Recycled and Rehashed Rudiments Recomposed

You should get a cat like mine! ;-) Male, neutered, no roaming, no heat...perfect! :-)
That's a good idea. I'll take him.

I've always felt rather guilty for not liking dogs and cats--I mean it's about as mean and uncaring as you can get not to like a fluffy cat or something :)
I'd actually take a bug (up to a certain size) over a dog. Bizarre, I know.
Bizarre as that is, I can almost agree with you (but I still detest bugs). Don't feel guilty. I too hate cats.

Okay if it is okay for you to not like bugs then I can still hate frogs!!! I am so sure you know what my great sister did to me at Christmas. It is funny now but not at the moment. If you don't know just ask her I'm sure she would love to tell you.
I support your right to hate frogs. But, I also support my right to not hate frogs and your sister's right to do what she did on that fateful Christmas day. I loved that story. :)

This turned out to be a "bugable" blog. You may need to invest in some bug houses. We ARE getting into the buggier time of the year.
I agree with the first and last point you made in your comment but I strongly disagree with investing in bug houses. For one, that would not be an investment. For two, I would not invite a bug to live anywhere (he can find his own house). And for three, I do not want to own a house a bug is welcomed to live in. But, I do understand what you mean.

Notice your comment from Celular. It seems to come from Brazil.
I have an idea it's actually an automated advertising system that's apt to appear on your blog if your blog's Word Verification is not enabled. In one night alone about a year ago, I received over 230 such comments.

The opposite of "far-sighted" is "near-sighted", not "short-sighted". Although I was very flattered that you considered me intelligent enough to diagnose your eye condition from afar, without actually seeing you, I thought I'd better correct your misconception.
Thank you for enlightening me. I "see" your point now. Are you also saying that if you saw me, you'd be able to tell me whether or not I need glasses? If that's the case, I'm sure you're cheaper than an Opthamologist. I'll be right over.

As far as a time for "Everything under the sun," I think it still proves my point that DST wasn't invented by the time of the "publishing" of Ecclesiastes, as it wasn't listed, but I suppose there is a "time" to change the time. (or at least now there is)
The Preacher in Ecclesiastes was not referring to things that may happen under the sun somewhere in the near future unless you line that up with the verse that talks about "Evil men and seducers shall wax worse and worse..." That's how we got DST. Somewhere in the future, they'll be making us change our clocks several times in one day... if we don't stop the waxing evil of the seducers.

What time did the alarm go off?
It was right around the time I wrote that blog -- around 7:30 - 8 in the morning. Since the happening of DST, most of my children are still enjoying sleep at that hour. (or is it me enjoying them sleeping???)

Pagers sound good. The expense of that would probably have to be taken out of some of your local taxes. Since it is done by volunteers, there would be a longer list of people who would volunteer than would be needed at any given fire. It would be costly.
Those are all very valid reasons and I'm sure probably applicable in our small town. Interestingly enough, the sirens went off the other day and no body responded: I inadvertently and unintentionally had a colleague staked out near the fire station just before the siren went off. They reported that no one single person responded to the call. Just think of all the small children that were awakened needlessly by the pointless alarm. It's a shame -- in more ways than one. (I hope the person that dialed 911 didn't really need help...)

One thing I learned: You can tell if there is a storm coming by watching the behavior of the kids. They get very restless and don't pay attention as well.
And then when they finally settle down and go to sleep, the siren goes off. I know that story well.

Google Goes Amish

I came to my home page today (and for those of you that don't know, that would be google.com) and what should I find but the background of the screen was black (and for those of you that don't know, Google's normal color is white) but the words were all normal. Thinking it was my perpetually problematic computer, I chalked it up to Toshiba's ever failing computer system.

Until I read this...

"We've turned the lights out. Now it's your turn -- Earth Hour."

What is this? Some mad environmentalist that wants to do something about "saving the earth" so he invokes his new scheme on the rest of the world? I'm kinda thinking this guy is friends with the DST dude.

Okay, I can handle my google.com page being black, although a black computer screen is simply one of the most annoying experiences one can have when surfing the web. I. do. not. like. black. sites. They are cheesy and classless and hard to read and hurt your eyes. But, I can handle them. If your blog is black, please know I am not directing this statement at you -- it's a free country and I support your right to have a blog that is black.

So, like I said, I can handle google.com being black. (This is starting to sound like a racial post now but I'm not a racists, really, I'm not. I'm actually related to some black people.)

As I was saying, I read the Google Earth Hour site so that I would more fully understand the reason behind my annoying black screen. I read it more for kicks than anything else though. This had to be some bored, hilarious college kid that hacked into google's system and goofed up the template colors. Unfortunately, it was no joke. The Google Professionals (which would actually be graduated college kids) intentionally made their screen black (this was no hacker's work) but the reason they did it seemed even more senseless than a college kid's joke (pardon the slam on you college kids; I'm not slamming you, really, I'm not. I'm actually related to one of you)...

"On Saturday, March 29, 2008, Earth Hour invites people around the world to turn off their lights for one hour – from 8:00pm to 9:00pm in their local time zone. On this day, cities around the world, including Copenhagen, Chicago, Melbourne, Dubai, and Tel Aviv, will hold events to acknowledge their commitment to energy conservation."

What a great idea. Just think of the mass confusion this will cause around the world. At the same time. This is borderline Apocalypse if you ask me. Perhaps we are manually setting ourselves in the end time this very night.

--Scores of people will light open flames in their homes in order to see in the dark without using electricity. (I'm sure we'll hear a siren tonight.)

--Scads of families will leave their table top games and sit in the dark around the TV instead filling their minds with meaningless, mindless, memories.

--Moms will order carryout if they haven't made supper yet.

--Dads will resort to computers instead of reading books to their children.

--Millions will drive in the dark without headlights. (Resulting in more sirens.)

--Emergency rooms will be flooded with people suffering from STD (stubbed toe disease), Osteomyelitis, Subungual Hematoma, disorientation and overall confusion. Plus, the perilous certainty all the headlight-less vehicles will cause.

This does not sound like a good way to save the earth if you ask me.

So folks, shut your lights off just after the sun has set, grope helplessly in the dark through your blackened homes, and embrace this universal celebration called "Earth Hour."

Basically, go Amish on us. But, don't hurt yourself.

Questions and Comments Recycled

Is the pain Jean's younger sister (PVE) or the unchanged clocks?
It is entirely the unchanged clocks! Shame on you for considering otherwise!

I'm talking (so is Oswald Chambers) about the human mistakes we make, or wrong decisions, or even the good ones. Just because it always has happened that way, doesn't mean it always will. We have to trust God, pick up our feet and go to!
I see the intent of your encouraging quote and the sweet spirit in which you share it. I also remember in one of your other comments that you mentioned you are unmarried. The best advice I can give you for when you marry is to remember that, "What the good man does is always right!"

Your sister has a Canon EOS 5D 12.8 MegaPixel, Digital SLR with an EF 100-400mm f/4.5-5.6L IS USM Telephoto Zoom Lens.... She wishes.
Reality is her camera is only a PowerShot A720 IS 6x optical zoom, 8.0 MegaPixels, purchased off of Amazon.
Thank you for your honesty. We hope you will find your heart's desire someday so you can quit coveting.

Oh yes, and about the Bible versions... :D can you guess? I'm so strongly KJV only that it would knock your socks off if you only knew... :D ;)
That was my first and only guess. :)

ahh Court, you are so short sighted.
Actually, the Opthamologist says I'm far sighted but since it's been a few (read like, 10) years since I was last tested, I should maybe go in for another exam. Especially after your abrupt diagnosis.

So why not rebel, and never change your clocks?
Because I like talking about a problem that I didn't create and pretend that I know how to fix it when I really don't. Like a politician does.

Or move to Arizona; they use common sense, like yours, and don't adjust their clocks.
I now see why a lot of elderly people move down there -- it's not the climate or the weather: it's the absence of DST! They wait until they're advanced in life to the point that they feel they must get everything in their life straightened out before it's too late. Including their time.

Haven't you ever considered all the people who get work just because of DST changing? My brother's company worked for 3 months fixing all the issues DST created for its clients. That was work for 70+ people for 3 months!
Thanks for helping me make my point: look at the money it cost the company. Knowing your brother, he could've easily made money doing something far more profitable anyway.

As a side note, evidently this DST came along after Ecclesiastes was written. I don't see changing your clocks anywhere in his list of things for which there is a time.
And that was quite a long list.

Ecclesiastes does say there is A Time for EVERYTHING under the sun.
But creating things that shouldn't be happening under the sun is not good. (read the account of creation in Genesis. The only thing close to DST that God created was the fact the He gave man freewill.)

I would occasionally take an elderly sister to visit another one who was a shut-in. The shut-in refused to change her clocks "from God's time". I think she actually thought that CST was "God's time".
We need more people like her today.

Are all your clocks in agreement now?
One word: not yet.

The Origin of Daylight Savings Time

In the Daylight Savings Time therapy program I am in, we learned the following details about DST.

Whoever invented Daylight Savings Time was obviously not a mom.

They always went to be early and got 8-10 hours of sleep.

They had a consistent schedule that could easily fall back or spring ahead twice a year.

They were never at a loss for sleep.

They had extra minutes in their day.

They needed a remedy to help them remember to change their smoke alarm batteries.

They liked change and sought after it.

They probably weren't married or had much of a social life.

They lead boring lives.

And (waxing political here), they were probably The Party I wouldn't endorse if I was into politics.

They had poor money managing skills because they used the reason that Daylight "Savings" Time would use less electricity which in turn would use less money which in turn would save money. Come to find out, it has cost 8 million dollars in some state for some length of time all because of DST. (I can't remember the state or how that figure was added up and to what time frame it is slotted between but still, 8 million dollars is not "extra cash" just laying around -- even if you are rich.)

As if this wasn't all bad enough, they projected their Idea on this fair land of ours and took away one right of freedom: one whole hour.

Now we have to work faster. Lose more sleep. Increase our pace in the American Rat Race of Life.

Can anyone tell me what we are saving through Daylight SAVINGS Time?

Your Questions and Comments Recapped

So your house flooding is only mild, huh? No "big" news?
Right. You answered your question. If you have any other questions you would like to ask and then answer on my blog, feel free to do so.

Your blog should get hits off of Google news.
Yep, any day now.

I think your idea of every once in a while answering questions and commenting on the comments is a good blog post.
Glad you think so. The problem is... I can't do this unless people comment/ask a question! So........ the ball is in you's/ya'll/your (depending on your geographic location) park.

What camera does your sister use?
Um, it's gray... small -- somewhere between a Elf and Rebel (can't remember the name). It's a Canon. It has a button you push when you are ready to capture the picture. I think it has a few flash options. I don't know much about it except that it's a digital and she bought it somewhere off the Internet. I also know that when I take a picture with it, it doesn't get as fancy as it gets when she takes the picture. I honestly think the camera is partial but if you're still interested, perhaps she will take the liberty to post her camera details on this post's comment box. (hint, hint)

In reality we limit God when we say "it'll always happen this way because it always has..."
Great point and a very good thought. I would agree with that on every aspect of life except for the function of the sun rising every morning and my husband not changing the clocks. Some things are never meant to change because they are unable to change because God made then unchangeable.

Question? How do you set a sundial ahead or behind one hour?
Just like I do with all the clocks in my house that I haven't changed yet: do math. Add or subtract an hour, depending on the time of year. I have an idea that changing a sundial is as lofty an idea as expecting my husband to automatically change our clocks. So, I probably wouldn't spend too much time figuring this method out.

Just in case you think I am as organized as my youthful sister (P.V.E.) it is now Tues . afternoon and most of the clocks in this house that I might be remotely concerned with are still on winter time.
I feel your pain.