It seems we have been on a roll this week. I shall refer to it in the Treehouse History as the Week Of The Offended. Over the course of the last several years, this blog has grown, and more people have come to be a part of our unusual, rag tag community. We have never pretended to be something we aren’t, and we are not everybody’s cup of tea. So be it. That was never our intent.

Why haven’t we had a joke thread in so long? We used to have such a good time with it. Bring out the big guns, guys, it’s time to have some fun. Keep it PG rated, and if you have thin skin, pop on out of here now. We ain’t gonna allow y’all to spoil our laughs.
Here is Stella’s funny for the day, and then one of my favorites to start us off.
There was a Scottish painter named Smokey MacGregor who was very interested in making a penny where he could, so he often thinned down his paint to make it go a wee bit further.
As it happened, he got away with this for some time, but eventually the local church decided to do a big restoration job on the outside of one of their biggest buildings.
Smokey put in a bid, and, because his price was so low, he got the job. (more…)

Guest post by Zurich Mike

Today is August 15, the Feast of the Assumption of Mary into heaven. It is an important holiday in the church year for Catholics and Orthodox Christians, who celebrate this holiday two weeks later using the Julian calendar. Orthodox Christian call it the Dormition of the Theotokos (Mother of God). If you search for those terms (Feast of the Assumption, Dormition of the Theotokos), you will find plenty of information.

 We believe that Mary died and was assumed into heaven body and soul, befitting the Mother of God, she who is higher than all the angels (and as the Archangel Gabriel said, she who is the most highly favored daughter, and who all nations shall call blessed). No, we do not worship Mary. That is reserved alone to Jesus Christ in the Trinity of Father, Son and Holy Spirit. We revere Mary, and exult as the angels did when she accepted the task of bringing Christ into the world as a human. We ask for her protection and intercession.

 ZurichMike is very devoted to the Blessed Mother, as is his mother. In that spirit, I would like to offer some Marian-themed music to you. (more…)

One in five women and one in twenty men self report being childhood victims of sexual abuse. Sixty to eighty percent of the abusers are known to the child or their family. As many as half that are family members. Up to twenty percent of the abusers are females. Predators come from all walks of life, but studies overwhelmingly show they are likely to be someone you, the parents or protectors of the children, trust. We tend to think of sexual predators as a man in a trench coat who jumps out of a dark van and snatches a child away. In real life, the predator may approach a child online, they may be a teacher, a relative, a priest, pastor, youth worker, a volunteer at a church or youth facility, or a friend. They may be the parent or care giver of a friend of your child. They are likely to inspire trust, be charismatic or good with people, and probably are not at all going to be the person you expect to be a sexual predator. They can be patient, often grooming a victim over a long period of time.
The abuse may come in the form of a violent attack by a stranger, or it may be a seduction by a beloved family member. It might not even involve touch. It could come in the form of inappropriate comments, indecent exposure, or cyber stalking.
There are many variables in the who, what, when, and why when it comes to victims of childhood sexual predators, but there is one rock solid constant. All the victims will be left with devastating long term effects from the abuse. Childhood sexual abuse is associated with depression, anxiety, sleep disorders, guilt and shame, eating disorders, repression or denial, sexual promiscuity, and relationship problems, in addition to physical injuries from the abuse. Physical injuries can include tearing and bleeding, sexually transmitted diseases, and even internal damage. Research has shown neurological changes related to childhood sexual abuse, changes which can alter brain development.
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The moderators here at the Treehouse would like to cover some basic issues with our Treepers, new and old. Hopefully we can clear the air, cut down on confusion, and answer questions and concerns.
First of all, we would like to express our sincere appreciation to all of you who have struggled through the chaos of the last month with us. We have had growing pains, to say the least. It will get better from here on out, and we thank you for your patience.
The trial is over, and we do not have a Zimmerman/Martin open thread, and have no plans for one. We will continue to cover specific news stories related to the trial and it’s aftermath as they arise. The daily Open Thread has always been a part of the Tree, and we intend to keep it free and clear of Zimmerman/Martin discussion. All are welcome to join us there, with news items that strike your fancy, or to enjoy the wit and humor of our regulars. WeeWeed usually starts us out in the morning with coffee and lots and lots of bacon. Puddy often works third shift and keeps the late night crowd laughing. On Fridays we open the bar (a little earlier every week, I think) and Tilda mans the jukebox, often in cahoots with Tex and cohorts. We hope those of you who intend to stick around for awhile will join the fun. (more…)

You may have seen this column on Facebook, or received it in an email. I tried to find a link to the original article but was unable to. It was apparently written in 2001 when Charlie Reese retired from the Orlando Sentinel, and was the culmination of ideas he had presented throughout his career: that a really small number of people are directly responsible for what is wrong with our country, that they work for us, the people of the United States of America, and that we have the power to oust every one of them and change everything, if only we would. This is the column I found most widely circulated, but it may or may not be the original in it’s entirety as people have combined or edited the material with other columns written by Mr. Reece.
I am reprinting this here without a link to the original source, The Orlando Sentinel, because it is in existence all over the web, on Facebook, and numerous forums, both right and left leaning on the political spectrum. Mr. Reese has stated the plain truth in a very straight forward manner. Read his words to the end. You won’t be disappointed.
 
545 vs. 300,000,000 People
-By Charlie Reese
Politicians are the only people in the world who create problems and then campaign against them.
Have you ever wondered, if both the Democrats and the Republicans are against deficits, WHY do we have deficits?
Have you ever wondered, if all the politicians are against inflation and high taxes, WHY do we have inflation and high taxes? (more…)

Periodically we admins here at the Treehouse feel it would be helpful to review some basic guidelines and courtesies we observe, especially when we are welcoming a number of new Treepers to our ranks. Sometimes it coincides with a need to let the dust settle and remind a few veterans also. At any rate, in the interest of making our jobs easier and bringing a better experience to all who share our branches, we will revisit some basic expectations.
Also remember the most important point please. We are here to make a difference. We are here to wake people up, to make them dig a little deeper, so that they no longer accept the so called party line, but begin to look for the truth and use that as the basis for decision making. When necessary, we expose agendas and deceit. We educate, we hope to inspire, we aspire to action, as individuals and as community.
Community, that is an important word, and one that seems not as real in the lives of people today as it has been in times past. We are indeed a community here at The Conservative Treehouse, and as we welcome you to join us, we ask you to respect us, our fellow Treepers, and what we are all trying to do here. (more…)

Recently I was fortunate enough to reconnect with someone I went to school with from kindergarten through high school. I have not seen her since we walked across the stage and out into life, as it would unfold for each of us. Facebook brought us together, and I have so enjoyed her posts about the places she has traveled, and the things she has seen and done. She has indeed led a fascinating life, and when we met several weeks ago, one of her questions to me was “Tell me, where have you been?”  I doubt that details of our trip to Disneyworld in 1985 when my boys were all under 10 could compare to her pictures of Paris, and the few times we were able to save our pennies and make trips to Daytona to enjoy the beach and the racing seemed kind of lackluster against her tales of world travel. Perhaps I indulged myself in a few fantasies of travel and adventure, enjoying the idea of it, and absolutely admiring her joie de vivre and her enthusiasm for her travels.

I thought about my rather (okay, okay very) mundane life and the trips and adventures I have had. On this Mother’s Day I wonder if any of you have had similar trips as well. (more…)

My sweet little granddaughter Sadie became a big sister to Mason yesterday at the ripe old age of 14 months. Sadie has been the only grandchild on our side of the family, and the only girl in our immediate family. Needless to say, she has been the center of attention, and the cause of untold joy. With the arrival of her brother, her world has been a little changed, and she is feeling out her place in this newly changed and a little bit uncertain reality. Yesterday was perhaps the most challenging day she has faced in her short little life, and she was, justifiably I think, somewhat out of sorts about it.

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