Daily Inklings wishes you and your loved ones a day filled with unity, tranquillity, and gratefulness. God bless you, God bless our nation, God bless our troops. Happy Thanksgiving!

“Give thanks unto the LORD, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the people.”—1 Chronicles 16:8(KJV)

In more than sixty nations, our Christian brothers and sisters cannot freely confess Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. More than 100 million Christians around the world face discrimination, imprisonment and death because of their faith in Jesus. Today around the globe we unite in prayer. Our Christian brothers and sisters who are in harm’s way are offered up in prayer for their safety and protection, for their spirit to be lifted up in the knowledge that they are not alone, that we love them and are praying for them, and that Christ is with them always. Our prayers also go to those who seek their annihilation, that they may come to know of God’s love and grace through Jesus Christ.

*From World Net Daily:

Posted: November 06, 2008
11:05 pm Eastern

Christians who have been persecuted by Hindu militants in 12 Indian states could face more bloodshed after another Hindu activist, Rashtriya Swayamsevak, was reportedly shot dead by Maoists this week.

India’s Communist Party estimates that more than 500 Christians have been killed by Hindu mobs in Orissa, 12 times more than official government claims of only 40 homicides. One official said he personally authorized “cremation of more than 200 bodies” found in jungles after Christians were blamed for the death of Hindu leader Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati on Aug. 24. They continue to be persecuted even though Maoists openly admitted to murdering Saraswati.

According to the Communist Party report, Hindu extremists may have used government machinery to “minimize the evidence and possibly destroy dead bodies.”

Thousands of homes and churches have been destroyed, and tens of thousands of Christians have been forced to flee the violence. Mission Network News estimates 5,000 Christian homes have been burned, 200 churches ruined, 10,000 people remain in government-operated refugee camps, and tens of thousands are living in forests – many seriously wounded.

More from AsiaNews on the persecution of Christians in Orissa.

*From CNN.com, Iraqi Christians flee Mosul after deaths and threats from an al Qaida faction that still freely operate there. Iraq’s President pledges $900K in aid.

More from Spiegel Online on fleeing Christians in Iraq.

*Eritrea orders Christian missionaries to leave:

Eritrea is one of the few countries with harsh restrictions on religious freedom. The latest report on Christians oppressed for their faith issued on Thursday by the Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need says over the last few years there has been an unrelenting clampdown on religious groups all over the country.

(Snip)

The Catholic Church’s refusal to release clergy for military service as required by the state was met with a firm order to the church to hand over schools, health centres and other welfare projects.

*More at Voice of the Martyrs.

We continue to pray long after today, and we are praying in Jesus’s name forever, Amen!

Listed below are Oxford University’s top ten irritating phrases which will appear in a book called Damp Squid. The phrases came from a database that shows which words and phrases are new, which are disappearing, and which are being abused.

The ten irritating phrases:
1 - At the end of the day
2 - Fairly unique
3 - I personally
4 - At this moment in time
5 - With all due respect
6 - Absolutely
7 - It’s a nightmare
8 - Shouldn’t of
9 - 24/7
10 - It’s not rocket science

The ungrammatical “shouldn’t of” grates my nerves when I read it. The phrase should be “shouldn’t have”. That goes for “should of” when it ought to be “should have”.

Some irritating words and phrases that should have made the list and didn’t (because no one asked me):

Whatever.
my bad
as a matter of fact (which usually precedes an opinion)
whassup?
ummmm…
Get a life.
Irregardless
I could care less.
Needless to say..
Kewl (I hate this!)
He was, like,…(and anytime the word “like” is used in this way)
Due to the fact that…
yadda yadda yadda…
literally

ETA: Yeah I’m probably going to get grief, but the word racist is getting overused, especially in regards to any criticism of Obama.

This film clip was from a Finnish documentarian who was making a film about Obama supporters. This teacher not only interjected her own political ideology into the classroom, but did so by humiliating one of her students whose father happens to be in the military. Didn’t she realize that as President, Obama will be the student’s father’s commander-in-chief?? Our public school system at work, folks!

Reaction by the school superintendent:

CCS Headline News - Superintendent’s Response to YouTube

I was shocked when I saw the clip of an interaction between a Cumberland County Schools teacher and her students as posted on YouTube. While neutral discussion of the political process is appropriate, at no time, particularly with elementary students, should a teacher infuse his/her political views into the discussion. Most disconcerting was the military slant that made its way into this discussion. We are a military community, serving over 15,000 military students and their families. We value the sacrifices, not only of the military parents but also those of their families.

We believe that military children are our children, military spouses are many of our employees, and military service men and women are our heroes. We proudly serve our military children and have received national awards for our support of military families.

I was particularly disturbed to see the uncomfortable position in which our children were placed due to the inappropriate actions of one of our teachers. Please be assured that the actions exhibited in this video are not consistent with the vision of the CCS. Moreover, the actions of one teacher do not represent the 7000 employees in our organization.

Once the video was brought to my attention, I immediately launched an investigation. Personnel laws prevent me from releasing information regarding individual employees and personnel action taken. I can assure you that upon completion of the investigation, I will take appropriate action.

Dr. William Harrison
CCS’ Superintendent

This teacher already lost credibility; she ought to lose her credentials!!

Curtsey to: Michelle Malkin

Mr. Obama made a campaign promise–to get his daughters a White House dog.

I highly recommend a Havanese from the Havanese Rescue. They’re so doggone CUTE! They are small, non-shedding, intelligent and loving lapdogs that the Obama girls will love.

I own, or rather I’m owned by, a four-pound cuddlebug Havanese puppy named Rigel, a bright star in my life. He’s not a yipper; he barks to go out or if someone is at the door. Just the sweetest doggie ever!

5:46AM~~Per FoxNews TV, the Obama computer has been attacked, apparently by foreign entities.

I will update more when I have more..

Update: 11/6/08 3:30PM~~A short blurb on the Drudge Report:

FBI warned candidates of hacking; Foreign entities ‘compromised’ campaign files…

Update: 11/6/08 5:15PM~~It was done by the Chinese, and the target was the White House:

Chinese hackers have penetrated the White House computer network on multiple occasions, and obtained e-mails between government officials, a senior US official told the FT.

The cyber attackers managed to penetrate the White House system for brief periods that allowed them to steal information before US government experts each time patched the system.

US government cyber experts suspect the attacks were sponsored by the Chinese government, although they cannot say for definite.

“We are getting very targeted Chinese attacks so its stretches credulity that these are not directed by government-related organisations,” said the official.

The National Cyber Investigative Joint Task Force, a unit established in 2007 to tackle security, detected the attacks. The official stressed the hackers had accessed only the unclassified computer network, and not the more secure classified network.

Photo: People StyleWatch

“…Michelle upped the style quotient with a fashion-forward Narciso Rodriguez sheath for her husband’s acceptance speech last night. We applaud Michelle’s support for a top American designer and admire her ability to pull off high style with ease.”—People StyleWatch

I hope she never wears it again. ’nuff said.

NaNoWriMo, short for National Novel Writing Month, is a writing endeavor in which the participants’s goal is to write a novel of 50,000 words and the “winners” receive nothing more than a little graphic to put in their website and a tangible beginnings of a book. It’s actually doable in a “s****y first draft” kind of way. It’s held each November.

I have been a participant since 2003 and I’ve “won” three times, meaning I’ve reached the 50,000-word goal by the end of the month, though the works are unfinished, unedited, and just plain awful. But I enjoy commiserating with a community of potential novelists, talking about the writing process, engaging in word wars, and seeing where my story goes. The discipline needed to keep up one’s word count had also been useful after November.

This year’s Nanovel, tentatively titled Cielito Beach, is a sequel to my very first, kinda, in that the location is the same fictional little tourist beach town north of San Diego but the characters are different. It is episodic with each chapter a complete story in itself. My word count so far is dismal. I’ve only reach 3,854 words while most of my writing buddies have doubled and tripled their word counts. I have a LOT of catching up to do!

But I’m liking the story and I believe I can do this. I’m setting aside this weekend just for NaNo writing and my family and friends have been warned!

Elizabeth’s NanoWriMo Word Meter:

3854 / 50000 words. 8% done!

*Here’s some initial reactions from the Arab world. Whoa.

An excerpt, with a curtsey to Little Green Footballs:

In a fatwa published on the eve of the U.S. elections, Sheikh Yousef Al-Qaradhawi expressed his preference for Sen. John McCain as president: “Personally, I would prefer for the Republican candidate, [John] McCain, to be elected. This is because I prefer the obvious enemy who does not hypocritically [conceal] his hostility toward you… to the enemy who wears a mask [of friendliness].”

Al-Qaradhawi added: “Whoever thinks that the Democrats are less hostile to [the Arabs] than the Republicans should know that the number of Iraqis killed during the siege [of Iraq] by the Democrat Bill Clinton is twice as high as the number of [Iraqis] killed by the Republican [George] Bush.

“The Democrats kill you slowly without you noticing it - and therein lies the danger. They are like a snake whose touch is not felt until its poison enters your body.

“Therefore, I hope that McCain comes to power, so that the motivation for jihad remains in our hearts, and so that we do not [begin to] rely on the infidels - [which will cause us] to be struck by the fire [of Hell].”

*Prop 8 passes, and the election process doesn’t mean a damned thing to those who opposed it.

*Also, Arizona and Florida Voters Ban Same-sex “Marriage”.

*Washington becomes second state to legalize assisted suicide.

Smith warns that now that two states have legalised assisted suicide, the likelihood is great that the movement will spread throughout the Union. In recent years, he said, the euthanasia movement has transformed itself from the “crackpot model” to a more professional level “in which very well tailored, upper middle class or rich activists network with other well tailored, upper middle class or rich professional types, to move the agenda forward - in elections, in the courts, in legislatures.”

*Medvedev orders for missiles to be deployed in Europe within hours.

*Pelosi calls Mr. Obama to “govern from the middle”. She cracks me up!

*Cuba has great expectations.

*I didn’t see the hologram gimmick because I don’t watch CNN. I stopped watching CNN since the Clinton campaign.

*And, the final vote is in.

One of my favorite authors, prolific writer Michael Crichton best known for science fiction and techno-thrillers such as The Andromeda Strain, Westworld and Jurrassic Park, has passed away yesterday after his battle with throat cancer. He is survived by his wife Sherri, daughter Taylor, and extended family. He was 66.

While attending medical school, he wrote several books under the pseudonyms John Lange and Jeffery Hudson. One work, The Case of Need, won the Edgar Award for Best Novel and was later re-released under his own name. But The Andromeda Strain was his first big hit, released in 1969 and later sold to Universal Studios for film adaptation.

Many of his books were adapted into film. From Wikipedia:

Year–Title–Filmmaker/Director

1971–The Andromeda Strain–Robert Wise
1972–Dealing: Or the Berkeley-to-Boston Forty-Brick Lost-Bag Blues–Paul Williams
1972–The Carey Treatment (A Case of Need)–Blake Edwards
1974–The Terminal Man–Mike Hodges
1993–Rising Sun–Philip Kaufman
1993–Jurassic Park–Steven Spielberg
1994–Disclosure–Barry Levinson
1995–Congo–Frank Marshall
1997–The Lost World: Jurassic Park–Steven Spielberg
1998–Sphere–Barry Levinson
1999–The 13th Warrior (Eaters of the Dead)–John McTiernan
2003–Timeline–Richard Donner
2008–The Andromeda Strain (TV miniseries)–Mikael Salomon

He also wrote non-fiction works such as Electronic Life which introduced computer programming to the readers, and Jasper Johns. He wrote several screenplays including “Coma” and “Twister”, and created the TV series “ER”. He created computer games Amazon which was commercially successful, and Timeline. He wrote controversial essays citing misconceptions on global warming, UFOs, second-hand smoke and environmentalism which he believed have similarities to faith rather than science. He was critical of the media for what he saw as reporting speculation rather than delivery of facts.

His books dealt with scientific and medical worst-case scenarios and systemic breakdowns. I loved them; they were difficult for me to put down. His writing style is my inspiration for some of my own attempts at speculative fiction; he is my literary role model.

He has an untitled book which will be posthumously released in 2009.

His genius will be sorely missed.

Michael Crichton on Wikipedia
Obituary in the news

Congratulations to Sen. Obama on this historic day. He ran a brilliant campaign.

Powerline’s Ten Theses on President-elect Obama.

From Joe Biden himself!

“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

“I can give you at least four or five scenarios from where it might originate,” Biden said to Emerald City supporters, mentioning the Middle East and Russia as possibilities. “And he’s gonna need help. And the kind of help he’s gonna need is, he’s gonna need you - not financially to help him - we’re gonna need you to use your influence, your influence within the community, to stand with him. Because it’s not gonna be apparent initially, it’s not gonna be apparent that we’re right.”

Not only will the next administration have to deal with foreign affairs issues, Biden warned, but also with the current economic crisis.

“Gird your loins,” Biden told the crowd. “We’re gonna win with your help, God willing, we’re gonna win, but this is not gonna be an easy ride. This president, the next president, is gonna be left with the most significant task. It’s like cleaning the Augean stables, man. This is more than just, this is more than – think about it, literally, think about it – this is more than just a capital crisis, this is more than just markets. This is a systemic problem we have with this economy.” (Emphasis mine.)

The fact that Biden believes (and even says he guarantees) our enemies will “test” Obama WITHIN SIX MONTHS in office speaks volumes about his lack of faith in Obama. He is already giving excuses as to why Obama will suck if elected. If there’s another terrorist attack (God forbid!) it will be more than just a “test” of Obama’s mettle; it will be a catastrophe for our nation! We can’t afford job training or a learning curve during a crisis!

“Gird your loins”?? How about hide your wallets?!

Curtsey: Wizbang

More from Biden at YouTube.

As the national election draws near, we need to lift up in prayer the candidates, the ballot measures, the voters, and our nation. We must pray continually during this election season and beyond.

The Presidential Prayer Team is hosting an Online Prayer Rally on November 2nd-3rd. It is important to be an informed voter, and to pray for this historic election. And whoever wins needs our continual prayer for wisdom, good health, safety, and personal integrity.

Rekindling Our Culture of Prayer

Post your prayer on The Prayer Wall.

To God be the Glory!

(Stickied to keep post to the top until after Nov 4th.)

For several days I have had no internet connection. The cable adapter was the weak link to Mr. Darcy (my laptop). I would twiddle for days to get the cable to connect properly, but the cable finally died and Mr. Darcy lost all power. I ordered another.

So, it’s here! =^)