Samantha Pierce

We're heading off to a friend's house to hang out for the evening. He's a bachelor (not for much longer though) who doesn't have a whole lot of valuable breakables hanging around at kid level so we can bring the boys along with us. Happy New Year to all. Except to those who insist on criticising the US over disaster relief (don't y'all have anything better to do anyway?). That bunch can still BITE ME. >:(

I got my computer back this evening to find this email message waiting for me. Hi, Sage. Just a word to let you know that I discovered and enjoyed your Uncle Sam's Cabin site. Concerning your 'pagan origins of Christmas' post ; the winter cover of the festival of Saturnalia also gave persecuted Christians an opportunity to gather and celebrate their faith in relative safety. The authorities couldn't tell who was celebrating what during this feast period, behind closed doors. Many faiths do share certain aspects of the Christian faith; a messianic figure, justice, punishment for bad behavior, etc. Regardless of ethnic and national origin, humans also share facial expressions - but that isn't proof that one group of people 'borrowed' the facial expressions of others for their own use. You may enjoy my faithmouse cartoon , which is seen and/or linked on over 225 web sites. Please stop by sometime and visit! God bless, Dan Lacey faithmouse.com In

The only things I have had to say about this business about the US being "stingy" in giving aid have been things that I try very hard not to say out loud. But I will allow myself one comment, BITE ME ! All of you knuckle heads complaining because the President didn't parade himself in front of the cameras soon enough for you , BITE ME . All of you who are still upset about the Iraq War and are looking for any reason to beat up on the President and the US, BITE ME . We all know full well that no matter what the US and the President did in response to this disaster we would be criticized so, BITE ME . To the New York Times carrying on about "America's initial measly aid offer of $15 million," BITE ME . When the hell did $15 million become measly? When it came from the US. If our critics think us so stingy then I call on the rest of the world to step up and put the US to shame otherwise, BITE ME . And all the while the critics are engaged in their self made fe

So much to be thankful for today. I'm alive. My husband and children are alive. My family is alive and well. There are suvivors of the earthquake and tsunamis in south east Asia. There are people ready and willing to help the survivors. What are you thankful for?

I've been letting life distract me from the Boxing Day Tsunami disaster. But today I sat down and watched the news and sampled the blog offerings. Lord have mercy. I'm too numb to cry about this. I might later on. At least this isn't something that we deliberately did to ourselves. I try to console myself by thinking that it could have been worse. Back in the day before cell phones, email, the internet, and 24 hour news channels the rest of the world might just now be finding out about this disaster. As it was the world roused itself to lend aid within hours of the disaster's occurrence. Thank God for that. I've spent the last few hours thinking about how I can help besides pray. We were blessed to receive more than we needed this Christmas so I'll be donating our Christmas money once I find the right charity. It's not much but it keeps me from feeling totally impotent. Messy Christian is blogging about the disaster from Malaysia. Her latest post is a vi

In our hurry to leave New Hampshire on Saturday (the kids were ready to go and starting to have melt downs) my computer got left behind. I won't be able to get it back until the end of the week. I realise now that I'm way too attached to that thing.

Merry Christmas all. I have a story to share with you that I've been meaning to share for sometime now. One of the missionaries that out church supports has been sharing with us the story of one of her co-labourers. This is the latest report she sent last week. Don Filiberto still remains joyful, even though he is still stuck in jail. It looks like the legal process may drag on several more months. Pray for Don Fili and his family, especially at Christmas. But the number of Christians in the jail keeps on growing, and they are eagerly learning, and then teaching others. Our local church has started to get involved in the jail, and we are trying to arrange an Angel Tree-type project for their children at Christmas. Please pray also for an ongoing ministry with the prisoners after they are released. Several months ago Don Filiberto was accused of committing a crime against an indigenous family that his family was helping out as a part of their ministry. Don Filiberto has remained

Thankful Thursday's here again. Once again I am thankful for: We didn't crash in the wind, rain, and fog on the back country mountain roads of Vermont and New Hampshire. Friends who know how to ask the right questions and listen to the answers. Pre-teen and teenaged girls who just love to hold cute little babies. Carolling. Homemade cookies. What are you thankful for?

I thought I'd pause in the midst of packing up for our annual Christmas time jaunt across the north east to let you know that the 49th Christian Carnival is up over at Patriot Paradox . Being Christmas time and all this week's carnival has a Christmas theme.

Why do people talk about the pagan roots of Christmas as if that is something to show how hypocritical Christians are and make us go slinking off in shame? The dominant expression of Christmas in the world is the result of the Christianization of non-Christian customs. What, pray tell, is wrong with that? Several hundred years ago the church fathers realised that their converts needed something to do while their non-Christian contemporaries celebrated their various winter festivals. While those around them hoped and prayed to nature and various false gods for the return of light, warmth, and the promise of new life in spring Christians began celebrating the promise of eternal life in the birth of Christ. This, I think, is a marvelous example of the transforming power of Jesus Christ. Even a pagan ritual can be transformed to reveal the truth of God. As more people became Christians they brought with them those aspects of their former lives that pointed to God's truth. Why get all

Winter is here in full force. When I went to bed last night the temperature outside was 1 degree farenheight. When I woke up it was all of -9.4 degrees. It has since warmed up to -8 degrees. The highs today are expected to be between 0 and 15 degrees farenheight. The city's public and parochial schools are closed. I guess Ethan's staying home today.

In light of this I think I'll start signing Christmas cards "Merry XP mas." I wonder if Microsoft was trying to tell us something when they named their latest operating system Windows XP?

Yeah baby! You scored as Middle Class . You're content in your position and would prefer a house or a family than a seven figure pay cheque. But you have your moments of weakness when you buy a lottery ticket in the hope of knowing how the rich and famous live. Middle Class 83% alternative 67% Upper middle Class 46% Lower Class 25% Luxurious Upper Class 17% What Social Status are you? created with QuizFarm.com (via Dappled Things )

I've been tinkering with my template. I'm trying to get it to look a bit like this without losing all of the stuff I've done to my current template. What do you think? Any suggestions?

Two summers ago my sisters and I stepped off of an international flight at LaGuardia Airport. As we trudged down the ramp and headed for customs I was greeted by a sight you would probably see nowhere else in the world. There were two lines, on for citizens and permanent residents one for non-citizens. There were people from nearly every ethnic group speaking many different languages standing in the line for US citizens. You wouldn't see something like this in any other nation. In just about any other nation in the world the line for its citizens would be populated by people who for the most part looked the same and all spoke the same language. Compared to other nations on this planet the US has the most generous criteria for attaining citizenship. US citizenship is basically open to anyone who is willing to follow the law. In other nations your family could have been living in said nation for generations and you still wouldn't qualify for citizenship. Many nations require that

I realised at around 5 o'clock this morning that yesterday was Thursday and I hadn't made my Thankful Thursday post. So it's Thankful Friday instead. I'm thankful that: Hubby has been well for over a week now. The kids only have minor intermittent runny noses. The basement is no longer flooded. The semester is over (but grades are due on Monday, pray for hubby). The next door neighbours put up lots of pretty lights for Christmas. The philosophy department's Christmas party is today.

Which member of the JLA are you? Batman Losing his parents to a tragic mugging, Bruce Wayne took a vow to wage a one man war on crime. Using the image of the bat to strike fear into criminals, he dons the guise of the Dark Knight after the sun sets. A genius detective and scientist he is a valuable member to the League even without powers Click Here to Take This Quiz Brought to you by YouThink.com quizzes and personality tests. Hubby and I had the same results. What does that say about us?

Hubby has gone all out to produce a sci-fi themed 48th Christian Carnival . He spent the last couple days quizzing me about this or that episode from this or that sci-fi series. Now I know why he kept asking me about that stuff seemingly out of the blue.

Well, Joseph Rudulph of Outrage in Oregon? infamy (more here ) was arraigned last week. So far all I can find online about it is this . I guess this just doesn't seem like the right kind of story to make the news.

'Tis the season for the Grinches to come out. This time of year we hear story after story about how all Christian religious meaning is being scoured from the celebration of Christmas. Never mind that it is the day set aside by Christians the world over to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ. Any mention of that particular fact is considered offensive, discriminatory, and a threat to the separation of Church and the almighty State. But not in my city, thank God. At the mall and the local Walmart I can still hear real Christmas music. You know, the stuff that talks about baby Jesus, Mary and Joseph, the wisemen, and Jerusalem. The church down the street rings its bells at noon and six in the evening. They play wonderful hymns like Be Thou My Vision and A Mighty Fortress is Our God . No one has yet complained about how oppressive listening to those hymns is. Even if they did I doubt they would get very far with their complaint. People still go caroling in their neighbourhoods and s

I've updated my list, How to buy toys for other people's kids so that they won't end up hating you and wanting to throw you and the toys out of the nearest highrise window . There are some new rules that were suggested by commenters. They work well for any time you have to buy gifts for kids.

It's Thankful Thursday, time to reminisce about what we're thankful for. The kids are all healthy. Hubby seems to be recovering from his stomach bug. Christmas is coming. Christmas vacation is coming. Winter seems to be taking it's time getting here. Home heating costs might not be as high as we first thought they would be. I went back to dance class this week. I learn something new every day, like the html code to automatically number a list of items. What are you thankful for?

Awwhh yeah baby! After last year's mini series, which I loved , Sci-Fi channel is bringing back the series. There's an excellent review of the new version of the old classic at Ramblings' Journal . If I didn't have a newborn baby to distract me I'd be crawling out of my skin in anticipation of the January 14th, 2005 airing.

You Are a Retrospective Soul The most misunderstood of all the soul signs. Sometimes you even have difficulty seeing yourself as who you are. You are intense and desire perfection in every facet of your life. You're best described as extremely idealistic, hardworking, and a survivor. Great moments of insight and sensitivity come to you easily. But if you aren't careful, you'll ignore these moments and repeat past mistakes. For you, it is difficult to seperate the past from the present. You will suceed once you overcome the disappoinments in life. Souls you are most compatible with: Traveler Soul and Prophet Soul What Kind of Soul Are You?

Now when I first saw this , I honestly thought that it was a joke, now I know better. I am reminded of a Berenstein Bears book that I had as a child. The introduction to the story said; “When little bears forget to pick up, store, and stash, some of their favorite things end up in the trash.” I guess these parents just took it one step further. I happen to think that kids these days do not really appreciate just how good they have it. What are the chances that more parents will take this type of approach to dealing with this type of situation? Better yet, how long do you suppose it would be before some enterprising parent tried to start a movement to have a national Parent On Strike day? I look forward to seeing how this story plays itself out.

You Are a Prophet Soul You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone. Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people. Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run. No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way. You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle. Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings. A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning. You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer. Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul What Kind of Soul Are You? Hat tip Avery .

The 47th Christian carnival is up over at The God Blog . There are more than forty entries this week. Hubby will be hosting next week's carnival.

I've been corresponding with a reader who recently wrote: "I'm sure that you have been told by other black people that you're ashamed to be black. You seemed to acknowledge this by calling your blog 'uncle sam's cabin' a reference to Uncle Tom. What were the reasons behind that?" I may address that ashamed to be black thing on the blog some time (or may be not it's a really stupid accusation). But I have been meaning to write about the meaning of the name of the blog as part of my celebration of my one year bloggiversary. I chose "Uncle Sam's Cabin" because is has a many levels of meaning. The Uncle Tom thing is certainly one of them (Avery's got a post up about the Uncle Tom business). I know that black people who hold views similar to mine are often labeled as Uncle Toms. I also know that if I ever receive any notoriety as a blogger some joker will apply the label to me. I figured I'd acknowledge the stakes in the game righ

The Ukrainian Supreme Court has issued its ruling on the election .

Sing it with me now. It's my bloggiversary, bloggiversary! Do you know what today is? It's my bloggiversary! One year ago today I jumped into the deep end of the pool to see if I could swim. Today I'm still afloat and some big shark hasn't come along to gobble me up. I was going to write some long thoughtful post reflecting on my year of blogging but life and the kids just aren't cooperating. I'll have to settle for linking to my first post for now. Here's my reaction early on to discovering other black conservatives online.

My computer has issues. The somewhere between the power cable and the interface with my computer something isn't working right so it's constantly switching back and forth between battery and AC power and running down the battery. Add to that I can't check my email. I'll have to use the computer in Hubby's office which means I won't be online much. Can't keep an eye on the kids from up there. Better post this before the battery dies on me. Help won't get here for another two days. Update 12/2/04: The computer fix it guy is coming today between 2:00 pm and 4:00 pm. Yeah! I still can't check my email though. Boo hiss! It's not like I get lots important messages through email all of the time (it's mostly spam and porn emails) but it's nice to find the one real email from a real person every now and then. And I keep thinking up things I need to email people about.