The Sevylor Ranger KRC 79 is a very robust and versatile inflatable kayak. It can be used for white water, coastal and river paddling and can be packed up like a cart horse with all of your kayak accessories.

You should not confuse this inflatable kayak with cheaper alternatives that you will find in your local department store. It is made of heavy duty PVC and has three separate air chambers allowing the kayak to remain afloat should one of the chambers accidentally puncture.

One of the most important kayak accessories for any inflatable kayak is of course the pump. Whilst you can buy electric pumps which are very handy I have found they are unable to pump into the Kayak those last few pounds of air needed.

In my opinion you will be better served using a manual hand or foot pump to ensure you have inflated your boat properly. This inflatable kayak can be manually pumped up in under five minutes.

In order to provide extra protection to the inner chambers of the kayak it has a polyester jacket which covers the sides and bottom which protects it from puncturing. The polyester jacket hooks over the bow and stern and secures to the sides of the kayak with Velcro patches.

A good tip to ensure the jacket is centralised is to pump up the floor section of the kayak and then flip the boat over and use the seams of the jacket as a guide to centralising the jacket.

The polyester jacket is incredibly hard wearing and also quick drying. On the bottom it has two rubber skegs about two feet long which runs parallel to each other and help with the kayaks tracking.

On both side chambers of the kayak are markers which indicate how much air pressure is in each side tube allowing easy management of how much to pump the kayak up according to weather conditions and to make sure both sides of the kayak are evenly inflated.

At the bow and stem are plastic straps which make transportation easy and comfortable. At the bow of the kayak the canvas outer skin also has bungee cords allowing easy storage for your kayak accessories.

The ranger also comes with two kayak seats as this inflatable kayak is classed as a two man boat. However, it is better suited to one adult and a child.

The kayak seats also have their own canvas covers and are secured using straps with brass dog collar clips which attach to the four D-rings built into the polyester cover.

The kayak seats are extremely comfortable and can be sat on for as long as you can paddle. Furthermore these kayak seats make great pillows if you are camping overnight.

The ranger comes in two colours, dark green and dark blue which both look very stylish on the water. It is 325cm x 80cm approx and weighs 11.50kg.

Like all inflatable kayaks they will never match a rigid body for either speed or tracking however the ranger does paddle and track reasonably well for a large and heavy inflatable.

Due to the large sides of this inflatable kayak it is very stable in the water and virtually impossible to tip unless you really are leaning over.

Together with the bungee cords at the bow there is further space at the stern and inside for more of your kayak accessories.

Deflating and packing this inflatable kayak is also very quick and easy the boston valves unscrew and let the air out in seconds and by pinching the valve in the floor section deflates the floor. Then it is simply a matter of rolling it up much in the same way you would roll up a rug and placing into its bag which compacts to the same size as a bin liner.

For people looking for a good all round inflatable kayak the sevylor ranger is an excellent choice as it paddles well, can be stowed in a wardrobe, transported easily in the back of a car, can accommodate all of your kayak accessories and is virtually indestructible.

All trampolines needs a safety pad regardless of their shape or size. Pads are necessary to avoid injury and also protect your springs. The quality of the trampoline pad is a factor which is usually easy to determine. Trampoline safety pads are usually composed of either PVC vinyl of polyethylene. PVC vinyl is an UV resistant material designed to withstand harsh UV rays for extended amounts of time. It is a durable vinyl which typically outlasts polyethylene material. Polyethylene is not UV resistant, making it prone to early deterioration. The standard width for a safety pad is 12 inches; however, there are some in the market which are 15 inches. The benefit of having a wider pad is that it helps protect the perimeter stitching on your trampoline mat, which is most sensitive to deterioration by UV rays.

Safety pads for round trampolines are usually the easiest to find. To determine what size pad you will need to purchase you should measure to and from the outside edge of the frame. Trampoline experts recommend that you take the same measurement in two different locations on the frame to be sure that you are purchasing the correct size pad. This measuring tip is recommended because often round trampolines tend to get warped over time, making a measurement in one direction smaller in one direction more than the other. Typically pads for round trampolines are stocked and ready for shipment.

Pads for trampolines that are not round can be more difficult to find. Many times trampolines that are not round require pads which are custom-made. The custom product is the result of the variance in sizes for trampolines which are not round as well as the fact that most people own round trampolines; therefore, companies stock round pads for the majority of trampoline owners. Measuring instructions can vary for custom products depending on the needs of the product designer. It is vital that the customer be as accurate as possible when measuring for a custom safety pad since most custom products are non-returnable and non-refundable.

Since the majority of trampoline owners possess round trampolines, round pads are generally less expensive than pads for trampolines that are other shapes. Though round safety pads may be less expensive, rectangular, square, octagonal, and other pads are usually composed of more durable materials causing them to last longer. Customers are encouraged to contact the safety pad company they are interested in purchasing from, to be sure that they are getting a high quality trampoline parts and accessories.

Tiberius Arms has continually raised the bar in paintball design and technology beginning with the release of their first marker, the Tiberius T8 Paintball Pistol. The T8 was the first mag-fed paintball pistol on the market at the time. It offers a balanced feel while providing the user the option of feeding the pistol through the grip or via a hopper adapter. The pistol runs on a 12 gram cartridge or has the ability to run via a remote adapter that runs through the magazine. It allows you to plug in a remote line to the T8 for constant air usage.

Tiberius Arms soon released the T9 Rifle and it too was accepted into the woodsball world with open arms. Based on the T8, the T9 is a full sized paintball gun offering extended distance and better accuracy than the T8. The T9 is two paintball markers in one, it can be broken down to a T8 and used as a pistol as well. Tiberius’ line of accessories has grown over the years offering various scopes, bipods, barrels, lasers and stocks. It is Tiberius Arms’ latest release, the First Strike Sniper Round, that may prove to be the most revolutionary of all their product developments.

The Tiberius First Strike Sniper Rounds are a far cry from the traditional paintball. The round itself has a rear fin. The fin resembles a pleated skirt that creates spin and is responsible for increasing the distance and the accuracy drastically. How much of an increase? Reports indicate 2x the distance and roughly 25x more accurate over the traditional paintball round. That is astonishing for a paintball marker. In our opinion, no other single development in recent years has elevated paintball performance as the First Strike Sniper Round.

Tiberius Arms has officially released the First Strike Sniper rounds to dealers all over the world. There are a few catches though. First, due to the unorthodox shape of the paintball, the First Strike Sniper round can not be shot from just any paintball gun. Tiberius Arms offers First Strike T8 and T9 conversion kits for their markers. The kit includes a ‘First Strike compatible’ magazine, barrel and bolt assembly. Specific kits are available for the T8 or T9. The other catch is the price.

As you could imagine, special multi-step manufacturing is involved in the creation of each round which adds to the cost of production. Each round equates to about $0.70. Ouch… but hey, it’s a start and a hugh development for those paintballers that have been crying for better accuracy and more distance over the past 20 years. As with all technology, we confident that Tiberius, as well as the free market, will finds ways to bring the cost of this huge develop into the reach of the average weekend warrior.

Teak is probably the most desirable material for outdoor furniture. It is highly valued for its unique aesthetic appeal but it is most famous for being virtually outdoor-proof. However, over the years the consumers have learned that most products are not as great as they seem at a first glance and that they are often not buying what they think they are. Thus it is not a surprise that many home owners are skeptical about leaving their teak garden furniture exposed to the outdoor extremes in the winter months. So are they right by not taking any chances or are they only wasting their time and energy by storing it indoors out of garden season? To be able to answer this question, it is necessary to take a closer look at teak properties.

Teak is a tropical hardwood tree species which grows in south and south-east Asia. It is indeed resistant to the harsh outdoor conditions as promised by garden furniture retailers. It is protected against the effects of the weather by its own natural oils which act as a water sealant, keep the timber oily and repel wood-eating insects. As a result, outdoor furniture which is made from this type of wood is literally outdoor-proof and it is completely safe to leave it outdoors all year round regardless of the weather conditions and the season of the year. Unfortunately, there is always a but.

First of all, it is highly important to be aware that there are three different quality grades of teak. Why? Because the ability of garden furniture to withstand the outdoor extremes depends on the grade of timber from which it is made. Grade A is the highest quality timber which remains unaffected by the outdoor elements and lasts virtually a lifetime without any care other than routine cleaning. Grades B and C, on the other hand, are not outdoor-proof at all because they contain little or no teak natural oils. Leaving garden furniture which is made from either grade B or C exposed to the outdoor conditions all year round therefore is not a good idea because it probably would not “survive” until the next season.

Lastly, teak garden furniture has one disadvantage – it is not resistant to dirt. If you own a quality garden furniture which is made from grade A teak, there is no need to worry about the unfavourable weather conditions or wood-eating insects causing damage to it. However, leaving it exposed to the outdoor elements also means leaving it exposed to dust, dirt and bird droppings which can make spring garden furniture cleaning a highly unpleasant job, while higher humidity levels during the winter can encourage moss growth. Fortunately, moss does not affect the quality of the timber and can easily be removed with a bleach-based solution.

Conclusion

Teak garden furniture is safe to leave outdoors all year round but only if it is made from grade A teak. For convenience reasons, however, it is a good idea to protect it with a breathable cover for garden furniture when not in use.

The number one thing most guys worry about in the bedroom is the size of their penis. Is it too big, too small, or just right? Are these positions working, or doesn’t she feel anything at all? Did she just wince? Is the penis too big for this position? While a guy who fits snugly in the average or medium size category may feel like he’s getting the short end of the stick (pun intended) these gents may actually have an advantage over men who fall into the other extremes, as everything just works with an average sized penis. However, regardless of the penis one was born with, a guy can learn how to use his size to his advantage by choosing the perfect position to highlight his assets. Whether the penis is on the small side, or he is hung like the proverbial horse, check out these hand-picked positions to a better sex life. And remember, no matter what the size, the right penis care is essential for enjoying the best possible sex life.

Positions for the Less-Endowed

Men who aren’t packing as much in their pants as their counterparts need not worry; they can still rock their partner’s world by choosing the right sexual positions. Try these on for size.

• Missionary with a lift: This classic position is anything but vanilla when the woman places a pillow under her hips and places her feet on her man’s chest or shoulders. Opening up the pelvis and offering a slight tilt puts the penis on a direct path to that ever-elusive g-spot. Jackpot!

• Merry-Go-Round: While performing woman-on-top, have her sit up and gyrate her hips in a circular motion rather than a thrusting motion. This adds extra sensation for her and reduces embarrassing slippage for him.

• Downward facing doggie style: Modify this enter-from-behind position to make it more pleasurable. The man should open his legs wider while she closes hers tightly, the woman should also rest her head and shoulders on the bed.

• The Sexy V: With the woman lying on her back, the man lifts her legs up in the air and — holding onto her ankles — spreads her legs wide into a V. He then enters her; this position allows for deep penetration.

Positions for the Well-Endowed

Sure, most every guy wishes for a bigger Johnson, but when it comes down to it, sometimes one can have too much of a good thing. A larger manhood can cause some women pain and make certain positions difficult and unpleasant. Have no fear, however; there are positions especially suited for the man with a little more down below.

• The Chair: This position can be done in bed, but works better with an actual chair. With the man sitting down, the woman should straddle him facing him and use her thighs to glide up and down his member. This allows the woman to control depth and speed, and reduces his ability to accidentally thrust too deeply causing pain.

• The Reverse Chair: The exact opposite of the chair, the woman straddles the man facing away from him and goes to town. Having an actual chair will allow her to have more leverage and control and take some of the pressure off her thigh muscles.

• Extra foreplay: Okay, not a position in itself, but if a woman is not turned on enough, it is sure to be uncomfortable. So spend a lot of time engaging in foreplay to be sure she is ready to go. Also, enter slowly and use lots of lube to help make it more comfortable.

• The Thigh Master: Another workout for the lady, but it keeps her in control. In this position, the man lies on his back and pulls his knees up. She then straddles him facing away and wraps her legs around one of his thighs and bounces away – she can use his leg for leverage and be in control of how deeply he is thrusting, making this position more comfortable.

Keeping the Penis Ready for Action

Regardless of size, a man needs to make sure his rod is ready to go. Utilizing a penis health cream (health professionals recommend Man 1 Man Oil) will ensure the penis is receiving vital nutrients to keep it healthy. Additionally, selecting one with vitamin E and Shea butter will ensure it is silky smooth and ready for her to get up close and personal with it!

Of all of those Big Questions central to philosophical concepts that surround life, the universe and everything, the realms of theology and religions and the nature of deities continue to fascinate. Opinions proliferate in books, articles, videos, conversations in bars and pubs, and in fact anywhere and everywhere two or more humans are in proximity. There’s the pro side; there’s the anti-side. There aren’t too many fence-sitters. I’m still in the anti-camp as the following bits and pieces illustrate.

Regarding Religion

*There have been and are thousands of mutually exclusive religions throughout the world. As implied, not all of these religions can be correct. There have been and are therefore thousands of mutually exclusive deities worshipped throughout the world. As implied, not all of these deities can be correct. Therefore, many of these religions / deities must have been inventions of and by the human mind. Therefore these / those deities that fall under that category have been created in the image of man and not vice versa. Since all of the True Believers in each and all of these religions will claim that all other religions except theirs are man-made inventions / fabrications, what odds that all are man-made since all-but-one have to be man-made and nobody can agree on which one that is? What’s more likely – that 999 out of 1000 religions are pure human inventions and thus mental realities and therefore that one religion is a really real reality imposed from the outside-in, or that all 1000 religions are humanly derived from the inside-out? Don’t the Mormons believe Christianity and Islam are false religions? Don’t Muslims believe Christians and the Mormons are delusional? Don’t Christians debunk the Mormon as well as the Islamic religion?

*Religion A to Religion B (and vice-versa): Our supernatural is the only really real supernatural and your alleged supernatural ain’t worth a bucket of spit!

*Did you choose your religion, or did your religion choose you (i.e. – was your religion chosen for you)?

*Religious claims are not evidently true and evidentially not true (via Aron Ra).

*That fact is that your invisible ‘friend’ in the sky, be it God or be it Allah, is just as imaginary as any creator god, any fertility deity, any storm god, or any sun god.

*Christianity states that Jesus is actually God manifest on Earth who manifested Himself to save us from our sins (which we never committed; our ancestors did the dirty deed, not us) which, being all-knowing, He knew our ancestors would so do those dirty deeds before-the-fact. In any event, God sacrifices Himself (as Jesus) to Himself (as God) from Himself (since God set in train the events that led to sin in the first place). Does this make any real sense? It must, after all, the Father (God) condemns you, but the Son (Jesus) saves you – they’re one and the same ‘person’, but what the heck, that still makes sense, doesn’t it?

*Christian philosophy: In order to be a good Christian, never, ever try to think on behalf of yourself. Instead, read, re-read and defer to our holy book written thousands of years ago. Why? Because you could never hope to improve upon the moral lessons, teachings, instructions, principles and sensibilities that’s been handed down to you from the Bronze Age.

*Faulty logic, as pointed out by The Bible Skeptic, Brett Palmer.

That Jesus exists proves God exists.

But then again, that Mohammad exists proves Allah exists.

And that crop circles exists proves extraterrestrials exist.

And that lumber yards proves that Paul Bunyan exists.

And that forests in Oregon prove that Bigfoot exists.

*We should take note of how statues devoted to the Buddha in Afghanistan were dynamited and hacked to pieces by a rival religion (Islam) on the grounds that these statues were just pure idols. This example as a sort of religious behavior could be given thousands of times over across history, and across religions.

*When one person sees or hears something that isn’t there, that something is a delusion. When millions upon millions of people see and hear something that isn’t really there, that something is called a religion.

Regarding Kim Davis

Do you have a constitutional civil right as a government official to deny and to prevent others from exercising their civil rights if those rights conflict with your worldview and philosophical, especially religious beliefs? It would appear so. Take the recent case involving government official Kim Davis.

Christians demand to have special privileges, at least according to the actions and statements of Kim Davis, Mat Staver, Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz, and lots of others as well. Kim Davis is, if you recall, of course that duly elected Clerk in Kentucky who refused to perform one of her elected duties, specifically granting marriage licenses to same-sex couples, a duty for which she was employed to do and was being paid to do. We note to whit that she wasn’t drafted against her will into her employment. Her position as Clerk was a free will choice. Still, she refused performing that one particular duty, even following a court order to do so, on the grounds that performing that duty violated her religious Christian beliefs and she justified her actions by noting that the bottom line for her was that God’s law (as stated in the Old Testament) trumped human law (which allowed for same-sex marriage). For taking that position and that stand she was cheered on by anti-gay far right-wing fundamentalist Christians and defended by Mike Huckabee, Ted Cruz and formally by Max Staver (who also sprang to the legal defense of Judge Roy Moore who also has frequently defied human law in favour of God’s law).

Naturally Kim Davis and followers claimed that Christians, like themselves, were being persecuted by the godless and that their religious freedoms were being violated. Kim Davis and company alleges that she and they were being discriminated against on the grounds – let’s call a spade a spade here – that she and they weren’t being allowed to discriminate. The obvious upshot is that Kim Davis and followers have no interest in equality and that she and her followers all want special privileges as Christians to do as they damn well – oops – as God damn well wants them to do. So Kim Davis believes she is above the law – human law at least.

Now the question needs to be asked if Kim Davis (and others noted above) were denied some form of entitlement or justice by someone of a non-Christian faith, wouldn’t she and her supporters scream blue-bloody-murder in protest? You bet they would. I mean a Muslim clerk could refuse her a driver’s license on the grounds that women should be allowed to drive; a Muslim cop might arrest her if she was on the street unaccompanied by a family-related male or for not covering her head or face. Even another Christian could refuse her a marriage license on the grounds that she has already been married and has divorced – several times in fact.

By her own belief system Kim Davis should be put to death for adultery as she has been divorced and remarried several times, and that, according to her own Bible (Mark 10: 12) is adultery and the punishment for a woman’s adultery is to be put to death (Leviticus 20: 10).

What Kim Davis should have done is either ask to be relieved of that particular duty and assigned another duty in its place, or, if that wasn’t a possibility, resign. Regardless, the basic principle is that you have to leave your personal worldview and philosophies at home when you go to work. When at work you have to be able to integrate with other people holding other worldviews and other philosophies. Further, you need to obey human law even if you personally feel God’s law is above human law.

I’ve said it before but it bears repeating that right-wing fundamentalist Christians feel persecuted when they are prevented from persecuting others. Right-wing fundamentalist Christians do NOT have a moral philosophy of live-and-let-live, rather they feel quite free and obligated to ram their moral values down your throat.

Regarding Religion vs. Science

*Billions upon billions of years of physical, chemical and biological evolution / natural selection is patently ridiculous. It’s just so obvious that life, the Universe and everything had to have been created in just six days.

*No scientific mystery that has ever been solved has had that solution be of the theological kind.

Regarding Faith & Belief

*Lacking belief in something (like God) doesn’t require any proof or evidence other than providing evidence or proof in having that lack of belief in and of itself.

*Everyone is born a non-believer, born without the belief of a god. Belief of a creator comes later after your family and community has had a chance to indoctrinate you into whatever religious tradition you have the misfortune of being brought up in.

*If you are a True Believer, it doesn’t really matter what the facts are because it really doesn’t matter to you what the true is. Belief / faith is your be-all-and-end-all.

*Here’s a shortcut to rational thinking: “God said it; I believe it; that settles it”.

*According to atheist Aron Ra, faith is an assertion of unreasonable convictions that is assumed without reason and defended against all reason.

Regarding Prayer

*God answers prayers – except when God doesn’t answer prayers. Yet according to Matthew 7: 7 ask and you shall receive. And that’s not a one-off. Try Matthew 21: 22 where if you believe and pray you will receive. But do you always get what you ask for from God? Where does the “oops” lie?

*Try this experiment. Pray to God for one month and record the hits and the misses. Next month, pray to that orbiting teapot around Jupiter and record the hits and the misses. Or perhaps pray to your pet dog instead of the teapot. Did you note any difference between the two results? Was there any difference between the two results? If not, what does this experiment tell you about the nature and the reality of God?

*Everything happens for a reason and God has a plan for you. Now let’s say a prayer and try to change that!

Regarding Animal Morality

*You frequently see animals, especially birds and mammals grooming each other in places where a solitary individual couldn’t reach. So even in the animal kingdom you get examples of “if you scratch my back I’ll scratch your back”.

Regarding the End Times

*It is logical to assume that there will never be an End Times; no need for any Second Coming. Why? Satan, being an intelligent sort of devil, will obviously have read the Bible and the Book of Revelation. Having done so, he will have gotten a spoiler alert and so he will know the ultimate outcome – his ultimate outcome resulting in his demise. So in order to avoid that ungodly fate, Satan just calls it quits and retires to Arizona where it is nice and hot and takes up writing poetry as a hobby (the satanic verses).

Regarding the Soul / Afterlife

*The afterlife, or at least the Christian version of it, has one major flaw – when does it end?

*If, as theist William Lane Craig insists, there has to be a First Cause then there has to be a Last Cause as well, otherwise you still have an infinite Universe, which, as William Lane Craig asserts can’t be the case. The only way to have a finite Universe is for it to be temporally finite on either side, the Alpha side or the Omega side. But a Last Cause contradicts Christian theology – that bit about an eternal everlasting afterlife.

Regarding the Bible

*The Bible is the Word of God because the Bible tells us so and the Bible is infallible because the Bible is the Word of God. This is what is known in philosophical circles as circular reasoning.

*If you are mocked by little children, it’s okay to curse them unto death in the name of the Lord. And so it came to pass that the Lord carried out the wishes of one so mocked and who issued such a curse upon little children using bears as the instrument of their death. Check it out in 2 Kings 2: 23-24.

*I’ve noted before how the Bible, and therefore how God, endorses the concept of slavery. For just one example, check out 1 Peter 2: 18. Now many translations try to be politically correct and substitute the word “servant” for “slave”, but many other translations call a spade a space here, or should I say they call a slave a slave. A rose by any other name…

*If you are into Biblical contradictions check out:

1 Kings 5: 16 vs. 2 Chronicles 2: 2: How many people did Solomon employ to oversee his workers? Was it 3,600 or was it 3,300?

2 Chronicles 9: 25 vs. 1 Kings 4: 26: How many stalls did Solomon have for his horses and chariots? Was it 40,000 or was it 4,000?

Acts 1: 18 vs. Matthew 27: 6-7: It’s not clear who purchased a field. Was it “this man” or was it the “chief priests”?

Question: Why didn’t God proof-read The Word of God?

*Do your own experimental investigation. Compare and contrast the relevant size, staffing and number of animals in Noah’s Ark vis-a-vis any standard animal park or zoo in order to ascertain just how ridiculous the Biblical concept is.

Regarding God

*More faulty logic, as pointed out by The Bible Skeptic, Brett Palmer.

Anecdotes are not proof of God’s existence.

Faith is not proof of God’s existence.

Hope is not proof of God’s existence.

Hallucinations / visions / personal experiences are not proof of God’s existence.

Even the supernatural (if it exists) is in itself not proof of God’s existence.

*Everything we know about God, god or the gods was written by humans for humans and no doubt all such humans had hidden agendas.

*God can never substitute as The Answer just because of the current state of our own ignorance.

*You can’t explain every detail of biological evolution so therefore evolution must be false. On the other hand, you can’t prove that there is no God so therefore it must be the case, it must be true, that there is a God. This is what is known in some religious circles as logic.

*If cats had a deity, that deity would have whiskers, fur and a purr, a tail and jaws, paws and claws. Cats were clearly made in the image of such a feline deity.

*Even if something bad happens to you, it is really good because all things that happen are all part of God’s Master Plan. Check out Psalm 139: 6. That means that all abortions, all murders, all rapes, etc. are good since they are all part of God’s Master Plan. Further, since God has a Master Plan, that means that nobody has any free will and therefore prayer is meaningless – which is contradicted by both God / Jesus in the Bible.

*Does God or Allah pray, and if so, who does God (or Allah) pray to?

*How long have theists had (not to mention God Himself) to convince sceptics that God actually exists? Why haven’t they succeeded? Why hasn’t God succeeded? Because there is no God, that’s why!

*Why can’t an all-powerful God who answers prayers and who performs miracles recreate an amputee’s missing limb? Why? Because there is no God, that’s why!

*God must be really insecure and have a massive inferiority complex since he demands all and sundry worship Him 24/7/52. I wonder what Freud would have to say about that!

*Speaking of worshipping, God just loves burnt offerings and the smell of burning meat and not just animal flesh but human flesh as well. In fact you’ll find over 250 references to burnt offering(s) in the Bible (KJV).

*If God doesn’t know what lust feels like then God isn’t all-knowing. If God does know what lust feels like, then He isn’t really all-good now, is He?

*Why did God bother with His “Be fruitful and multiply” order when He could have just created more people all by Himself from dust and ribs?

*God isn’t exactly the brightest of deities on the market. Shortly after “In the beginning” an alleged all-knowing God decided (although that implies God has free will which is paradoxical in the context of being also all-knowing) to create the human species. This was basically a bad move but one which He thought was a good idea at the time. Anyway, this rather psychotic megalomaniac created a human male and a human female and saw that it was good – for a fraction of a godly day or so depending on what time units God uses. Of course things quickly went from bad to worse once that “Be fruitful and multiply” commandment really kicked in and started to achieve results. Then God became so angry with Himself for His monumental screw-up when He realised that the humans He had created were totally flawed – in God’s eyes – being wicked and full of corruption and doing violence and so on and so on. So, God’s psychotic solution was mass murder and so He killed everyone (animals too for some unexplained reason) without fear or favour. Drowning was God’s chosen method of humanity’s execution (except for Noah and company who weren’t wicked or corrupt or prone to violence). Did that ultimately result in any real improvement? Do pigs fly? No! With God’s “Be fruitful and multiply” order still in force the world was repopulated with a new crop of the same sorts of idiots that pissed Him off the first time with predictable results. So what was the whole point of the exercise? As I said, God’s not the brightest of deities.

Regarding God’s Intelligent Design

*Creationists (anti-evolutionists) love to cite the human eye as something so obviously intelligently designed that only the omniscience and the perfection of God could have designed it and that any evolutionary stage between no eye and a fully developed eye is worthless in terms of survival of the fittest. Quite apart from the fact that evolutionary biologists have adequately countered that argument, I could argue that if God so intelligently designed the human eye then there would never arise a need to see the optometrist. There would be no need for glasses or contact lenses and everybody’s vision would be an uncorrected 20/20 from cradle to grave.

*According to some creationists, one obvious proof of God’s intelligent design is the shape of the banana. A banana fits perfectly in the human hand just perfect for the eating, an obvious proof of God’s intelligent design! But what about the design of the pineapple or the coconut?

Regarding God’s Omnipotence

*Premise: God is all-powerful and can do anything (that’s not logically inconsistent).

*Premise: God answers prayers.

*Premise: Amputees pray to God to restore their missing limb(s).

*Observation: God does not do this – ever.

*Conclusion 1: Therefore God is not omnipotent, or

*Conclusion 2: Therefore God does not answer prayers, or both.

*Conclusion 3: Therefore by the grace of Ockham’s Razor, God does not exist.

Regarding God’s ‘Morality’

*If God is all-loving, all-just, all-merciful, all-benevolent and therefore God can only do good, then clearly any suffering in the world, animal or human, must be all for the good in the mind of God since He does nothing to change the status quo. Of course the real answer is that God is not all-loving, all-just, all-merciful, and all-benevolent as even a cursory reading of the Old Testament will reveal.

*Pope Benadict XVI as reported on 15 September 2006 in response to Islamic jihads noted that violence is contrary to God’s nature and to reason. Conclusion: therefore the Pope has never ever even read the Bible!

*God is the ultimate source of all morality, so you should do as God does and as God commands which is kill, Kill, KILL! You need to kill disobedient children, witches, gay men, Sabbath workers, adulterers, fortune tellers, non-virgin brides, and a host of others. Despite God’s commandment “thou shall not kill”, God kills just about all the men and (innocent) women in Sodom & Gomorrah, all of the firstborn in ancient Egypt (plus equivalent livestock), and a host of others. Even if God doesn’t kill Himself, God relishes when others kill in his name.

*Without my making any additional comments, just compare and contrast Jeremiah 9: 24 with the following:

Deuteronomy: Chapter 20

Deuteronomy: Chapter 28

Exodus: Chapter 32

Ezekiel: Chapter 9

Ezekiel: Chapter 35

Genesis: Chapter 7

Genesis: Chapter 19

Hosea: Chapter 9

Hosea: Chapter 13

Isaiah: Chapter 13

Jeremiah: Chapter 9 (except Verse 24)

Joshua: Chapter 6

Joshua: Chapter 7

Joshua: Chapter 8

Joshua: Chapter 10

Judges: Chapter 1

Judges: Chapter 3

2 Kings: Chapter 17

Leviticus: Chapter 26

Numbers: Chapter 31

1 Samuel: Chapter 15

1 Samuel: Chapter 18

Now go back and re-read Jeremiah 9: 24.

Regarding Jesus

*Compare and contrast the Jesus who equally states that you should honor your Mum and your Dad (Mark 10: 19; Luke 18: 20; Matthew 19: 19) and you should hate your Mum and your Dad (Luke 14: 26). So which is it to be?

*Jesus, born on the 25th of December? As Jaclyn Glenn is noted as saying, or singing, “Have yourself a merry little myth-mas”, with the accent on the “myth”.

Regarding Atheists & Atheism

*Christian Logic: Atheists hate God. Atheist Logic: You can’t hate something you don’t believe has any existence in any really real form of reality. Yet it’s been claimed by many theists that the reason atheists are atheists is that they reject God’s authority, they don’t want to be told what to do by God, they don’t want to be accountable to God and they don’t wish to bow and scrape to any almighty deity. Alas, that would mean that atheists actually believe such an almighty deity actually existed which is the exact opposite of their actual worldview. Atheism is not anti-God or hostility to God. You can’t be anti or hostile or give the middle finger to something that you believe doesn’t exist! This is what is known in the trade as real logic, something theists aren’t always very good at exhibiting.

*Another common claim is that more atrocities have been caused by atheists than by theists, and people like Mao and Stalin and Pol Pot are cited as proof. That reasoning is faulty since atrocities committed by atheists are NOT done in the name of atheism whereby atrocities done by theists are done in the name of their religion and in the name of their god – usually God (or Allah). There are lots of examples of the latter; no examples of the former.

*So why is atheism Public Enemy Number One? Why don’t I see Christians go hammer-and-tongs debating with the Mormons, or Muslims with Scientology or the Hindus versus Satanists? No, it always tends to be atheists who are the villains!

*Atheists are considered to be bigots just be saying “I don’t agree with your faith, your religion or your god(s).” In fact any criticism of someone’s faith, religion and god(s) are normally considered insulting and just a bigoted opinion by that someone of faith.

*Theists tend to insist that atheism and the non-belief that atheists have is in itself a belief system and thus a religion in its own right. But take that to its logical conclusion. How many non-beliefs do Christians have since Christians don’t believe in hundreds of non-Christian religions? Since they believe these other religions are false religions, well that belief makes their own brand of atheism against other religions a religion. That also means that non-belief in fairies (and the Loch Ness Monster, and the Easter Bunny, etc.) is really a belief and thus a religion. Christian logic – not.

Not infrequently I get requests from patients for the desire to transform a round face into a more shapely appearance. One cause of a round face is that the patient is overweight. A full neck, round cheeks, and a lot of subcutaneous fat throughout the face creates a generalized fullness that creates a fat and round face. These patients know full well that they are overweight and some liposuction of the neck and buccal lipectomies may make some difference. But weight loss will probably make the most difference in these cases. And these procedures should not be performed until some weight loss has been achieved.

But the overweight patient is not what usually makes up the ’round face’ patient. Most commonly these are younger patients that are not significantly overweight and are usually closer to being more height and weight porportionate. They may have some mild fullness in the cheeks and neck but often their bony prominences (cheeks, chin, or jaw angles) may be somewhat deficient. The approach to these patients must deal with both hard and soft tissues issues to be effective at improving the face’s angularity and definition.

In addition to the fullness of the cheeks and neck, the next most important consideration in facial shape improvement should look at the chin. Often it may only be midly short in the horizontal dimension but the width of the chin is also important, particularly in the male patient. Chin implants today can provide more projection as well as width in many different sizes. Placed through a small incision under the chin bone, a chin implant can lend more definition and squareness to the lower face from subtle to dramatic results.

Upper facial fullness, more specifically midfacial fullness, can be achieved through cheek implants. Placed into position by incisions inside the mouth under the upper lip, cheek implants can provide good highlights through three-dimensional enhancement of the bone as it wraps around the area below the eye. An amazing aray of cheek and midface implants is available to provide a lot of enhancements around this important facial landmark. When paired cheek implants are combined with a chin implant, an upside down triangle of change is created that directly opposes a more round or oval facial shape.

Jaw angle implants are always a possibility but these are rarely needed in most really round faces. They can produce some lateral facial fullness but this is not usually helpful in ‘de-rounding’ the face in most patients.

The procedures of buccal lipectomies, neck and jowl liposuction, chin and cheel implants make up the usual plastic surgery tools for facial rehaping. Which one or a combination of procedures is most helpful for improving facial definition is best determined by careful computer imaging study during the consultation with your plastic surgeon.

Feng Shui which is pronounced as Fung Shway is the ancient Chinese art of balancing the elements to achieve peace and harmony in all aspects of our lives in the areas of health, wealth and personal relationships. The four directions of North, South, East and West are the major keys to unlocking the doors of success. Each direction holds a special significance and needs to be accordingly balanced to affect a particular aspect of our lives. The directions have been assigned particular colors that are deemed to increase the positive effects and strength of that particular aspect. The Feng Shui tips if implemented accurately are sure to bring about positive changes in every individual’s life. The tips are segregated to influence the various segments of one’s existence and can be implemented according to the current need of the person.

Every person has a particular birth number which is known as the kua number and it forms the personal reference point for the individuals. The individual’s success direction, health direction, personal relationship direction is all calculated on the basis of this individual kua number and Feng shui tips are accordingly given. Males and females have separate methods of calculating the number. The difference in calculation for the males and females further emphasize the need for balance of energies such as the male and female energy which is known as the Yang and the Yin. Feng Shui tips are all about balance through rectification measures and arrangement of space and objects within a given architectural structure and this involves all the elements, directions and the yin and yang energies.

Some of the most common Feng shui tips involve basic remedies for home and office harmony and success. The use of the universally popular laughing Buddha is a common Feng Shui tip that is also unknowingly followed by many individuals. Placement of the laughing Buddha facing the entrance door to the room is one of the powerful Feng shui tips that invite positive energy into the home or office space. Some other common Feng shui tips recommend the use of plants in the eastern direction to increase financial security, avoiding mirrors in bedrooms for harmony in relationships and use of water in the northern direction to activate career luck. However if Feng /shui tips are wrongly implemented by novices it could have serious counter effects and create havoc in one’s life.

It is therefore always advisable to seek the advice and counsel of a professional Feng Shui advisor for accurate Feng Shui tips for any aspect of your life. The professional will make a personal visit to the space where you need to implement the Feng Shui guidelines and accordingly chart out a list of objects that may need to be acquired or suggest the changes that are to be made in your current settings around the home or office. The accurate implementation of Feng Shui tips can ensure that you have the control of your life and can influence events to work out in your favor.

During home renovations many homeowners choose to make dramatic changes in the home, from complete kitchen renovations to adding multiple new rooms. Oftentimes, however, the small things can have a large impact. It’s this attention to detail that can help save you money in this sluggish economy, which is why making the right decision the first go around is important.

Some homeowners choose to install baseboard along with door and window trim, because it helps cover gaps and does look more attractive (in most cases). When doing so, the question arises as to whether to use quarter-round or shoe molding. You may come across the same issue perhaps, and not really even see a difference between the two options. After a glance and some thought, you’ll quickly realize that there are differences between these two baseboard options.

Many professionals prefer base shoe molding, partly because it looks more elegant than quarter-round. Additionally, the quarter round baseboard is shaped like a semi-cylinder (hence its name) so it can be difficult to drive a nail through it and into the baseboard. The lack of a flat nailing surface can be a large problem for installers; the molding is more susceptible to splitting or hammer dents if you’re not using a pneumatic finish nailer.

In contrast, base shoe molding is sleeker and it has a broad vertical surface that makes it easier to nail. This, along with its elegance mentioned above, is why shoe molding is the most popular or the “default” choice for contractors. That said, any contractor worth working with will be able to professionally install the baseboard you want. Don’t opt for shoe molding if your set on quarter round.

Quarter round molding is typically ¾” x ¾” with a ¾” radius profile, but you may be able to find different sized quarter molding. Quarter round molding isn’t all bad. Some positives include its flexibility, which makes it useful for working with a wavy floor, and it’s bulky, so is great for covering large gaps between the floors and the baseboards.

If you don’t have a contractor, here are a few tips…

If you opt for shoe molding, when installing it be sure to nail it to the baseboard, not the floor. This will allow the floor to expand and contract freely, with no added stress to the molding.

Since the size of molding being installed will vary from one home to the next, it wouldn’t be prudent to recommend a nail size. However, for most trim jobs a size 4d nail works great.

Well I must say that I was clearly disappointed in the way the MS Development Authority handled Rd. 1 of the SRAP (Small Rental Assistance Program). The MDA in my opinion was a little overwhelmed, however they did recognize this and from what I am hearing from within, is that they are fully preparing for Rd. 2 and gearing it toward more time efficiency for all involved. This Program is without a doubt one of the most lucrative incentives offered by any governing bodies in the history of the industry. It shows how motivated the state of Mississippi and HUD are to revitalizing the gulf coast affected areas of Katrina.

Here is a very good pro form on how the SRAP is going to work. This is based off our clients’ GFE’s (Good Faith Estimates) from their lending source, the increased average rental according to HUD, in addition to our own due diligence on the program.

ONCE APPROVED: The MDA/HUD will offer a forgivable loan for $27,500 per 3 bedroom unit. If the builder completes the unit(s) within 180 days from pulling permit, you will be issued a completion bonus in the amount of $9,000. Let’s take a duplex for instance. A duplex has 2 units, right? If you build a duplex and each side has 3 bedrooms, your “funds” issued will total $73,000 if completed within given time parameters. $73,000 UPFRONT! Technically, you get half of the amount minus the bonus at permitting. However, when the MDA issues you the funds, they are going to place an immediate subordinate lein position on the property. Many investors will make the mistake of doing this. At completion and their lender assigns the mortgage to an end-loan provider, no lender will take a property with a subordinate lein….SO…..you must wait until completion to get the entire thing.

If your mortgage amount is $220,000, let’s look at the following pro forma:

Principal & Interest Amount: $1,500

Real Estate Taxes: $150

Insurance: $250

Property Mgmt: $150

Total Operating Expenses: $ 2,050 Monthly

Your NET monthly rent in compliance with the MDA SRAP rental limits and also taking into consideration market rent for the area: $1,800 +/-

Remember you have to hold this property for 5 years.

Debt + Operating Expenses of $2,050 less your monthly rent of $1,800 equals $250

which is your monthly negative cash flow.

Over 5 years or 60 months, your negative cash flow is $250 x 60 = $15,000.

So you are negative $15,000….You are obviously subsidized a full $73,000 upfront so technically you are not in the red.

At the end of 5 years and your negative cash flow being subsidized by part of the $73,000, your leftover funds after 5 years is $73,000 less $15,000 equals $58,000.

At the end of the 5th year, the subordinate lien is forgiven and the investor gets to keep the remaining balance leftover. Of course if you want to put more money down out of pocket to reduce your principal balance upfront, you may, which will ultimately get you a higher net margin over and beyond $58,000.

Take this in addition to a Go Zone Accelerated or Bonus Depreciation and you have yourself one heck of an investment. We were told yesterday that approvals were likely this week or next which has now happened. We are looking forward to working with the next round of investors who would like to apply for the Mississippi Small Rental Assistance Program.