Hit with a Cold Again!

I usually get sick twice a year at most.  But this is the third one this winter and this is also the first year I did not get my flu shots.  Well lesson learned.

Psalm 38:3

Because of your wrath there is no health in my body; my bones have no soundness because of my sin.

Lyrical personal credo

I am not really sure how I stumbled on Ricky Skagg's and the Kentucky Thunder Album Live at the Charleston Music Hall.  I am not a bluegrass aficionado and at the time I was not following any Christian musicians.  But I found this album and specifically the song "A Simple Life".  It really struck home and has become my unofficial theme song slash personal credo.  My wife knows it and both of my children can sing it word for word because I played it so many times since I discovered it.  I find myself getting bogged down in all the disappointments, stresses and distractions of modern life and this song helps remind me that the truly important things are not complicated and worth focus.  I easily take to heart every line.  Enjoy and start to live the Simple Life. (I think you can just listen to the music and ignore the picture-mentally put yours in).

Larry Norman

I was at a dinner party last night and the conversation turned to Christian Rockers.  We went through the current ones that we have recently gone to see in concert (Mercy Me, Jeremy Camp, Newsboys).  One of the couples was from one generation removed from my wife and I and they started talking about the Christian Rock groups that they used to go see back in the 70's and 80's (mainly the Jesus People movement).  That spurred my memory back to the first Christian Rocker that I really hooked into.  Back in the (yes Rich I am aware that is not a proper sentence and this one is not also) easly 80's I was complaining to my youth pastor Dave Barber that the reason that I did not like any of the current Christian groups (Amy Grant, Sandi Patty, Michael W Smith) was because they were lame, sugar coated, pop songs that never delt with the real world.  Dave then pulled out a Larry Norman album  that had the song Why Don't you look to Jesus.  I was blown away.  These lyrics in a "Christian Song?!?"   I immediately became a fan and played the h-e-double hocky sticks out of that tape.   Here is a live performance of this song, worth a listen.


Well I eventually moved on and forgot about Larry and his ass-kicking for Jesus till last night and of course as usual with my timing he has shed this life for the next about a year and change ago, so I will not have the opportunity to see him live.  But man that guy was on the street, playing for the whores, tell'n them about Jesus.  How cool is that!

This is what Larry wrote the day before he died.

In a message he wrote on Saturday, Feb 23, the day before he passed away, Norman said:

"I feel like a prize in a box of cracker jacks with God's hand reaching down to pick me up. I have been under medical care for months. My wounds are getting bigger. I have trouble breathing. I am ready to fly home. I won't be here much longer. I can't do anything about it. My heart is too weak. I want to say goodbye to everyone. In the past you have generously supported me with prayer and finance and we will probably still need financial help. My plan is to be buried in a simple pine box with some flowers inside. I'd like to push back the darkness with my bravest effort. There will be funeral information posted on my website, in case some of you want to attend. We are not sure of the date when I will die. Goodbye, farewell, we will meet again.”
“Goodbye, farewell, we'll meet again
Somewhere beyond the sky.
I pray that you will stay with God
Goodbye, my friends, goodbye."


A Brief Bio of Larry


Feb. 25th, 2008, Salem, Oregon - Larry Norman, the singer, songwriter, and producer known as the "father of Christian rock music," died of heart failure on Sunday (Feb. 24) in his Salem, Oregon home. He was 60.

Norman was an eccentric visionary whose songs drew controversy from both the conservative religious establishment and the secular music press for his lyrical mix of radical religious, political, and social themes. His 1969 solo album Upon This Rock was the first Christian rock record, and his milestone 1972 release Only Visiting This Planet is considered one of the best albums in the genre. His music was an influence on such diverse artists as U2, John Mellencamp, and the Pixies.

"Larry was my door into the music business and he was the most Christlike person I ever met," former Pixies singer Frank Black said Monday upon hearing of Norman's passing.

Norman was born on April 8, 1947 in Corpus Christi, Texas. At the age of 3 he relocated to San Francisco, California with his family and in the mid-'50s became fascinated with the music of Elvis Presley. During this time he also frequently accompanied his father on Christian missions to prisons and hospitals. At the age of nine, Larry began writing and performing original rock and roll songs at school, experimenting and incorporating a spiritual message into his music. In 1959 he performed on Ted Mack's syndicated television show The Original Amateur Hour on CBS. Upon moving to San Jose, California, he began recording for Capitol Records with his band People! in 1966 and for the next 2 years performed concerts supporting The Doors, The Who, Janis Joplin, and Jimi Hendrix, among others. People! scored a Billboard Chart hit in 1968 with a cover of The Zombies’ song “I Love You.” Norman left the band the day People!’s debut album was released.

His solo albums recorded in the 1970s on his own independent label Solid Rock, and the albums of other artists he discovered and produced, laid the foundation for what would eventually become the Christian rock music industry, a genre which largely shunned him and his music. According to Portland news/radio station KXL, Norman's early social positions caused a stir among many conservative Christians. His views against racism and poverty caused him to receive multiple death threats in the 1970s. A widespread ban on Norman's music, which is largely still in effect today, existed in Christian stores. This ban was due not only to Norman's social positions, but his preferred company as well. Said Norman in a separate interview, "The churches weren’t going to accept me looking like a street person with long hair and faded jeans. They did not like the music I was recording. And I had no desire to preach the gospel to the converted."

Time Magazine once called Norman “the most significant artist in his field.” Over 300 cover versions of his songs have been recorded by artists such as Petula Clark, Sammy Davis, Jr., Frank Black, and Cliff Richard. His songs have also been recorded by contemporary Christian artists like DC Talk, Rebecca St. James, and Audio Adrenaline. He performed for The White House, twice - and in Moscow at the 80,000 seat Olympic Stadium. He headlined venues like The Hollywood Bowl, The Sydney Opera House, The Palladium and London's prestigious Royal Albert Hall, which he sold out six times, once filling it twice on the same day. In the last 40 years Norman has released nearly 100 solo albums.

In 2001 Norman was inducted into the Gospel Music Hall of Fame alongside Elvis Presley. At the time of his death he was working on an album with Frank Black and Isaac Brock of Modest Mouse, which will be released later this year.

For everyone who loves Christian Rock this is your founder.  RIP Larry till I see you when I see the Lord face to face and your with him.

Geese Really? Didn't occur to you that it may go bad?

If you have read this blog for any length of time I am almost always a Police apologist and supporter, primarily because I am one and secondly, the information used to criticize  an Officer's conduct is usually either wrong or demonstrates a gross lack of understanding of our profession.

However the following story is an exception to my stance.  While this Sergeant is 1) stupid 2) a disgrace 3) morally bankrupt 4) should be locked away for at least 20 years...it is..... 5) really funny.


Charges: Cop using squad car to deliver pot

February 2, 2010

By MATT HANLEY mhanley@stmedianetwork.com

An Earlville police sergeant who lives in North Aurora is facing multiple felony charges after he allegedly made a marijuana delivery while on duty.

Sgt. Sergio Fuentes, 41, was charged with felonies possession of a controlled substance and official misconduct, according to the Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team.

On Friday, Fuentes delivered marijuana to a person who was working with the narcotics team, police said. Fuentes was on duty at the time of the alleged delivery and drove his Earlville squad car to the delivery.

Fuentes was arrested a short time later at the Earlville police station.

After the arrest, officers found more marijuana in Fuentes' personal car, then recovered another illegal drug -- Clonazepam, a muscle relaxer -- during a search of his squad car, police said.

According to the Earlville Mayor Mike Hall, Fuentes has been suspended without pay. At the advice of the city's attorneys, Fuentes' medical benefits remain in place for the time being, Hall said.

Hall said Fuentes had been with the department several years and was generally thought to be doing a good job. He hurt his knee on the job and had been out on workman's compensation, returning a few months ago.

"As a city, obviously we're very disappointed," Hall said Monday. "We're shocked. The state's attorney and those people are handing this. We'll obviously cooperate in any way we can."

Official misconduct carries a possible sentence of up to five years. If convicted of possession of marijuana, Fuentes could be sentenced to up to three years.

The Tri-County Drug Enforcement Narcotics Team consists of police departments from LaSalle, Bureau and Putnam counties.

Psalm 14:1

The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, their deeds are vile; there is no one who does good.

More Silliness

Meet Hello Kitty Superman, Hello Kitty Armored Personal Carrier, Hello Kitty Rifle, Hello Kitty 1911 and finally Hello Kitty Airliner.  After this I promise no more Hello Kitty anything...ever...ever again.  Going to need insulin just looking at these pictures.

Just Something to Lighten the Mood

Meet the Hello Kitty Darth Vader there is hope for humanity yet.

Genesis 21:6

Sarah said, "God has brought me laughter, and everyone who hears about this will laugh with me."

More Cartel Violence

Non-serial killer, sensation /gruesome homicide is used primarily as warning, punishment and to build fear. The murders is Mexico are getting more and more ghastly because a simple multiple homicide does not garnish the attention desired by the cartel in question. Thus over time they get more brutal, more torturous and more macabre in order to rise about the other piles of rotting bodies. Here is another example from a growing and troubling trend. A sign of the future for America if we ever let the cartels truly set up their power base on our soil.


Mexico man's face skinned and stitched onto a soccer ball in Sinaloa in threat to Juarez drug cartel
By Soraya Roberts

DAILY NEWS STAFF WRITER
Saturday, January 9th 2010, 5:54 PM

In a new incident of grisly drug war violence, a man's face was skinned and stitched onto a soccer ball as a threat to members of Mexico's Juarez drug cartel.

The unknown assailants cut up the body of Hugo Hernandez into seven pieces and left him on a street in the northern city of Los Mochis, a spokesman for Sinaloa prosecutors, Martin Robles, told the Associated Press.

Hernandez's torso was found in a plastic container in a separate location from another box that contained his arms, legs and skull. The macabre soccer ball was discovered a plastic bag near Los Mochis' City Hall in Sinaloa.

The gruesome discovery included a note, which read, "Happy New Year, because this will be your last."

Hernandez, 26, was kidnapped from Sonora on Jan. 2 and taken to the neigboring state of Sinaloa. The motive for his abduction remains unclear but Sonora is known for its marijuana farms, Robles said.

Sinaloa state is the hometown of the bosses from four of the six major drug cartels in Mexico.

While tortures and beheadings have become a familiar sight since President Felipe Calderon started his crackdown on drugs three years ago, Hernandez's murder was particularly grisly.
More than 15,000 people have been killed in the drug war, many of them in the border cities of Ciudad Juarez and Tijuana. At least 17 journalists have been killed since 1992 after reporting on the local drug community, which has spurred some of the country's newspapers to stop covering violence to avoid more deaths.

Members of the cartels often torture and mutilate their victims in order to intimidate the people who threaten them.

With News Wire Services.

Drug War

I am often asked if I think that law enforcement ever has any meaningful successes when dealing with the distribution and sale of illicit narcotics.  I usually say we have a limited affect, primarily due to the copious amounts of drugs coming in and the huge profits being made.

I need to reevaluate this position.  We are having a profound effect when viewed with the drug war going on in Mexico.  Mexico is in danger of becoming a failed state due to the cartel's (Los Zetas, Gulf, Sinaloa Cartel) influences in all aspects of Mexican life.  While we are not stopping drug violence nor stemming the flow of drugs into this country or the currency from the sales from flowing out, what we are doing is keeping the drug organizations from becoming the single biggest bastion of power in American society.  It’s a nice starting point.

Case in point 
At Arturo Beltrán Leyva (ABL) grave a head just showed up to make a point.  Since severed heads are becoming the norm they decided to engage in some Feng shui and balance the floral arrangement by placing one in his ear.  Don't ever forget it really is a war.

Dangerous Job

Few people know and understand the risks of high level illicit narcotics investigations that are not on the job or fresh from the job. One of the interesting/scary issues that an officer or agent run into while participating in this kind of investigation is with the criminal him/herself. Since these individuals are at the top or near the top of their organizations they tend to be self driven people of a higher intelligence than the average criminal you would meet on the street. As a result they have the ability to plan and execute operations on law enforcement similar in nature to what law enforcement operates on the criminal. As a result they present an increased threat to the personal safety to the officers, their families and associates, case in point from Chicago Breaking News Website.

Link: http://www.chicagobreakingnews.com/2010/01/2-men-accusing-of-plotting-prosecutors-death.html


2 men accused of plotting to kill prosecutor, federal agent

January 19, 2010 7:13 PM

Already accused of using the name of a professor at Northwestern University to buy chemicals to make Ecstasy, Frank Caira allegedly asked a friend to help get him out of trouble by paying someone to kill a federal prosecutor and a drug agent on his case.
Federal authorities today said the two men tried to hire a gang member with a murder conviction in his background to do the job. But when they didn't pay him the cocaine they'd promised, the gang member allegedly passed information about the plot to his defense lawyer, who in turn called the FBI.

Caira, 39, of Downers Grove, was charged with solicitation of murder, along with Jack Mann, 41, of Naperville. Both remained in custody today.

Court records show Caira was charged in the drug case in December 2008, while working as a research technologist at Northwestern. He allegedly used the name of a professor to order chemicals and equipment used in Ecstasy production and was facing 14 years in prison.

It was Mann who allegedly reached out to the gang member on Caira's behalf, promising four kilograms of cocaine. The gang member later told authorities he wasn't planning on doing the hit anyway, and was only going to steal two kilograms he hoped to get as a down payment.

But that would have been news to Mann, who allegedly passed the names of the intended victims to the "hitman." By Dec. 27, the gang member had agreed to cooperate with authorities, and allegedly taped a conversation he had with Mann, who was complaining that Caira hadn't agreed to put up anything before the job was done.

"Now he's gonna play me for a (expletive,)" Mann allegedly was recorded saying, later adding, "No, (expletive), my time's worth money. If you want Jack Mann, you're gonna (expletive) pay."

Mann's attorney, Michael Petro, said his client would likely challenge his detention at a later time. Petro said Mann is a "respected member of the community."

Attorneys for Caira could not immediately be reached for comment. Assistant U.S. attorneys from the Northern District of Indiana were handling the case Tuesday after prosecutors from the U.S. attorney's office in Chicago recused themselves to avoid any appearance of a conflict of interest.

Angie Leventis Lourgos contributed.
--Jeff Coen

Psalm 141:10  Let the wicked fall into their own nets, while I pass by in safety.

There are still thinkers and game changers out there!

 I was reading my wife's Food Network Magazine (No really its her's) and found a brief blurb about Jailhouse Fire Hot Sauce.  The ingredients are grown by prisoners at the Hillsborough County Jail in Tampa as part of the jails horticultural program.  There are three varieties: Original, Smoke and Super-Hot No Escape.

I have heard from many people fresh from incarceration that their jail time was a waste of time because they had nothing to do, so when they got out they just jumped back into the life and crime they understood.  This jail at least offers both the opportunity to learn a new skill, demonstrate the entrepreneurial spirit and give them something to do as the time clicks by.

A excellent program that is doing good for those in the jail, for us on the outside and for them that will be returning back to us.

Link: http://www.jailhousefire.org/

What little we really know

I ran into an article the other day that spoke about a newly discovered species of Strawberry crab off the coast of Taiwan.  They had located two that were forced to the surface because of a tanker spill.  It just reminded me about how little we really know about the earth we live on.  There is still much to explore and things to learn before the human race can make any reasonable conclusions about this living ball hurtling through space.  We should be much more humble than we are.  Here is a list of some of the newly discovered living organisms in 2009.

 The world's smallest snake, known as Leptotyphlops carlae or the Barbados threadsnake.

The Tahina palm, or Tahina spectabilis, is a gigantic new species of palm represented by fewer than 100 specimens

Borneo's Phoebaeticus chani is considered the world's longest insect, with a body length of 14 inches

Satomi's pygmy seahorse, also
known as Hippocampus satomiae, is the smallest known seahorse with a standard length of 0.54 inches

The ghost slug, or Selenochlamys ysbryda, was found in Cardiff, Wales

Charrier coffee, also known as Coffea charrieriana, is the first known naturally caffeine-free coffee species found in Central Africa

Discovered a new species of giant rat in a remote rainforest in Papua New Guinea.

Botanists believe they have discovered one of the world's largest carnivorous plants in Southeast Asia.

Genesis 1:5

God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning—the first day.

Real Serious Ramifications for Law Enforcement

This ruling was just brought to my attention.  If this is carried through to other rulings or is supported by the US Supreme court-an officers job just got much more dangerous and extremely complicated.

 Three things to note about this.  First every case that shocks the very foundations of law enforcement started with some ridiculous incident but then is applied to all situations that are not crazy or stupid.  The elements of the case while important should not be the focus what the new standard for the affirmative defense given to the charges  of Resisting an Officer/Obstructing an Officer etc.  Second the biggest concern for law enforcement is the statement of  a right to self defense if unlawful imminent use of force is about to be brought to bare.  So the officer comes to a burglary to residence in progress and confronts the burglar.  It is standard practice to have your weapon drawn till you can determine if the burglar is armed or not.  So as I am reaching for my firearm, the burglar sees this, pulls his firearm and shoots me, because he knew as a reasonable person it would not take deadly force to affect his arrest.  So now he has a new defense that was never available to anyone before.  Third, the most training I have ever received and will be continuing to receive is on Use of Force.  It is a extremely complicated concept that has to be applied in seconds in a dynamic situation.  What is reasonable use of force for the average man or woman without any training?  You can attack me because I did not give you the verbal order a forth time?  I need to order you to put down your weapon before I can draw mine?  Read the summary below and if you want a deeper treatment follow the link.  This is a very troubling development.  We ask enough from our officers but it seems that mind reading will now be taught in the police academy.

State v.Oliphant and the affect on Oregon law enforcement.

The Multnomah County Sheriff's Office (Portland Metro) recently sent out a memo regarding a resisting case (State v. Oliphant) and the affect on Oregon law enforcement. In essence the ruling says:


"An arrestee may defend himself against a police officer's use or imminent use of force if the arrestee believes, as much as a reasonable person in his position would believe, that the officer's use or imminent use of force
exceeds the force reasonably necessary to make the arrest.  Oregon effectively is now the only state that gives a suspect charged with Resisting Arrest (ORS 162.315) an affirmative defense that they were
defending themselves against what they reasonably believed was an actual or imminent unlawful use of force by a Police Officer.  Accompanying charges including Assault on a Public Safety Officer will likely be
dismissed if the argument stands."


The full case can be viewed at the below link: 
 

http://www.publications.ojd.state.or.us/S056404.htm
 

There's drunk and then there's record setting drunk

I took it fairly easy this New Years Eve in the drinking department  Which I would like to say is the norm but sadly is not.  However that said I did have some success this year.  I digress,  while drinking an assortment of beers form the Chicago based Two Brothers Brewing Company, it got me thinking about what is the worlds record for being drunk and here it is:


Bulgarian's blood-alcohol level astounds doctors
Last Updated: Tuesday, January 4, 2005 | 3:07 PM ET
CBC News

Bulgarian doctors tested a man's blood-alcohol level five times before accepting it was 0.914 – nearly twice the amount considered to be life-threatening.

The 67-year-old man landed in hospital on Dec. 20 after a car knocked him off his feet in the southern Bulgarian city of Plovdiv, police and doctors said Tuesday.

A breath test indicated blood-alcohol levels so high that police thought their equipment was broken, because the man remained conscious and talked with them.

The head of Plovdiv police, Col. Angel Rangelov, said five separate lab tests taken the same day confirmed the man's blood-alcohol level of 0.914.

A blood-alcohol level of 0.55 is considered potentially fatal.

In comparison, the Bulgarian man's level was more than 11 times higher than the legal blood-alcohol limit for drivers in Canada, which is 0.08.

The man, who has not been identified, was reported to be in stable condition after being treated for head injuries.  

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ok the average person successfully processes .015 b.a.c out of their system per hour so this fine gentleman had the equivalent of 60 beers in his system at one time! (article link: http://www.cbc.ca/world/story/2005/01/04/drunk-bulgarian-050104.html)

The picture is of my new favorite beer it is from the Surly Brewing Company out of Minnesota-called Furious-a fantastic beer which I promise I will never have more than six of at any one time but it is so good I probably will need help with that, well not really.  Enjoy.

http://www.surlybrewing.com/beers.php their web site.

Proverbs 31:6
Give beer to those who are perishing, wine to those who are in anguish;

Happy New Year-Blue Moon

Happy New Year

Last Night had a Blue Moon.  The lunar calendar basically is a 28 day calendar.  So every 2 and 1/2 years there is 13 full moons in a year rather than the typical 12 full moons.  So last night's Blue Moon has nothing to do with color but rather we had an extra full moon.  The last one that happened on New Years Eve was Dec 31, 1990.



For 2010 here is a list of full moons, their names and dates.

2009 December 16 - January 14 = Early Winter moon

January 15 - February 13 = Mid Winter moon

February 14 - March 14 = Late Winter moon

March 15 - April 13 = Early Spring moon

April 14 - May 13 = Mid Spring moon

May 14 - June 11 = Late Spring moon

June 12 - July 10 = Early Summer moon

July 11 - August 9 = Mid Summer moon

August 10 - September 7 = Late Summer moon

September 8 - October 6 = Early Fall moon

October 7 - November 5 = Mid Fall moon

November 6 - December 4 = Blue moon

December 5 - 2011 January 3 = Late Fall moon

I thought that was cool.

Revelation 21:23

The city does not need the sun or the moon to shine on it, for the glory of God gives it light, and the Lamb is its lamp.

Tiger Woods a reflection of your morality

Tiger Woods' current infidelity problems-(the current rumor I have heard is that shortly after his wife's discovery of his sex-texts and subsequent confrontation-she hit him in the face with the club she later took to his car.  Tiger then drove away-crashed-went to hospital-then needed plastic surgery and ended up in a upscale clinic in Phoenix-and that is why he dropped out of golf, he needed time to heal-true or not true I do not know)-seem to pop up in the conversations at work during lunch at least once a break of the midday fast.

One of the common themes is a observation that notes that if you were in Tiger's position (Rich, young, famous) you would have made the same decisions Tiger made, if not whored to even a greater extent than he.

While I have to make two caveats.  The first is I have never been in Tigers position so I really do not know what it is like and second, I have a basic understanding of how difficult it would be holding back when everyone and anyone is throwing themselves at you.

That said I find it interesting that the above observation is not really statement of incite into Tiger Woods current situation but rather a brief manifesto of your own personal morality.  What they are really saying is I could not stay faithful to my wife/husband if sex was always available.   There have been a few of my friends that have championed the opposite view that Tiger's conduct was revolting are the men and women that have a higher moral standing.

It is not to say that the moral proponents would not fail when tempted but sexual immorality is a choice not a forgone conclusion.  You can and should resist-adding women and men in between your marriage partner and yourself.  You can say no and if you could not believe Tiger could ever be able to say no when he was in his position maybe you should stop thinking about Tiger's moral conduct and refocus on your own.


Hebrews 13:4

Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral.

Christmas-the Greatest Present

Merry Christmas-One and All

The Birth of Jesus Christ (Matt 1:18-25)

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit. 19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit. 21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus,[c] because he will save his people from their sins."

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet: 23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel"[d]—which means, "God with us."

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife. 25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Fighting Evil always has a price

In the Battle with Evil for Justice there is always a price to be paid. Sometimes it is small, other times the price is horrorific. I think we as Americans take our imperfect institutions of Justice, Fairness and Openness for granted because so few of us outside the military have ever sacrificed anything for them. Rather we bitch and whine and find the little problems of life overwhelming. The war on drugs is really a war with greed and mercilessness as this family has and the world now knows in such a visceral sense and in a way I hope my family will never know.


Our prayers are with these new victims and for all the men who did the right thing and their families that are now at risk for it.

Mexican Marine's Family Murdered in Suspected Revenge

Just hours after the funeral of a special forces marine, gunmen murdered the marine's family in what Mexican police suspect was a revenge attack.  Melquisedet Angulo was fatally injured when he took part in a raid that killed notorious drug lord Arturo Beltran Leyva and five bodyguards last week.  Local authorities say the assailants broke the door down with a sledgehammer and sprayed the family with bullets in the living room and bedrooms.  The murder of Angulo's mother, sister, brother, and aunt was condemned by Mexican President Felipe Calderon.

[Felipe Calderon, Mexican President]:  "These reprehensible events are a display of the lack of scruples with which organized crime operates, preying on innocent people. This only spurs us to redouble our efforts to root out such a singular cancer from our social life."

Despite the deployment of 49,000 troops across Mexico, killings by drug gangs have soared into the thousands.  Mexican soldiers usually wear masks during drug operations to keep their identities secret.
But Angulo was named and lauded as a hero by the Mexican navy, making his family an identifiable target.
Source: http://english.ntdtv.com/ntdtv_en/ns_sa/2009-12-24/726125620330.html


Psalm 10:15
Break the arm of the wicked and evil man; call him to account for his wickedness that would not be found out.

Arturo Beltrán Leyva is Dead

There is a little bit less evil in the world now.

A tip of the hat to the Mexican Military


From The Times December 18, 2009

Mexico's drug 'Boss of Bosses' shot dead in raid on luxury hideout

Mexico was celebrating a rare victory in its war on drugs yesterday after one of the country’s most notorious traffickers was killed in a two-hour gun battle after 200 Navy Marines stormed his luxury hideout.

Arturo Beltrán Leyva, known as the “Boss of Bosses”, died along with six of his henchmen after the Marines surrounded a complex of flats in Cuernavaca, a holiday town south of Mexico City. Beltrán Leyva, also wanted in the US, was the highest-ranking figure to be taken out by the authorities and his death marks the biggest success yet in President Calderón’s campaign to stamp out the drugs trade.

The Marines, among Mr Calderón’s best-trained — and least corrupt — forces, had been planning the assault for months. They had tracked Beltrán Leyva’s movements since Friday, when they narrowly failed to capture him.

Elite forces closed Cuernavaca’s roads and surrounded the complex of tower blocks. The 200 armed sailors, many arriving by helicopter, searched and evacuated the apartments and cut off communications in the area.

An intense battle ensued in which Beltrán Leyva and his men were killed. One, realising that he was surrounded, committed suicide. Beltrán Leyva’s body remained at the scene yesterday, a large gold medallion still in his hands.

Two sailors were wounded and one died when the gang hurled grenades at them. One civilian, driving past at the time, was killed in the crossfire.

Mr Calderón described the operation as “a decisive blow against one of the most dangerous criminal organisations in Mexico and the continent”. A spokesman for the Marines, Admiral José Luis Vergara, hailed the operation’s success and endorsed Mr Calderón’s promise to “carry the war against organised crime to its ultimate consequences”.

Beltrán Leyva, who had a $2.1 million (£1.3 million) price on his head, was a leader of the Sinaloa cartel until he and his four brothers split off last year and aligned themselves with Los Zetas, a group of former soldiers hired by the rival Gulf cartel as hitmen. The split is thought to have fuelled much of the recent bloodshed.

One of his brothers, Alfredo, was arrested in January 2008, in the Calderón administration’s first major success of the war on drugs. The Beltrán Leyva brothers had accused Joaquín Guzmán, the head of the Sinaloa cartel, of treason, and launched a series of bloody reprisals against him, including the killing of his son.

Among his crimes, Beltrán Leyva is accused of smuggling tonnes of cocaine and heroin, laundering money through a professional football team, and bribing hundreds of Mexican officials. According to US officials, he was guilty of multiple killings and beheadings and was responsible for much violent infighting between rival cartels.

On Wednesday morning, hours before he died, two dismembered bodies were found in plastic bags in the state of Guerrero with a note signed “The Boss of Bosses”.

Beltrán Leyva is the biggest prize yet of Mexico’s war on drugs, in which 14,000 people have been killed and 49,000 troops deployed since the beginning of Mr Calderón’s term in 2006.
The operation has been hailed by Washington as a decisive move. “We have begun having an impact against the drug traffickers,” Carlos Pascual, the US Ambassador to Mexico, said. “I don’t think it’s because we are doing something wrong.”

The two countries have pledged to work closer together to address the drugs trade. Five Bell helicopters were given to Mexico by the US as part of the Merida initiative, a three-year pact between the nations to fight the drug cartels.

This week has been one of the bloodiest yet in Mexico’s drug war, with multiple killings across the country. The general increase in violence is being seen by Mexican authorities as a sign that the war on drugs is finally making inroads. The drug cartels, they say, are weakening under the pressure of infighting and repeated hits from military and police operations, and are resorting to extreme, chaotic attacks.

The Cold-immediate prospective only

I am currently battling a cold that has run through the family. So while spending the night shivering with a 103 degree tempt gave me some time for thought. It interesting that even minor inconveniences like a cold can prevent you from thinking beyond the immediate discomfort. But it reminded me that what is important in life is rarely what the long term situation is but rather what your next decision/action will be. Tiger Woods did not set out to bang 12 waitresses but when it came to making the decision to sleep with the first one he failed to resist. I am going to keep this entry short simply because it hurts to type and think and breath and well do anything right now. Each step is important the twentieth step will handle it self. Be vigilant, be sensitive to the Holy Spirit and the rest will take care of its self.


1 Peter 5:8
Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil walks about like a roaring lion, seeking whom he may devour.


2 Peter 3:17
Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.



Colossians 4:2
Continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving;

Four Lakewood Police Officers-May you all rest in peace

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I have spent a lot of time with my co-workers at the beginning or the end of shifts at different coffee houses.  A truly evil person came in and took these Lakewood Police Officers lives, it easily could have been me or anyone that I work with.  At times like these I rarely know what to say other than I know that:

1.  God is always good-Daniel 9:7 -"Righteousness belongs to You, O Lord, but to us open shame,

2.  God is always working for good-Romans 8:28

3. God Loves us-John 3:16 - "For God so loved the world that He gave his only begotton Son, that whosoever believes in Him, will have everlasting life." 
This verse is so important because it shows that God loved the world (Every person who has ever been born or will be born) so much that He was willing to allow His one and only Son to be born into the sin filled world; just so we can live eternal life with Him one day, if we chose to.

4.  He will never leave us-Deuteronomy 31:8 - "And the Lord, He is the One who goes before you. he will be with you, He will not leave you nore forsake you; do not fear nor be dismayed." 

5.  His justice is perfect-1 Timothy 1:9-1We also know that law is made not for the righteous but for lawbreakers and rebels, the ungodly and sinful, the unholy and irreligious; for those who kill their fathers or mothers, for murderers, for adulterers and perverts, for slave traders and liars and perjurers--and for whatever else is contrary to the sound doctrine that conforms to the glorious gospel of the blessed God, which he entrusted to me."

These men died serving their community.  Why God allowed this to happen and how with will be used to further his perfect plan-I will only know when I am finally reunited with him.  As for now I can just fall back on the above five promises, and pray for the people these men left behind. 

A look at the four police officers who were slain at a suburban coffee shop on Sunday:

Sgt. Mark Renninger, 39

Renninger was described as a cop's cop: A tough guy who excelled at his job and was regarded as a leader and teacher in the close-knit Lakewood police force.

"He was the most competent and tactically proficient man I ever knew in police work. I do not say this because he was killed and that is something you should say," Lakewood police union president Brian Wurts said. "Everyone in our department and all who knew Mark know this was true."

Relatives said Renninger, who grew up in Bethlehem, Pa., came to Washington state through military service. The East Coast native was blunt-spoken but "never belittled anyone," Wurts said.

"Mark had that spark that made you like him and respect him. He was truly a rock in our department, someone you always counted on," Wurts wrote.

The union said Renninger was married with three children.

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Officer Tina Griswold, 40

Her sister, Tiffiny Ryan, said Griswold liked to cook, ride her dirt bike and was a certified diver.

"My worst nightmare has come true," Ryan told reporters on Monday. "I can't tell you how painful it is to lose my sister."

Griswold knew she wanted to be a police officer by the time she finished high school, a weeping Ryan said.

Their father is a retired police officer, while their mother was an administrative assistant at the Washington Supreme Court, Ryan said.

Tina Griswold began working in law enforcement as a dispatcher in Shelton, then became a police officer in Shelton and Lacey before going to work in Lakewood five years ago, Ryan said.

Griswold also has a 21-year-old daughter and a 7-year-old son, Ryan said.

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Officer Ronald Owens, 37

Relatives said Owens - known to friends and family as Ronnie - was a lifelong resident of Parkland, the Tacoma suburb where he was killed. The police union said Owens has a daughter.

Wurts said Owens' fun-loving personality "made everyone around him feel positive."

He "was the laid-back, dirt-bike-riding, surfer-hair-having cop you would always want at a party or with you on any call," Wurts said. "Though he had a laid-back perspective, he was sharp and an extremely dedicated and hard worker."

Owens was a Washington State Patrol trooper from 1997 until 2004, when he left to join the Lakewood police, Patrol Chief John Batiste said.

"While we have many ranks and honors that we offer for exemplary service, the most coveted honor is to simply be respected by your colleagues as 'a good troop,'" Batiste said. "Ron Owens was most definitely a good troop."

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Officer Greg Richards, 42

Richards liked nothing better than spending time with his wife Kelly and three children, the union president said.

Richards enjoyed music in his spare time, playing drums in a rock band that performed this summer at a charity event for a hospitalized fellow-officer.

Richards was liked by everyone he met, sister-in-law Melanie Burwell said. Even though the family knew his job could be dangerous, his death was a shock, she said.

What happened...and how this man should never had been out of prison to kill.

Former Arkansas governor/GOP presidential candidate Mike Huckabee might have made a huge mistake when he commuted Maurice Clemmons' 60-year prison sentence nine years ago: Now, Clemmons is wanted for questioning in the horrific shooting of four Washington State police officers.

This morning, a man walked into a coffee shop in Lakewood, Washington and opened fire, killing four police officers in what officials are calling an "execution-style" shooting. Now police are looking to question 37 year-old Maurice Clemmons, who theSeattle Times reports has had a long criminal history. It started in 1990, when Clemmons was sentenced to 60 years in prison in Arkansas for burglary and theft of property:

When Clemmons received the 60-year sentence, he was already serving 48 years on five felony convictions and facing up to 95 more years on charges of robbery, theft of property and possessing a handgun on school property. Records from Clemmons' sentencing described him as 5-foot-7 and 108 pounds. The crimes were committed when he was 17.

Clemmons served 11 years before being released.

News accounts say Huckabee commuted Clemmons' sentence, citing Clemmons' young age at the time the crimes were committed.

After Huckabee freed Clemmons it was all downhill: According to the Seattle Times report, Clemmons racked up eight felony charges after moving to Washington—the most recent being second-degree rape of a child, for which he had been in jail pending a trial for the past few months. Clemmons was released from jail six days ago after posting his $150,000 bail with help from a company called Jail Sucks Bail Bonds.

Then he might have gunned down four police officers this morning:
Sgt. Mark Renninger, Officers Ronald Owens, Tina Griswold and Greg Richards.