May God bless all of you and keep the oranges from freezing....

You know, surprisingly the fruit prices didn't balloon after the freeze. Hope it'll hold out!

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Me too. This winter I have been really trying to avoid getting sick. My regiment included more hand washing, taking vitamins, eating better, and especially eating oranges and tangerines. I have not been sick once, said whilst knocking on wood genuflecting....

Well, if you feel the beginnings of a sore throat, pop zinc for a day or two and it'll never happen (the sore throat).

Good stuff.

"What's out there in the night, Doug? I mean, we're nice and safe here in our house under the blankets with our fireflies in a jar blinking greenly. But what's really out there past the stars?"

It is kind of overwhelming to think, I mean really focus on about what is really out there in the true depths of space and why do we exist. I mean, our galaxy is what, a couple hundred lightyears across, and we're stuck way out on a limb of it supposedly all by our lonesome. It is scary to dwell on it sometimes, the sheer magnitude of it. Is there life out there, I believe yes, somewhere. Is there a massive all encompassing gelatinous sentient force staring back at us??? God, perhaps? Maybe. Or nothing but space and a natural order of things created from a random series of interconnected events falling together like dominoes acting and reacting into infinity. Although to bring forth something like an Earth or a world out of the void of nothingness is tantamount to throwing a million pocket watches off of a large highrise building and have them all bounce miraculously perfectly back together again, with the right time on each one. That may be more frightening than the previous supposition, although both are overwhelming at times. I alternate back and forth between a belief in God and the chance that we are alone. I'm reminded not only of Ray's brilliant and classic story A Sound Of Thunder, but the scene in the movie Planet Of The Apes at the end when Bright Eyes sees the Statue Of Liberty. If we did hit deep space, would we come full circle and realize that we are staring back at ourselves? Or does God stay way out at the fringes peering at us, always watching from myriad perspectives, maybe tweaking a little here or there when needed but basically letting us run the show? I'd love to hear your take on the whole shebang...

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Could somebody kindly inform me about what is the story behind all the hoopla concerning Barack Obama being the possible first black as President of the US? Has everyone forgotten that Alan Keyes recently ran for President, a black. And that Barack Obama is the one that defeated Alan Keyes for State Senator in Illinois simply because Obama is so darn liberal in all his views. Alan Keyes stands for strong religious principles, pro-life, is anti-abortion, etc etc. He is far more articulate than Obama could ever be. Nightly debates between them on TV proved that Obama couldn't stand up to Keyes. But Keyes lost, and lost big, because too many people don't like to be bothered by absolutes and things that sound too moral from somebody else.

Does anyone know what Ray Bradbury political positions are, that is to say, is he Democrat, Republic, Independent, Green Party, etc? Thanks.

There are a lot of good things about Barack, for sure. But my point is that the press/media makes it sound like there never was a black running for President. And this over the top image of a perfect candiate seems ludicrous at times.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alan_Keyes

http://renewamerica.us/

The hoopla is because of his charisma, and that too many people are afraid he might just win!

RB's position was once one of a strong Democrat. I believe he is now an independent, if I am not mistaken.

http://www.barackobama.com/

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Doug Spaulding,

I heard him say at Comic-con 2005 that if you think you are a Democrat or a Republican you better think again, it was a part of a speech about not mindlessly being a part of any group doctrine, but to think for yourself. So I don't think he would consider himself a Democrat.

A large percentage of Democrats agree that taking the life of the unborn should remain legal. A much smaller percentage of Republicans think that way. Ray believes that taking the life of the unborn is wrong. So he probably is not a Democrat. But he may be a little bit of each party. He likes Arnold Schwarzenegger a lot and President Bush for instance.

I think Ray is a “Mugwump”(archaic term from the 1800’s). His mug is on one side of the fence and his wump is on the other.

Maybe I should have asked, "...and keep the honeybees from dying." This is oddly disturbing. Could it be that something so familiar to us and mundane because of that very familiarity could be far down on part of an integral chain that could have massive ramifications to our world? Maybe its the butterfly syndrome with more immediate results, I hope not...

The reason people don't miss the Elms or the Chestnuts swaying in a cool morning breeze is because hardly anyone remembers them doing so in this generation. I hope the honeybee is not going the route of the dinosaurs or any other plant or animal that is now extinct either by natural causes or the callous selfish behavior of man. This could wipe us clean out just as sure as an asteroid or an atom bomb, I hope not, I sincerely hope not. We need to wake up to mindfullness now! We are long overdue to start caring about mother Earth.

Regarding religion and oranges, at least 90% of the crop was harvested before the freeze, but in some quarters this was used as an excuse to hike prices anyway. Some sellers better be looking at their consciences.

Konas, welcome to the board! Haven't seen any other posts...?

Doug, regarding the "mystery" of the Obama hoopla; follow the money trail, and all is revealed.

I voted for Alan Keyes.

quote:

Originally posted by embroiderer:
He likes President Bush for instance.

Well, there's no accounting for taste!

As I said, I believe he is an independent.

..
RELIGION 101
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..... In other postings, talk was about how cruel God can be, in his wrath, etc. There was this, how can God be this way? I started to read Ezekiel, a book I have merely skimmed thru the years. But as I began to read the anger of God on certain Kings, it seems to be judgement against those who KNOW God and thwart him. Where the atheist doesn't believe there is a God, here are these powerful men and rulers who actually have a knowledge of God, but decide to be a god onto themselves. Here's one instance:

Ezekiel 29
..... On January 27th, during the tenth year of King Jehoiachin's captivity, this message came to me from the Lord: "Son of man, turned toward Egypt and prophesy against Pharaoh the king and all the people of Egypt. Give them this message from the Sovereign Lord: I am your enemy, O Pharaoh, king of Egypt--you great monster, lurking in the stream of the Nile. For you have said, 'The Nile River is mine; I made it for myself!' I will put hooks in your jaws and drag you out on the land with fish sticking to your scales. I will leave you and all your fish stranded in the desert to die. You will lie unburied on the open ground, for I have given you as food to the wild animals and birds.
..... All the people of Egypt will discover that I am the Lord, for you collapsed like a reed when Israel looked to you for help. Israel leaned on you, but like a cracked staff, you splintered and stabbed her in the armpit. When she put her weight on you, you gave way, and her back was thrown out of joint. So now, the Sovereign Lord says: I will bring an army against you, O Egypt, and destroy both people and animals. The land of Egypt will become a desolate wasteland, and the Egyptians will know that I am the Lord.
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There are many chapters like this is the book of Ezekiel. It wakes you up to God in the center of everything, and you are a recepient of his love. You missue, abuse, disregard the giver and regard the gift instead as more important, God can take things away, send strangleholds, and put you up to the task of examining just who is really in charge... Am going thru something like this myself? A bit like it. Learning these things is not easy...

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