The Peaceful Gnome

From "The Lord Will Answer" for today, the Last Friday of the church year. God, You are my Father. Lord, You are my Brother. Spirit, You gave me birth through my dear mother, the holy Christian church. Triune God, I did not discover these truths in solitude. I did not find them in the forests or the grassy fields. You called to me where eager children walk and sing and say "I believe." Make me a devout sibling in this communion of saints, through the forgiveness of sins, unto the resurrection of the body and the life everlasting. Amen. (EE) (Most prayers in this book are attributed to various people, but some just say "EE" and I'm not really certain what that means. In any case, this is my prayer for today. Thanks be to God.)

I just got an email from a cousin in Liverpool, UK, Tony Rossiter. Family members here might enjoy this photo of the Rossiter clan back in the 1970's. :-) Tony sent this identification of the folks in the photo: thats me on Bella;s lap and my brother Aaron on Debbie's lap...Thats my mum standing next to Tony So we have in the rear from left to right, the "English" Tony Rossiter's mom, "American" Tony Rossiter, front row from left to right, Debbie Rossiter with Aaron, Jimmy Rossiter, Bella Rossiter with English Tony Rossiter and Frankie Rossiter on the end. :-) Enjoy: Just to make us all feel really old here is a more recent photo from Bella, Frankie and Tony with their Dad Frank on the right :-)

The Wall Street Journal has an opinion piece on the new stem cell research from Japan and what this says about the left wing pro-abortion crowd's take on science: OPINIONJOURNAL FEDERATION Trading Places Will the secular left soon attack the religious right for being pro -science? BY JOSEPH BOTTUM Wednesday, November 28, 2007 12:01 a.m. EST If the news of major breakthroughs in cell research should turn out to be correct, we are about to witness something like victory in the fight over embryonic stem cells. And that will open a nest of interesting questions, beginning with this one: All those editorialists and columnists who have, over the past 10 years, howled and howled about Luddites and religious fanatics thwarting science and frustrating medicine--were they really interested in technology and health, or were they just using all that as a handy stick with which to whack their political opponents? Full Story is here.

I just ate a 1.7 ounce bag of Ranch flavored Corn Nuts. I normally don't eat that sort of food anymore but someone gave us a box of them here at work and so I took a bag from the box and tried them. I ate the whole "single serving" bag. Of course these are extremely salty so you get thirsty, they were invented in Oakland as food to be served in taverns after all. They are also loaded with MSG. So, now that I have consumed my 220 calories worth of MSG, salt and fat I feel horrible. My lips are sore from the salt, I have a headache, probably from the MSG, and I am famished even though I was not actually hungry before I ate the stupid things! Snack foods are EVIL !

The plague of flying rats just gets worse and worse... TO KILL OR NOT TO KILL Cities Tackle Surge in Global Pigeon Population By David Crossland Gray and inconspicuous they may be, but pigeons are highly adaptable and their numbers are surging around the world, heightening the risk of disease. Cities have resorted to imaginative techniques to kill the birds over the years, but the only effective curb is to stop feeding them, says a Swiss scientist. DPA Venice has the highest pigeon density at three pigeons per citizen. The pigeon is a heavenly symbol of peace, love and purity but it also produces 12 kilos of excrement a year and is widely decried as a flying rat that soils facades and spreads disease in cities all over the world. Scientists, city officials and animal welfare activists met in the western German city of Essen on Tuesday for Germany's first Town Pigeon Conference to discuss how to deal with the growing pigeon population which is expected to rise ...

Ron Paul made the front page of the San Francisco Chronicle today! It wasn't that long ago that they managed to ignore him completely, they can't any more. GO RON! CAMPAIGN 2008 RON WHO? Longshot candidate from Texas, once an unknown, gains on GOP leaders and rakes in funds... They were a lonely band of rebels until just a few weeks ago, backing the darkest of dark horse presidential candidates. But with Republican Rep. Ron Paul's fundraising on the rise - $4.2 million raised on the Internet in one day this month - and his poll numbers jumping, the Texas congressman might no longer be a "who?" but a potential problem for leading Republican presidential candidates in key states such as New Hampshire.

Now that my Thanksgiving dinner has at last fully digested I suppose I can get back to making the occasional post here on my blog. For the last few months I have been investigating the claims made by what are called "Young Earth Creationists." I am not going to try and rehash the details here but thought I would update you on where I am on the subject these days. Young Earth Creationists are folks who read Genesis 1 & 2 as a sort of science text and attempt to make sense of the world in light of this. They claim that the earth is, at most, 10,000 years old and that it was created in 6 literal days as described in Genesis. My own church, the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod , seems to hold this very view of things, though, as far as I know, it is not something that will get one tossed out on his ear if he doesn't buy it. At least I hope that is so. I'll let you know if I discover otherwise. The Young Earth Creationists (YEC) endeavor to explain the geologic re...

We had a wonderful Thanksgiving. Lora, Serenity and I attended Thanksgiving Eve Vespers on Wednesday night at Messiah. Then on Thursday, after Lora got off of work at Starbucks, we went to Mountain House and shared a huge and delicious Thanksgiving Feast with Jon, Celeste, Jory, Derek, Hans, Ethan and Nicholas Domke. There was turkey and sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes and gravy, stuffing, salads, cranberries and so forth. Lora made an apple cobbler and her yummy broccoli and bacon salad. There was pumpkin bread, ginger bread, rolls and butter, pumpkin pecan pie, whipped cream and more at desert. Wine, beer a dozens sorts of soda pop to drink and coffee at the end. We gave thanks to God for the abundance we are privileged with here in our land and we had a pleasant time of visiting relaxing. All told it was a wonderful day of feasting and fun. Serenity had a great time playing with the Domke children and today is sleeping in late to recover :-) I hope everyone had a great Tha...

Here is some "Glorious Pro-War Propaganda" that was sent to me by a family member. Click here if you don't see the video embedded below. It came with this explanation, FYI it actually came out last year but is still making the rounds, nothing ever totally vanishes from the net: This film was made by a 15 year old girl. > > The following is the hottest thing on the internet and on Fox News today. > > Lizzie Palmer who put this YouTube program together is 15 years old. There > have been over 3,000,000 hits as of this morning. In case you missed it, > here > it is. > > Watch all of it.......and, pass it on!! I have a couple of comments to make about it. 1. This is a very nicely done and professional looking bit of propaganda. 2. It makes the claim, during the middle portions, that these people are fighting "for you." This is not true, they are fighting for an empire, they are fighting for Oil companies and they are fighting on behalf...

Cool, stem cells without having to murder babies to get them! By Maggie Fox, Health and Science Editor WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Researchers have transformed ordinary human skin cells into batches of cells that look and act like embryonic stem cells -- but without using cloning technology and without making embryos. Their breakthroughs, reported on Tuesday, could make possible the long-sought goal of tailor-made medicine, but without the political, scientific and ethical roadblock of using human eggs or embryos. Full Story.

Commemoration for today: Elizabeth of Hungary Born in Pressburg, Hungary, in 1207, Elizabeth was the daughter of King Andrew II and his wife Gertrude. Given as a bride in an arranged political marriage, Elizabeth became the wife of Louis of Thuringia in Germany at the age of 14. She had a spirit of Christian generosity and charity, and the home she established for her husband and three children in the Wartburg Castle at Eisenach was known for its hospitality and family love. Elizabeth often supervised the care of the sick and needy and even gave up her bed to a leper at one time. Widowed at the age of 20, she made provisions for her children and entered into an austere life as a nun in the Order of Saint Francis. Her self-denial led to failing health and an early death in 1231 at the age of 24. Remembered for her self-sacrificing ways, Elizabeth is commemorated through the many hospitals named for her around the world. [From " Commemorations Biographies , " Lutheran Servi...

A Turkey Poem ;) The turkey shot out of the oven And rocketed into the air. It knocked every plate off the table And partly demolished a chair It ricocheted into a corner And burst with a deafening boom Then splattered all over the kitchen Completely obscuring the room It stuck to the walls and the windows It totally coated the floor, There was turkey attached to the ceiling, Where there'd never been turkey before. It blanketed every appliance It smeared every saucer and bowl There wasn't a way I could stop it, That turkey was outta control. I scraped and scrubbed with displeasure and Thought with chagrin as I mopped, That I'd never again stuff a turkey With popcorn that hasn't been popped! Author unknown

Thomas DiLorenzo on the supreme soviet of neoconservatism. "...The "National Continuity Policy" directive "concentrates power into the office of the president to coordinate any and all government and business activities" in the event of a "catastrophic emergency," writes the judge. The problem this creates for the American public is that "the pliable language in the directive creates the ability for a vast scope of executive authority without the checks and balances of the other branches of government," writes Napolitano. It creates dictatorial powers, in other words. "Catastrophic emergency" is defined so broadly that it could include an economic downturn, an environmental catastrophe, large-scale protests against the Iraq war, a power black...

The power of prayer comes not from us, it comes from God, as was said by Pastor Drosendahl the other day: "....likely, someone will ask also about the * power of prayer * (probably wanting to become a * prayer warrior * or some such non-biblical animal). The best response to this is gently, but firmly, to remind the folks that there is not much power in the pray-er, but almighty power in the Answerer of the prayers." It's always good to keep the emphasis where it belongs. :-)

Justinian , Christian Ruler and Confessor of Christ Justinian was emperor of the East from A.D. 527 to 565 when the Roman Empire was in decline. With his beautiful and capable wife, Theodora, he restored splendor and majesty to the Byzantine court. During his reign the Empire experienced a renaissance, due in large part to his ambition, intelligence and strong religious convictions. Justinian also attempted to bring unity to a divided church. He was a champion of orthodox Christianity and sought agreement among the parties in the Christological controversies of the day who were disputing the relation between the divine and human natures in the person of Christ. The Fifth Ecumenical Council in Constantinople in A.D. 533 was held during his reign and addressed this dispute. Justinian died in his eighties, not accomplishing his desire for an empire that was firmly Christian and orthodox. [From " Commemorations Biographies , " Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

We believe: The Law of the Ten Commandments , the Gospel of the Creed , and the petitions of the Lord's Prayer are the footsteps and breath of the Christian life. We daily breathe in the Gospel, we exhale the Our Father, and we walk in the Lord's Commandments. From "The Lord will Answer" Third last Monday of the Church Year.

by Gary North I rarely discuss presidential politics in my reports, because I think a presidential election is a half-billion dollar Punch and Judy show whose practical outcome is orchestrated well in advance. The presidential campaign is held for tradition’s sake and for its entertainment value, the better to shill the voters. Let’s face reality: when the outcome of the 2004 presidential race had to be the election of a member of Skull and Bones, a Yale undergraduate secret society that initiates 15 students a year, the available two choices were not the result of the system we read about in our high school civics textbooks. Ever since 1932, the presidential campaigns have been conducted between Council on Foreign Relations Team A vs. Council on Foreign Relations Team B. In 2004...

Dr. Paul will be interviewed Sunday morning (Nov. 11) on CBS News' Face the Nation with Bob Schieffer.

by David W. Gorman Washington Headquarters Executive Director, Disabled American Veterans On Veterans Day, politicians will praise the 30,000 troops “officially wounded” in action in Iraq and Afghanistan as if this “statistic” were some kind of “fact.” In doing so, they’ll harm the men and women who carry the burden of our nation’s defense in today’s very dangerous world. That 30,000 number is a fantasy. Here’s the truth about the human cost borne by the troops in Iraq and Afghanistan as shown by data from the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA). Of the 1.5 million troops who served in Iraq or Afghanistan, 720,000 (48%) are now veterans in the civilian population. Of these, 202,000 have filed claims for VA disability benefits. The VA granted benefits in more than 90% of the cases processed so far, and will grant more upon appeal or presentation of additional evidence. In other words, real statistics show that one out of four veterans from Iraq and Afghanistan is disabled in milita...

Several years ago I canceled my subscription to Scientific American magazine. I did this because I had noticed that they had gone from what seemed a pretty straight forward science magazine addressed to educated laymen to what was obviously political advocacy with "science" as a bludgeon used to force acceptance of their socialist ideology. I pretty much just ignored them from then on, until a few days ago when I came across this story: When the Psychiatric Cure Is the Disease Apparently one of the agendas of Socialist American magazine now is to minimize and debunk the reality of child abuse. I was very gratified to see that the Wall Street Journal has put up a blog where both sides have been able to address this issue. I urge anyone who has had the misfortune of stumbling across the Scientific American story and thought it might be science of some sort to read the many responses by clinicians and survivors debunking the debunking so to speak. My thanks to friend Jeann...

Here is an email that has been going around the net for the last month or so: This is a great idea!! When you are making out your Christmas card list this year, please include the following: A Recovering American soldier c/o Walter Reed Army Medical Center 6900 Georgia Avenue,NW Washington,D.C. 20307-5001 If you approve of the idea, please pass it on to your e-mail list. (Which I did) Hope you do also. These guys need all of the good cheers and will that we can give them. This really sounds like a great idea, doesn't it? Well, it's not really. Sadly in this age of paranoia over terrorism things with addresses like this are not given to soldiers but are discarded by either the post office, or if it gets that far by the military hospital that receives it. Check out this story on Snopes for more details. Then, after you look at Snopes get yourself right on over to DAV! That is the Disabled American Veterans web site, they do great work...

Martin Chemnitz (1522 - 1586), born on this date, is regarded after Martin Luther as the most important theologian in the history of the Lutheran Church. Chemnitz combined a penetrating intellect and an almost encyclopedic knowledge of Scripture and the church fathers with a genuine love for the church. When various doctrinal disagreements broke out after Martin Luther ' s death in 1546, Chemnitz determined to give himself fully to the restoration of unity in the Lutheran Church. He became the leading spirit and principal author of the 1577 Formula of Concord, which settled the doctrinal disputes on the basis of the Scriptures and largely succeeded in restoring unity among Lutherans. Chemnitz also authored the four-volume Examination of the Council of Trent (1565 - 1573), in which he rigorously subjected the teachings of this Roman Catholic council to the judgment of Scripture and the ancient church fathers. The Examination became the definitive Lutheran answer to the Council of T...

Here is another story about the scum Mukasey, dirt-bag water-boarding fan, the fellow the Democrats and Republicans who control congress figured would work out just fine as the "chief law enforcement official" of the Evil Amerikan Empire.

by Mike Whitney by Mike Whitney "The American Republic is in remnant status. The stage is set for our country to devolve into a military dictatorship, and few seem to care." ~ Rep. Ron Paul First we stop the killing, and then we restore the Constitution. These are our two main priorities. And that’s why I’m voting for Ron Paul. He is the only candidate (with a chance to win) who’s promising to do both. And he’ll keep his word. That makes him the only truly American candidate running for president. Paul is serious about withdrawing US troops from Iraq. He knows that the war was a mistake and believes that the American occupation must end. He has promised to stop the ongoin...

For the last couple of weeks I was reading a dark fantasy series of books called "The Sword of Truth" by Terry Goodkind . This was not the first time I've read these books, I read most of them, all that had been produced at the time, several years ago. I had forgotten just how very dark these books were. They are filled with images of torture, murder, rape, child abuse and war, good vs. evil. Disturbing to say the least. The story is gripping and pulled me in just as it had the first time I read it. While most all of the horrors are committed by those on the "evil" side in the conflict I found that the images started to dominate my thinking even when I was not actually reading the book! Thoughts of torture and murder began to appear in my mind at odd times, and I found myself feeling anger, and even rage, more and more as the days went on and I continued to read. Then on Monday, three days ago, it came to me that there might be a connection between my own d...

Johann von Staupitz (ca. 1469 - 1524), vicar-general of the Augustinian Order in Germany and friend of Martin Luther, was born in Saxony. He studied at the universities in Leipzig and Cologne and served on the faculty at Cologne. In 1503 he was called by Frederick the Wise to serve as dean of the theological faculty at the newly founded University of Wittenberg. There he encouraged Luther to attain a doctorate in theology and appointed Luther as his successor as professor of Bible. During Luther ' s early struggles to understand God ' s grace, it was Staupitz who counseled Luther to focus on Christ and not on himself. [From " Commemorations Biographies , " Lutheran Service Book, LCMS Commission on Worship]

So what American President do you quote when you abolish your government's constitution and impose direct military rule? Who do you quote when you "fire" the supreme court? Why Abraham Lincoln of course! The first, and still most slavishly worshiped, total dictator of the American Empire, destroyer of liberty and freedom, the Emancipator of Slaves, Enslaver of Free Men as Hummel says. Sort of makes a wanna-be totalitarian dictator like Bush all warm and fuzzy inside I'm sure.

Thanks to the bozos in government we are now moving our clocks back an hour. A total waste of time actually. There is no real logical reason to shift the clocks around, especially since the country is more or less open 24/7 these days it makes little difference in energy consumption. Check out the End Daylight Saving Time web site. In any case, I finally get the hour back they stole from me before last spring, seems to me they should give me interest on it, maybe three or four hours paid absence from work for the whole country. Thieving government scum anyway... One more reason not to shift the clocks back and forth is the increase in accidents at each shift , it confuses people, causes people to drive while drowsy... it's a stupid idea, thus the government loves it to no end!

How lovely, the Senator from California doesn't care if people are tortured and murdered. The spineless Democratic party has once again shown they are unwilling to take any risk, and therefore have ensured the continuation of the erosion of respect for the United States around the world and the erosion of respect for the government here within the confines of the evil empire. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Feinstein to support attorney general nomination Support of 2 Dems on Judiciary Committee virtually assures Mukasey of Senate backing Philip Shenon,David M. Herszenhorn, New York Times Saturday, November 3, 2007 (11-03) 04:00 PDT Washington - -- The confirmation of Michael Mukasey as attorney general appeared to be all but certain Friday after two key Democrats on the Senate Judiciary Committee announced they would support the nom...

Well, not really a bright spot but at least it's not a dark pit sucking the light from the world. I called the registrar of voters about the letter I had received stating I was not registered with a qualified party that I mentioned in a post the other day. There was a recording that came on as soon as they picked up the phone announcing they had sent out those letters by mistake, so I will get to vote for Ron Paul after all :-) I was right that they are incompetent in sending out the letter, but at least they were not so incompetent as to actually screw up my registration. And so a dim flicker of hope is detected in my world...

So the other day there was the suicide and the earthquake and all that. After I got off of the train that night I rode my bike home from the train station and on the bike path a huge black cat ran in front of me, stopped and glared at me from the side of the path and said "You are cursed!" :-) OK, so he didn't actually say anything, but he was thinking it! How do I know? Well last night when I got off of the train I discovered that my bike had been stolen, from the inside of the BART station, in plain sight of the so-called station agents, those government thieves who serve no real purpose at the station other than to harass paying customers for petty infractions of random rules set up for no reason other than that they can. Four years ago I had a bike stolen from the Lafayette BART station. At the time I suspected that the BART employees there had a hand in it, that they called in their buddies when they saw a nice bike to be ripped off for fun and profit. Now, ha...