BBC News –
“The Ugandan government and the rebel Lord’s Resistance Army have signed a truce aimed at ending one of the most bitter wars in Africa.
The agreement, reached during peace talks held in Juba, southern Sudan, is expected to take effect on Tuesday. A final peace deal will then be sought.

Thousands have died during the 20-year conflict in northern Uganda, and more than one million have fled their homes….

…The LRA had already called a ceasefire, but Uganda had insisted that a comprehensive agreement – with the rebels providing details of their forces and deployment – needed to be in place before a ceasefire could be agreed.

The government also wanted a guarantee the LRA would not use the halt in fighting to reinforce its positions.

The International Criminal Court (ICC) wants the LRA’s top officials – among them leader Joseph Kony – to face charges including murder, rape and forcibly enlisting children.

Against the wishes of the ICC, Uganda has offered amnesty to LRA leaders in exchange for the peace talks.

The LRA has abducted thousands of children and forced them to fight since the conflict began.”

Read Entire Article

(HT: TD)

A few good friends of mine, who just happen to have once been one of the most talented ‘folk/rock’ bands I have ever heard, have officially not disappeared. As it turns out a new album from Five O’Clock People is on the way. This will come as a shock to a lot of people, but I can guarantee that no one will be disappointed.

I just got off the phone with Alex and it is official. They recorded all last week and are getting together again in a few more weeks. The album will be out sometime near the first of the year. Also, according to Alex, they are planning a tour for when the album is released. Be sure to keep an eye out. Welcome back, Alex, Pat and Drew.

Our little boy is growing up. Today is his first day of Pre-School. He’s has been waiting for this day all summer, but still was a little nervous at the door. The school was full of moms and dads taking pictures, kids crying and laughing, and teachers getting classrooms ready.

The whole thing reminds me of the final scene of Forrest Gump, where Forrest and Forrest Jr. are sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus. For some reason it has always been my favorite part of the movie. Here is the script:

FORREST JR.
“I’m gonna show that for show-and-
tell because grandma used to read it
to you.”

FORREST
“I’ll be right here when you get back.”

It has come to my attention that several people that have visited this blog have either wanted to post a comment, or have tried to post a comment and were unable to do so. In the spirit of being more interactive, promoting conversation, and getting more comments on my blog, I have taken it upon myself to offer a short tutorial on the commenting process.

STEP 1:
Read this blog.

STEP 2:
Find the link that says: “COMMENTS”, as-of late usually accompanied with a “0″ in front of it.

figure: a

STEP 3:
Click that Link.

STEP 4:
Leave comment in the designated box. (This is where you can agree with me or call me an idiot, but I prefer agreeing.)
Under the designated comment box choose to log into your blogger account, or choose “Anonymous” if you do not have an account. (However, when choosing “Anonymous” it is customary to finish the comment with your name.)

figure: b

STEP 5:
Appease the pesky “word verification” gods, by typing the letters you see in the box.

STEP 6:
Click “Log in and publish”

STEP 7:
Read and Repeat.

Now you have successfully posted a comment on a blog. Congratulations! Now that you are a master of blogging, feel free to choose a link from my “Links” section and comment on other blogs. Also, feel free to pass this new-found information around and brag to all your friends that you now know how to “comment”. And remember… If you aren’t talking, no one is listening to you… errr typing no one is… umm reading you?

This album is one to check out. I found his demo years ago on the internet, and it has continued to be one of my favorites. I haven’t heard this entire album yet but, several of the songs are from the demo. Don’t let the reviews that say he sounds like Adam Duritz deter you. It’s not true. Plus, his website looks neat.

People will say he had it coming. Heck, I have even thought to myself about all the bad things that could happen. Well… it did. Although everyone will say they knew it was going to happen, it’s still a tragedy.

SYDNEY, Australia (CNN) — Steve Irwin, the enthusiastic “Crocodile Hunter” who enthralled audiences around the world with his wildlife adventures, died this morning after being stung by a stingray while shooting a TV program off Australia’s north coast.

Irwin, 44, was killed by a stingray barb that pierced his chest, according to Cairns police sources.
Read More

I was outside doing yard work today and I met a neighbor I didn’t know I had. There he was all fat and nasty. Just sitting there waiting for something to kill. He has attached himself to the cable box, which makes me glad I am not the cable man, and there he sits.

I don’t really know why spiders exist. Okay yeah, it’s to control the bug population and aren’t we all glad for that. Although the characteristics of this particular neighbor aren’t life threatening to me, my wife or my kids, there are several spiders out there that are specifically designed to kill me. That makes me uncomfortable… and I have to live with them… to control the bug population… neat. I think it has something to do with the fall of man found in the Book of Genesis. At some point in history God allowed spiders to join forces with talking snakes, and other evil forces. I’m sure of it. For now, he lives, next to my cable box, tucked just behind the hydrangea bushes, minding his own business. One thing’s for sure, if I ever see that gleam in his eye or if he starts luring my kids over to his shiny web, you know, just to talk, I will be there with my new can of Raid and it’s new 25-foot spraying power.

“Thank you all for coming to the church planning meeting. Today we will discuss the future growth of our church, budget, as well as local and foreign ministry. First I would like to focus on future growth and budget”

“It says here in my notes that after doing everything possible to help the the fatherless, the widows, and the aliens, miraculously the budget exceeds what is possible to spend. We have reached to all the corners of the world sharing the gospel with everyone possible. There are no sick, injured or tired in our congregation, or even our country that we know of, who haven’t been touched by our generous body. Children are fed, single mothers are provided for, we have even completely done away with the government welfare system.”

“To get to specifics, we have just over $250,000 and nearly 8,000 man hours that can’t possibly go anywhere. The board has discussed this confusing situation and we feel that there is no other better use for this time and money than to build this. Thank you…. Moving on to local ministry….”

Apparently astronomers have decided that Pluto is no longer a planet. Never mind we have been studying about it for years. Never mind generations before us will never know the comfort of living in an eight planet solar system. Never mind that now Mickey Mouse’s dog is named after a “dwarf-planet”. I don’t like it one bit. And neither should you.

Pluto Demoted: No Longer a Planet in Highly Controversial Definition
By Robert Roy Britt
Senior Science Writer

“This definition stinks, for technical reasons,” Stern told SPACE.com. He expects the astronomy community to overturn the decision. Other astronomers criticized the definition as ambiguous.

Read More

*And seriously… “years of intense debate”?? I was under the impression there were people dying of poverty in the world? I guess not. At least we took care of the important things first.*

“Daddy, you’re a bitch.”
These are the words that came flying out of my four year olds mouth this morning. It was directly in the middle of wrestling around on the floor of his bedroom. I stopped to clarify that I actually heard what was just said to me.

“Excuse me? What did you just say?!”

“Ummm, you’re a bitch.”

This time more pronounced, but coupled with a confused look as to why the wrestling had stopped and why may face was now “serious”. By this time my wife has entered the room, overhearing the conversation from across the hall. She looks at me and asks,
“Did I just hear what I think I heard?”.

“I think so. Tell mommy what you just called me and then never say that word again.”

“I…umm… said.. ahh… daddy is a bitch?”

After a long explanation as to why you are not allowed to call people that, came the interrogation.

“Where did you learn this word?”

“From myself, I didn’t learn it from anyone.”

“Where have you heard that word? You have to have heard it from somewhere.”

“I learned it myself, for real.”

One more try. “Okay, you won’t get in trouble if you tell us where you heard that word.”

“My friend Phillip said it.”

“Are you sure? I don’t think Phillip wouldn’t say something like that. When did he say that word?”

“When he was sitting on it in the yard.”

Confused, I look to my wife for some sort of translation. She asks what we were doing when he said that. I told here were were wrestling on the floor.

“Was he sitting on you?”

“Yeah.”

“He said you were a bench.”

My confused little boy is now watching his parents decide whether or not “bench” is a word you should never, ever call people, and wondering if he is still in trouble.

“Oh, that’s not a bad word, but let’s work on annunciation before you call anyone that.”

Now I’m heading to the Library to see if I can pick up a copy of a Four-Year-Old to English Translation Dictionary.