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Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience. - Colossians 3:12.
John T Brown has a excellent post - here - this AM based on the above scripture about how the chosen people of God should act and behave. Very well written and well worth a read for all that call themselves the children of God.
A great man and local Knoxville law legend, Robert “Bob” Ritchie, died Friday in a Pennsylvania hospital of cancer. Bob Ritchie was a man that impacted his profession dramatically, but more then that he impacted people. The practice of law in Knoxville, and Tennessee, and maybe even a larger area was effected by Bob Ritchie’s practice, but Mr Ritchie’s outside the court room is just as great. He was a man that was admired by all that meet him either socially or professionally. All that knew him will miss him.
Bob Ritchie was a man that impacted all that meet him, and after meeting him you were not the same. Bob’s son, former state legislator Wayne Ritchie, said it best -
“He fought his illness in the way that he fought for his clients, with unbounded optimism and a buoyant spirit,” Wayne Ritchie said. “Even when he was down, he didn’t let others know it. My father gave me the finest role model anyone could ask for, in every way that can be imagined.”
Robert “Bob” Ritchie you will be missed and the prayers of the Team Swap team go out to all the Ritchie family and close friends at this time.
Rush Limbaugh plead out his Florida drug case Friday with a deal that will drop the charges, after 18 months, if he continues to seek a doctors care. Florida prosecutors can claim a win because they gained the right to use a search warrent to look at medical records. Both sides are calling it a win. Some think this case took to long to get tired, for charges to be brought. After the pleading some believe that the media is making too much of this story. Long and short Limbaugh comes out with no record after 18 months - if he remains under a doctors care, his audience will not be impacted by this story, and those that dislike him have one more thing to point out about him to his supporters.
Forbes story here, Quad City story here, eitb story, News Buster story here, and News Max Story Here
Jay from Stop The ACLU is concerned that America is slipping back into a place, or into period, where few see the real dangers in the world that face America. Quoting largely from Yankee Sailor, with some additional comments from WND, Jay presents the arguement that Iran and al-Qaida have a much closer relationship then many believe and that their may already be a forward positioned nuclear bomb in the US, which will be used if the US attackes Iran. This post is worth a read, even if you do not believe it or agree with it, as it is throught provoking. I am personally always for provoking thought, even if the conclusions / views are not ones I personally share. So, I encourage you to read the post and come to your on conclusions. Post Here
I have read / seen many experts that say that the “suitcase bomb” does not exsist, I have read / seen others that say that is does. With that said, I am not sure of how real or precieved a nuclear attack on the US by terrorist is. I will say that I am sure there will be another terrorist attack on US soil, the fact that there has not been one so far is a statement to some degree that US security is better then many believe it to be. So, for me it is not if there is a attack, it is when and a question of what kind of attack will be tried next. Terrorist are known for some common means of attack - bomb belts, car bombs, etc - but really impactful terrorist attacks always follow a method that has not been used before and once it is used is not used again. The advantage that the attacker in a terror war has is that they can wait until they feel the defenses of the opponent are down and can attack at points they see weak not at hardened points of power / command & control or influence.
In my opinon, most Americans do not really precieve the dangers that exsist in the world today, via terrorism and international military efforts, nor see the internal moral decline and lack of historical understanding that is common today in America. The old saying if you do not study history you are doomed to repeat it is true, even if we would like to think otherwise.
Personally, I think America as a nation is a cross roads, we have to decide if we desire to continue being a super power with international impact or if we desire to step aside and let other nations become world leaders while we tend to internal affairs. Much like Rome, I think the fall of America from greatness will be from internal forces (declining morals, lack of motivation due to ease of life, lack of appreication for education / history / study / work, etc) not external forces (being conquered, etc). To me the real question is weather that fall will occur in 15 to 20 years or 200 years. Power and leadership has shifted constantly throughout civilization and it requires the denial of history to think that America will always be on top, the sole world super power, or sole world leader. Just something to think about when you look at the world stage and the position that America holds within it.
35 year old American Chris Horner took the second stage in the Tour of Romandie on Thursday. This puts Horner in the leaders jersey, taking it from Discovery’s Paolo Savoldelli. Horner’s win was the second for his team Davitamon-Lotto team after Robbie McEwen’s (AUS) win in the first stage. Lotto’s Cadel Evans (AUS) was also in the main peloton so the Lotto team that had a rough classic season seems to be coming around in time for the grand tours. Always better to have more teams at their peak then to just have the grand tours contested between a hand full of teams. Personally I still think that Discovery, Phonak, CSC, Liberty, and T-mobile will still dominated the grand tours, but good to see Lotto, Il Beleraus, etc with some strong riders that can pip a few stages and make the mega grand tours teams fight for every win.
David Price from Espresso Blog has a nice two part series up that deals with the question - What Happens When Man Dies?
From Part I of the series -
What happens when Man dies? Not the individual man dying physically, but Man dying as Man. What happens when Man, as the pinnacle of creation, loses his place; when the essence of man is lost?
Be sure to read both parts of the series as the first deals with the issue / despair of Man’s death, while the second deals with the hope Man can rediscover. It is vital to read both posts to get a true understanding of what David is talking about.
- Part 1 here and Part 2 here
*** Update ****
We added this post to the Stop The ACLU Open Trackback - here
Google rolled out a free for personal use 3d sketch program today called Google SketchUp. Google SketchUp resulted from Google’s purchase of @Last Software in March.
From Information Week -
Google SketchUp, which is free for personal use, includes simple tools for creating 3D models of a variety of items, including houses, sheds, decks, home additions and woodworking projects. The software comes with a plug in for Google Earth, so items can be posted on the service, which provides satellite views of geographical locations.
In addition, Google launched 3D Warehouse, online storage for work created in SketchUp. The service also enables users to search and share models.
Google, based in Mountain View, Calif., plans to continue selling SketchUp Pro 5 for professional designers. The software costs $495.
From Sketchup’s website -
WHAT’S THE DIFFERENCE?
So what’s the difference between Google SketchUp (free) and SketchUp Pro 5? Lots, actually:
- Pro users are able to print and export raster images at higher-than-screen resolution.
- Pro users have access to the following 3D export formats: DWG, DXF, 3DS, OBJ, XSI, VRML and FBX.
- Pro users are able to export animations and walkthroughs as MOV (Mac) or AVI (Windows) files.
- Pro users get the Sandbox Tools (for organic modeling of terrain, etc) and the Film & Stage Tools (for pre-viz work).
- Pro users have access to free email tech support for two years after they buy SketchUp Pro.
- Finally, only SketchUp Pro is approved for commercial use; the Free version is licensed for personal use only.
Understand, I think 3D sketching / modeling programs have a uber high geek value - i.e. those that care REALLY care but most have no idea and do not really care. By Google doing this though it may make a few people get interested enough to mess around a bit and I would bet that all the middle projects on Hurricane Katrina next year will now include 3D models of the the descructions / damage of key building in New Orleans. Fortunately the free version can not render movies so it will be still images, as I was not looking forward to seeing rendered movies of the French Quarter flooding over and over again on Ifilms.
I was not kidding about not wanting to see New Orleans flooded and destroyed over and over. I do think that this program may make a few people mess around with 3D stuff and that is always good. Bottomline I am for people being creative, even if it is doing stuff that does not interest me - i.e. rendered Katrina models for science projects. What I would like to see though is Ray Nagin driving a bus out of / through the lower 9th ward before Katrina, that could be funny.
Bottomline this is a program I will definately download and play with both on the desktop and the laptop. I have messed with Poser and Renderman in the past and used Corel 3D and extrustion tools in Illustrator and Freehand, so I am not new to 3D, but this could actually be fun. If anything good comes from the work we will post it. If nothing good comes we will not take your time with bad renderings…that is what CNN is for.
