Friday, April 26, 2013

More Irish Humor


Three little boys were concerned because they couldn't get anyone to play with them....they decided it was because they had not been baptized and didn't go to Sunday School.
So they went to the nearest church. Only the custodian was there. One said, "We need to be baptized because no one will come out and play with us. Will you baptize us?"

So he took them into the bathroom and dunked their heads in the toilet bowl one at a time. He said, "Now go out and play."


When they got outside, dripping wet, the oldest one asked, "What religion do you think we are? We're not Katlick, because they pour the water." " We're not Babdist because they dunk all of you." "We're not Methdiss because they just sprinkle you." The littlest one said, "Can't you tell by the smell of that baptismal water what we are?.......Why, we're Pisscopalians."


baby snakes

Late April, early May the snakes lay their eggs so 4 weeks or a bit  later ..guess what?

can you say "watch out for the birdies!"

Wednesday, April 24, 2013

To Be An Irish Catholic


Ever notice that Irish Catholics, when asked their religious affiliation, often identify themselves as Irish Catholic rather than Catholic.  Is there an Irish Catholicism?  Christianity came to Ireland about 200 AD probably with immigrants from the orthodox countries.  


To convert the Irish, missionaries adopted many Irish spiritual traditions.  According to scholars, Irish Christianity  was more humanitarian than its Roman counterpart.   Women were involved in Church governance, homosexuals were allowed to marry as were priests, baptism was by immersion, and private individual confession replaced the Roman public confession with long periods of public penance.  A different translation of the bible was used. There were no bishops or church hierarchy as existed in Europe, in fact almost no communication with Rome existed.  Church leadership was keep close to the people,  vested in the local monastery and its abbot.  In keeping with Jesus’ life and times, the sabbath was celebrate on Saturday rather than the Roman Sunday.  And unlike Roman practice, the date for Easter was the same as Passover.  


Irish Christianity existed through 1300 ad, until Rome forced compliance with Roman doctrine.  Tenants of it can still be seen. (confession)  Afterwards, the Irish became the most rigorous adherents Roman rule.  But my grandfather (and many devout Irish I know) often ‘love Jesus  but beware of Church.’   For the early Irish Christianity, religion was honoring and living Jesus’ life, rather than adherence to dogma and ceremony.  Makes one proud to be an Irish Catholic, lots of lessons for Pope Francis as he considers the disaster the Church has become.

davy crockett

jpr: I'm pretty sure that's my sister in the background!

Tuesday, April 23, 2013

Mikey's Logic

Mikey's argument for some sort of a conspiracy in the Boston Bombing, beyond the obvious, is valid, although I fault his conclusions.  Look at SOME facts:

1. Obama's rush to declare that the brothers acted alone after three days of investigation is purely political, meant to reassure the public and to avoid criticisms of an intelligence failure.  Its entirely too soon to make that statement.  First rule of investigation is to work from the fact to a conclusion, not from a preconceived explanation of events.  If the outcome is determined, investigators will only look for facts that support an authoritarian assumption.

2. The Russians tipped the US off BEFORE the older brother traveled to Russia for 6 months.  The Russians intelligence services are not as restricted as ours and the fact that 'something' led them to warn us strongly suggests they discovered information about him from watching terrorist groups and known terrorists.

3. The 6 month tour is entirely unexplained. 

4. Al-Qaeda' announced changes in their operational philosophy several years ago.  No longer able to organize or fund large operations, especially in the US, they turned to stimulating and supporting 'home grown' terrorism, especially among  'non-arab looking' potential  terrorist.  Watch the Canadian train case, the Times Square bombing, and others.

5. "Follow the money." Who paid for guns, explosive materials, living expenses, travel and expenses for six months in Russia.  The oldest brother was long unemployed and supported by his wife, a poorly paid health care worker. Similarly, the younger brother was an unemployed college student.

Watch Mayor Rudy.  Although he speaks with a political tongue, his prosecutorial, 911, and consulting experience allow him to see things more clearly than most pundits 

The conspiracy angle remains only partially unexplored and unexplaned.



Monday, April 22, 2013

A national disgrace and an affront to democracey

I am a gun owner, as are my brothers.  But the refusal of 46 of our elected officials to support meaningful legislation to create a standardize and 'real' system of background checks for gun purchases,  checks that would reduce the number of guns passing into criminal hands and save lives, is an international embarrassment and an affront to democracy.  I am disgusted.

When legislators refuse to act on legislation supported by 90% of the country and the vast majority of gun owners in favor of a special  interest group they violated their oaths of office and spit on the American people.  Never have we had a clearer view of what really happens in Washington.  I, for one, will do everything possible to ensure that they are not re-elected.  And I pray that every American commits to doing the same.

A Response to Mikey


In the next few days I will have more to say on the Boston bombings.  But in the meantime, let me remind you of of three key principles that aid in the analysis of events.  Each derives from vast experience.  Based on my more than 40 years in the field, I can assure you of their validity and value:  Occam’s Razor; The Duck Principle; and the Sieve.

Occam’s  Razor (from physics) holds that given several hypothetical explanations for an event, the one with the fewest assumptions will prove correct.  Stated simply, the simplest explanation, absent further evidence, is the right one.

The Duck Principle, if it walks like a duck, smells like a duck, has feathers, and smells like a duck ---------its a duck.  

The Sieve, as the number of participants required to carry out a conspiracy increases, the probability that the conspiracy will be exposed increases.  In  other words, the number of people that would have to be involved in framing the BROTHERS makes it impossible to keep such conspiracy a secret.  Think Wikileaks.

Couple minor points:

1. The self-radicalization of the oldest brother will have occurred primarily via internet and in the Boston Muslim Community (a mosque).  

2.  The youngest brother will  provide a detail explanation of events as he knows them. (he does not know them all)

3.  The brothers had planned additional attacks.

4. The law does not allow them to be tried as ‘enemy combatants.’

5.  The Public Safety exception to the Miranda Rule is legitimate, but rarely used and rrisky.

Sunday, April 21, 2013

Proverbs :10


A wise son brings joy to his father,
    but a foolish son brings grief to his mother.

tree house for kids

jpr: Built me a house like this for my kids. They spent less time in it than I.

Friday, April 19, 2013

rain barrel song


Say, say, oh playmate,
Come out and play with me
And bring your dollies three       
Climb up my apple tree

Shout down my rain barrel
Slide down my cellar door
And we'll be jolly friends
Forever more more more more more
Say, say, oh playmate
I cannot play with you
My dolly's got the flu
Boo hoo hoo hoo hoo hoo
Ain't got no rain barrel
Ain't got no cellar door
But we'll be jolly friends
Forever more more more more more.

jpr: Did you forget?

Thursday, April 18, 2013

Another hero Rev Thomas Byles


Two Roman Catholic Priests went down on the Titanic, according to witnesses, as CatholicsProtestants and Jews gathered around them taking part in the final religious service on the sloping deck of the Titanic as she was heading down. Acting as lead clergymen was Rev. Thomas R. Byles of Westminster ParishLondon, who was on his way to NY to officiate at the marriage of his brother. The other priest who was never identified. Byles twice turned down seats in life boats as he heard confessions and worked to calm the crowd. He was shirtless during the final ceremony as he had given his to a poor man freezing in a lifeboat.


Sunday, April 14, 2013

waters of meribah

There are two different places called "Meribah" in the exodus route: The first is Rephidim before the Sinai. The second is at Kadesh Barnea where Moses sinned in striking the rock and taking glory for himself.  It is in the South-West of the Dead Sea at the top corner of the Sinai peninsula.



Saturday, April 13, 2013

The Irish and Civilization



A book by that title published several years ago demonstrated that during the darkest years of Europe when the church burnt books, condemned science (and all knowledge not dictated by the church), forbid free thinking, and justified slavery and the brutal rule of despots, Irish monks of the Celtic church continued to collect, copy and hide the great works of science and philosophy in defiance of Rome.  When the Dark Ages ended, the Irish alone held and shared all that was valuable and necessary to building civilization as we know it now.

But Irish thought contributed to civilization far beyond their collection of classic thoughts and ideas.  The Irish for example, first championed equality for women. Ancient Irish laws, the Brehon Laws (8th century), provided women full equality with men. They could inherit or bequeath property: marry or divorce the man of their choosing; even the right of a woman to experience satisfaction in marriage was enshrined in its legal framework. The rest of Europe where still burning uppity women at the stake as a national pastime.  The Irish attitude to equality between the sexes was nothing short of revolutionary. The English stamped out the Brehon Laws, and with them the rights of women, under Queen Elizabeth of England.

vertical planter box

I understand that tomato plants become a public nuisance.

Friday, April 12, 2013

Robin mystery solved

The Department of Criminal Ornithology has been investigating one of our most wanted culprits.. .the North American Robin. This bad guy is notorious for avariancide. While undercover...eh under bush, our lead field agent stumbled upon the drastic decline in local earthworm populations coincident with the ponderous growth in weight of  robins in springtime! We are presently serving over 60 million penal warrants!

Thursday, April 11, 2013

Wednesday, April 10, 2013

young girls SMS to a boyfriend


I heard someone whisper your name, but when i turned 
around to see who it was, i notice i was alone, 
then i realize it was my heart telling me tha
t.


I was born the day I met you 
lived a while when you loved me 
roses and tears
died a little when we broke apart



My eyes are hurting because I cant see you,
My arms are empty because I cant hold you, My lips are cold
because I cant kisss you but, 
My heart is breaking because I'm not withe YoU!





jpr: ah tenderness!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

Monday, April 8, 2013

can you say tarzans


1918 Gordon Griffith - Played Tarzan as a child in the Elmo Lincoln film.
1918-1921 Elmo Lincoln
1920 Gene Pollar
1920 P. Dempsey Tabler
1927 James Pierce
1928-1929 Frank Merrill
1932-1948 Johnny Weissmuller
1935 Bruce Bennett - Serial
1949-1953 Lex Barker
1957-1960 Gordon Scott
1959 Denny Miller
1962 Jock Mahoney
1964 Taylor Mead - Andy Warhol experimental film.
1964 Buster Crabbe - Television film.
1965 Randhawa

1966-1968 Mike Henry
1966-1969 Ron Ely - Television series.
1967-1968 Ron Ely - Film.
1972 Steve Hawkes
1974 Luis Rego - Television film.
1976-1980 Robert Ridgely - Animated television series.
1981 Miles O'Keeffe
1984 Christopher Lambert
1985 Hemant Birje
1989 Joe Lara - Television film.
1991 Wolf Larson - Television series.
1996 Joe Lara - Television series.
1998 Casper Van Dien
1999 Tony Goldwyn - Animated film.
2001-2003 Michael T. Weiss - Animated television series.
2002 Michael T. Weiss - Animated film.
2003 Travis Fimmel - Television series.
2005 Harrison Chad - Animated film.
2011 Still in development. Not cast.

Sunday, April 7, 2013

Spring Dawn


Asleep in the spring, I missed the dawn
Until I heard the birds singing everywhere.
Wind and rain had clamored last night.
How many flowers fell during the storm?

~ Meng Haoran  (689 - 740 AD)



Saturday, April 6, 2013

seven steps in faith by mother teresa

Slow down,
Make some room,
Open your eyes,
Put great love into the small things,
Do not tire,
Remember – it’s faithfulness, not success,
Leave the rest to Jesus.
                                                             

She has left over 4,501 religious sisters active  in 133 countries in  300+ institutions. 


jpr: Now that I am semiretired I'm going into stage ONE.

hand paintings

jpr: Ah...I like...but who does these things?

Friday, April 5, 2013

wwf wrestling


The WWF has 145 million followers on social media.
They have more followers on Facebook than all 32 NFL teams combined.
Their major events bring $300 million into the local economy.
US-Canada,   Great Briton, and India...... are their top three markets

Wednesday, April 3, 2013

cubed sundial

There may be up to 6 dials, but more often 5 e.g. N, S, E, and W, together with a horizontal on the top surface. The sun shines on two or three faces of the cube at once and all the illuminated dials indicate the same time. The dials can now be tilted until the gnomons point toward the celestial pole. A small compass is installed in the pedestal base to help orient the dial. The gnomon is the part of a sundial that casts the shadow. Such multifaceted
 dials have the advantage of receiving light at every hour of the day. They can also be designed to give the time in different time-zones simultaneously.

jpr: Could this become my new hobby???? 

Roman time keeping


The Roman clock, or time of day, was divided into 12 hours (Latin horae) of light and 12 hours of darkness.  Since the length of the sunlight varied with the seasons this also meant that the length of the hour changed - with shorter hours in winter and longer hours in summer. The Romans also understood that the length of daylight depended upon latitude. So it would be in the era of the New Testament.

The first hour = 6 to 7 am
The second hour = 7 to 8 am, etc

jpr: I may make me one these for my  yard!

Emily Lloyd


Once a radiant and glamorous woman who wowed critics with an breathtaking debut in 1987 British film "Wish You Were Here". The last two decades have been less than kind to the English actress due to a long battle with depression and insomnia.


jpr: saw her recently in an 1989 film "In country"....absolutely captivating performance.

Monday, April 1, 2013

PSALM SUNG IN ANCIENT HEBREW


The psalms were intended to be sung. They are sung today.

 Have a listen back into the centuries.
   https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_XYhgQi5Cnw