Oregon Trail

Two New Sheriffs in Town.

2007-06-20T10:58:00.000-04:00

We here at Oregon Trail would like to issue a welcome to our two new sheriffs in town, Blogging Ethics, and God Save Virginia.
It seems both are here to make this place a better place to blog for all of us, and I can't argue with that, my only question is can they make a difference.

for what sparked the ethics discussions, visit The Virginian Federalist

I love nuns, puppies and cute bunnies, and am against killing them!

2007-05-22T00:34:00.000-04:00

I would just for the record like to state that I DEEPLY feel that nuns, puppies and cute bunnies are vital to society, and in all cases, i just adore them...

I feel it is a sick practice to kill either a nun, puppy or cute bunny, and abhor the thought of it, AND furthermore HATE those that find this to be "good practice" I find them morally and ethically "screwy"

Does STD hate nuns and puppies?

2007-05-22T00:18:00.000-04:00

This is a comment made by STD over at The Daily Whackjob

"So is it rocket science to say if you are not blogging against someone, you are supporting them, especially on one of your pet issues?"

Here is a response

"Clearly, this isn’t rocket science to say if you are not blogging against killing nuns and puppies, you are supporting them.
Why do you hate nuns and puppies?! Your silence on the issue clearly infers that you do."

someone has brought into question whether STD has ever posted about loving nuns and puppies, or even cute bunnies, I did some investigative research, and the conclusion was...dun dun dun, no...he has not. The next bit was to see if he ever posted AGAINST killing Nuns, puppies and cute bunnies, NO he has NEVER spoke out against the practice of killing nuns, puppies and cute bunnies!

STD MUST HATE nuns and PUPPIES, and CUTE BUNNIES!!!

Can we trust a blogger that hates nuns, puppies, and bunnies?

Instead he likes Mosquitos and rats...STD carries water for Mosquitos! AND Rats!

this in no way is meant to reflect badly on scott sayre

If you find this absurd...you are not alone.

Whackjob the skils and power...

2007-05-14T13:15:00.000-04:00

It seems a blog by the name of The Daily Whackjob is creating ripples in the blogosphere...Is it ethical to be a popular blog? some seem to think not...I can't for the life of me figure out why people are getting angry at the Whackjob.

Living In a Post-VT World

2007-04-24T00:50:00.000-04:00

A professor at the Boston-based Catholic liberal arts school Emmanuel was fired on Thursday after saying “pow,” while pointing a marker at a student – during a classroom discussion about the VT shootings!

Emmanuel issued a press release saying that it does not condone discriminatory or obscene language.

How exactly is that discriminatory? I guess he only did it to a few students. Obscene? As far as I know it wasn’t obscene. It was definitely “too soon,” though, judging by Emmanuel’s knee-jerk reaction.

While Emmanuel has every right to fire professors at will, in my opinion… this was not something that should have led to a firing. It is an abridgment of free speech, something that has been happening quite often in the news lately. If students in the room had been offended and had clamored for his removal, then I would be more understanding. But according to that article a student in the room did the same to the professor – “pow!” – was he expelled, or at least suspended? The article does not say, but I suspect not.

If it was truly “discriminatory or obscene gestures,” then punishment should be applied across the board. But as the facts stand, this is simply an issue of free speech being reigned in – legally… but not wisely.

cross-posted at: Mad Hatter, Daily Whackjob , and Raising Kaine.

I'm Not Emeril: Open Gun Law Thread

2007-04-23T00:12:00.000-04:00

I'm Not Emeril, came up with a really good idea. He says...

Use the comment section to describe a new, tougher gun law that would have prevented any of the school shootings in our country's history. Or. for that matter, any shooting involving victims in a "gun free zone", whether it be a school, airport, government building, courthouse, store or restaurant.

Use your liberal imagination. Unleash your progressive thoughts. We are all anxious to hear your ideas.

I really want to hear an answer to his questions, so i strongly recommend you check it out and comment. I think this is a very fair and needed question to ask.

I'm Not Emeril

The Madness Continues

2007-04-20T17:43:00.000-04:00

I am from Henrico county Va Yesterday a student from my neighboring county of Hanover, wore a T-shirt saying "Cho seung-hui, is a national hero" He was sent home, and is facing possible expulsion. What posseses a child to do something like that? His claim is it is his "freedom of speech", well sadly for him the schools have won numerous lawsuits, when it comes to there enforcing of a extremly lenient dress code. In addition, yesterday I was playing Halo for compuer online, and a guy got on and his user name was Cho Seung-hui, he started making comments of how it was him who murdered those at tech, sadly for him that pissed me and a friend off and we got in banshees and pretty much owned...but what possess people to do stuff like that, the guy on the computer was a wuss, I really don't think he would have EVER done that if it was in person if front of real humans, but the kid with the shirt...what statement are you trying to make, I keep hearing about bomb threats, kids with guns in schools, and even a group of people that said what Cho Seung-hui did was great, and were going to do something similar, they had the equipment, but htey got caught...we live in a depraved world, and no i won't buy that i am being pessimistic by looking only at the "bad" and not seeing the "good"

"All have turned away, they have together become worthless; there is no one who does good, not even one. Their throats are open graves; their tongues practice deceit.
The poison of vipers is on their lips. Their mouths are full of cursing and bitterness. Their feet are swift to shed blood; ruin and misery mark their ways, and the way of peace they do not know. There is no fear of God before their eyes."

this is what I see in the world...for those of you who don't know that was a Bible verse taken from romans chapter 3:12-18. After hearing about these events and after thinking about it for a bit, these verses are what came to mind...

2007-04-19T19:31:00.000-04:00

Ok, so McCain just lost some of his "viable candidate points."

Amusing joke, "bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb, bomb Iran" - no? (I agree with the spirit of the remark, I just don't think statements like that are becoming of a presidential candidate.)

I think that Iran intends to continue on its course towards nuclear weapons. If that happens, we are left with the question, "How should America react?" Tough question, no?

We could -

- Continue with the (useless) United Nations, trying to convince them to willingly give up their newly-acquired toys.
- Attack them.
- Let them be until they attack/threaten us (possible) or Israel (more likely).

Which option is best? Politics has been ineffective in the Middle East. Will it ever work? I doubt. They understand force. But should we attack them? That, too, would turn into a poorly managed fiasco. After a year we would not have the country fully stabilized, and certain segments of our population would be whining that we should give up. But should we wait until we are in imminent danger to take action (even then, what action would we take)?

I honestly am not sure.

What are ya'lls opinions?

Everything you didn't want to know...about me.

2007-04-19T01:00:00.000-04:00

So.

I'm Frank. *Hi, Frank*

Yes.

I enjoy dances, books, music...baseball; other sports...drawing. Philosophy.

Most people would say I'm conservative, politically; most. And, religiously, I'm Reformed Calvinist; by the grace of God, lol.

Most expertise lies mostly in the area of soggy napkins...which is a good analogy for relationships. Somehow. I'll post that analogy later. If I think of a good one.

Virginia Tech and prayers

2007-04-18T17:16:00.000-04:00

First, I would like to offer my deepest sympathies to those who lost a friend or family member in this horrid and senseless act. May God comfort you in your time of need. I didn't know anyone directly effected at tech, but i can't even name all the people that i know that knew someone who was killed or knew someone at tech that was a close friend with one of those murdered...I refuse to get political on this subject for at least one week, "there is a time to mourn" and that is the time we are in right now. May God grant you rest...and if you don't believe in God, know that their are many of us that do, and we are praying to that God to comfort you.

This tragedy at tech has shaken people all around the America, I was just looking through some of the posts on the blogs, and noticed people saying how their prayers are with those families of tech students. I have seen people who I would never thought to EVER be saying they are praying, praying, and others who say, "I am not a real religious person, but today I am." It saddens me that it takes a horrid event to bring some people back to God...I am in no way saying this tragedy was good, but it saddens me that people turn there back on God except when they are hurting...that is all.

Shameless Plug

2007-04-18T12:27:00.000-04:00

Sense Within Madness

My blog.

Link to it, read it, love it.

Grace to you all, Mad Hatter

Welcome Frank and the Mad Hatter

2007-04-17T22:01:00.000-04:00

I would like to officially welcome the Mad Hatter, Frank, and Raul Duehicky to this Blog. I hope their expertise come in handy on many occasions...and hope they actually post.

What have we become?

2007-04-17T00:25:00.000-04:00

Although the question, "what have we become" isn't totally accurate, cause this is what we have always been. More and More i see Christians with the idea, that they can go through life, witnessing, and doing no study. Yeah they know the basics, they know what they learned in Sunday school, and go to church regularly, but they don't study, they are content with being at the point in the Christian walk they are...they are doing just that walking. The bible says it is a race, no not one to be competitive and beat other Christians to the goal, but to race towards the goal, as a unit, one body, one father, one Church, one bridegroom. In Philippians Paul says

13Brothers, I do not consider that I have made it my own. But one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, 14I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.

Paul, admits he "hasn't made it his own" or gotten there yet, but he is straining and pressing on, yet we as Christians don't do these things. I am not saying all Christians, i am saying many, including myself, i do not believe the argument of "you do the same thing so thus you cannot say it is wrong", nor do i believe the argument of "well, even Christians sin"
We as Christians do sin, but we shouldn't EVER use that as an excuse for incorrect behavior of oneself or someone else. In second Peter is says this

5For this very reason, make every effort to supplement your faith with virtue,^[e] and virtue with knowledge, 6and knowledge with self-control, and self-control with steadfastness, and steadfastness with godliness, 7and godliness with brotherly affection, and brotherly affection with love.

These are the things you should see in Christians, and they should be striving for them, but i also feel some people take one part of the list and "run with it" many men want to be "good" but they have no knowledge of God, or are controlled, but have no faith etc.

8For if these qualities^[f] are yours and are increasing, they keep you from being ineffective or unfruitful in the knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ.

but notice it says these, meaning plural, not just one, if we don't have ALL of these we are unfruitful.

9For whoever lacks these qualities is so nearsighted that he is blind, having forgotten that he was cleansed from his former sins.

Yes, Christians become unfruitful, we become lazy, we forget what He has done for us, and live our lives "for God" but as long as we don't have to move any further in the relationship, but that isn't what we are called to, and peter says this is why he reminds us of this.

10Therefore, brothers,^[g] be all the more diligent to make your calling and election sure, for if you practice these qualities you will never fall. 11For in this way there will be richly provided for you an entrance into the eternal kingdom of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.

12Therefore I intend always to remind you of these qualities, though you know them and are established in the truth that you have. 13I think it right, as long as I am in this body,^[h] to stir you up by way of reminder, 14since I know that the putting off of my body will be soon, as our Lord Jesus Christ made clear to me. 15And I will make every effort so that after my departure you may be able at any time to recall these things.

"Peter says, if we practice these qualities we "will never fall" that got me thinking, "that isn't true, we are sinful, we will always fall" but that is a promise, if we TRULY do that we will NEVER fall. So why don't we do it?

The beginning of a great trail...

2007-04-16T01:09:00.000-04:00

The journey has begun, as has the life of a politician...