There's No Way ...

Like the American Way

This retro poster is from a billboard campaign that was run by the National Assoiciation of Manufacturers in the 1930s and 1940s. I do not know if America still has the world's highest standard of living. If we do not, that is cause for celebration not shame, as it shows that since the 1930s we have brought much of the world with us to great prosperity. However the phrase "There's no way like the American way" is still true. This fourth of July, we remain as proud and grateful to be American, as were the 1930s and 1940s generations.

Little Miss Atilla

There is a heart rending story of truth written at Little Miss Atilla. The author knows of what she speaks and she gives great advice to those young people just entering pre-adulthood. Listen to her and read about her elusive quest for the blessings of motherhood.

"I don't care if you're liberal or conservative, athiest or a member of some faith. There are alternatives to the wholesale taking of human life we engage in. We need to make more use of them. Please think it over."

I am very passionate about this subject and have written about it myself: I Believe in the Sanctity of Life and Feminism Never Killed Anyone?
There is further reading at ProLifeBlogs, where I found this tidbit of information:

"June 19, 2005
Father’s Day 2005 - 48 Million Killed

"47.9 million unborn human beings have been aborted since the fateful "Roe v. Wade" U.S. Supreme Court decision of 1973."

Yes, the Supreme Court made a terrible decision in 1973, and it has continued on the path of rewriting the governing charter we were bequeathed by the blood and toil of our forebears.
Hat tip to Reasoned Audacity.

No Preachin', Praying' or Meditatin'

"The Constitution ... is a mere thing of wax in the hands of the judiciary which they may twist and shape into any form they please." ~~Thomas Jefferson

Although in yesterday's Supreme Court ruling, the Ten Commandment tablets of stone were thrown so far out of two Kentucky courthouses, that they have shattered their granite remnants upon all the "shining cities" from "sea to shining sea", the munificent majority supremes did condescend to permit a Decalogue monument to stay in place on the grounds of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Justice Stephen Breyer noted in the opinion that because the Texas monument is located in a large park with thirty-seven other historic monuments, “The setting does not readily lend itself to meditation or any other religious activity.”

Got that ya'all? No preachin', praying' or meditatin' in that park, else'n those ole Ten Commandments will have to go the way of what happened back in Kentuck, warns Grand Supreme Souter. You can do just about anythng else ya want to there on the Texas Capitol grounds, but whatever ya do, don't go payin' any mind to those old timey religions and their outdated laws and stuff. If you do, those black-robed supremes will be after you next.

This post has been "Trackedback" at ScrappleFace, where Scott Ott suggests a legalized disclaimer for Decalogues posted in courtrooms, reading:

"Display of this historically-significant collection of laws shall not be construed as an endorsement of the God who may, or may not, have spoken them, nor of the existence of such a God, nor of the legality of the laws. Citizens may observe and obey these commandments at their own risk. Please consult your family attorney before embarking on any law-abiding regimen."

Trackedback at basil's blog, Breakfast 7/1/2005 and Mudville Gazette.
Tags:[Supreme Court]

What Bravery!

I wonder what makes some people so brave, such as Tim Dicus, Chris White and another man who swam with sharks while attempting to rescue a stranger. God bless you all, brave men.

My Way News: "PENSACOLA, Fla. (AP) - Chris White was vacationing on a Florida Panhandle beach when he heard cries for help and leaped into the water to assist a 14-year-old girl, not knowing she had been fatally injured by a shark and he would soon be swimming with the killer animal."

Big Moon Rising

Did you know that the big moon we have been seeing of late in the evenings, is the world's largest optical illusion? The moon has been, from time out of mind, one of nature's most enduring mysteries, and it continues to be so, even amongst the moonwalkers of today's world.

The rest of the story is at BBC NEWS | UK | Magazine | Why does the moon look so big now?

Freedom Comes Hard

On this day, June 26th, in 1963, President John F. Kennedy made a morale-boosting speech in the divided nation of West Germany in which he said "Ich bin ein Berliner".

President Kennedy had just returned on foot from a visit to the Berlin Wall's most dangerous crossing point, Checkpoint Charlie. While there, he was viewed curiously from the other side of the infamous wall border by groups of East Berliners unable to respond to the American president because of the East German People's Police.

"All free men, wherever they may live, are citizens of Berlin, and therefore, as a free man, I take pride in the words, 'Ich bin ein Berliner.'" ~~President John F Kennedy, 1963

Those words were meant to inspire defiance to the Soviet Union, which they did. However, the quest for freedom is rarely easy, as Kennedy surely understood. The people of East Berlin continued to live under communist rule for another twenty-six years. In 1989, the Berlin Wall finally fell, thanks to the farsighted American President of 1963, great leaders of freedom in the 1990s such as Ronald Reagan, Margaret Thatcher, Pope John Paul II, and another generation of cold warriors, amongst whom I count myself. Yes, freedom was won, but it was hard fought.

President George W. Bush has recommitted our nation to freedom's spread. His words will hopefully be echoed by other generations of freedom seekers in other enslaved lands:

"The story of America is the story of expanding liberty: an ever-widening circle, constantly growing to reach further and include more. Our nation's founding commitment is still our deepest commitment: In our world, and here at home, we will extend the frontiers of freedom." ~~George W. Bush

Trackedback at Wizbang and Homespun Bloggers.

Blogging Tips from Harvey

Here are some great blogging tips from Harvey of Bad Example:

How to start blogging
Finding your blog voice
Getting more traffic
Getting more comments
Free image hosting
Google search code
5 more handy searches
How to use trackbacks
Never lose another post
12 steps to better blogging

Easy Uploading of Images

This is the first time I have noticed that we now have an image icon in the Blogger edit mode and I am going to attempt to insert an image directly from my hard drive. Here goes:


As you see, it worked and much easier than dealing with "Hello". Horay for Blogger! Here is the link which gives the details: http://help.blogger.com/bin/answer.py?answer=324

Giving Their Tomorrows

A Patriotic Rock in Iowa honors those who are "Giving Their Tomorrows For Our Todays".

"We will not waver; we will not tire; we will not falter; we will not fail. Peace and Freedom will Prevail." ~~President George W. Bush

On a Patriotic Rock in Iowa is written the famous message of the Kohima Epitaph. The rock describes and illustrates the sacrifices necessary for a nation to survive. The verse actually has an ancient origin, from Sparta, about 500 years before Christ, when after the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC, a Greek poet wrote "Go tell the Spartans, thou that passest by, That faithful to their precepts here we lie."

In many ways, the course of humanity seems never to change. Wars will always be with us, no doubt. Although striving for the peace on earth that should prevail, we must accept the reality of ages past and be prepared to fight for that which is worth the fight, or to surrender to those who are willing to fight harder for that which they value.
The Kohima Epitaph

Trackedback at Mudville Gazette and My Vast Right Wing Conspiracy.

The Kohima Epitaph

All of our tomorrows come from the sacrifices of selfless patriots. Every day it seems, young soldier lives are lost, mostly in Iraq but other places as well, as our modern patriots fight the enemy who vows to destroy our tomorrows.

"When You Go Home,

Tell Them Of Us And Say,

For Their Tomorrow,

We Gave Our Today"

The famous words above are attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958), an English classical scholar. In the early 1900s he published a collection of twelve suggested epitaphs for War Memorials. This one of the collection became inscribed on a World War II memorial to British soldiers, lost in 1944 while gallantly fighting the Japanese invasion at Kohima, Nagaland, India.

The verse was probably inspired by the Greek lyric poet, Simonides of Ceos (556-468 BC), who wrote after the Battle of Thermopylae in 480 BC: "Go tell the Spartans, thou that passest by, That faithful to their precepts here we lie." Since 1944, Edmond's epitaph has become famous and has been written on many Veteran Memorials and Monuments throughout the English speaking world.

http://www.burmastar.org.uk/epitaph.htm

Trackedback at WizBang.

The Value of Things Unseen

While we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal.
~~2 Corinthians 4:18

Lions Rescue Ethiopian Girl

"ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) -- A 12-year-old girl who was abducted and beaten by men trying to force her into a marriage was found being guarded by three lions who apparently had chased off her captors, a policeman said Tuesday."

Can it truly be that a pride of Lions Rescued an Ethiopian Girl? It could, and if it is, it should indeed convert disbelievers into the reality of miracles happening in this day and age. The kidnappers had taken the girl to a secluded area where no one would hear her screams and whimperings. However, the miracle was that the desperate girl was being heard by a pride of lions. The three lions obviously heard a call from the anguished girl that was like the mewing of their own young cubs. Their primordial instincts sensed that this creature needed them. Amazingly, the three lions rushed to the young girl and chased away her tormentors. The feline trio then protected the girl by standing guard about her for hours until she was discovered by local police, who reported the unbelievable incident. When rescuers arrived, the beasts simply walked back into the forest. The young girl was safe - for the time being. However, she and other young Ethiopian maidens are in constant danger of abduction and forced marriages. Perhaps the miracle will be that the story of the lion protectors will highlight to the world, the dreadful plight of these young women, and then, perhaps, the perpetual anguish of their girlhood days may someday end. A miracle, that would be, indeed. Let us pray. According to the Associated Press and MSNBC:

"Kidnapping young girls has long been part of the marriage custom in Ethiopia. The United Nations estimates that more than 70 percent of marriages in Ethiopia are by abduction, practiced in rural areas where most of the country’s 71 million people live."

The BBC News is reporting "'They stood guard until we found her and then they just left her like a gift and went back into the forest,' the policeman said." Other news from Africa report that the Lions Would Have Eaten the Girl. We may later find there to be other circumstances of this newly released story, so one can be a bit of a skeptic, as am I. However, there have been stories in ancient history of lions being tamed to do the will of God. This story is much like one told of the young Saint Thecla, a martyr of the first century of Christianity.

From Lives of the Saints - "SAINTE THECLA
It was at Iconium that Saint Thecla heard the preaching of Saint Paul, who kindled the love of virginity in her heart. She had been promised in marriage to a young man who was rich and generous, but after hearing the discourses of the Apostle's word she died to all thought of earthly espousals. She forgot her beauty; she was deaf to her parent's threats, and at the first opportunity fled from a luxurious home and followed the Apostle.

"The rage of her parents and of her suitor followed hard after her, and the Roman power did its worst against the virgin whom Christ had chosen for Himself. She was stripped and placed in the public theater, but her innocence shrouded her like a garment. Then the lions were let loose against her; they fell crouching at her feet and licked them like a house pet."

From Catholic Encylopedia - Thecla of Iconium: "The reputed pupil of the Apostle Paul, who is the heroine of the apocryphal "Acta Pauli et Theclae" (cf. APOCRYPHA). Our knowledge of her is derived exclusively from these Acts, which appeared about 180. According to this narrative Thecla was a virgin of Iconium who was converted to Christianity and led to dedicate herself to perpetual virginity by the preaching of the Apostle Paul. Miraculously saved from death at the stake to which she had been condemned, she went with St. Paul to Antioch in Pisidia where she was thrown to the wild beasts and was again saved from death by a miracle. After this she went to Myra where the Apostle was, and finally to Seleucia where she died. With the consent of St. Paul she had acted as a 'female Apostle' in proclaiming the Gospel."

The Acts of Thecla: A Pauline Tradition Linked to Women

Hattip to Anchoress; Trackedback at Mudville Gazette, J.D. Ashcraft's Blog, The Cafeteria is Closed, basil's blog and WizBang.

The Willing

Who would be willing and brave enough to volunteer for the dangerous work necessary to protect you, me and the rest of the world, as we sleep snuggly and peacefully in our beds at night?

These are our own U.S. Army soldiers from the 1st Scout Platoon, Delta Company, 155th Brigade Combat Team. They are forming up along a wall as they prepare to clear a building known to house terrorists in Iraq, on March 5, 2005.

In addition, there are soldiers from 26 other lands currently on the ground in Iraq. They are known as the "Coalition of the Willing" and Arthur Chrenkoff, yesterday made an outstanding tribute to them. Do not miss images of the soldiers as they are -

"helping to bring peace and security, working on reconstruction projects, and engaging in humanitarian missions throughout the country. This is a tribute to those thousands of military men and women from around the world, some of them well-known, others less so, but all doing good work for the future of Iraq."

One of the most amazing images is that of Mongolian soldiers, about whom, Chrenkoff writes:

"Command hand-over in Mongolian Contingent, 25 February 2005 in Al Hilla. MORE

The last time Mongolian soldiers were in Iraq was in 1258. They destroyed Baghdad then. Now, the Mongolian military has 173 soldiers of the 150th Elite Peacekeeping Battalion in Hillah, Iraq."

"Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." --John 15:13

American Flag Bidness

Kerfuffles and Blatherings are honored!

American Flag Bidness

from the Pirate's Cove

Three new great members to add to the AFL. Give a big hand to

• Kerfuffles
• Blatherings
• Whiskey Tango Foxtrot

Welcome aboard, Maties!!!

That Silver Haired Daddy

My father loved this song and he sang and played it quite often when I was growing up. It was originally recorded by Gene Autry in the 1930s. This is a wav file of the song, recorded by country music legend, Jim Reeves.
That Silver Haired Daddy of Mine

Happy Father's Day

"And, ye fathers, provoke not your children
to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture
and admonition of the Lord."
~Ephesians 6:4~

When I am:

• Four years old: My daddy can do anything.
• Five years old: My daddy knows a whole lot.
• Six years old: My dad is smarter than your dad.
• Eight years old: My dad doesn't know exactly everything.
• Ten years old: In the olden days, when my dad grew up, things were sure different.
• Twelve years old: Oh, well, naturally, Dad doesn't know anything about that. He is too old to remember his childhood.
• Fourteen years old: Don't pay any attention to my dad. He is so old-fashioned.
• Twenty-one years old: Him? My Lord, he's hopelessly out of date.
• Twenty-five years old: Dad knows about it, but then he should, because he has been around so long.
• Thirty years old: Maybe we should ask Dad what he thinks. After all, he's had a lot of experience.
• Thirty-five years old: I'm not doing a single thing until I talk to Dad.
• Forty years old: I wonder how Dad would have handled it. He was so wise.
• Fifty years old: I'd give anything if Dad were here now so I could talk this over with him. Too bad I didn't appreciate how smart he was. I could have learned a lot from him.

Father's Day Web Sites

What's a Dad
Annie's Fathers' Day Page
Happy Father's Day by CharleneDazzle Lady's Father's Day
Jess Cannon's Home PageCyber Grandma's Happy Father's Day
The Holiday Spot
Alphabet Soup's Father's Day
Billy Bear's Happy Father's Day

How to Clean Your Computer Screen

When your computer screen gets all dusty and smeared, here is a solution. This automatic screen-cleaner will do the job. It's so good, you wonder why you had not thought of it yourself. No, you don't have to purchase anything. If you don't already have one of these at home, you can usually find them for free somewhere. Check it out here.

Trackedback at basil's blog.

The Quest for Light

Why do we seek the light? We seek light, because light is good. How do we know that light is good? Because God told us that it was so.

"In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth. And the earth was without form, and void; and darkness was upon the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God moved upon the face of the waters. And God said, Let there be light: and there was light. And God saw the light, that it was good: and God divided the light from the darkness." ~~The Book of Genesis, from The Holy Bible, King James Version

Continue to seek the light and avoid the darkness.

The June Bug has Bitten

When the summer sun shines brightly and the humidity drenches like a gentle rain from heaven, when the air smells like unseen snakes, and the petals of flowers glisten like colorful jewels, it is at that time that I hear the call of my garden, and I am powerless to resist.

"June bring tulips, lilies, roses.
Fills the children's hands with posies." .... Sarah Coleridge

The Quest for Magic

A MagiQuest Adventure - by Neddy 

Performing wondrous feats of magic at MagiQuest, requires a magic wand. Without a wand, magic cannot be summoned forth. Each wizard uses his or her personal wand, although other wizards' wands can be used when borrowed or captured. When selecting a personal wand, one must experiment with many wands until one is found that will create magic when waved by that particular wizard. The exterior of the wands seems to be hand carved of an exotic wood, but it is the core of the wand which has the power. The core is believed to be manufactured of an organic, magical object or substance. Most believe that the cores or insides of the wands contain some rare tail feathers from the mythical phoenix and a few hairs of the mane from the now extinct unicorn. Those substances are then padded with snips of silk from gowns of veelas, which are then wrapped tightly with dragon heartstrings. The more powerful wands available at MagiQuest give very strange effects (Priori Incantatem) when used by true believers, because each of those wands contains a tail feather from Fawkesguy, the famous phoenix that belongs to Quest Master Dumbledorph, the headmaster of MagiQuest's School of Wizardry. Quest Master Dumbledorph is a former pupil of the infamous headmaster in the wildly popular adventure book by J.K. Rowling about the "The Boy Who Lived".

A MagiQuest Adventure  

The Kingdom of MagiQuest is at Broadway at the Beach, in the coastal resort of Myrtle Beach, deep in the principality of South Carolina. All round and about the Kingdom, lay damp and hot swamps, inhabited by slithering noots and scamanders, chomping alligarooes and wildeboars, and other fantastic beasties, but within the castle walls of MagiQuest, one discovers ever more mysterious things, for which there exists NO explanation, other than the power of the magic that is bestowed upon faithful believers and their wands.  

Gargoylian the Good, Guardian of the MagicQuest Crypt, will guide you through the Kingdom. The pure of heart have no need to be afraid.  

Contessa Joliblonda is the NoosCaster and official MagiCryer of MagiQuest. However, should trouble arise, she is well prepared for her other valued role at MagiQuest, the sword-armed Defender of the Faithful.

   

Master Wizard Jonargylius, the inventor of the MagiQuest wand, delights in meeting new Wizards-in-Training, as they learn to twirl and swirl and their beautiful magic wands.  

Squibby Isbelinha sits in the Giant's chair, unafraid, and also unaware, of the consequences. She has come to the Kingdom on a quest to find the famous unicorn that was lost long, long ago by her mother, Princessa Isbelao.

 

Princess Candice, the granddaughter of Quest Master Dumbledorph, rescued Squibby Isbelinha from the dangers of the Giant's chair, and then instructed the tiny Wizard-to-Be about the mysteries of magic-wanding. Together they roamed the Kingdom, in quest of the long lost unicorn. 

 

While on safari at the savannah west of the MagiKingdom, Wizard Djavidian, captured a furious pride of native carolions. After training them as cavaliers and providing them with uniforms, he formed the Band of MagiQuestrians. The Lilliputian leader then commanded the MagiCavalry to mount their unicorn steeds and to charge into battle. The trained warriors obeyed their heroic leader with gusto, waving their mystical wands on high, employing them as powerful weapons to vanquish all evil from the Kingdom. Meanwhile, Wizardess Rheanna was questing her way through the land, and paused for a moment of reflection while she sought guidance from a  higher source.

  

The Good Fairy Godmother soon apparated in answer to the pleadings of the young wizardess and blessed Rheanna with a Spell of Hope.  

Wizardess Rheanna continued her quest with great success, discovering the Treasure Chest. With a Wave of her Wand, the chest opened itself, and awarded Rheanna with gold, jewels and priceless heirlooms which had been plundered from the Marauding Infidels. She also won the praise and admiration of Jonargylius, Master Wizard Inventor. 

Wizard Djavidian shows off the now kingdom-famous-wand that boggled the brains of the Wizards of MagiQuest. THEN IT HAPPENED!

Wizard Djavidian's wand became so powerful that it affected the entire Kingdom of MagiQuest. Djavidian's magic overwhelmed the magic of lesser wizards and caused very strange happenings throughout the Kingdom. Lights flickered, thunder roared. The Kingdom rocked upon its firm foundations. Even the all-knowing, all-seeing Quest Master of the MagiQuest Wizards' School was shocked and dumbfounded. Collapsing into a gelatinous blob, he vowed not to restore himself until all was righted in the Kingdom. There became such consternation inside the once peaceable kingdom, that Whopper Wizards were called upon to analyze the discombobulation and wizardize a solution to return MagiQuest to its former glory.

 

Djavidian's wacky wizardry caused an apparition of a False Fairy Godmother at the Giant's chair, where sat the Giant, Avo-Heathcliff. She spun a trouble spell upon him, and thenceforth, the magic power of his wand waned. Nothing the wizards schemed could restore the mystical powers to it and most believe it was because Avo-Heathcliff lost faith, due to Djavidian's wacky wand and the fright of seeing the False Fairy Godmother. Without his powerful wand, Avo-Heathcliff became dispirited and sprinkled himself and all the little Wizards-in-Training with floo powder. Yonder and away they flooed on giant matchsticks. He forced them to drink a trujuice potion so that they would reveal all the secrets of MagiQuest that they had learned. The next day, Avo-Heathcliff flooed all of them back to the fantastic Kingdom, where he ordered the little Wizards-in-Training to capture Wizard Djavidian's super powered wand. However, once the little wizards succeeded in pinching the wand from the warrior, they guarded it from the Giant, and righteously returned it to the MagiQuest Proprietors, where the Whopper Wizards replaced it with a wand of normal magic, which was then given to Djavidian. Avo-Heathcliff was awarded a new magic wand after he surrendered all the floo powder that was hidden in his trouser cuffs. Squibby Isbelinha finally caught a fleeting glimpse of her mother's long lost unicorn. Isbelinha tightly closed her eyes and made an earnest and sincere wish upon her wand. As soon as she opened her eyes, she and Princess Candice gazed upwards and upon the castle ramparts they saw, slowly prancing, the famous mythical beast. Almost instantly he magically disappeared and was gone, as unicorns are wont to do. However, Squibby Isbelinha's heart was full of joy and gratitude that her lifelong quest had been granted. All the little Wizards-in-Training were graduated with "highcum magus" honorifics from the MagiQuest Wizardry School. Avo-Heathcliff's treasure quests became quite successful, as he learned to avoid the False Fairy Godmother whenever he spotted her. When she attempted to cast trouble spells upon others he warned them of her mystical mischief. Thenceforth and forever more, all was well within the MagiKingdom and all of Wizardom knew naught but joy and happiness. All, that is, except the False Fairy Godmother. The Whopper Wizards cast all the remaining floo powder at her, and furiously flapping her powdered fairy wings, she flooed right through MagiQuest's Window of No Return. The End!--- of Ava-Neddy's MagiQuest Adventure. wizardry

Life Echoes Through Eternity

'What We Do In Life Echoes Through Eternity' ~Maximus, The Gladiator

Maximus, in the Oscar winning movie, "The Gladiator", uttered these profound words as a call for heroism. Whatever we accomplish in this life will be the legacy we leave for future generations of the world, whether to cherish or to rue. We can effect the world for the better by listening to our inner voices, standing tall and striving to reach the higher yearnings of our souls.

In other words - "that's why we blog".

Mother Goose Gone Wild

This POST has been moved to "Neddy's Palaver".

The Magic Wand

This young man is now a Magi and he is showing off his Magic Wand that he took home from the MagiQuest Adventure in Myrtle Beach. His family took him there for his ninth birthday and after attending the Magic Wand school taught by the QuestMaster he received this "dragon" wand with which he was able to make magic in the land of MagiQuest. Magi choose their wands and customize them according to their personalities. When he returns to MagiQuest he will be able to increase his magical skills and increase his powers and game levels. Even though he takes his wand home, it has the power to remember everything he accomplished at MagiQuest, so he will not need to start over! This special magic wand stores all of his adventures and discoveries so that when he returns he will be able to use it again to increase his magician's skill. The magic wand at Magiquest is really magic!

CLICK on image for a close up view.
magic, adventure

Bats Alive!

Now there is another reason to be grateful you do not live in Iowa. Aside from avoiding tornadoes and NOT having to plant elephant eye corn, you can also live free from bats in all the other forty-nine states of the Union. How grand. The average Iowa home that requires de-batting usually has as many as 150 bats, although some homes are hosting colonies of close to 1,000. However, don't believe for one moment that the Iowans are being driven batty. They are not! They do not even know the bats are in their belfries.

Experts Say Bats Living in Most Iowa Homes: Experts Say Bats Are Living in the Majority of Iowa Homes Without Owners Knowing It

"BADGER, Iowa Jun 6, 2005 — Bats live in the majority of Iowa homes without the owners even knowing it, experts with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources said. They live in chimneys, attics and crawl spaces, and usually don't drive homeowners batty if they remain in those uninhabited areas, said Mark McInroy, a DNR technician. Experts don't know how many bats live in Iowa or whether the bat population is changing."

The Magic Quest

For A Real Magic Wand - has been fulfilled! This week-end my family motored south for seven and one half hours to attend the opening day of MagiQuest at Myrtle Beach. My grandson had his ninth birthday and he is an avid fan of the Harry Potter adventure series. He has read each book from cover to cover. Amazing, isn't it? This wonderful adventure park was indeed made for him. He received a unique magic wand in honor of his birthday at the Magic Wand Tree. With it my grandson was able to choose his own customized journey through MagiQuest land, fighting dragons, finding fairies, helping unicorns, and escaping the trickster and shadow creatures. Beforehand the participants were given instructions at a school by the Quest Master on the proper use of the mysteries of the magic wand and they practiced opening treasure chests and illuminating crystals and stones. My grandson collected runes and renewed his wand's powers at the ancient Stonehenge.

"What's new? Harry Potter wannabes can get a taste of the magical life at MagiQuest, an interactive family attraction opening June 4 at Broadway at the Beach. Each player gets a personal magic wand that can set off lightning bolts, open treasure chests and perform heroic deeds in a lifesize video game that requires teamwork, skill and imagination." InsideNova.com

My granddaughters met the Princess of MagiQuest, Princess Candice, and we brought home a new cd album that she recorded exclusively for MagiQuest, and its believers in magic and the celebration of individuality. It is quite fascinating for a child, an adult, or even a princess (as shown here) to wield a real magic wand, with real powers.

Renaissance Music Star Candice Night Creates Royal Harmony With Magical Family Entertainment Venue

"MYRTLE BEACH, SC - MAY 2, 2005 - Singer and songwriter Candice Night has teamed up with New Kingdoms, LLC, on a new business venture that brings magic back to families and features Night as a fictional character in a new, magical amusement venue. "Candice Night, has agreed to take on the role of Princess Candice, one of the main characters of New Kingdom's amusement venue MagiQuest, an innovative, interactive family entertainment concept that puts its guests in the physical world of a video game. As Princess Candice, Night portrays the singing princess who uses songs and magic to produce healing stars throughout the land of MagiQuest. Doubling as a Master Magi, the highest level a person can achieve in the game of MagiQuest, Princess Candice encourages children to believe in themselves by using their own creativity and the magic that is inside them. "Night and MagiQuest's partnership includes using Night's likeness as part of the game and in promotional materials. Night will make appearances as Princess Candice at the Grand Opening Celebration of MagiQuest's first location in Myrtle Beach, S.C., on June 15 and plans are underway to include Night in a medieval festival that will take place in the fall. Night also wrote and recorded the theme song to MagiQuest."

magic

Save Freedom of Worship

This poster from another time in the history of our country tells quite a story. Freedom of worship was valued and protected. Today there is a war going on against that freedom. The first amendment is supposed to guarantee our freedom of religion, yet nowhere in the bill are the words: "separation", "church", or "state". Isn't that amazing? Thomas Jefferson wrote a letter quoting the first amendment, and attached the Baptist term " separation of church and state" after the quote.

"January 1, 1802, by Thomas Jefferson to the Danbury Baptist Association of Connecticut: I contemplate with solemn reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should "make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof," thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.

Jefferson was attempting to remove all fears that the government would make dictates to the somewhat outcast Baptist church, therefore he established common ground with them by using the words of Roger Williams, one of their most prominent preachers. Even more amazing it is that those Baptists understood the "wall" was to protect the church from the state, not vice versa, as is happening today. The first amendment that Jefferson quoted, in the U.S. Constitution, is supposed to protect the churches from the state, but it doesn't seem to be working very well for Christian churches.

Haloscan commenting and trackback have been added to this blog, which means that all of the previous comments are gone. However, they are NOT forgotten, neither are they lost. I just need to learn how to find them and how to re - post them:
Trackbacked at The Mudville Gazette and Wizbang's CARNIVAL OF THE TRACKBACKS, XV

BELIEVE Your Eyes!

Stare at the four dots in the middle of the inking image below for 30 seconds. Then either close your eyes, or just look at the white space beside the inking. Wait just a couple of seconds. What do you see? OR ......

1) Relax and lazily stare at the 4 tiny dots in the picture
below for at least 30 seconds.

2) Slowly shift your gaze from the screen to a wall near you.

3) You will see a circle of light formed on the wall.

4) Start blinking and continue till you see a figure within the circle.

5) BELIEVE!

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