One of my favorite authors was Robert Heinlein. I spent a bit of time curled up with several of his early books this weekend. I decided to share some of his wisdom……

Robert Heinlein was awarded four Hugo Awards for his novels. He was also awarded four “Hugo’s” for years which has not previously awarded them.
Heinlein also won the first Grand Master Award given by the Science Fiction Writers of America.

The following quotes are from various books, by Robert Heinlein.

“You can have peace. Or you can have freedom. Don’t ever count on having both at once.”

“Always keep your clothes and your weapons where you can find them in the dark.”

“Pacifism is a shifty doctrine under which a man accepts the benefits of the social group without being willing to pay - and claims a halo for his dishonesty.”

“As to liberty, the heroes who signed that great document pledged themselves to buy liberty with their lives. Liberty is always unalienable; it must be redeemed regularly with the blood of patriots or it is always vanquished. Of all the so-called ‘natural human rights’ that have ever been invented, liberty is least likely to be cheap and is never free of cost.”

“War is not violence and killing, pure and simple; war is controlled violence, for a purpose. The purpose of war is to support your government’s decisions by force. The purpose is never to kill the enemy just to be killing him but to make him do what you want him to do. Not killing… but controlled and purposeful violence.”

“The most expensive thing in the world is a second-best military establishment, good but not good enough to win. “

The Masteroftheuniverse and Pet and The Bengal
Brats and Lolithegreatdane wish you all a Blessed Easter

Board the Friday Ark at The Modulator (submit your post here)

Weekend Cat Blogging #146 Mar 22-23
is being held by Kashim and Othello
(see the week’s& host to enter your WCB post in the comments for the weekend roundup)

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos Edition 37 • 03-23-2008
with Samantha Black and Mr. Tigger at Life from a Cat’s Perspective
They’re stepping in for Megan & Bad Kittens Three at Bad Kitty Cats Journal
who are moving and won’t have innernets. Isn’t that sooooooo nice?
Optional Theme - Easter Edition
(submit your post here)

The Carnival of the Cats #210 is going to Chey’s Place
Sunday Evening 3/23/08
(submit your post here)

Today, like every day of the year, we sit in the presence of Jesus Christ who was fully made to be God in the flesh of man. The triune God, God made in the flesh. In the person of Jesus The Christ
This Jesus Christ, my personal savior demonstrated that he loved God with all his heart, and with all his soul, and with all his strength, and with his whole mind.

This Jesus Christ, loved with a love that is hard to understand.
Jesus Christ loved the human race so much that he gave his life as an offering of payment for sin. You sinned? Christ has already paid for it. That’s how much he loves us.
Sin will never ever be an issue for a growing Christian.
Why?
Because the Savior the great “I AM” knew the penalty of sin, and knew that all people would sin. That Christians would continue to sin. So he offered himself as a propitiation offering. On the Cross, to fulfill prophesy

Today why not take a few moments and ask yourself if you are not a Christian, to let God into your heart and accept the great sacrifice Jesus Christ gave.

It can be a simple prayer, or a conversation. In the book of Acts, it is very clear.
That faith alone is the path to eternal salvation.
Acts 16:31: “Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and you shall be saved.”

“Dear God I know I’m a sinner, I know I am not where I want to be, and I want your forgiveness! I believe that Jesus died on the cross to pay the price for my sins.
Please cleanse me from all sin, shame, and guilt, come into my life Jesus to be my Lord and Savior. I ask this in your name Jesus. Amen!”

Recognize that you are a person of sin, with no way to access God the Father except through the work of Jesus Christ. Just ask God for cleansing of your sin, and that Jesus would come into your heart to save you.

Remember the story of the two thieves crucified with Jesus? One absolutely refused to seek what Jesus offered; the other thief did, and was told “today you will be with me in paradise” Buddy Gray pastor of Hunter Street Baptist Church in Birmingham recently said this.

“This really is justification by faith alone. Notice there was no baptism, no communion, no confession, no last rites, no church membership, no good works, no praying a prayer, no walking an aisle. This man trusts in Christ alone…. All he can do is trust in the work of Jesus Christ, and Jesus says that is all that it takes.”

Ephesians 2:8-10: “For by grace are you saved through faith; and that not of yourselves. It is the gift of God: not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God has before ordained that we should walk in them.”
Today while we acknowledge the gift we were given by Jesus, through his death on the cross, we may mourn.
Yet the family of God knows this was a penalty that had to be paid, so that we can know we will have the gift of eternal life.Here is enough reason to call this Friday Good.

Trackposted to The Virtuous Republic, Rosemary’s Thoughts, Allie is Wired, Right Truth, Blue Star Chronicles, Oblogatory Anecdotes, The Pink Flamingo, A Newt One, Right Voices, Pursuing Holiness, and The Yankee Sailor, thanks to Linkfest Haven Deluxe.

Spc. Monica Lin Brown
19 years old from Lake Jackson, Texas
4th Squadron, 73rd Cavalry Regiment, 4th Brigade Combat Team

Army Spc. Monica Lin Brown has done something only a very few female soldiers in American history have ever done. She’s been awarded the Silver Star.

Brown saved the lives of fellow soldiers after a roadside bomb tore through a convoy of Humvees in the eastern Paktia province of Afghanistan in April 2007. “I did not really think about anything except for getting the guys to a safer location and getting them taken care of and getting them out of there.”

“We stopped the convoy. I opened up my door and grabbed my aid bag,” Brown said.

She started running toward the burning vehicle as insurgents opened fire. All five wounded soldiers had scrambled out.

“I assessed the patients to see how bad they were. We tried to move them to a safer location because we were still receiving incoming fire,” Brown said. “So we dragged them for 100 or 200 meters, got them away from the Humvee a little bit,” she said. “I was in a kind of a robot-mode, did not think about much but getting the guys taken care of.”

For Brown, who knew all five wounded soldiers, it became a race to get them all to a safer location. Eventually, they moved the wounded some 500 yards away and treated them on site before putting them on a helicopter for evacuation.

“I did not really have time to be scared,” Brown said. “Running back to the vehicle, I was nervous (since) I did not know how badly the guys were injured. That was scary.”

The military said Brown’s “bravery, unselfish actions and medical aid rendered under fire saved the lives of her comrades and represents the finest traditions of heroism in combat.”

These brave men and women sacrifice so much in their lives so that others may enjoy the freedoms we get to enjoy everyday. For that, I am proud to call them Hero.
We Should Not Only Mourn These Men And Women Who Died, We Should Also Thank God That Such People Lived

This post is part of the Wednesday Hero Blogroll. For more information about Wednesday Hero, or if you would like to post it on your site, you can go here.

Feral cat news is a new feral cat news web site that is updated daily. I have had the opportunity to correspond briefly with the site owner, who feels very strongly that people need to make up their own minds on how to deal with feral cats. Because there are always choices on handling feral cats .
This gal describes herself as” a feral cat caretaker in Florida. I strongly believe in TNR and No Kill shelters”.

I like that. Those who simply trap and kill cats are not well thought of around here.

TheMasterOfTheUniverse and I were faced last year with the difficult decision of what to do with the feral momma cat that just showed up one day. We were fortunate to be able to trap and spay her, as well as the one kitten that survived. Where we live there are natural (in this case a fox) predators that don’t realize cats are not food. We by the way still cannot pet either of them, but they will sit by me outside. It is all good as long as I bring treats and keep my hands to myself!

In the past decade it has become much more common for communities to develop a Trap-neuter-vaccinate-release program. This has proved effective in managing feral colonies in different areas.

The Humane Society of the USA estimates that 1 breeding pair of feral cats can produce
many thousands of kittens in 7 years. That’s a lot of kittens!

So what do we do with all these unwanted cats? There are no easy answers.
Educate owners; set up low cost/ no- cost spays neuter clinics. Educate.

There are literally thousands of groups in the USA that set up shelters, or arrange trapping, neutering or spaying and release back to the feral cat’s territory.
Find one get involved, help where you can.
By the way Feral Cat news is actively seeking links, so go share !

Welcome!

The World of Jenotopia starts out this festival with a tad of mischief.. or is it evil?

January Cat from Karnak Street Kats shares that they do not believe in declawing cats, but Toby came to them declawed. He did not seem to know that he was different from other cats.

Gattina shares that Rosie found a new house for her mousies but poor baby is just wore out!

Finally Friday is the sigh given by Debra at MANX MNEWS, I’m not so sure the kitties agree!

Babath says its the Pose of repose , The brats think its a wonderful description of chaos in order.

TT&TOT Gang say yippie!!! the Carnival is coming! Do be sure to drop by for this weeks edition of the Carnival Of The Cats.

Parker says its Tuesday Tummy and Toesies Al Fresco!

Cheysuli wonders if we can see her toes.. while exposing…go see!

Sleeping Mommy gives us an excellent pictorial update on the 10 day old babies.Ahhhhhhhhh……

Andree shares lots of important news this week: especially about the awful lolmoth. Don’t miss it.

Artsy Catsy are doing an urgent fundraiser, go read and help if you can.

Silveral shares some good insights into celebrity pets and their owners.

CatSynth (Amar and Luna) comment if you peer into the photo, you can see the bases of Luna’s paws ..Lovely Luna….

Mog shares Meowzas tummy, and what a cutie it is!

Diamond Emerald-Eyes gives us a hint of toes and claws with easy like Sunday.

Samantha shows her stuff with Bad Kitty Cat Festival Of Chaos #36-Toes or Claws.

Thanks for joining this weeks Festival of Chaos!

Neek week is hosted by Megan & Bad Kittens Three at Bad Kitty Cats Journal
~ Optional Theme - Easter Edition

SirWoody who was rudely interrupted woken gently from his nap, to make the announcement that some of The Bengal Brats will be hosting the Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos Edition 36. (Optional theme toes or claws.)

****And that does not mean that you Brats need to practice shredding with your claws till the Festival either****Pet

Board the Friday Ark at The Modulator (submit your post here)

Weekend Cat Blogging #145 Mar 15-16
Held at the Cat Blogosphere
(see the week’s& host to enter your WCB post in the comments for the weekend roundup)

Bad Kitty Cats Festival of Chaos Edition 36 3-16-08
Pet & The Bengal Brats at Pet’s Garden Blog
Optional Theme - Toes Or Claws
(submit your post here)

The Carnival of the Cats #209 - 3-16-08
This, That and the Other Thing - Sunday Evening
(submit your post here)