Religious Tolerance in America

So, I found this interesting article on Religion in America at the Star Tribune here in Minneapolis, Minnesota. It shows that religious tolerance is rising, to the point that 70% of the 35,000 adults surveyed who had a spiritual affiliation said they're religion is not the "only true religion" and that other belief systems can lead to eternal salvation.

When you read the article though, you get the feeling that the person who wrote it was indeed Catholic and very much against the idea that there are multiple roads to salvation. This makes it a particularly interesting read! Bible quotes and all! And they say the STrib is only a God-less liberal mouthpiece.

My favorite quote, though, is:

"What most people are saying is, 'Hey, we don't have a hammer-lock on God or salvation, and God's bigger than us and we should respect that and respect other people,'" said the Rev. Tom Reese, a senior fellow at the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University.

Wow! Its a human within the "business of religion" that actually accepts that God is omnipotent and omniscient compared to man's puny amount of knowledge. Its rare to find a religious figure that doesn't believe they are "all knowing" and "all seeing" when it comes to God's judgement.

Finally a Sonic Drive-In in Minnesota!

When perusing the Star Tribune today, I stumbled across a blurb which seemed to indicate that at least one of my prayers has been answered. A Sonic Drive-In has finally opened in Minnesota!

Twin Citians with a taste for cherry limeade, tater tots and extra-long Coney hotdogs served up at Sonic drive-ins can quench their cravings. Sonic is to open its first Minnesota store at 6 a.m. today at 1960 Suburban Av. in St. Paul, just south of Interstate 94 and east of White Bear Avenue.

The closest Sonic had been 180 miles south, in Fort Dodge, Iowa. Sonic got its start in 1953 in Shawnee, Okla., as the Top Hat Drive-In, a hamburger and root beer stand. It's now the nation's largest drive-in restaurant chain.

As previously stated, I most certainly plan on partaking in their Chili Cheese Tator Tots, Caramel Apple Bites, and Bacon Cheeseburger Toaster Sandwich. Also as previously state, I will bring my fellow Minnesotan friends who also have had an interest in Sonic Drive-In goodness with me. And if I want breakfast in the afternoon they will give it to me, unlike their inferior counterparts.

Beware of Foreclosure Fraud

All across the United States, more than 1 million homes have been put in foreclosure so far this year. With more foreclosures occurring every day, "foreclosure rescue" scams are also on the rise. From California to New York, criminals have been pretending to sooth the fears of borrowers facing foreclosure with promises of mortgage help, only to fleece them of their homes and equity. Basically, the wave of the predatory lending has broken into a new era of foreclosure fraud.

That is the lead in to one of my most recent articles on www.iQualifyNow.com. Obviously, it is about foreclosure fraud. I really liked writing this article because it was interesting to research, but it makes me mad that there are so many people in the world who are willing to take advantage of others. These are people trying to save their homes!

Anyways, this article provides tips to help you weed out most of the criminals in your search for help to fight foreclosure. There really are people out there who can help you, you simply have to find them.

Pure Pionus Parrot

Okay, so after I made my last post, I got to thinking that there was at least one publication of mine which had not been linked to this blog yet. I wrote this article for Associated Content because I thought (very briefly) that I might be able to make some money this way when I was first starting out as a writer. I had been out of practice for articles of any length (my primary duties at the time were creating about 33 news blurbs of 200 characters of less), so it took me a little while to write. I wasn't satisfied with the compensation I received, however. Now I know a little bit more about those sorts of mass produced things. I will probably write something else for them someday, but I feel that site is a little bit more about quantity and not as much about quality.

Myself, I strive for quality and content over quantity. I put time and research into my articles. Though I will use existing items as references, I like to create my own original articles on various topics. I also like to take a few things that might be happening in the news at the same time and tie them together, such as this article I wrote which combines information from a piece that says the act of giving can counteract depression with a piece that says donations are down.

Anyways.. back to the parrot. I have a Pionus Parrot named Harry. He is of the Blue Headed variety. They are peculiar birds. They don't usually talk, or if they do talk, it is not very clearly. But mine does! He is very self centered, though. His phrases are "Harry Bird," "Harry Boy," "Buddy Bird," "Buddy Boy," "Whats up, birdy," "Come here," and "Here Kitty, Kitty, Kitty." He does have some more colorful phrases, but thankfully, those are much less easily understood. The F-sound is a little harder for a parrot to mimick :) He can be very, very loud and it can be very frustrating. I can't always account for the language I use towards him when he is throwing a little birdy temper tantrum!

Anyways, my family owns birds. My aunt has a Yellow Naped Amazon and a Congo African Grey. I would never own either of these birds, their beaks are far too large and they tend to only like one person. Harry, on the other hand, craves attention from anyone who will give it to him. My mother and brother, between the two of them, have a Nanday Conure named Cozmo, a Blue-Crowned Conure named Indigo, and a Jardine's Parrot named Jordy. While I would totally have another Pionus or a Jardine, I wouldn't get another conure. They are friendly but very loud.

Never Too Late to Teach Your Kids About Money

Teaching children about money is never an easy task. Perhaps you don't feel confident about your own money-management skills. However, you probably know a little more about directing cash than you think. From the time that children begin comprehending money (which is around the same time they learn to count) until they move out of your home permanently, your financial actions will play a critical role in shaping their attitude toward money. Teaching and encouraging children to become regular savers, thrifty spenders, and savvy investors will help them lead a financially fit life in the future.

This is the lead in to my most recent article published on iQualifyNow.com. I think the title is pretty obvious! It has some tips about teaching kids about cash. I wish I would have been made to save when I was younger. Maybe I would have some savings of which to speak!

I'm a little bummed that my iQualifyNow articles have been the only items in my blog lately. I have been very busy and super productive, however! I picked up two new clients this week. WOOHOO! New projects! Of course, since I want this blog to also be a record of my on-line published articles, I will post links when appropriate.

I am stoked that I've been contributing so regular to Sense & Serendipity! I've been doing infinitely better since the sputtering start of this blog in March of 2007. But then again, I was working 60 hours a week last year. Now all I do is write! Makes me so happy. I really, truly love what I do and I am excited to see where my next projects will lead me!

MORE Earth Friendly Purchases Under $50

MORE! I like more. I had so much fun writing Earth Friendly Purchases Under $50 that I had to write another one, because there just had to be MORE!

In the previous article, 10 environmentally friendly purchases that cost less than $50 were listed. Household items, foods, cleaning products, even clothing were named as helping to foster a "green" life that didn't require taking out a home equity loan to install solar panels or wind turbines. Here are 10 more tips to help you live a greener lifestyle without blowing your budget.

Again, these are articles I wrote for the iQualifyNow.com financial site.

Glad To Be A Wild Goon!

If I didn't know better, I would think it sounds like The Denver Post's Mark Kiszla woke up on the wrong side of the bed this morning. I know the real reason for his bitterness, however, is that the Minnesota Wild are beating the Denver Avalanche in the Stanley Cup Playoff Series. The article he wrote wasn't as much about the actual game as it was how annoyed he was that Denver lost and Minnesota won. He took a lot of cheap shots at the Wild and their fans. Here are a few choice cuts:

"Let the mugging begin. It's the only way the Minnesota Wild can win."

"When playing this goon-it- up Wild bunch, hockey is a no-holds- barred battle of attrition, not skill."

"Minnesota, the land of 10,000 dead car batteries, has an inferiority about this hockey team. The Wild's style of play is as ugly and obnoxious as the uniforms, which look as if designed by a toddler who randomly pulled two crayons from the box of 64 and began scribbling."

"Anywhere the Wild goes, flowers wilt, the sky turns gray and beauty dies."

And let's not forget one of my personal favorites:

"The dark hockey arts are practiced by every member of the Wild. Even a player as remarkably talented as Minnesota center Mikko Koivu is not adverse to hacking and tripping when Colorado's Ryan Smyth is carrying the puck on goal."

"When scores are certain to be scarce and the mugging is beyond the control of any referee, what's the lone goal for the Avs now? Be the last men standing, and live to play something that resembles beautiful hockey another day."

Wow... He sounds truly morose and bitter! At least when the Wild lose, their fans don't cry foul on the other team. We acknowledge that our team messed up or perhaps didn't play so well, we don't blame it on the tactics of the other team. Besides, I watched that game, too, and I saw plenty of calls that were not called against Denver which should have been, particularly hooking. I also saw Denver starting the brawls just as often as Minnesota. One hockey team is not an "angel" compared to the other, fighting is a part of the game whether some people like it or not and in this case both sides were getting their digs. This is for a shot at the Stanley Cup, you know.

Brute force is sometimes necessary to win. To be the last man standing, and live to play hockey another day, you have to claim victory. To do otherwise, puts you in the off-season.