JESUS AND MO - SENSE

Click on the image for the large view.

From Jesus and Mo.

NO TO AVG SECURE SEARCH

Many of you have heard me moan about my creaky old computer. We need to buy a new machine, and, for me, it's not the expense so much as the bother of starting over on a new computer and learning its ways. When we purchase a new computer, the hard drive of the old machine will be cleaned and will belong to Grandpère, and we won't have to argue over who gets to use the computer. He won't have nearly the amount of information on his computer as I have, so the old one with my stuff removed should serve him quite well.

Lately, the old girl (our computer is a girl) has been running extremely slowly. I'd noticed that when I downloaded the latest version of Firefox that AVG Secure Search came up on the right of my toolbar. When I tried to remove the AVG add-on, the entire toolbar disappeared. What I did not know is that AVG Secure Search had been made my default search engine. Still it bugged me having it there, because I didn't want what I thought was an unnecessary add-on. I went online to the forums to try to find a fix, and the instructions were either so complicated that I couldn't follow them, or they called for a download to remove the function, so I still had no solution, because I'm wary of downloads which I know nothing about.

Hurray!!! Yesterday, I found the solution myself, and it was quite simple. There was a tiny arrow next to the the words "AVG Secure Search" in the search bar in the right hand corner of the toolbar. When I clicked on the tiny arrow (the very, very tiny arrow), a drop-down menu appeared, and that's when I discovered that AVG Secure Search had become my default search engine. When I changed to Google and deleted AVG Secure Search as a choice, my computer speeded up amazingly. AVG Security has served me well for a couple of years, but this sneaky bit of adjustment to my computer, which I neither wanted or needed, annoyed me beyond measure. I hate it when any program clandestinely loads my computer with functions that I don't want or need. Take note, AVG Security!

THE THREAT OF THE RISING MISSISSIPPI RIVER

From NOLA.com:

Louisianians haven't lived though this dangerous a threat from the in more than a generation -- and that's an emergency that compels officials and residents alike to be prepared. It also warrants a full emergency declaration from the federal government.

Thousands of people across South Louisiana were evaluating their risk and making preparations Monday, as the Army Corps of Engineers continued taking measures to relieve pressure on river levees and minimize the expected flooding.

Crews began opening the Bonnet Carre Spillway in St. Charles Parish. Communities in the Atchafalaya Basin placed sand bags and alerted residents of possible evacuations if the Morganza Spillway is opened north of Baton Rouge. And Gov. Bobby Jindal directed hundreds of Louisiana National Guard troops to assist in those efforts and to be ready to help victims of flooding.

Corps of Engineers maps forecast flooding in large areas of St. Mary, Assumption, Terrebonne and other South Louisiana parishes if Morganza is opened for the first time since 1973. The corps still was estimating Monday how many homes and other structures may flood. But residents shouldn't have to wait for maps to make preparations. As Gov. Bobby Jindal warned: "If you got wet in 1973, you'll get wet this time. If you nearly got wet in 1973, you'll probably get wet this time."

As Gilda Radner said, "It's always something." Especially lately. One disaster follows another.



The Mississippi River at Rivertown in Kenner, Louisiana

If you turn around and face the other way toward the land, you are looking down, and you see very quickly that without the levee Rivertown and many other areas along the river would be flooded. We walked up a good many steps to get to the top of the levee.



The ship rides high, and the ships will ride higher as the river crests further south. Pray that the levees hold, and pray for the people who will be flooded by the opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway and the Morganza Floodway.

UPDATE: The opening of the Bonnet Carré Spillway will not cause homes to flood, because the water will go into Lake Pontchartrain and the Rigolets, but it will, very likely, mess up certain of the oyster beds again. The poor oyster fishers have had a rough time of it what with the BP gusher and now the high river.

THE TALKING CENTIPEDE

A single guy decided life would be more fun if he had a pet.

So he went to the pet store and told the owner that he wanted to buy an unusual pet.

After some discussion, he finally bought a talking centipede, (100-legged bug), which came in a little white box to use for his house.

He took the box back home, found a good spot for the box, and decided he would start off by taking his new pet to church with him.

So he asked the centipede in the box, "Would you like to go to church with me today? We will have a good time."

But there was no answer from his new pet.

This bothered him a bit, but he waited a few minutes and then asked again, "How about going to church with me and receive blessings?"

But again, there was no answer from his new friend and pet. So he waited a few minutes more, thinking about the situation.

The guy decided to invite the centipede one last time.

This time he put his face up against the centipede's house and shouted, "Hey, in there! Would you like to go to church with me and learn about God?"

YOU ARE GOING TO LOVE THIS ....


This time, a little voice came out of the box, "I heard you the first time! I'm putting my shoes on!"

Thanks to Ann for my first smile of the morning.

YESTERDAY - MOTHERS DAY

The mothers are mother and daughter.

Yesterday, a group of us ate at Mimi's Restaurant - again! - where we had a delicious brunch. As you already know if you read Wounded Bird regularly, I love to eat at Mimi's, which is, unfortunately, not one of my franchises.



The Bald Men's Club.

The photo shows my two sons and Grandpère. One of my sons says the bald pates are due to bad genes. Not mine! The men stand on the levee at Rivertown in Kenner, Louisiana, looking at the high water of the Mississippi River - water which will rise higher. More on that later.

About Mothers Day...for women who have lost a child, for women who wanted children but couldn't conceive, the words "Happy Mothers Day!" may be painful to hear. Then, too, the words may seem to exclude the many who love and care for children to whom they did not give birth, but to whom they give life. So...I didn't make a big deal of the day on my blog.

May God bless all who care for children.

PRAY FOR KIRSTIN AND READ HER POST

I can’t commit to living with my full heart, and I can’t turn my full being to dying with intention. I have one foot in each possibility. The choice won’t be mine; it will be dictated by biopsy results. I can do either. The waiting is what’s hard.

Kirstin's post at Barefoot and Laughing is eloquent, moving, and very beautiful.

THE DONALD

Everyone has the image ahead of me, but it's so funny that I had to have it, too.

ANOTHER MIMI FRANCHISE OPENS

The newest is in Frazer's Hill in Malaysia. Thanks to Wade for the picture. When Wade visits this winter, he will give me a first-hand report on the operation of the franchise.



I've already posted a picture of the Chinese franchise, which Lindy sent me a year or so ago.

As you see, I permit the franchisees great freedom to sell whatever moves and whatever brings in the money to Mimi Franchise Corporation headquarters.

Update from Counterlight in the comments:

"Wounded Bird. Made possible by ...

MimiCo International, a worldwide retail and services corporation.

At MimiCo, ubiquity is our business."

STORY OF THE DAY - SPECIAL CONTAINER

This is a special container for keeping
lies that you tell yourself & it doesn't let
in any light or air otherwise they start to
go bad & there's nothing else you can do
but throw them out.

From StoryPeople.

THOMAS - "UNLESS I SEE...I WILL NOT BELIEVE"

Andrea del Verrocchio's Christ and St. Thomas (1464-1483) at the Orsanmichele of Florence, Italy

John 20:19-29

When it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and the doors of the house where the disciples had met were locked for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ After he said this, he showed them his hands and his side. Then the disciples rejoiced when they saw the Lord. Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace be with you. As the Father has sent me, so I send you.’ When he had said this, he breathed on them and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them; if you retain the sins of any, they are retained.’

But Thomas (who was called the Twin), one of the twelve, was not with them when Jesus came. So the other disciples told him, ‘We have seen the Lord.’ But he said to them, ‘Unless I see the mark of the nails in his hands, and put my finger in the mark of the nails and my hand in his side, I will not believe.’

A week later his disciples were again in the house, and Thomas was with them. Although the doors were shut, Jesus came and stood among them and said, ‘Peace be with you.’ Then he said to Thomas, ‘Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.’ Thomas answered him, ‘My Lord and my God!’ Jesus said to him, ‘Have you believed because you have seen me? Blessed are those who have not seen and yet have come to believe.’

I love the stories of the apostles like Thomas and Peter, who are so very like the rest of us in their humanity and imperfection, even as it's plain that they love Jesus dearly. Although the images of Thomas and Jesus usually show him reaching to touch Jesus' side, the Gospel story omits mention of the touch.

God's Woman

Peter, Thomas, are you my kin?
I call you, "Brother". Are we alike?
You imperfect ones, a doubter, a denier,
Am I your sister?

"I tell you I do not know him!"
Three times your Lord denied.
Oh, Peter, when you heard the cock crow,
Your salty tears were bitter.

You, Thomas, to touch, to see was all.
"Me believe? When I see the nail marks,
When I put my finger in his side."
"My Lord and my God!"

You, my brothers, deeply, fully human,
You flaw-filled men of God,
You give me strength; you give me courage.
Perhaps I'll be God's woman, after all.

June Butler 4/18/07

Image from Wikipedia.