Category: Misc Stuff

Firstly, I have more information about this post about the man who lost his wife in the storm. Thanks to TH who left this in the comments of that post:

That story was from WKRG TV in Mobile. The man (Mr. Jackson) was from Biloxi. The news journalist's last name is Mayerley. She has had alot of response to that candid interview with the distraught man…emails from around the world, she said. Later today, on WKRG, she said that there are hundereds of family members like Mr. Jackson. We can not all help him, personally, but we can give to every victim…by giving to United Way or the Red Cross, or any church group or agency that will aid the vicitims.

We live in the WKRG viewing area, so we saw the interview, Live. Almost unbelievable at first. I think it's hard to imagine such devestation right down the road. We will give and we will PRAY!! I know you will too. God is STILL in control and WE are STILL his helping hands, standing in the gap for our neighbors in prayer!

Thanks for caring about this poor man in Biloxi…and all the victims of Katrina.

If anyone in the storm area needs any phone calls made to relatives, I'll be willing. Drop me a line, leave me a message, and I'll call anyone you want to let them know you are ok. My contact information can be found here.

If there is any other ways I can help out from here, I'm willing. The people in the area are on my mind in prayer quite often.

Fox News has this story about the flooding in New Orleans.

CNN has this $4 gas sometime.

I lived in Hermann, MO in the '91 Mississippi/Misouri River floods. We weren't impacted, but had friends who were. Hermann was greatly impacted. You pull together to help out your neighbors any way you can. Christians, imagine what an opportunity you have to live out your faith to your friends. Let them see where your priorities really lie.

Here is a picture that went around work of FBC Gulfport:

What kind of witness would it be if the membership would show up tonight singing and worshiping God. What do they have to be thankful for? Well…they are alive for one. Second, they can be thankful for the opportunity to minister to their neighbors. In lots of these places outsiders cannot get in to help. Help has to come from those who are there.

The pictures below reminds me of pictures of levees breaking in the '91 floods. I wonder why the levees in New Orleans broke so fast. The ones in MO lasted just about all summer before they broke. Anyone have any ideas? I found the first picture on the CNN.com website. The second came from FoxNews. I would have linked to it, but couldn't find the URL.

Like Dr. Mohler, I recommend helping through the North American Mission Board Disaster Recovery program. As far as I know, because of the support Southern Baptists give to the board through the Cooperative Program, 100% of what you give will go to disaster relief. I would expect none of your funds to be used for administrative expenses. Here is a NAMB article with more information.

[Update 2012-12-26 09:51:38] The link to Dr. Mohler’s website was redirected.  I updated the link to the correct one.

While watching news coverage of Hurricane Katrina, I always wanted one of those cool maps of New Orleans. You know the one….the one showing the Mississippi River on one side, Lake Pontchartrain on the other, and the town in the middle. Well, I found one today:

I came across this article today about colleges dealing with parents. I thought you would be interested in it too.

One of the reasons given in the story for such intrusiveness by parents is the “tight bond between Baby Boomer parents and their children.” I’m not sure I buy that. Sounds to me like the problem is rooted in a lack of parenting skills. Because parents are so overbearing and meddlesome, their kids aren’t learning how to be independent by doing things for themselves.

Hear Hear

I don't know why, but Hurricane Katrina and its impact on New Orleans is very fascinating to me. I went to bed last night and Katrina was a Category 3 hurricane (for more information on hurricane categories, click here). I woke up this morning and it was a Category 5 hurricane. Here is an image of the storm:

They were talking about how New Orleans is below sea level. It is also surrounded on multiple sides by significant water. Here is a Google Map. Here is a NASA picture on Wikipedia. Here is a topo map from terraserver. This means that every drop of water in New Orleans has to be pumped out. I started to do some research and thinking about this. If I were in New Orleans, my big worry would be the pumps failing. If they loose power. If they get flooded and cannot keep up. If I were a journalist in New Orleans, I would find one of these pumping stations and report from there.

But this got me wondering what kind of pumps they used and how many they had. It took me a bit of research, so here is what I found out. Currently, the pumps they use are Wood Screw Pumps (don't bother googling for screw pumps…you won't get any information on these). These pumps are more like power assisted syphons. The best site I found was this one. If you want a good description of the pumps, scroll all the way to the bottom for a good diagram.

These pumps appear to have a very good record and can pump a TON of water. If they hold up, I think they will do ok. But, if I were a reporter, I would still broadcast from one. Imagine the picture you could get.

This afternoon after church, I watched Fox News and the Weather Channel while surfing on the internet. I came across this site talking about the "worst case scenario" for New Orleans. Basically, this storm fits the bill.

New Orleans has already issued an evacuation order. Here is a link of the evacuation plan from the city. They have also opened up the SuperDome as a shelter. I have mixed feelings about all this. If I lived in New Orleans and my house were above sea level, I would stay. I would have my house strengthened and reinforced so I could stay. I would board up the windows, hunker down, and ride it out. Here is why:

1. Have you seen the roads? They are parking lots. I would stay at home because, as scary as it would be, it would be so much worse to be trapped in a car
2. Have you thought what would happen if that many people got scared and started a riot in the SuperDome? How about if the structure starts to have problems, but they–the goverment–won't let you out. I would rather not have to worry about other people.

Something else….if I lived in an area where this could happen, I would have supplies on hand at my house to board up everything. There is no way I would go to the storm to have to go to the store. Imagine how much they would charge.

Well, I guess we can only watch and pray for the people down there. Remember, God is God and is in control.

Oh, before I quit writing, here is a collection of other links I found that may be of interest:

http://www.mvn.usace.army.mil/pao/history/NO_Drainage/NO_Drain_chap4a.pdf
http://www.cityofno.com/portal.aspx?portal=46&tabid=36
http://www.asme.org/history/brochures/h003.pdf
http://www.answers.com/topic/a-baldwin-wood
http://www.bestofneworleans.com/dispatch/2002-07-02/blake.html
http://gatewayno.com/history/PUMPS.html
http://www.weather.com/newscenter/specialreports/hurricanes/vulnerablecities/neworleans.html
http://gis.esri.com/uc2003/sag/info/screenshots/LADOTD_LACoastalElevation.jpg

BTW, where do I sign up for Jim Cantore (the Weather Channel guy) or a news reporter who gets to go to all these places? That would be an awesome job!

Need furniture? Why not just buy some boxes and make your own?

http://www.fedexfurniture.com/

So how should parents parent? Should they give their kids everything they want? Should they constantly put down their kids? Here is a link to an agape press article about Pushover Parenting.

Focus on the Family’s Dr. Bill Maier says the results of the study are disturbing but perhaps to be expected in light of another problem of increasing prevalence — the problem of what he calls pushover parents. “Unfortunately, there are a significant number of parents in this country who are unable or unwilling to provide their children with the moral guidance they so desperately need,” he says.

“These parents are so concerned about being liked by their kids that they fail to place any limits on their children’s behavior — even behavior that is dangerous or destructive,” Maier continues. He points to recent examples: a single mom in Florida, who stands accused of having sex with her son’s 15-year-old friend while he was spending the night at their house; and a Colorado case in which a woman allegedly threw parties for her teenage son and his friends, giving them alcohol and sexual favors.

Parents are supposed to raise their kids right. This means that the kids don’t get what they want all the time. The parents teach the kids right and wrong. The parents put limits on their kids. The parents (horror of horrors) punish their kids when the do wrong. Parents should spank their kids–no, timeouts aren’t enough. Parents are in charge and they should act like it.

Just so no one thinks otherwise, child abuse is wrong. There is clearly a wrong way to raise kids (treat them like slaves, always belittle them, etc…). Parenting is hard but, from what I have heard, rewarding work.

[Update 2012-12-26 06:42:18] Removed link to article.  It did point to http://headlines.agapepress.org/archive/8/122005e.asp; however, agape press is now OneNewsNow and I can’t find the article again.

Every morning, I usually do the same thing. This morning, I came across this Baptist Press article about Saudi Arabia. Here are some quotes:

The ailing King Fahd, who inherited the desert kingdom his father founded and saw become the world’s biggest and richest oil producer, died Aug. 1. Crown Prince Abdullah, de facto ruler since his elder brother Fahd began suffering debilitating strokes a decade ago, now is officially the absolute monarch over more than 25 million people in Saudi Arabia.

Abdullah recently visited the Texas ranch of President Bush, who calls him a friend and ally against global terror. The new king styles himself as a moderate and a reformer, according to Saudi watchers. But he stands between powerful and opposing pressures inside and outside his kingdom: internal threats from radical Islamist forces and international demands that he democratize Saudi society and wipe out the brand of extremism that produced Osama bin Laden.

He allowed local elections (for male voters only) earlier this year and has sponsored some educational reforms. But don’t expect major change any time soon, advises “Jess Martin,”* a Christian who closely observes events in the kingdom.

Why? Because of tradition, a culture that rewards conformity and consensus –- and exclusive Islamic rule. Any other public religious expression is forbidden and punished, even among foreign workers.

Expatriate workers from Asian nations like the Philippines and Bangladesh who dare to worship Christ in home groups usually receive harsher treatment –- including arrest and imprisonment — than Westerners. Any Saudi Arab who embraces a faith other than Islam will face persecution and possibly death.

“Militancy is not where the average Saudi sits,” Martin observes. “The average Saudi wants many of the same things the average American does. He wants his kids to do well in school. He wants to have a certain standard of living. He wants a good job.”

The average Saudi also knows -– deep down –- that he is spiritually lost.

“They don’t need democracy; they need an encounter with the living God,” Martin stresses. “When you go inside a Saudi’s house, and you sit and talk to him, you’ll see his heart and it is just as sinful as everyone else’s — and he knows it. The challenge for us is: What are we going to do about it? What are we going to do in obedience to God to take Christ to the people called Saudi Arabs?”

That article led me to this site: http://www.lovesaudis.com/. I would recommend you go visit the site.

My dad was in the Navy and flew F-8s for most of it. I came across this site today, so I thought I would post it here.

The Gunfighter's Page

I ran across the blog of Dr. Albert Mohler. FOr those of you who don't know, Dr. Mohler is the President of The Southern Baptist Teologicial Seminary.

Here are some links to some recent articles by Dr. Mohler that I found good:

The Born-Again Bank Robber?
I Guess It All Depends on What "Celibacy" Means?
Should Parents Honor a 'Zone of Privacy' For Their Children?
We Need More Faithful Husbands — Not 'Passive Nice Guys'
What Greeting Cards Say About Us