(Nasa image)
September 26, 2011
A. Syrian teen executed
CNN Syria
'Alhusni was only 18 when she stepped away from her Homs residence last month to buy groceries. Her family never again saw her alive. She was whisked away by Syrian security forces to coax the surrender of her activist brother, and ended up beheaded and dismembered, a neighbor, activists and human rights groups say...'
'Her older brother, Mohammed, became a well-known activist in the family's hometown of Homs in western Syria, often leading the demonstrations against embattled Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and treating the wounded.'
The tremendous desperation and sickness of a regime to execute an eighteen year old woman largely it sounds like because of an association with her activist brother as she was rounded up off the street. According to the report she was decapitated, chopped into four parts and then burned.
(Windows Images)
B. Driving
Driving from Maple Ridge to Vancouver from home to church and back on Sunday is a spiritual challenge. I usually attempt to pray on the way there not leaving everything to do at the service or especially the Lord's Table. I confess my sins asking for cleansing and also thank the Lord for blessings and the lack of troubles in many areas. At the same time I definitely ask for changes and upgrades in my life.
1 Corinthians 11:26-34
New American Standard Bible (NASB)
26 For as often as you eat this bread and drink the cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until He comes.
27 Therefore whoever eats the bread or drinks the cup of the Lord in an unworthy manner, shall be guilty of the body and the blood of the Lord. 28 But a man must examine himself, and in so doing he is to eat of the bread and drink of the cup. 29 For he who eats and drinks, eats and drinks judgment to himself if he does not judge the body rightly. 30 For this reason many among you are weak and sick, and a number sleep. 31 But if we judged ourselves rightly, we would not be judged. 32 But when we are judged, we are disciplined by the Lord so that we will not be condemned along with the world.
33 So then, my brethren, when you come together to eat, wait for one another. 34 If anyone is hungry, let him eat at home, so that you will not come together for judgment. The remaining matters I will arrange when I come.
The spiritual challenge comes from many of the drivers. I actually usually find the 'slow drivers' more irritating than the 'fast drivers'. Like many drivers I drive the speed limit/spirit of the law. I drive the allowable speed limit. The fast drivers that drive by, they pass and they tend to not be a danger to me very often. The slow drivers often are more likely to be a nuisance and a potential danger because of a tendency to, for example, not move to the slow lane, and worse to often keep hitting the brakes rather than simply slow down while in traffic. One should also be maintaining a proper distance between other vehicles in order to not be tempted to over brake. What hitting the brakes does is of course trigger those pretty red rear lights and cause cars behind them to often do the same. These red lights seem to serve as hypnotic stop signs for some, and not enough seem to realize that he or she may be a tailgater which is why one often hits the brakes. This approach to driving annoys me because it slows the traffic down, often needlessly and more importantly it also increases the chances of a multi-car pile-up. I have no interest in being involved in a 1980s episode of CHIPS.
If drivers would leave braking to basically stop lights, stop signs, initial parts of sharp corners and emergencies this would make freeway, highway and street driving more efficient and safer.
It would also improve my Sunday spirituality.
Further, I am not claiming to be a 'F1 driver' but I reason many people on the road over brake because they simply lack driving skill. Sadly, these types lead me to at times a struggle with the use of the tongue, and no I am not discussing the use of Biblical tongues.
Now the people in Vancouver proper especially that the cross the street, including crosswalks without even looking at the traffic, in faith, that is another story...
I always look, I am not interested in blind faith.
(Weirdwebsites.info)
Abbotsford, BC (Keller Williams scan)
September 27, 2011
C. Planet's Most Valuable Sports Teams 2011
Forbes: Top Ten
$1.86 Billion: English Premier League
Dallas Cowboys
$1.81 Billion: National Football League
New York Yankees
$1.7 Billion: Major League Baseball
Washington Redskins
$1.55 Billion: National Football League
Real Madrid
$1.45 Billion: Spanish La Liga
New England Patriots
$1.37 Billion: National Football League
Arsenal
$1.19 Billion: English Premier League
New York Giants
$1.18 Billion: National Football League
Houston Texans
$1.17 Billion: National Football League
New York Jets
$1.14 Billion: National Football League
Others listed:
Philadelphia Eagles, $1.12 Billion, National Football League
Baltimore Ravens, $1. 07 Billion, National Football League
Ferrari, $1. 07 Billion, Formula 1
Chicago Bears, 1. 07 Billion, National Football League
Fifty teams are listed, most from the National Football League.
I am 'of course' once again 'shocked' there are no National Hockey League teams on the list. One would think there would be with the mighty Toronto Maple Leafs and all that expansion to the southern United States.
Image from The NewsNY.com
Vancouver Rioters and Spa Treatment/ESPN
'Spa to rioters: 'Fess up now, relax later
ESPN.com news services
Attention, Vancouver shoplifters: You could be eligible for $50 in free spa treatments.
But there is a catch: In exchange for the pampering, the recipient must turn himself in for the role played in the riots, arson and looting that followed Game 7 of the Stanley Cup finals.'
Man City 6@ Man Utd 1 equals worst day ever for Ferguson
As I noted on Facebook, what I respect about Manchester United and Ferguson in this case is that even though they were badly beaten at home 6-1, the Manager states 'There will be a response'. A high standard of professionalism and winning is to be maintained. I can respect this philosophical approach and many other professional sports franchises/teams that are trying to win are not trying to win at this type of level and could learn from this example.
I reason, if winning is important for the follower, Manchester United is one of the few professional sports franchises in the world worth being a devoted fan to for the reason just stated.
