Everything Changes

I just don't get it. Are people really THAT gullible? Am I the only person on the planet who doesn't believe half of the email forwards I receive? And why don't people check these things out before sending the "IMPORTANT - PLEASE READ" email to everyone in their address book?

Today's email was a perfume alert. It went something like this:

> > >Be careful. I was approached yesterday afternoon around
> > >5:30 PM in the Walmart parking lot by two males asking
> > >what kind of perfume I was wearing. Then they asked if
> > >I'd like to sample some fabulous scent they were willing
> > >to sell me at a very reasonable rate. I probably would
> > >have agreed had I not received an e-mail warning of a
> > >"Wanna smell this neat perfume?" scam.
> > >
> > >The men continued to stand between parked cars, I guess
> > >to wait for someone else to hit on. I stopped a lady
> > >going towards them, pointing at them and told her about
> > >how I was sent an e-mail at work about someone walking
> > >up to you at the malls or in parking lots and asking
> > >you to "SNIFF PERFUME" that they are selling at a
> > >cheap price.
> > >
> > >THIS IS NOT PERFUME...IT IS ETHER!
> > >
> > >When you sniff it, you'll pass out. They'll take your wallet,
> > >your valuables and heaven knows what else.
> > >
> > >If it were not for this e-mail, I probably would have
> > >sniffed the 'perfume' but thanks to the generosity of
> > >an e-mailing friend, I was spared whatever might have
> > >happened to me. I wanted to do the same for you.

Wow. Thank you for saving my life! [rolling eyes]

At the end of the email the supposed person sending the original warning pleads, "Like the email says above, LET EVERYONE KNOW ABOUT THIS - YOUR FRIENDS, FAMILY, CO-WORKERS, whomever. It helped me."

I did what I usually do when I receive an email like this. (But only because I just can't let it go. I have to do SOMETHING about getting the same emails over and over from my dear friends.) I "Googled" it. You know... did a search on Google. And sure enough, I found various hoax-busting web pages (including my fav, About.com's Urban Legends and Folklore) and discovered the truth behind The Knockout Perfume.

What was my first clue? Was it the multiple >>>'s next to the life saving story? Or was it simply a matter of sense. Common sense, that is. Sense that kicks in when the rest of the world is racing to their computers to remind their friends and family that they should be afraid of every imaginable fear out there!

Be very afraid.... especially because there is a "little bear" virus going around called jdbgmgr.exe that spreads via msn messenger and email address books. The virus is not detected by McAfee or Norton Antivirus and may be in your computer for 14 days before causing any harm!! I HAD UNKNOWINGLY RECEIVED THIS VIRUS AND IT HAS ALREADY BEEN SENT TO EVERYONE IN MY CONTACT LIST! THAT MEANS YOU!

IF YOU FIND THIS VIRUS IN YOUR COMPUTER, SEND THIS MESSAGE TO ALL THOSE LISTED IN YOUR ADDRESS BOOK SO THAT IT WILL NOT DO ANY HARM TO THEIR COMPUTERS.

[Arghhhhh!!!!! Run away!!!!!]

Steeve [1998-2005] & JJ 

Federal Judge Declares Pledge of Allegiance in Public Schools Unconstitutional
CNN, Wednesday, September 14, 2005; Posted: 6:17 p.m. EDT

SAN FRANCISCO - A federal judge declared the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance in public schools unconstitutional Wednesday, a decision that could put the divisive issue on track for another round of Supreme Court arguments.

The case was brought by the same atheist whose previous battle against the words "under God" was rejected last year by the Supreme Court on procedural grounds.

U.S. District Judge Lawrence Karlton ruled that the pledge's reference to one nation "under God" violates school children's right to be "free from a coercive requirement to affirm God."

Karlton said he was bound by precedent of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals, which in 2002 ruled in favor of Sacramento atheist Michael Newdow that the pledge is unconstitutional when recited in public schools.

Difficult Times Ahead
Book of Timothy, A.D. 67, Apostle Paul

ROME - Don't be naive. There are difficult times ahead. As the end approaches, people are going to be self-absorbed, money-hungry, self-promoting, stuck-up, profane, contemptuous of parents, crude, coarse, dog-eat-dog, unbending, slanderers, impulsively wild, savage, cynical, treacherous, ruthless, bloated windbags, addicted to lust, and allergic to God.

"At that time many will turn away from the faith and will betray and hate each other, and many false prophets will appear and deceive many people. Because of the increase of wickedness, the love of most will grow cold, but he who stands firm to the end will be saved. And this gospel of the kingdom will be preached in the whole world as a testimony to all nations, and then the end will come. [Matthew 24:10-14 | New International Version]

"Anyone who claims to live in God's light and hates a brother or sister is still in the dark. It's the person who loves (his) brother and sister who dwells in God's light and doesn't block the light from others."
[1 John 2:9-10 | The Message]

About five years ago I was the co-host for a Rogers Television program called Daytime. It was a live one-hour (non-Christian) lifestyles show that aired daily. Although the program was only available to people living in my region, our "potential" audience was around 500,000.

Every morning as I drove to the studio I would pray that God would allow me to be the "light of the world" to those who happened to see me on TV that day. Jesus said:

"I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."
[John 8:12 | New International Version]

The Bible also says that Christ lives in me! So, I would pray that as people watched me through those television cameras that God's light and love would be obvious to them. And as I prayed in my car, I would thank God that I AM the light of the world, because He lives in me!

One of my favorite verses in the Bible says, "This is how everyone will recognize that you are my disciples - when they see the love you have for each other." [John 13:35 | The Message]

"Arise from the depression and prostration in which circumstances have kept you - rise to a new life! Shine - be radiant with the glory of the Lord, for your light has come, and the glory of the Lord has risen upon you!"

"For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and dense darkness all peoples, but the Lord shall arise upon you, and His glory shall be seen on you!"

[Isaiah 60:1-2 | Amplified Bible]

When I was a Youth Employment Counsellor for the Job Connect Program I had to interview unemployed youth between the ages of 16 and 24. Most of these youth did not have cars or access to, what we would refer to as, "reliable transportation." In fact, if taking public transit was their ride of choice, we had to ask them if they'd be willing to commute for up to an hour and a half one way.

It was simple. If they got hired at a job across town, they may have to take one or two buses to get there. Based on the transit schedule, the commute could take anywhere from 30 minutes to an hour; not including the time it would take to wait for the bus and / or walk from the bus stop to their work.

Just over a year ago I became a transit rider; became full-fledged last December when I started purchasing monthly passes. Today it took me an hour to get to work.

My work is exactly 4.5 kilometers from my home. That's about 2.8 miles for my American friends. According to Yahoo! Driving Directions it should take me 7 minutes to commute to work by car.

That is, if I HAD a car. No car. Just my picture on a monthly transit pass. Yes, it was unusual that it took me an hour, but that's because I was being "practical" this morning. You see, the bus I take to work comes between 4 and 8 minutes past the hour, and I arrived at the bus stop today around 3 minutes past.

But by 13 minutes past the hour I had a decision to make - either continue waiting, in hopes that the bus was unusually late, or walk one block to an alternate stop for a bus arriving around 17 minutes past the hour.

I opted to be "wise" and walk to the new stop, arriving there at 15 minutes past the hour, just in time to watch the original bus pass the first stop a minute later. The second bus came 7 minutes late, and by the time I boarded the alternate bus I had already been away from my home for almost 30 minutes.

Blah, blah, blah... and so on, and so on.

Am I complaining? Heck no. Just blogging. After all, I may have "commuted" for an hour today, but I did NOT have to pay $70 to fill up a compact-sized car.

[Wink.]

I took these pictures last year - such a beautiful tree, located in a park close to my house. The park is like a huge valley, with wide open spaces and big 'ol trees. Often I would see kids playing soccer or enjoying the playland in the park.

A couple of weeks ago, as I was walking past the park, I stopped in horror to see that the city cut down this tree as well as the one behind it!
And not only did they cut the trees down, but they planted very small NEW trees smack dab in the middle of the field where kids used to play soccer! Ugh.


I'm not a city planner, and there may have been a very legitimate reason for ruining the beauty of this park, but I'm ticked that people have to "create" settings of nature instead of letting nature take it's own course.

No, I'm not gonna walk around with a t-shirt that says "save the trees" and I probably won't complain to the city; what's the point. The trees are gone. And by the time those new trees grow to be as lush and beautiful as those old trees I'll be enjoying the tree of life!

[Note: Muslims believe there is a tree in heaven so big that if a person keeps riding on a brisk Madhamar (a specially bred horse) for a hundred years even then he would not reach the end of that tree!]

"...show respect for older people..."
[Leviticus 19:32 | Contemporary English Version]

"Watch the way you talk. Let nothing foul or dirty come out of your mouth." [Ephesians 4:29 | The Message]

"A refusal to correct is a refusal to love; love your children by disciplining them." [Proverbs 13:24 | The Message]

[sigh]

Here I go again. Sounding like an old goat. Is it me, or have kids gone mad? I am the first person to "believe the best of every person" but lately my "believe-in-people" sensor has been extremely challenged. What is it with kids / youth that have no sense of respect around adults? It's bad enough that they are foul-mouthed around their friends, but lately they seem no different around ME!

I worked with pre-teens and youth for over 10 years and I have never seen such disregard for people or lack of self-control. It seems that kids these days have absolutely no boundaries or standard that they can measure their actions by. I know, I know... I'm sounding like a broken record. Been there, said that. But sheesh! It is overwhelming sometimes!

"Wanna hear a joke?" When I'm asked that by a 10-year-old I get nervous!

"Did you see that movie?" Of course I didn't, because it was full of swearing, violence and nudity! Why did YOU see it?

"It's okay if I smoke pot, my teacher thinks it's cool; and my dad knows about it." What did you just say? Your teacher? And your father what?!

It's a boldness that not only makes me cringe, but it grieves my heart. Because I DO believe in people, and yet it is becoming more difficult to "see" the potential of these young lives through all the crap.

I alluded to this scripture in the Bible earlier, because it is the only "hope" I have in the midst of a society that has lost its morality:

"Love bears up under anything and everything that comes, is ever ready to believe the best of every person, its hopes are fadeless under all circumstances, and it endures everything without weakening." [1 Corinthians 13:7 | Amplified Bible]

Everything...

"But you, keep your head in all situations... endure hardship... do the work of an evangelist..." [2 Timothy 4:5 | New International Version]

Because... "God didn't go to all the trouble of sending his Son merely to point an accusing finger, telling the world how bad it was. He came to help, to put the world right again." [John 3:17 | The Message]