Einstein's Riddle

There are 5 houses in different colors. In each house lives a person with a different nationality. The 5 owners drink a certain type of beverage, smoke a certain brand of cigar, and keep a certain pet. No owners have the same pet, smoke the same brand cigar or drink the same beverage.

The question is “Who owns the fish?”

Hints:
The Brit lives in Red House.

The Swede keeps Dogs as pets.

The Dane drinks Tea.

The Green House is on the left of the White House.

The Green House’s owner drinks Coffee.

The person who smokes Pall Mall rears Birds.

The owner of the Yellow House smokes Dunhill.

The man living in the Center House drinks Milk.

The Norwegian lives in the First House.

The man who smokes Blends lives next to the one who keeps Cats.

The man who keeps the Horse lives next to the man who smokes Dunhill.

The owner who smokes Bluemasters drinks Beer.

The German smokes Prince.

The Norwegian lives next to the Blue House.

The man who smokes Blends has a neighbor who drinks Water.

Einstein wrote this riddle last century. He said 98% of the world could not solve it. Good Luck.

Apologetics July 11th!

Hello everybody! Apologetics is tomorrow (July 11th). Just thought I'd let you all know.

Harry Demo

I found this in my writing folder. I wrote it a while back--thought it was interesting.

“You're a monster Harry!” She yelled. “Get the hell away from me.” She turned and ran from him. She was disgusted. How could he bring her here?
Harry Demo stood there and watched her run away. He didn't say anything. He knew what he had to do now. From his overcoat he pulled a gun. It was a chrome forty-five. He aimed as she slowed from her run.
She was too emotional to keep running. She finally slowed to a walk and began to cry. She sniffled and began to rethink her decision to leave him. She had loved him for a year and maybe she just wasn't ready to give him up just yet. She stopped and started to turn around.
Pop! He watched her fall to the ground. He truly was a monster. He had accepted this. He'd grown up fighting his future, but it was his grooming that made him give up. His father had brought him to every execution and to some silencing events. Frankie Demo was a hard man. He wasn't groomed, but found his way into a world of greed, deception, and betrayal. His first son he named Harry, after his own father. At first, he wanted to keep him away from the life that he lived. He was trapped deep within the game and knew he couldn't leave it himself, but thought that he could spare his son. He left him at home with his mother through his first seven years. If he'd really had his way, it would have stayed that way, but the end came for his sheltered family. Emily was whacked. She was a good mother. Her knowledge of her husband’s business was very limited, but she knew it was less than respectable. Frankie had been spending too much time at home. He fed into the dream of leaving the life he had made for himself and becoming only a husband and a father. His enemies soon found his secret life and zeroed in on his most vulnerable weakness.
Frankie took his son by his side, knowing that he'd better teach his son the ways of the game, or he'd be dead as well. He knew that because of his path he had condemned his son, but realized his son would be better off the more ruthless he was.
Frankie was right. Harry had grown up to be a cold-blooded killer and a heartless businessman. He climbed up to the top of the game. He was the most powerful man in New York, and the most sought after to be killed. He held wealth and respect, but he was forced to continuously protect himself.
He cleaned his gun as he walked from the doc and toward his car. Mike and Jeff stood and leaned against the car smoking their cigars.
“I heard two shots Harry,” said Mike. “Thing’s didn't go well?”
“Get in,” Harry told them.
The two men put out their cigar stubs and tossed them to the ground as Harry got into the back of the car.

Thursday Night's Study - Revised

Something that has affected me significantly:

This is not a specific event, but an action carried out day to day. I found, not surprisingly, that if I read the word as much as I could and constantly meditated on it that my entire life began to change.

Not only did it begin to change, but it continued to change.

I began to easily transition to Jesus, the Bible, and the things of God during conversations. I realized that we speak about what’s on our minds most (as long as it’s not shameful). If what you have to talk about is God, you’re a powerful instrument for him to use.

In one conversation I transitioned from water treatment techniques to the need for God in my life. It is the most exhilarating accomplishment when you do something as simple as talking to another person about his Creator.

I found that my studies gained depth. I learned with a greater understanding. I found it less difficult to hear God in my life.

BUT, It is easy to hear sermons over and over, to tell yourself that you know it all, and to become lax with your reading, your searching, and your walk. This is my struggle. I go back and forth.

Unfortunately, I found this great and awesome path and still choose to turn from it every once in awhile. It’s not a constant fire, but not because God skips out and isn’t faithful (1 Corinthians 1:9 God, who has called you into fellowship with his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, is faithful.), but because of our own nature. I find other things and give them more focus than I give God.

I form idols out of everything else instead of looking to what is eternal and truly of benefit.

I lose my desire to read. I exchange my close walk with God for a distant one. I become deaf to his speaking. And I turn off the path. I don't lose my faith, but I do let it grow cool.

At that point, people talk to me about God and I’d speak in return with a shell of the excitement I could have had.

Naturally, my thoughts become more bitter than positive. I grow a little uncomfortable when my brother at my workplace asks me about my walk. I begin to see more negative in my job.

I try to spend time with friends to try to help my void. I attempt to smile when I don’t feel like it.

My joy and my definite sense of direction fail me. I couldn’t manufacture that by any means.

I truly believe that the void becomes even greater after you've filled it with God and let it drain down.

I look in many directions to solve my problems, but don’t stop to realize that my solution has been walking beside me the whole time. He was waiting for me to stop ignoring him so much.

I finally break free of my torments when I pick my Bible up again and don't read superficially as I had been, but instead give it my honest consideration and attention.

The interesting thing about the Word is that it won’t help you unless you give yourself over to it. At that point, the Word comes alive and speaks to your Spirit. It shines light into humanity's dark existence. It gives you your direction back. It is my hope.

Hoping without seeking is a waste of time.

Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith - A Movie Worth Remembering

I have seen it! I nearly cried. The emotion takes you for a ride. I felt the anger and I felt the sorrow. I can't reveal too much here, for fear that I might ruin it for those of you who have not seen it, so I'll tell you a little about what happened when I went to see it.

I went with my little sister Cyndi. She'd never seen any of the Star Wars movies, so when we got there at 7:50 a.m. for the 9:45 a.m. showing, I caught her up on the other movies.

We didn't see anybody dressed up as Darth Vader or Obi Wan, but we did see a little kid dressed like a Jedi. I know I know...there's a need that I must fill and I intend to dress up as Obi Wan one of the times I go to see it.

At any rate, let me tell you about my friend Mark Zappia. He and I used to work together at the City of Hesperia and he's who got me into Star Wars. I'd never really cared before I met him, but once we started talking about it I was infected by his passion for the stories and I never turned back. With the new found appreciation for the saga and having seen Episodes I and II separately, we decided that when Episode III came out that we'd see it together.

Mark and I haven't talked a great deal since I left the City of Hesperia, but we've kept in touch through the occasional radio conversation or the chance meeting at a water district/department function. Every time we've spoken though, we've talked about Star Wars in some form or another. I call him Jedi Master, for he taught me the ways of the fire hydrant force.

Now, amazingly, when we sat down and were waiting for the movie I caught site of my old friend Mark Zappia walking through the theater with his five year old son. A padawan who'd turned jedi a long time ago called out to his master, with whom he'd parted ways a long time ago. Two old friends, who said they'd see the movie together, by chance, saw the movie together.

Having my little sister there, experiencing the thrill of Star Wars for the first time, and my old friend that gave me the inspiration to experience Star Wars so long ago was more than I could've ever asked for. And there Mark was, with his little boy, bringing him into the world of Star Wars too.

So, my thoughts on Star Wars? It was a movie worth remembering, because I got to share it with people I love.

Forsaken Roots

Forsaken Roots

My mom emailed me the link you see above. I've heard all the things stated there said before. In fact, most of the same information was stated in a sermon I heard about a year ago on CSN International. It was a very good sermon with quite a few more points and in depth descriptions of our founding fathers.

I truly believe that we've lost something in this country by attempting to appease instead of tolerating. The people who come here wishing to practice their religion can do so, but to change my country so as to remove the Christian principles it was founded on creates a problem. This IS a Christian nation, or was. It wasn't supposed to be a nation completely governed by its own determination of right and wrong. Our foundation is on Jesus Christ, the Ten Commandments, and the Bible.

This Is The Day The Lord Has Made

Alright, here's the thing. I've been working on the Blessed X quite a bit. I want to make it a popular place to go, but it doesn't seem to be drawing much traffic. I know my mom goes there and Mike goes there, and Idhrendur, but the rest of you...I don't know about you. Go, ask questions, help by giving us material to write on. This way, we can build a great information source. I hope you all will work with me to build it into the site I want it to be.

In other news: we went to see the poppy reserve again today--we went a few weeks ago on a motorcycle ride--and to my surprise, it had apparently changed to the fox-tail reserve, because there were almost no poppies to speak of. It was very disappointing. It was a fun trip anyway however, because I love the heck out of my in-laws Bonnie and Jim. It was great to spend time with them.

I jogged today when we got home. I actually pushed myself very hard. It got to the point where I was very out of breath, but I pushed myself around a cul-de-sac. It wasn't just any cul-de-sac however, it was a climb up a very steep hill and back down. I didn't think I was going to make it, but I did, and since I made it, though I was breathing asthmatically, I decided to push myself even harder and make the jog all the way back to my house, bypassing my normal warmdown point.

I felt as though I was about to pass out when I jogged up my drive way and onto my porch. I walked to the front door, knocked, and when Maggie answered I had her come outside with me for a little bit of a walk around the neighborhood for my warmdown. I was quite proud of myself for having done so well, but I began to break out in a cough that escalated as the night went on. Unfortunately, I think I pushed myself a little too hard. Next time I'll stop a little sooner to save myself from the choking feeling that overcame me.

I experimented with my dinner tonight. We decided to be informal. Maggs ate cereal and I made scrambled eggs. I didn't make normal scrambled eggs though...I took a little oil (I found out that it was too much), a little worschtishire sauce, a little lemon juice, a little mustard, a little pepper, some parsley, and some ground garlic and mixed it all in with my eggs. They turned out very tasty, but with a weird consistency. They had the appearance of yellow grits. It didn't phase me much. I had them with toast and they were good.

Now I'm lying in bed typing away on my laptop. I just decided to share a little about my day. I should go to sleep now. G'night all.

The Blessed X

Ladies and Gentlemen! We have a new atracción! The Blessed X Website. Check it out. I plan to build, with the help of a few others, a site filled with questions and answers to any question concerning the faith. We've got a few posts already and are planning on much much more. I want to make the archives searchable so that people who have a specific question that has already been answered can search the database of prior posts to find their answer. Anyway, go, visit, have fun. Ask questions. Post comments. Tell your friends, neighbors, and enemies. Let's make this website come alive with debate, conversation, and the breath of God.

Click Here To Visit The Blessed X