Wednesday, February 07, 2007

Another Certification

I got my wish... I was hoping to be able to get trained in a different certification. I just got certified in Direct Response, which I mentioned is taking calls for a clearing house of many different products. I will do this gig if I have to but during the training I got the impression that it's a pain in the ass. You have all these different products you have to take orders for, very little information given... If customers ask you anything about the product there is little you can do except send them to customer service. That plus they expect you to read every up-sell that comes across the screen. Some products may have as many as 5 or 6 of these. Jeeze!!!!

At any rate I am going to be training in a program called Pro Flowers. This is a business that obviously sells flowers. I am just getting started into the training, but I have already found they are affiliated with other companies like Cherry Moon Farms which sells fresh fruit for example. This should be an interesting gig. We will see.


I will keep the readers of this blog ( both of you) apprised as to how training is going, and when I finish the training, I'll let you know how the job goes.

Tuesday, February 06, 2007

Finished Training!

Well, I finished my training for going back to work online at home! Yea!!! This is the company I worked for before. I had to train for a different project. What's interesting is that I started training for this one when I was doing the HSN thing a couple of years ago, but messed up. I got through it this time.

I can start getting hours now. I also expressed an interest in the project they have available for a company called Pro Flowers. I guess I would be taking orders for flowers shops, pretty obvious there.

The other thing I am now certified in is called Direct Response. They take calls for all kinds of products apparently. They are a clearing house for a lot of these commercials you see where there is an 800 number to call. SO if you are watching the commercial for the light that you shake and want to buy it, you may end up talking to me. That or something like it. Time will tell. I hope this work out better than it has in the past. These projects start out good, then hours to work seem to dwindle to nothing. I am keeping my fingers crossed.

Sunday, February 04, 2007

The Bears lost, but in a way I still win!

As you may have seen in Sue's blog, we had a bet on the Super Bowl tonight. Neither of us had followed the teams this year, so I let Sue have first pick on what team she wanted to root for. She picked the Indianapolis Colts because she likes horses, and she was born in Indiana. So that left me with the Chicago Bears.

On one hand, I was betting against myself, as I happen to like Payton Manning, the Quarterback of the Colts. However, the Bears are a pretty good team. I had followed them quite some time back when Mike Ditka was the Head Coach.

The game got started, and immediately the Bears intercepted the kick and ran 92 yards for a touchdown. I thought that I had a good chance of winning the bet. However, in the first quarter alone there were 4 turnovers. The game was really getting interesting. While the Bears held the lead for a short time, I knew that anything could happen. The Colts fought back on a rainy evening in Miami, and unfortunately, my team dropped the ball both figuratively, and literally. The Colts simply played a better game, and won. 29 - 17. At least it wasn't a total rout.

So I lost the bet. However, the look on Sue's face when she realized that she had actually won the bet was priceless! Sue doesn't usually like to bet on anything, because she has seldom won. I, like Sue think we will enjoy making other bets. The two of us will have a nice time going out to dinner together, and Sandy will enjoy watching one of her shows. So like I said in the title of this blog, the Bears lost, but I still win!

Saturday, February 03, 2007

Hodge Podge

This is going to be a blog about various subjects today. A California Assemblyman, Lloyd Levine, proposed banning incandescent light bulbs in the state to save energy. Compact fluorescent bulbs cost more but last a lot longer than incandescent bulbs. According to the Federal Government, replacing one incandescent light bulb with a compact fluorescent in every household would save enough energy to light 2.5 million homes for a year. Personally, we have replaced the bulk of our incandescent bulbs with the fluorescents some time back. It's hard to say whether or not we are getting any savings as we are getting screwed by our electric company. I'll keep you informed on that if I ever figure out the answer. Truth be told, we change light bulbs less often, and I really do think they use less electricity.

The question is, should the state ban incandescents? Texas doesn't have anything like this under consideration, but I wonder if perhaps we should. At the very least government offices should be made to change to all fluorescent lights. Then the savings can be passed on to the consumers.

In another story, Texas Governor Rick Perry has signed ( or is about to sign) legislation making it mandatory for all girls in the sixth grade to be vaccinated against the HPV (Human Papillomavirus) This virus has been proven to be the cause of Cervical Cancer. Naturally a lot of people are up in arms. How dare this man force us to vaccinate our daughters! The government shouldn't get involved with our health! HELLO! Ever heard of POLIO??? If a simple vaccination, like the polio vaccine can help to prevent one of the most virulent forms of cancer deaths among women, then I am all for it. If you don't want your daughter vaccinated against a potential death sentence, then move to a third world country.

Let's see what else. Oh yeah. According to this website, http://antiwar.com/casualties/ here are the latest US Casualty figures in Iraq for the month of February. 12 Americans killed in combat in Iraq. Way to go Shrub. I can't wait for your surge to kick in.

Friday, February 02, 2007

The Friday Cheat Blog

Here is the Friday Cheat Blog as I call the Movie Guide for today.

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New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Because I Said So
Meddlesome mother worries that her daughter (Mandy Moore) will stay single forever in this generic chick flick.
Constellation
Glacially paced interracial family drama has some nice, articulate scenes but is ultimately tedious and muddled.
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
A gay man pretends he's not in order to pick up a guy headed back into the closet in this vulgar sequel.
The Messengers
A boy and his teenage sister are clued in to the paranormal at their family's new farmhouse. This film did not screen in advance for critics.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.

Thursday, February 01, 2007

Bostonians Going Overboard?

By now most of us have heard about the strange lighted devices in Boston making people think they were the victims of a terrorist attack. Highways, bridges and a section of the Charles River were shut down and bomb squads were sent in before authorities declared the devices were harmless.

It turned out that these devices were a publicity stunt by an advertising company doing an ad campaign for a Cartoon Network show called: "Aqua Teen Hunger Force". This is part of the Adult Swim block of programing. Apparently the figures were characters from this cartoon, and it was an advertising ploy.

Cartoon Network, which is owned by Turner Broadcasting issued an apology, and had done the same thing in other cities, but Boston was the only city in which these devices were reported.

Did the people of Boston overreact to a publicity stunt? My first knee-jerk reaction was, yes. The went way overboard. However Sue pointed out that in this post 9/11 world we can ill afford to not treat these unknown incidents with seriousness. Suppose these lighted figures had been hiding a dirty bomb? What if they had been designed to draw the attention of people to these devices while the perpetrators were busily attacking another target?

The folks of Boston should be applauded for their vigilance. Instead they are being derided as a city of Chicken Littles. Wake up people. The next suspicious light or package might just be the real thing.

Wednesday, January 31, 2007

Smoke Free Texas?

Texas lawmakers are introducing a bill designed to make Texas a smoke free state. As it is many communities have already banned smoking in all public places. Now there is a Texas senator, Sen. Rodney Ellis, (D-Houston) that wants to introduce a bill that will outlaw smoking through the state of Texas.

I am an ex smoker, and as such I agree that smoking is bad for your health. When I was a Navy Corpsman, I used to chuckle at the Chief of Cardiology ( my boss when I was an EKG Tech) sit there telling a patient who had just suffered a heart attack, to quit smoking. All while he was puffing away.

At the same time, I get irritated with laws aimed at telling people what they can do with their bodies. If some moron wants to pollute his lungs fine. I know all about second hand smoke, but when you go to a bar, you expect people to be smoking. I can understand not wanting to breath the second hand smoke, but I can remember when I had to go outside to smoke a cigarette. It makes you feel like a second class citizen.

Back to the idea of regulating someone's health. If we were paying for everyone's health care in America, then we would have the right to tell them they can't smoke. This to me is akin to telling a woman she can't get an abortion. I know there are many who will think I am nuts for this opinion.

The next thing I am expecting to see, is a ban on tobacco products in every way. O wait they already tried to do something like that it was called: Prohibition!

Tuesday, January 30, 2007

Weather brings Pain

This is going to be a somewhat short post tonight. I am in a lot of pain. Sue is hurting quite a bit as well. We both tend to hurt more when weather moves in. The change in air pressure tends to cause problems. Sue's hips are hurting more, and my back feels like a Roman short sword is being thrust into it, and being twisted. This also sends pain down my left leg.

Normally we both have a certain amount of pain every day. When the weather systems move in, the pain goes through the roof. I have only been dealing with this for about 7 or 8 years. Sue has dealt with it for nearly 30. So I sometimes feel like I don't have the right to complain how much I am hurting. Naturally Sue doesn't agree with this. We have to try to work things so that whichever one is hurting less takes care of things that need done around the house, like dinner, cleaning up, things like that. It gets fun when both of us are hurting.

Oh well, to some degree you get used to it. You have to compartmentalize it the best you can. Most of the time this works, but times like now nothing really works. I hate being like this. Every now and then I think about the possibility of trying to go back to work, then have one of these times hit, where it hurts just to breathe. That pretty much kills the idea.

Monday, January 29, 2007

Buckling Down

I have said here before that I am in the process of going back to work. Not at a "real" job like I did before I wrecked my back, but working from home. That's why I had the hassles with the phone company about installing a second phone line. I was going to do that when we lived in Arizona, but US West ( Or as we called it US Worst, (Later QWEST or QWORST) wanted to charge us over $300.00 to hook up the second line. Here, it only cost us $40.00.

The line is now installed, and I have been given 10 days to do the training for the company I worked for previously. The set up is: They route calls to our phone for various companies which I provide customer service for. I take the calls and then follow a script on my computer, and make the sale, or take the order, or solve the customer service problem, whatever the case may be. Our phone number is never seen by a customer. They are calling an 800 number, and the company I work for, West At Home Agents, sends me the call. I am one of many people around the country that do this from my home. This is about the only legitimate work from home gig I have seen.

In the past for the company, I have taken calls for Home Shopping Network, Pizza Hut, and Office Depot. After awhile the calls seem to dwindle, and I don't make any money but for awhile it provides some extra bucks.

I really need to buckle down now and do the training. I am working on it. The way it works is I go through the online training material, and then take a test. I have 2 chances to take each test. Most of it is common sense, but sometimes, what you think makes sense doesn't.

I can do this, I did it before. It's just a matter of getting it done. At any rate, that's about it for today. More news when it becomes less available!

Sunday, January 28, 2007

Kitten with a Death Wish!

Mac, our youngest kitty must have a death wish. We got home from church today, and immediately we see Jenny laying on top of the Fireplace Mantel. No problem, at least for the moment. Shadow is nowhere to be seen, and neither was Mac. At least not at first.

We finally spotted him up on top of one of the bookcases in the living room. The one where we had two containers of artificial flowers. This has been a bone of contention. He and Jenny, but mostly Mac we think, have been going after these flowers. There was some fake Baby's breath in the one, that he has pretty much destroyed.

At any rate we see him up there, and yell at him to get down. Usually when we catch him on the counter, and yell at him he gets down. Not today. He gives us this defiant #@$% you! look, and digs in. I went for the squirt bottle. I squirted him about a dozen times in the face. All he does is to give me a dirty look. I finally had to reach up and drag him down.

Sue meanwhile gets the flowers down and grumbling, tries to salvage them. We have come to the conclusion that we are going to have to get a wire or mesh type hanging bracket, and hang our flowers and plants from the ceiling. For the time being, we have to store them in the garage.

To add insult to injury, the little shit is now attempting to get over on the other side of my desk for some reason. I have had to pick him up several times and send him the other direction. I now have the squirt bottle here in case... Although earlier that certainly didn't seem to be much of a deterrent. We console ourselves with the knowledge that a week from tomorrow, he is getting neutered! MUAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Saturday, January 27, 2007

Why am I not surprised!

I have been following the story of four US Soldiers who were attacked, kidnapped, and excuted in a supposedly secure Iraqi compound. These animals that carried this attack out were wearing US Uniforms, carrying US weapons, and driving a vehicle identical to what US Forces drive. Now how in the name of God did they get their hands on all these items? We know of course our friends, the Iraqis that we are dying to bring democracy to would never have given the insurgent forces anything like that, now don't we. We all know that these people want our help. They contacted us a few years ago, and said, please come over here and get rid of Saddam for us! You can even pretend he still has WMD's. (That he may not have ever had in the first place) The UN will buy that. ( Not that the UN is worth two cents any more, if they ever were, but that's another rant!)

It galls me that Bush has put the lives of our people in the hands of these people. Al-Malaki can't even control his temper in the Iraq Parliament. How is he going to keep up his end, as Bush claims he is going to? Once again, slowly. The Iraqis are engaged in a civil war. There is a good possibility that Saddam was on his way out even without our help. You can only suppress, kill, and generally screw with people for so long before they will revolt. The Kurds were getting close to attempting a coup before we attacked Iraq, and may well have removed Saddam from power. This alone would have ignited the civil war, and we would not have been embroiled in the middle of it as we are now.

The Iraqi security claims that they will have things under control so we can begin troop withdrawals by 2008. The new commander that was just confirmed told the Senate that this surge should only be necessary until summer. Summer of 2050? Gates ( the new Sec'y of Defense) stated yesterday that the Senate resolution against the surge "Emboldens the Enemy" How ridiculous. So then Congress is not allowed to express an opinion? I suppose the fact that the majority of the American public feels the same way does the same thing? The Bush administration has their collective heads so far up their asses that they need a flashlight to see their way out! It cracks me up that his Repulican buddies are deserting his position like rats from a sinking ship.

Friday, January 26, 2007

"I'm the decision maker!" - says Bush

Bush says, "I'm the decision maker!" So does this mean he is going to accept responsibility for the over 3000 American deaths in Iraq, and the deaths to come? Not to mention the missing limbs, and wounded and maimed men and women who have shed their blood in the Iraq Civil War?

On the National News tonight I heard a soldier make the comment that he is sick of hearing people say they support the troops but not the war. "If you honor the work we are doing here, then support us all the way!" he said. To a small degree I can understand that. I just wonder how many soldiers they had to go through before they could find one to appear on camera and make that statement. I also wonder if this particular soldier has actually seen combat. If he has, then I apologize.

I have my doubts though that the majority of the troops there want to be there any more than the Iraqi people really want them there. When you consider the average soldier on the ground in Iraq has been there for 2 and in some cases, 3 tours of duty it is time to start bringing them home. Bush needs to admit that he has made a mistake. He is the decision maker? Then make a decision that makes sense for the first time in your life. The possibility exists that if he doesn't our children may end up over there. Sandy is 15 now, and will graduate in 2010. I have hopes that encouraging her to join the Air Force doesn't cause her to end up in harms way, because of Bush's war.

Post # 1 - The Quick & easy one!

Here is the easy one. Don't worry, I'll write a real one later!

New releases this week
Click on the film's title to read a full review.
Smokin' Aces
Star-studded gangster flick tries to be cool to a point that's so over-the-top, it smacks of desperation.
Venus
An odd relationship between a young woman and an aging actor leads them to the next stage in their lives.
Catch and Release
This fish-themed romance flops wildly all over the place when a young woman starts over after her fiancé dies.
Sweet Land
Beautiful but a bit of a bore, this period immigrant tale is filtered through a more recent immigrant sensibility.
Seraphim Falls
Technically solid but dramatically unremarkable Western finds Liam Neeson seeking revenge on Pierce Brosnan.
Blood and Chocolate
Boy meets girl. Boy and girl fall in love. Girl occasionally turns in to a werewolf. Drama ensues. This film did not screen in time to be reviewed.
Epic Movie
This year's movie-spoofing flick takes on Nacho Libre, Snakes on a Plane and The Chronicles of Narnia, to name a few. This film did not screen in time to be reviewed.
More movie reviews
Read about all the movies now playing in local theaters.
Opening Friday, Feb. 2
Because I Said So
Diane Keaton tries to set her daughter up with Mr. Right.
Eating Out 2: Sloppy Seconds
A gay guy plays straight to land his dream date.
Opal Dream
A young girl develops a friendship with an imaginary mate.
The Messengers
Kids are clued into the paranormal in this thriller.

Thursday, January 25, 2007

Mac will soon be a Unique (eunuch) Kitty!

I finally got off my rear end and contacted The Colony Animal Shelter about getting Mac fixed. They have a spay and neuter clinic every month or so, and as it turns out they have one on February 12th. Mac is about 7 months old, and it's about time.

The cost is $25.00, plus $5.00 for the rabies shot he has to have. So for $30.00 we will have another nutless kitty! Yeah I know that sounds mean, but what can I say. When I gave Sue the particulars, she looked at Mac and told him: "Well, Mac, lick em' while ya got em'!"

When you consider that Mac has an annoying tendency to jump up on the counters, and we have both considered cutting them off ourselves, he is getting off pretty easy.

It will really be interesting to see how Jenny and Shadow treat him when we get him back home on the afternoon of the 12th. He was pretty feisty when we first got him, and when Jenny walked up to the carrier, Mac spit and hissed at her. Come to think of it he still is a feisty little shit! But when we get him home from being neutered, he will have the smell of the anesthesia on him, so that will put them a little bit off.

We're also curious as to how getting neutered will affect his personality. Before we got Shadow fixed, he was a lot more outgoing. Now he's a fraidy cat. Go figure. Like I said we are wondering what this is gonna do to Mac. Not getting him neutered is not an option however. We don't want him to start spraying, which male cats tend to do. That and if he ever got out, we don't want to add to the stray kitty population. So in the words of Bob Barker, "Remember to get your dog or cat spayed or neutered!"

Wednesday, January 24, 2007

State of the Union or Out of touch with Reality

Bush gave his State of the Union Address last night before a Congress that was made up of a Democratic majority. He started off graciously enough by recognizing that he was the first president to begin the speech with the words, "Madame Speaker" referring to newly minted Speaker Nancy Pelosi. He even mentioned that Pelosi's father, former Congressman Thomas D'Alesandro Jr.would have been proud to see his daughter ascend to the office.

However he showed how out of touch with the country he was soon after that opening. His plan to overhaul health care in America is laudable but confusing. The proposal for a standard tax deduction for health care would make it more affordable for low-income individuals but would pay for the subsidy by taxing pricier health plans for any amount above $7,500 a year for individuals or $15,000 a year for families.

His energy plan to reduce gasoline consumption is laughable. He fails to understand that his idea to increase the production of ethanol would cause shortfalls in corn exports, feed to chickens and cows, and would not reduce the greenhouse gas emissions that are worsening global warming.

On the immigration front, he favors a guest worker plan. Frankly I am of two minds on this plan. On one hand, this would legitimize many of the illegal immigrants that come here for work, but would not address the reported 11 million already here. Legislators on both sides of the aisle are against any form of amnesty which to his credit, Bush is not advocating. However he really has no plan to help Mexico find a reason for their citizens to stay home.

The elephant in the room however, continues to be Bush's disastrous war in Iraq. He stood at the podium one year ago telling us we are winning. Now he is asking us to commit more American blood to a lost cause. He talks about how we are bringing democracy to the Iraqi people. I hate to tell you Mr. Bush, but the Iraqi people do not want our democracy. What works in America, and in Western Europe simply does not work in a country like Iraq. I understand that there are democracies in the Middle East, well, one perhaps. Israel, but that is the exception rather than the rule. Islamic countries just do not lend themselves to the democratic process. Iraq was a dictatorship for so long, that to expect them to change overnight is completely unrealistic, and that is what is costing us American lives. The country has dissolved into a bloody civil war, and if Bush can't see that he needs to open his eyes.

All in all, Bush shows that he is completely out of touch with reality, and gives us more of the same. I however didn't expect anything else. In that I guess I was not disappointed.

Tuesday, January 23, 2007

What to do when your wife gets a Mammogram!

Sue is getting a mammogram done tomorrow. As she mentioned in her blog, she is not looking forward to getting her "boobs squished" as she puts it. Several years ago, I had lump on my left breast and had to have a mammogram done. ( Yes, men actually have been known to get breast cancer.) When I first discovered the lump, I was not sure what it was, so I went to see my doctor. The mammogram confirmed it was nothing, just a fat cell tumor fortunately. There was really no need to do anything for it. Eventually, it went away on it's own.

Having had the test done, I can understand Sue's trepidation. There are these two metal plates that you have to place your breast into. Then they tighten these plates up until you tell them to stop. They want you to wait until it "just starts to hurt a little" Difficult enough when you are male, but I can just imagine what it must feel like for a woman, especially if you are well endowed.
I suspect Sue is going to be black and blue for a week or more. Especially since she bruises at the drop of a hat.

So the question is, what to do? Well, I plan make sure she doesn't have to cook dinner for a few days. I will take care of all of the chores she might try to do. I will also make sure to give her lots of tender loving care. But then I usually do that anyway.

Monday, January 22, 2007

Prayer among friends, and other subjects.

We just got a call from Joan, a friend of ours from our church. It seems that the son of our Church secretary has sustained some type of injury to his arm, crushing it. We don't know all of the details, but at this time we don't need to.

This is an example of our prayer chain in action. When someone at our church needs prayer either due to an illness, an injury, or some type of need in the family, the prayer chain goes to work. In fact one doesn't have to be a member of our church to benefit from our prayers. Many times we are praying for a neighbor, or a co-worker of a church member. It's nice to know that when something happens to one of us, or we have a need, we can get prayer from a lot of people. I can guarantee when you have lots of people praying for you, you will feel it.

Other subjects:
I called the phone company this morning, and was assured that the tech would be there between 12 noon and 6 this evening. As it turned out he called me at around 1 this afternoon, and was there about 15 minutes later. Within a half an hour I had my second line up and running. I was actually impressed. So maybe the phone company doesn't suck as much as I thought.

The weather today has been a bit cooler, but not bitterly cold. I do not believe we have any major winter weather coming, but the fortune tellers ( I mean meteorologists) don't really seem to know what the weather is gonna do until just before it does it!!! We will see.

Sunday, January 21, 2007

Warmer Weather? No thanks! Not in Winter anyway!

We got up to 55 today. However it looks like colder weather is coming back. We have had a lot of rain over the last several days. We definitely need it. We have had a couple of really dry years. It's funny in a way. We left Arizona in the midst of a drought, and get here to Texas and found the same thing.

We had unseasonably warm temperatures until recently too. Then Bam! We got winter weather. Ice, snow, sleet! Down to the point where Sandy got her first snow day. ( As I mentioned in a recent blog) I really do not have a problem with the weather getting cold. One thing I missed in Arizona was the change of seasons.

One thing I have noticed in Texas, is that the weather is very changeable. It can be cool one day then hot the next. So having winter weather show up, is a welcome change for January. When you consider that January in Arizona, the temperatures are usually in the 60s most of the time, I like having to put on a coat when I go outside, instead of having to wear shorts. Bring on the winter weather!

Saturday, January 20, 2007

The Phone Company REALLY Sucks!

We slept in this morning, as we often try to do on Saturdays. (When I say slept in - I actually just mean we didn't get up at 6:30 to get Sandy off to school - sleeping is a relative term!)
Sandy had gone out to get the paper, and discovered a door hanger from... You guessed it, the Phone Company!

It seems that the same moron who showed up the other day showed up at 8:15 this morning to install the new line. I spent 15 minutes on the phone on Thursday getting this straightened out, or so I thought! I had made an arrangement for said moron to come out on Monday, January 22, in the afternoon, I might add - to install this line. Had I known it was even a possibility of him coming out today, I would have jumped at the chance, and been waiting with baited breath!

But NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!! The idiot shows up at 8:15 this morning, and leaves another stupid door hanger, stating that he had no access to the back yard or to our house. Of course he didn't! We were sleeping! What part of Monday, January 22, 2007 - Afternoon - does this dip wad not understand? Or is it simply that the guy I talked to in scheduling and the repair schmuck just do not communicate? Either way this does not bode well, especially for a company whose sole reason for existing is to enable us to communicate with the outside world.

Friday, January 19, 2007

Friday Blog 2 or The Real Blog

Here is the real blog for tonight. I missed last night, and this morning I did my usual Friday At the Movies guide. Of course there were only 2 movies to cut and paste into the blog this morning, but I did it anyway!

Now for the real blog of the day.

Last night, I was reading a book called "Growing Deep in the Christian Life" by Chuck Swindoll. The use of the word "Hell" came up. Actually the discussion was on the overly casual use of the word. He quoted from an article called "Whatever Happened to Hell?" by Jon E. Braun. In the article Braun points out that we often say things like, "What the hell were you thinking?"or "who the Hell do you think you are?" Sometimes I have even jokingly said to someone, " Go to Hell!" At any rate this kind of made me stop to think for a moment. How often do I casually use the word "hell" myself on any given day? Probably more than I realize. I would be willing to wager that most of us do.

Braun asks us to consider if we are actually wanting to know, "What the place of punishment were you thinking?" or "Who the opposite of Heaven do you think you are?" Or are we actually suggesting that someone literally go to Hell? Part of the problem, according to Braun is that Hell has become an unreal concept to us. If the concept of Hell is not real, then the word is just a word. However words are very powerful. This leads to the question, if Hell doesn't seem like a real place to us, is Heaven any more real? If so, why? If we accept that Heaven exists, then to me, we must accept that Hell also exists. Hell is a place where lost souls are punished for eternity. So using the word with impunity is plain wrong. Maybe not as wrong as using the name of The Lord in vain, but wrong nevertheless.

I know that I have used the term quite a bit without thinking about it, but as a general rule I usually don't invite anyone to go to Hell, though I probably have said it flippantly in the past. I obviously can't speak for anyone else, but as for myself, I intend to try to think a bit more, before I casually use the word, Hell. I know I will probably forget this from time to time, being human. I do plan to try. It's interesting what God places in your heart and in your thoughts. Perhaps we would do well to wish for someone to go to Heaven, and then showing them the way.