The Commoners are Fooled Once Again

The commoners are fooled once again by so called ancient medicine. As in similar cases, this is leading seriously ill patients away from medicine that has been proven effective by false hopes of a miracle cure. CNN.com writes in a story today that "The president of Gambia says his ancestors revealed to him in a dream the cure for AIDS." His health minister defended this bogus cure, saying "I can swear, 100 percent, that this herbal medication His Excellency is using is working. It has the potency to treat and cure patients infected with the HIV-virus."

Unfortunately, it is not just naive Gambians that are conned into believing this nonsense. Millions of Americans by into the nonsense of "traditional Chinese medicine" and so-called "homeopathic medicine", which is no more than water with trace amounts of some so-called active ingredient.

My friends, this is nonsense, bogus fairytale with no scientific support that passes as medicine only by the deceptive tactics of those who have made themselves to be "authorities" in such matters. Perhaps this exposure by CNN will wake up some folk.

"Beware the 16th of March. . . "

miquoted from Titus Vestricius Spurinna, warning Julius Caesar of his impending death by stabbing on the senate floor.

From the Elf

Greetings, friends. I am pleased to be a new part of these posts. I hope that my frequent contributions will add great value and happiness to your lives. I will be happy to answer questions about my background, and the likes. To be brief, I am an elf.

An Equal Opportunity Employer

In an attempt to diversify and appeal to a greater audience, I am pleased to announce the addition of an elf as a staff writer. This is a move I have been pressured to make by the board of directors. I feel that he will make a valuable contribution to the content of these posts and ad a new perspective. Please check back often to keep up with other important changes I will be making.

From "Pulpit Prayers". . .

"We rejoice that we do not know all of Thee, nor all of Thy way of mercy. We should be sorry if there were no more of Thee than we could compass in our thought. We should be sorry if with our faint and small mercy, if with the slender flame of love that burns amidst glowing passions in our souls, we could understand the grandeur, the fulness, the infinte outstretch of Thy being, and the mystery hid from ages, and to be hid through ages, of Thy riches in the glory of goodness as a healing power throughout Thy realm. We rejoice and give thanks for what Thou art. . . Our souls are glad, yea, and they sing, as we think of Thee. . ."

Will you watch my laptop?

I was minding my own business, drinking my favorite coffee at Panera (better than McDonalds coffee, by far), when I was interrupted by a lady sitting next to me. "Would you mind watching my laptop?" I smiled and assured her it wouldn't be a problem at all. She was back in a few minutes, laptop unharmed by any of the creepy looking people wandering the restaurant. She thanked me, and I nodded politely. As I was about to leave the same restaurant, a fellow at the table on the other side interrupted me. "Would you mind watching my laptop?" I chuckled. "I'm leaving in 2 minutes, but if you make it quick. . . " He returned on schedule. "Thanks," he said. I mentioned to him the two strange men that had walked past staring suspiciously at the laptop as they walked by, and how I gave them a dirty look and scared them off. I then proceeded to pack up my belongings. I hadn't scared him off by my strange remarks, as he proceeded to ask if he could butt into my personal life by inquiring into what I was studying. I proceeded to tell him that I was working on a Bible study in the book of Romans. He thought for a second and inquired as to my Christian faith. He then proceeded to tell me that he too was a Christian named Ed and was leading a Bible study in Genesis, the great book of beginnings. After a brief, encouraging conversation over our new found commonality, we parted ways.

It's amazing how God used a simple question, "Would you watch my laptop?" to introduce two strangers sitting at neighboring tables and turn them into friends for a moment, and brothers in Christ.

Author's note: The author realizes that although the above paragraph sounded good at the time, it was a poor attempt to moralize a bad story. The author hereby rescinds the preceeding paragraph and promises never to try to redeem a bad story in that manner again! The author has learned a valuable lesson that it's best just to tell a good story about a guy named Ed.

Another comment: I did not mean to imply that my name is Ed by the second-to-last sentance of the first paragraph.

A Bunsen Burner, a Wafflemaker, and a Margarita Mixer

What do these three things have in common? If you thought breakfast, you're close. But oddly enough, these are the three objects I found in the fume hood when I arrived at work one day. Now, the fume hood functions in a similar manner to your oven fan. The idea is to take up all the nasty, and perhaps toxic (if you're that kind of cook), gases so you don't have to breath them. At work, these hoods also serve as work space. Now, what do these objects have to do with work? Well, the only thing I can figure out is that someone is partying after hours. I think I know who it is, and I'm still waiting for an invite. I'm told they actually serve a purpose in day-to-day work. Odd. . .

Bunsen burners are pretty neat. We had lots of fun with them in high school. Robert Wilhelm Bunsen was a German chemist who lived from 1811-1899. Once thought to be relics of the past, I have found that the Bunsen burner is useful for cleaning metal objects with its intense heat.