State Of The Union Address

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Just for those of you who may have missed it, below you can watch President Barack Obama give his State Of The Union address. Click the "play" triangle below to watch the video. Make sure to rate Pres. Obamas address after the video!



How many stars does this deserve? Click the star you want to award Obama:

Shawn

UPDATE: Military Weaponry Inscribed with Coded Bible Magic

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UPDATE:

Immediately following the outpouring of public concern over military combat weapons engraved with Christian Bible verses, Trijicon, the weapons manufacturer, has changed course.

In a statement released today, Trijicon said it would "remove the inscription reference on all U.S. military products that are in the company's factory that have already been produced, but have yet to be shipped," and "Provide 100 modification kits to forces in the field to remove the reference on the already forward deployed optical sights."

This is exciting news, and I wanted to make sure you heard about it right away.
I can't thank you enough for raising your voice on this critical matter.

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The United States' astounding success in Iraq and Afghanistan has finally been revealed: rifle sights inscribed with magic Jesus Bible codes…

One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: "For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ."
Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as "the light of the world." John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, "Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life."

Trijicon [the maker of the sights] confirmed to ABCNews.com that it adds the biblical codes to the sights sold to the U.S. military. Tom Munson, director of sales and marketing for Trijicon, which is based in Wixom, Michigan, said the inscriptions "have always been there" and said there was nothing wrong or illegal with adding them.

Amen!

Hey, the way I see it, if you're gonna busy yourself defending the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution from those who would willingly put it in jeopardy, you might as well get as much help as possible from the tribal deity of your choosing.

It just makes sense.

Shawn


Citation: Dennis DiClaudio. "Military Weaponry Inscribed with Coded Bible Magic." Indecision Forever-Comedy Central. Jan 19 2009.

Obama's Diabolical "Weapon of Earthquakes"

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You really can't get anything past the Venezuelan media, can you?

Both a Venezuelan state-owned radio and television properties zeroed in on a secret U.S. "weapon of earthquakes" as the cause of the earthquake that struck Haiti last week causing a death toll could exceed 200,000 according to some sources.
On the website of Radio Nacional de Venezuela (RNV) are published statements of the university professor, Vladimir Acosta, a regular contributor to the media controlled by the government of Hugo Chávez, accusing the U.S. of wanting to make Haiti a protectorate under the guise of the natural disaster.
But to further the conspiracy theory, argued that "we have the worrisome suspicion that this earthquake may be associated with the project called HAARP, a system that can generate violent and unexpected changes in climate."

The idea that President Obama would use a weather-controlling weapon to cause the Haitian earthquake is absurd. That would involve formulating a plan and gaining support for it.

Shawn

Citation: Matt Tobey. "The Venezuelan Media Blow the Whistle on Obama's Diabolical "Weapon of Earthquakes"." Indecision Forever-Comedy Central. Jan 21 2009.

"Hope For Haiti Now" Telethon

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In response to the overwhelming amount of organizations asking for donations to support relief efforts in Haiti, George Clooney has organized the entertainment industry and will present a 2 hour special along with Anderson Cooper and Wyclef Jean this Friday, January 22nd at 8PM Eastern time.

There are currently over 20 musicians and bands scheduled to perform live on this night, including: Wyclef Jean, Bruce Springsteen, Jennifer Hudson, Mary J. Blige, Shakira, and Sting in New York City; Alicia Keys, Christina Aguilera, Dave Matthews, John Legend, Justin Timberlake, Stevie Wonder, Taylor Swift and a group performance by Keith Urban, Kid Rock, and Sheryl Crow in Los Angeles; and Coldplay, and a group performance by Bono, The Edge, Jay-Z, and Rihanna in London.

In addition to musical performances, Wyclef Jean in New York City, George Clooney in Los Angeles, and CNN’s Anderson Cooper reporting from Haiti, “Hope for Haiti Now” will feature more than one hundred of the biggest names in film, television, and music supporting the cause with testimonials and by answering phones during the telethon.

“Hope for Haiti Now” will be the most widely distributed telethon in history, both internationally and across media platforms.  The two-hour telethon will air on ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, CNN, BET, The CW, HBO, MTV, VH1, and CMT on Friday, January 22, 2010 at 8:00 p.m. ET/PT and 7:00 p.m. CT. The program will also be shown on PBS, TNT, Showtime, COMEDY CENTRAL, Bravo, E! Entertainment, National Geographic Channel, Oxygen, G4, CENTRIC, Current TV, Fuse, MLB Network, EPIX, Palladia, SoapNet, Style, Discovery Health, Planet Green, and Canadian networks including CBC Television, CTV, Global Television, and MuchMusic.  The event will be live streamed online globally across sites including YouTube, Hulu, MySpace, Fancast, AOL, MSN.com, Yahoo, Bing.com, BET.com, CNN.com, MTV.com, VH1.com, and Rhapsody and on cell phones via Alltel, AT&T, Sprint, Verizon, and FloTV. “Hope for Haiti Now” will also air internationally on BET International, CNN International, National Geographic, and MTV Networks International, which is available in 640 million homes worldwide.  “Hope for Haiti Now” will be the first U.S.-based telethon airing on MTV in China. Facebook and Twitter have signed on as official social media partners to help drive donations and tune-in to the telethon.

Proceeds from the telethon will be evenly distributed between relief organizations including Oxfam America, Partners in Health, the Red Cross, UNICEF, The Yele Haiti Foundation, The Clinton Bush Haiti Fund and United Nations World Food Programme.

This beautiful collaboration of so many media figures, artists, organizations, and businesses prove that when the occasion calls, citizens of the world answer.

Thank you to anyone that has done even the smallest of things to help Haiti.

Namaste,

Shawn

Mass Backwards

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This truly does sum up just about everything that needs to be said about this silly Massachusetts senate election. Click the "play" triangle below to watch the video.

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Mass Backwards
www.thedailyshow.com
Daily Show Full Episodes Political Humor Health Care Crisis

Go John Stewart!

Shawn

Academic Earth

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I have recently come across a VERY cool website that I think will prove itself useful and interesting to many people. The name of the site is Academic Earth, and can be accessed at academicearth.org. It provides free full length college courses in the form of videos from universities such as Stanford, Harvard, Yale, and many more. At the moment, it includes a total of 23 subjects that you can take courses from, including architecture, astronomy, biology, chemistry, law, literature, philosophy, and so many more. Obviously you do not actually get a degree from watching these videos, but they are videotapes of real college courses, for free!

So make sure to check out academicearth.org.
Happy Learning!

Shawn

Palin + Beck= Apocalypse

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How many idiots does it take to run an interview? Watch Sarah and Glenn below and find out for yourself.

Disclaimer: We are not responsible for any spontaneous bleeding that may occur from your viewing of this video clip.


-Shawn

Long Live The Queen, no seriously she's old!

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Bringing new meaning to the term "Long Live The Queen", below you can see the Queen of England with 11 US Presidents. She's been around for quite a while, mate!

This reminds me of those Stride gum commercials: Stride, the ridiculously long lasting gum. Spit out your gum and chew another piece, already!

To view the pictures, click here

The Generation Gap

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According to research performed by the Pew Research Center, American adults from young to old are increasingly at odds over common social values ranging from religion to politics. In fact, we are now experiencing the largest generation gap in over 50 years. Last November, double the amount of 18 year olds voted for President Barack Obama than 30 year olds. 8 out of every 10 people believe there is a major difference between the point of view of younger vs. older people, according to the independent public opinion research group. That is the highest spread since 1969, when about 74 percent reported major differences in an era of generational conflicts over the Vietnam War and civil and women's rights.

"Around the notion of morality and work ethic, the differences in point of view are pretty much felt across the board," said Paul Taylor, director of the Pew Social and Demographic Trends Project. He cited a greater tolerance among younger people on cultural issues such as gay marriage and interracial relationships. Still, he noted that the generation gap in 2009 seemed to be more tepid in nature than it was in the 1960s, when younger people built a defiant counterculture in opposing the Vietnam War and demanding equal rights for women and minorities.

"Today, it's more of a general outlook, a different point of view, a general set of moral values," Taylor said.

When asked where most disagreements arise between younger and older people, 47 percent said social values and morality. People age 18 to 29 were more likely to report disagreements over lifestyle, views on family, relationships and dating, while older people cited differences in a sense of entitlement. Those in the middle-age groups also often pointed to a difference in manners.

Religion is a far bigger part of the lives of older adults. About two-thirds of people 65 and older said religion is very important to them, compared with just over half of those 30 to 49 and 44 percent of people 18 to 29.

In addition, among adults 65 and older, one-third said religion has grown more important to them over the course of their lives, while 4 percent said it has become less important and 60 percent said it has stayed the same.

Pew interviewed 2,969 adults by cell phone or landline from Feb. 23 to March 23. The poll has a margin of error of plus or minus 2.6 percentage points. In cases where older persons were too ill or incapacitated, their adult children were interviewed. Pew also used surveys conducted by Gallup, CBS and The New York Times to identify trends since 1969.

-Shawn


Citation: AP. "Study: Generation gap in U.S. largest since '60's." MSNBC. 29 Jun. 2009

Upcoming OCPJ Meeting

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 Hi, I just wanted to remind everyone that we are having a meeting pretty soon. Not many people usually attend these meetings, which is odd because everyone seems to have something to say any other time. All are welcome to attend. Here is the info for the event:

• WHEN: Tuesday, January 19 2009 7PM EST  
• WHERE: 34 Brittany Dr Middletown NY 10973  
• WHAT: There will be an OCPJ meeting on December 8th at 7PM. It will take place at Claire Einhorn's house on Brittany Dr in Middletown. For more information, call Claire at (845) 344-5271. 

For directions to the event, type in your starting address below:

Till then,

Shawn

The Disaster in Haiti

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By this time, almost everyone in the world has heard of the horrid disaster in Haiti. As we mourn the numerous deaths, we must remember that there is still a job to be done. There are still thousands of people in need of medical assistance and rescue relief. Organizations like Doctors Without Borders and The Red Cross have been an enormous protagonist during the course of this event, setting up emergency shelter and even, recently, inflatable hospitals to treat the injured. Even Google, one of the last places we would have expected help to come from, has donated 1 million dollars to relief efforts. President Barack Obama has pledged on-ground support, utilizing emergency relief teams specially trained for just this type of disaster, as well as pledging over 100 million dollars in relief efforts. This morning the President gave another update on relief efforts in Haiti, promising the people of Haiti that "you will not be forsaken; you will not be forgotten."  Again, while the US Government is doing all it can, you can also help immediately by donating to the international fund of the Red Cross to assist the relief effort.

•  Donate $10 to the Red Cross to be charged to your cell phone bill by texting "HAITI" to "90999." 
• Contribute online to the Red Cross,
• Find more ways to help through the Center for International Disaster Information.

 And of course families of Americans living in Haiti should still contact the State Department at 888-407-4747.

Read the transcript or watch the video of the President's remarks this morning:



My thoughts and sympathies go out to the people of Haiti.

Shawn

Inspirational Words

In the busy and hectic lifestyles most of us live, a few inspirational words of wisdom are very comforting. Here are some lyrics to a very meaningful song, as well as some quotes:

My best friend gave me the best advice
He said each day's a gift and not a given right
Leave no stone unturned, leave your fears behind
And try to take the path less traveled by
That first step you take is the longest stride

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had, if today was your last day?
What if, what if, if today was your last day?

Against the grain should be a way of life
What's worth the price is always worth the fight
Every second counts 'cause there's no second try
So live like you're never living twice
Don't take the free ride in your own life

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of?
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?

If today was your last day
Would you make your mark by mending a broken heart?
You know it's never too late to shoot for the stars
Regardless of who you are

So do whatever it takes
'Cause you can't rewind a moment in this life
Let nothing stand in your way
'Cause the hands of time are never on your side

If today was your last day and tomorrow was too late
Could you say goodbye to yesterday?
Would you live each moment like your last?
Leave old pictures in the past?
Donate every dime you had?

And would you call those friends you never see?
Reminisce old memories?
Would you forgive your enemies?
And would you find that one you're dreaming of
Swear up and down to God above
That you'd finally fall in love if today was your last day?
 ___________________________________________________

You cannot plough a field by
turning it over in your mind.

Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.
Confucius

Knowing is not enough; we must apply.
Willing is not enough; we must do.
Johann Wolfgang von Goethe  

Constant dripping hollows out a stone.
Lucretius

Shawn