Happy Birthday Jesus, Thank You

The Three Trees

Long ago in the forest, lived three tall tress, the biggest among all trees in the forest. One fine day, the three were having a chat, talking about their dream of the future.

The first tree said, “I want to grow taller and stronger, and I want a man to chop me down and make a beautiful bed of my trunk, so a great king can sleep on me.”

The second tree said, “I want to grow taller and stronger, because I want a man to chop me down and make a big yacht of my trunk, so a king can sail on me and go around the world.”

The third tree said, “If me, I don’t want anyone to chop me down. I want to be the tallest and the biggest tree in this forest, so everyone can come to me and look at me admiring my tall trunk.”

So then – the trees agreed to pray each and every day so God would make their dreams come true.

One day, a man came and chopped the first tree. The first tree was excited. He thought his dream was finally come true. But when the man found the quality of the tree trunk was not very good, he didn’t make him as a bed, he turned the tree trunk into a manger instead, for the cattle to eat grass and hay. The first tree was very disappointed to see what he became of. His dream was shuttered.

Another day, a man came and chopped the second tree. The second tree was excited. He thought his dream was finally come true. But when the man found the quality of the tree trunk was not very good, he didn’t make him as a yacht, instead he turned the tree trunk into a fisherman’s boat, simply for fishing. The boat was having holes everywhere on his body and was always dirty after sailing. The second tree was very disappointed to see what he became of. His dream was shuttered.

Another day, a man came and chopped the thrid tree. The third tree was very disappointed and got terribly sad. He was so sad that his trunk rottened. The man couldn’t make anything from the tree trunk that he just disposed the trunk and it became useless.

Well – was life fair for those trees? They worked hard, they prayed a lot, but this is the end they got.

However, the story is not finished… yet…

Years went by, in the middle of the night, a couple of husband and wife went to the stable where the first tree lived now. The wife was pregnant and they weren’t able to find any room to stay and deliver the baby. So the wife gave birth to her baby in that dirty stable and put their baby inside the manger to keep Him warm. Inside the manger, which was the first tree. We all know who the baby is.

Years after that, a storm came on the sea, and it hit a sailing boat that all the people who was sailing in the boat – which was the second tree – scared and panic. The storm was so heavy that it nearly broke the boat down and sinked everybody inside. But then, a young man came out and stood on the boat bravely. He waved his hands to the sea in front of Him, and when He cried out to the sea, “In the name of My Father, I command you to stop!” And soon after that, the storm stopped, and the sea was calmed. The second tree was amazed. Who was this person – even the sea and the storm obeyed His command? We all know who the man was.

Years gone by, an innocent man was sentenced to death by the trial. He was tortured and beaten, and at the end, He had to die on the cross. He was crucified. Before He died on the cross, the world moaned for Him. And guess what? The wood to make the cross came from the trunk of the third tree. And again, we all know who the man was.

So, here is the conclusion of the story…

The first tree, even though, he didn’t end up as a beautiful bed as he wished for, a king – the king of kings – still slept in him.

The second tree, even though, he didn’t end up as a big yacht as he wished for, again the king of kings had once stood on him and sailed across the seas.

The third tree, the saddest of them all (was), even though at the end, he was chopped down, now look at him. Until now, people will look at him when they have hope and prayers. He stood tall for those who are in need and hopeful.

Democrats Bribe Their Own to Pass Massive Healthcare Bill

Doing this with Christmas right around the corner is sad beyond words. Look at the latest.

With the bill hanging in the balance, Sen. Ben Nelson (D-NE) won a provision exempting his state from paying the usual share of costs for new Medicaid patients. The deal, which critics have dubbed the “Cornhusker Kickback,” is expected to cost the federal government $100 million over 10 years.

Before a close vote last month, Sen. Mary Landrieu (D-LA) won an even larger break for her state — an estimated $300 million in extra federal spending, in a move now derisively called the “Louisiana Purchase.”

Sen. Carl Levin (D-MI) made sure that certain insurance companies in his state are off the hook from a new $7 billion dollar tax.

Sen. Chris Dodd (D-CT) got his kickback — a $100 million bonus for the University of Connecticut… to do with whatever they want.

Sen. Bernie Sanders (D-VT) was “persuaded” to drop his concerns after Senator Reid offered his state a $10 billion grant for “community health centers”-money that could easily be funneled to facilities that perform abortions.

Three states — Pennsylvania, New York and Florida — all won protections for their Medicare Advantage beneficiaries at a time when the program is facing cuts nationwide.

Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR) won a promise from Reid to support his plan to expand eligibility for health insurance.

The Senators from Montana, North Dakota, South Dakota, Utah and Wyoming will get the “Frontier Freebie” — they’ll see an increase in Medicare payments to hospitals and doctors, because “at least 50 percent of their counties are ‘frontier counties,’ defined as those having a population density less than six people per square mile.”

Sen. Tom Harkin (D-IA), chairman of the Senate health committee, got a provision inserted to increase Medicare payments to certain “low-volume hospitals” in Grinnell, Keokuk and Spirit Lake, treating limited numbers of Medicare patients.

Even the Democrats themselves are starting to complain about this obvious “Cash for Cloture” bribing going on. When Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-MD) couldn’t get past the reporters swarming Ben Nelson on her way to the cloture vote, she quipped, “I know I’m not as important as Senator Nelson. I didn’t get the money for my state. I was too stupid.”

Gamespot Best of 2009

Gotta pull for my man Ellis from L4D2. Cracks me up when he tells Coach, “I love you.”

Dojo Info 12/18/09

1. Who needs a resume? Tweet earned him a job
   There’s a lot to be said for being “memorable.”
2. Stephen King pays for troops’ holiday trip home
   It’s nice to see that this crazy freak does, in fact, have a heart. Just imagine how scary his stuff would be if he didn’t?
3. While the corporate world struggles to find its footing, entrepreneurs are stepping up with new ideas.
   The genius behind our Democracy is that it’s built on capitalism. Capitalism is best when innovation is encouraged and there is an incentive to prosper. Moving towards socialism, like we are now, will drag us down to the level where the rest of the world currently lives.
4. Google Trike is ready for your close-up
   Speaking of innovation, Google is out in front.
5. Bite Sized Buy-In for Restaurant
   Great idea! While taxes continue to rise, small businesses are hurt the most. The owner of this restaurant may not have had much of a choice since the banks wouldn’t loan him the money but he’s stumbled across a basic truth: brand loyalty is more valuable than sales, growth or other business criteria.

Dojo Info

1. The Roy Williams Excuse: “I’m From the Mountains”
   The UNC Coach through out a fan of their opponent because he yelled, “Hey Deon, don’t miss it!” Seriously. He hides his arrogance well, I must say.
2. Google phone looks ‘supersharp’
   Competition is a good thing. Why our government wants to reduce capitalism is a tragedy.
3. Boycott Nike
   With Nike’s promise to continue using Tiger Woods as their spokesman after his dozen-odd adulteries means the Boycott Nike movement just added some new supporters.
4. Obama Summons Divided Dems as Health Care Deal Hangs in Balance
   Things are being dropped because the American people want them dropped. I hope it’s clear to everyone that Obama wants something anything passed by the end of the year regardless of whether it’s a good idea?!?
5. Louisville KY Homes for Sale
   The number of single-family homes for sale in Louisville has dropped from 9,421 a month ago to currently 7,405. Who says we’re in a housing depression? Well, actually we still are for every segment except first-time homebuyers who are picking up the slack.

The Great Wall of Kentucky

I’ve never seen a better Freshman basketball player in my life. John Wall is astounding. Check this:

Consider that Wall has played eight games and scored key points in the final minute to help win four of them. Some great college players will go entire careers without doing that. But Wall has already hit a game-winning jumper to beat Miami of Ohio, hit a pull-up jumper followed by free throws with 0.5 seconds remaining to force overtime in an eventual victory against Stanford, made two free throws with 4.3 seconds remaining to secure a win over North Carolina, and converted an I-can’t-believe-he-just-made-that three-point play with 30.8 seconds remaining to beat UConn.

If it sounds amazing, that’s because it is amazing.

If he sounds awesome, that’s because he is awesome.

What he’s doing would be incredible if he were a Senior but the guy has played just 8 games! I’m blown away.

Tiger Slow Jam

It’s not nice to make fun of people but I don’t care. This is hilarious! Tiger Woods knew better but screwed around anyway. Whatever he gets in return… he deserves.

Dojo Info 12/4/09

1. Salvation Army red kettles now accept credit cards
   Not sure how many people do this but I think the SA is a great charity! My bro used to ring for them back in college.
2. Soup Kitchen Chef Raises the Standard of Giving
   Truly exemplifying the servants heart.
3. Could cheap algae oil power our energy future?
   Interesting idea but we’re likely a decade away.
4. NBA Scout – Potential for UK Players and Other Musings
   Apparently Wall, Cousins, Patterson, Orton and Bledsoe all have NBA futures. [registered users only - free]
5. Paper-thin batteries made from algae
   Wow. Taking something that’s a negative and turning it into a positive would be incredible. The human mind can make logic leaps that are really impressive.