Freedom...that's what today means. That's what Martin Luther started to declare to a world in captivity--a church in captivity--nearly 500 years ago. "You're free! You're free because the Son has set you free!" And if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed.

But what about freedom? What is this captivity? They are not slaves, they are not in prison...of whom are they captives? "I tell you the truth, everyone who sins is a slave to sin," Jesus said. But Jesus also said much more: "Now a slave has no permanent place in the family, but a son belongs to it forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed." That's it, end of story, no need to go further.

Though, nearly 500 years ago (longer, even), some decided they needed to. Instead of heeding Jesus' gracious call to freedom, they decided to tunnel their way out of captivity. The Church in Rome thought it a good idea to charge a fee for freedom. "By this indulgence," they delcared, "you can earn your freedom, so many years out of purgatory, a quicker entrance into heaven!" The saying actually went, "As soon as the coin in the coffer rings, the soul from purgatory springs."

Even for them, however, the Son of God has proclaimed freedom. With his nail-scarred hands and feet and a body ravaged by beatings, he bought our freedom for us. With his own precious blood, Jesus set us free. "So if the Son sets you free, you are free indeed!" No indulgence needed!

The Son has set us free, not with silver or gold, but with His innocent suffering death. No might of ours can do it; our loss would quickly come. Only the Son can set us free, free from bondage to sin and to life everlasting. By His release, we are made sons of God, fellow heirs with Christ--we who hear and believe, we who continue in God's Word. For it is that Word of God that sets us free. "You're free," He proclaims. And if the Son has set you free, you are free indeed.

...He helps us free from every need... May we rejoice in that this Reformation day and every day. Posted today is my Reformation day sermon, if you wish to read it.

I'm sure you've heard it all before. Kerry is against outsourcing and his wife is part of a company that outsources. Such hypocrisy! Well, here's the thing...

Teresa has interest in the Heinz company. Heinz has 66 plants in foreign countries (under these 57 names, how ironic), maybe more that I missed:

> HEINZ JAPAN LTD - Tokyo, Japan
> HEINZ-UFE LTD. - Guangzhou, People's Republic of China
> HEINZ COSCO - Qingdao, People's Republic of China
> HEINZ KOREA LTD. - Inchon, South Korea
> HEINZ WIN CHANCE LTD. - Bangkok, Thailand
> HEINZ INDIA PRIVATE LIMITED - Mumbai, India
> PT HEINZ ABC INDONESIA - Jakarta, Indonesia
> PT HEINZ SUPRAMA - Surabaya, Indonesia
> HEINZ UFC PHILIPPINES - Manila, the Philippines
> HEINZ HONG KONG LIMITED - Wanchai, Hong Kong
> H. J. HEINZ (Botswana) (Proprietary) LTD. - Gaborone, Botswana
> KGALAGADI SOAP INDUSTRIES (Pty) LTD. - Gaborone, Botswana
> REFINED OIL PRODUCTS (Pty) LTD. - Gaborone, Botswana
> OLIVINE INDUSTRIES (Private) LIMITED - Harare, Zimbabwe
> CHEGUTU CANNERS (Pvt) LTD. - Chegutu, Zimbabwe
> HEINZ SOUTH AFRICA (PTY) LTD. - Johannesburg, South Africa
> HEINZ WELLINGTON'S (PTY) LTD. - Wellington, South Africa
> HEINZ EUROPE - Hayes, Middlesex, England
> H. J. HEINZ COMPANY LIMITED - Hayes Park, Hayes, Middlesex, England
> H. J. HEINZ COMPANY LIMITED - Rovereto, Italy
> H. J. HEINZ COMPANY LIMITED - Telford, England
> JOHN WEST FOODS LIMITED - Liverpool, England
> H. J. HEINZ FROZEN & CHILLED FOODS LIMITED - Hayes, Middlesex, England
> H. J. HEINZ COMPANY (IRELAND) LIMITED - Dublin, Ireland
> H.J. HEINZ COMPANY OF CANADA LTD - North York, Ontario, Canada
> OMSTEAD FOODS LIMITED - Wheatley, Ontario, Canada
> ALIMENTOS HEINZ C.A. - Caracas, Venezuela
> DISTRIBUIDORA BANQUETE, S.A. - San Jose, Costa Rica
> HEINZ ITALIA S.R.L. - Milan, Italy
> FATTORIA SCALDASOLE, S.P.A. - Monguzzo, Italy
> COPAIS FOOD AND BEVERAGE COMPANY, S.A. - Athens, Greece
> HEINZ POLSKA SP. Z.O.O. - Warsaw, Poland
> PUDLISZKI S.A. - Pudliszki, Poland
> WODZISLAW, S.A. - Wodzislaw, Poland
> ETS. PAULET S.A. - Douarnenez, France
> H. J. HEINZ FROZEN S.A.R.L. - Paris, France
> HEINZ IBERICA S.A. - Madrid, Spain
> IDAL - Lisbon, Portugal
> MIEDZYCHOD S.A. - Miedzychod, Poland
> HEINZ C.I.S. - Moscow, Russia
> HEINZ GEORGIEVSK - Georgievsk, Russia
> CAIRO FOOD INDUSTRIES SAE - Cairo, Egypt
> HEINZ REMEDIA LIMITED - Tel Aviv, Israel
> STAR-KIST FOOD D'OR LIMITED - Haifa, Israel
> H. J. HEINZ GMBH - Düsseldorf, Germany
> SONNEN BASSERMANN - Seesen, Germany
> KONINKLIJKE DE RUIJTER BV - The Netherlands
> HAK BV - The Netherlands
> FOODMARK - The Netherlands
> HONIG MERKARTIKELEN BV - The Netherlands
> DRUKKERIJ DE GROENBOER - The Netherlands
> H. J. HEINZ B.V . - Elst, The Netherlands
> H. J. HEINZ BELGIUM S.A. - Brussels, Belgium
> SERV-A-PORTION - Turnhout, Belgium
> ARIMPEX INDUSTRIE ALIMENTAR S.R.L. - Roverto, Italy
> COMEXO S.A. - Chateaurenard, France
> HEINZ EUROPE - UK and IRELAND - Factories: Chorley, Fakenham, Grimsby, Kendal, Kitt Green, Leaminton, Luton, Okehampton, Telford, Westwick

But the defense to this is that neither Teresa or John sit on the board of Heinz and only own 4% of Heinz stock. And, anything that 4% earns is donated to charity. And, that charity is usually used to support Republicans (including Bush). Basically, there is no controlling interest in Heinz by either of the Kerrys.

To that I counter: Legally, the Kerrys are profiting from that 4% interest in a multinational corporation, what could be considered a Benedict Arnold Company. If they had any social conscience, given their stance AGAINST outsourcing, they would divest themselves of any and all financial interest in the company.

This isn't a personal rant on outsourcing. I think the fact that a food company such as Heinz has plants in many countries doesn't hurt anyone and actually (may) help to put food on the tables of people in those countries. No, this is more a principle thing, you know "social conscience."

Steve Spurrier is reported to have said that hell would freeze over before he returned to coach at Florida. This reportedly took place after he left for the NFL in 2001.

...

Yesterday, the Boston Red Sox won the world series. Hell must have frozen over!

Here's what's being reported:

***BREAKING NEWS*** As broken on our message boards earlier this morning, Coach Zook and his staff have been informed that they will not be with the program at the end of the season. However, they'll coach the remainer of the games, including a bowl game (if any). A press conference has been scheduled for 4pm today and it will be broadcast live on Sunshine Network and GatorVision on Gatorzone.com. Zook, Foley, and President Machen will be present.

Gator Country

They can take down the website and box up the T-shirts. Ron Zook's tenure at Florida is over. The Gators coach was fired Monday, but is expected to finish the season. An upset loss at Mississippi State was the final straw for the embattled Zook.

ESPN.com

For a couple of years now, I've been saying, "Give the man a chance." Well, I think he's had his chance. He blew it. I am talking of Ron Zook...

After losing a nail biter to LSU at home, Ron Zook said he had trouble sleeping. I wonder how much trouble he is having tonight. After a 38-31 loss on the road to a Mississippi State team that, well, sucks, he should not be able to sleep at all. The thing that should be keeping him up is the fear for his job.

UF Athletic Director Jeremy Foley can prove to us just how much of a friend of Zook's he is by how he handles the situation. Foley has a track record of firing good coaches because they just aren't good enough. Now, Zook is on the verge of another disappointing season. Will Foley fire his good friend? I certainly hope so.

I wonder if Zook has ambitions for anything other than football coaching. He should look into it. He may be a good recruiter, but all the talent he recruits for UF is being wasted by his lack of coaching ability. It wouldn't surprise me one bit if Chris Leak, an excellent quarterback, seeks transfer to a school at which he can win...I would support him in that and cheer for him, even if it were to FSU, Miami, Georgia, or Tennessee (as long as he is not playing against UF, that is).

So, Mr. Foley, this is a call for you to fire Zook. He stinks!

Want to know what I'm talking about? Read this. While you're at it, visit Fire Ron Zook, but not for too long because the white text on black background is bad on the eyes.

"I have a plan..."

Listen to anything coming from the Kerry campaign, and that about sums things up. Take the flip-floppiness of the senator himself, add that to whatever anyone doesn't like about Bush or his policies, and Kerry will pounce on it. And the most he ever says is "I have a plan."

Don't belive me? Just take a look at the planner's ideas. From "the enemy's" own website we see his own indecisiveness.

That's one of the things I do not like about Senator Kerry. That's the thing that frightens me the most: he passes off hopes and dreams as plans without any real idea of how he plans on doing these things.

Some of those things under "Consider Kerry's Plan" are nice dreams. If elected, he may see one or two of them. But all his "planning" will be for naught, because he will never be able to see any of them because they are just that--hopes and dreams--and not real plans. Let's see, in only one of them does he have a "plan" to "..." by doing something, and even the "by" is a dream. How do you plan to enact these plans, Mr. Senator?

Oh, and this latest one, that you don't even see on that page, is a "plan" to do away with the color-coded terror alert system and find "some more thoughtful way of alerting America." As is usually the case from this man, he cannot tell us what this "more thoughtful way" is, but I'm sure "he has a plan."

You know, I'm willing to bet that if (hopefully, when) he loses the presidential election, if he stays in the senate (I don't know if he's doing like Lieberman did last time), we still won't know what his "plan" is because he really doesn't have one. Like I said before, all his planning is just hopes and dreams.

That's why I'm voting for someone with conviction, dedication, and deciveness. I want a man to lead my country who can think and is not afraid to stand up to our enemies, the media, even our friends no matter what time of the year it is, whether elections are coming up or if he has the highest approval rating of any sitting president. I want a man who will stand for something, rather than flip-flopping for anything. This year, 2004, I want George W. Bush as my president, John Thune as my senator, and Larry Diedrich as my representative. These men, more than any others currently running, are the ones who best can protect and actually revere life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

I have added three sermons to the site. If you wish to read them, please select "Sermons" from the menu above. The new sermons will be marked "NEW" in the menu that is created.

Oh, and I also added a picture to one photo album (it should be easy to tell which one)...this was something I was asked to do and never got around to doing.

I told you I would be tweaking the site every now and then. Well, look up at what I call the "Jump List" (where the Link Dump and Here's Your Sign journals are listed). See! I made it tell when they were last updated! Cool, huh?

Now, I've completed work on the mobile version of Atlantis. If you wish to view it, click here. Bear in mind, though, it's really only a fraction of what the non-moblie site is.

Yes, with this entry, the return of the hymns section has happened.

It seems, from my end anyway, that everything is working as it should. If you find anything that seems "out of whack," let me know; my email address appears in all of my journal posts. I'll be tweaking things now and then--I may make some changes to the font of the random quotes in the upper right corner, I may change the order in which sermons, hymns, and poems are sorted, and other small things here and there. The tweaks are superficial, however, some may never be noticed (except by me).

Now, there is officially NO IE FRIENDLY version. Atlantis is now completely Mozilla, Netscape, Opera, and Internet Explorer friendly, without different versions. There is also no mobile version, but I have plans for one that should be pretty easy to do, considering the "flat file" type of changes I made to everything else in here.

We have development on Skin Mobile to thank for the changes here...some of you may have noticed the resemblance...

I was toying around with ideas for where to put these. The best one was in the sidebar. So, the Link Dump and Here's Your Sign Journals are back in their proper places. You can jump directly to them from the "menu" above.

Lo and behold, sermons and poems are now available! I almost feel like conquering the hymns yet this morning (as early as it is), but I may leave that until tomorrow.

In the slow process of getting everything changed and updated, the Photo Albums have miraculously reappeared! Simply click the link above (the one with the camera next to it) and view the pictures we have in the albums.

No new pictures (yet). That kind of updating will take place when the site is up to specs. However, there is a new tip included in the "sidebar": if the sidebar is covering a picture, make the picture smaller (that's what those buttons with percentages in them do).

Well, I got tired of this cluttered look...yeah, I still thought the last new look was cluttered. Anyway, this is the new look for the site. It's pretty neat, I think. Some things don't work yet, but they'll be here soon enough. Enjoy!

Oh, I'll also be tweaking the look of some of the other things while I'm at it. Sooner or later, everything will look like it fits...since some things kinda don't right now.

If something doesn't seem to work like it should, let me know (because I might not otherwise know or find out for a while on my own).

You will see in the top right corner of (most) of the journal entries something that looks like this (colors not withstanding):

+ 0 - 0 | § œ

Well, here's what those things mean, in case you wanted to know:

• + 0: You can click on the plus sign to vote "good" on the post. This is part of what many journals call a karma system. It will simply let others know if visitors thought the post was a good post. The number will indicate the number of "good" votes the post has received.
• - 0: This works the same as the "+ 0" except it means a vote of "bad."
• §: The "section" symbol serves as a link to the journal entry in the archives. Basically, it lets you go the section of the archives in which that article is found. For instance, if you click on the § in a journal article dated 30 September 2004, you would see all the entries from the September archives for that journal and all related journals which are archived together (i.e., Baby Polls, Mommy Log, and Daddy Log; or Atlantis, Link Dump, and Here's Your Sign).
• œ: The "paragraph" symbol serves as a link to just that entry. If you clicked that link, you would be able to read the full entry in the current window (as opposed to a pop-up window).

  So, there you have it. That is, in case you were wondering...

Well, I've been working on this little beauty for a while. As I finally have a "skin" to release, I have opened the site. Check out my new website--Skin Mobile--right here. The site is currently a subsite of Atlantis, but I do hope (for now) to let it loose on its own.

Christopher Reeve just passed away, and America just lost a great champion for this cause, somebody who was a powerful voice for the need to do stem cell research and change the lives of people like him, who have gone through a tragedy. Well, if we do the work that we can do in this country, the work that we will do when John Kerry is president, people like Christopher Reeve are going to walk, get up out of that wheelchair and walk again.

It's a shame that lies like this are continually spoken, this quote by John Edwards. It is perhaps more a shame that countless naïve people believe it.

It must first be mentioned that when we hear the phrase stem cell research out of the mouths of those who vehemently support the practice and advocate its use, they are referring to embryonic stem cell research. Stem cells, for those who may not know, are the cells that, to put it simply, become any kind of cell that is needed. Human embryos (that is, young, pre-born human beings) are almost completely stem cells, as the cells in their bodies have not "decided" what they are going to be yet. Some will become skin cells, others muscle cells, other nerve cells, and so on. It is widely believed (and that is the key word) that embryonic stem cells can be used to regenerate damaged tissues in adults, specifically damaged tissues that do not regenerate on their own (like spinal cord and brain cells). Embryonic stem cells are believed to be the key to cures for spinal injuries as well as other neurological disorders ranging from Alzheimers to Parkinson's (explaining Nancy Reagan's support for stem cell research). The matter of life is that embryonic stem cell research requires that human life be destroyed in order to do the research. Embryos and Foeti are aborted or grown in a labratory and sacrificed to harvest these "golden" cells in order to attempt to convert them into what we need them to be.

Now, there are two matters of truth to what John Edwards spoke. There is no way of knowing if Christopher Reeve would have been able to walk were it not for the restrictive policies of the Bush Administration on stem cell research. In fact, it is highly more likely that he would have still died from the bed sore infection that ultimately caused his demise.

What's the other matter of truth? Well, this goldmine of stem cell research has been a goldmine for over 30 years. Do you know how many positive results have been yielded from embryonic stem cell research? None; not one! In 30 years, all research in the field of embryonic stem cells has ended in dismal failure. We are no closer now to finding the miracle cure from embryonic stem cells than we were 30 years ago. No single person has been helped from stem cell research; not one ailment has been cured. Yet countless lives were slaughtered all in the vain attempt to play God.

Now, you'll notice I was keen to make the point that the hot phrase stem cell research always refers to embryonic stem cells. There is, you could say, a third truth. Adults have stem cells, too! Adult stem cells are found, most readily, in the bone marrow. These cells, while not as open to becoming ANYTHING, like embryonic stem cells, are used by bodies to create red blood cells and some other cells related to the circulatory system. Research with adult stem cells has produced some positive results, and this is fortunate because adults do not have to be slaughtered in order to harvest these cells. Bone marrow transplants are being used to cure cancers. Further research is being done on adult stem cells that is yielding some promising results. Adult stem cell research is working where embryonic stem cell research is not (yet embryonic stem cell research continues to be the hot button issue for some strange reason).

Now, as far as Christopher Reeve is concerned, I mourn his loss. I do not mourn over him as others might. I do not mourn OUR loss of him, but of his loss of Life, if he did not have It. He may have been a great man. He certainly was a talented actor. His contributions in that field will be missed, but my life will go on. I can only hope he was a man redeemed by Christ, forgiven by Him for his sins.

The neat thing is, research is actually being done for conditions such as his that do not involve embryonic stem cells (again I wonder why embryonic stem cells is such a hot button issue then). So, I offer this quote:

Stem cells are not even the hot issue in nerve regeneration. When the spine is mechanically severed, like all tissue, the healing process forms a scar in order to allow inflammation response cells such as macrophages to deal with the inflammation. These scar tissue express proteins that inhibit neuronal regeneration by a variety of biomedical means. Unfortunately, the scar tissue does not break down. Hence, reconnection does not readily occur. The current area of research is in overcoming these inhibitory molecules and the physical barrier of the scar. Stem cells are not really the big deal in spinal cord.

Now, I really wish the libs would quit using Ronald Reagan and Christopher Reeve as "champions-in-death" for their anti-life agenda. It is a most deplorable attitude.

It has been a while since I have posted something here. Well, it now being October 7, it seemed like a good time to post something.

There is nothing political about this post. Well, there is nothing political as it pertains to the leadership of my country. In fact, though a majority of what goes on with relation to this post goes on in my country, this post is concerned with something that is a concern of our neighbors to the north.

This post is about something that is missing. Sure, there are fixes available. I could play the video game version. There are minor leagues available. But I just spent time a few months ago celebrating what had happened with a favorite of mine. I was hoping to be able to watch a defense of it...

I MISS HOCKEY!

I considered writing an open letter to someone--to air my complaint before the public and addressing that complaint to a person or organization. That of course would preclude knowing who to address. I can't say with any certainty that I know who.

There is a labor problem in the NHL. Teams aren't making the money they need to stay afloat and player salaries are exploding at the same time. Team owners want a salary cap or some sort of salary control. The players association says a cap is unacceptable, that player salaries are still well below those in the NFL, MLB, and NBA (leagues that rank above the NHL in revenue and popularity). Gary Bettman, the commissioner of the NHL, labeled the fans "victims" and blamed the players. Bob Goodenow, the president of the NHLPA, is hard-headed and will not listen.

I can't blame anyone in particular. I can blame everyone in general. Yes, I feel cheated. Why? Because there is no NHL (right now)! There's an old saying, "It takes two to tango." You know, no one can honestly blame one group or person over the other; they are all at fault over this lockout. So, in a sense, I guess the fans are victims.

At the same time, we'll get along. But, and this is a warning to all involved in the NHL, don't be surprised when we, the fans, are bitter. Do you recall what happened with baseball several years ago? There was a work stoppage, and the fans grew disinterested in baseball (it took a long time for them to go back). If you thought revenue was down while the game was playing, wait for when it returns, but the fans don't!

You see, hockey is fun and exciting, but it isn't life. Hockey is the coolest game on earth, but it isn't the only game. Hockey is a great sport to watch and be a fan of, but we can live without it. The longer you don't play, the more apt we are to forget about you!

So, I encourage you to sit down and get your act together as soon as possible. Get your head out of your asses and talk to each other. Stop playing hockey on paper only and put the players back out on the ice. Save hockey and keep your fans while you still can!

Oh, and a lesson in logic...you don't need a salary cap to not pay a player. If a player wants more than you are willing to pay, you don't have to sign or re-sign him. You already have control over their salaries. Eventually, the player will figure out that he can't ask every team for some ungodly amount of money and will have to settle for what a team is willing to pay him. Oh, and there's a reason why player salaries are lower than those in the NFL, MLB, and NBA. Those three leagues make more money than the NHL. They are more popular leagues. Real people put more money into those leagues than into the NHL.

So, stop your fighting and name-calling. Sit down, talk with each other, come to an agreement, and let's have some hockey. Let's do this quickly before I begin to discover how good life can be without the world's coolest game.