Looking to solve two problems...

1. ...get out of debt, and
2. ...make more money to offset problem 1.

By the way, in the things I say in this blog, they are things that I would have no problem saying in my Sunday school class - just so you don't expect me to say anything wild, strange or bizarre.

Intensity...

I once worked with a guy who said, in jest, "someone told me I had an obsessive personality, and I haven't been able to stop thinking about it..."

Dry humor is amusing enough to me that, even if others don't get it, it's still entertaining.

Here are some movies that have influenced me (and, as with the books I listed, there is therefore an implied recommendation)...again, in no particular order...

• "The Passion of the Christ". Powerful, emotionally draining, but a must-see. My advice - don't see it in the morning or afternoon, and skip the popcorn & soda. It's just not one of those popcorn & soda kind of movies. I wept from start to finish.
• "They Live" - directed by John Carpenter. This movie has almost a cult-like following, and after you see it, you'll understand why. Again, you won't look at things the same way again.
• "Falling Down" starring Michael Douglas. Not his usual egotistical portrayal (I don't necessarily mean that in a derogatory way, but face it - his roles have generally been big-ego guys). I don't condone any of the violent behavior in it, but you may be able to relate to some of his frustrations throughout the movie.
• "America - From Freedom to Fascism", produced & directed by Aaron Russo, who also produced "Trading Places" with Eddie Murphy & Dan Aykroyd, and "The Rose" with Bette Midler. This has been shown in free screenings in major cities around the country prior to its entry in the Cannes Film Festival in France. It is scheduled to open for general release in theaters sometime in July. Please, please go see it. You'll be glad you did.
• "Loose Change, Second Edition". This is currently one of the most (if not the most) viewed videos on Google. It is a very well done expose of 9/11. If you believe the government- and media accounts of the events of that day, you are precisely the gullible & naive person to which they cater. I mean that in the nicest possible way. If you're still reading this, you probably don't fit that description.
• "Hardcore" starring George C. Scott. Dark movie about a conservative father who tracks down & rescues his daughter who has gotten caught up in the porn industry. I saw this as a teenager, and was very moved by it, even though it was long before I became a father to my own daughters...
• "Les Miserables". Terrific story of redemption. That description doesn't do it justice, but it's a great movie. (The one I saw was neither the original nor the latest remake - so I guess that makes it the first remake. :-)
• "Capricorn One" - about a faked Mars landing. It could happen. In fact, maybe it did.
• "Saving Private Ryan". One of the better made war movies.
• "Castaway" with Tom Hanks. Good survival stuff.
• "Twelve Angry Men" starring Henry Fonda and several other great actors. Terrific portrayal of how jury duty should work.
• "Midnight Express". If this doesn't deter you from dealing drugs, you are just plain crazy.

Did I say I was going to stop pretty soon? How about I just give you a few websites, and then call it a night? After all, I have to get up early in the morning & go to work - and tomorrow is another day.

• www.crosswalk.com - searchable Bible, any & all versions, good articles, devotionals, etc.
• www.blueletterbible.com - a dear friend & brother in Christ recently recommended this one to me - it has some advantages over crosswalk, though I'm not familiar enough with it to enumerate them.
• www.worldnetdaily.com - excellent alternate source for news & commentary, edited by Joseph Farah
• www.newswithviews.com - another one, edited by Devvy Kidd, who has more courage in her little finger than most men wish they had
• www.newsmax.com - alternative media
• www.rense.com - pretty wild stuff, some of it, but always highly interesting - you can get hooked on this one.
• www.famguardian.org - Chris Hansen's website - extremely well researched & thoroughly documented on a variety of very important topics. If you're a Christian, please pray for him, because he's being attacked by thugs right now.
• www.sedm.org - another terrific site, dedicated to educating people on certain topics.
• www.infowars.com - one of Alex Jones' websites. He's another very intense & interesting guy - very enlightening material. not for the fainthearted.
• www.realadventureministries.com - This is a really cool ministry for Christian men, and boys aged 14-19 who are interested in map-reading, land navigation, etc. with Christian emphasis. Founded by a good friend of mine in 2000.
• www.jurisdictionary.com - run by Frederick Graves, a lawyer who is interested in educating people on winning lawsuits on their own, not being intimidated by the legal system, etc. I've attended his seminar, and I highly recommend it.
• www.skolnicksreport.com - by Sherman Skolnick, who I just now learned has died in late May - he was an investigative reporter/activist. Still a lot of good stuff on his website.

That's it for me for today - I'll be back tomorrow (later today, really). Sweet dreams. Jashuah reigns!

Someone once said "the journey of a thousand miles begins with one step." I've taken the first as a blogger.

As a way of giving you some insight & background as to what factors (books, movies, experiences, etc.) have influenced me in the last fifteen years or so, I offer the following, in no particular order...

Books:

• The Bible - I'll be periodically sharing verses when I feel led...but I won't preach, so don't get up & leave. It's the Holy Spirit's job to do that, not mine. :-)
• "I Don't Have Enough Faith to be an Atheist" by Norm Geisler & Frank Turek. I've never been an atheist, but this is a tremendous work for anyone to read, regardless of your faith (or lack thereof). Well written, thoroughly researched & documented.
• "The Case for Christ" by Lee Strobel. Another terrific book, as written by an investigative journalist who was once an atheist.
• "What Would Jesus Say" by Lee Strobel. Organized in about ten chapters, each devoted to a particular person (real & fictitious), e.g. Donald Trump, Rush Limbaugh, Bart Simpson, Madonna, Mother Teresa, et al.
• "Games People Play" - Eric Berne? I may have this one confused with "I'm OK, You're OK". Both of these books, as secular books go, are pretty insightful.
• "The Unseen Hand" by Ralph Epperson. Wow, for someone who hated history when I was younger and saw it as unimportant, this really changed my view of it.
• "Dumbing Us Down" by John Taylor Gatto. Well written by a former New York school teacher who won awards for Teacher of the Year, but excelled by refusing to conform to the status quo. Gives an interesting history of public eduction, which will open your eyes, if you don't already know it.
• "The Federal Siege at Ruby Ridge" by Randy Weaver. If you trust the government, you won't after you read this book. What a travesty.

There are probably more books that have had an influence on me, but this will suffice for the time being. I can't do this all in one day, nor would I want to. So, tomorrow, I'll add more titles, as well as a list of movies & websites.

The Inaugural Post of a Neophyte Blogger...

...even the experts were once beginners.

It's my purpose here to hopefully inform & enlighten visitors to my blog on issues that have become dear to me in the last fifteen years or so.

Time for people to wake up, quit watching "American Idol (worship)" and start opening their eyes to what is going on around them.