Podcast show notes!

Are you sick of all these blessings??? So what does 'obtain' mean anyway? Satan likes one liners when he quotes scripture! I cover some aspects of mercy. Hearing the Truth second hand is not ideal. seventy times seven - an interesting teaching. Our cup runs over. Sell all I have and give alms???? Signposts to perfection? Being Jesus to the brethren.

Podcast Show Notes!

Robert Downey Jr is Iron Man! See this film! Hungering and thirsting for righteousness. How does God define 'hunger'? (Matt 4:2) What are the aspects of hunger? Our needs will be met in spite of our values. Eating but not being satisfied. Coke adds life? Jesus had food the disciples didn't know about. Who is righteousness? A look at the word 'after'. Being filled with righteousness.

I was so excited when Iron Man came out.


I am a huge fan of Robert Downey Jr.  I have watched his career all the way from when Tough Turf came out in 1985.  That was a really bad film but I knew from that film that he was destined for a fabulous future.

Arguably his best work was Chaplin.  I believe that was the pinnacle of Downey's career.  And then the drug stuff surfaced.  It is a shame on one hand because after his drug habit became known he didn't get any good parts.  But on the other hand, he may have turned out to be a better person through that whole mess.  Let's face it, trials make us better people.

Finally he lands a leading role in a Marvel Comic movie.  I am so proud of him!

I originally thought that maybe someone was taking a risk on him and this would be some low budget loser of a film, but I was wrong.  This is a fantastic film.

Downey plays Tony Stark of Stark Industries.  He is a weapons architect of sorts that takes a trip to the Middle East somewhere and gets captured by terrorists.  During his capture he gets the idea for the Iron Man prototype and escapes.  During his three-month visit he decides not to focus on designing military weapons anymore.  This decision turns out to be the driving thrust of the film.

The film has a super cast.  Jeff Bridges, Gwyneth Paltrow, Terrence Howard all do wonderfully.

Be prepared for action, comedy, and even a possible love interest.

Parents - It may be PG but exercise discretion.



 

Robert Downey Junior Is Iron Man!

For the first time in my life I spent $70 to fill up my truck.  Half of me was amazed while the other was just angry! 

Gas prices can cause a person to do some thinking about things.  Like what will happen if the trend continues.  If Gas goes up to $7.00 per gallon over the next eight years what would that do?

If we don’t employ an alternative fuel soon, we will be in big trouble.  Or at least I will!  However, using an alternative fuel means un-employing the oil industry.  Or does it? 

I have often heard that there have been plenty of alternative fuels around, but the oil companies keep buying up the patents to eliminate competition.  That may be true.  Why can’t the oil industry spend a few billion finding a new fuel source?  Then when it is found not everyone will lose their job!

I have seen a few videos about running cars on water.  HHO I believe it is called.  Everyone knows that hydrogen or oxygen can be used as fuel.  However the cost of separating the hydrogen from the oxygen has been cost prohibitive.  But with gas being so high, I think it is starting to look pretty good. 

If the powers that be keep us from using alternative fuels, then what would happen?  I was talking with a friend of mine and he said rising gas prices  would eventually  generate a serious separation of classes.  Those that have and those that don’t.  This makes sense.  If it costs someone fifty cents per mile to get to and from work, then work will probably be within biking distance! 

This constant  increase in gas prices could cause a complete change in our business complexion.  People would have to eat locally grown fare.  NO more flying unless you are rich!  No more visiting friends across town.  It is staggering to think along those lines. 

Pray for the water operated automobiles then!

Why fund mosques anyways?

Just checking in with my blog readers!  Don’t despair, I haven’t given up blogging for podcasting.  I just have been podcasting more because the hits have been going up pretty steadily, and to be honest, I feel like I need to use my studio for SOMETHING! 

In my last podcast I touched upon a hot bed of issues.

One of my  pet peeves is the idea that there is this huge terrorist conspiracy going on.  If the government really wanted to stop terrorism then we would have seen them destroy the poppy fields in Afghanistan when we had the chance.  America is purchasing this heroine ingredient in mass and destroying our youth all the while funding these so called terrorists that sell it.  Isn’t heroine a weapon of Mass Destruction? 

Lets be real.  There is no war on drugs.  It is all just a big lie to keep people in jobs.  Just like when Jesus came, the Jews in power knew He was the Messiah, but if you read your bible you will see they didn’t want to lose their jobs!  Truth is, if you make drugs legal AGAIN, then the profit is taken away and it will  be like the repeal of prohibition America has already been through.  We don’t see Coors and Budweiser shooting it out for territory do we?  Get rid of the Al Capones of present day and take away the criminals profit by making drugs legal again. 

Doing drugs is wrong.  But are the laws working?  Or are the laws pushing drugs into the hands of criminals?  Think about it. 

If we are really against terrorism then why do we continually purchase oil from the people that put mosques in our country?  Let's face it - that is financing who Americans call their enemy.   Alternative fuels have been around for a while now.  Just do a search on HHO or any type of alternative fuels, and you will see that solutions have been here for quite some time.  But someone wants us to keep purchasing oil at extremely high prices.  Just look at the surge in gas prices since the year 2000 and compare that to the 20 or so years before then, and you might get some kind of clue as to what is really going on. 

Another thing that is bothering me is that the government can just demolish what amounts to a whole city on a fake phone call.  Doesn’t it only seem right that an agency doesn’t have any moral or ethical right to take your children from you without at least some shred of evidence?  Just because Mormons are different from mainstream society does not give anyone the right to take their children!  Get real!  What if you are an atheist or a Christian and that just happens to be unpopular at the time and they come and take your kids? 

We have to protect people from tyranny no matter how unpopular they may be.  Remember the Jews?  Remember the Japanese internment camps right here in America?  What?  You really think this “we the people” slogan is for real?  Weren’t the Japanese part of “we the people”? 

Enough complaining for now!

PS

If all men are created equal, then what is this big fuss about illegal aliens? 

If my Creator gave me unalienable rights, then don’t you think He is the only One that can take them away?

I  complain about terrorism, drugs, and government sanctioned child abduction! Exploring the difference between mourning and grief.  Wicked mourning versus Holy mourning.  Comfort - what’s that all about?  What part do we play in this mourn comfort scenario?

When time flies by between blogs that you might think that I have run out of things to say.  Well nothing could be further from the truth.  I have lots to say, but life seems to get in the way.  You know those pesky little things like eating, working, sleeping and all the stuff that comes up in the mean time.

I am a little surprised at how this election is going.  On the one hand I am excited that America has finally matured enough to have a black man and a woman in serious contention for the white house.  On the other hand - what are these people thinking?  America is on socialist crack!

Democracy  -> Socialism --> Fascism --> Revolution. Seems inevitable.

How about that Tax rebate garbage?  That is just nonsense isn't it? 

For people to get the additional $300 per child tax rebate to their kids have to have a social security number. The frog is already in boiling water, I know, but are we just lining up for the mark of the beast or what?  Are there any liberty loving folk out there? Or are they all dead?  Is Uncle Sam going to solve all of our problems?  He sucked at Katrina!

Guess what!  Pot is OK man!  Doctors say so!
The American College of Physicians have have taken the position that medical marijuana is way cool dude!  "The science of medical marijuana should not be "hindered or obscured" by the controversy over legalizing the plant for personal, non-medical use", the group said. 

I find it funny that we have just passed the anniversary of the St. Valentines Day Massacre and no one said a peep about it.  This massacre was brought about by prohibition of alcohol.  The same thing that is causing drug crime now.  It is like Americans have a short memory or something.  When you make a product illegal it is shoved into the hands of criminals bozos!  Get a clue!

I don't condone drug use.  But I don't want my neighborhoods shot up because of the fact they are illegal. Yeah drugs are bad for you, but so is sniffing gasoline fumes.  There is no law against that is there?  Is there a law against drinking bleach?  I don't think so.  Victimless crimes are stupid. How about chasing real criminals instead of ruining peoples lives?  Next thing you know they will make us wear seat belts, and make smoking illegal, as well as ban trans fats!  Oh yeah, they are already doing that.  Hmmm whats next?

Maybe they will make being obese illegal as well. Yeah i know.  Believe it!  A Mississippi law is being proposed that restaurant owners would be forced to not serve obese people.  What a joke!  How can they even put that on the table? 


Anyways, my battery is dying, gotta go. 

Dig Deeper - Go Higher!

I used to have as much ambition as anyone I ever met.  Ambition was simply a way of life for me.  The problem is ambition comes with costs.  It costs relationships.  It costs money.  It costs health. The price simply isn't worth it.

I have achieved a lot of my goals at a very early age. But now I think like Solomon, "vanity, vanity, all is vanity".  It is all just a bunch of garbage now. Worthless, except only for the knowledge and experience I have accrued.   

We can't ride on the coat tail of our past achievements forever. It fades away, and we fade away into obscurity with it.  What we mis define as 'Success' is temporary and fleeting against the tide of time. It is vanity.

I think about Paul when he was Saul.  He was gung ho!  A pharisee of pharisees!  He was so ambitious for his faith that he went about facilitating the death of Christians - zealous for doing God a service.  One trip to Damascus changed all that. His misguided ambition was later channeled for righteousness.  God used Paul's knowledge of the scriptures and philosophical persuasion to expand the kingdom mightily.

All was not in vain.  

Solomon may have thought toward the end of his life that all was in vain.  But I think he was just depressed.  His life most certainly had meaning.  His gift of wisdom was used in dispensing righteous judgment.  How can anyone think that righteous judgment could possibly be worthless?  I thirst for that righteousness now!   He built the temple that laid the foundation for generations to come.   Countless philosophers and theologians stand gazing into the horizon of wisdom from the shoulders of Solomon even now.

All was not in vain. 

This brings my thinking to the parable of the talents in Mathew 25.  The people with the talents were not focusing on their selfish ambitions, but were using the talents God gave them for His purpose. God gives us certain abilities for His purpose.  It is unwise to misuse or let them lay dormant.  That is the true vanity.

I urge you to reflect on your life right now. Ask yourself if you are really living up to your true calling in life.  Are you wasting your time gathering wealth, or trying to be a rock star?  Or are you using your talents for the kingdom? 

Don't live in vain.

vanity - lack of real value; hollowness; worthlessness: the vanity of a selfish life.

This movie was nothing short of outstanding! 

A first rate cast with Morgan Freeman, Casey Affleck,  Michelle Monaghan, Ed Harris. John Ashton and an outstanding performance by Amy Ryan.  I must mention that Casey's brother Ben Affleck directed this film and shares a writer credit.  

The movie takes place in Boston.  I suppose that is why I think this film was tailor made for Casey.  I have seen him in other films like the Ocean's series and the fantastic movie Good Will Hunting.  But this is the first serious leading role that I have seen for him.  He did great! 

One of the things I watch for in a first for a leading role is to see if the actor is 'acting'.  Well, Casey wasn't acting, he was simply letting the part play itself.  Boston oozes through his veins in this film.  (Hmmm... how bout some chowder?)

The movie starts off with a kidnapping.  Casey and Michelle's characters are hired by a family member to augment the police investigation. This works because the potential witnesses are criminals themselves.  They feel more comfortable spilling the truth to a local boy (Casey) who they know won't turn them in to the cops. This pretty much forces the police to work with him.   

The movie moved so naturally and on tempo that I didn't notice the plot twists. I Was genuinely surprised when the story changed direction.  Around an hour and fifteen minutes into the movie I got the feeling that it was over and that it was going to wrap up.  Not so! For the next thirty  minutes I was spellbound until the very end.

Amy Ryan's performance was nothing short of spectacular.  She offered a commanding presence on camera and I can't imagine someone else with her role.  Gosh, I have to find some more movies that she has been in to see if she is really that good! 

This one is very high on my list.  If you like crime mysteries, then this is a MUST SEE!

I know what your thinking.  Conrad watches way too many movies, and who is he to give this cast anything less than an A.  You are right, i watch way too many movies.  I only blog about those i feel like bogging about.  This was one of those films. 

I will say that this has the makings of being an incredibly good film.  Great cast.  Great acting even.  It has the drug deal gone bad elements with bad guys chasing the lost cash.  It also has an authentic West Texas feel.

But the story line shifts somewhat, and we don't remain sympathetic to who we think the main character of the story is.  I am getting all used to liking Josh Brolin, and poof, he is no longer the lead.  And quite honestly, a little too much is left to the audiences imagination to follow the plot accurately.  If you see the movie, you will know what I mean. 

The acting, and cinematography is top notch. But the story does not leave the audience with a good feeling.  As a matter of fact, when the movie ends, you will question what really happened.  How can they end a movie like that? 

I was bored and I wanted to see a movie and I didn’t want to wait.  You know how you walk up to the move theater and just basically see what’s showing next? That is what I did.   I didn’t regret it, but I don’t want to steer you wrong.

Jessica Alba stars in this one.  In my opinion, her beauty is distracting.  They did the best they could by dressing her down a little.  And she really reached down deep for some acting chops.  I think she may have a future as a serious actress someday.

I was a fan of hers in Dark Angel.  As a side note, I wish they didn’t screw up season two of Dark Angel, or we would probably be seeing it still today!

I can’t brag about the movie.  The plot is weak and takes too long to find it’s driving force.  Also, you don’t get attached to the characters.  There was just something missing.

Sydney Wells (Jessica Alba) is a musically inclined blind chick.  She gets this cornea transplant from a girl who committed suicide in Mexico.  Sydney gets more than she bargained for. She receives a type of psychic ability along with the eyes.  The movie begins by plaguing her with these unexplained visions of dead souls.  The movie is trying to convince the audience that she has this supernatural ability and that she isn’t crazy. They labored on that point way too long.  I kept searching for a way for the movie to resolve.   However they threw in too many psychic episodes, which could have spun off into a number of subplots.  These potential subplots were neglected for what we later find to be the crux of the story.

After fiddling much with Sydney’s psychic ability she finally comes up with the idea that she needs to find out about her dead donor’s history.  Then the movie starts making some sense.

I wouldn’t say that everyone would dislike this film.  It has its scary moments - if you are into that.

I am a fan of Jessica’s and I hope that someday her acting catches up with her looks.  This simply wasn’t the role for her.