Wednesday, April 29, 2009

From Mercola.com

This is NOT the First Swine Flu Panic

My guess is that you can expect to see a lot of panic over this issue in the near future. But the key is to remain calm -- this isn't the first time the public has been warned about swine flu. The last time was in 1976, right before I entered medical school and I remember it very clearly. It resulted in the massive swine flu vaccine campaign.

Do you happen to recall the result of this massive campaign?

Within a few months, claims totaling $1.3 billion had been filed by victims who had suffered paralysis from the vaccine. The vaccine was also blamed for 25 deaths.

However, several hundred people developed crippling Guillain-Barré Syndrome after they were injected with the swine flu vaccine. Even healthy 20-year-olds ended up as paraplegics.

And the swine flu pandemic itself? It never materialized.

More People Died From the Swine Flu Vaccine than Swine Flu!

It is very difficult to forecast a pandemic, and a rash response can be extremely damaging.

As of Monday April 27, the worldwide total number of confirmed cases was 82, according to WHO, which included 40 cases in the U.S., confirmed by the Centers for Disease Control. But does that truly warrant the feverish news headlines?

To put things into perspective, malaria kills 3,000 people EVERY DAY, and it's considered "a health problem"... But of course, there are no fancy vaccines for malaria that can rake in billions of dollars in a short amount of time.

One Australian news source,3 for example, states that even a mild swine flu epidemic could lead to the deaths of 1.4 million people and would reduce economic growth by nearly $5 trillion dollars.

Give me a break, if this doesn't sound like the outlandish cries of the pandemic bird-flu I don't know what does. Do you remember when President Bush said two million Americans would die as a result of the bird flu?

In 2005, in 2006, 2007, and again in 2008, those fears were exposed as little more than a cruel hoax, designed to instill fear, and line the pocketbooks of various individuals and industry. I became so convinced by the evidence AGAINST the possibility of a bird flu pandemic that I wrote a New York Times bestselling book, The Bird Flu Hoax, all about the massive fraud involved with the epidemic that never happened..


Read the full article at MERCOLA

Sunday, April 26, 2009

Hello Folks,
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This will be a very short blog. I must notify everyone. Ahem .... quite back there .... thank you ...
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There may be some changes over the next few weeks to this blog. Things have been getting crazy with starting a family, business, apartment etc. etc. etc. and I'm getting to the point where I need to either live life or record it. Something has to give, and I fear it may be the blog. I'd hate to see it just go and die (KERSPLAT!!! like a dead frog skuished by a Mac truck), so I'm going to try and reduce the frequency of posting or amount, or both. We'll see. 
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The Art must live on ...... however, thanks to ALL for your enthusiastic support, emails and encouragement.
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Gotta run.
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As Always,
Love in Christ Jesus,
Michael & Rebekah Thomas

House gift and garden

Bekah still working on thank you cards discovers DUPLICATION!


Unveiling a very (though certainly never overly) belated wedding gift ...

Put in your orders today ...

Stunning! Mark ... you are absolutely and totally somethin' else.

Installing our "greenhouse"

Those little seedlings are gonna think they died and went to heaven. Theologically, that is actually 1/2 right since Jesus did talk about a seed dying and bringing forth life. I'd scratch the heaven part of the analogy though.


Mixing some seedling mix

The rough an' ready repair guys

Well, not quite rough, but certainly ready.

Only Ben ... (well, actually, I think somewhere inside of me was a guy like this ... come to think of it, let me up there)

Picnic on the porch ... guess who's pregnant (and yes, totally setting a bad dietary example, hint, it's NOT me since I'M the one with the healthy red pepper sticks.

An afternoon in Newport

Do you ever have one of those weeks that leave you thinking to yourself, "WOW! That was some week. I got a TON accomplished. Now ... now ... I just need hear the sound of the ocean and listen to the soothing sounds of the waves?"

Having had just one of those weeks, Bekah and I take some time to ponder the Big Blue Wet Thing


Bekah ponders the exclusivity of modern Newport Estates

Things you see


"Praise Him in His sanctuary,
Praise Him in His mighty Firmament"

I think I remember seeing pictures of Jordan and Melissa right here

I believe they kissed that time too

"But the rich ... as the flower of the grass, he shall pass away"

Well folks, that's all for now. 
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Catch ya later!

Monday, April 20, 2009

Hello Folks,
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Thanks to all those who prayed for Rebekah. She is feeling a lot better. Please do not discontinue those prayers, of course. She is down from morning sickness, afternoon "morning sickness" to random bouts of "Michael, I just feel really sick".
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Spring has sprung, we have video clips of the Russian trip thanks to NR productions, and plenty more.
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Enjoy!
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As Always,
Love in Christ Jesus,
Michael & Rebekah Thomas
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P.S. Thanks a MILLION times over to the Flynn family for donating almost 1/2 the pics to this week's blog.

Workin' men ...

John and our valiant steed

Day's done

Art

One man took a shower
And another man did not
One man kissed his wife
The other was struck by a pot

Dinner is served

Spring now rules in New England ... Winter is conquered

Where better to celebrate the triumph of spring then in one of New England's finest garden estates ... how did you guess it? Yes. Blithewold, AGAIN!!!

Touring

Feasting

Align CenterAlmost exactly a year apart, we celebrate Sean and my birthday (yes, 25 will be me on the 21st!!)

Kombucha, the elixir for "aging men"

Art

"In spring a young man's fancy lightly turns to thoughts of love"


With Kombucha proudly displayed, Sean & Bridget take pics with some of the younger ones

Portrait of spring


Art


Dwarfed by magnificence (just so we are clear, I'm talking about the tree)

Safe in his arms

A jungle respite. Unfortunately, after diligent searching and much funding by scientific sponsors across the nation, it is my unfortunate duty to report that we did NOT find Mokele Mbembe beneath these green fronds. Alas!

Yes, it would have been quite the discovery. Instead, we pause for another shot.

Perhaps he runneth from the Mokele creature


Well, when I actually think about it, that IS a rather small jungle for Mr. Mokele to have remained hidden all these years undiscovered.

Posing

Anyone remember this spot?

Hanneke discovers that the larger the rock, the larger the splash. Smart girl! Huh?

What?

Catching up to all the long legged folk

Amidst the ruins, beauty stands

Art


Billy and the two Sillies

Down lover's lane we walked
Hand around each other
Heart's closer then sister and brother.

Hmm ... I fit


Sort of

Well SHE fits

The Russian Report

Brian and the others share from their trip ...

Listening and adding their 2 cents



The man behind the video ... someday, you may go to one of his films.

Well, they SHOULD have been listening. My camera provided a momentary distraction. They were happy to oblige.

A daddy

Another one (and guess what, I'll be one in, Lord willling, 7 months)


A'wt

"Listen to your father, who gave you life ..."

Behind the scenes of the Grand Adventure

Portrait

PDA?

"Phone hoooooommmme"


After our brief bout with the alien "thing", we find a peaceful place to recover our senses (has anyone ever wondered, do angels qualify as "aliens"?)

Art

Do you ever just stop and ask yourself, "does someone need a hug?" No? Hmmm .... please, start today!

Hugs, they are just good for you!

Mom explains some theory of energy, electromagnetic communication and natural effects ... gosh! You'd think I was her son or something.



A very "Holy" kiss ;-)

Marscel up close and personal

I miss my family!

Portrait


"... and to brotherly kindness, love."

Remembering their younger days

"Better a meal of vegetables where there is love
than a fattened calf with hatred."

Can ... she ... do ... it?

Apparently!


In memory of feet everywhere

Huzza!
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Well, that's all for now, y'all come again, ya hear?

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Dear Friends,
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Hair cutting, air soft, Easter Sader and so much more. The Grand Adventure lives on with a fury. 
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I've continued to enjoy reading the http://oneroofafrica.blogspot.com/ blog. What happens when a writer and his family looking to adopt a child moves to Uganda JUST so that they can do that? One killer blog! That's what happens. 
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I'm STILL unpacking, would you believe it. I'm beginning to feel like I'm NEVER going to really settle in. Oh well. My parents used to tell me that once the home is exactly how you like it, it's really time to move anyway. Can you believe my parents moved more the 20 times?
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As always, 
Love in Christ Jesus,
Michael & Rebekah Thomas

Life

How many times have out of control batter batches made it to the blog?  I don't know, but as long as man must eat, I'm sure they will continue to come.

The last year I can do the beloved 1040EZ. NOOOOOOooooooo!

Even so, I breather lavender to "de-stress", either that or I just like the smell.


Visiting with the family

Superman is ready for call!

Just can't get a way from home can I? Thanks mom!


Merry Christmas!

Through muck and mire ...

When the weatherman says "rain" and the Hathaways say "air soft" the weatherman was SUPPOSED to be wrong. Unfortunately, this time, he was right. 


Peter snags our attention ... Melanie snags his picture (thank you Melanie for your great event coverage! I love you sista)

Had this been dry weather, this would have been the event of the year .... instead, it was just an absolutely great time. 


A word of prayer. One of the few times both sides of a conflict are present for the last rites

Here comes the rain!

The Mafia arrives

The mountain ranger reunites with his long lost city slicker brothers

Together, they reunite with their raw recruit brother. 


Boy was the weather man RIGHT!

"If I don't come back, tell my wife, I love her, and she can have my mac"

A local household fuels the resistance

In between games, we repair guns, warm up and, of course, turn the Hathaway's once clean floor into a disaster.

Well, this is certainly one game day we will remember!

Civil War Style


One of my highlights ... Air Soft, Civil War style. Clearly one can see the absolute futility of warfare fought this way


Incredibly futile! 


Charge

The battle rages 

A fallen soldier

Inside one of the households favorable to the cause. By God's grace, they shall be able to smuggle out our fallen soldier to friendly territory.
Introducing the escaped convicts

Someone is having too much fun!

Sort of like a live "whak-a-mole" game

Escaping the wrath of the little plastic pellets



Starving, the convicts hunt chickens

"GOT ONE!"

Art

One of the event organizers. THANK YOU HATHAWAYS!

I thought you were making pizza!

Easter

Art

While the Easter Feast was cooking, we migrated outside to talk, converse and of course take pictures

The incredible double portrait

Art - The three visitors


WARNING - Coming to a computer screen near YOU

Art

Queens of color


MY Queen!

At last! Just when you thought we had too much time on our hands, the Sader is called.

A special celebration

At last the meal is ready and Roger welcomes us to a Christian Sader. As the evening progresses a film guides us through the elements of the Sader. Symbol by symbol we  learn of the amazing symbolism of the Jewish Sader and what we can learn about our own Christian Faith

The table is set

The guests are gathered

Through the media of film we are guided

Eliminating the leaven


Song

Experiments in style


Outnumbered but not outmatched

Team work

Coming soon to a lawn near you

Fierce, fearless and totally formal

With outfits like ours, who couldn't help but like us? Well ... maybe there is more to a successful business then good uniforms.
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So long for now. Y'all come again, ya hear?

Monday, April 6, 2009

Hello Folks,
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Announcements, installations and more.
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As always,
Love in Christ Jesus,
Michael & Rebekah Thomas
Webmasters

A monumental post ... (of course, with all that has been going on with us, what hasn't been MONUMENTAL)

... OK, for all you guys out there (like me) who didn't exactly know what this little paper strip was. This is a pregnancy test.  The first red line shows that it is working. The second fainter line, indicates that Rebekah (or your wife should she be the one to present these little strips to you) is pregnant. Now you are educated and won't look at the little paper strip like I did and go "so what is that and why are you so excited?"
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Yes, we, technically Rebekah, are pregnant. Both of us are very excited, though a little overwhelmed. Glory be to God! Please do keep us in prayer. There's the often usual morning sickness, afternoon morning sickness and sometimes nighttime morning sickness.
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Exciting times!

What do we dooooo all day?


On of Bekah's experiments ... forced bulbs

Do ever get that feeling, a very very sinking feeling, when that cold chill of realization hits you that there are NO MORE CARROTS in the house?


Setting up our towel rack

Thanks to the Hathaways for all the nifty screw driver things they gave. 

Precision

"As servicable a towel rack as I've ever seen" Adapted` 

Spring give's one the itch to garden and to fence one's garden in


Art

Setting up our IKEA pot hanging rack. Would you believe they wouldn't include any actual hardward to install it with?!? Not only that, what directions that were included was plastered with warnings not to actually install this thing. Talk about a liability cover up!

Art

Meanwhile my wife is still doing thank you cards ... haven't received yours yet? Probably because I haven't sign off on it yet.

Go girl!

A visit with the fam ...

Preparation for the next blog post (weather permitting)

This should be quite the event!

We shall be ready!


Dinner time

Technique for the day ... how to take someone's gun off of them. Sneak up behind them when they are talking to Melanie (it HAS TO BE Melanie for this to work)

After while, your victim will be overwhelmed by the conversation, and will feel the urge to stretch. Carefully lift the gun at this point in time and ... success! 

Me & my bro

Me & my billfold

Sunday stuff

Guess what we learned about?

Fellowship

Discourse over things worth discoursing about


Such as what do you actually DO with a tithe (of course, what IS a New Testament tithe? [and then assuming you figure out exactly what it is, and what you do with it, how do you properly get the deacons to oversee all that?)

Not sure he's come up with a complete solution to all this (the palm, by the way, is an annual Palm Sunday tradition as you might recall)

So much to talk about as we sit enjoying the sunlight

Palm Stuff

A mutinous assembly  (just as a side note, I overheard these boys [yes, these boys with a shield, a flag resembling a Texan flag, a quarter staff and staves] that they were really AMERICANS, perhaps they are right. Perhaps this how we'll fight when we finally end the nuclear proliferation crisis)

Post church relaxation ... in other words, taking a walk so that we have pictures for the blog (what can be a more valiant a motive?)

"Down the road, see what life's gonna hold, down the road ..."


Only minutes from our vehicles, a suitable spot presents itself


Philosopher maidens

But of course, what the sister's do, so must the youngers

As a result of marriage, to ME (would you believe it), my wife has been drafted into the ranks of Blogger Staff. 

Art

Ouch ... ooh ... descending


Amidst the picnic table graveyard

Art

Abandonment & Rejection


Art


I'm sure blessed to have such a great family

Awaiting the Loch Ness monster ... no sightings reported

A Brother's Hand ...

The mob moves on


Caught

Though dressed in red, yellow, black & white,
in their minds, they are on an expedition important as man's first flight
The joys of imagination can transport a child far
a rock becomes a castle, a log a speeding car

Art

Art2
The full size version, why it wouldn't upload before, I don't know.

Things you can do with a rock ...

Kill Aslan upon the stone

Bask in the Sunlight

Play "Cliff"

http://oneroofafrica.blogspot.com/

Back at the house, Scari Cari shares an amazing blog with us ...

It's a current day story of a family living three years in Africa just so they can adopt a son ...

It's a story of culture, family, love, and even mango worms ... MANGO WORMS?!?!?!?
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Great Sunday reading. Lot's to read outloud together.

Portrait of Scari Cari the great blog recommender

Good by now!
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Y'all come again, ya hear?