Inmate #129550

For many years, I furthered my personal growth and education by working as a Prison Case Manager within the bowels of a prison. My office was in a inmate housing unit, right beside the inmate tiers, and I was not even able to lock my office door.
And so it was that one of these inmates, serving a life sentence, wrote me the following poem on Christmas Eve in 1996:
God Bless the Sinner
Twas the night before Christmas, and in prison I slept;
Yet the spirit of Christmas, in my heart I still kept.
Not for the presents, for gifts, or a toy;
But for Jesus, our Savior, who brings us great joy.
Even from prison, I know this is real;
The love of our Savior, in my heart I can feel.
I know He did suffer, from the day of His birth;
I know of His reason, for coming to Earth.
I know in my darkness, I will not despair;
My Savior is Jesus, and I know He does care.
For He was in prison, He knows of my pain;
His love still is with me, He will not refrain.
In spirit He shows me, the gifts that await;
Once I do enter, through God's Holy Gate.
He reminds me of Salvation, and of my right to choose;
He knows how I feel, He's walked in my shoes.
He shows me His great love, every day of the year;
Not only to you, but even in here.
So open your heart, and open your eyes;
Every day still is Christmas, and Christ is our prize.
We need only ask, in faith we must pray;
For Jesus walks with us, each night and each day.
Don't look for great things, while here on this Earth;
Just look to Jesus, and think of His birth.
So pray against evil, around us you'll see;
On Earth there are prisons, in Heaven we're free.
This day is a blessing, in faith we believe;
Pray for all sinners, on this Christmas Eve.

Important News Clarification

Upon learning that a local store had ladies clothing up to 60% off, I hurried right over there.
Sadly, it just was a sale. :(

Malthusian Mendacity

Science Correspondent Ronald Bailey got it exactly right when he debunked Malthus' "junk science" population growth theories as touted anew in Jared Diamond's book, "Collapse: How Societies Choose to Fail or Succeed" ("Under the Spell of Malthus", August/September 2005 issue of "Reason" Magazine, pages 67-71).
In doing so, he also took an insightful swipe at Darwin's much ballyhooed and unproven "theory" of evolution, that so many otherwise intelligent and educated folks blindly accept as uncontroverted fact.
While all of us will be held accountable for and share a responsibility to strive to be faithful and protective stewards of the Earth and our environment, we also should remember that God has promised us that, " For it is expedient that I, the Lord, should make every man accountable, as a steward over earthly blessings, which I have made and prepared....For the earth is full, and there is enough to spare..." (Doctrine & Covenants Section 104, Verses 13 &17, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints).
By the way, Diamond also got it way wrong about the reasons for the collapse of the Mayan Empire in Pre-Columbian Central America, for reasons not even touched upon by Bailey, but that's another story.

Lessons in Life from "The Kid"

Restless and unable to sleep, I started to watch one of my favorite
movies on DVR, "The Kid" by Walt Disney and starring Bruce Willis.
One of the best parts of the movie is when Bruce tells his assistant to stop biting her nail because it shows that she is unprofessional.
She replies by sticking her finger up her nose and asking him what that means.
At the end of the movie, he wises up and marries her.
Cool beans.

This Notice Required by State Law: Kids - don't try this at home, at least not while your parents are watching. This also applies to "Wet Willies"...just in case you wanted to know.