Ok, I don’t know which is more suprising…What people search for or what we come up on? One of the fun things about having a counter on your blog is that you can see what sites are refering people to you. Well I have found some interesting searches that we come up number one on (at least at the time of posting). Now all these are Google searches.
kol hamesameach
Nerd Particle
was charles spurgeon pro- israel
There are many others that we rank pretty high on and I just find that very interesting!

So Senator Russ Feingold has put forth a motion to censure President Bush for wiretapping without a warrant. Now, I know that all of you who aren’t into politics are saying, “yea, so”. The interesting point comes into play a little further into the story. The Senator was allowed to bring in one witness. So to set this up I need to quite K-Lo over at the Corner:

Who’s he gonna call? A prominent legal scholar? An expert on constitutional theory? A judge?

None of the above.

His witness is John Dean.

For those of you who can’t place the name…John Dean is the person who turned on Nixon by taking a plea and testifing against Nixon and the administration (I am not justifing Nixon, just reminding everyone). Over at the Corner there was a few posts about how hard ot was (or wasn’t) to drag Dean out to the foreground and put him in the center of attention. I have to say that I agree with Jonah Goldberg when he said:

My guess is the dragging will take place when he’ll be screaming like Mortimer Duke at the end of “Trading Places” desperate to keep things going. “Turn those cameras back on!”

Very interesting to see what effect this will have on Feingold and his reputation.

Further development… According to an article over at MSNBC.com:

Bush defender Sen. John Cornyn, R- Texas, assailed Dean calling him a “convicted felon” and accusing him of selling a book and his testimony being “part of the marketing effort.”

When I was a child I heard my mom say, “There is more that unites us than divides us” (no I am not saying it was her original thought;). This resulted as a discussion of ecumenical activity, you know, Pentecostal, Baptist, etc. Well, thanks to GOP Vixen I now know that we have one more binding tie with Saudi Arabia, IKEA. Now, They did have 3 killed in a stampede to get into the store, according to Aljazeera.net. But, the store was giving away $150 vouchers. Can you really say that couldn’t happen in our town;)? Though it is a little sad that Saudi Arabia has an IKEA and Fresno doesn’t…. In all seriousness, I think it is good to give these societies a desire for our goods and services. Hopefully, if we penetrate their lives in this way, our influence will just grow!

Ok, NerdPie just finished praying and wow, is she cute. First she thanked God for God. Then she asked that He help her pray and to be a better puppy at practice. How cute is that?

Ok, as moms we all wonder what is the best way to do chores, responsibility, etc. I was reading the March issue of Parents magazine. There was and article by (or about) Kathryn Sansone, mother of 10 and an author of Woman First, Family Always. She was saying that she has a list of chores and everyone chooses what they want. Then, if no one chooses, she just assigns them out. I think this is a great system. Why is it that most moms insist on rotating all chores? I understand if there are coveted and fought over jobs but on the whole? My siblings and I were all very different types of people with different interests. I think as long it is understood that all jobs must be done (or compulsory service) this system would work. I hope the idea speaks to someone else also!

Ok, so that is sarcasm. When the world looks at Israel it seems to question all the security in dealing with the Palestinians all the time. Recently Israelis arrested a Palestinian at a checkpoint. He had a false medical permit and was planning on a shooting spree. He was planning on getting a gun in the Green Line, which is on the side of the checkpoint. Israel has also has had problems with allowing ambulances to just pass into Israel for medical emergencies.

“The use by terrorist organizations of medical resources, particularly ambulances, in order to bypass the searches and security checks in IDF checkpoints emphasizes the need for a security check of medical vehicles,” an IDF statement announced. “Such searches are conducted in order to ensure that ambulances are not used by terrorists in an attempt to transport terrorists, weaponry and explosive devices.”

There are many examples of this and here is just one:

One of the most prominent incidents highlighted by Israeli security agencies is the suicide bombing attack on Jaffa Street in Jerusalem on January 27, 2002, in which an Israeli civilian was killed and over 100 were injured. The suicide bombing was carried out by Waffa Idris, a resident of the Amari refugee camp near Ramallah. Idris acted as a medical secretary in the Palestinian Red Crescent. Following an investigation by Israeli security forces, it appears that the Palestinian suicide bombers were dispatched to carry out the attack by Muhamad Hababa, a resident of the village of Beit Iksa near Ramallah, a Tanzim operative and an ambulance driver of the Palestinian Red Crescent. An additional associate to the terror attack was Munzar Nur, a resident of Anabta, near Tulkarm, which worked for the Palestinian Red Crescent as well.

The problem arises, what are Israel and the Palestinians to do. One option is that the Palestinians should go to Jordan for these medical issues. The problem (for the Palestinians) is that Israel is far more advanced to Jordan in the technology available. I do think the US and UN (if we are going to accept their authority) should take these issues into consideration. When statements and support is given, it should be on Israel’s side. Maybe is the Palestinians had to accept responsibility for their own society they wouldn’t elect terrorists to their ruling body.

Why Homeschool: The Carnival of Homeschooling – lucky week 13 is up! Once again we are glad to be included!

So there is a new Will Ferrell movie coming out and the trailer is very funny. Talladega Nights appears to be perfect for all those rednecks or anyone who likes laughing at rednecks. So what I really need to know is, who is left?

(HT: Two Blonde Boys)

So we are going through a bible study, The Ten Commandments from the Following God series in my women’s study at church. We are on #9, No Stealing, and a discussion began during our Tuesday morning leader’s meeting about businesses. We were talking about how executives embezzle and companies declare bankruptcy just to avoid paying creditors (which is not really part of the book study). We were wondering when and why this behavior became acceptable for business. Frankly, it is because we don’t care (as a society) as long as prices are low. Well, I (and some of my friends) are not happy with that. In some cases, you should chose to patronize companies that promote something you believe in. A local and personal example for me is Majesty Bibles and Gifts. It is a locally owned Bible bookstore and they support churches in the area. So when I could shop at a slightly cheaper option I try to go visit Harry (the owner of Majesty).

On to the main point. We as homeschoolers have a variety of curriculum options to choose from. I have heard about some great things that one of these companies has done. With all of the damage that Katrina wrought, the Red Cross sent people to the effected areas from Fresno including a family from my church. They were sent to go help at a church that also had a small school. Due to the flooding, everything stored under 6 feet high was lost. My friend asked a woman with the school what they were going to do about all the lost curriculum. The woman started crying and my friend apologized for asking. The woman said it wasn’t a problem, she was crying out of joy. A Beka was going to replace all of their curriculum for free. So a couple of months later A Beka came to Fresno to show their products (as they do a couple of times a year). My friend relayed the interaction with the woman and asked if it was true. The sales rep said that A Beka was replacing all curriculum that was lost anywhere due to Katrina. This is going to cost A Beka a lot of money and they didn’t make a big media show out of it.

Now, I do know that A Beka isn’t always the cheapest option of books and definitely not when there are used options out there. But, if you are even considering it and the only reason you wouldn’t use them is due to price, please reconsider. If we want to encourage such behavior we need to support it!

BTW, I haven’t yet purchased anything by A Beka and I am not associated with them in any way.

I, like many people in the US, is concerned over the well being of Abdul Rahman. I have read a variety of posts and heard a plethera of news segments. I have to say that I also wonder what our position and role, as a nation, should be in all this. Shaun Groves talked about the wisdom of aiding a group that is opposed to the freedom we stand for, especially as Christians. I believe in religious freedom. I also believe in not being unequally yoked with those who do not share our beliefs (for example, I would only marry a Christian or go into business with one). But we are not a Christian nation, we are a Christianized nation so the evaluation doesn’t need to be the same. Also, did we truly “partner” with Afghanistan or are we helping them? Is it our right to set out what their society should be? A commenter on Shlog also pointed out that Christ helped those who wouldn’t worship Him. He healed 10 lepers but only one returned to thank and worship Him.
So all that said what are we as a nation to do? I have to say that I like what Mark Steyn said in his column:

I can understand why the president and Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice would rather deal with this through back channels, private assurances from their Afghan counterparts, etc. But the public rhetoric is critical, too. At some point we have to face down a culture in which not only the mob in the street but the highest judges and academics talk like crazies. Abdul Rahman embodies the question at the heart of this struggle: If Islam is a religion one can only convert to, not from, then in the long run it is a threat to every free person on the planet.

What can we do? Should governments with troops in Afghanistan pass joint emergency legislation conferring their citizenship on this poor man and declaring him, as much as Karzai, under their protection?

In a more culturally confident age, the British in India were faced with the practice of “suttee” – the tradition of burning widows on the funeral pyres of their husbands. Gen. Sir Charles Napier was impeccably multicultural:
“You say that it is your custom to burn widows. Very well. We also have a custom: When men burn a woman alive, we tie a rope around their necks, and we hang them. Build your funeral pyre; beside it, my carpenters will build a gallows. You may follow your custom. And then we will follow ours.”

If we are protecting some in Afghanistan, shouldn’t we also protect others? Over all I have to say that God will receive glory. Either this man will be martyred and with Christ. Then it will cause many to check out Christ to see what the Muslims are afraid of. Or he will be released. His life will be spared and the humanity of a society will grow. There is nothing we can all do but pray (and blog;).