Just when you thought we only had two real options for president… I give you a third choice.

www.bigfootnessie08.com

[thanks Gavin for showing me the light]

“Deep Do-Do” is what some are calling it. Others are referring to it as “TEOTWAWKI” — The End Of The World As We Know It.

The stock market heading south for the winter and the economy diving into the toilet,  has brought out a new breed of blogger: the urban survivalist. From stocking up on rice and beans to plans to build bunkers or schemes to move to South America and buy farms, this fear has driven many to extremes.

To check out a few colorful blogs try these:

The Urban Survivalist

Survivalist Blog

Total Survivalist

Or this one just for kicks: Worst Case Scnerio

For some reason, I’m not bothered by the state of the world. Back at the Catalyst conference, I recall Dave Ramsey saying something that really put things into perspective - “If God is on the throne, what do we have to worry.” Sometimes we forget who’s in charge… And if anyone should be freaking, it’s me. I’m a missionary that relies upon donations/support of individuals to fund my salary and ministry. I should be afraid, but I’m not. It’s all the Lord’s and the trouble starts when I begin to think otherwise.

But I will say this, if these times do spur us to live greener, and less consumeristic - then good.

Those are my thoughts, but how do you feel about the state of the world today?

A brief sigh of relief went through the baggy pants community today…

A judge has decided a law banning sagging pants in this town is unconstitutional after a teenager spent a night in jail on accusations he exposed too much of his underwear… Voters in Riviera Beach approved the law in March. A first offense for sagging pants carries a $150 fine or community service, and habitual offenders face the possibility of jail time. Proposals to ban saggy pants are gaining ground in several places around the U.S. [MSNBC]

Me personally, I enjoy a well fitted pair of slacks and my cheeks well covered - but that’s simply preference. It’s just one more notch in the belt of an older generation making sure the younger one disdains them more. I hate seeing things like this happen. Don’t authorities have anything better to do besides police fashion?

Working with unchurched has taught me many things. One of those is that they are greatly misunderstood by adult authorities. They’re treated like idiot, delinquents and constantly talked down to. Most adults in their world shown them no respect, but expect respect in return. It’s a bad cycle that continues to divide the ages.

You’d be surprised how easy it is to earn a kids respect by just treating them like a human being. They may look different or be covered in tats or piercings, but their heart is the same on the inside. We all carry our baggage and wounds - it just worn differently on each of us. One of my greatest joy in youth ministry is seeing generations come together as friends, mentors and co followers in Christ. It’s a beautiful thing.

If Jesus loved the kid in baggy pants, so should you. So instead of scoffing or looking away when you see a kid that looks weird or off putting, talk to them. You never know what can happen.

Crude oil: Currently, this is the biggest portion of the consumer’s cost of gas. About 52 percent of what you pay for each gallon goes to crude oil suppliers. This is determined largely by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries, or OPEC. The amount of crude oil produced by OPEC determines the price of a barrel of oil.

Taxes: The U.S. government taxes gasoline, as do many state and local governments. On average, these taxes collectively account for 15 percent of the consumer’s cost of gas per gallon. Gas prices vary from state to state primarily because of variances in taxes. In Europe, gas taxes are much higher, and so is the price of gasoline.

Refining: The cost of refining crude oil accounts for about 24 percent of the cost of a gallon of gas. Crude oil, or petroleum, must go through a refining process to turn it into useful products including gasoline. The stages of this process vary with the grade of gasoline or other kinds of products being created.

Distribution and marketing: Crude oil is transported to refineries, then its refined product, gasoline, is shipped from the refineries to distribution points and then to gas stations. Transportation costs are part of the price of gas. Oil companies that make gasoline are competing for consumers’ dollars, so they market their brands to consumers. The companies promote, or advertise, their gasoline by advertising. These advertising and distribution costs together account for about 9 percent of the price of a gallon of gas.

Other factors: The elements listed above all factor into the price of gasoline, but there are other contributing factors. One is seasonal demand. In warmer months, when families tend to travel more, the price of gasoline usually increases, because there is more of a demand for it. Geography can have an impact on the price of gasoline your family pays versus that your cousin’s family pays in another part of the U.S. In general, the further you are from oil refineries, the higher price you’ll pay for gasoline due to higher distribution costs. Competition among gas stations often has an impact on price. Have you ever seen three or four gas stations located near the same intersection? What might the others do if one station lowers its gas prices? Service stations, like other businesses, have to make a profit to survive, so they set their prices based on the all the factors we mentioned plus whatever profit the market (and the law) will allow. [CNN]

Any other conspiracy theories?