It's a lengthy article, but well worth the read.  It gives insight into Copeland's vast wealth.  Click the source link to read the article in its entirety.

NEWARK, Texas - Here in the gentle hills of north Texas, televangelist Kenneth Copeland has built a religious empire teaching that God wants his followers to prosper.

Over the years, a circle of Copeland's relatives and friends have done just that, The Associated Press has found. They include the brother-in-law with a lucrative deal to broker Copeland's television time, the son who acquired church-owned land for his ranching business and saw it more than quadruple in value, and board members who together have been paid hundreds of thousands of dollars for speaking at church events.   Source.

Most people have heard of someone who suffers from gambling addiction, but many don't know what can be done to help that person besides simply telling them not to gamble. It all comes down to understanding gambling addiction more than anything else. It's not easy to treat something you don't really understand. And being addicted to gambling can be a really complex addiction unfortunately.

People who consider themselves a casual gambler hardly ever think of developing an addiction to gambling. They think of compulsive gambling as something that only weak minded individuals deal with. It's quite easy to say that you would never become a compulsive gambler. But would you believe it if I told you that it really isn't all that hard to become addicted?

Suffering from a high level of stress, being stuck in a job that you don't like, or even a unhappy relationship can all create circumstances in which someone become desperate and vulnerable to gambling addictions. It might not seem like the situation you're in, but more and more often people are trying to find ways to cope with their problems. Unfortunately, irresponsible gambling is one of the things so many people seek out.

Did you know that being in denial is actually one of the first things a compulsive gambler will face? The first stage of gambling addiction is loss of control, leading you to denial. This is not a good place to be if you are someone who is suffering from some form of depression or extreme stress.

Gamblers who are in denial go into their games looking for nothing but the win. This is because winning makes all their problems go away. What they don't realize is that they are falling deeper and deeper into this unhealthy cycle of addiction. It's pretty similar to being addicted to drugs or alcohol. So many are quick to disagree, arguing that they are in complete control and are able to put a stop to their gambling at any given time. As we all know, this isn't true.

Not all forms of gambling addiction are the same. One person might be addicted to the lights, the sounds, and the wins of slot machines. Sure, slot machines are usually known as the form of gambling with the least amount of risk. But it is very easy to become addicted to the machines. Some people will sit at a machine for hours and hours, simply becoming lost within a trance of money making possibilities. It's all because of gratification, need, and of course a good amount of greed.

Could the slot machine be a pathway which could lead the innocent gambler to more riskier games? Absolutely! It's actually amazing how quickly one person who plays their favorite slot machine can progress on to play more addicting table games. I must stress the understanding that there are people who can maintain control. It's just a known fact that there are so many people who can't get a grasp on controlling their money making fantasies.

This doesn't mean that those who are addicted to gambling are bad people, but it's the path that one follows that can very well lead them down a terrible path of destruction, misery, and extreme depression. It's really hard to convince someone that they have a problem that you notice, but it can be done. The whole idea of it is maintaining control before the problem sets in. This can be done by treating gambling as an entertainment past time, rather than a money making venture. Understanding the current situation you are in is at utmost importance. If you are in a mode of unhappiness, it is not the time to begin gambling your blues and your money away.

Responsible gambling is a great deal of fun, only if approached with common sense and understanding. Always be fully aware of your state of mind. If you do this, you will greatly reduce your chances of becoming addicted to gambling.

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a
battle that goes on inside people. He said, "My son, the battle is between 2 "wolves" inside us all.

One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,
greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority, lies, false
pride, superiority, and ego.

The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility,
kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion and faith."

The grandson thought about it for a minute and then asked his grandfather:
"Which wolf wins?"

The old Cherokee simply replied, "The one you feed." 

France and Great Britain were the first nations to support the widespread development of electric vehicles in the late 1800s. In 1899, a Belgian built electric racing car called "La Jamais Contente" set a world record for land speed - 68 mph - designed by Camille Jénatzy.

The electric car was among some of the earliest automobiles — small electric vehicles predate the Otto cycle upon which Diesel (diesel engine) and Benz (gasoline engine) based the automobile.

In 1899, ninety percent of the cabs in New York City were electric. By 1900, the Electric Vehicle Company had put hundreds of its electric Hansom cabs, modeled after the design of its horse-drawn predecessors, on the streets of the metropolis. The Hansoms eliminated the need for a differential by providing a separate motor and axle for each rear wheel.

Timeline: Life & Death of the Electric Car

History and Directory of Electric Cars from 1834 - 1987

This technology is long over due, about 100 years if you ask me!

post by Ravenscawl

In many ways, it is suspect to me that perhaps truth is less entertaining then fiction, and in some cases more malicious.

I was just betrayed by a person whom I trusted, with their motivation being money.  To the point where they were willing to present my information as their information in order to gain more of it.

Basically fraud, plagiarism, and outright misrepresentation of abilities and credentials, with the excuse that they "did not know" which is obviously a lie. Since no one ever submitting information would be ignorant that they were submitting wrong information when they were specifically instructed to replace the existing details with their own information.

Some folks are just simply thieves, and liars.

Yet, conversely, I have also discovered someone new and interesting. Quite grounded, and seemingly non-judgmental and directly honest. It is shown in her transparency. Interesting that I met her for the first time this morning - so it strikes me that God indeed loves me, and the last 8 months only existed to destroy my faith, trust, love and heart. so be it. I pity the 2 whom were used by evil to hurt me since it will be that much worse on them in so many other ways.  Well, oh well... we reap what we sow now don't we?

Have you ever had premonitions? The knowing of something that will occur that matches the very thing that you know must occur?

For the last 7 years previous to this year, I have waited in faith and trust for the first person that I have ever loved - despite any relationship prior - knowing that it was that faith and trust which kept me alive. The strength of that honesty was the foundation and pinnacle of all that I held inside me the cornerstone to the nature of who and what I am inside - which in all truth has kept me alive these last 7 years...

Both spiritually, and consciously I was able to be clear minded and forward thinking in all of my functions and focus.

Then 8 months ago I met someone who stated that I was a fool to wait that long and so on, and of course her and I ended up in a relationship. She was the opposite of everything that I held worthy. She lied freely. Had no compulsion to deceive, misrepresent, and - as was shown only just recently - steal in order to achieve her goals. All of which were money.

God says that those people who are evil of heart, will be seared in their conscience, knowing that they will destroy others, hurt, lie, steal and cheat in order to see the fruition of their own selfish gain. 

I can say in all reality and clarity that the last 8 months only existed to destroy the faith, trust and hope which had kept me alive for the previous 7 years, and bringing all of this to 8 years in total - in this exercise of personal growth and strengthening.

For those of you whom are curious about my constant referencing to numbers, it is as follows:

1: The number of God (one God, 3 attributes - Soul, Spirit, Flesh - vis a vis - Father, Spirit, Son)
2: The number of division or breaking apart
3: Proof and witness (see 1 for self evidence)
4: Foundation and spiritual balance (sometimes called pillars)
5: Grace
6: The number of man
7: the number of completion or finishing
8: the number of new beginning
9: (no idea sorry)
10: the number of man's order of government
11: (again no idea)
12: The number of God's order of government
Thus - 333 = perfect proof, 888 = perfect new beginning (since 3 represents proof of)
555 - perfect grace and so on

Now, last week things began to change. As you may or may not know by the two blogs which I have written called "Full Circle" and "Full Circle Part 2."

Both were professional meetings. One was a man who functioned within the same discipline, and industry as I. The other was a professional meeting with a woman who presented me with an opportunity as well as quite unrelated, intelligent, and transparently honest conversation.

Both times, in my intuition, I knew that I should not at all dismiss either of these meetings as irrelevant, and as I do not believe in coincidence - and as I was again beginning to trust God and listen more closely to the spirit of God who speaks to me in my intuition - felt no anxiety, and trusted the calm of the patience.

So, I did just that.

As it turned out - this gentleman and I struck up a conversation one day and now we are working together within the freedom of our own strengths and attributes within a project - as well as a confidence toward each others intents and end results.  I can tell quite directly that I can trust this person since the goal for them is personal achievement, and a love for their own family - as new as that gift to him has been - and we have the same desired intended result equally within each of our own software development methods.

The second situation has only just been experienced - as I met her this morning for coffee, regarding another opportunity - which was quite a bit more wonderful than just "work" related conversations.

Now, this is where it becomes interesting to me, and I will have to reserve anything written of it, since I know that only God can hear my thoughts, but anything presented is then presented for any and all negative spirits which ache to destroy good and right things in life.

So, I will say nothing on this for yet a little while longer, however, I will say that I am not surprised, and all the intuitive truths became self evident - in every dynamic - showing quite clearly that the viewpoint given inside me, is from God.

There are two kinds of ambition. One is malicious, the other is honest. 

The malicious ambition will lie, cheat, steal, con, rape and plunder anything and everything in order to achieve it's own goals and is usually laced with pride, and impatience - with greed as it's lust and love and focus.  It will have the attitude of "I will do this myself" which really translates to "I will take whatever I want to get what I want no matter what the cost to others, or whom I have to step on to do it."

No cost to right, or honestly, or love, or friends will deem inconvenient to betray or destroy.

The other ambition is patient. Trusting and aware of the reality of gains and loses accepting them with truth and honour. Knowing that anything of value is earned, and not stolen. So that the ambition in and of itself will know that it can see it's own face in the mirror and has not lied, stolen, cheated or destroyed anything or anyone in order to sleep with peace and to live without conflict.

So then... this is all cryptic at best and it is so for many reasons. I will not expose anyone even though they destroyed my trust in them, and stole from me, yet conversely I will not expose the right and purity of the other, since the invisible life we do not see around us, is not always benevolent and for our benefit.

I really truly - by my nature - would love to give more information and explode on this page the things which I have discovered. As well as all of the information which I have seen inside my intuition over the last 2 weeks as the changes are now beginning. But, I also know - by my intuition - that to do so would activate that invisible evil which lurks and prowls to destroy all good things which proceed from God toward us.

So, as it is by my intuition that I have been guided thus far in these last few weeks, so again it is by my intuition that I write nothing here at this juncture.

My current faith and strength comes from the following though.

The realization that these last 8 months were only here to destroy me and is usual - I can not be destroyed. Simply because I serve the living God - remaining in truth, and honesty forever.

That it is because of these last 8 months that I have now been freed and awakened and angered enough to be driven to the point where I will not accept anymore evil in my life.

Not from others, and not by greed.  Ambition is not wrong, and a desire for self worth and better things is not wrong. It can not be wrong, since it is our dreams which give us our life.

It is the methods we use to achieve those dreams that define if we are good or evil.

Good will never lie.
Good will never cheat.
Good will never steal.
Good will never look down on anyone else.
Good will never judge those who have not esteemed to it's unrealized ambition.
Good will be honourable always.
Good does not look over it's shoulder willing to profit on any other.

Evil is the opposite of all that is good.

It is uncomplicated.

So if you strive, and desire to see your dreams then realize something. The second you decide to take a short cut to achieve it, you will find that you have no longer any morality towards lying, stealing, cheating, or whoring to get it, and all your ambitions from that point forward will be a blessing from evil - not from good.

And your spirit will begin to die.

There is one thing that God said once that came to me that made me think years ago.

Go into that place. And if they receive you as mine, then let your peace come onto them. If they do not, then wipe the dust from your feet - leave that place and let your peace return to you.

What is not told in that particular example - but which is shown in much of the rest is this: By wiping the dust from your feet you will forgive them their evil ambition toward your own cost. And God will see it, and they will receive the reward of their evil - brought about by their own evil (reap what you sow), and as the invisible world which we can not see has evil as well as good, and since evil desires to destroy everything - including that very individual whom evil was able to guide and trick, since evil hates all things, even by it's own creation. Whether in health. Whether in life. Whether in dreams or nightmares. Whether in any material thing.

I believe - as I've seen it with my own eyes, that the results of evil are not returned to the evildoer in the same manner. And I can give an abundance of examples which I've witnessed, but this blog is already too long :P

So, I will say it again because it is the only truth and the foundation and corner stone of my character and existence:

Be without fear in the face of my enemies,
Be brave and upright, that God may love me,
Speak the truth always, even if it leads to my death,
Safeguard the helpless and do no wrong.

That is my oath. That is my life choice.

I've been thinking about doing this post for a while now, but I was leery, in part because I'm kind of writing an ad, and in part because more squeamish readers may get all squicked out and shriek "OMG TMI!" before collapsing on their fainting couches.  'Cause I'm talkin' 'bout 'ginas, folks.  'Ginas, which are known to bleed (or at least channel blood and tissue from your failed-baby-purse to the outside world) on a regular basis.

This is where the DivaCup comes in.  Until a year or so ago, I was a regular tampon user from way back.   I rode the cotton pony, like most other women.  I'd heard about the DC maybe 18 months or 2 years ago, and while I was curious and interested, I was also slightly skeptical, and I was not sure about dropping money on something that might not work and that of course, one can't return after you jam it up your hoo-haa.

'Cause that's what you do.  "Jam it up your hoo-haa" sounds a bit harsh, but that's what you do with tampons, and the DC doesn't have dioxin-bleached fibers that might be left behind.  It's a little weird, at first, but only because it's new.   And the name is stupid, but I try to ignore that.

Because otherwise I love it.  I look forward to my period because it means "no babies," but otherwise, I could do without the bloating and zits and excruciating boob pain.  And the need to have a stash in your bag, and concern if you're stuck someplace for longer than you expected. But the DC does simplify things a bit.  You only have to deal with it twice a day: morning and night, when you're likely to be home, and if you have to push it bit, you can.  Take it out, dump the contents in the turl, wash it off, and back in your hoo-haa it goes.  (I like the term "hoo-haa," but please substitute your preferred euphemism:  bajingo, sugarbowl, kitty, etc. Leave your fave in comments!)  I will not accept any "ew, icky!" comments about touching your own vadge.  If you're weirded out by it, you should a) seek therapy; b) quit expecting other people to have sex with you; and/or c) get yourself some big-girl pants, then drop 'em and get your fingers up there.

I've never had leaks or cramps or any problems whatsoever, and I have already more than made up the money I paid for it because I haven't been buying a box (or more) of tampons every month.  Also, I'm not putting more stuff into landfills, and I'm a consumer whore for a company who makes a product I like, as opposed to the one that has made a lot of scrilla off exploiting lady-shame.  Once I'm done, I wash it really well w/ mild soap and water, then drop it in a cup of water and boil it in the microwave before stashing it.

So what I'm saying is take a chance on this thing.  You can buy it at the site I listed above, or at any number of online retailers like drugstore.com or amazon.com for slightly less (no live links; I'm only whoring the DC today).

You can thank me later.

While VolkwagenAG has chosen Chattanooga, TN to build new cars and employ 2000 newly hired workers U.S. automobile "maker", General Motors is cutting their salaried workers by 20% while the GM board has "REWARDED" current C.E.O. G. Richard Wagoner Jr. with a 64% pay raise to $15.7 million, (2007), from a paltry $9.57 million, (2006). Part of the proposed 20% includes the loss of HEALTH BENEFITS for RETIREES,

We are witnessing how the corporate LEVIATHAN is feeding on us while feeding us all the wrong "goodies" to get us to.. from. The following terse is an example of such, it's called the "EV1". An all electrically powered automobile that got 75 to 150 miles to the charge, but could annihilate the Mazda Miata or Nissan 300ZX in an "all out" drag race [http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Motors_EV1]. General Motors decided to not grant ownership to any that wanted to KEEP THEIR BELOVED 'Green', mean driving machine, as you see below.

[caption id="attachment_208" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="Detroit please catch up."][/caption]

These days, the answer seems fairly obvious. We've simply seen too much enriching at our expense -- bank mergers that have transformed local banks into faceless fronts for faraway corporate empires, escalating "fees" that bleed our checking and savings accounts, subprime mortgage shell games that devastate entire neighborhoods.

Now banks appear to be paying the price for this great greed grab. One giant Wall Street investment bank, Bear Stearns, has already tanked. Citigroup, America's largest bank, last week posted a $2.5 billion quarterly loss. Share prices in the banking industry have tumbled down 50, even 60 percent and more.

Read more

The family was rude and refused to let the angels stay in the mansion's guest room. Instead the angels were given a space in the cold basement.

As they made their bed on the hard floor, the older angel saw a hole in the wall and repaired it. When the younger angel asked why, the older angel replied... "Things aren't always what they seem".

The next night the pair came to rest at the house of a very poor, but very hospitable farmer and his wife.

After sharing what little food they had the couple let the angels sleep in their bed where they could have a good night's rest. When the sun came up the next morning the angels found the farmer and his wife in tears. Their only cow, whose milk had been their sole income, lay dead in the field.

The younger angel was infuriated and asked the older angel "how could you have let this happen!? The first man had everything, yet you helped him," she accused. "The second family had little but was willing to share everything, and you let their cow die."

"Things aren't always what they seem," the older angel replied. "When we stayed in the basement of the mansion, I noticed there was gold stored in that hole in the wall.

Since the owner was so obsessed with greed and unwilling to share his good fortune, I sealed the wall so he wouldn't find it. Then last night as we slept in the farmers bed, the angel of death came for his wife. I gave her the cow instead. Things aren't always what they seem."

Sometimes this is exactly what happens when things don't turn out the way they should. If you have faith, you just need to trust that every outcome is always to your advantage. You might not know it until some time later.

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

Article taken from funlok.com

When choosing who you work for, do not work for a miser. The miser is only for himself, and will say one thing but really mean another.

If you don't remember what this film is about, let me refresh your memory: Morally Ambiguous Oilman vs. Morally Ambiguous Prophet (The Fight of the Fucking Century only on PPV [after Girls Gone Wild: First Timers])

It might even be better that I haven't written about this film because, unlike some of my reviews (Blood Simple, Magnolia, Platoon, Boondock Saints), I'm writing after multiple viewings. Therefore, it's bound to be less reactionary and more reflective or analytical.

I first saw this film when it was in the limited stage of its platform release. I was packed into a theater in Pasadena because I really wanted to see Paul Dano tear the motherfucking roof off. I really liked him in Little Miss Sunshine and the scenes we see of him in the trailers are awesome in its most absolute sense.

If you remember the show Carnivale that used to be on HBO, he reminds me a bit of Brother Justin who was a preacher that turned out to be very evil inside. And that's what I see in Dano's character Eli Sunday. A lot of facade and a whole lot more of evil and greed.

I'll be the first to admit that I wanted to see this film because of Paul Dano and not Daniel Day-Lewis. Hell, I've never even seen Gangs of New York (Scorsese is tough for me).

What I got from Paul Thomas Anderson's directing and writing was a film built more upon facial expressions and subtlety than upon dialog. A film that it takes multiple viewings to finally understand some things. It's like a bizarro David Lynch film like Lost Highway or Mulholland Dr. (Inland Empire has no meaning. It's three hours of existential crises that make Samuel Beckett jealous) except instead of the twists being within the plot, they're within the face. There are many things that could've been said but, instead, Anderson chose for them to be expressed.

Which is the pacing complaint arises. When there's no dialog and just two people looking at each other on screen, most people are bound to get bored--especially upon first take. But these "boring" moments are where the film excels. The cold stares of Day-Lewis and the conniving or sniveling, desperate, looks of Dano speak louder than any word could have. Anderson acknowledges the adage\cliche that "a picture is worth a thousand words," and, in a movie where things are composed of 24 pictures per second, why fucking bother with words sometimes? You can't cram 24,000 words into a second of film--but you can at the same time if you take to the adage as Anderson has.

This film excels at speaking depths while silently rolling towards its anti-climax. It is a character study taken to its highest level. It nearly throws plot by the wayside in favor of showing, slowly or quickly, just what Day-Lewis is doing at each and every second. The movie's pace slows enough for us to take in every single piece of the character. It's so beautiful, and it's only upon multiple viewings do you realize such a thing.

Another aspect of this film that really excels is the scoring by Jonny Greenwood. He swirls and moves his pieces like a horror film so as to accent the tension in each scene he's needed. (Fun Fact, by the way: The movie is 158 minutes while the score is only about 50 minutes) Some of his pieces sound like an orchestra simply tuning up before the big show--and it works because that's exactly what this movie has. A lot of tuning before a small piece.

And you haven't listened to his piece "Popcorn Superhet Receiver," you really should (I found a link where you can stream it in Real Audio, which is kind of a shitty format, but it's a good piece of music that deserves a listen). And listen to Radiohead, he's pretty good at guitar too.

Just like infomercials that promise you a spectacular deal if you phone within the next 20 minutes, Benny Hinn's crusade in Johannesburg, South Africa goes above and beyond any money ploy we have seen before.

Now, I want it made clear that Hinn didn't speak the offensive words I'm going to quote, but it was done on his stage at one of his crusades by someone he invited to speak.  Therefore, he was there under the approval of Benny Hinn.  This is what happened:

Johannesburg - God's blessing would last only two minutes and it would create 500 churchgoing millionaires or even billionaires - all they had to do was use their credit cards to pay $1 000 in offerings to televangelist Benny Hinn.

Pastor Tommie Ferreira of the AGS Church in Johannesburg was so upset about the "blessing" that, after a week, he wanted to know who of the donors actually had become millionaires.  Source.

Pastor Todd Koontz told an audience of 18,000 people that 500 of them would receive an exceptional blessing from God.  That blessing?  They would become millionaires.  All they had to do was take out their credit cards and donate $1,000 to the ministry, because this "exceptional blessing" hinged on the condition that the people who received it had to donate $1,000.  But, wait, there's a catch!  He told them that not everyone who donated would receive the blessing.  The blessing would only be poured out for two minutes.

I don't know how these wolves can say these things and keep a straight face.  Moreover, I don't know how people can accept this nonsense and think it is of God!  When Koontz made this absurd claim, "People stormed to the front [to donate] - poor people, rich people, people from all sections of [their] society."  However, Hinn's ministry was well prepared to handle the stampede of eager donors because "Hinn's co-pastors apparently had credit-card machines ready with which they could take donations."  Source.

God is a God of justice and compassion.  He cares for the needy and poor, and tells us repeatedly in His Word to look after the needy among us and not to oppress them.  These are things God hates.  Fleecing the flock, oppressing the poor, robbing the less fortunate, and using the Word of God to do it is an extremely fearful thing.  They obviously have no fear of God.  God help them!

Okay. The seriously damaged human beings who intend to control everything on earth are taking steps to close in on what's left of our free speech. The plan is to make the Internet off-limits for anyone who can't afford to move freely across its vast network of sites. Brace yourselves. Fascism means to shut us down. The irony is that the only tool we can use to stop this is the same tool that is being taken away.

The Canadian site Global Research tells us:

In the last 15 years or so, as a society we have had access to more information than ever before in modern history because of the Internet. There are approximately 1 billion Internet users in the world B and any one of these users can theoretically communicate in real time with any other on the planet. The Internet has been the greatest technological achievement of the 20th century by far, and has been recognized as such by the global community.

However, when there are potential profits open to a corporation, the needs of society don't count. Take the recent case in Canada with the behemoths, Telus and Rogers rolling out a charge for text messaging without any warning to the public. It was an arrogant and risky move for the telecommunications giants because it backfired. People actually used Internet technology to deliver a loud and clear message to these companies and that was to scrap the extra charge. The people used the power of the Internet against the big boys and the little guys won.

However, the issue of text messaging is just a tiny blip on the radar screens of Telus and another company, Bell Canada, the two largest Internet Service Providers (ISPs) in Canada. Our country is being used as a test case to drastically change the delivery of Internet service forever. The change will be so radical that it has the potential to send us back to the horse and buggy days of information sharing and access.

In the upcoming weeks watch for a report in Time Magazine that will attempt to smooth over the rough edges of a diabolical plot by Bell Canada and Telus, to begin charging per site fees on most Internet sites. The plan is to convert the Internet into a cable-like system, where customers sign up for specific web sites, and then pay to visit sites beyond a cutoff point. Read the rest>>>

What makes me feel this way?  I have set back and watched for months now as Todd Bentley's star went into orbit.  As you might expect, when there is a new "celebrity" on the scene, people want to find out all they can about them.  Todd Bentley is no different.  When the questions started coming in, it was Todd Bentley's answers that troubled me.  First and foremost was his answer to the questions about his tattoos.  When asked on Nightline about his tattoos, he said he got them when he was young...before he was saved.  But, if you'll look at the picture below that was taken after he was already established in ministry, you will see that the tattoos are not present.  Neither are his facial piercings.  I'm not saying he didn't have any tattoos at all, but the most visible ones are not there (the tattoos on his neck).  Also, most of these tattoos are supposed to be Christian tattoos.  If Bentley got these tattoos before he was saved, then why are all of them christian-themed?  As a sinner, he would not have wanted that type of theme on his body would he?  The point is, Bentley said he got all his tattoos before he was saved.  That was a lie.

Another thing that troubled me was when he back-pedalled on the sex of the angel Emma.  For months we have been reading the account of how Bentley met Emma.  In every testimony we have read, in every vocal testimony he has given, he always referred to Emma as a "she."  After the controversy about Emma began, Bentley removed her name from his site, and just referred to Emma as "a particular angel."  All references to her sex and identity were deleted and replaced with ambiguous titles such as "the angel."  Now, with the excerpts of Bentley's new book making the circuit, it has been revealed that he is now referring to Emma as a "he."

Below is an excerpt of Bentley's account of Emma being female:

“Now let me talk about an angelic experience with Emma. Twice Bob Jones asked me about this angel that was in Kansas City in 1980: “Todd, have you ever seen the angel by the name of Emma?” He asked me as if he expected that this angel was appearing to me. Surprised, I said, “Bob, who is Emma?” He told me that Emma was the angel that helped birth and start the whole prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. She was a mothering-type angel that helped nurture the prophetic as it broke out. Within a few weeks of Bob asking me about Emma, I was in a service in Beulah, North Dakota. In the middle of the service I was in conversation with Ivan and another person when in walks Emma. As I stared at the angel with open eyes, the Lord said, “Here’s Emma.” I’m not kidding. She floated a couple of inches off the floor. It was almost like Kathryn Khulman in those old videos when she wore a white dress and looked like she was gliding across the platform. Emma appeared beautiful and young-about 22 years old-but she was old at the same time. She seemed to carry the wisdom, virtue and grace of Proverbs 31 on her life.

I believe Emma released a financial and prophetic anointing in that place. That was the first angel that I have ever seen in the form of a woman. Some angels I’ve seen seemed like they were neither male nor female. However, Emma appeared as a woman who was like a Deborah, like a mother in Zion. When she came, she began to mentor, nurture and opened up a prophetic well. The people in the church began having trances and visions and the pastor began getting words of knowledge and moving in healing. That congregation also saw more financial breakthrough than they had ever seen before.” 

She glided into the room, emitting brilliant light and colors. Emma carried these bags and began pulling gold out of them. Then, as she walked up and down the aisles of the church, she began putting gold dust on people. “God, what is happening?” I asked. The Lord answered: “She is releasing the gold, which is both the revelation and the financial breakthrough that I am bringing into this church. I want you to prophecy that Emma showed up in this service-the same angel that appeared in Kansas city-as a sign that I am endorsing and releasing a prophetic spirit in the church.” See, when angels come, they always come for a reason; we need to actually ask God what the purpose is. Within three weeks of that visitation, the church had given me the biggest offering I had ever received to that point in my ministry. Thousands of dollars! Thousands! Even though the entire community consisted of only three thousand people, weeks after I left the church the pastor testified that the church offerings had either doubled or tripled.  Source.

Now here is an excerpt from Todd Bentley's book, "Reality of the Supernatural World," where Emma's name is removed, and the angel is referred to as a "he."

“A while ago, Bob Jones told me about an angel that helped birth the entire prophetic movement in Kansas City in the 1980s. The Lord had sent this angel to help nurture the prophetic ministry (and gift), at a time when it was being re-established in the modern-day church in North America.

“He carried bags and pulled gold out of them. Then as he walked up and down the aisles, he put gold dust on people. “God, what is happening?” The Lord answered that the angel was releasing gold, which represents both the revelation and the financial breakthrough that He was bringing into that church. At the Lord’s direction, I announced that the same angel that appeared in Kansas City had showed up in the meeting as a sign that the Lord was endorsing and releasing a prophetic spirit in the church.” 

“A few weeks after our conversation, I attended a church service in Beulah, North Dakota. In the middle of the meeting an angel glided in. As I stared wide-eyed at the angel, I heard the Lord tell me that this was the same angel that was involved with the prophetic movement in Kansas City. The angel floated a couple of inches off the floor emitting a brilliant light and colors. He appeared young–about 22 years old–but old at the same time. It was as though he carried the wisdom, virtue, and grace of Proverbs 31.  Source.

According to Bentley in the first quote, God both referred to Emma as a "she" and by her name...Emma.  If that was God truly speaking to Him, wouldn't it be the height of sin to change her sex, and to remove her name?  Of course, if Bentley made it up and God didn't really speak to him, then it wouldn't bother him to change words supposedly spoken by the Lord.

But, I digress.  My point and conclusion is that Bentley consistently tells what can be considered as untruths, or lies.  To simply remove the name and sex of the angel is a bit deceptive, but I could understand him doing that in the light of controversy.  I don't agree with it, but I understand it.  However, he did more than just remove the angel's name and change a few personal pronouns; he changed the angel's sex from a "she" to a "he."  That is what we call a blatant lie.

So, in closing, I'm no longer willing to give Bentley the benefit of the doubt.  Just through the two examples above he has shown that he is inconsistent with the truth, and is willing to rewrite the past in order to further his agenda.  The fact that this doesn't trouble his followers frustratrates me beyond belief.  When someone's story constantly changes, or when they've been caught in a blatant lie, it insists that the person is deceptive and can not be trusted...especially with something so dear as God's Word.

Do we or do we not expect our ministers to be honest and trustworthy?  If they aren't blameless and above reproach, then they carry no credibility.  To be blunt, Todd Bentley lied...more than once.  Where is the accountability?

Note:  I would like to thank Endtimes Prophetic Words for posting the source article where I got the above information.

This is having a direct effect on gas (think about where gas prices were one year ago) and food prices. We need monetary reform in this country. It is time to get off of the fractional reserve banking system. Call your congressman and senator tell them to about the Monetary reform act!

More on this later. In the meantime if you want to see how deep the rabbit hole goes about fractional reserve banking click here.

Get Ready: Food Prices About to Leap

Don't believe the hype. Think for yourself! Think differently leave a comment.

As individual words, they both share the similarity of being so simple in their meanings while conquering up a spectrum of contradicting imagery that goes against their given dictionary definitions. Put them together and they play havoc with my conscience, leaving me so desperately wanting to be one.

I blame the media.

Take the new Batman movie, for example. The first of this new generation of ‘darker’ batman films, Batman Begins, delved into the characters and turned each one inside out. No longer was Batman just the hero selflessly trying to make the world a better place, he was just trying to save himself but happened to change a few lives in the process. Bad guys jumped out of their two dimensional comic book beginnings and became more than just greedy or disgruntled people trying to get their share of the world. The dynamics took a massive shift and nothing was black and white again.

This became more evident in The Dark Knight. Good guys turn bad. Bad guys aren’t so bad. Crazy is sane. Wrong is right. And on and on they went, making us question if what we were taught from young was right at all. We scrutinise our entire moral system because we can’t understand why we’re sympathising with a villain or disliking a hero. In other words, we don’t know what the hell is going on anymore!

And the Evil Genius behind it? Chris Nolan.

He injected into our happy, sheltered world the word we hate the most: Subjectivity. It is the cause of all external and internal battles humans commit, and the reason I have a gay girl crush on him. No longer do I have to deal with moviemakers who take their audience for fools and dumb-down their characters so people identify with them more easily. Chris Nolan is brilliant. He is deep, dark and gets people. He is a master mind-fucker and though he isn’t the first one to do it, he does it so damn well.

I have an obsession with learning about serial killers. It’s got nothing to do with a murderous streak within me (not yet, at least), but rather an insatiable desire to know more about the human psyche. The one thing I have gathered from it all is that these ‘psychos’ aren’t really crazy at all. Most serial killers are extremely intelligent and (contrary to popular belief) assimilate pretty well into society. If only they wanted to. The dark side to intelligence is that it brings about feelings of superiority and when mixed with a warped perspective of the world, well, it gets dangerous.

Think of a child who is told not to eat ice cream before dinner. He is brought up to think it’s wrong because his parents tell him so. But his desire for it drives him to push the boundaries. Every day he will move closer to opening that freezer door and every time he gets away with it, he goes a little further. Until his face is smeared with its delicious goodness. At which point it doesn’t feel wrong any more because the only traces of guilt can be licked away, instantly.

Serial killers are like that. They challenge the norms of society because they can. Because their overactive imaginations and need to get the answers to the ‘what ifs’ drive them to find the it. Then it becomes a game of tag. They do it and do it and do it, hiding it so well each time, until they get bored. Then they start to slip. Make intentional mistakes because getting away with it is no longer fun. So it becomes a new game. How much can they let be known until they are discovered. More Evil Geniuses at work.

In no way am I saying any of it is right, but we all do it. Whether it’s finding excuses for going into work late, or cheating on a partner, we push these boundaries. It’s just a matter of what pushes us enough, that changes which boundaries we push.

So what is it about Chris Nolan that puts him in the same category as serial killers? It’s that ‘warped’ perspective he puts into his movies. Watch both Batmans, The Prestige, Memento, Insomnia … The recurring theme with his characters is that they are tormented by an obsessive desire. Each can’t let go of a certain past, which makes them do certain things. In the words of Shrek, they have “layers” - explanations for why they are the way they are. And no matter how different his characters are, Chris Nolan puts a bit of his Evil Genius into each of them. I would love to take a day trip into his brain to see how it works. What conclusions does he draw from seeing, let’s say, a bird? What does he associate it with? What questions does he ask himself because of it? Basically, I want to be in his thought and travel the paths it takes to come to the conclusions he does. That would make one hell of a holiday.

The difference between one Evil Genius and another is that there are those who do, and those who get others to do for them.

Seeing what Chris Nolan did for Joker’s character – how he gave him a sane reason for the insane things he does; I want to be the latter. After all, why deal with the repercussions of committing a crime when you can get paid loads to write and direct movies about it.

.al.

If I didn’t love comic books the way I do, I would: Not have watched The Dark Knight and found one of my top 10 favourite movies!!!

Ps. Yes, I know this is a long post and it doesn't feel like I'm getting what I want to say across (I'm kinda braindead), but at least I’m not talking about work again! :D

I tend to find myself in front of this goddamn computer for a large portion of the day. I place myself in this semi-comfortable chair, pull out the keyboard and manage to stare into this screen for hours on end. Generally the all empowering you tube is open in at least one of the myriad tabs i have open (might i add they are very helpful). And ironically, even though it's a video sharing website, I'll be using it to listen to music because I'm a.) too lazy to open up my iTunes and b.) i find my music lacking in what i want, when i want it.

When I'm in a good mood, I'll be listening to third eye blind. When I'm in a bad mood, I'll be listening to Radiohead. When I'm not in a mood I'll be listening to Modest Mouse. Personally, in my opinion, those are the three best bands out there currently. But i wont get into that. What I'm trying to say is half of the time when I'm sitting at this computer is when i think about what I'm feeling. And a lot of the time it leads to even more negativity than i had when i first sat in this very chair. I have no idea why i do this, there are so many possibilities on the computer, and i find myself doing those as my secondary task, where thinking about everything will be first.

It was just a few days ago when i was sitting in this chair that i thought of something that for some reason carried great significance to me. You see, i don't really want to get into my personal experiences, i want to explain my discoveries based on feelings that I've gained from them. Thought it may prove a difficult task, I've decided to attempt anyways.

What i realized was that no one will EVER in their entire life be perfectly content with their situation, the moment they're in, or their life in general. Never will someone feel every possible burden fall off of themselves to the point where they are completely free. People are always, constantly, striving and working for what they want. And half the time by the time they reach their goal (if they do) the already want something different. In my case, i constantly find myself wanting something terribly, and losing interest quite soon after. I never know what i want. And if i never know what i actually want, how am i supposed to ever be content with myself? Because no matter what i have, I'll find an imperfection thats going to tell me i deserve something more. It's always more more more. And I'm not speaking in specific terms, this applies to everything for me. If i don't know what i want, how am i to accomplish anything? And if i don't accomplish anything, how am i supposed to be happy?

I strongly feel like I'm not the only one that feels this. It's a source of thousands of problems in this world. People not knowing what they want. "I want to marry her, I'm sure". The divorce rate flies. "Nope, this is definitely the job that fits me perfectly". About what, 98% percent of people absolutely HATE their occupations? It just absolutely TEARS at me that in the rest of my long lifetime, it's very possible that i may NEVER be completely happy. It tears at me.

I guess what I'm trying to say is that people have to try to be happy in this world; you have to put yourself in the right mindset. And honestly, there's something wrong with that. It shouldn't be that way. I don't know if happiness will ever come to me, or if i have to run to happiness. But i know that it makes me look at things in a completely different way. It makes me look at the little things, i look at them and think of the promise of joy that they could bring to me if i tried. Maybe that's how most people make it through their lives. But i don't try. Because i still don't know what i want. And who knows if i ever will.

    Putting all aimless thinking aside even in daily life while going about work, study, travel, etc. goes a long way towards our happiness and peace of mind. This way the mind will be clear of all defiling thoughts and be light, happy and peaceful.

    May you put all (aimless) thinking aside and be at peace. :)

    AIMLESS THINKING IS UNSKILLFUL

Aimless, pointless thinking,[1]
    is unskillful,
while applied thinking to gain wisdom,
or to solve a problem,
    is skillful,
so only think skillfully,
    or not at all.

[1] See AN 1:16 - 321 Ekadhammapali, here http://www.mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara1/1-ekanipata/016-Ekadhammapali-e.html

321. [Lord Buddha:] Bhikkhus, just as a little bit of urine, ... re ... saliva, ... re ... pus,... re ... blood smells and should be got rid of, I do not specify thinking* even for the fraction of a second.

* I do not specify thinking even for a short second. 'appamattakampi bhavam na vannemi' Always thoughts seek connections in the past, for the future or in the present. The bhikkhu who aims extinction should not advocte thinking, as thoughts prolong the journey in existence.

See Also

• http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=intromed
• http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=probsolv
• http://www.vihara.org.au/go?to=mentalhealth
• http://www.mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/4Anguttara-Nikaya/Anguttara1/1-ekanipata/016-Ekadhammapali-e.html

But what is evil really? I know exactly what evil is. Too may of us think of good and evil in ways that are defined by religion and laws. For instance it is not always evil to murder someone if that person is evil. Evil  is simply doing something that harms another individual for personal gain, tangible or intangible. If you kill an evil person then you stop that person from harming others. Therefore the gain is not only personal, although there will surely be some of that as well. Others benefit from not having to deal with an evil person infringing on their happiness to increase their own. There is something essentially good about that.

Like I said socialism attempts to spread the wealth. Some people have a problem with this because they feel that they work harder than others and are therefore entitled to more than the average person. Let’s be honest. Most rich people do not earn their money and even if they did they could never “earn” as much as they have. Once they become rich or are born rich they don’t have to work hard anymore because their money makes money for them. That’s how the economy got like it is now, from all the hedge funds, flimsy mortgaging and dollar devaluation. Aren’t we tired of competing with each other like we are all a different species? It causes us all a terrible amount of stress. Why can we not put people’s natural talents to use instead of forcing people to do things they hate so they can make enough money to support their lifestyle?

The question then becomes why do people with more money than they can ever possibly spend need to continue their possession of it? Indeed.  Bill Gates will never spend all of his money. Even his children will never spend all of it and they are still making money from what their dad is still raking in now. The right argues that capitalism encourages innovation and that socialism is evil because it squashes competition. That is complete bullshit. There hasn’t been fair, laissez-faire pun intended, competition in America for decades. All we have now are global entities that corner their markets and avoid anti-trust laws and other regulations by outsourcing. What the right wants, and increasingly the centrist left and Bluedogs, is unfair competition. Socialism may prove no better at stopping this practice but it would certainly prove no worse. There is no link between the continuity of human creativity and whether humans are disproportionately rewarded for that creativity and innovation. The right would have us believe that creativity would die unless people don’t make billions for it.

The right, and brainwashed leftists, also clamor that the USSR failed because of its communist and socialist policies but they fail to realize that there are social programs in this country and many of us wouldn’t be there is it weren’t for them. Of course the right disagrees as they think no one deserves anything for free except themselves via corporate welfare and tax cuts. But how are the right’s social networks that give them economic advantages the results of hard work? Nothing could be farther from the truth. Many deals are made on the golf course and there is no work involved there unless you count swinging the club.

The truth of the matter is that the right is projecting their own laziness onto others. They want to be able to maintain and expand their wealth with as little work as possible while others, including working class whites that support them, struggle to make ends meet. Tell a man that makes ten dollars an hour laying concrete in 100 degree weathers that he is lazy because he is not rich and he will put you under that same concrete. Income does not correlate with the mental and physical efforts exerted to produce that income. In general people are paid more to use their brains than their brawn. I disagree with that but that is another symptom of the sickness of human capitalism. When it comes down to it people are paid high salaries if their work benefits corporations and that is the crux of the issue. What benefits corporations rarely benefits humans, except for the few that don’t mind exploiting the rest of us to make more money than they could ever possibly spend in their lifetimes.

In a nutshell economic models and theories can never be evil. Only man can but capitalism lends itself to more abuse than does socialism. The USSR had totalitarianism on top of communism so obviously it was doomed to fail. The US has corporatism on top of capitalism and it is also doomed to fail. It’s the leaders that choose to exploit the people because they can and they have no remorse or sympathy for all of the suffering they cause because truly feel entitled to everything on this planet. Either these people must adapt and adopt their behavior or sooner or later, they will be killed and no amount of money will save them from the people’s wrath.