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If you don’t know how your Representative or Senator voted on the recent Economic Bailout Bill, here’s a step-by-step just for you:

1. Get out of the vacuum you’ve been in.
2. Take a deep breath.
3. Hold it.
4. Exhale slowly.
5. Repeat step 3-4, two to three more times, more if necessary.
6. Drink some water.
7. Now, go to a computer.
8. Click here for Representatives.
9. Click here for Senators.

If your Representative voted against the bill, give em call and say “Thank you”.

If your Representative was stupid enough to vote for the bill, call them and inform them that their days in office are numbered. Repeat until they are gone.

Seriously. This whole Bailout Fallout is not going to get better if we keep trying to fix debt with more debt. That just doesn’t work. Ask any economist, they’ll tell you the same thing. As a matter of fact, most people have a term for this type of behavior: insanity. Yes. Insanity. Insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results.

This bill was full of earmarks! Don’t believe me? Check it: Great research on just some of the earmarks in the Economic Bailout Bill. And a pretty accurate pic too.

Vote out the idiots that voted in this insanity! Join the American Revolution II.

If you think its a “bad word” then you’re not mad enough. Leave now, go pull your head out of the sand, read the newspaper to catch up- there, now you should be. If you’re still not there, read this, it should do the trick. If you’re still not getting it, you need to check out Bailout Bunker. And if that doesn’t get you fired up, move to Canada; or, if you speak Spanish, Mexico would be a good option- just leave, because you obviously don’t care enough! And if you’re not part of the solution, you’re part of the problem.

I’ll start by referencing my previous posts regarding the state of our economy. (Note: I will no longer refer to it as “the economy”; its ours- thus our economy.) Find said posts under “The Man”.

I care about our Country. I care about it a lot. I am an ardent Partriot, and I will do all that is within me to defend it.

We need a freaking revolution.

That’s what started this whole ball o’ wax, its time we refreshed things! No, I’m not advocating anarchy. No, I am not validating violence. Yes, I do think its time to get radical. How do we do this? The same way the Civil Rights Movement did it. Civil disobedience. Marching for what we believe in. Standing, or- in some cases- sitting, for what we know is right and good. Don’t believe it will accomplish anything? WAKE UP! There is an African American running for President! Mr. Obama would not be in the position he is if it were not for the selfless efforts of millions before him- regardless of skin color!

So. Which side are you on? There’s only two: Solution or Problem.

Just a few things to get out of the way.

You may (or may not) notice the new look. Thanks for noticing or thanks for coming. Why? I like it better.

New Category: Bailout Fallout. The description states, very plainly, “Washington is nearly completely full of idiots. Let’s get em outta there!” But that doesn’t really do it justice. Hence-forth expect a lot more in this classification. We, America, should be outraged at what D.C. is doing to us all. They’re not fixing it, they’re making it worse! I’ll save it for my posts.

A few more links have been added and the place to find them has been relabeled “Check it:”. So check it.

I’ve been tracking the progress of the blog and its been steadily rising, yesterday was another record day and today looks to surpass that! Thanks to everyone checking it out, and especially to those that are returning!

I got a message on my Facebook wall that someone had talked about me and/or my blog on their site. The message came from a friend of mine, so I went to check it out, but the link didn’t work. My friend was online so I instant messaged them and saw that their status said that their account had apparently been hacked and that any messages from them were spam. Glad I saw that!

According to a few hacked people, the link will take you to a faux Facebook sign-in page. You attempt to sign in, and the hackers get your password. Then they spam your friends.

Facebook is supposedly aware of the issue, but I wouldn’t just stop there. Here are some tips:

• You only have to log into Facebook once, unless YOU logout. Any subsequent log-in prompts, while you are logged in, are fake!
• Only log into your Facebook account via the URL either saved in your favorites or by typing www.facebook.com directly into your browser. Note: It may be a good idea to delete the Favorite you have now, type in the correct URL yourself, and then save that one.
• KNOW WHO YOU’RE FRIENDS WITH! There are countless people on the internet looking for ways to get your information, protect yourself! (Example: I Googled “hack facebook” and there were over 5.4 million results!)
• Don’t put you’re entire life out there for anyone to see. Possibly reconsider posting your entire birthday (you can just post the month and day), your phone number, or your email address. If someone really wants to get a hold of you, they can message you or write on your wall and Facebook will notify you either via email or mobile alerts. (All of these settings can be accessed by clicking on “Settings” at the top-right-hand-side of the page once you have logged in.)

Be aware that there are dishonest people in the world. It’s kinda like the old Department of Transportation ads- “Don’t be a dummy, buckle your safety belt.” Be familiar with the sites you’re going to, and don’t ever open email from someone you don’t know or that is suspicious. When in doubt- throw it out!

Unfortunately, with the way things are with the economy, we are going to see Identity Theft on the rise as well as other Property Crimes. My brother-in-law’s wife had her purse stolen out of her sister’s car yesterday. It was a classic smash and grab- they smashed the window and grabbed her purse, and then went and purchased $100 in gas on her bank card. Here are a couple stats on Property crimes, taken from the Bureau of Justice Statistics website:

• Property crime makes up slightly more than three-quarters (75%) of all crime in the United States.
• Overall, in about 84% of all burglaries, the offender gained entry into the victims residence or other building on the property.

I also found some very interesting statistics on Identity Theft via the B.o.J.S. website:

• About 1.6 million households experienced theft of existing accounts other than a credit card (such as a banking account), and 1.1 million households discovered misuse of personal information (such as social security number).
• Across all types of identity theft, the average amount lost per household was $1,620.

You can protect yourself from Identity Theft and Property Crimes, all it takes is common sense. Here are some more tips:

• Our of site- out of mind. If you are going to leave valuables in your vehicle, even if its for “just 5 minutes”, place them out of site. Potential thieves are just looking for the quick and easy payoff.
• Always lock it. Lock your home, lock your car, lock your locker, et cetera. Statistics show that thieves are seeking the path of least resistance.
• Trust no one. No, I’m not advocating or promoting mass paranoia, but we should be using our brains here people! If you don’t know the person, don’t assume anything, let alone that you can trust them.
• Only log into sites that your know are secure. For example: Go to your bank- the physical, brick and mortar location- and ask for their website. Often times, banks have a place in their lobby where you can log into your account(s). Use only the URL’s supplied by your financial institution.
• Internet Sites. Be aware that just because a site looks like the site you want to be on, it may not be. Double check the URL, and then check it again.
• Never give anyone your personal information. I am a fan of the Face Rule. “If I haven’t seen your face in person and had a conversation with you, wherein you state why you need the information you’re asking for, then I will not, under any circumstance, divulge that information.”
• Look out for each other. If something looks or seems suspicious, call it out. Get to know the people living around you. This isn’t being nosy, its caring. Let a neighbor you trust know when you’re going to be out of town. If you’re going to be gone from home for an extended period of time (longer than 3 days and 2 nights), consider asking a friend to stay at your house.

Be safe out there. (Ok- I know that was corny. But seriously, these are our communities. Let’s take some responsibility.)

This morning I wondered and asked how Amie and I would pay the bills this month. This afternoon I found out how. I won’t go into the details, because frankly they’re not anyone’s business. But I will say that someone gave us what we needed. Thank you to the people that saw a need and met it, really- thank you.

What’s even more astounding to me is that this was a gift. Not a loan. No strings attached. Thank you for your trust. Thank you.

At the risk of sounding like a Rockstar’s award acceptance speech, I foremost thank Abba, my Heavenly Father. It is because of Him that I can write this. It is because of Christ that I am here. It is because His Spirit moved another to our aid. It is because God, maker of heaven and earth and Lord over all, that this has happened. He gets the glory. It was His to start with anyway.

God knows you. God sees you. God loves you. If no one has ever told you this, I am truly glad you’ve found it here. If you want to know more, just ask. Amie and I are apart of an amazing place here in Boise. We invite you to come and enjoy it with us. It’s called The Pursuit. We hope to see you there.

I haven’t a clue as to how Amie and I will make it this month. Things have been tight, but now they’re really tight. I don’t know why I’m writing this out, I think I have writers block, and by jotting this down I hope to remove that and then be able to write something else…. whatever.

Running through my head at this moment is the ticker of all the payments due: Car, car insurance, furniture (yeah- dumb, I know), gas, electric, water, cell phone, internet. The hardest part is deciding which one gets the last of our money. Or do we attempt to diversify, pay a little to as many as we can, attempting to cover all the bases? This sucks.

$1,200. That’s the tide that’s coming in. That’s our need. I wish it was a drop in the bucket, but its not.

And I wrestle with the faith of it all. Gotta have faith? Gotta believe that its all going to be ok? I want to hope. I want to believe. Is that faith- the desire to want to? I know the verse in the Bible “Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, and evidence of things unseen.” So do I have faith? Yes. I have evidence of that which isn’t seen. I have hope. I have a belief that we can get through this.

And I know it won’t be because of anything, great or small, I did. Its gotta be God. It doesn’t matter what it is, it will be Abba. That’s faith.

I came across a gal that wrote about The Pursuit in her blog and wanted to share it with whomever. Check it out here. I think its great stuff and really shows the heart of what The Pursuit is all about!

My entire life is about to change. I’m going to be a father.

 I am going to be a father?

And, soon, I’m going to be get my dream job. But dream job doesn’t do it justice. Passion. Heart. Strength. I can’t believe it. I was 13 or 14 when I knew what I wanted to do- what I knew would be the best use of me. No, I didn’t know exactly what, or where, that was. No, I wasn’t psychic. I just knew. Or had an idea. An inkling. A premonition.

Dejavu is here, and I have more questions than ever before. I like to be prepared. Tonight Amie and I and our friend Katie carved pumpkins. While the ladies were getting going, where was I? Here, Googling “How to carve a pumpkin.” I wanted to be prepared. No- I needed to know that I was ready.

And this is where I am again. I need to know that I am ready. That I really do have what it takes.

Do I really have what it takes?

I received this email from my planned boss.

“That (the results of my evaluation) is pretty much what I would have imagined! We are anticipating you being a key part of the future of              . Prepare yourself for life to change!”

The anonymity is deliberate.

There’s that word again. Prepare. Is there a course I can take? A book to read? An employee manual to scan?

How does one steel them self for their grail?

AND I’M GOING TO BE A DAD!?

I think I get that. Maybe.

What do I do when their pain and hurts can’t be helped? What if…

Abba! Help! Am I ready? Am I primed for all this? I want it. But am I prepared?

What am I going on about? The kid? The job?

Yes.

This is everything I’ve ever wanted. Kinda. Christ, my Abba Father, is everything-everything. He’s IT. But for now, for here- this is big.

Yes, its phantasmagorical. Yes, I am enlivened. No, I still won’t name my kid after you.

Pretty good stuff. Makes us all realize what’s been given. Thanks…. a lot.

I added a link to my Facebook. If you want to be my friend, just ask- and let me know that you found me via my blog. If you’re sitting there, reading this, and asking “What’s Facebook?”, here’s step-by-step directions:

1. Crawl out of the hole you’ve been living in.
2. Go to a computer that connects to the internet.
3. Go to Facebook.
4. Enter you information in the fields provided.
5. Click on the Green ”sing-up” button.
6. Congratulations!
7. Party like its 1999.

Be careful out there.