Our Little Pupsicle

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Code has been Cracked!

The code hidden in the ruling for the Da Vinci Code copyright lawsuit has been cracked!
The key to the judge's code was solved by the London Times using a mathematical code in the book by Dan Brown. Using the math ... the Times deciphered a sequence of italicized letters in the judge's text.

It says: "Smithy Code Jackie Fisher who are you Dreadnought."

It's a reference to an Admiral in the Royal Navy who revolutionized military warfare with the battleship Dreadnought. Apparently the judge is a big fan of military history.
Will somebody please get this man a hobby???

Judge Adds Code in "Da Vinci" Ruling

(AP) LONDON - The judge who presided at the "Da Vinci Code" copyright infringement trial has put a code of his own into his ruling, and he said Wednesday he would "probably" confirm it to the person who breaks it.

Since Judge Peter Smith delivered his ruling April 7, lawyers in London and New York began noticing odd italicizations in the 71-page document.

In the weeks afterward, would-be code-breakers got to work on deciphering Smith's code.

"I can't discuss the judgment," Smith said in a brief conversation with The Associated Press, "but I don't see why a judgment should not be a matter of fun."

Italics are placed in strange spots: The first is found in the first paragraph of the 360-paragraph document. The letter "s" in the word "claimants" is italicized.

In the next paragraph, "claimant" is spelled with an italicized "m," and so on.

The italicized letters in the first seven paragraphs spell out "Smithy code," playing on the judge's name.

Lawyer Dan Tench, with the London firm Olswang, said he noticed the code when he spotted the striking italicized script in an online copy of the judgment.

"To encrypt a message in this manner, in a High Court judgment no less? It's out there," Tench said. "I think he was getting into the spirit of the thing. It doesn't take away from the validity of the judgment. He was just having a bit of fun."

Smith was arguably the highlight of the trial, with his acerbic questions and witty observations making the sometimes dry testimony more lively. Though Smith on Wednesday refused to discuss the judgment or acknowledge outright that he'd inserted a secret code in its pages, he said: "They don't look like typos, do they?"

When asked if someone would break the code, Smith said: "I don't know. It's not a difficult thing to do." And when asked if he would confirm a correct guess to an aspiring code-breaker, he said, "Probably."

Tench said the judge teasingly remarked that the code is a mixture of the italicized font code found in the book "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail" — whose authors were suing Dan Brown's publisher, Random House, for copyright infringement — and the code found Brown's "The Da Vinci Code."

Authors Michael Baigent and Richard Leigh had sued Random House Inc., claiming Brown's best-selling novel "appropriated the architecture" of their 1982 nonfiction book, "The Holy Blood and the Holy Grail."

Both books explore theories that Jesus married Mary Magdalene, the couple had a child and the bloodline survives, ideas dismissed by most historians and theologians.

"The Da Vinci Code" has sold more than 40 million copies — including 12 million hardcovers in the United States — since its release in March 2003. It came out in paperback in the United States earlier this year, and quickly sold more than 500,000 copies. An initial print run of 5 million has already been raised to 6 million.

Since the judgment was handed down three weeks ago, Tench said it took several weeks — and several watchful eyes — to catch the code. Now, London and New York attorneys are scrambling to solve it.

"I think it has caught the particular imagination of Americans," Tench said. "To have a British, staid High Court judge encrypt a judgment in this manner, it's jolly fun."

I'm definitely going to try to break the code," said attorney Mark Stephens, when learning of its existence.

"Judges have been known to write very sophisticated and amusing judgments," Stephens said. "This trend started long ago ... one did a judgment in rhyme, another in couplets. There has been precedent for this.

"It adds a bit of fun of what might have been a dusty text," he said.

If you want to try to crack the code, you can link to a PDF of the ruling here.

Praise You in The Storm

I was sure by now that You would have reached down
And wiped our tears away
Stepped in and saved the day
But once again, I say "Amen"
and it's still raining

As the thunder rolls,
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

I'll praise You in this storm
And I will lift my hands
For You are who You are
No matter where I am
Every tear I've cried
You hold in Your hand
You never left my side
And though my heart is torn
I will praise You in this storm

I remember when I stumbled in the wind
You heard my cry, You raised me up again
My strength is almost gone
How can I carry on
If I can't find You

As the thunder rolls
I barely hear You whisper through the rain
"I'm with you"
And as Your mercy falls
I raise my hands and praise the God
Who gives and takes away

I lift my eyes unto the hills
Where does my help come from?
My help comes from the Lord
The Maker of Heaven and Earth


-Casting Crowns

I love spring

Here are some pictures of some of the lovely things blooming in my yard right now. The tree is a pear tree, and unfortunately, we're going to be chopping it down soon. It's beautiful now, but come August it drops millions of pears everywhere which in turn get rotten and attract bees right by our back door. If I picked them all up, I could gather about two grocery bags full of pears each day for two months. And they smell. So despite all of its beauty, it must go. At least I have these pictures to remember it by.
The other is my azaleas. They will stay.
I can't wait for it to get little bit warmer out so I can really get my hands dirty out in the yard. I don't have much of a green thumb, but I want to learn. I have a lot of work to do, though, because the people who lived here before us, although they had a yard full of beautiful plants, didn't keep it up and everything is overgrown.
I love spring.

One of my new favorite things:

National Denominations

Thanks to Dean Bonde for passing along these very interesting maps:






Funny...I didn't see a map for "Bapticostal." :)

Humuhumunukunukuapuaa

Pronounced: Hoo-moo-hoo-moo-noo-koo-noo-koo-ah-poo-ah-ah
This is the actual name of this species of fish pictured above. It used to be the Hawaii state fish, but it's "state fish status" expired...so now Hawaiians are working to get it reinstated.
They call it the Humuhumu (Hoo-moo-hoo-moo) for short.
Isn't that hilarious? Or am I just WAY too tired at 3:52 am...???

Graveyard Shift

Right now it's 3:00am on Wednesday morning and I'm at work. I picked up the overnight shift two nights this week. The first was Sunday night into Monday morning and it went pretty well. I'm not holding up as well for this second one. I have told hold out for three more hours...plus the car ride home...then I'm going to collapse.

The "big news" today is that Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes had their baby. A little girl they named Suri - which means "Princess" in Hebrew (I guess that's where the name "Sara" comes from?) and "Red Rose" in Persian.

I'm sorry...but is this really the "big news?"

Did anyone see Don Shelby's "In The Know" last night at 10pm? He expressed my feelings exactly about the TomKat baby exactly. When the baby was born, word came out over the Associated Press wires as an urgent - yes, URGENT - bulletin. The same status as the bulletins we received on 9/11. When urgent bulletins cross our wires here at the station, little alarms go off to warn of big news.

Quoth Don:
"When we learned of the terrorist attack on the World Trade Center, the wires styled the news an "urgent bulletin."
Okay, I'm going to ask the question straight out: What in the world has happened to us?
It used to be, when the alarms went off on our wire machines, we yelled, "Stop the presses." So, with nuclear sabers being rattled in Iran, the war in Iraq and Nigeria threatening the worlds oil supply, I expect some urgency in the bulletin. The next time the urgent bells go off in the newsroom, I'll take my time, even though it might be late word on Jennifer and Vince's engagement."

Easter Sunday

O sacred Head, now wounded, with grief and shame weighed down,
Now scornfully surrounded with thorns, Thine only crown;
How pale Thou art with anguish, with sore abuse and scorn!
How does that visage languish, which once was bright as morn!

What Thou, my Lord, hast suffered, was all for sinners’ gain;
Mine, mine was the transgression, but Thine the deadly pain.
Lo, here I fall, my Savior! ’Tis I deserve Thy place;
Look on me with Thy favor, vouchsafe to me Thy grace.

Now from Thy cheeks has vanished their color once so fair;
From Thy red lips is banished the splendor that was there.
Grim death, with cruel rigor, hath robbed Thee of Thy life;
Thus Thou hast lost Thy vigor, Thy strength in this sad strife.

My burden in Thy Passion, Lord, Thou hast borne for me,
For it was my transgression which brought this woe on Thee.
I cast me down before Thee, wrath were my rightful lot;
Have mercy, I implore Thee; Redeemer, spurn me not!

What language shall I borrow to thank Thee, dearest friend,
For this Thy dying sorrow, Thy pity without end?
O make me Thine forever, and should I fainting be,
Lord, let me never, never outlive my love to Thee.

Here I will stand beside Thee, from Thee I will not part;
O Savior, do not chide me! When breaks Thy loving heart,
When soul and body languish in death’s cold, cruel grasp,
Then, in Thy deepest anguish, Thee in mine arms I’ll clasp.

The joy can never be spoken, above all joys beside,
When in Thy body broken I thus with safety hide.
O Lord of Life, desiring Thy glory now to see,
Beside Thy cross expiring, I’d breathe my soul to Thee.

Be Thou my consolation, my shield when I must die;
Remind me of Thy passion when my last hour draws nigh.
Mine eyes shall then behold Thee, upon Thy cross shall dwell,
My heart by faith enfolds Thee. Who dieth thus dies well.

Malachi, 4 and a half months

He is so stinkin' cute....

Good Friday

Am I a stone and not a sheep
That I can stand, O Christ, beneath Thy Cross,
To number drop by drop Thy Blood's slow loss,
And yet not weep?

Not so those women loved
Who with exceeding grief lamented Thee;
Not so falled Peter weeping bitterly;
Not so the theif was moved;

Not so the Sun and Moon
Which hid their faces in a starless sky,
A horror of great darkness at broad noon --
I, only I.

Yet give not o'er,
But seek Thy sheep, true Shepherd of the flock;
Greater than Moses, turn and look once more
And smite a rock.

-Christina Georgina Rossetti

"Pink" as Role Model

By default today, I just so happened to be watching the Ellen DeGeneres show on Channel 4. She had singer/star "Pink" on her show talking about her controversial song and music video, "Stupid Girls." During the interview, Pink was talking about how she wants to be a roll model for girls by living her life as an example of how to not conform.
The very next thing she said made me shake my head, and I quote: "It's fun to be different, be rebellious, and make your own decisions."
*Sigh*
I don't have daughters, but I know this isn't the type of roll model I want in my future childrens' lives. This is such humanistic thinking. Rebellion is not fun. It cuts you off and leaves you alone. And trying to make your own decisions will always end up in peril. Let God make the decisions in your life.

Who Do You Look Like?

This is fun.

Go to this website, upload a photo, and it will scan your face and tell you what celebrities you look like.

For me: Julianne Moore, Kelly Clarkson, and Jessica Alba.
For JP: Sugar Ray Robinson, Cuba Gooding Jr. and - my person favorite - Shania Twain!

Give it a shot and then post your results on the comments page!

God Isn't Mad At Us

Just in time for Easter, God gave me the simplest and sweetest revelation last night. I was visiting my dad's church and we were singing the song "Freely We Can Come to the Lord our God." The lyrics say "Freely we can come to the Lord our God, FOR HIS ANGER WAS SPENT ON HIS ONLY SON that freely we could come to the Lord."
I've been singing that song since I was a little girl, but I never "got it" until last night - God took out all of His anger for all the nasty things we've ever done, or ever will do, on Jesus...so that you and I can still freely come before Him without any condemnation.
I've never been one to struggle with the idea of God being mad at me, but I know a lot of people who do. Maybe you do. Perhaps you think, "God is so upset with me; that's why He's not speaking to me right now. I don't blame Him - how could He ever forgive someone like me? He's mad at me. He doesn't want to talk to me."
That thinking couldn't be more wrong. I've always known this, but I've never known why. I'd always just tell people, "No way, God's not mad at you."
"Well, why not? He got mad at the Israelites. He got mad at lots of people in the Bible - wiped out entire nations!"
"Yeah, but he's not mad. He's God. He's just not like that." But I never had a solid reason why. Now I do.
The reason that God isn't mad is because He took out all of his anger on Jesus.
Have you ever been so mad at someone that you just wanted to break something, or someone?!!? I have. I've gotten so mad that I'd love nothing more than to punch holes in every one of my walls, break glass things in the street, and kick things HARD. I think God used to get mad like that back in the day. That's why he wiped out places like Soddom and Gomorrah. But when Jesus died, God took out all of that on him. That would be like someone who has never done anything wrong, who is always just and fair and holy, getting so fed up with the ones they loved more than anything being rebellious that they found an innocent puppy (in this case, a lamb) and took out all of their fury on that innocent being - but not only past furies...future furies, too. Then from that day on, God's wrath was appeased. Jesus took the wrath for not only everything we've done, but everything we're going to do. God's not mad at us anymore. He never will be again.
Here's the additional revelation I had today - After dying for everything we've ever done or will do wrong, Jesus rose from the dead. O Grave, where is your victory?!! Even every sin of the world wasn't enough to keep Him down - Love truly did conquer all.
So the next time you feel condemned, like you can't come to God because He's so upset with you, just remember that God's anger has already been spent on Jesus. He's not mad at us.

Neutered

Our poor, poor, poor Caleb got neutered today. He has to wear this cone around his head to keep him from licking the incision, and he absolutely hates it. He's so sad...he just keeps crying. And the worst part is, he has to wear it for a week. And for a week there's to be little or no jumping, playing, wrestling or romping. Basically, he can't be a puppy.
The picture by the water bowl is very telling because Caleb LOVES water and will always drink anything put in front of him. Sometimes he even drinks until he pukes and we have to take it away. But this time he barely even noticed it.
The little bands around his legs are bandaids. A closer look reveals that he has been shaved in those areas on his legs. Poor little guy. Supposedly by tomorrow he should be back to his little self, and it's my and JP's job to keep him from getting too excited.
So if you think of it, have a little moment of silence for Caleb Charlebois today.

Kawasaki Z1000

So...apparently our "new" motorcycle wasn't big or fast enough for JP, so he took it back and got this one instead - a Kawasaki Z1000.
We went for a ride last night and it's WAY better than the other one. Much more comfortable, smooth, and powerful.
The invitation still stands for anyone who wants to go for a spin. :)

Complete and Effective Decision about Sin

. . . our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin
—Romans 6:6

"Co-Crucifixion. Have you made the following decision about sin— that it must be completely killed in you? It takes a long time to come to the point of making this complete and effective decision about sin. It is, however, the greatest moment in your life once you decide that sin must die in you-not simply be restrained, suppressed, or counteracted, but crucified— just as Jesus Christ died for the sin of the world. No one can bring anyone else to this decision. We may be mentally and spiritually convinced, but what we need to do is actually make the decision that Paul urged us to do in this passage.

"Pull yourself up, take some time alone with God, and make this important decision, saying, "Lord, identify me with Your death until I know that sin is dead in me." Make the moral decision that sin in you must be put to death.

"This was not some divine future expectation on the part of Paul, but was a very radical and definite experience in his life. Are you prepared to let the Spirit of God search you until you know what the level and nature of sin is in your life— to see the very things that struggle against God’s Spirit in you? If so, will you then agree with God’s verdict on the nature of sin— that it should be identified with the death of Jesus? You cannot "reckon yourselves to be dead indeed to sin" ( Romans 6:11 ) unless you have radically dealt with the issue of your will before God.

"Have you entered into the glorious privilege of being crucified with Christ, until all that remains in your flesh and blood is His life? "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me . . ." ( Galatians 2:20 )."

-Oswald Chambers, My Utmost for His Highest

Can't Help Smiling!

Check out this picture I found - I have no idea who this baby is, but when you look at it, you just can't help but smile!!!!!!!!
May this baby's joy brighten your Monday!

1 year later

Happy 1 year Anniversary to my favorite sister and her hubby, Pete.
Love you guys!!!

P.S. Sorry, this really was the best picture I had of you guys on my computer!!! :)

Did Jesus Actually Walk on Ice?

As if Jesus schemeing with Judas wasn't enough, now a FL State professor says Jesus probalby didn't actually walk on water, but on a hard-to-see patch of ice.
Hmmm...
...my Bible says he walked on water. How about yours?
Here's the article:

"Jesus walked on water, according to the Bible, but a Florida State University professor says he may have actually walked on a hard-to-see patch of ice.
Doron Nof, a professor of oceanography, said a rare combination of water and atmospheric conditions in the Sea of Galilee 2000 years ago may offer a scientific explanation for one of the miracles recounted in the Bible.
Nof said a patch of ice floating in the Sea of Galilee - which is actually a freshwater lake - would have been difficult to distinguish from unfrozen water surrounding it.
According to the New Testament books of Matthew, Mark and John, Jesus' disciples were out on the Galilee at night when a storm came up.
Jesus walked to the terrified men, who thought he was a ghost, according to the accounts.
Nof's research appears in the April issue of the Journal of Paleolimnology, a publication on the reconstruction of lake histories.
Nof's co-authors are biostatistics professor Ian McKeague of Columbia University and atmospheric science professor Nathan Paldor of Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
They came up with the theory after studying records of long-ago water temperatures in the Mediterranean Sea, based on core samples of shells and other animal remains taken from the bottom.
The records indicated that two lengthy periods 2,500 to 1,500 years ago were chilly enough for ice patches to form during cold spells on the Sea of Galilee, said Nof, a native of Israel.
The unfrozen water surrounding the ice would have come from salty springs along the lake's western shore, he said. Salty water freezes at lower temperatures than fresh water.
Some people, including Reverend Rick Eckard, are reacting with skepticism to Nof's study.
Eckard thinks the theory is a stretch and kind of funny, but he says it doesn't change his faith. The Lutheran pastor says scientists don't have an explanation for everything.
Mike McCarron of the Florida Catholic Conference calls the study intriguing, but he's skeptical of the findings."

Can we say...Gnostics???

"A papyrus manuscript written around 300 A.D. indicates that Jesus wanted his disciple Judas to give him up and help him shed his physical existence, scholars said today."

Bologna.
Read the article for yourself, but gee whiz what will they come up with next? They say the manuscript has been verified with carbon dating. Great, you mean the same carbon dating that says the earth is millions and billions of years old? The same carbon dating that said a pig's tooth was part of a prehistoric skeleton? The same carbon dating that said the body of a freshly dead seal was 1300 years old? The same carbon datin that dates the shells of living snails as being 27,000 year old???
Forgive me for being critical, but carbon dating just doesn't seem to hold up in my book.

Read the article here.

This is Amazing

Eva Cassidy is one of the most amazing musicians I have ever heard. She died of cancer in 1996. She sings so effortlessly. I wish I had one ounce of her talent. Amazing.
You can read more about Eva's life and death by clicking here.

P.S. Did you notice I learned how to post videos??? :)

Logan Chews out Blitzer

By clickin on this link, you will be forwarded to a video of an interview between Wolf Blitzer and Lara Logan, a journalist embedded in Iraq. The interview is in response to the Bush administration's complaints that journalists are only reporting the BAD news out of Iraq, not any of the good news. Lara Logan got really mad about that and gave Blitzer an earful about how they can't report most of the good stuff because security won't let them. Interesting to watch, and I'm curious as to what you all think of it.
I haven't figured out how to post a video yet, so I'm just posting the link. Click Here to watch.

Couric to Replace Dan Rather

Katie Couric is leaving the Today show to take Dan Rather's old job anchoring the CBS evening news. This is big stuff. She's been with "Today" for 15 years and will be the first woman to anchor a network newscast by herself.
This is supposedly great for CBS - which is cool because I work for CBS - but I wonder how well she will "fit" on an evening newscast filled with mostly "hard" news. Katie is very reputable and people trust and like her, but one of the best things about her is her cheerful personality, which won't get to shine on an evening newscast. I wonder if she'll be happy here, regardless of the RIDICULOUS amount of money I'm sure she's getting to do this.

Here is what the AP wire had to say:

On her 15th anniversary on "Today," Katie Couric told viewers Wednesday she's leaving to join CBS and become the first woman to solely anchor a network evening newscast.
"I wanted to tell all of you out there ... that after listening to my heart and my gut ... I've decided I'll be leaving 'Today' at the end of May," she said. "I really feel as if we've become friends through the years."
The 49-year-old Couric, the longest-serving anchor in "Today" show history, is expected to replace Bob Schieffer on the third-rated CBS broadcast in September.
Following a months-long guessing game that has consumed the TV industry, Couric chose the 15th anniversary of her first day as "Today" co-host in 1991 to say that it's time for a change.
"It's been such an honor and a privilege to occupy this seat for as long as I have," she said. "Sometimes I think change is a good thing," Couric said. "Although it may be terrifying to get out of your comfort zone, it's also very exciting to start a new chapter in your life."
"It's hard to imagine being here and not having you sitting next to us," co-host Matt Lauer told her.
The bold move simultaneously forces NBC to find a new team for "Today," television's most profitable news program, and gives CBS News President Sean McManus a major success in his effort to lure more stars to his beleaguered news organization.
Meredith Vieira of the daytime chat show "The View" has emerged as the leading candidate to team with Lauer. Vieira, a former CBS News reporter who won a Daytime Emmy as host of "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire," had previously turned down offers to return to news since joining "The View."
Couric, Lauer, newsreader Ann Curry and weathercaster Al Roker have formed TV news' most successful morning team in history since 1997, with "Today" riding an unprecedented 10-year ratings winning streak.
During that time, morning news programs have simultaneously grown in influence and have become important entertainment vehicles. The job required Couric to both interview presidents and don goofy costumes on Halloween.
Couric's NBC contract extends to the end of May and she's expected to remain at "Today" through that ratings sweeps month.
The lure of trying something new and making history in the evening proved enticing to Couric, who is also expected to contribute to "60 Minutes." She spurned a more lucrative offer -- about $20 million a year -- to remain at NBC and accept CBS' bid at a salary near her current range of $13 million to $15 million, according to a non-network person close to negotiations who spoke on condition of anonymity.
With Schieffer filling in during the year since Dan Rather's exit, the "CBS Evening News" is the only network evening newscast rising in the ratings. But it's still in third place behind NBC and ABC.
"I will be delighted if she came," Schieffer said Tuesday. "I think she'll be a great addition to a very good news team. ... I've known Katie for years and I think the world of her."
If a deal with Vieira can't be reached, the top in-house candidates to replace Couric are "Today" weekend anchor Campbell Brown, NBC reporter Natalie Morales and Curry.
"If it comes to an end, I'll be the first to cry," Curry told "Access Hollywood" about Couric before her colleague's announcement. "If she leaves, she'll be very hard to replace."

Prom Dresses Needed!

My dad’s church, Maranatha Christian Fellowship, is holding a fundraiser and needs your help! They’re going to be selling lightly used prom / homecoming / bridesmaid / formal dresses and donating the proceeds to the church.

If you have old dresses taking up space in your closet that you know you’ll never wear again but just haven’t gotten rid of yet, NOW IS YOUR CHANCE!!!! Please let me know A.S.A.P. and I will come pick them up. It's a win-win situation: you get rid of those old dresses, and the kingdom of God moves forward!

Also, if you have a young female in your life who is looking for an affordable and fashionable special event dress, send them to Maranatha for the big sale on April 15, 2006! Address is 2800 University Ave in Minneapolis (U of M Campus).

Again, if you have dresses you’d like to donate, please respond to this post and I will come pick them up. But please respond soon as April 15th is not far away!

Thanks!

One bike, Two bike, Black bike, New bike

This is a picture of our new bike - a Triumph Speed Four 600. It's awesome. And fast. And furious.

Our other "older" bike is seen below - a Suzuki Intruder 1400. Big. Loud. Mean.



Anybody want to go for a ride?