another little helpful hint - if you want to pit people against the war in Iraq, don't look so blatantly anxious to pull out of the Middle East just before the general in charge of it all says things should be working out in our favor.

Oh, and this is a freebie to Nancy Pelosi and any future speakers of the house - If the president makes a comment about a war/troops that the majority of the nation agrees with, do not sit there and refuse to clap with a look of disapproval on your face. It makes you look like the bad guy!!!

Once again, this just reminds me that I have so much to do and so little time to do it in. Though, mass manipulation could go hand in hand with running for political offices... Yes, that would coincide with my schemes to run for Governor of Michigan, Supreme Court Judge, Senate, Congress, and President. I don't think it'll help me with my quests to become a world class author, professional singer, actor, scriptwriter, or owner of a large coffee shop chain... but it couldn't hurt!

I've met some folk who say that I'm a dreamer. And there's no doubt there's truth in what they say... but dreams don't last, though dreams be not forgotten. And so I'm back to stern reality...

(From the Isle of Inisfree)

-Frank

When It Rains, It Pours!

It's either all or nothing. The end. Either every appliance and vehicle is working perfectly, or they all die at once.

Such has been this break. Before I came home, all the cars died. Then the drains in the sink started being weird. As did the water in general. And, here I am, getting ready to leave, and suddenly I'm broadsided with "There's a chance your dad is being laid off in April."

Last time, he was laid off for a year and a half.

I'll be able to finish the spring semester with out much of a problem, but next fall is questionable.

It just leaves me on my knees and praying. I can only do so much, the folks can only do so much, but luckily God can do a whole lot more!

I go forward with prayers and hope.

The weather works this way too. You get all the storms at once, and then nothing. It's either an ice storm or a sunny day. We just got an inch of snow and a beautiful ice storm that coated everything beautifully! As you can see by the picture on the right.

Isn't it funny? The storms are so terrible, and they make the power go out and all sorts of things, and yet, it's soo beautiful! I guess it's the sort of thing where you just gotta find the silver lining.

This time, it was pretty easy. As far as the weather went. We'll see about the trials.

-Frank

White and Nerdy!

Absolutely Great ! -> www.be-dumb.com I'm not a rap fan by any stretch. Nor am I exactly a huge Weird Al fan, however, I laughed REALLY REALLY hard when I saw this. Enjoy everyone! -Frank

This, that, and other

A Year in Retrospect
I warned you all at one point that I am a poet. This is where the warning comes to pass. Why? Because I reflected on 2006.

It was quite the year. A bit rough at places, not so fun, but good.

The weeks leading up to high school graduation were... stressful, irritating... we'll leave it at that.

Last year had its fair share of highlights. FOJG, my graduation party's, takin' a trip with Dad to Chicago, Going to the bus Independence Day weekend and watching fireworks over the lake in Cadillac, going to Tori's birthday party, college and all that happened there... yes, there were a few highlights! Lots of firsts last year... tons of blessings.

I should sit down and write them all out. Along with all the first time things. I had quite a few!

Someone once said to me that for every stage in life there is a song. Now, I'm a musically inclined soul, so I tend to think in music. I like to fit songs with what's going on around me. (Just ask my sister or my mother.) It took me some hunting, but I think I found the songs for last year.

If I were to make a mix CD about last year, it would be called "Grace" and look something like this:
-Let Me Fall (Josh Groban)
-Never Let Go (Josh Groban, Closer)
-Machine (Josh Groban, Awake)
-Burning the Past (Kingdom of Heaven soundtrack)
-Ready to Fly (Ronan Tynan, Ronan)
-Only the Beginning of the Adventure (the Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe soundtrack)
-Carry Me Home (Ronan Tynan, Ronan)
-Both Sides Now (Hayley Westenra, Odyssey)
-Never Saw Blue (Hayley Westenra, Odyssey)
-I Say Grace (Hayley Westenra, Odyssey)

And just as mixed as the CD would be, such would be my emotions if I were to write them out. Though, the underlying ones would be frustration, sadness, and grief. Last year was, like I said, rough in places. And it will only get worse before it gets better. Things have been coming to a head for a while now, and they must get worse before they get better.

Even up at school and far away from it all, I've been hearing about it, and it has been affecting me. 500 miles away and I still can't get away from it. I suppose that's the price you pay to be deeply involved in church. It all makes me sad. It shouldn't be like this! It was never meant to be like this! Such is living in a fallen world. Nothing is as it was meant to be.

That fact has remained one of my main consolations. Above whatever anyone has said, I have taken great comfort, somehow, in knowing that's not how it was meant to be. It helps me keep from being too hurt or bitter.

Keeping My Sanity
Since I've been home, I've finally found time to sort out everything I heard over last semester. Christian college is a marvelous place for spiritual growth. However, it is also an amazing place to get confused in standards, doctrine, etc. Any place with a few hundred "independent fundamental Baptists" is bound to have as many ideas as people. As a result, I started to get a little disoriented when it came to a few ideas and standards I've held.

A few preconceived notions, ludicrous ideas, and IFB programmings were changed or discarded, which was good, but a few ideas that are perfectly fine I started to doubt.

Now, I'm not one to change any principle, standard, or conviction without being dead certain that the change is for the best. Which is why I thought through a few things at home, talked with Rotu, and re-oriented myself.

It was during this time that I realized a few things. I'm not a very good Baptist, Fundamentalist, Neo-fundamentalist, or five point Calvinist. In a way, I'm a number of them, but none of them at the same time. The older I get, the more I see that there are two sides to every acronym. The strictly scriptural side and the side that most people practice. Well, something like that.

So I've not found the proper title yet. And quite frankly, I'm sick of titles. Overly sick and tired of titles. Unfortunately, we are all bound to them and by them. *sigh* Whatever happened to just believing the Bible and what God said? I am thoroughly convinced that Christianity is simple. The Law was what was so complicated and crazy. Salvation and grace is simplistic. I think, however, that most Christians secretly wish that we still had all the works of the law. That way they'd feel like they were doing something to gain God's favor or get into Heaven. However, the practices of the law aren't really an option anymore.

Enough of that.

Life, Death, and other Inevitables
This break has had it all. Births in our church and God's family, death in the extended family, couples (finally) getting engaged... Such is life. It never ceases to amaze and intrigue me just how life works. Think about it. Everything works together in God's perfect way to create the most intricate and marvelous story! Things thousands of miles apart can happen and lead to something that affects you in your own backyard, and in turn impact someone on the other side of the world. Life, death, marriage, break ups... it all works together to create something wonderful beyond ourselves.

I just love how everything always works out. God is wonderful!

Hehe! Y'all are going to think I'm insane with the way I jump topics. But please realize that I write my posts over a couple of hours, a day or two, etc., so that makes it easier for me to bounce around how I do.

And if you're wondering why I have suddenly had this burst of joy about God working everything out (In light of my rather pessimistic post prior), I'll tell you. Life. The good, the bad, and the normal. All the negative of last year, and all the positive. Everything good and bad that was, is, and shall come.

No, I'm not happy about the gathering storms, but I'm not upset either. The way I figure it, the darker the night, the brighter the day.

Well, it is very late here, so I'm off to bed! Sleep well my friends!
-Frank

A New Year!

Nothing screams "New year's celebration" like an all day Hee Haw marathon. In case you've never heard of Hee Haw, let me enlighten you as to what it is.

A corny show from the 70's which could loosely be called the early red neck version of SNL. But they have country music singers on their constantly singing their hits. Well, hits back in the 70's. If you can somehow manage to not freak out upon seeing the ridiculously big hair, and can look past the cheesey props, you'll see a corny, but funny show. And I mean corny literally. They have a corn field that they like to pop up in and give one liners. It's a variety show... yup!

But I didn't sit and watch it all night. Just for a few hours after midnight. I couldn't sleep. And that show didn't help.

I just hope that that wasn't an accurate prologue to this year... perhaps a fitting end to last year... but please, not a prologue!

I ended last year with an unexpected crash course in 70's music... "A Pagan's Nightmare" kept making references to disco, Hee Haw is nothing but 70's country, and it just seems I'm coming into contact with an unusual and unwanted amount of music from one of the tackiest decades this country has ever known! I feel like I'm stuck in a 70's timewarp...

This is year is starting out interestingly enough, however! Tomorrow I get to have my top two wisdom teeth removed. Friday I go to a friends house to watch movies and play video games (assuming I can see straight), and Saturday I go off to do things with a few friends. Sunday, I'm helping the choir sing a song they don't know, but I know. After that I'm working on getting clothes, skirts, etc. either mended, taken in, or made. Or bought... I have a few things that need to be pitched and replaced with something that isn't dead or too small.

But this new year isn't just starting off corny, painful, expensive, and time consuming. It's also starting out with a scare. This is a warning for all laughers! Don't eat and laugh! It's dangerous!!! This could happen to you! Though, I'm usually in danger of the opposite, but still! Heed the warning! Don't laugh and eat!

Anyway, that's all my rambling for now.

Until the cows come home,
-Frank