One of the Magnificent Seven...

So Long, Farewell...

2009-06-24T11:38:00.005Z

In exactly one week I will kiss the civilian world "goodbye" for at least the next nine years. It's funny, in a strange sort of way, to think how my point of view will be different from the one I have held for the past eighteen years. When I look at myself and try to see what I have done in order to prepare for what is to come, the temptation to flounder and get those nasty butterflies in my un-worked lower abdomen is strong. But when I look back at my past and the events surrounding me, I can see little things that point to God's sovereignty and His method of preparing me for what He knows I am going to struggle through. I see family, friends, organizations, camps, schoolwork, etc. Even the seemingly inane events, such as assisting in a car accident scene before the emergency crews arrived, stand out in my mind. Those individuals present in my life, whether they be complete stooges or upright persons, have all played a part in this and I thank God for that (whether I thank those persons is another story...). Even while I write this my anticipation has grown. I am excited about the opportunity to work with fellow Navy folks through academics, physical activities (Competitive spirits will abound! Huzzah!), and moral development.

My time this summer will be spent in seven weeks of the equivalent of Navy basic training. This means three phone calls and practically no internet, which I think will be good for me. Please (please) write letters, for it is the third highest form of human communication. I promise that I will seek opportunities to write back, even if my handwriting cannot be read.

Let it rise about the four winds
Caught up in the heavenly sound
Let praises echo from the towers of cathedrals
To the faithful gathered underground
Of all the songs sung from the dawn of creation
Some were meant to persist
Of all the bells rung from a thousand steeples
None rings truer than this...

It's all God's children singing
Glory, glory, hallelujah
He reigns, He reigns!

Hooyah.

USNA Address

2009-06-20T00:04:00.002Z

This will be my address for the summer:

MIDN BENJAMIN O'NEILL
Class of 2013
M Company 24 Platoon
Annapolis, MD 21412

Hooyah. If you want to send something for my eyes only, send it in a regular envelope and not a package. No porn, muscle magazines, drugs, weapons, junk food, or anything that recognizes the existence of the other branches of the military, for they do not exist at Annapolis. Not that any of my good friends are into that kind of stuff...

:P

True Love Waits...

2009-05-13T23:27:00.003Z

Mom gave me a handout from the pregnancy center that contains a list of witty responses to "pressure lines". Their candor/wit makes some worth posting.

"It's only natural." - "So is death, but I don't want to practice that either."

"I can't stop now!" - "Could you if my dad walked in?" (With a baseball bat...)

"I lost the keys to my chastity belt and all my zippers are locked." (My favorite...)

"I'd hate to lose my virginity, I've heard it's hard to find."

"I look much better with clothes on."

In A Tree By The Brook, There's A Songbird Who Sings...

2009-05-11T19:52:00.002Z

There's a lady who's sure
All that glitters is gold
And she's buying a stairway to heaven.
When she gets there she knows
If the stores are all closed
With a word she can get what she came for.
Ooh, ooh, and she's buying a stairway to heaven.

There's a sign on the wall
But she wants to be sure
'Cause you know sometimes words have two meanings.
In a tree by the brook
There's a songbird who sings,
"Sometimes all of our thoughts are misgiven."
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it makes me wonder.

There's a feeling I get
When I look to the west,
And my spirit is crying for leaving.
In my thoughts I have seen
Rings of smoke through the trees,
And the voices of those who standing looking.
Ooh, it makes me wonder,
Ooh, it really makes me wonder.

And it's whispered that soon
If we all call the tune
Then the piper will lead us to reason.
And a new day will dawn
For those who stand long
And the forests will echo with laughter.

If there's a bustle in your hedgerow
Don't be alarmed now,
It's just a spring clean for the may queen.
Yes, there are two paths you can go by
But in the long run
There's still time to change the road you're on.
And it makes me wonder.

Your head is humming and it won't go
In case you don't know,
The piper's calling you to join him.
Dear lady, can you hear the wind blow,
And did you know
Your stairway lies on the whispering wind.

And as we wind on down the road
Our shadow's taller than our soul.
There walks a lady we all know
Who shines white light and wants to show
How everything still turns to gold.
And if you listen very hard
The tune will come to you at last.
When all are one and one is all
To be a rock and not to roll.

And she's buying a Stairway to Heaven...

It Brings Home the Memories

2009-05-09T15:21:00.002Z

I am on a 90's music binge. I am so glad I did not grow up with 80's music.

You'll say, "We've got nothing in common
No common ground to start from
And were falling apart."
You'll say, "The world has come between us
Our lives have come between us
So I know you just don't care."

And I said, "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?"
She said, "I think I remember the film"
And as I recall laughing we both kinda liked it
And I said, "Well that's one thing we've got"

I see you, the only one who knew me
Now your eyes see through me
I guess I was wrong
So what now? It's plain to see we're over
And I hate when things are over
When so much is left undone

And I said, "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?"
She said, "I think I remember the film"
And as I recall laughing we both kinda liked it
And I said, "Well that's one thing we've got"

Don't say that we've got nothing in common
No common ground to start from
And we're falling apart
You'll say the world has come between us
Our lives have come between us
Still I know you just don't care

And I said, "What about Breakfast at Tiffany's?"
She said, "I think I remember the film"
And as I recall laughing we both kinda liked it
And I said, "Well thats one thing we've got"

Life Comes at You Fast

2009-05-07T18:09:00.002Z

I actually have Allstate, not Nationwide.

I just signed three pieces of paper that obligated the next nine years of my life to the Naval service.

Jeez.

My Thoughts Exactly

2009-05-07T00:32:00.002Z

Shed a tear cause I'm missin' you
I'm still alright to smile
Girl, I think bout you every day now
Was a time when I wasn't sure
But you set my mind at ease
There is no doubt you're in my heart now

Said, "Woman, take it slow
It'll work itself out fine
All we need is just a little patience"

I sit here on the stairs Cause I'd rather be alone
If I can't have you right now I'll wait dear
Sometimes I get so tense but I can't speed up the time
But you know love there's one more thing to consider

Said, "Woman take it slow and things will be just fine
You and I'll just use a little patience"
Said, "Sugar take the time cause the lights are shining bright
You and I've got what it takes to make it
We won't fake it, I'll never break it
Cause I can't take it"

I've been walkin' the streets at night
Just tryin' to get it right
It's hard to see with so many around
You know I don't like being stuck in the crowd
And the streets don't change
But maybe the names
I ain't got time for the game 'cause I need you
Yeah, 'cause I need you
All this time...

It's Been a While Since I Could Hold My Head Up High...

2009-04-19T00:06:00.002Z

I know, I know. I have refrained from posting anything and everything for the longest time simply because....well, I forgot.

The fourth and final quarter of the senior year is coming to a close, and I have come to realize that I need to cut back on the Cookout shakes and start preparing for the Academy. Though the thought of attending there for the next four years frightens me, it's not as severe as it could be because I still have yet to realize the fact that I am going there in the first place....Ha.

I have lost my train of thought, so I shall leave it at that for now. The LORD is my provision, and He will prepare me for whatever may come.

Subdivisions

2009-03-28T00:01:00.001Z

Sprawling on the fringes of the city
In geometric order
An insulated border
In between the bright lights
And the far unlit unknown

Growing up it all seems so one-sided
Opinions all provided
The future pre-decided
Detached and subdivided
In the mass production zone

Nowhere is the dreamer
Or the misfit so alone

Subdivisions ---
In the high school halls
In the shopping malls
Conform or be cast out
Subdivisions ---
In the basement bars
In the backs of cars
Be cool or be cast out
Any escape might help to smooth
The unattractive truth
But the suburbs have no charms to soothe
The restless dreams of youth

Drawn like moths we drift into the city
The timeless old attraction
Cruising for the action
Lit up like a firefly
Just to feel the living night

Some will sell their dreams for small desires
Or lose the race to rats
Get caught in ticking traps
And start to dream of somewhere
To relax their restless flight

Somewhere out of a memory
Of lighted streets on quiet nights...

-Subdivisions-Rush

King Heroin

2009-03-20T20:15:00.000Z

Ladies and Gentlemen
Fella Americans
Lady Americans
This is James Brown
I wanna talk to you about one of our most deadly killers in the country today
I had a dream the other night
And I was sittin' in my living room
Just dozed off to sleep
So I started to dreamin'
I dreamed I walked in a place and
I saw a real strange, weird object
Standin' up talkin' to the people
And I found out it was Heroin
That deadly drug that go in your vein
He said...

I came to this country without a passport
Ever since then I've been hunted and sought
My little white grains are nothing but waste
Soft and deadly, and bitter to taste
But I'm a world of power and all know it's true
Use me once and you'll know it, too
I can make a mere schoolboy forget his books
I can make a world-famous beauty neglect her looks
I can make a good man forsake his wife
Send a greedy man to prison for the rest of his life
I can make a man forsake his country and flag
Make a girl sell her body for a five-dollar bag
Some think my adventure's a joy and a thriller
But I'll put a gun in your hand and make you a killer
In cellophane bags I've found my way
To heads of state, to children at play
I'm financed in China, Ran in Japan
I'm respected in Turkey and I'm legal in Siam
I take my addicts and make 'em steal, borrow, beg
Then they search for a vein in the arm or the leg
So be you Italian, Jewish, Black, or Mex
I can make the most virile of men forget their sex
So now... So now, my man, you must... You know, do your best
To keep up your habit until your arrest
Now the police have taken you from under my wing
Do you think they dare defy me? I, who am king?
Now, you must lie in that county jail
Where I can't get to you by visit or mail
So squirm with discomfort, wiggle and cough
Six days of madness and you might throw me off
Curse me in name, defy me in speech
But you'd pick me up right now if I were in your reach
All through your sentence you've become resolved to your fate
Fear not, young man or woman... I'll be waiting at the gate
And don't be afraid, don't run... I'll not chase
Sure, my name is Heroin and you'll be back for a taste
Behold! You're hooked
Your foot is in the stirrup
And make haste, mount the steed, and ride him well
For the white horse of heroin will ride you to Hell

To Hell
Will ride you to Hell until you are dead
Dead, brother... Dead!
This is a revolution of the mind
Get your mind together
And get away from drugs!
That's a demand.

- James Brown "King Heroin"

.....

2009-02-14T23:32:00.001Z

I

Still

Hate

Valentine's

Day!

The Wonders of the English Language...

2009-02-10T02:06:00.002Z

1. Verbs have to agree with their subjects.
2. Prepositions are not words to end sentences with.
3. And don't start a sentence with a conjunction.
4. It is wrong to ever split an infinitive.
5. Avoid cliches like the plague. (They're old hat.)
6. Comparisons are as bad a cliches.
7. Also, always avoid annoying alliteration.
8. Be more or less specific.
9. Parenthetical remarks (however relevant) are (usually) unnecessary (in most cases).
10. Also too, never, ever use repeating repetitive redundancies.
11. Bad sentence fragments.
12. Foreign words are not apropos.
13. Do not be redundant and use more words than necessary as it's highly superfluous and simply not helpful.
14. One should never generalize.
15. Don't use no double negatives.
16. One-word sentences? Eliminate.
17. Analogies in writing are like feathers on a snake.
18. The passive voice is to be ignored.
19. Use words correctly, irregardless of how others use them.
20. Eliminate quotations. As Ralph Waldo Emerson said, "I hate quotations. Tell me what you know."
21. If you've heard it once, you've heard it a thousand times: Resist hyperbole; not one writer in a million can use it correctly.

Take those for what you will...

The Beginning of the End....

2009-01-21T23:58:00.001Z

An in-depth analysis of Obama's term by Dick Morris. Thought it would be interesting enough to post here.

The Obama presidency: Here comes socialism
By Dick Morris
Posted: 01/20/09 06:12 PM [ET]
2009-2010 will rank with 1913-14, 1933-36, 1964-65 and 1981-82 as years that will permanently change our government, politics and lives. Just as the stars were aligned for Wilson, Roosevelt, Johnson and Reagan, they are aligned for Obama. Simply put, we enter his administration as free-enterprise, market-dominated, laissez-faire America. We will shortly become like Germany, France, the United Kingdom, or Sweden — a socialist democracy in which the government dominates the economy, determines private-sector priorities and offers a vastly expanded range of services to many more people at much higher taxes.

Obama will accomplish his agenda of “reform” under the rubric of “recovery.” Using the electoral mandate bestowed on a Democratic Congress by restless voters and the economic power given his administration by terrified Americans, he will change our country fundamentally in the name of lifting the depression. His stimulus packages won’t do much to shorten the downturn — although they will make it less painful — but they will do a great deal to change our nation.

In implementing his agenda, Barack Obama will emulate the example of Franklin D. Roosevelt. (Not the liberal mythology of the New Deal, but the actuality of what it accomplished.) When FDR took office, he was enormously successful in averting a total collapse of the banking system and the economy. But his New Deal measures only succeeded in lowering the unemployment rate from 23 percent in 1933, when he took office, to 13 percent in the summer of 1937. It never went lower. And his policies of over-regulation generated such business uncertainty that they triggered a second-term recession. Unemployment in 1938 rose to 17 percent and, in 1940, on the verge of the war-driven recovery, stood at 15 percent. (These data and the real story of Hoover’s and Roosevelt’s missteps, uncolored by ideology, are available in The Forgotten Man by Amity Shlaes, copyright 2007.)

But in the name of a largely unsuccessful effort to end the Depression, Roosevelt passed crucial and permanent reforms that have dominated our lives ever since, including Social Security, the creation of the Securities and Exchange Commission, unionization under the Wagner Act, the federal minimum wage and a host of other fundamental changes.

Obama’s record will be similar, although less wise and more destructive. He will begin by passing every program for which liberals have lusted for decades, from alternative-energy sources to school renovations, infrastructure repairs and technology enhancements. These are all good programs, but they normally would be stretched out for years. But freed of any constraint on the deficit — indeed, empowered by a mandate to raise it as high as possible — Obama will do them all rather quickly.

But it is not his spending that will transform our political system, it is his tax and welfare policies. In the name of short-term stimulus, he will give every American family (who makes less than $200,000) a welfare check of $1,000 euphemistically called a refundable tax credit. And he will so sharply cut taxes on the middle class and the poor that the number of Americans who pay no federal income tax will rise from the current one-third of all households to more than half. In the process, he will create a permanent electoral majority that does not pay taxes, but counts on ever-expanding welfare checks from the government. The dependency on the dole, formerly limited in pre-Clinton days to 14 million women and children on Aid to Families with Dependent Children, will now grow to a clear majority of the American population.

Will he raise taxes? Why should he? With a congressional mandate to run the deficit up as high as need be, there is no reason to raise taxes now and risk aggravating the depression. Instead, Obama will follow the opposite of the Reagan strategy. Reagan cut taxes and increased the deficit so that liberals could not increase spending. Obama will raise spending and increase the deficit so that conservatives cannot cut taxes. And, when the economy is restored, he will raise taxes with impunity, since the only people who will have to pay them would be rich Republicans.

In the name of stabilizing the banking system, Obama will nationalize it. Using Troubled Asset Relief Program funds to write generous checks to needy financial institutions, his administration will demand preferred stock in exchange. Preferred stock gets dividends before common stockholders do. With the massive debt these companies will owe to the government, they will only be able to afford dividends for preferred stockholders — the government, not private investors. So who will buy common stock? And the government will demand that its bills be paid before any profits that might materialize are reinvested in the financial institution, so how will the value of the stocks ever grow? Devoid of private investors, these institutions will fall ever more under government control.

Obama will begin the process by limiting executive compensation. Then he will urge restructuring and lowering of home mortgages in danger of default (as the feds have already done with Citibank).

Then will come guidance on the loans to make and government instructions on the types of enterprises to favor. God grant that some Blagojevich type is not in charge of the program, using his power to line his pockets. The United States will find itself with an economic system comparable to that of Japan, where the all-powerful bureaucracy at MITI (Ministry of International Trade and Industry) manages the economy, often making mistakes like giving mainframe computers priority over the development of laptops.

But it is the healthcare system that will experience the most dramatic and traumatic of changes. The current debate between erecting a Medicare-like governmental single payer or channeling coverage through private insurance misses the essential point. Without a lot more doctors, nurses, clinics, equipment and hospital beds, health resources will be strained to the breaking point. The people and equipment that now serve 250 million Americans and largely neglect all but the emergency needs of the other 50 million will now have to serve everyone. And, as government imposes ever more Draconian price controls and income limits on doctors, the supply of practitioners and equipment will decline as the demand escalates. Price increases will be out of the question, so the government will impose healthcare rationing, denying the older and sicker among us the care they need and even barring them from paying for it themselves. (Rationing based on income and price will be seen as immoral.)

And Obama will move to change permanently the partisan balance in America. He will move quickly to legalize all those who have been in America for five years, albeit illegally, and to smooth their paths to citizenship and voting. He will weaken border controls in an attempt to hike the Latino vote as high as he can in order to make red states like Texas into blue states like California. By the time he is finished, Latinos and African-Americans will cast a combined 30 percent of the vote. If they go by top-heavy margins for the Democrats, as they did in 2008, it will assure Democratic domination (until they move up the economic ladder and become good Republicans).

And he will enact the check-off card system for determining labor union representation, repealing the secret ballot in union elections. The result will be to raise the proportion of the labor force in unions up to the high teens from the current level of about 12 percent.

Finally, he will use the expansive powers of the Federal Communications Commission to impose “local” control and ownership of radio stations and to impose the “fairness doctrine” on talk radio. The effect will be to drive talk radio to the Internet, fundamentally change its economics, and retard its growth for years hence.

But none of these changes will cure the depression. It will end when the private sector works through the high debt levels that triggered the collapse in the first place. And, then, the large stimulus package deficits will likely lead to rapid inflation, probably necessitating a second recession to cure it.

So Obama’s name will be mud by 2012 and probably by 2010 as well. And the Republican Party will make big gains and regain much of its lost power.

But it will be too late to reverse the socialism of much of the economy, the demographic change in the electorate, the rationing of healthcare by the government, the surge of unionization and the crippling of talk radio.

Morris, a former adviser to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.) and President Bill Clinton, is the author of Outrage. To get all of Dick Morris’s and Eileen McGann’s columns for free by email, go to www.dickmorris.com. To order a signed copy of their new best-selling book, Fleeced, go to dickmorris.com.

It should be interesting to see how much of this turns out to be true.

We Got a Kinder, Gentler Machine-Gun Hand...

2008-12-29T21:58:00.002Z

1) Dad and I traveled to the county courthouse today to research the history of our house. The amount of information within the Register of Deeds office is incredible. Our research led us from a volume numbered in the nine-hundreds all the way down to the third page in volume three, which was the original purchase of the property written in hand in 1909. We even found the original lot lines for the neighborhood, which have changed considerably.

2) Dad purchased a re-manufactured carb for the Camaro! The electric vehicle idea is out the window....for now.

3) Being on Christmas break for the past week and a half has made me somewhat irritable. The first two days of break were spent wandering through the house searching for something productive to accomplish. Blegh. Car projects are limited because of funds, drawing lasted for only an hour, piano grows old quickly, schoolwork...Well, schoolwork has an appeal to it again.

“I felt this thrill going up my leg. I mean, I don’t have that too often….And that is an objective assessment...”

2008-12-24T14:40:00.001Z

Media Research Center’s Best Notable Quotables of 2008!

http://www.mediaresearch.org/press/2008/press20081222.asp

This Place is Crackalackin'...

2008-12-22T20:25:00.002Z

Happenings....

1) The carburetor on the Camaro died Saturday morning. Dad and I are hypothesizing about what should be done with the thing. The motor is still original and has oh-so-many miles, so rebuilding it is an option. However, considering the cost of such a project why not convert the entire drivetrain to electric power? (His idea, not my own...)

2) Three colleges have sent acceptance letters: Embry-Riddle, The Citadel, and VMI. NC State will not send out any information until January 31, so I am still playing the waiting game. And no, I do not have a top choice out of the five ROTC colleges that have I applied to.

3) My friend and I were preparing to leave for church this past Sunday. His parents left beforehand to prepare for music, so he and I were taking Little Wing. Upon turning the key in the ignition, the car would not start. "Great. My battery is dead and we'll have to jump it in this pouring rain." I called my dad to make sure my memory was correct on the procedure.

"I turned the key in the ignition and the car will not start. I think the battery's dead. Wait...my interior lights are on..."

"Make sure the car is in park."

"Oh! Never mind..."

Not only did I park the car in drive, but I also drove ten miles to church before I realized that my hood was not closed properly. I had pulled the latch thinking that we were going to jump the battery, so it was unlatched most of the drive.

4) Quantum of Solace was...uneventful.

Top Songs for this Week

2008-12-19T20:32:00.002Z

Wild Horses - The Rolling Stones
America - Neil Diamond
Rockin’ in the Free World - Neil Young
My Jesus - Todd Agnew
Angel - Aerosmith
Macrotus (Batman Begins) - Hans Zimmer
Hey Jude - The Beatles
Copperhead Road - Steve Earle
Time - Pink Floyd
Some Kind of Wonderful - Grand Funk Railroad
Bullets - Creed
Last Breath - Creed
All I Want is You - U2
Soulshine - Allman Brothers
Save Me from Myself - Head
Love is Not a Fight - Warren Barfield
Burning the Past - Harry Gregson-Williams
Ecstasy of Gold - Ennio Morricone, Metallica (Both Versions)
O Come All Ye Faithful - Twisted Sister
O Holy Night - Josh Groban

My Pappy Said, "Son You're Gonna Drive Me To Drinkin' If You Don't Stop Drivin' That Hot Rod Lincoln..."

2008-12-18T21:54:00.002Z

A brilliant piece by my man, Walter Williams.

A MINORITY VIEW

BY WALTER E. WILLIAMS

RELEASE: WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 10, 2008, AND THEREAFTER

Bailouts and Bankruptcy

Let's not allow Congress and members of the bailout parade panic us into allowing them to do things, as was done in the 1930s, that would convert a mild economic downturn into a true calamity. Right now the Big Three auto companies, and their unions, are asking Congress for a $25 billion bailout to avoid bankruptcy. Let's think about that a bit.

What happens when a company goes bankrupt? One thing that does not happen is their productive assets go poof and disappear into thin air. In other words, if GM goes bankrupt, the assembly lines, robots, buildings and other tools don't evaporate. What bankruptcy means is the title to those assets change. People who think they can manage those assets better purchase them.

Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code, where the control of its business operations are subject to the oversight and jurisdiction of the court, gives companies a chance to reorganize. The court can permit complete or partial relief from the company's debts and its labor union contracts.

A large part of the problem is the Big Three's cozy relationship with the United Auto Workers union (UAW). GM has a $73 hourly wage cost including benefits and overtime. Toyota has five major assembly plants in the U.S. Its hourly wage cost plus benefits is $48. It doesn't take rocket science to figure out which company will be at a competitive disadvantage. Then there's the "jobs bank" feature of the UAW contract where workers who are laid off workers get 95 percent of their base pay and all their benefits. Right now there's a two-year limit but in the past workers could stay in the "jobs bank" forever unless they turned down two job offers within 50 miles of their factory. At one time job bank membership exceeded 7,000 "workers." GM, Ford and Chrysler face other problems that range from poor corporate management and marketing, not to mention costly government regulations.

Two vital marketplace signals are the profits that come with success and the losses that come with failure. When these two signals are not allowed to freely function, markets operate less efficiently. To be successful a business must take in enough revenue not only to cover wages, rents and interest but profits as well. In order to accomplish that feat executives must not only satisfy customers but they must do it in a manner that efficiently utilizes all of their resources. If they fail to cover costs, it means that resources are not being used efficiently and/or consumers don't value the good being produced relative to some other alternative. When a firm routinely fails to turn a profit, there are bankruptcy pressures. The firm's resources, workers, building and capital become available to someone else who might put them to better use. When government steps in with a bailout, it enables executives to continue mismanaging resources.

How much congressional involvement do we want with the Big Three auto companies? I'd say none. Congressmen and federal bureaucrats, including those at the Federal Reserve Board, don't know anymore about the automobile business than they know about the banking and financial businesses that they've turned into a mess. Just look at the idiotic focus of congressmen when the three auto company chief executives appeared before them. They questioned whether the executives should have driven to Congress rather than flown in on corporate jets. They focused on executive pay, which is a tiny fraction of costs compared to $73 hourly compensation to 250,000 autoworkers. The belief that Congress poses the major threat to our liberty and well-being is why the founders gave them limited enumerated powers. To our detriment, today's Americans have given them unlimited powers.

Walter E. Williams is a professor of economics at George Mason University. To find out more about Walter E. Williams and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate Web page at www.creators.com.

COPYRIGHT 2008 CREATORS SYNDICATE, INC.

And All Through The House...

2008-12-14T19:23:00.002Z

Twas the month before Christmas,
When all through our land,
Not a Christian was praying,
Nor taking a stand.
See the PC Police had taken away,
The reason for Christmas - no one could say.
The children were told by their schools not to sing,
About Shepherds and Wise Men and Angels and things.
"It might hurt people's feelings," the teachers would say,
December 25th is just a "Holiday".
Yet the shoppers were ready with cash, checks, and credit,
Pushing folks down to the floor just to get it.
CDs from Madonna, an XBOX, an I-pod,
Something was changing, something quite odd.
Retailers promoted Ramadan and Kwanzaa,
In hopes to sell books by Franken and Fonda.
As Targets were hanging their trees upside down,
At Lowe's the word Christmas was no where to be found.
At K-Mart and Staples and Penny's and Sears,
You won't hear the word Christmas; it won't touch your ears.
Inclusive, sensitive, Di-ver-si-ty,
Are the words that were used to intimidate me.
Now Daschle, Now Darden, Now Sharpton, Wolf Blitzen,
On Boxer, On Rather, On Kerry, On Clinton!
At the top of the Senate there arose such a clatter,
To eliminate Jesus in all public matter.
And we spoke not a word as they took away our faith,
Forbidden to speak of salvation and grace.
The true Gift of Christmas was exchanged and discarded,
The reason for the season, stopped before it started.
So as you celebrate "Winter Break" under your "Dream Tree",
Sipping your Starbucks, listen to me.
Choose your words carefully, choose what you say,
Shout MERRY CHRISTMAS,
Not Happy Holiday!

(Ya Politically correct idiots...)

When You Lie With Dogs...

2008-12-07T22:36:00.002Z

You Get Their Fleas....

http://apnews.myway.com/article/20081206/D94T8T200.html

By TOBY STERLING

AMSTERDAM, Netherlands (AP) - Amsterdam unveiled plans Saturday to close brothels, sex shops and marijuana cafes in its ancient city center as part of a major effort to drive organized crime out of the tourist haven.

The city is targeting businesses that "generate criminality," including gambling parlors, and the so-called "coffee shops" where marijuana is sold openly. Also targeted are peep shows, massage parlors and souvenir shops used by drug dealers for money-laundering.

"I think that the new reality will be more in line with our image as a tolerant and crazy place, rather than a free zone for criminals" said Lodewijk Asscher, a city council member and one of the main proponents of the plan.

The news comes just one day after Amsterdam's mayor said he would search for loopholes in new rules laid down by the national government that would close marijuana cafes near schools citywide. The measures announced Saturday would affect about 36 coffee shops in the center itself - a little less than 20 percent of the city total.

Asscher underlined that the city center will remain true to its freewheeling reputation.

"It'll be a place with 200 windows (for prostitutes) and 30 coffee shops, which you can't find anywhere else in the world - very exciting, but also with cultural attractions," he said. "And you won't have to be embarrassed to say you came."

Under the plan announced Saturday, Amsterdam will spend euro30 million to euro40 million ($38 million to $51 million) to bring hotels, restaurants, art galleries and boutiques to the center. It will also build new underground parking areas.

Amsterdam already had plans to close many brothels and some coffee shops, but plans announced Saturday go further.

Asscher said the city would reshape the area, using zoning rules, buying out businesses and offering assistance to upgrade stores. The city has shut brothels and sex clubs in the past by relying on a law allowing the closure of businesses with bookkeeping irregularities.

Prostitution will be allowed only in two areas in the district - notably De Wallen ("The Walls"), a web of streets and alleys around the city's medieval retaining dam walls. The area has been a center of prostitution since before the city's golden shipping age in the 1600s.

Prostitution was legalized in the Netherlands in 2000, formalizing a long-standing tolerance policy.

Marijuana is technically illegal in the Netherlands, but prosecutors won't press charges for possession of small amounts. Coffee shops are able to sell it openly.

The Change That We Have All Hoped For...

2008-11-20T21:10:00.002Z

This is the Senate version of the Freedom of Choice Act (FOCA)that Obama has promised to sign.

"Freedom of Choice Act (Introduced in Senate)

S 1173 IS

110th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1173
To protect, consistent with Roe v. Wade, a woman's freedom to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy, and for other purposes.

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 19, 2007
Mrs. BOXER (for herself, Mrs. MURRAY, Ms. STABENOW, Mr. BINGAMAN, Mr. MENENDEZ, Mr. LAUTENBERG, Mr. CARDIN, Mr. SCHUMER, Mrs. CLINTON, Mrs. FEINSTEIN, Ms. MIKULSKI, Mr. BAUCUS, and Ms. CANTWELL) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

A BILL
To protect, consistent with Roe v. Wade, a woman's freedom to choose to bear a child or terminate a pregnancy, and for other purposes.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Freedom of Choice Act'.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

Congress finds the following:

(1) The United States was founded on core principles, such as liberty, personal privacy, and equality, which ensure that individuals are free to make their most intimate decisions without governmental interference and discrimination.

(2) One of the most private and difficult decisions an individual makes is whether to begin, prevent, continue, or terminate a pregnancy. Those reproductive health decisions are best made by women, in consultation with their loved ones and health care providers.

(3) In 1965, in Griswold v. Connecticut (381 U.S. 479), and in 1973, in Roe v. Wade (410 U.S. 113) and Doe v. Bolton (410 U.S. 179), the Supreme Court recognized that the right to privacy protected by the Constitution encompasses the right of every woman to weigh the personal, moral, and religious considerations involved in deciding whether to begin, prevent, continue, or terminate a pregnancy.

(4) The Roe v. Wade decision carefully balances the rights of women to make important reproductive decisions with the State's interest in potential life. Under Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, the right to privacy protects a woman's decision to choose to terminate her pregnancy prior to fetal viability, with the State permitted to ban abortion after fetal viability except when necessary to protect a woman's life or health.

(5) These decisions have protected the health and lives of women in the United States. Prior to the Roe v. Wade decision in 1973, an estimated 1,200,000 women each year were forced to resort to illegal abortions, despite the risk of unsanitary conditions, incompetent treatment, infection, hemorrhage, disfiguration, and death. Before Roe, it is estimated that thousands of women died annually in the United States as a result of illegal abortions.

(6) In countries in which abortion remains illegal, the risk of maternal mortality is high. According to the World Health Organization, of the approximately 600,000 pregnancy-related deaths occurring annually around the world, 80,000 are associated with unsafe abortions.

(7) The Roe v. Wade decision also expanded the opportunities for women to participate equally in society. In 1992, in Planned Parenthood v. Casey (505 U.S. 833), the Supreme Court observed that, `[t]he ability of women to participate equally in the economic and social life of the Nation has been facilitated by their ability to control their reproductive lives.'.

(8) Even though the Roe v. Wade decision has stood for more than 34 years, there are increasing threats to reproductive health and freedom emerging from all branches and levels of government. In 2006, South Dakota became the first State in more than 15 years to enact a ban on abortion in nearly all circumstances. Supporters of this ban have admitted it is an attempt to directly challenge Roe in the courts. Other States are considering similar bans.

(9) Further threatening Roe, the Supreme Court recently upheld the first-ever Federal ban on an abortion procedure, which has no exception to protect a woman's health. The majority decision in Gonzales v. Carhart (05-380, slip op. April 18, 2007) and Gonzales v. Planned Parenthood Federation of America fails to protect a woman's health, a core tenet of Roe v. Wade. Dissenting in that case, Justice Ginsburg called the majority's opinion `alarming', and stated that, `[f]or the first time since Roe, the Court blesses a prohibition with no exception safeguarding a woman's health'. Further, she said, the Federal ban `and the Court's defense of it cannot be understood as anything other than an effort to chip away at a right declared again and again by this Court'.

(10) Legal and practical barriers to the full range of reproductive services endanger women's health and lives. Incremental restrictions on the right to choose imposed by Congress and State legislatures have made access to reproductive care extremely difficult, if not impossible, for many women across the country. Currently, 87 percent of the counties in the United States have no abortion provider.

(11) While abortion should remain safe and legal, women should also have more meaningful access to family planning services that prevent unintended pregnancies, thereby reducing the need for abortion.

(12) To guarantee the protections of Roe v. Wade, Federal legislation is necessary.

(13) Although Congress may not create constitutional rights without amending the Constitution, Congress may, where authorized by its enumerated powers and not prohibited by the Constitution, enact legislation to create and secure statutory rights in areas of legitimate national concern.

(14) Congress has the affirmative power under section 8 of article I of the Constitution and section 5 of the 14th amendment to the Constitution to enact legislation to facilitate interstate commerce and to prevent State interference with interstate commerce, liberty, or equal protection of the laws.

(15) Federal protection of a woman's right to choose to prevent or terminate a pregnancy falls within this affirmative power of Congress, in part, because--

(A) many women cross State lines to obtain abortions and many more would be forced to do so absent a constitutional right or Federal protection;

(B) reproductive health clinics are commercial actors that regularly purchase medicine, medical equipment, and other necessary supplies from out-of-State suppliers; and

(C) reproductive health clinics employ doctors, nurses, and other personnel who travel across State lines in order to provide reproductive health services to patients.

SEC. 3. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:

(1) GOVERNMENT- The term `government' includes a branch, department, agency, instrumentality, or official (or other individual acting under color of law) of the United States, a State, or a subdivision of a State.

(2) STATE- The term `State' means each of the States, the District of Columbia, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and each territory or possession of the United States.

(3) VIABILITY- The term `viability' means that stage of pregnancy when, in the best medical judgment of the attending physician based on the particular medical facts of the case before the physician, there is a reasonable likelihood of the sustained survival of the fetus outside of the woman.

SEC. 4. INTERFERENCE WITH REPRODUCTIVE HEALTH PROHIBITED.

(a) Statement of Policy- It is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to bear a child, to terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability, or to terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect the life or health of the woman.

(b) Prohibition of Interference- A government may not--

(1) deny or interfere with a woman's right to choose--

(A) to bear a child;

(B) to terminate a pregnancy prior to viability; or

(C) to terminate a pregnancy after viability where termination is necessary to protect the life or health of the woman; or

(2) discriminate against the exercise of the rights set forth in paragraph (1) in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information.

(c) Civil Action- An individual aggrieved by a violation of this section may obtain appropriate relief (including relief against a government) in a civil action.

SEC. 5. SEVERABILITY.

If any provision of this Act, or the application of such provision to any person or circumstance, is held to be unconstitutional, the remainder of this Act, or the application of such provision to persons or circumstances other than those as to which the provision is held to be unconstitutional, shall not be affected thereby.

SEC. 6. RETROACTIVE EFFECT.

This Act applies to every Federal, State, and local statute, ordinance, regulation, administrative order, decision, policy, practice, or other action enacted, adopted, or implemented before, on, or after the date of enactment of this Act."

Can anyone please give a non-subjective definition of "viability" as referenced in Secs. 3 and 4? Didn't think so...

The Old Man is Computer Illiterate

2008-09-14T17:38:00.002Z

From the NRO:

Wondering No More [Jonah Goldberg]

Yep. The day after 9/11, as part of its "get tough" makeover, the Obama campaign is mocking John McCain for not using a computer, without caring why he doesn't use a computer. From the AP story about the computer illiterate ad:

"Our economy wouldn't survive without the Internet, and cyber-security continues to represent one our most serious national security threats," [Obama spokesman Dan] Pfeiffer said. "It's extraordinary that someone who wants to be our president and our commander in chief doesn't know how to send an e-mail."

Well, I guess it depends on what you mean by "extraordinary." The reason he doesn't send email is that he can't use a keyboard because of the relentless beatings he received from the Viet Cong in service to our country. From the Boston Globe (March 4, 2000):

McCain gets emotional at the mention of military families needing food stamps or veterans lacking health care. The outrage comes from inside: McCain's severe war injuries prevent him from combing his hair, typing on a keyboard, or tying his shoes. Friends marvel at McCain's encyclopedic knowledge of sports. He's an avid fan - Ted Williams is his hero - but he can't raise his arm above his shoulder to throw a baseball.

In a similar vein I guess it's an outrage that the blind governor of New York David Paterson doesn't know how to drive a car. After all, transportation issues are pretty important. How dare he serve as governor while being ignorant of what it's like to navigate New York's highways.

Do not question Obama's dedication to this country. But please, whatever you do, criticize the dedication of the man that spent several years in the Hanoi Hilton even after he was offered an early release.

Keep digging your own grave, Obama, because I know you are at least an expert in that.

But the Memory Remains...

2008-08-13T18:26:00.010Z

1) I received a hearty blow to the head a while back at soccer practice. After colliding with another player while in pursuit of the ball, I found myself sprawled on the grass with no memory of the five minutes prior. In fact, I still do not remember much of what happened several minutes afterwards. I do remember looking down at my penny because I had no memory of what color team I was on.

I'm wearing a yellow penny so I must be...Oh, I'm wearing my red Korean Marines shirt today and my blue running shorts.

Yeah, you could say that I was a little out of it. I knew that I was at school and at the soccer field on which I had spent dozens of hours, yet my eyes took in the scenery like as if I was there for the first time. Essentially, I was trying to remember but could not find myself to place it.

So the next day, with an Advil Gel quickly dissolving into my system (or so I hoped) and a Sudoku sitting in front of me, a question popped into my bruised and drugged brain.

Why do we have memories?

The only real convincing answer was this, and it came with surprising speed: So that we may remember the things God has done for us.

I thought the thought (ha) was interesting.

2) I have finally figured out why The Dark Knight was not really my cup of tea.

I will concede that The Dark Knight was one of the most intriguing and exciting movies I have seen in a long time. The plot, special effects, and acting were all simply amazing. Heath Ledger's performance as the Joker was, shall we say, convincing. It almost makes you wonder if a little bit of the Joker was in him.

But that's not what disturbs me.

The part that bothers me is that they made the Joker so disgusting without providing a contrast to his character. Even though Batman and Gordon want to keep the Joker from having the last laugh by way of his creation, Two Face, the Joker makes everyone compromise in order to defeat him. And there is no redemption for that compromise. That is what bothers me. Yes, the Joker exemplifies nihilism, but there is nothing to contrast with it. The fearless, unwavering Harvey Dent falls and dies with his second face still on. Batman faces severe doubts and compromises his reputation in order to keep the Joker from winning. But since there is no redemption for Batman, wouldn't the Joker be fine with either result? Either Batman or Harvey Dent will be seen by the public as a murderer, so in my mind the Joker still has the last hurrah.

Those are my two cents, and if you weird fans do not like it, go spend eight bucks and see the movie again for the heck of it.

3) I believe that Sarah Palin is exactly what the Republican Party needed to gain energy for this fierce election that is looming over the horizon. Most people thought it was not worth it to support McCain, but hell, it is going to be a brawl now that SHE stepped into the ring!

4) I have vowed to listen to nothing but instrumental music for the next week. Rock, Rap, and Electronic are not exceptions (which boils it down to...classical and soundtracks). We shall see how that goes.

China and Russia’s Geographic Divide

2008-07-23T14:28:00.001Z

An interesting analysis from Stratfor. http://www.stratfor.com:80/weekly/china_and_russia_s_geographic_divide

By Peter Zeihan

Since the Soviet fall, Russian generals, intelligence chiefs and foreign policy personnel have often waxed philosophic about the inevitability of a global alliance to hem in U.S. power — often using the rhetoric of a “multipolar world.” Central in all of these plans has been not only the implied leadership of Russia, but the implied presence of China. At first glance, the two seem natural partners. China has a booming manufacturing economy, while Russia boasts growing exports of raw materials. But a closer look at the geography of the two paints a very different picture, while the history of the two tells an extraordinarily different story. If anything, it is no small miracle that the two have never found themselves facing each other in a brutal war.

A Hostile Geography
Russia east of the Urals and the Chinese interior are empty, forbidding places. Nearly all of Russia’s population is hard up on its western border, while China’s is in snug against its eastern and southern coasts. There is an ocean’s worth of nothing between them. But while ships can ply the actual ocean cheaply, potentially boosting economic activity, trade between Russia and China does not come easy. Moscow and Beijing are farther apart than Washington and London, and the cost of building meaningful infrastructure between the two would run in the hundreds of billions. With the exception of some resource development and sales in the border region, integration between the two simply does not make economic sense.

Yet, distance aside, there are no real barriers between the two. Southwestern Siberia is a long stretch of flatness that flows seamlessly into the steppes of Central Asia and the highlands of western China. This open expanse is the eastern end of the old Silk Road — proof that luxury trade is often feasible where more conventional trade simply cannot pay the transport bill. But where caravans bearing spice and silk can pass, so can armies bearing less desirable “goods and services.”

Ominously for Russia, there is little to separate the Russian Far East — where most of the Russian population east of the Urals resides — from Manchuria. And not only is there a 15:1 population imbalance here in favor of the Chinese (and not only has Beijing quietly encouraged Chinese immigration across its border with Russia since the Soviet breakup), but the Russian Far East is blocked from easy access to the rest of Russia by the towering mountains surrounding Lake Baikal. So while the two parts of Russia have minimal barriers separating them from China, they do have barriers separating them from each other. Russia can thus only hold its Far East so long as China lacks the desire to take it.

Geography also drives the two in different directions for economic reasons. For the same reason that trade between the two is unlikely, developing Russia would be an intimidating task. Unlike China or the United States, Russia’s rivers for the most part do not interconnect, and none of the major rivers go anywhere useful. Russia has loads of coastline, but nowhere does coast meld with population centers and ice-free ocean access. The best the country has is remote Murmansk.

So Russia’s development — doubly so east of the Urals — largely mirrors Africa’s: limited infrastructure primarily concerned with exploiting mineral deposits. Anything more holistic is simply too expensive to justify.

In contrast, China boasts substantial populations along its warm coasts. This access to transport allows China to industrialize more readily than Russia, but China shares easily crossed land borders with no natural trading partner. Its only serious option for international trade lies in maritime shipping. Yet, because land transport is “merely” difficult and not impossible, China must dedicate resources to a land-based military. This makes China militarily both vulnerable to — yet economically dependent upon — sea powers, both for access to raw materials and to ship its goods to market. The dominant naval power of today is not land-centric Russia, but the United States. To be economically successful China must at least have a civil and neutral relationship with the $14-trillion-economy-wielding and 11-aircraft-carrier-strike-group-toting United States. Russia barely even enters into China’s economic equation.

And the way Russia does figure into that equation — Central Asia — is not a positive, because there is an additional complication.

Natural gas produced in the Central Asian states until recently was part and parcel of overall Soviet production. Since those states’ infrastructure ran exclusively north into Russia, Moscow could count on this captive output to sign European supply contracts at a pittance. The Kremlin then uses those contracts as an anvil over Europe to extract political concessions.

“China” has been around a long time, but the borders of today represent the largest that the Chinese state has ever been. To prevent its outer provinces from breaking away (as they have many times in China’s past), one of Beijing’s geopolitical imperatives is to lash those provinces to the center as firmly as possible. Beijing has done this in two ways. First, it has stocked these outlying regions with Han Chinese to dilute the identity of the indigenous populations and culturally lash the regions to the center. Second, it has physically and economically lashed them to the center via building loads of infrastructure. So, in the past 15 years, China has engaged in a flurry of road, pipeline and rail construction to places such as Tibet and Xinjiang.

Merge these two seemingly minor details and it suddenly becomes clear that much of the mineral and energy riches of formerly Soviet Central Asia — resources that Russia must have to maintain its energy leverage over Europe — are now just as close to China’s infrastructure network as they are to Russia’s. And obtaining those resources is one of the few possible means China has of mitigating its vulnerability to U.S. naval power.

All that is needed are some pieces of connecting infrastructure to allow those resources to flow east to China instead of north to Russia. Those connections — road, pipe and rail — are already under construction. The Russians suddenly have some very active competition in a region they have thought of as their exclusive playground, not to mention a potential highway to Russia proper, for the past quarter millennia. Control of Central Asia is now a strategic imperative for both.

A Cold History
The history of the two powers — rarely warm, oftentimes bitter — meshes well with the characteristics of the region’s geography.

From the Chinese point of view, Russia is a relative newcomer to Asia, having started claiming territory east of the Urals only in the late 1500s, and having spent most of its blood, sweat and tears in the region in Central Asia rather than the Far East. Russian efforts in the Far East amounted to little more than a string of small outposts even when Moscow began claiming Pacific territory in the late 1700s. Still, by 1700, Russian strength was climbing while Chinese power was waning under the onslaught of European colonialism, enabling a still-militarily weak Russian force to begin occupying chunks of northeastern China. With a bit of bluff and guile, Russia formally annexed what is now Amur province from Qing China in the 1858 Treaty of Aigun, and shortly thereafter the Chinese-Russian border of today was established.

China attempted to resist even after Aigun — lumping the document with the other “unequal treaties” that weakened Chinese sovereignty and territorial integrity — and indeed the Russians had more or less swindled China out of a million square miles of territory. But Beijing simply had too many other issues going on to mount a serious resistance (the Opium Wars come to mind). Once the Trans-Siberian Railway was completed early in the 20th century, Russia was able to back up its claims with troops, and the issue definitively moved to the back burner — especially as the rising colonial aspirations of Japan occupied more attention than China had to spare.

The bilateral relationship warmed somewhat after the end of World War II, with Russian energy and weapons critical to Mao’s consolidation of power (although notably, Stalin originally backed Mao’s rival, Chiang Kai-shek). But this camaraderie was not to last. Stalin did everything he could first to egg on the North Korean government to invade South Korea, and then to nudge the Chinese into backing the North Koreans against the U.S.-led U.N. counterattack. But while the USSR provided weapons to China in the Korean War, Moscow never sent troops — and when the war ended, Stalin had the temerity to submit a bill to Bejing for services rendered.

Sino-Soviet relations never really improved after that. As part of Cold War maneuvers, Russia allied with India and North Vietnam, both longtime Chinese rivals. Therein lay the groundwork of a U.S.-Chinese rapprochement, and rapid-fire events quickly drove the Chinese and Soviets apart. The United States and China both backed Pakistan in the Indo-Pakistani wars. Some 60,000 Uighurs — a Muslim minority that the Chinese still fear hold separatist aspirations — fled across the Soviet border in 1962. In 1965, the Chinese energy industry matured to the point that Soviet oil was no longer required to keep the Chinese economy afloat. Later, Washington turned a blind eye to the horrors of the Chinese-bankrolled Khmer Rouge in Cambodia to destabilize Soviet-backed Vietnam. When all was said and done, the Soviet Union faced a foe to its south every bit as implacable as those on its western and eastern flanks.

But the seminal event that made the Sino-Soviet split inevitable was a series of military clashes in the summer of 1969 over some riverine islands in the Amur.

Today
China and Russia are anything but natural partners. While their economic interests may seem complementary, geography dictates that their actual connections will be sharply limited. Moreover, in their roles of resource provider versus producer, they actually have a commercial relationship analogous to that of Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries versus the United States — with all the angst and distrust that suggests.

Strategically, the two tend to swim in different pools, but they still share a borderland. Borderlands — where one great state flows into another — are dangerous places, as their precise locations ebb and flow with the geopolitical tides. And the only thing more likely to generate borderland friction than when one side is strong and the other weak is when both sides are strong. Currently, both China and Russia are becoming more powerful simultaneously, creating ample likelihood that the two will slide toward confrontation in regions of overlapping interest.

So why Stratfor’s interest in the topic? The primary reason the United States is the most powerful state in the international system is that it faces no challengers on its continent. (Canada is de facto integrated into the United States, and Mexico — even were it stable and rich — would still be separated from the United States by a sizable desert.) This allows the United States to develop in peace and focus its efforts on projecting its power outward rather than defending itself. For the United States to be threatened, a continental-sized power or coalition of similar or greater size would need to arise. So long as China and Russia remain at odds, the United States does not have to work very hard to maintain its position.

Which brings us back to the island battles that cemented the Sino-Soviet split: Russia is giving them back.

On July 21, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov put Russia’s final signature — in a deal already signed and ratified by both sides — to a deal that commits Russia to the imminent removal of its forces from 67 square miles of territory on a series of Amur riverine islands. The Russians call them Tarabarov and Bolshoi Ussuriysky, the Chinese call them Yinlong Dao and Heixiazi Dao. These are two of the islands over which the Chinese and Soviets battled in 1969, formalizing the Sino-Soviet split. The final pullout of Russian forces is expected within a month.

When two states enter into alliance, the first thing they must do is stop treating each other as foes. There is a bit of wiggle room if the two states do not border each other as the United States and Soviet Union did not during World War II. But in cases of a shared land border, it is devilishly difficult to believe that those on the other side of the line have your back if they are still gunning for a piece of your backyard. If China and Russia are going to stand together against the United States — or really, anyone — in any way, shape or form, the first thing they have to do is stop standing against each other. And that is just about to happen.

There are still plenty of reasons to doubt the durability of this development. In terms of modern warfare, the islands are strategic irrelevancies, so their surrender is not exactly a huge gesture of trust. Achieving any semblance of economic integration between the two powers still would be more trouble and expensive than it would be worth, making any deepening of the bilateral relationship difficult. Russia’s demographic slide instills a perfectly logical paranoia in the Kremlin; Russians are outnumbered 7 to 1 by their “partner” in terms of population and 3 to 1 in terms of economic size — something that Russian pride will find far harder to accept than merely handing over some islands. There is no substitute to the American market for China. Period. Sharing Central Asia is simply impossible because both sides need the same resources to achieve and maintain their strategic aims. And neither power has a particularly sterling reputation when it comes to confidence building.

Yet while Moscow is known for many, many things, sacrificing territory — especially territory over which blood has been shed — is not on that list. Swallowing some pride to raise the prospect of a Chinese-Russian alliance is something that should not pass unnoticed. Burying the hatchet in the islands of the Amur is the first step on the improbable road to a warmer bilateral relationship, and raises the possibility of a coalition of forces with the geographic foundation necessary to challenge the United States at its very core.

Such a Chinese-Russian alliance remains neither natural nor likely. But, with the territory handover, it has just become something that it was not a week ago: possible.

How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb...

2008-06-30T12:49:00.002Z

This is why Obama should never be Commander in Chief:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kRGru2CPC4E

Obama yo Mama Pt.1

2008-06-05T13:29:00.003Z

All of this is from http://www.ontheissues.org/Barack_Obama.htm.

First up is the critical and often ignored issue of abortion. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Abortion.htm

Undecided on whether life begins at conception
Q: Do you personally believe that life begins at conception?
A: This is something that I have not come to a firm resolution on. I think it's very hard to know what that means, when life begins. Is it when a cell separates? Is it when the soul stirs? So I don't presume to know the answer to that question. What I know is that there is something extraordinarily powerful about potential life and that that has a moral weight to it that we take into consideration when we're having these debates.
Source: 2008 Democratic Compassion Forum at Messiah College Apr 13, 2008

If “potential life” is something that holds a moral weight to it, why hasn’t Obama come to a firm resolution on it? What if other decisions come up that hold a moral weight to them and he cannot come to a resolution on them? Obviously, Obama has decided to not decide. On this issue, he is a man of indecision. If he does state that life begins at conception, the pro-lifers will wonder why he’s rated 100 by NARAL. If he states that life does not begin at conception, he loses some of that attractive polish that goes along with his indecisiveness.

OBAMA RECORD
Throughout his career, in both the Illinois Senate & the US Senate, Obama has stood up for a women's right to choose, consistently earning 100% ratings from pro-choice groups.
Source: Campaign booklet, "Blueprint for Change", p. 35-36 Feb 2, 2008
Rated 100% by NARAL on pro-choice votes in 2005, 2006 & 2007
Sen. Obama received the following scores on NARAL Pro-Choice America's Congressional Record on Choice.
2007: 100 percent
2006: 100 percent
2005: 100 percent
Source: NARAL voting record, www.ProChoiceAmerica.org Jan 1, 2008

Self explanatory.

Stem cells hold promise to cure 70 major diseases
Barack Obama believes we owe it to the American public to explore the potential of stem cells to treat the millions of people suffering from debilitating and life threatening diseases. Stem cells hold the promise of treatments and cures for more than 70 major diseases and conditions such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease, spinal cord injuries, and diabetes. As many as 100 million Americans may benefit from embryonic stem cell research. As president, Obama would:
Promote Embryonic Stem Cell Research
Support Medical Advancement and Innovation
Expand the Number of Stem Cell Lines Available for Research
Ensure Ethical Standards
Obama introduced legislation in the Illinois Senate to ensure that only those embryos that would otherwise be discarded could be used and that donors would have to provide written consent for the use of the embryos.
Source: Campaign website, BarackObama.com, "Resource Flyers" Aug 26, 2007

Yes, regular stem cell research is fine. Embryonic stem cell research is not. Also, how is it guaranteed that those “left over” embryos would otherwise be discarded if not used for embryonic stem cell research? The fact about the whole issue is this: Adult stem cells hold more potential than embryonic stem cells. If the evidence points in favor of adult stem cells, and if we really care about finding news ways to cure diseases and such, how come the media and liberals are adamant on embryonic stem cell research? It almost reminds me of the eugenics movement in the early twentieth century.

[An abortion protester at a campaign event] handed me a pamphlet. "Mr. Obama, I know you're a Christian, with a family of your own. So how can you support murdering babies?"
I told him I understood his position but had to disagree with it. I explained my belief that few women made the decision to terminate a pregnancy casually; that any pregnant woman felt the full force of the moral issues involved when making that decision; that I feared a ban on abortion would force women to seek unsafe abortions, as they had once done in this country. I suggested that perhaps we could agree on ways to reduce the number of women who felt the need to have abortions in the first place.
"I will pray for you," the protester said. "I pray that you have a change of heart." Neither my mind nor my heart changed that day, nor did they in the days to come. But that night, before I went to bed, I said a prayer of my own-that I might extend the same presumption of good faith to others that had been extended to me.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p.197-8 Oct 1, 2006

Just one question comes out of this: Who says that legalized abortion equals safe abortion? Read Lime 5 and tell me that legal abortion means safe abortion.

Constitution is a living document; no strict constructionism.
When we get in a tussle, we appeal to the Founding Fathers and the Constitution's ratifiers to give direction. Some, like Justice Scalia, conclude that the original understanding must be followed and if we obey this rule, democracy is respected.
Others, like Justice Breyers, insist that sometimes the original understanding can take you only so far--that on the truly big arguments, we have to take context, history, and the practical outcomes of a decision into account.
I have to side with Justice Breyer's view of the Constitution--that it is not a static but rather a living document and must be read in the context of an ever-changing world.
I see democracy as a conversation to be had. According to this conception, the genius of Madison's design is not that it provides a fixed blueprint for action. It provides us with a framework and rules, but all its machinery are designed to force us into a conversation.
Source: The Audacity of Hope, by Barack Obama, p. 89-92 Oct 1, 2006

This is downright frightening. The Constitution is a dead document, plain and simple.

1. Rated 0% by the NRLC, indicating a pro-choice stance.
Obama scores 0% by the NRLC on abortion issues
OnTheIssues.org interprets the 2006 NRLC scores as follows:
0% - 15%: pro-choice stance (approx. 174 members)
16%- 84%: mixed record on abortion (approx. 101 members)
85%-100%: pro-life stance (approx. 190 members)
About the NRLC (from their website, www.nrlc.org):
The ultimate goal of the National Right to Life Committee is to restore legal protection to innocent human life. The primary interest of the National Right to Life Committee and its members has been the abortion controversy; however, it is also concerned with related matters of medical ethics which relate to the right to life issues of euthanasia and infanticide. The Committee does not have a position on issues such as contraception, sex education, capital punishment, and national defense. The National Right to Life Committee was founded in 1973 in response to the Roe vs. Wade Supreme Court decision, legalizing the practice of human abortion in all 50 states, throughout the entire nine months of pregnancy.
The NRLC has been instrumental in achieving a number of legislative reforms at the national level, including a ban on non-therapeutic experimentation of unborn and newborn babies, a federal conscience clause guaranteeing medical personnel the right to refuse to participate in abortion procedures, and various amendments to appropriations bills which prohibit (or limit) the use of federal funds to subsidize or promote abortions in the United States and overseas.
In addition to maintaining a lobbying presence at the federal level, NRLC serves as a clearinghouse of information for its state affiliates and local chapters, its individual members, the press, and the public.
Source: NRLC website 06n-NRLC on Dec 31, 2006

Next, the economy. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Budget_+_Economy.htm

Can't do anything at home with $12 billion a month on Iraq
The fact that we're spending $12 billion every month in Iraq means that we can't engage in the kind of infrastructure improvements that are going to make us more competitive, we can't deliver on the kinds of health care reforms that Clinton and I are looking for. McCain is willing to have these troops over there for 100 years. The notion that we would sustain that kind of effort and neglect not only making us more secure here at home, more competitive here at home, allow our economy to sink.
Source: 2008 Democratic debate at University of Texas in Austin Feb 21, 2008

Maybe if Obama studied the information, he would see that the money we are spending in Iraq isn’t as much as he thinks. Yes, we have spent hundreds of billions of dollars. But how does that compare to our current GDP? Hmmm….

“Critics of the war in Iraq often complain about the 'escalating cost of the war.' Listening to them, you’d never know that the war is one of the least expensive in American history.
Robert Whaples, professor of economics at Wake Forest University, has measured the cost of each major American war up through the first Gulf War. We took these costs and compared them to the cost of the Iraq war and found that the Iraq experience has consumed a smaller percentage of GDP (just 2 percent of one year’s wealth creation) than every other American war except the first Gulf War (which measured just 1 percent of GDP).
This stands in stark contrast to the Vietnam experience, which opponents have often attempted to liken to the Iraq war. Vietnam comprised a much heartier 12 percent of GDP at the time. Other conflicts, such as World War II, took a remarkable 130 percent of a year’s GDP to see through to success.”

Check out the article. It has a nice little graph, too. http://www.nationalreview.com/nrof_buzzcharts/buzzcharts200601230854.asp

Besides, the health care reforms that Obama and Hillary want to push would probably break the bank. You want change? Good, because that is all you will have left in your pockets.

Bush & GOP dug budget hole; need years to dig out
Q: Would it be a priority of your administration to balance the federal budget every year?
A: Over the last seven years, what we've seen is an economy that's out of balance because of the policies of George Bush and the Republicans in Congress. Not only do we have fiscal problems, but we've got growing inequality. People are working harder for less and they're seeing costs go up. So what I want to do is get the long-term fundamentals right. That means that we are investing in education & infrastructure, structuring fair trade deals, and also ending the war in Iraq. That is money that can be applied at home for critical issues.
Q: So a priority to balance the federal budget, or not?
A: We are not going to be able to dig ourselves out of that hole in 1 or 2 years. But if we can get on a path of sustained growth, end the war in Iraq, end some of the special interest loopholes and earmarks that have been clogging up the system, then I think we can return to a path of a balanced budget.
Source: 2007 Des Moines Register Democratic debate Dec 13, 2007

Last time I checked, Congress is as involved with the budget-making process just as much as the President. Wait, isn’t Congress the same bunch that included so many earmarks and pork-barrel spending? Shouldn’t Obama be addressing his fellow congressmen instead?

Rejects free market vision of government
In a 2005 commencement address, Obama described the conservative philosophy of government as "to give everyone one big refund on their government, divvy it up by individual portions, in the form of tax breaks, hand it out, and encourage everyone to use their share to go buy their own health care, their own retirement plan, their own child care, their own education, and so on. In Washington, they call this the Ownership Society. But in our past there has been another term for it, Social Darwinism, every man or woman for him or herself. It's a tempting idea, because it doesn't require much thought or ingenuity." Obama has rejected this free market vision of government, preferring to see the power of the state as something that can serve the public interest. According to Obama, "We're going to put more money into education than we have. WE have to invest in human capital."
Source: The Improbable Quest, by John K. Wilson, p.155 Oct 30, 2007

This made me laugh for a significant amount of time. According to Merriam Webster online, Social Darwinism is defined as:

“Main Entry: social Darwinism
Function: noun
Date: 1887
an extension of Darwinism to social phenomena; specifically : a sociological theory that sociocultural advance is the product of intergroup conflict and competition and the socially elite classes (as those possessing wealth and power) possess biological superiority in the struggle for existence.”

I don’t think competition in a capitalist system can be defined as Social Darwinism. It is a stretch to say the least. I think it is more along the lines of the government allowing you to take the resources you have and use them as you wish like a dignified human being. Obama’s idea of the government’s role is for those who want to suck up to the government for help, for those who want the government to run their lives for them. I cannot put it any other way.

Time for some civil rights. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Civil_Rights.htm

People want to move beyond our divisions
I am absolutely convinced that white, black, Latino, Asian, people want to move beyond our divisions, and they want to join together in order to create a movement for change in this country. I'm not entirely faulting the media because, look, race is a factor in our society. There's no doubt that in a race where you've got an African-American, and a woman, and there's no doubt that that has piqued interest. They are desperate to move beyond the same, old arguments that we've been having and start actually getting something done in this country. The Republicans may have a different attitude, because they haven't been appearing before forums that are diverse. The policies that they have promoted have not been good at providing ladders for upward mobility and opportunity for all people. That is a fight that all of us will fight. But I don't want us to get drawn into this notion that somehow this is going to be a race that splits along racial lines.
Source: 2008 Congressional Black Caucus Democratic debate Jan 21, 2008

Maybe you should give your pastor and former congregation a little lesson in how we need to move on, Obama.

Apply affirmative action to poor white college applicants
Q: You said about affirmative action that affluent African Americans like your daughters should probably be treated as advantaged when they apply to college, and that poor white children should get special consideration.
A: The basic principle that should guide discussions not just on affirmative action but how we are admitting young people to college generally is, how do we make sure that we're providing ladders of opportunity for people? Race is still a factor in our society. And I think that for universities to say, "we're going to take into account the hardships that somebody has experienced because they're black or Latino or women..."
Q: Even if they're wealthy?
A: I think that's something that they can take into account, but it can only be in the context of looking at the whole situation of the young person. So I still believe in affirmative action as a means of overcoming both historic and potentially current discrimination, but I think that it can't be a quota system.
Source: 2008 Philadelphia primary debate, on eve of PA primary Apr 16, 2008

I agree that Affirmative Action should not be a quota system. I will go further, though: It shouldn’t be a system at all. Affirmative Action is just another form of discrimination in our society. If you are black or latino, they will look at you and say, “This person may have been disadvantaged throughout their life because their skin color is different.” Affirmative Action is a way for the college systems and government to encourage a feeling of victimization; by acknowledging Affirmative Action, you are letting the government classify you as someone who is “under privileged” simply because of your race or skin color.

Q: You had one supporter on a Bible tour in South Carolina who said that homosexuality was a curse and that he had been cured by prayer. Do you believe homosexuality's a curse?
A: No.
Q: Do you believe that it is something that you are born gay or that you can change your behavior?
A: I do not believe being gay or lesbian is a choice. And so I disagree with [that supporter]. But part of what I hope to offer as president is the ability to reach to people that I don't agree with, and the evangelical community is one where the Democratic Party, I think, we have generally seen as hostile. We haven't been reaching out to them, and I think that if we're going to makes significant progress on critical issues that we face, we've got to be able to get beyond our comfort zones and just talk to people we don't like. I've tried to do is to reach out to the evangelical community and tell them very clearly where I disagree.
Source: Meet the Press: 2007 "Meet the Candidates" series Nov 11, 2007

To put it simply, homosexuality is a choice.

Q: If you were back in the Illinois legislature where you served and the issue of civil marriage came before you, how would you have voted on that?
A: My view is that we should try to disentangle what has historically been the issue of the word "marriage," which has religious connotations to some people, from the civil rights that are given to couples, in terms of hospital visitation, in terms of whether or not they can transfer property or Social Security benefits and so forth. So it depends on how the bill would've come up. I would've supported and would continue to support a civil union that provides all the benefits that are available for a legally sanctioned marriage. And it is then, as I said, up to religious denominations to make a determination as to whether they want to recognize that as marriage or not.
Source: 2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues Aug 9, 2007

How, then, does that change things? If it’s simply a matter of receiving benefits and not being socially accepted as being in a “marriage”, how come others do not say the same thing as Obama? Simply stating that a recognized homosexual union is for the benefits of “marriage” and not the condition of being “married” waters down the severity of the debate.

Q: Would you put the fight among gays and lesbians for civil rights on a par with the civil rights movement for African-Americans?
A: My attitude is if people are being treated unfairly and unequally, then it needs to be fixed. So I'm always very cautious about getting into comparisons of victimology. You know, the issues that gays and lesbians face today are different from the issues that were faced by African-Americans under Jim Crow. That doesn't mean, though, that there aren't parallels in the sense that legal status is not equal. And that has to be fixed. I'm going to be more sympathetic not because I'm black. I'm going to be more sympathetic because this has been the cause of my life and will continue to be the cause of my life, making sure that everybody's treated fairly and that we've got an expansive view of America, where everybody's invited in and we are all working together to create the kind of America that we want for the next generation.
Source: 2007 HRC/LOGO debate on gay issues Aug 9, 2007

The major difference between homosexual rights and civil rights is the nature of the subject of discrimination. With civil rights, you had people being discriminated against simply because of their skin color. That is a maddening social travesty. With homosexual rights, people are being discriminated against because of a personal lifestyle choice. For example, not hiring a homosexual on the grounds of a belief that it is immoral is no different than refusing to hire a pusher.

Time for Corporations. http://www.ontheissues.org/2008/Barack_Obama_Corporations.htm

Obama believes that companies should not get billions of dollars in tax deductions for moving overseas. Obama will fight to ensure that public contracts are awarded to companies committed to American workers.
In today's economy, American workers have to compete against high-skilled workers across the globe. Obama will make long-term investments in education, training, & workforce development so that Americans can leverage our strengths--our ingenuity & entrepreneurialism--to create new high-wage jobs
Source: Campaign website, BarackObama.com, "Resource Flyers" Aug 26, 2007

So then let American workers compete! Instead of enforcing ways to hurt companies if they go somewhere else, be appealing to them so that they will not want to leave. Also, outsourcing of jobs here (and overseas, mind you) allows for specialization. If the US isn’t the best place to make automobiles, let someone make them in a place where the environment is pristine auto manufacturing! In the end, everyone will benefit from trade and specialization…that is, if you allow it to happen.

More to come soon! I am extremely busy right now and I just don’t have time to complete all of this in one sitting. I’ll post more Obama stuff later and that will be followed by McCain the Pain.

The SLED Argument and Abortion

2008-05-17T17:21:00.002Z

I first discovered the SLED argument against abortion when I heard Scott Klusendorf speak at a worldview camp one summer. It is an argument to define the humanity that lies within the womb. It speaks nothing of “choice” or women’s rights; it merely appeals to reason and observation. I love it because it is easy to remember and can be employed with ease. Anyways, here it is in its most basic form. Feel free to take it and build off of it even more than what has been done here. If any other arguments come out of this and hit you like a semi, please (please!) share them. We’re talking about human lives here.

Size – Human beings differ greatly when it comes to the size of our bodies. Sometimes our proportions are different, our weights may differ, or one person may simply be taller than another. No matter the difference, however, it is only reasonable to conclude that the difference does not dictate who is a human and who is not. Andre the Giant is much larger than Hillary Clinton, but that doesn’t mean that Hillary Clinton is less human or inhuman at all based simply upon the fact that she is the smaller of the two. In the same way, how does the size of a fetus (or human embryo, for that matter) determine whether or not it is indeed a human being? In our early years, we typically grow in huge amounts up until adulthood. When we reach our senior years and our body starts to whither, our size can even decrease by certain amounts. The fact is this: Human beings will always differ when it comes to size, and that size is typically determined by age. Why, then, should size decide who is fit to live?

Level of Development – Many see the fetus and human embryo as underdeveloped organisms; it is obvious to see why. However, should we simply eliminate those with mental disabilities because they are “underdeveloped”? What about children who have been born? A toddler is obviously less developed than a physics professor at MIT, but is that reason to kill the toddler over the professor? What about those who choose not to develop themselves? Should we kill the high school drop-out instead of the college student? Does the embryo or fetus have the choice to develop itself? If the high school drop-out has decided not to develop himself, how should we compare him to the fetus? The answer is obvious: Human life should not be valued according to the level of development. If we are going to kill the fetus, which at the point in time has no say in the matter of development, shouldn’t we also be considering the burden that high school drop-outs pose? Of course not.

Environment – Just because the fetus is in the womb doesn’t mean that it is not human. Since we were all in the womb at one point in time, when did we suddenly become human? Did our trip several inches down the birth canal miraculously make us human? Does “Ye Olde C-Section” also make us human? It would be absurd to think so. An actor that lives in a mansion in Beverly Hills is worth no more than a refugee fleeing from the Janjaweed in Sudan. To believe that a human’s immediate surroundings are the measuring stick for the value of life is implying that our value fluctuates throughout the day depending on where we go. Go ahead and laugh, the argument is freakishly illogical.

Degree of Dependency – Because the fetus inside the womb is dependent upon the mother in order to survive, some say that it is not technically “alive” or “human”. However, some documented cases have shown that children can survive outside the womb earlier in term than some think. Also, let me trot out the toddler again: If a four year-old is dependent upon his mother and father for the roof above his head and three square meals a day, should we kill him if we had the choice between him and an independent college student? The answer is obvious.

This is the SLED argument in a nutshell. In a very logical and concise way, it shows that the life inside the womb is indeed precious and no different in its humanity than anyone else. Please feel free to add any arguments for or against it as the topic being covered is of the highest importance.

At what cost?

2008-05-11T00:30:00.001Z

WORLDWIDE
Number of abortions per year: Approximately 46 Million Number of abortions per day: Approximately 126,000
Where abortions occur: 78% of all abortions are obtained in developing countries and 22% occur in developed countries.
Legality of abortion: About 26 million women obtain legal abortions each year, while an additional 20 million abortions are obtained in countries where it is restricted or prohibited by law.
Abortion averages: Worldwide, the lifetime average is about 1 abortion per woman.
© Copyright 1999-2000, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)
UNITED STATES
Number of abortions per year: 1.37 Million (1996)Number of abortions per day: Approximately 3,700
Who's having abortions (age)? 52% of women obtaining abortions in the U.S. are younger than 25: Women aged 20-24 obtain 32% of all abortions; Teenagers obtain 20% and girls under 15 account for 1.2%.
Who's having abortions (race)? While white women obtain 60% of all abortions, their abortion rate is well below that of minority women. Black women are more than 3 times as likely as white women to have an abortion, and Hispanic women are roughly 2 times as likely.
Who's having abortions (marital status)? 64.4% of all abortions are performed on never-married women; Married women account for 18.4% of all abortions and divorced women obtain 9.4%.
Who's having abortions (religion)? Women identifying themselves as Protestants obtain 37.4% of all abortions in the U.S.; Catholic women account for 31.3%, Jewish women account for 1.3%, and women with no religious affiliation obtain 23.7% of all abortions. 18% of all abortions are performed on women who identify themselves as "Born-again/Evangelical".
Who's having abortions (income)? Women with family incomes less than $15,000 obtain 28.7% of all abortions; Women with family incomes between $15,000 and $29,999 obtain 19.5%; Women with family incomes between $30,000 and $59,999 obtain 38.0%; Women with family incomes over $60,000 obtain 13.8%.
Why women have abortions: 1% of all abortions occur because of rape or incest; 6% of abortions occur because of potential health problems regarding either the mother or child, and 93% of all abortions occur for social reasons (i.e. the child is unwanted or inconvenient).
At what gestational ages are abortions performed: 52% of all abortions occur before the 9th week of pregnancy, 25% happen between the 9th & 10th week, 12% happen between the 11th and 12th week, 6% happen between the 13th & 15th week, 4% happen between the 16th & 20th week, and 1% of all abortions (16,450/yr.) happen after the 20th week of pregnancy.
Likelihood of abortion:An estimated 43% of all women will have at least 1 abortion by the time they are 45 years old. 47% of all abortions are performed on women who have had at least one previous abortion.
Abortion coverage: 48% of all abortion facilities provide services after the 12th week of pregnancy. 9 in 10 managed care plans routinely cover abortion or provide limited coverage. About 14% of all abortions in the United States are paid for with public funds, virtually all of which are state funds. 16 states (CA, CT, HI, ED, IL, MA , MD, MD, MN, MT, NJ, NM, NY, OR, VT, WA and WV) pay for abortions for some poor women.
© Copyright 1998, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)© Copyright 1997, The Alan Guttmacher Institute. (www.agi-usa.org)© Copyright 1995, Family Planning Perspectives© Copyright 1988, Family Planning Perspectives

http://www.abortionno.org/Resources/fastfacts.html

Tip of the iceberg. Much more to follow.

Why I Am Not Watching the Olympics

2008-04-26T23:55:00.002Z

First off, let me tell you a short disclaimer to what I'm about to write. I greatly respect all of the international athletes that are going to participate in this summer's Olympics. I respect their hard work and determination to enter into the world's greatest international athletic competition and their desire to represent their countries.

However, I am still not going to watch the Olympics. I do not know what the IOC (International Olympic Committee) was thinking when they decided on Beijing, but I do know why many people have a problem with it.

1) China is one of the world's worst violators of human rights. Not only is China known for persecuting Christians and persons of religious beliefs, but it is also supporting other governments that possess equally reprehensible human rights records. For example, China is the primary customer of Sudanese oil. In fact, Khartoum, Sudan's infamous capital that was once the home of Osama bin Laden and Carlos the Jackal, has been experiencing economic growth thanks to China's purchasing of Sudanese oil1. Because of these purchases, China is supporting the same government that has equipped the janjaweed to massacre Christians and others in what has become known as the Darfur Genocide. Near the beginning of the conflict, the Sudanese government appeared to be the major source for the janjaweed's firepower. However, because the Sudanese have supplied China with oil, the Chinese have in return supplied the Sudanese government with arms (if you thought Russian Kalashnikovs were bad, try a Chinese knock off). Where do you think these weapons are going? To the janjaweed. It appears that China will do anything to satisfy its ever-growing hunger for black gold, going so far as to arm radical Muslims that are murdering and raping thousands of innocent men, women, and children.

2) Besides supplying arms to Sudan, reports have also indicated that China has been sending arms to Zimbabwe. In the past, Zimbabwe was the so-called "breadbasket" of Africa because of its ability to grow large amounts of food; enough food to feed the people of other African countries. However, after Mugabe's election, the farmers and those associated with Zimbabwe's excellent food production were driven out and replaced with those unable to tend to the land2. Zimbabwe now cannot even feed its own people and was recently in the midst of hyperinflation3. China has been sending arms to Zimbabwe, and recently a South African port refused to unload a shipment of Chinese arms headed for Zimbabwe4. Zimbabwe is (was) known for being the breadbasket of Africa, so a possible conclusion to come to is that China is trying to bring back the infrastructure that once existed in Zimbabwe. Why? Well, if Zimbabwe has the capability to affect the food supply of nearly an entire continent, imagine the influence China could have in the continent if it assisted in bringing back Zimbabwe's infrastructure.

3) In looking back at other controversial Olympic meetings (1936 Berlin, 1956 Australia, 1980s Summer Olympics, etc.) it is hard to find a direct comparison to the situation at hand with China. Currently, China possesses a terrible human rights record, has an iron grip on Tibet, and has its eye on Taiwan. Remember, we have vowed that a Chinese attack on Taiwan would draw an immediate military response from the United States. Among other things, these cases present an interesting situation that appears to be different from most seen in the past.

I could go on about some other issues, especially China’s domestic human rights record, but I think that that situation is pretty self-evident.

There is one point that I shall concede to anyone who wants to debate this issue. If the holding of the Olympics in China increases international awareness of China’s despicable human rights record, then so be it.

1. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A21143-2004Dec22.html

2. http://www.theatlantic.com/doc/200312/power

3. http://www.nytimes.com/2006/05/02/world/africa/02zimbabwe.html?ex=1304222400&en=e4f95916b4e5d098&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss

4. http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/africa/article3822568.ece

Wednesday Night Fights...

2008-04-17T23:19:00.000Z

I was not able to view the entirety of the Democratic Presidential Candidate debate last night, but when I first turned it on I knew it was going to be interesting.

1) Bosnia – Apparently, the question was directed at Senator Clinton and her somewhat fictional account of her trip to Bosnia back in the 90s. “We were under sniper fire…We had to run…No welcoming party…” etc. Video taken by CBS shows that Senator Clinton was exaggerating just a little bit. Look it up and be prepared to laugh if you haven’t seen it already.

Of course, Clinton replied with the usual politician response that everyone makes mistakes here. Obama backed her up by pointing out that the cameras and tapes are rolling everywhere they go and, as humans, they are going to make mistakes. One must not forget, though, that Hillary told this story several times to several different audiences.

2) Obama was asked about his association with a former member of the Weathermen. If you don’t know who the Weathermen were, they were a far left domestic terrorist group during the late 1960s and early 70s that bombed government buildings and protested the Vietnam War. Anyways, Obama served on board of the Woods Fund of Chicago with William Ayers, who is quoted as saying, ''I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough.''

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9F02E1DE1438F932A2575AC0A9679C8B63

Mr. Ayers also contributed to Obama’s campaign. When this was brought up by Hillary in the debate, Obama replied back that President Clinton pardoned two former Weathermen prior to leaving office in January 2001. Which one is worse? You decide. The funny thing is that both of these candidates are covered in dirt by their dealings with those members of the Weather Underground.

3) Next, Obama said that he would raise the capital gains tax. Charlie Gibson and George Stephanopolous both pointed out that government revenue increases whenever the capital gains tax decreases. Obama really didn’t have a good response to that besides something along the lines of, “We’ll look into it.” The problem with capital gains tax is that it taxes for inflationary gains. The numbers all say that decreasing capital gains tax is good for the economy. Besides, a tax on capital gains that is affected by inflation stinks.

http://www.house.gov/jec/fiscal/tx-grwth/capgain/capgain.htm

4) Clinton: “I think that this is the first time that a President has gone to war without paying for it.”

Hmm…The government’s not trying to sell bonds like crazy, no one is planting Victory Gardens, I haven’t seen any recycling drives lately…Oh, wait! Look at this chart!

http://article.nationalreview.com/?q=ODJjN2ZlNDJlMDZmNDFiNTk2OGRmMmQwZmQ5YmY5MGY=

And this article!

http://www.armedforcesjournal.com/2007/03/2545232

By the way, it’s not the President’s job to run the economy. Anyone who blames the state of the economy on the President needs a civics lesson.

Both Obama and Hillary said that they would try to fix the problem with the economy, with special emphasis on the housing market. Yet, neither one of them proposed how they were going to do it. It was the usual “go to my website” fluff.

These two need an economics refresher…

5) Guns. I love ‘em. The Second Amendment says I can have ‘em. Hillary Clinton and Barack Obama failed to either fully agree or disagree with the D.C. Gun Ban. Clinton also said that she would reintroduce the absurd Assault Weapons Ban that reigned during her husband’s terms. First, liberals can’t seem to grasp the fact that criminals, those who are already set on breaking the law, aren’t going to give a hoot in hell about a gun control law. They are already breaking the law, why should another law stop them from using a gun? Instead, these laws are taking guns away from the citizens who use them lawfully and they won’t be able to defend themselves! Second, the target of the Assault Weapons Ban is not “assault weapons”, it is guns in general. Clinton cited the danger posed to our police forces when criminals have these “assault weapons”. Like I said, nothing is going to stop a crook from having one in the first place. If Senator Clinton knew the facts about guns and really cared about protecting police, then she would issue a ban on hunting rifles. An AR-15 (M16) owned by a civilian is nothing compared to a hunting rifle owned by the same. AR-15s shoot a varmint round: .223. In reality, the only major difference between an AR-15 and a .22 rifle is that the velocity of the AR-15 round is 3,000 fps. That’s it. If you want something that is designed to kill with one shot and cause as much damage as possible, you are going to use a hunting rifle, not a stupid AR-15. It’s that simple. It’s like putting a ban on 9mm pistols simply because the military uses them while leaving .45s outside the ban.

Senator Clinton also expressed that as President she would push for better tracking of illegal guns. Think about that and tell me if that makes sense. We can’t even track an illegal immigrant in this country, how on earth are we going to track an “illegal” gun?

6) On the topic of Affirmative Action, Senator Obama stated a couple times that race is still an issue in our society. I would just like to say that if Obama cares so much about race issues in America, he needs to remember a man by the name of Jeremiah Wright.

7) Both Senators Obama and Clinton stated that we need to look into the oil market to see if there has been any market manipulation concerning gas prices. Does supply and demand maybe ring a bell? Also, Senator Obama stated in one of his radio ads that Exxon is making $40 billion in profits while our prices still go up. Anyone who isn’t foolishly paranoid of this fact is smart enough to realize that those numbers do not reflect Exxon’s gains after regular business costs (maintenance, paying workers, new technology, etc.). To put the blame on the oil company simply because it’s making money is not a capitalist attitude; it’s more socialist than anything else.

Senator Clinton also proposed that we as the U.S. should stop putting oil into the Strategic Petroleum Reserve and leave that extra oil in the market so as to reduce international prices. How on earth is the normal SPR supply going to reduce international oil prices enough where the sacrifice of neglecting the SPR will be worth it?

8) When asked if a direct attack on Israel by Iran should be taken as an attack on the US, neither candidate had the guts to say either yes or no. They both stated that such an attack would have serious implications, but they did not say that we as the US should interpret an attack in that way. On the topic of Iran’s nuclear capabilities, the candidates presented ideas for diplomatic discussions and talks with Iran. Neither mentioned military action against Iran. As I sat watching the debate, I kept thinking of Neville Chamberlain before WWII.

Thoughts?

In Sickness and in Faith

2008-04-03T19:01:00.002Z

This is from March's Breakpoint Worldview magazine. I wanted to share it with you guys because it really touched me.

In Sickness and in Faith
By Kim Moreland

Overcoming the Darkness

What should have been for me a relatively simple operation turned into a 15-day hospital odyssey because of a life-threatening infection. The great torment in my soul increased my miseries—I felt that God had turned His back on me. Further, I became plagued by medicinally induced nightmares of doom and dying. After the medication was discontinued, the nightmares ceased, but the darkness persisted.[1] Fervently, I prayed and pleaded with God to give me peace and show me His light. His answer was a continued sense of impenetrable blackness.
My experience—the darkness of my soul—is not uncommon for Christians. The key question is not whether we experience it, but how we react to it when we walk through those terrifying and soul-struggling times. Does the blackness of the moment trigger a person to denounce or lose his or her faith after such a shattering experience? Or does he or she continue believing in God’s divine sovereignty, through faith and hope, despite impenetrable darkness?[2]

SEARCHING FOR LIGHT
All things being equal I felt okay when I first woke up from surgery. My husband, Terry, was waiting for me in my room and spent the first two nights with me, which gave me a great sense of comfort. My daughter, grandson, and some siblings showed up the next day to sit with me. Sometimes I was awake and sometimes I was drifting during their conversations, but it did not matter because their chatter sent waves of peace through me. My son, more siblings, nieces and nephews, and aunties visited too. Relatives who lived too far away to visit called daily, and friends came to cheer me up. Their visits generated in me a wonderful sense of well-being.
However, instead of getting better, I was beginning to feel worse. By day five or six, I was having trouble pushing my IV pole through the halls to exercise, and in my mind, a sense of darkness and panic started descending.
Sickness is a very messy business. A day after surgery, my left arm started to hurt. I had developed phlebitis, an inflammation of the vein, which is painful. A nurse had to start another IV in a different site. After a day or so, that site became too inflamed to keep the needle in place, so they had to start a third IV. Around the time of the fourth IV insertion, with both arms inflamed, my chest started to hurt, and it became difficult to breath or move.
Images of blood clots flooded my mind, despite being injected with blood thinners. My doctor ordered a CT scan of my lungs and abdomen. My stomach started hurting, and an intermittent fever became a steady fever.
Steadily through this process, dark thoughts of dying crept into my mind. The only Scripture that I could remember was Psalm 23, and those six verses that should have brought me succor and peace did not.

A PERSISTENT DARKNESSAs I lay there feeling utterly sick and helpless, I ruminated on Chuck Colson’s and Richard John Neuhaus’s reflections about their experiences with life-threatening diseases. Why did I not have a feeling of calmness and peace like they did?
In the March and April 1987 issues of Jubilee, my friend (and boss!) Chuck Colson wrote his reflections about his ordeal with stomach cancer and infection. “I saw in the confrontation with fear and suffering that there is nothing for which God does not pour out His grace abundantly,” he recalled. “I felt total peace—and great thankfulness that a merciful God had brought me to that recovery room.”
Chuck, too, developed an infection and had a reaction to pain medication that gave him hallucinations like “dark creatures climbing walls, buildings collapsing, endless tunnels.” But when his medication wore off, he stopped having hallucinations. My darkness persisted.
A number of years before my dreadful illness, I had read Neuhaus’s book As I Lay Dying. Neuhaus suffered a multitude of traumas, starting with an exploding tumor and, a very short time later, a splenectomy. His ordeal included a coma and a visitation by two angels, or “presences” as he put it. The “two ‘presences’” told him, “Everything is ready now,” giving him a decision to stay and finish his ministry, or “go with them.” If he had gone with them, Neuhaus knew that “something would happen between here and where we were going, and that something is called death.”[3]
“At the time of crisis and the months of recovery following,” Neuhaus writes, “I was never once afraid.”[4] But I was desperately afraid. I did not want to die and leave my husband, my children, my grandchild, my beloved extended family, or my wonderful friends. I could not pray: “Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.”[5] I was unable to articulate consciously what I felt. Theologian Vigen Guroian, however, ably expresses it in Life’s Living toward Dying: “Death would not be so bitter were it not that love makes life so sweet. Nor would death inspire such fear and dread were it not that it cuts us off from those whom we love and who love us.”[6] So while I could think of no other verse but Psalm 23, and was unable to pray or recite it, like Job, I continued “to argue my case with God.”[7] God, where are you?

WHERE WAS GOD?
Finally, the CT and blood test came back showing I had a massive infection called peritonitis. That morning with scalpel in hand, my doctor along with a nurse came to drain the infection. After my doctor reopened the incision, a thick yellowish-brown puss oozed from the wound. She pressed on my abdomen for a long while, forcing as much of the killer infection out. An hour later, another doctor and team inserted a PICC line into my arm.[8] Later, I was to have a second CT to see if I would need a second surgery. But where was God in my time of darkness and desperation?
I waited for news. Thankfully Penny, one of my siblings, came and sat with me for two days. She helped me to the bathroom, held my hand, and waited with me. Other family and friends came to visit, helping me with various needs. My beloved husband was there everyday after work, but where was God?
After being released to recover at home, I contemplated my fear and sense of God’s desertion. I pondered God’s purposes.[9] I pondered Christ’s suffering and resurrection, and I pondered His promise to send the Comforter. But where were They?
Then slowly as the days and weeks went by, I started realizing that though God was silent, He was still there. He was there when my wonderful family and friends came to visit and comfort me. He was there when each person helped shoulder some of my suffering. He was there morning and night, day after day, week after week, month after month, when Terry cleaned and repacked my wound.
In a search for greater understanding of my plight, I read different prayers and devotions like this section from a Puritan prayer, “The All-Good”:
Grant me to feel thee in fire, and food and every providence,and to see that thy many gifts and creaturesare but thy hands and fingers taking hold of me . . . [10]
Providentially, years before I became sick, God had already given me a gift that would help calm my mind during my recovery. In a 2003 First Things article, Carol Zaleski wrote about Mother Teresa’s struggle with spiritual darkness. Mother Teresa had answered God’s call to minister to those who lived in the gutters of India. After she started her new ministry, she experienced, writes Zaleski, “feelings of doubt, loneliness, and abandonment. God seemed absent, heaven empty, and bitterest of all, her own suffering seemed to count for nothing, ‘ . . . just that terrible pain of loss, of God not wanting me, of God not being God, of God not really existing.’” [11] In the newest biography of Mother Teresa, I learned that despite her “terrible darkness,” this extraordinarily faithful woman would “refuse nothing to God . . . ” She continued her work in the gutters of India bringing Jesus to the poorest of the poor, and in “loneliness” and “doubt” she continued to worship and glorify Him. [12]

GROWING THROUGH SUFFERING
Months later, when I remembered Mother Teresa’s experience, it dawned on me that, instead of directly giving me a sense of peace or sending heavenly angels of comfort, God allowed me to experience His silence so I could grow in Him. As we ought to express our utmost gratitude to God despite suffering, I endeavor to do so. I am also eternally grateful for others, like Mother Teresa, having traveled through the travail of God’s silence, because their words have been a source of strength in the face of my feelings of abandonment.
If it be consistent with thy eternal counsels,the purpose of thy grace,and the great ends of thy glory,then bestow upon me the blessings of thy comforts;If not, let me resign myself to thy wiser determinations. [13]
Thirteen months later, I can see my suffering in a clearer light. As Oswald Chambers writes, “Has God trusted you with a silence—a silence that is big with meaning? God’s silences are His answers . . . His silence is the sign that He is bringing you into a marvelous understanding of Himself.”
My fright, mourning, and confusion have mellowed to gratitude. I have mourned the blackness and scariness of God’s turned shoulder and silence, but as Chambers asserts, “you will find that God has trusted you in the most intimate way possible, with an absolute silence, not of despair, but of pleasure, because He saw that you could stand a bigger revelation.”[14]
My God, let me resign myself to thy wiser determinations.
While I have given a great many nods to living in the present moment and trusting completely in God’s design and purpose, oftentimes I found myself trying to straddle the past and future: “I should have done this or that, or I hope this or that does or does not happen.” As for an encounter with death, “[t]he worst thing is,” writes Neuhaus, “not to be changed by the encounter.”[15]
I have changed. Living in the present moment has become easier. I am truly grateful to God that He put loving people in my life to help shoulder my burden, and I am utterly grateful that He allowed me to live.
Oh blessed Father, help me to resign myself to thy wiser determinations.
Lastly, I have made the very personal struggles of my body, mind, and spirit public so that when you or someone near you walks through dark and scary times, you will remember or share with others that God is there even if He is silent. Continue always to have faith and hope in Him, despite the fears, doubts, and soul-struggling bleakness you experience, because God is carrying out His divine plan for you.

Boxing like one beating the air...

2008-04-03T12:47:00.001Z

Throughout the past month, our family has gone through some difficult times. Most importantly, two relatives passed away within nearly three weeks of each other. One was especially dear to me. After we received news of his death, I tried to fight all of the emotions, feelings, attitudes, etc. that accompany such a loss. I felt like as if I couldn’t continue on with my life if I “succumbed” to these repercussions; I thought I had to rise above them. Because of the first death, we were away from home for more than a week. School started piling up and I had to request an extension on my homework dates. Once we got back, I tried to fit back into my normal routine. School was going fine, but I didn’t have the same motivation as I did prior to leaving. It seemed pointless. I started being moody and lethargic when it came to my tasks. I couldn’t figure out why things weren’t going smoothly. Sure, I was getting things done, but what was the point?
I fought all of this for a couple weeks until the final blow connected and knocked me out cold onto the canvas.

I didn’t like it.

It gave me time to think, though. The more I thought about things, the more I realized I was drifting away in my relationship with God. Maybe I was still the same old person when it came to my actions, but my motivations for doing things were different, and I certainly wasn’t reading my Bible daily. I was fighting things that I shouldn’t have been fighting. I came out swinging at these occurrences in my life because I thought I had to in order to maintain my composure. Not only did I walk into the ring with the wrong attitude, I walked in there by myself. In fact, walking in was a bad decision in the first place.

There are some things in life that we can fight, and when we do we should go in there and fight knowing that we are not alone. But there are also some things that we cannot change, things we cannot deal with on our own. It was revealed to me that I just wasn’t giving this up to God. Maybe sometime in the past I had asked for strength, but then again my view was that I had to fight this…alone.

Life is wonderful once you come to realize that God is sovereign. Sometimes we step into the ring and start fighting, only to be knocked down because of the fact that we deserve it. Once you’re at the bottom you can actually see how foolish it was for you to fight in the first place and how wise it would have been to give certain things over to God. Everything happens for a reason and when I look back at this series of events, I can say that I am thankful that some things happened when they did. If they had happened in some other order over a long period of time, I cannot say that they would have had the same effect. Worship is all that I am responding to all that He is, and that includes His sovereignty.

“But those who trust in the Lord shall renew their strength…”

Dude, your idiot light is on...

2008-03-27T23:20:00.002Z

*This is a very short rough draft.

My dad and I went to this upholstery shop in town a couple days ago. There were several rides there that can be classified as special. This whole thing of auto restoration reminded me of something. Now that I think about it, going to the junkyard makes it pop up in my mind, too.

No matter our “make”, “model”, or “year”, we, as humans, need to constantly evaluate ourselves. We need to constantly evaluate our physical, mental, and spiritual condition. If we are little rusty or leaky in some spots, we need to (obviously) know this before any changes can be made. There are several ways that we can know about our problems and all of these warning systems have been given to us.

First, we have the Holy Spirit. Consider the Holy Spirit as the “idiot light” on your dashboard. Sometimes your car will tell you that you need your engine checked, even though everything seems fine to you. Other times you know something is different about your car but you think it’s fine. Then your idiot light comes on and tells you that the knocking sound underneath your hood is baaad. Those are the things the Holy Spirit will do. The light comes on for the most experienced driver and the first-timer as well.

Second, we have friends. Accountability is one of the most important bonds you can have with fellow Christians. Consider your accountability partner (or fellow Christians, for that matter), to be the mechanic or car nut that you turn to for questions or who’s word you trust in such matters. Someone who is going to say, “Dude that light means you need to check your brakes,”or, “That knocking sound means you need oil or else your engine is going to bite the dust.” You get the point. You need someone who is older and wiser than you in the things of the world and faith. It’s also nice to have friends who have been given the gift of mechanical aptitude, friends who know how to fix things.

Lastly, we have ourselves to check things out. We as humans can ponder our existence and condition and have the ability to adjust accordingly. We usually need help to fix the problem of course, but the very fact that we are willing to scope ourselves out and notice the things that shouldn’t be there is a step. What does this mean you have to do? Know Thyself.

The implications of Rev. Wright's words.

2008-03-23T23:38:00.002Z

By now, everyone has heard a little snippet here or there about the Rev. Jeremiah Wright, Obama’s (now former) pastor and spiritual mentor. There are several issues that come to mind when discussing both the Rev. Wright and his church.

1) Concerning the sermons that have been called into question, they are, of course, disheartening and foolish to say the least. Some of the claims by Rev. Wright include:

“Jesus was a poor black man who lived in a country and who lived in a culture that was controlled by rich, white people.”

Hmm…considering the fact that Jesus was born and lived in the Middle East, I don’t see how that conclusion can be taken from the Scriptures. (Note: I am not debating Jesus skin color. That is a dumb issue. I am merely questioning the authority with which Rev. Wright is making these claims.) Also, what kind of Savior would we be serving if he was a rich black man who was not “oppressed”? Was Jesus supposed to be rich in an earthly context? If we are placing so much emphasis on how blacks should be rich and free from oppression, are we also saying that an ideal black Jesus should have been rich and free from oppression?

“He (Obama) doesn’t fit the model. He ain’t white, he ain’t rich, and he ain’t privileged.”

Whoa. Last time I looked, Obama was a privileged senator from the state of Illinois who lives in a large and has a huge following. Rev. Wright must not be doing too bad himself with a congregation of several thousand.

“Barack knows what it means to be a black man living in a country and a culture that is controlled by rich white people!”

The fact that Barack Obama, as a black man, has succeeded as much as he has in America is an awesome testament against this statement.

“Oh! I am so glad that I got a God who knows what it is to be a poor black man in a country and in a culture that is controlled by and run by rich white people. He taught me, Jesus did, how to love my enemies. Jesus taught me how to love the hell out of my enemies and not be reduced to their level of hatred, bigotry, and small-mindedness.”

According to Rev. Wright, the rich white people that are controlling America are his enemies. The facts: Rev. Wright doesn’t like rich white people. Evidently, he equates money with power and white skin with hatred, bigotry, and small-mindedness. If those motivations aren’t of the world, I don’t know what is.

“We have supported state terrorism against the Palestinians and black South Africans and now we are indignant! Because the stuff we have done overseas is now brought right back into our own front yards. America’s chickens are coming home to the roost.”

This was a sermon on September 16, 2001. Obviously, Rev. Wright is blaming the US and its foreign policy for 9/11. The last sentence is a creepy reference to Malcolm X (surprise!). On the assassination of JFK, Malcolm X said, "It was, as I saw it, a case of 'the chickens coming home to roost.' I said that the hate in white men had not stopped with the killing of defenseless black people, but that hate, allowed to spread unchecked, had finally struck down this country's Chief Magistrate."

Take that and Rev. Wright’s reference for what you will.

“God**** America! That’s in the Bible!”

Oooookay. Just give me a Scripture reference and I’ll agree.

“The government lied bout Pearl Harbor; they knew the Japanese were going to attack.”
“The government lied about the Tuskegee experiment. They purposefully infected African American men with syphilis.”
“Fighting for peace is like raping for virginity.”
”We cannot see how what we are doing is the same thing Al Qaeda is doing under a different color flag.”
“Yes, 9-11-01 happened to us, and so did slavery happen to us. Yes, the World Trade Center happened to us, and so did white supremacy happen to us. Yes, the Pentagon happened to us, and so did the Tuskegee experiment happen to us.”

I believe I also heard a quote by Rev. Wright stating that America did not blink an eye when we dropped the atomic bomb on Hiroshima. That is not true. Also, if Rev. Wright really cared about his contentions, he would rather point out the firebombing of Tokyo instead of Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

This man conducted Obama’s wedding ceremony and he baptized Obama’s children. He has been the pastor of Trinity United Church of Christ for over twenty years. If Obama is really for change in this country, he should have separated himself from this man years ago. Rev. Wright is a racist man filled with hatred. His facts are all wrong, his attitudes are all wrong, and his form of Christianity is all wrong.

2) I’ve been wondering what kind of effect Rev. Wright’s sermons will have on America’s outlook on the Church. Will unbelievers flock to churches? What will they think of Christianity? There seems to be some form of Christianity that is in the wrong: Rev. Wright’s or everyone else’s. How will that reflect upon unbelievers in our nation?

3) Race is the dumbest thing to ever separate a nation, let alone a faith. There is only one race: The human race. Those who fail to recognize that people are humans no matter their skin color deserve no respect from me. Also, those who think that their skin color allows them to have special privileges do not understand the issue at hand. If you want to succeed, if you want to end bigotry and racism from oppressing you, stand up! Do not rely upon the government! Do not let your skin color become a stereotype for low income and bad family situations! Do not use it as an excuse for your troubles! If you want to put an end to those things, you have to realize that you are the only one who can help yourself get out of the mold. Your attitudes and actions are the only things that can make you rise above those things with dignity and self respect.

The Music of the Night

2008-02-25T18:10:00.002Z

Life Is So Cool...

1) On Saturday, for the first time in my life, I browsed online aviation classifieds. I enjoyed it quite a bit. Some of the more interesting items...

Me-162 (Believed to be the only one in private hands!)
Several Su-25 relics
Several MiG-15, 17, and 21 relics
Several PBY Catalinas
One MiG-29 with avionics in the Russian Federation for $10,000,000 ("Contact Igor")

And my favorite helicopter of all time...

One Mi-24 Hind (!)

It was more fun than looking up cars on Ebay!

2) Also on Saturday I attended a Cub Scout Blue and Gold Banquet. As the Tiger Cubs entered the room first, someone in the back started whistling "Hail to the Chief". That was funny.

3) At church yesterday we had our monthly men's breakfast. One of the guys there had a turtleneck sweater on. Is it just me, or do turtleneck-wearers look like morning people? It's almost obscene...

4) Sunday's sermon was on God's holiness. When we think about God's perfect will for our lives, we usually let our minds drift towards where we will be in the future and what God has in store for us. We think about marriage, college choices, occupations, etc. Do we ever think about God's will for all Christians? That is, do we ever think about God's will for all of us to be sanctified (1 Thes. 4:3)? It really doesn't matter if God wants me to be a snakeater, congressman, father, or paper napkin designer. What matters is the part of His will under which all of these things fall: sanctification.

...

2008-02-15T21:56:00.000Z

I

Hate

Valentine's

Day

!

Look in my eyes. What do you see?

2008-02-11T12:33:00.000Z

The Cult of Personality...

Obama's first coming

Washington correspondent Geoff Elliott February 09, 2008
IT was early 1994 when Nelson Mandela gave a speech in a slum outside Cape Town and spoke in grand terms of a new beginning and how when he was elected president every household would have a washing machine.People took him literally. A few months later he became South Africa's first black president. That's when clerks in department stores in Cape Town had to turn people away demanding their free washer and dryer.
Having spent some time as a reporter in South Africa watching the Mandela presidency I was reminded of that story this week when I travelled with Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama on the campaign trail.
How does a cult figure, in the eyes of some something akin to a messiah, make the transition to a political frontrunner - president even - where disappointment will soon crush what seemed to be a journey to a promised land?
Looking into the faces of a more than 16,000-strong crowd in a basketball stadium in Hartford, Connecticut this week, the Mandela magic I'd seen before was there too. Black and white, and the youth; they appeared in a state close to rapture watching Obama speak. Here and there one could see women crying and the some men wiping away tears too.
It was not the promise of a washing machine, of course. Mandela was heading a Rainbow Revolution - a new governing coalition. The sense of renewal in those heady days in South Africa in the mid-'90s was palpable. A political and cultural boil was being lanced. There was relief and joy. Cape Town in those days was humming.
In the US today there are echoes of that Rainbow Revolution. Through the media and on the streets people are getting a bit giddy over Obama. In this man they are projecting a new course - one that he says he will lead - where the US buries the culture wars, charts a new course in bipartisan politics and heralds a new dawn for America.
After more than seven years of the Bush administration and when 70 per cent of the populace think America is on the wrong course, there's little wonder that the hunger for something new is real and fertile ground to till for a politician.
But Obama is part politician, part cult. Supporters wearing T-shirts with an Andy Warhol like pop-art image of his face testify to that. But then they - him - were once easy to dismiss until people realised Obama's charisma was being matched by one of the most sophisticated ground operations ever seen. It is one that is outsmarting the Clinton machine. He's marrying inspiration and cult with old-fashioned political grunt.
One would have to have a heart of stone not to be moved by Obama on the stump. It's not so much by what he says but it's the way the crowds respond to his words. When 16,000 people, without prompting, start shouting some of his keynote phrases as he delivers them, you know something special is going on.
The atmosphere at his events is such that one wonders if Obama is about to walk out with a basket with some loaves and fishes to feed the thousands.
And therein lays the danger for Obama. The Obama shuttle has made it into orbit but at some point he's going to have to land this thing back on Earth.
From unlikely presidential candidate to this week starting to edge out Hillary Clinton as frontrunner, Obama commands grass roots support that is enormous and still gaining strength. Across the US this week Obama laid to rest any lingering doubts about his appeal. He won states in the east, the south, the west and in the middle. All demographics from gender and race voted for him. He tied, if not came out ahead of, Clinton on Super Tuesday when 22 states voted.
He's easily outgunning Clinton on fund-raising with a sophisticated online network. Last month he raised a record busting $US32 million, $US27million of which came from online donations. In 48 hours after Super Tuesday he raised $US7 million, forcing Clinton to lend her campaign $US5 million.
The Clinton camp is now on the defensive and in an extraordinary turnaround started calling him the "establishment" candidate.
But the danger remains for Obama in managing the cult-like fervour. Obviously, he's no messiah and lofty expectations of his supporters is something that Obama is also acutely aware of. In stockmarket parlance, Obama's share price is soaring on expected future earnings. Clinton, 20 years in the public eye, is like the industrial conglomerate: steady share price and reliable dividends. Think of Obama as Google and Clinton as General Electric.
The problem for high-flying stocks is that any bad news can cause the share price to drop sharply. So far Obama has played the bad news extraordinarily well. What turned out to be a shock loss in New Hampshire to Clinton last month might have taken the wind out of his sails but in fact it only galvanised his supporters more: they bought more Obama "stock".
The campaign revealed this week that the biggest fund raising day in that whopping $US32 million month was the day after Obama lost New Hampshire. To be fair, the cult-like status of Obama is a function of a personality that simply resonates with anyone who meets him: buckets of charisma and charm. And aware of managing expectations, not only for his campaign but what might be beyond, he constantly refers to the challenges ahead.
"We can do this," he told ecstatic supporters on Tuesday night. "It will not be easy. It will require struggle and sacrifice. There will setbacks and we will make mistakes."
But then Obama, in the next sentence, in attempt to appeal to more voters out there, didn't even mention the Democratic Party but instead his "movement" saying: "I want to speak directly to all those Americans who have yet to join this movement but still hunger for change: we need you. We need you to stand with us, and work with us, and help us prove that together, ordinary people can still do extraordinary things".
Well known political journalist Joe Klein of Time magazine, who was travelling on the campaign plane this week with Obama, too, wrote of a nagging concern about this kind of rhetoric of inspiration over substance, noting "there was something just a wee bit creepy about the mass messiahnism".
In his Super Tuesday speech Obama said "we are the ones we've been waiting for", attempting to make the case the time was now to get some "change" in Washington: a post-partisan world where politicians reach across the aisle for the common good. "This time can be different because this campaign for the presidency of the United States of America is different," he said. "It's different not because of me. It's different because of you."
As Klein notes, this is "not just maddeningly vague but also disingenuous: the campaign is entirely about Obama and his ability to inspire.
"Rather than focusing on any specific issue or cause - other than an amorphous desire for change - the message is becoming dangerously self-referential. The Obama campaign all too often is about how wonderful the Obama campaign is."
I hear that too in the voices of Obama's staff constantly, themselves referring to this "cult of Obama".
"Even if he doesn't go all the way, and I'm not being defeatist, I'm so thrilled to be a part of this and see the size of the crowds turning out," one staffer tells me.
Some of the craving Obama has inspired is because of a level of authenticity. Where once Bill Clinton said he smoked dope but didn't inhale, Obama admitted in his first book Dreams From My Father that in his younger days he did drugs. Once this was the kind of admission meaning political death in US but not anymore, it seems.
"Junkie. Pothead. That's where I'd been headed: the final, fatal role of the young would-be black man ... I got high (to) push questions of who I was out of my mind," Obama writes.
In the book, Obama acknowledges that he also used cocaine as a high school student but rejected heroin. "Pot had helped, and booze; maybe a little blow when you could afford it. Not smack, though," he writes. Even with these admissions, perhaps because of them, the Senator has become something of a Teflon-coated performer in the media: it has infuriated the Clintons. Bill Clinton has tried to peg him back with some attacks, but to no avail. They complain, with some justification, that Obama is getting easier treatment in the press than Hillary Clinton.
But that's the nature of the insurgent candidate and a somewhat vested interest in seeing a contest where the frontrunner is under siege.
Now Obama is not an insurgent. I'd venture to call him a favourite in this race now. The next nine statewide contests through February are, given the demographics, likely to go Obama's way. He may well build an unstoppable momentum. And then the giddiness might evaporate and be replaced with something else. In marketing they call it post-purchase disappointment. If he gets the Democratic Party's nomination another test begins anew: how to turn the narrative which is all about striving for what is possible, to one where people are suddenly asking how are you actually going to do it?

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,23182456-28737,00.html

A Boy Named Sue....

2008-02-07T23:59:00.000Z

It is impossible for us to fully understand the number of God's attributes. However, not only do we not know the number of them, but we also cannot fully comprehend them. We cannot fully comprehend His love, His power, His mercy, etc. Because we cannot comprehend neither the number nor qualities of His attributes, it only follows that His ways and plans are impossible to fully understand.

Of course, you already knew this but I thought it was certainly another way to look at things.

It would be so easy right now to launch into some diatribe about how our country might go to hell in a handbasket with the current presidential candidates, but where would that get us? Besides, God's ways cannot be fully comprehended, so suck it up and deal with it. That's part of having a thing called faith...

I Love Rock and Roll...

2008-02-05T22:04:00.000Z

I swear, life is so cool.

1) As if the discussions in Macroeconomics concerning the best way to allocate resources and the causes of gasoline prices weren't heated enough (Commies!), this week's topic is....

Should There Be A Market In Organs?

Whoa, I love this class!

2) I was at piano practice today...

Teach: So what is this (points to music)?

Me: A slur.

Teach: And how do we play them?

Me: We slur them.

3) Friday night, our team won the homecoming game in overtime. Saturday, we beat both of our rivals and a third team to claim the Quiz Bowl title for the second year in a row.

And, of course, the Giants won the Superbowl. 'Twas a banner weekend. More to come.

Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends...

2008-02-01T01:25:00.000Z

We're so glad you could attend. Come inside, come inside.

I'm watching the Democratic candidate debate on CNN.com right now (because cable is pointless), annnnnnd....it makes me appreciate the truly conservative people in this nation. You know, the people who stand for limited government, our military, free markets, and, most importantly, individual responsibility.

I swear, too many people believe that the government should spoon-feed us. It's a scary thought...

The Idiot's Guide to Common Sense:

1) The Bush tax cuts were not for the wealthy citizens of this nation. "In fact, as we reported only that morning, the Congressional Budget Office calculates that the top 20% now pay 63.5% of the total federal tax burden, which includes income taxes, payroll taxes and other federal levies. It's true that the top 20% pays nearly 81% of all federal income taxes, but the president spoke more expansively of 'taxes in America,' not just income taxes." http://www.factcheck.org/new_and_recycled_distortions_at_final_presidential.html

2) If you're going to complain about social security and other government aid programs, you might want to consider thinking before you support a universal healthcare plan.

3) Since when did "illegal" mean something other than against the law? Any idiot knows that illegal means exactly that and nothing more. Enforcing the "illegal" part does not mean criminalizing the Good Samaritan and even Jesus Christ Himself, Senator Clinton (Whatever the heck that means...).

4) "We want to respect the dignity of every human being here..." That is, except for the unborn ones.

5) The day that a woman becomes Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces...

6) How do all of these liberals, whom I going to assume have good intentions, come to all of these conclusions that are not the most effective way to carry out their plans? It seems like all of their ideas have increased government size as a guaranteed result...

7) May God be with the people of Iraq if one of these candidates get in office.

Thoughts...

2008-01-13T20:59:00.001Z

Just some questions and thoughts that have been sitting in my head for some time...Some have obvious answers, others do not. Some have accompanying thoughts, others do not.

1) Would we have fellowship without Christ's crucifixion and resurrection?

2) Why would a Bible-believing Christian vote for a liberal? No matter if you're serious about the elections or not, who you vote for reflects who you think is an adequate leader for this country. If that candidate who you are voting for does not exhibit Christ-like character and supports things that go directly against God's Word, is Christ your role model for leadership?

3) E-85 Ethanol is a Spurious Solution to our oil problems...

The United States currently spends over twenty billion dollars a year importing oil from the Persian Gulf. With gas prices increasing, many are looking for a solution to this expensive problem. Investors and politicians are pushing for accelerated research into alternative fuels because they see a new fuel as the solution rather than a new form of production or distribution of gasoline. The current alternative fuel being praised is E85 Ethanol. This fuel, made up of eighty-five percent ethanol and fifteen percent gasoline, is growing in popularity and use throughout the United States. However, when the facts are examined and an objective conclusion is inferred, it can be seen that gasoline still offers the most appealing solution to the problem of foreign oil dependence.
The production of E85 Ethanol is a complicated process. Corn and sugarcane, the most widespread sources for the fuel, must be grown, harvested, processed, and distributed. The distillation and distribution of E85 are more tedious processes than their equivalents with gasoline. Distilling the fuel requires new technology and the fuel must be distributed in a special environment because of its corrosive and water soluble nature. Gasoline, however, is refined across the United States and can be shipped in pipelines that already exist. Drilling for gasoline and refining it are processes that have been perfected throughout the past century. The costs of refining and distributing gasoline make it economically superior to E85 Ethanol.
Once the fuel is supplied to the consumer, the topic of efficiency arises. Ethanol burns at a higher temperature than gasoline, but gasoline contains more potential energy than Ethanol. For every gallon of gasoline burned, more than one gallon of Ethanol must be burned in order to have the same energy output of the burned gasoline. In fact, reports indicate that a full tank of E85 Ethanol averages fifteen to twenty percent less in efficiency than the same tank filled with gasoline. If the United States wants to pursue a reasonable replacement for gasoline, it follows that the replacement must be greater than or equal to gasoline in efficiency.
Since foreign factors affect prices at the pumps in the United States, many see Ethanol as the solution to high gas prices. E85 Ethanol prices have always lingered within gasoline prices, so the defining factor is fuel economy. As previously shown, E85 Ethanol suffers in the area of fuel economy. Since consumers who use E85 will receive less miles per gallon than gasoline consumers, they will have to fill up more often. Over time, this results in a large amount of money that could have been saved if the consumer had used gasoline. If the United States seeks to replace gasoline with E85 Ethanol, Americans will be paying even more at the pump than they already are and gasoline prices will decrease with a lack of demand. Also, as long as the efficiency of Ethanol does not meet the standard established by gasoline, the environmental impacts of E85, including emissions and waste, will always be greater than those of gasoline.
The United States is the world’s second largest consumer of oil and every day we consume millions of barrels. A predicament arises when the source either becomes
limited or is cut off, and foreign suppliers are in good positions to do just that. When the facts are examined, it is obvious that E85 Ethanol is not the solution to our foreign oil dependence. Until a new fuel can surpass the standards set by gasoline in production, efficiency, and overall environmental impact, the solution will continue to lie within gasoline itself.

Those are my thoughts.

Gimme Three Steps...

2008-01-10T01:33:00.000Z

I am stumped.

Let me clarify that. Whenever I think of someone as being stumped, a figure with a grimaced face and head cocked to one side always dwells among my thoughts. However, that is not the case this time.

Now it's like I'm someone who's had his arms and legs completely sliced off, like a tree stump (so I feel "stumped"). I can't pick up anything, I can't run anywhere, I just fall the ground with a carnal thud and lie there. Wonderful.

What am I saying? I don't know what is in store for me. Is it necessary for me to know? Of course not, but not knowing what God has in store for me in the future is like being mutilated at all four corners and left to sit and wait. Arrgh.

As frustrating as it may seem, I think it's probably a necessary step. I mean, how can my limbs do what God wants them to do if they aren't submissive to His will? It's like a transplant of sorts. Right now, I'm without limbs. Is it better than having limbs? The absence of my old appendages that only listened to me is a good thing no matter if they have been replaced or not. I'm just waiting for a transplant here, because I have no idea what lies beyond the horizon when I take those first few steps with my new and improved legs.

The boys are thirsty in Atlanta and there's beer in Texarkana...

2007-12-31T00:25:00.000Z

The above quote has nothing to do with my life except for the fact that I have read it, heard it, and I like black T/As with CB antennas.

1) I was at a big band and gospel Christmas concert a couple weeks ago. I was ready to hear some rocking big band and soul. I got my money's worth. There was one thing, though, that made the whole thing almost unbearable.

I was surrounded by Yanks who were just a few years into retirement.

"I was at the garden club last night...."
"We had a wonderful women's meeting..."
"Applebee's has those wonderful low carb options and we tried those the other day and..."

Like fingernails on a chalkboard.

2) Right before Christmas, we visited an old AME church downtown. One of my dad's coworkers invited us because they were having a sort of veteran's appreciation service as well as some Christmas music.

Never in my life have I seen or heard such a service. It was completely awesome.

"I told y'all that we might have a little change in the program with the Spirit movin and amen here we go again. We gonna have some music by the wonderful _______ and amen you better be prepared to be blown away."

This white boy is considering another visit.

3) Yet another reason for you all to deny having any relations with me.

If I were to travel anywhere outside the US (which has never happened), I would go to some place that tourists tend to avoid. The Middle East is big on my list of places to visit, and I don't mean some tourist trap like Dubai.

4) I would like to own a bike some day. You know, a Harley or something along those lines. What frustrates me to no end are people who put their Harley on a trailer and then tow it great distances. It makes no sense. Why buy a ten thousand dollar bike that was purpose built for highway cruising and turn it into a trailer queen?

And don't even get me started about the scam known as E-85 Ethanol and government subsidies.

MPGs...

2007-12-24T02:38:00.000Z

Why, oh why, did the President sign that energy bill?

Why, oh why, does the government have to push stupid regulations on auto manufacturers? It's not the manufacturer's fault that the customer wants to by a gas-guzzling SUV!

So Ford Motor Company, bless its little soul, is touting that it's new Edge SUV gets twenty-something miles-per-gallon on the highway. Gee, the same company just so happened to make my car thirteen years ago. My car is a luxury steel uni-body with a V8 that just so happens to get the same or better gas mileage as that ugly Edge. You'd think that with thirteen years gone by, Ford Motor Company would have the sense to make the fuel economy somewhat decent. Especially with the explosion of eletronically controlled valve timing and such. The fact that they think 26 MPG on the highway is something to tout is sad. I'll keep my Thunderbird, thank you, and the government will not be able to touch it.

I hate these...

2007-12-15T15:53:00.000Z

"40 Secrets About Yourself. Be honest no matter what."

1- Have you ever been asked out? Not that I know of.
2- Where was your default picture taken? I don't have one.
3- What is your middle name? P.
4- Your current relationship status? Brother, Son
5- Does your crush like you back? That’s the dumbest term ever.
6- What is your current mood? Electric
7- What color pants are you wearing? LCS Red and White
8- What color shirt are you wearing? White
9- What is your favorite thing to do? Honestly, I have always felt at home when running from people who are trying to shoot me.
10- If you could go back in time and change something, would you? Sure.
11- If you must be an animal for one day, what would you be? Either a whale, so I could go deep down into the ocean, or a falcon.
12- Ever had a near death experience? Not that I know of…
13-Something you do a lot? Listen to music.
14- What do you want to be when you get older? A lot of things.
15- Who did you copy and paste this from? Steph
16- Name someone with the same birthday as you? Bill Goldberg.
17- When was the last time you cried? I’m not going to tell you.
19- If you could have one super power what would it be? To be able to breath underwater.
20- What's the first thing you notice about the opposite/same sex? Their eyes.
21- What do you usually order from starbucks? I hate starbucks.
22- What's your biggest secret? I don’t remember…
23- Favorite color? The color of any sea.
25- Do you still watch kiddy movies or tv shows? Noooooo…..
26- What are you eating or drinking at the moment? Oxygen
28- What's your favorite smell? Gunpowder or a Chevy small block.
29- Describe your life in one word what it be? Life….which is cool.
31- Have you ever kissed in the rain? How….schmaltzy.
32- What are you thinking about right now? Finishing this quiz.
33- What should you be doing right now? Practicing piano.
34- Who was the last person that made you upset/angry? Hmm….
35-Why are you doing this? I really don’t know.
36- Do you like working in the yard? Maybe.
37- If you could have any last name in the world, what would it be? My current one or Korbelak.
38- Do you act differently around the person you like? Define “like”.
39- What is your natural hair color? Muddy blond.
40-What did you think about this survey? It’s dumb, just like the rest of them.

Just when you thought chivalry was dead...

2007-12-15T14:48:00.001Z

Road and Track reminds you that it still exists.

It's a Beautiful Day

2007-11-29T18:33:00.000Z

This story just made my day...

Whoever made this decision is my kind of person.

LEAD: U.S. warship passed Taiwan Strait after stopover refusal in Hong Kong+

Nov 29 01:44 PM US/Eastern
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Kong+ (AP) - TOKYO, Nov. 30 (Kyodo)—(EDS: ADDING DETAILS)
A U.S. warship passed the Taiwan Strait on its way back to its home port of Yokosuka last week after China initially denied it permission to dock in Hong Kong, U.S. military sources told Kyodo News on Thursday.
The U.S. act is seen as warning to China as the United States has refrained from sailing through the strait since 1996, when Taiwan's first presidential election generated a crisis which led the United States to deploy two aircraft carriers to the area.
The sources said that after China's refusal on Nov. 21, the Kitty Hawk and five other vessels moved northward in the South China Sea, passing the Taiwan Strait from Friday to Saturday.
As the fleet passed the strait, warplanes were deployed from the flattop to guard the surrounding area, they said.
In the past two to three years, the Kitty Hawk making port calls in Hong Kong during the Thanksgiving holiday passed waters near Bashi Channel south of Taiwan to reach the Pacific on its way back to Yokosuka.
This year, the Kitty Hawk planned a four-day port call at Hong Kong from Nov. 21 for its crew of about 8,000. As it approached Hong Kong, it was refused entry for unspecified reasons. China later reversed the decision on "humanitarian grounds."
The flattop canceled the plan and returned to Yokosuka on Tuesday, four day earlier than it had originally planned.
China's refusal can be interpreted as retaliation against the recent U.S. decision to sell missiles to Taiwan as well as the warm U.S. hospitality extended to the exiled Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama, observers say.
Timothy Keating, commander of U.S. Pacific Command, criticized the Chinese act, saying it was unlike a responsible nation. Responding to the Pentagon's criticism, the Chinese government has said the measure was based on a misunderstanding.
U.S. warships have for decades docked in Hong Kong during tours of duty, but since the territory's return to China in 1997 they need Chinese permission.

God Bless America

2007-11-22T15:13:00.000Z

The Chinese know how to piss Americans off. Really. Prior to yesterday, most of the people who were really angry at the Chinese were parents of dead children because of some bogus Chinese toy. Hopefully, the Chinese have now angered 8,000 sailors and their families.

Earlier this year, the Kittyhawk strike group was doing joint exercises in the Pacific. Somewhere in that period, a Chinese submarine popped up in the middle of our ships and was supposedly within firing range of the Kittyhawk. If that wasn't bad enough...

The Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (the Chinese Ministry for ------- Americans) has now denied the Kittyhawk and several of her ships access to Hong Kong for a long-awaited Thanksgiving port call.

Thank you, China, for angering several thousand more Americans. Some day, you may regret it.

George Washinton strikes back from the grave...

2007-11-19T20:16:00.000Z

China voices alarm at dollar weakness
By Mure Dickie in
Beijing, Krishna Guha in Washington and Peter Garnham and Michael Mackenzie in London Published: November 19 2007 19:14 Last updated: November 19 2007
19:14
China on Monday expressed concern at the decline in the dollar, joining a growing chorus of global policymakers alarmed by the weakness in the world’s
main reserve currency.
Premier Wen Jiabao told a business audience in
Singapore it was becoming difficult to manage China’s $1,430bn foreign exchange
reserves, saying that their value was under unprecedented pressure.

You know what this means...

MORE PEOPLE WILL BUY OUR STUFF!

Standing on the Promises...

2007-11-02T01:07:00.000Z

The other day something poked my brain and said, "God never breaks His promises."

Well...that's obvious.

Don't stop there, though! Think upon that statement for a moment...

Well, He's God. If He broke any of His promises...He can't break His promises, it's against His nature to do so, right?

Right. Why do humans break promises? The answer is obvious. We are fallen. Humans keep their promises sometimes, though. Also, we waffle when it comes time to keep a promise. Other times, it is physically impossible for us to keep a promise. I can tell my English teacher that I will turn in my paper online before the midnight deadline. Let's say that my computer crashes and I can't turn it in. Technically, I broke the promise. Did I choose to break it? No.

Stop there for a moment.

God cannot break His promises. Do you think He can be indecisive with them and even think about breaking them? Do you think a technical issue can keep Him from fulfilling a promise?

No. That's why we can stand on the promises of God.

Standing on the promises that cannot fail,

When the howling storms of doubt and fear assail,

By the living Word of God I shall prevail,

Standing on the promises of God.

2007-10-17T21:22:00.000Z

GEOPOLITICAL INTELLIGENCE REPORT
10.09.2007
Read on the Web
Get your own copy

The Geopolitical Foundations of Blackwater By George Friedman

"For the past three weeks, Blackwater, a private security firm under contract to the U.S. State Department, has been under intense scrutiny over its operations in Iraq. The Blackwater controversy has highlighted the use of civilians for what appears to be combat or near-combat missions in Iraq. Moreover, it has raised two important questions: Who controls these private forces and to whom are they accountable? The issue is neither unique to Blackwater nor to matters of combat. There have long been questions about the role of Halliburton and its former subsidiary, KBR, in providing support services to the military. The Iraq war has been fought with fewer active-duty troops than might have been expected, and a larger number of contractors relative to the number of troops. But how was the decision made in the first place to use U.S. nongovernmental personnel in a war zone? More important, how has that decision been implemented? The United States has a long tradition of using private contractors in times of war. For example, it augmented its naval power in the early 19th century by contracting with privateers -- nongovernmental ships -- to carry out missions at sea. During the battle for Wake Island in 1941, U.S. contractors building an airstrip there were trapped by the Japanese fleet, and many fought alongside Marines and naval personnel. During the Civil War, civilians who accompanied the Union and Confederate armies carried out many of the supply functions. So, on one level, there is absolutely nothing new here. This has always been how the United States fights war. Nevertheless, since before the fall of the Soviet Union, a systematic shift has been taking place in the way the U.S. force structure is designed. This shift, which is rooted both in military policy and in the geopolitical perception that future wars will be fought on a number of levels, made private security contractors such as KBR and Blackwater inevitable. The current situation is the result of three unique processes: the introduction of the professional volunteer military, the change in force structure after the Cold War, and finally the rethinking and redefinition of the term "noncombatant" following the decision to include women in the military, but bar them from direct combat roles. The introduction of the professional volunteer military caused a rethinking of the role of the soldier, sailor, airman or Marine in the armed forces. Volunteers were part of the military because they chose to be. Unlike draftees, they had other options. During World War II and the first half of the Cold War, the military was built around draftees who were going to serve their required hitch and return to civilian life. Although many were not highly trained, they were quite suited for support roles, from KP to policing the grounds. After all, they already were on the payroll, and new hires were always possible. In a volunteer army, the troops are expected to remain in the military much longer. Their training is more expensive -- thus their value is higher. Taking trained specialists who are serving at their own pleasure and forcing them to do menial labor over an extended period of time makes little sense either from a utilization or morale point of view. The concept emerged that the military's maintenance work should shift to civilians, and that in many cases the work should be outsourced to contractors. This tendency was reinforced during the Reagan administration, which, given its ideology, supported privatization as a way to make the volunteer army work. The result was a growth in the number of contractors taking over many of the duties that had been performed by soldiers during the years of conscription. The second impetus was the end of the Cold War and a review carried out by then-Secretary of Defense Les Aspin under then-President Bill Clinton. The core argument was that it was irrational to maintain a standing military as large as had existed during the Cold War. Aspin argued for a more intensely technological military, one that would be less dependent on ground troops. The Air Force was key to this, while the Navy was downsized. The main consideration, however, was the structure of the standing Army -- especially when large-scale, high-intensity, long-term warfare no longer seemed a likely scenario. The U.S. Army's active-duty component, in particular, was reduced. It was assumed that in time of war, components of the Reserves and National Guard would be mobilized, not so much to augment the standing military, but to carry out a range of specialized roles. For example, Civil Affairs, which has proven to be a critical specialization in Iraq and Afghanistan, was made a primary responsibility of the Reserves and National Guard, as were many engineering, military-intelligence and other specializations. This plan was built around certain geopolitical assumptions. The first was that the United States would not be fighting peer powers. The second was that it had learned from Vietnam not to get involved in open-ended counterinsurgency operations, but to focus, as it did in Kuwait, on missions that were clearly defined and executable with a main force. The last was that wars would be short, use relatively few troops and be carried out in conjunction with allies. From this it followed that regular forces, augmented by Reserve/National Guard specialists called up for short terms, could carry out national strategic requirements. The third impetus was the struggle to define military combat and noncombat roles. Given the nature of the volunteer force, women were badly needed, yet they were included in the armed forces under the assumption that they could carry out any function apart from direct combat assignments. This caused a forced -- and strained -- redefinition of these two roles. Intelligence officers called to interrogate a prisoner on the battlefield were thought not to be in a combat position. The same bomb, mortar or rocket fire that killed a soldier might hit them too, but since they technically were not charged with shooting back, they were not combat arms. Ironically, in Iraq, one of the most dangerous tasks is traveling on the roads, though moving supplies is not considered a combat mission. Under the privatization concept, civilians could be hired to carry out noncombat functions. Under the redefinition of noncombat, the area open to contractors covered a lot of territory. Moreover, under the redefinition of the military in the 1990s, the size and structure of the Army in particular was changed so dramatically that it could not carry out most of its functions without the Reserve/Guard component -- and even with that component, the Army was not large enough. Contractors were needed. Let us now add a fourth push: the CIA. During Vietnam, and again in Afghanistan and Iraq, a good part of the war was prosecuted by CIA personnel not in uniform and not answerable to the military chain of command. There are arguments on both sides for this, but the fact is that U.S. wars -- particularly highly politicized wars such as counterinsurgencies -- are fought with parallel armies, some reporting to the Defense Department, others to the CIA and other intelligence agencies. The battlefield is, if not flooded, at least full of civilians operating outside of the chain of command, and these civilian government employees are encouraged to hire Iraqi or other nationals, as well as to augment their own capabilities with private U.S. contractors. Blackwater works for the State Department in a capacity defined as noncombat, protecting diplomats and other high-value personnel from assassination. The Army, bogged down in its own operations, lacks the manpower to perform this obviously valuable work. That means that Blackwater and other contract workers are charged with carrying weapons and moving around the battlefield, which is everywhere. They are heavily armed private soldiers carrying out missions that are combat in all but name -- and they are completely outside of the chain of command. Moreover, in order to be effective, they have to engage in protective intelligence, looking for surveillance by enemy combatants and trying to foresee potential threats. We suspect the CIA could be helpful in this regard, but it would want information in return. In order to perform its job, then, Blackwater entered the economy of intelligence -- information as a commodity to be exchanged. It had to gather some intelligence in order to trade some. As a result, the distinction between combat and support completely broke down. The important point is that the U.S. military went to war with the Army the country gave it. We recall no great objections to the downsizing of the military in the 1990s, and no criticisms of the concepts that lay behind the new force structure. The volunteer force, downsized because long-term conflicts were not going to occur, supported by the Reserve/Guard and backfilled by civilian contractors, was not a controversial issue. Only tiresome cranks made waves, challenging the idea that wars would be sparse and short. They objected to the redefinition of noncombat roles and said the downsized force would be insufficient for the 21st century. Blackwater, KBR and all the rest are the direct result of the faulty geopolitical assumptions and the force structure decisions that followed. The primary responsibility rests with the American public, which made best-case assumptions in a worst-case world. Even without Iraq, civilian contractors would have proliferated on the battlefield. With Iraq, they became an enormous force. Perhaps the single greatest strategic error of the Bush administration was not fundamentally re-examining the assumptions about the U.S. Army on Sept. 12, 2001. Clearly Donald Rumsfeld was of the view that the Army was the problem, not the solution. He was not going to push for a larger force and, therefore, as the war expanded, for fewer civilian contractors. The central problem regarding private security contractors on the battlefield is that their place in the chain of command is not defined. They report to the State Department, not to the Army and Marines that own the battlefield. But who do they take orders from and who defines their mission? Do they operate under the Uniform Code of Military Justice or under some other rule? They are warriors -- it is foolish to think otherwise -- but they do not wear the uniform. The problem with Blackwater stems from having multiple forces fighting for the same side on the same battlefield, with completely different chains of command. Indeed, it is not clear the extent to which the State Department has created a command structure for its contractors, whether it is capable of doing so, or whether the contractors have created their own chain of command. Blackwater is the logical outcome of a set of erroneous geopolitical conclusions that predate these wars by more than a decade. The United States will be fighting multidivisional, open-ended wars in multiple theaters, and there will be counterinsurgencies. The force created in the 1990s is insufficient, and thus the definition of noncombat specialty has become meaningless. The Reserve/Guard component cannot fill the gap created by strategic errors. The hiring of contractors makes sense and has precedence. But the use of CIA personnel outside the military chain of command creates enough stress. To have private contractors reporting outside the chain of command to government entities not able to command them is the real problem. A failure that is rooted in the national consensus of the 1990s was compounded by the Bush administration's failure to reshape the military for the realities of the wars it wished to fight. But the final failure was to follow the logic of the civilian contractors through to its end, but not include them in the unified chain of command. In war, the key question must be this: Who gives orders and who takes them? The battlefield is dangerous enough without that question left hanging."

Thoughts?

EOD...

2007-10-04T01:52:00.000Z

Navy EOD forces are trained and equipped to deal with explosive threats ranging from unexploded sub munitions to improvised weapons of mass destruction. Navy EOD forces operate wherever these threats are located and present an obstacle to naval and joint operations. They conduct their mission in a multitude of tactical environments - on the battlefield, in minefields, underwater, on land, in urban settings, and on board ships, to name but a few.

Navy EOD has a critical role in enabling Special Operations Forces (SOF) mission accomplishment. EOD provides Navy and Army SOF with capabilities to prosecute weapons of mass destruction and terrorist devices. EOD forces also enable their movement through hazardous battlefield environments, which may include mines, unexploded ordnance, booby-traps, or improvised explosive ordnance devices.Underwater Mine Countermeasures (UMCM) is a mission area often associated with Navy EOD. Eight Mobile Companies are dedicated to the UMCM mission. EOD forces possess the Navy's only mine countermeasure capability in the very shallow water zone (depths of 10 to 40 feet). To this end they maintain three uniquely capable marine mammal systems for worldwide contingency employment.

Navy EOD forces also support a range of federal agencies. They assist the U.S. Secret Service in protecting the President, Vice President, and their spouses. They support the Department of State in providing protection for the Secretary of State and foreign dignitaries. They also assist various federal agencies during National Security Special Events such as presidential conventions and the Olympics. They accomplish this by performing key tasks that include initial detection of explosive hazards, intelligence exploitation, neutralization, and disposal. Moreover, Navy EOD is the only force within the Department of Defense that has these capabilities against the full range of threats in all environments.

Navy Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technicians render safe all types of ordnance, both conventional and unconventional, improvised, chemical, biological, and nuclear to include Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) and Weapons of Mass Destruction (WMD). They perform land and underwater location, identification, render-safe, and recovery (or disposal) of foreign and domestic ordnance. They conduct demolition of hazardous munitions, pyrotechnics, and retrograde explosives using detonation and burning techniques. They forward deploy and fully integrate with the various Combatant Commanders, Special Operations Force (SOF), and various warfare units within the Navy, Marine Corps, and Army. They are also called upon to support military and civilian law enforcement agencies.

EOD Technicians’ missions take them to all environments, every climate, in every part of the world. They have many assets available to arrive to their mission, from open and closed-circuit scuba and surface-supplied diving rigs, to parachute insertion from fixed-wing and and fast-rope, rappel, and Special Purpose Insertion Extraction (SPIE) from rotary aircraft, to small boats and tracked vehicles.

The "crab," as it is commonly known, is the only joint service badge and can only be earned upon successful completion of The Naval School of Explosive Ordnance Disposal.
THE WREATH is symbolic of the achievements and laurels gained by minimizing accident potentials, through the ingenuity and devotion to duty of its members. It is in memory of the EOD personnel who have given their lives while performing EOD duties.
THE BOMB was copied from the design of the World War II Bomb Disposal Badge. The bomb represents the historic and major objective of the EOD attack, the unexploded bomb. The three fins represent the major areas of nuclear, conventional, and chemical/biological warfare.
THE LIGHTNING BOLTS symbolize the potential destructive power of the bomb and the courage and professionalism of EOD personnel in their endeavors to reduce hazards as well as to render explosive ordnance harmless.
THE SHIELD represents the EOD mission which is to protect personnel and property in the immediate area from an inadvertent detonation of hazardous ordnance.
THE STAR in the middle of the bomb represents a Technician who has attained Senior EOD competency. The star in the middle of the badge, coupled with the miniature wreath and star at the top of the badge represent an EOD Technician who has attained Master EOD competency.

Give a little bit...

2007-09-27T22:02:00.000Z

I heard a song on the radio today and something was revealed to me.

I cannot ask God to do anything in my life if I'm not going to give Him everything. I can't just sit here and say, "Change me, God," and just give Him some sin problem that I have. I need to give Him my hopes, my dreams, my fears, my delights, my tasks, my work, my ideas, and my thoughts. EVERYTHING that I think, say, or do needs to brought to Him. Giving Him just one or two things and then asking Him to change me is like saying, "Here are two nails and a two-by-four. I want you to build me a house." Of course it's possible for God to do it anyways, but then do I really have free will if he changes me without me being totally willing to give myself up?

2007-09-21T01:19:00.000Z

What is the first thing that pops into your mind when you see this?

I was looking for a Hot Rod or Road & Track at the local drugstore, but all they had were those stupid tuner magazines that feature some babe (and maybe a car). This did not make me happy. Then I saw this, and it made me sick. If you want to know what a loser at life looks like, here ya go.

2007-09-21T00:54:00.000Z

I started reading the first chapter of Tozer's The Knowledge of the Holy, and a thought occurred to me. God gave us the gift of thought, so we should worship Him with it. Sure, we have to keep our thoughts from straying. But what good is there in following a rule because it says, "thou shalt not"? Why not keep our thoughts from evil things and worship God with them instead.

Also, what is the one thing that man possesses that another man cannot truly control or discern? His thoughts. Our brain is practically the most private place on earth with God being the only other one able to tell what's going on, so why don't we at least worship Him there? If you think about it, you can come up with some more sweet conclusions.

Have you forgotten?

2007-09-10T23:52:00.000Z

Or do you still remember?

I do. Like it was yesterday...

I was ten.

My mom was ironing. I was doing math homework in my room. It was a Tuesday, so we were going to leave for 4-H soon...I was hoping that it would get in the way of my homework and delay it for a little while. My door was open, so I heard the phone ring. It was a homeschool mom. She told us to turn on the TV and I heard the exclamation from my mom...

That summer we had visited the memorial to the Oklahoma City Bombing. When I saw the two towers on the screen smoking, I thought it was an explosion (mostly accidental). Then I saw my mom sit down and cry. I read the words and the screen, and they said something about The World Trade Center. I confused this with the stock exchange, and images of being homeless ran through my mind.

Shortly after that, the towers fell.

Then we heard about the Pentagon.

My uncle was supposed to be in the Pentagon on that morning. By the grace of God, he was somewhere else. With my parents being in the reserves, we had people calling the house all day to ask if they were being deployed. My brother was out in the middle of the Med. when it happened. We didn't hear from him for weeks. My great uncle, a Lt. Col. and police chief (both Ret.), had a nephew who was killed on the north tower.

That day was a nightmare for a ten year-old.

If you know me well enough, you can probably guess my views towards Islam and terrorism. I do not need to express them and might not even do it when asked. You can probably guess for yourself.

I just have one request: Don't ever forget.

Current events...

2007-09-01T23:35:00.000Z

1) We finished the T-Bird today. I am still elated. We should be able to get a tag for it this coming week and by then I will have my license.

2) While working on the car, the stool that you see in the picture had a wheel break off of it. There was already one missing, so it made things interesting. It all started when I went to get the camera on the other side of the car.

*Sound of dad wrenching away at lower control arm ball joint*

KRUNCH

"Uhhhhh...(!)...what was that?"

"I broke another wheel!"

"Wh-whaaat?" (My wheels were sitting on the ground next to dad)

"On the stool."

"Ohhhh..."

"Check it out, the ball-bearings all came out."

For some reason the sight was hilarious.

"At least it wasn't on the other corner, then they would be off-set."

Mimics redneck: "Yeah, I wanted to do that! Now it won't move on me!"

Leave it to us to laugh at something like that.

3) For those of you who don't know, I am taking three classes at a local private school. This way I can also play on the soccer team. We always sit together during break, and game day is certainly no exception. Well, as it turns out, one of the guys wants to sit next to his girlfriend at another table. (I think it's the other way around.) Anyways, the first time he did it, one of the guys tried to get him back over with us, but it didn't work. We let it slip. The next day, which was game day, TWO of them decided to sit at the other table. Three of us would have none of that and we made sure that they sat with us for the rest of break. : )

4) My geekyness can sometimes come out of nowhere, and when it does powerful waves shoot out of my head and stun any poor people who happen to be in the immediate vicinity. For instance, the other night I was doing dishes...

Me: Isn't that cool?

Mom: What?

Me: Isn't it cool how the acceleration pulls the water towards the outside of the pot, leaving the middle devoid of any water?
*Stirs pot full of soapy water vigorously with wooden spoon*
Me: And another thing...Isn't it cool how it just keeps on moving after I stop stirring? I mean, how cool is that?
Mom: I have something cool for you.
Me: What?
*Hands me pile of laundry*

Life must go on...

4) I received a letter in the mail yesterday telling me that I had achieved candidate status for the Academy. This was totally unprecedented.

5) I was born again a few weeks ago. We were caving in West Virginia and were making our way back to the entrance (which was a steel culvert pipe twenty-seven feet long, complete with loose rebar for handles). Our guides asked if anyone wanted to get dirty. I naturally volunteered.

"What's it like?"
"Like going through the womb."

It was. You couldn't turn around, flip over onto your back, or even lift your head. It was awesome.

The Story of the Wrecking Yard

2007-08-25T22:35:00.000Z

One day while walking through a wrecking yard, I began to survey the years and years of neglect and abuse. There were so many cars that were once somebody's pride and joy, now rotting away in a field with little hope of restoration. My eyes caught a 1967 Plymouth GTX, sitting on its frame, with major areas of rust. 'What a machine,' I thought, whose history is typical of such a car.'

Purchased right off the showroom floor, a young husband explains to his new wife that this really is a practical car, compared to some of the other models offered.
It had room for the "future" kids and it ran really smooth. The 440 cubic inches under the hood meant nothing more than the fact that it had the power to climb up steep hills if need be (surely the wife wouldn't want to be stuck on an incline with young ones eager to get to church).
The 4-speed transmission would certainly help with gas mileage when on vacation, and the dual scooped hood was there so dad could have a little fun (I mean, c'mon: this is a real sacrifice).
The wife is eventually convinced that the car needs to be purchased, the money changes hands, and the GTX rumbles down the road. It is taken home where it is quickly admired by the neighbors.

As the years go by the Plymouth serves its family well. It's reliable, it gets everyone to work (as well as getting the kids to school), and dad has some fun in it on Saturday nights.
But it doesn't seem long until the car is considered "old", and with soaring inflation and especially gas prices, it becomes an 'impractical form of transportation.'
Although it was a great automobile that served its owners well for 10 years and never let them down, the Plymouth is sold to a neighbor's teenage son for a tenth of the original price.

'Some quick changes are in order,' thought the teenager. A set of mag wheels were installed and the rear end of the car was lifted up in order to make room for some unusually large tires.
A cheap red paint job was applied over the original black paint. The exhaust was replaced and the car was now heard coming from blocks away. Whereas before, the neighbors quickly admired it, now the only time they came out to look at the car was to take notice of new dings and dents it had acquired.
It became the eyesore of the neighborhood, and had gained a reputation as a real terror on the local streets.
Eventually all this hard abuse on the GTX would take its toll, and the once strong motor began to tire and eventually died. This owner grew from a teenager to a young man, and his interest in the car soon faded, and he gave the car to his younger brother who had showed an interest in it.

The younger brother had BIG plans for the now classic musclecar (which didn't look like it at the time). He would pull the motor, have it rebuilt, go through the entire drive train, then have a good body shop repair every panel on the car and paint it black once again.
He would do this as soon as time and money permitted, but until then the car would be fine parked in the backyard, where it could brave the elements for a few short months.
Months, however, turned to years, and body work turned to major rust repair.
The hood was even sold to a passer-by who noticed it in the backyard. The GTX became such a major project that the $300.00 that it could be sold to the wrecking yard for, sounded like a fair deal.

So here it is: the motor and tranny are gone, the interior is completely gutted and the rust is rampant. But if someone had the time, the resources and the desire, it could be made like new once again, and become the very desirable classic car that it was.

The same goes for that Olds 442 a couple isles away, or how about that Mercury Cyclone that needs just a little attention and a new front clip? And look at that VW Thing: remember those?
How about an old 50's Buick convertible: wouldn't that be a cool cruiser?
Climbing on top of the roof of an old pickup, its fun to imagine all these cars in their original form, but who has the resources or cares enough about a bunch of old neglected cars?
Some of mans greatest creations, these cars, yet rotting away in places like this all across the country.

Perhaps you are like an old car, your life having been something like the Plymouth GTX. You've worked hard and have always been reliable, but yet you are still just getting older.
Where has all your hard work taken you?

Could it be that you are like a hot rod, living life in the fast lane? The fast lane, yes, it seems short and sweet at first, but as time goes on, it gets tougher and tougher to master.
Maybe, in your case this has led you down streets that you wish you had never traveled.
Then again, you may be like the GTX as it now sits: neglected and beaten from the past, stamp-set in the present, in need of a total restoration.
Just like a car, we people eventually die, too. But as you sit in life's wrecking yard, who cares enough about you to help, or even could help if they wanted to?
Where are the resources, what will they cost?
Is there really any hope?
Who can escape time and death, anyway?
There is One who can do a frame-off resto…One who can fix you up right. One who always has the time and resources to make you Concours-ready. You just have to accept it.

Why?

2007-08-14T14:52:00.000Z

Sometimes, people pick fights with very specific things that are mainstream in our society. Sometimes these things are more mainstream than we would like to admit, but that is beside the point here. These fights are usually picked because the one who is now on the offensive was once affected by this thing. They are usually motivated by something close to anger because of the fact that this thing once hurt them. You can call it resolve.

Some people fight abortion; others focus on drugs. Some people choose homosexuality; others focus on the origin debate.

Then there's pornography. In some way or another it relates to the above issues.

Sex doesn't have consequences. Children shouldn't get in the way of an act that was meant solely for the pleasure of those involved. In fact, children are a mistake. [Abortion]

It is addictive and we try to label it as something that helps release tension. Even the strongest fighter with the most resolve can fall if they put their trust in their own strength. [Drugs]

It encourages sex without discrimination towards gender through objectification of the human body. [Homosexuality][Belief in random mutations through natural selection encourages objectification and vice versa]

Here is the disturbing information that can be spread. It is not explicit or obscene; the numbers do the talking.

Every second - $3,075.64 is being spent on pornography
Every second - 28,258 Internet users are viewing pornography
Every second - 372 Internet users are typing adult search terms into search engines
Every 39 minutes: a new pornographic video is being created in the United States

Internet Pornography Statistics

Pornographic websites
4.2 million (12% of total websites)

Pornographic pages
420 million

Daily pornographic search engine requests
68 million (25% of total search engine requests)

Daily pornographic emails
2.5 billion (8% of total emails)

Internet users who view porn
42.7%

Received unwanted exposure to sexual material
34%

Average daily pornographic emails/user
4.5 per Internet user

Monthly Pornographic downloads (Peer-to-peer)
1.5 billion (35% of all downloads)

Daily Gnutella "child pornography" requests
116,000

Websites offering illegal child pornography
100,000

Sexual solicitations of youth made in chat rooms
89%

Youths who received sexual solicitation
1 in 7 (down from 2003 stat of 1 in 3)

Worldwide visitors to pornographic web sites
72 million visitors to pornography every month

Internet Pornography Sales
$4.9 billion

Children Internet Pornography Statistics

Average age of first Internet exposure to pornography
11 years old

Largest consumer of Internet pornography
35 - 49 age group

15-17 year olds having multiple hard-core exposures
80%

8-16 year olds having viewed porn online
90% (most while doing homework)

7-17 year olds who would freely give out home address
29%

7-17 year olds who would freely give out email address
14%

Children's character names linked to thousands of porn links
26 (Including Pokemon and Action Man)

Adult Internet Pornography Statistics

Men admitting to accessing pornography at work
20%

US adults who regularly visit Internet pornography websites
40 million

Promise Keeper men who viewed pornography in last week
53%

Christians who said pornography is a major problem in the home
47%

Adults admitting to Internet sexual addiction
10%

Breakdown of male/female visitors to pornography sites
72% male - 28% female

Country Porn Pages

United States
244,661,900

Germany
10,030,200

United Kingdom
8,506,800

Australia
5,655,800

Japan
2,700,800

The Netherlands
1,883,800

Russia
1,080,600

Poland
1,049,600

Spain
852,800

US Hardcore Pornography Titles Released

Year: 1988
#of Titles: 1,300

1989
1,350

1990
1,340

1991
1,505

1992
2,200

1993
2,400

1994
3,200

1995
5,700

1996
8,000

1997
8,000

1998
9,200

1999
10,300

2000
11,500

2001
10,900

2002
11,700

2003
11,400

2004
12,000

2005
13,588

There are 525,600 minutes in a year. 525,600/13,588 = 38.68 minutes per video.

Sources:Statistics are compiled from the credible sources mentioned. In reality, statistics are hard to ascertain and may be estimated by local and regional worldwide sources.ABC, Associated Press, AsiaMedia, AVN, BBC, CATW, U.S. Census, Central Intelligence Agency, China Daily, Chosen.com, Comscore Media Metrix, Crimes Against Children, Eros, Forbes, Frankfurt Stock Exchange, Free Speech Coalition, Google, Harris Interactive, Hitwise, Hoover's, Japan Inc., Japan Review, Juniper Research, Kagan Research, ICMEC, Jan LaRue, The Miami Herald, MSN, Nielsen/NetRatings, The New York Times, Nordic Institute, PhysOrg.com, PornStudies, Pravda, Sarmatian Review, SEC filings, Secure Computing Corp., SMH, TopTenREVIEWS, Trellian, WICAT, Yahoo!, XBIZ

* At 13.3 billion, the 2006 revenues of the sex and porn industry in the U.S. are bigger than the NFL, NBA and Major League Baseball combined. Worldwide sex industry sales for 2006 are reported to be 97 billion. To put this in perspective, Microsoft, who sells the operating system used on most of the computers in the world (in addition to other software) reported sales of 44.8 billion in 2006. Internet Filter Review

* A 2000 MSNBC.com survey found that as many as 80 percent of visitors to sex sites were spending so much time tracking down erotica on the computer that they were putting their real-life relationships and/or jobs at risk. "Until they discovered cybersex, most of these people had no problems with sexual addition", according to the survey’s author, Al Cooper, a sex therapist at the San Jose Marital Services and Sexuality Center in San Jose, Calif.

Hollywood currently releases 11,000 adult movies per year – more than 20 times the mainstream movie production. LA Times Magazine, 2002.

* "Last year, Comcast, the nation's largest cable company, pulled in $50 million from adult programming. All the nation's top cable operators, from Time Warner to Cablevision, distribute sexually explicit material to their subscribers. But you won't read about it in their annual reports. Same with satellite providers like EchoStar and DirecTV, which is owned by Hughes Technology, a subsidiary of General Motors. How much does DirecTV make off of adult product? “They don't break the number out. But I would guess they'd probably get a couple hundred million, maybe as much as $500 million, off of adult entertainment, in a broad sense,” says Dennis McAlpine, a partner in McAlpine Associates, who has tracked the entertainment industry for over two decades. “I would think it's probably more than what their overall profit is. The other areas are losing money. That's making money.” Then there are the big hotel chains: Hilton, Marriot, Hyatt, Sheraton and Holiday Inn, which all offer adult films on in-room pay-per-view television systems. And they are purchased by a whopping 50 percent of their guests, accounting for nearly 70 percent of their in-room profits. One hotel owner said, "We have to have it, our guests demand it.” From a CBS News Special Report, November 2003

* “Most girls who enter the porn industry do one video and quit. The experience is so painful, horrifying, embarrassing, humiliating for them that they never do it again.” Luke Ford, quoted by CBS News

* 42 percent of surveyed adults indicated that their partner’s use of pornography made them feel insecure. Marriage Related Research, Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D. Christian Counseling Today, 2004 Vol. 12 No. 1.

* 41 percent of surveyed adults admitted they felt less attractive due to their partner’s pornography use. Marriage Related Research, Mark A. Yarhouse, Psy.D. Christian Counseling Today, 2004 Vol. 12 No. 1.

In March 2005 Christianity Today published the results of a study called “Christians and Sex” in their Leadership Journal. 680 pastors and 1,972 laypersons were surveyed, with the following results:
* 44% of churchgoers want to hear more scriptural teaching from their pastors on the subject of sex.
* 22% of pastors feel they should spend more time on the topic.
* 85% of pastors say they speak about sexual issues once a year, while 63% of churchgoers say their pastors do so. Among those churchgoers who say they want their pastors to preach more about sexual issues, 47% say their pastor speaks about it once a year, an even bigger difference of opinion. A CTI analyst was quoted saying "Perhaps this desire for more biblical exposition on sexual issues exists because pastors are not speaking forcefully or clearly enough, while exposure to sexual images and messages in today's media is ever more heightened."
* 57% of pastors say that addiction to pornography is the most sexually damaging issue to their congregation.

Meanwhile, 74 percent of pornography sites display free teaser images; 66 percent do not include a warning of adult images. And only three percent require adult verification.
MSNBC: Scarborough Country

Please share this information.

And they swore an oath to be gentle unto the weak, terrible unto the wicked...

2007-08-09T00:04:00.001Z

Now that I'm back from SI Camp, I guess I can tell you guys about some of the cool stuff that we did.

1) Lectures:

The material covered in the lectures consisted of intel history, careers, agencies, counter-intel, and various materials "recommended" for consumption. I think my favorite lecture was done by a man who was a good friend of Bob Hansen, the man who was portrayed in the movie Breach.

2) Teams:

The whole camp was split into six teams with each team having two separate divisions. For instance, my team was CIA. Within CIA, we were split into CIA 1 and CIA 2 with CIA 1 being the female team and CIA 2 being the male team. The teams represented six different agencies within the intel community: SOCOM, NRO, DIA, CIA, FBI, and NSA. At the end of the week, CIA was second overall in points.

3) Missions:)

This was obviously my favorite part of the week. Four missions were conducted throughout the week and the results affected our overall points standing.

Monday: Dead Drop. I was not able to participate in this mission due to the fact that I was in a heated argument with an interrogator at the time. My cover had been blown by a former TCC student who just so happened to spew out my real name in front of everyone. Yes, Calamy knows who I am talking about.

We were about to leave one of the buildings to start our mission when I looked out the window...

"Uh, oh."

"What?"

"You see those dudes with the guns in that golf cart over there?"

As everyone walked out of the building, they fired up the cart and came speeding over to the multitude that had gathered outside.

The first words out of their lips...

"Is there a Matthew Womack here?"

"Yeah, that's me."

Two more were called up and we were told to wait next to the cart. The one that was guarding us had a Steyr AUG and I was so tempted to take him down and run.

Alas, I could not do it. They transported us to a building were we waited outside the interrogation room. The guard at the door looked like an Easter Island statue. I decided to make some small talk with him...

"So is that an AK-47 or '74?"

He seemed somewhat surprised that I would ask such a question.

*Looks down at gun*

"74."

He then went inside the room. Oh, well. I tried.

Our team did not do well on this mission because of the fact that by the time they met the contact, our team had spread out too far to actually perform the dead drop. This was due to a lack of communication. *Ahem*

Tuesday: Interrogations. On Tuesday we had to interrogate five different people and guess which one was the baddy. I did not like this mission.

Wednesday: Arms Deal. We had to meet a contact out in some drainage ditch across a field. As we were crossing the field, a small band of guerrillas pounced on our group and make us spread-eagle.

She-guerrilla: "What are you doing here?"

Group: "We're humanitarian workers."

She-guerrilla to ME: "What are you doing?"

Matt Womack said: "We're looking for some children who have gone missing from their village."

It's amazing what the mind will come up with in a crunch.

SG: "I haven't seen any missing children!"

Big Ape who is waving M-16 around: "Should I teach dem a lezon?"

They took two of our guys for interrogations while a higher-up with "the black group" came storming in and demanded our release.

We later found the contact, who had a sniper rifle, and he gave us money and directions. We then located the arms dealer and he tried to sell me more than what we had originally asked for. (This was because of the fact that I was the team leader.) He demonstrated his merchandise by shooting off an RPG. After some quick and forceful demands, we were able to obtain a weapons crate. It was heavy and big enough that I had to help another guy carry it. As our team was heading back into the clearing, a security Jeep in the parking lot roared to life and came flying at us with lights blazing. This was not good. Even though we had the crate, I think that we still ran to the next contact before anyone else...

Next, we had to barter the crate for some blood diamonds. Through some more forceful demands, we were able to make a deal for 18 diamonds. As the dealer was counting them up, the security Jeep reared its ugly head again and we split. In the ensuing madness, a diamond was dropped. We thought we had seventeen. When we met our last contact, she counted out 19. The hand is quicker than the eye...

Thursday: The Great Rendition. The mission was conducted in a three story building. On the first floor was a nightclub that was dark like a funeral parlor. It was complete, though, with Mexican rap coming out of a CD player, a soccer game on TV, an artist painting obscure things, a bartender who glowered at everyone, a poker game, and an overall dislike from everyone for the security goons who slithered their way around the place like as if they owned it. Upstairs was a different story. A corporate party was taking place between members of Shell, Exxon, and BP. The occasion was the completion of an oil pipeline in the host country.

Before the mission, I had the wonderful task of splitting our group into three platoons with each having a leader and a communications officer. The concierge at the entrance was supposed to hand us three walkie-talkies for communication during the mission. The mission was split up just like the platoons. Platoon 1 (my platoon) would find the contact, who would give us certain instructions, and then relay instructions to platoon 2. Platoon 2 would receive more instructions on down the line and relay them to platoon 3. Since my cover story involved oil research, I had to mingle with the guests of the corporate party - which turned out to be a black-tie affair. My comm. officer and I made friends - again - and we worked well together. Since he was the international relations student working on his thesis, I offered my humble, uneducated scientist's theory, not "projection", on how the pipeline would benefit the country. This was an interesting topic of discussion with some of the other guests at the party as one of them turned out to be the daughter of a Venezuelan oil big-shot. (Who, of course, was really a puppet...but we couldn't say that.) We eventually went downstairs where we found the contact in the nightclub. We relayed our instructions to platoon 2, which quickly disappeared. I then instructed my team to mingle until we were needed again. After platoon 2 disappeared, two goons stood at the bottom of the staircase and made sure that no one made it upstairs to the party. One of the goons happened to be the former TCCer.

"Ben, man, how's it goin'? Man, don't you remember me? Sophomore year at Ohio State?"

As he's saying this, he's waving an M-16 around.

"Dude, I have no idea who you are...I went to CalTech..."

One of the guys who had been playing poker decided that he could get past security and go upstairs. I can think of only one reason why he would try to do this: Besides playing poker, he also pretended to be slightly drunk. Yes, drunk. He made it about halfway up the stairs before the guards threw him back down.

"Bunch of stupid people walking around with guns...not fair that we can't go up there...YOU BUNCH OF RETARDS!!"

I tried to keep from laughing as he meandered back into the club.

Later on, I was sitting next to him as he was playing poker. Someone poked their head in the doorway to the club and shouted:

IS THERE ANYONE FROM NRO IN HERE?

The soccer game and Mexican rap could not fill the silence that fell on the room.

Drunk: Man, who wants a bunch of spy people with guns walking around this place?

Me: Yeah, the guards are bad enough.

Drunk: Hey, weren't you in the party upstairs?

Me: Yeah, but I figur'd that if they are going to be treatin' you guys like that I might as well stay down here. Besides, it was too stuffy up there.

So I mingled in the club for a while. I played chess with one guy who got into an argument with the rest. He thought we should watch boxing, but that was too American for the rest of the locals who wanted to watch soccer. He beat me in something like five moves.

I also tried to get a drink from the bartender.

"Are ya staying (for the night) or are ya just here for a while?"

I didn't know that we were supposed to be "staying", so I said that I was there just for a while.

"Did ya pay the cover charge?"

"No, nobody asked me 'bout a cover charge."

"Go pay the concierge."

I told the concierge about the situation and she said, "Tell him that the concierge will cover it."

I got a shot glass full of Pineapple Jarritos. It didn't last very long.

Next, one of the guys playing poker said: Hey, did anybody bring a CD of something else? We've heard this one like three times already.

The humor provided a nice break from the stress of the mission.

Moments later, I looked around to see how my platoon was doing. I could not come to a conclusion because of the fact that half of it was missing! Half of my platoon, including my comm. officer who possessed the only walkie-talkie for our platoon, disappeared on me. After some quick words with the concierge, she told us to wait a moment there in the lobby. Behind her, two guards were talking to each other about something totally obscure. I was staring into space behind them while I was thinking about our situation. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw the elevator door behind the guards open. One of the guys from my team poked his head out - along with his rifle - and ran to the staircase along the wall. Several more team members, all visibly armed, did the same.

The diversions that the mind creates in such a situation are amazing.

The concierge then told us to go outside where we would meet our team.

The end of that mission also meant the end of our aliases. As our team met, everyone was saying, "Hey [alias], what's your real name?" We eventually found out that we had three Bens on our team.

On Friday night, they announced the final scores. The top four teams were designated with a new mission and name.

"In second place: CIA. You will now be designated as Echelon Dark Steel. This coming week you will be transported to Pakistan to hunt down a man by the name of Osama bin Laden..."

Whatever you do, don't think!

2007-07-16T19:23:00.000Z

1) This is something that has been frustrating me for a while. There are plenty of names for it, but examples present the problem better than anything else.

I was with some friends at the mall Saturday, the one that has the parking lot that floods, and we were waiting for some more people to arrive so as to begin a scavenger hunt (which, as we found out later, the mall does not allow). We were playing Guitar Hero II inside one of the video game stores. One of the guys picked War Pigs, and his sister said, "I love that song!"

Me: Why?

Little Sister: Because it's a good song.

Me: But it's an anti-Vietnam (war) song.

LS: Does everything have to have a meaning?!

Her argument was that I was being obnoxious because I just had to look at everything as if it had a meaning. Personally, I don't mind the instrumental part of War Pigs, but the lyrics can go out the window as far as I'm concerned.

Generals gathered in their masses
Just like witches at black masses
Evil minds that plot destruction
Sorcerers of death construction

In the fields the bodies burning
As the war machine keeps turning
Death and hatred to mankind
Poisoning their brainwashed minds

Oh Lord yeah!

Politicians hide themselves away
They only started the war
Why don't they go out to fight?
They leave that up to the poor

Time will tell on their power minds
Making war just for fun
Treating people just like pawns in chess
Wait till their Judgment Day comes

Now in darkness world stops turning
Ashes where the bodies burning
No more War Pigs have the power
Hand of God has struck the hour
Day of Judgment, God is calling
On their knees the War Pigs crawling
Begging mercy for their sins
Satan laughing spreads his wings

Oh Lord yeah!

Would War Pigs even exist if Black Sabbath had decided not to make an anti-Vietnam song? I doubt it. The main reason why they created the song was so that they could convey their stance on the Vietnam War.

In another discussion I had with a sister in Christ, we were talking about movies. She mentioned several movies that she thought were great, and I naturally asked her why. She said that they had good messages. But those movies also glorified sex and violence. The conversation took on a relativistic attitude quickly, so I went to an extreme:

Me: So...what about a porno flick? Are those good, are they okay?

Person: They are good for whoever watches them and enjoys them.

I'm sure you can imagine my mental response, but I simply pointed out that there is an absolute standard to which all things should be applied. Even though the one watching the porno flick might be enjoying it, it causes the viewer to objectify humans (as does violence meant for entertainment purposes) and violate God's image in his mind. It also rots in your brain and never comes out. It seems to me like we are afraid of applying an absolute Truth to all things in our lives to see whether or not they should be there.

When it was my turn to play Guitar Hero, I played You Really Got Me (VH version) and Sweet Child O' Mine. ; ) I thoroughly enjoyed it.

2) Dad came in the Camaro to pick me up at the mall after the scavenger hunt was over. The car would not start when we were ready to go home. This is a problem when you have driven the car for a certain period of time because the starter solenoid is right below the exhaust manifold. (D'oh!) My dad has dealt with the problem before, so he went into the Sears Auto department and bought a 97 cent screwdriver. After three electrifying attempts at charging the solenoid, which left permanent scars on the screwdriver blade, we went inside the mall and walked around for almost an hour. During this time we met an elderly gentleman who worked at one of the shops. We eventually found out that this man was a BM on a LCM in the Pacific during WWII. Conversations with such people always remind me of talking to my grandparents and great uncle. Eventually, we got assistance from one of the guys at the Sears auto department. We tried the voltage regulator and some other things before we realized that there was nothing more he could do to help us. By this time it was late. We were seriously considering the idea of having the car towed when dad said, "Let me try it one more time."

Never in my life has a V8 sounded so wonderful.

During the whole waiting period, two ambulances and a fire truck arrived in the garage near the entrance to the mall. The long waiting period gave me some time to think about their occupations. I gained even more respect for those people who work with EMS, Police, and the FD.

The lesson learned in patience is not the only thing I gained from the three hour wait. It also gave me some quality time with my dad, an opportunity to converse with multiple people, and an even greater respect for those who serve everyday in our communities.

3) I have become even more frustrated with Hollywood these past few weeks. With Live Free or Die Hard, I was hoping to see a good summer action flick. Seeing as the rating was PG-13, I hoped that it was just for the action. However, after reading the review, it seems like Hollywood wants to push the envelope when it comes to the rating. It is laced with profanity, a sexual scene, and the fact that John McLane hates his job. Why would I want to see a movie where I won't be able to forget some of the content and where the "hero" hates his job in the first place? Strike 1.

Transformers looked really cool. If I remember correctly, it was originally rated PG. When I read the review, I was dissappointed. I remember growing up with Transformers and it never had sexual references, "MF"s, etc. Strike 2. If The Bourne Ultimatum turns out to be like the other two movies, I am really going to be dissappointed.

4) Finally, I was at the park yesterday around 17:00. As I was kicking the soccerball, I noticed this dude using the pay phone near the parking lot. Warning bells started going off in my head. There wasn't anyone else near the parking lot, so the guy decided to look at me the whole time he walked to the restroom after his call. I said to myself, What's his beef? After a minute or two, he returned to his truck. A moment later, a guy turned into the park on his little motorized scooter. The scooter-dude pulled up right next to the truck and before I knew it, they had a little deal going. Scooter-man then pulled away and rode his scooter down the trail in the park and over to an apartment complex. The truck immediately drove away as well and I was left there thinking...

Next time this happens, scooter boy is goin' down

We got a leak to starboard...

2007-07-12T21:38:00.000Z

Some big decisions are being made...which means that actions based on those decisions are bound to be important.

I have come to realize certain things in my life that need to be changed.

I have always taken pride in my love of cars. That's right, I obsessed over a stupid inanimate object and my knowledge of it was a little badge that said, "Ask me, I can help and make myself look like a smart-A in the process..."

It got so bad that it was driving my conversations with certain people.

"Oh, did you here about the new Lotus..." and then take the conversation from there. That's lame. A stupid car should not be what holds your relationship together.

I have also been slow to listen and quick to speak. To act in such a way is not only immature, but also a bad way of communicating with people. In fact, it affects our spiritual lives as well. If we don't take time to listen to people and keep our mouths shut, who's to say that we are going to stop and listen to God?

I am sorry for acting so foolishly in the past. I ask your forgiveness and that you continue to hold me accountable in the future.

God is good...

2007-07-05T14:20:00.000Z

By RICHARD ESPOSITO and JIM SCIUTTO
July 4, 2007 3:01:02 PM PDT

The London bomb plot allegedly planned by a cell of doctors failed early last Friday morning because a medical syringe used as part of the firing mechanism caused a malfunction, ABC News has learned.
According to nonclassified documents reviewed by ABC News, and confirmed by multiple sources, both mobile telephones initiated firing mechanisms rigged inside a Mercedes E 300 parked several yards from the front door of Tiger Tiger nightclub failed despite multiple calls to the cell phones designed to remotely trigger the devices.
Had the fuel-air bombs successfully ignited into a superhot fireball filled with roofing nails, casualties were almost a certainty among the 500 or so patrons who partied late at the 1,700-person occupancy nightclub that perhaps best symbolizes London's vital nightlife scene.
Instead, at about 1:42 a.m., a vigilant ambulance crew on an unrelated call spotted a plume of cold propane from a slightly opened window of the car that contained patio fuel cylinders in the foot wells behind the driver and passenger seats, ABC sources said. When a bomb technician in a 90-pound Kevlar suit walked down to the vehicle to examine it, he also found a firing system rigged inside the car and another inside its trunk along with four jugs of gasoline. The technician successfully disarmed the devices..
A second Mercedes rigged with a similar incendiary device was parked several hundred yards away. Several experts on improvised explosives tactics suggested that the second device might have either been meant for patrons who escaped the first or to target rescue workers.
Within 14 hours after the plot failed, the same two men believed to have planted the bombs in London attempted what appears to have been a suicide incendiary attack on the doors to a terminal at Scotland's Glasgow Airport. That attack failed too. The vehicle failed to reach the doors, and its contents failed to ignite even after one of the occupants tried to douse the car in gasoline, setting himself on fire in the process.

PCWISDD

2007-07-01T20:42:00.000Z

So I got my prescription today...

Sleepwalking Sailer -"What about 6 o'clock?" - "Oh! that's the torture bill.....zzzzzzzz"

CAG n' COB

Sensi-V Rapping

"Mr. Vogo, you walk like a tchiken..."

"Could you clarify what 'sexual abuse' means in this bill?" - "I cannot answer that question..." - "Ahhh...the chair(man) holds that question..."

Salty Fries (with a Big Mac, you meanie)

Vogo's toes

"Ben's like a bowling ball...he just mows them down." Number of strikes = 6

"IF U EVER WANT 2 SEE UR MOOSE AGIN..."

"My cannabis has been irradiated!"

"I'm not an illegal immigrant, I'm a real boy!!"

"Valerie Plame was pushing paper clips at Langley when her 'secret identity' was revealed..."

Hishnak's prunes...

Cruisin' in da' Buick

Getting lost in da' Buick...

Wrestling with Pat

Rap Cat

The most important things about CWIS, though, do not fall under this list. The most memorable do not either, as I have already forgotten some of them. These are the most important:

Accountability
Surrendering All
Revealing Struggles
Revealing Sins
Leaving Boyish things Behind
Becoming Spiritual Leaders

CWIS is about change, and the changes this year were the biggest I have seen in all four years I have attended.

The Conquest

2007-06-21T19:28:00.000Z

For those of you now wondering why I would choose a Chrysler over a prepped Ferrari "Black Miracle"...

a small Volkswagen possessing a 650hp mid-mounted w12...

and a 1987 Oldsmobile possessing an estimated top speed of 278mph...

I cannot give you an answer that will satisfy you.

However, I can give you this from allpar.com:

"The Conquest was introduced in 1983 by a Chrysler Corporation that had yet to bring out its own sports coupe, the Dodge Daytona; that introduction would come a year later. The Conquest was aimed at import buyers who might have looked at the Supra, RX7, or 280ZX. A high performance grand touring car, the Conquest combined sporty, modern styling with an upper grade interior, advanced electronics, and many standard features. Full instrumentation was standard with an optional digital dashboard. Floor traffic from the Conquest was expected to help sell other cars.
A rebadged Mitsubishi Starion two-door, four-seat hatchback, the Conquest sold in small numbers and was based on the Mitsubishi Galant Lambda / Mitsubishi Sapparo (also sold as the Plymouth Sapparo). A traditional rear-drive, front-engined vehicle, the Conquest had a MacPherson strut front suspension and an independent rear suspension; the base engine in Japan was 2 liters, but Americans got a 2.6 liter single-overhead-cam engine with a turbocharger and single-point electronic fuel injection. Horsepower ranged from 150 to 198, with the TSi model getting a boost from the intercooler; a five-speed manual transmission was standard. The aerodynamic shape belied a truly aerodynamic car, with a drag coefficient of Cd=.32, about the same as the later Dodge Neon and quite good for the time (or for today). The Conquest ran until 1989 with few exterior changes, by which time the Daytona had its own turbocharger; it was replaced by the Dodge Stealth, a moderately restyled Mitsubishi 3000GT with no apparent Chrysler engineering.

In 1988, Chrysler published this press release:
'The Conquest TSi sports specialty coupe, imported for sale by Chrysler dealers, shows its world class ways in 1988 with the addition of an optional four-speed automatic transmission and new interior appointments to accent its aggressive performance personality. ... Performance highlights include a new 188-horsepower rating under the TSi's sleek hood, an increase of 12 horsepower for the strong 2.6-liter turbocharged, intercooled four-cylinder engine. A 5-speed manual transmission is standard equipment. The new beefed-up optional four-speed automatic transmission is now available.
Four-wheel disc brakes with anti-lock rear brakes, an anti-theft system, automatic passive restraints and power door locks are just some of the TSi's standard highlights. New sporty five-way adjustable bucket seats, a new leather-wrapped fourspoke steering wheel and a new stainless steel exhaust system are added to a comprehensive list of standard equipment that help make Conquest TSi an outstanding value.
Conquest for 1988 is truly a driver's car featuring curve-taming 16-inch aluminum road wheels that are seven inches wide on the front and eight inches wide on the rear. The optional Performance Handling Package includes eight-inch wide front and nine-inch wide rear wheels with 225/50 (front) and 255/45 (rear) low profile tires and gas adjustable shocks for all-out handling and stability.
Exterior accents on the Conquest's performance check list include concealed halogen headlights, fog lamps in the bumper, a rear spoiler, rear wiper/washer with intermittent wipe feature, a new aerodynamic front air dam, optional pop-up glass sunroof and two new high-impact colors, Bright Yellow and Super Blue.
Interior touches include full analog instrumentation, split fold-down contoured rear seats, dual illuminated vanity mirrors, and fabric covered headliner, door trim panels, sun visors, armrests and quarter trim panels. Also among the more than 60 standard features that combine to enhance Conquest's comfort, convenience and value are automatic speed control, power antenna, electrically..:.controlled heated outside mirrors, adjustable steering wheel, a full complement of warning lights, and an electronically tuned AM/FM stereo cassette radio with six speakers and a nine band graphic equalizer sound system.
The Conquest TSi imported for Chrysler is backed by a 3-year/50,000-mile limited powertrain warranty and a 5-year/ 50,000-mile outerbody corrosion warranty. TSi has a 95.9-inch wheelbase and an overall length of 173.2 inches. Width is 68.3 inches and overall height is 50.2 inches. '"

In short, it was a cute, sporty little car. It seats four people so you can keep it after you start having kids (that is, until number three comes along). It came with a stainless steel exhaust system with a turbo-4 mated to a rear-wheel drive drivetrain. The suspension in the rear was an IRS (!) and it was somewhat adjustable.

My favorite cars are those that I can see on the street. They have to be cars that are simple in operation and TLC, yet complicated enough to be sporty (because these days sporty cars are seen as being complicated).

Ride the lighting...

2007-06-20T13:37:00.000Z

I used to be scared of lighting. In fact, I was terrified whenever a storm would come through. At my old house in Clayton, the circuit-breaker box was in my room. Every time lightning struck close, I would see the flash and here the "click" of the circuit-breaker at the same time. This combination would keep me petrified for however long the storm would last, and the whole fear was in me for several years...

Until a year ago when I was in my OA Ordeal ceremony. Naturally, we were out in the stix of the camp, which was already in the stix enough as far as most people were concerned. Then in the middle of the ceremony, lighting struck less than a mile away. Then a second time. A minute later, it was raining so hard I couldn't even hear one of the guys talking twenty feet away. This continued for several minutes as lighting continued to strike. During the whole thing, my mind kept drifting back to the story of Jesus calming the storm. Just thinking about it did wonders.

Eventually, someone walked up to the guy talking and told him that the ceremony was pretty much over. It was raining so hard that I couldn't make out the secret word when someone told it to me, even though they said it right into my ear.

Last night, I actually opened my window to watch the lighting. As I thought about the fact that God has control over the lighting, my mind naturally started to drift onward on the subject. Think about it:

He has control over where it strikes, how many volts it possesses, how hot it is, how quick it is, how the sound waves propagate due to the certain temperature, how the sound waves are affected by the air conditions, etc. It's awesome!

I have a new fascination with lighting. ;)

The disorder of...anger?

2007-06-16T20:47:00.000Z

I was listening to a morning talk show on the radio once, and they had a guest on there who was from "Men's Health" magazine (which always has a tag on the cover saying either "better abs" or "better sex", or both). She talked about a new study that had come out stating that men are angrier now more than ever, especially after the Virginia Tech massacre. I was not happy at hearing the first part, but the fact that she mentioned the VT massacre surprised me. So, I'll address both of these things separately.

1) I am not surprised that men are angrier than ever. Apparently, it has become so bad that we have a new mental disorder: Intermittent Explosive Disorder. This "disorder" just so happens to have the acronym IED, which makes me angry. Grrrr. Although I do believe that a few might have problems with something like this, I do not believe that all people labeled under it really have a disorder.

"People with intermittent explosive disorder have a problem with controlling their temper. In addition, their violent behavior is out of proportion to the incident or event that triggered the outburst. Impulsive acts of aggression, however, are not unique to intermittent explosive disorder. Impulsive aggression can be present in many psychological and nonpsychological disorders. The diagnosis of intermittent explosive disorder (IED) is essentially a diagnosis of exclusion, which means that it is given only after other disorders have been ruled out as causes of impulsive aggression.
Patients diagnosed with IED usually feel a sense of arousal or tension before an outburst, and relief of tension after the aggressive act. Patients with IED believe that their aggressive behaviors are justified; however, they feel genuinely upset, regretful, remorseful, bewildered or embarrassed by their impulsive and aggressive behavior."

http://www.minddisorders.com/Flu-Inv/Intermittent-explosive-disorder.html

"According to Dr. Aaron Beck, a pioneer in the application of cognitive therapy to violence-prone individuals, most people diagnosed with IED believe that other people are basically hostile and untrustworthy, that physical force is the only way to obtain respect from others, and that life in general is a battlefield. Beck also identifies certain characteristic errors in thinking that go along with these beliefs:

-Personalizing. The person interprets others' behavior as directed specifically against him.

-Selective perception. The person notices only those features of situations or interactions that fit his negative view of the world rather than taking in all available information.

-Misinterpreting the motives of others. The person tends to see neutral or even friendly behavior as either malicious or manipulative.

-Denial. The person blames others for provoking his violence while denying or minimizing his own role in the fight or other outburst."

http://www.healthatoz.com/healthatoz/Atoz/common/standard/transform.jsp?requestURI=/healthatoz/Atoz/ency/intermittent_explosive_disorder.jsp

Now wait a minute here...

"Some adult patients with IED appear to benefit from cognitive therapy. A team of researchers at the University of Pennsylvania found that cognitive approaches that challenged the patients' negative views of the world and of other people was effective in reducing the intensity as well as the frequency of violent episodes. With regard to gender roles, many of the men reported that they were helped by rethinking 'manliness' in terms of self-control rather than as something to be 'proved' by hitting someone else or damaging property."

"As of 2002, preventive strategies include educating young people in parenting skills, and teaching children skills related to self-control. Recent studies summarized by an article in a professional journal of psychiatry indicate that self-control can be practiced like many other skills, and that people can improve their present level of self-control with appropriate coaching and practice."

(Same source as first)

So why are we labeling this as a "disorder"? Am I not up-to-beat on the latest definition? If preventative measures include teaching children about self-control, can we put a lot of faith in this statement? If effective treatment includes teaching a man how to really be a man, what are we talking about here?

"In sum, there is a substantial amount of convincing evidence that IED has biological causes, at least in some people diagnosed with the disorder."

I know that there are a few people out there who can have such problems that are caused by biological factors, but how many people does "some" include?

To me this looks like another result of the breakdown of the family. If daddy is on drugs and doesn't control himself in front of Junior with the drugs or anger, where is Junior going to learn how to use self-control? If someone doesn't teach daddy how to lead his family and set the biggest example his kids will probably ever have, what's going to happen?

2) When I first heard the news of the Virginia Tech massacre, I was shocked. Then as I listened live on the radio for the next few hours, I heard the body count tally up from a dozen to over thirty. This, naturally, made me sad. But it also made me mad. It made a lot of people mad. From the words spoken by the representative from Men's Health, it seems like that was a bad thing.

What has happened to righteous anger in this country? Why has passivity gone so far over the edge that it almost cannot be classified as such? Why do people spend money and time watching things such as UFC, where "fighters" beat the mess out of each other in a street-fighting style without real gloves or protection? Bones have been broken, blood has been spilled, and people have literally been knocked out in these competitions. Why do we cheer on our favorite "fighter" while we are too scared to do anything about a gunman? Why are there so few people who stand up to bullies? Why does a teacher have to die for his students while every single one of them jump out the windows? Why is a gunman allowed to continue down a hall to shoot ten more people while thirty sit in a classroom, listening to the sounds of screams, gunshots, pleas for help, and bullets hitting flesh?
WHY?
Because as angry as people are these days, they are too scared to act upon it when the time comes. Our society has grown so fond of fighting and violence, yet the right kind of violence is shunned. I saw a story of an older man being car-jacked a few weeks ago. While he was lying on the ground in a heap being pushed around by the car-jacker, onlookers sat there and stared. We have become so obsessed with the wrong kind of violence that we do not act out the right kind. The same thing has happened with sex. Sex was designed to glorify God within the bounds of marriage, but we have so distorted it that it has become just another thing to do, just like beating up your opponent until he passes out. The right kind of sex has been shunned by our society, just like the right kind of violence.

Just an interesting thought on this lovely Saturday...

You drive me crazy...

2007-06-10T18:23:00.000Z

Yesterday I had my first bad experience as a driver. (Merely honking the horn at someone when they cross the double line doesn't count)

I was driving north on Saunders towards downtown and was stopped at the light with the Dunkin' Donuts on the left and the Taco Bell and Asian Market on the right. In front of me was an early nineties/late eighties Honda with about two dozen bumper stickers (with at least three of those being Tool bumper stickers). Next to him was a late model Taurus. There is a left turn lane in the lane next to the Taurus. As the left turn light turned green both the Taurus and the Honda jumped (it was a green arrow so our lights were still red). It is not uncommon to see a car jump when that happens, but to see two do it at the same time is kind of weird. I was expecting the Honda to "get up and go" when the light turned green so I "got up and went" when it did. Strangely enough, the Honda started slow, so I got kind of close to his bumper. This baffled me. Then the driver of the Honda gave what looked like a friendly wave. I saw a smile on his face.

Me: Did he just flick me off?

Mom: I don't know. Don't worry about it.

By the time I was done thinking about this and the fact that the car looked like it was way out of alignment, I noticed that the Honda was suddenly far ahead of me and right next to the Taurus. Then he swerved right into the Taurus's lane. By this time my mind was flashing back to a really bad experience with road rage/stupidity in Chicago a few years back. Then the Honda did it a second time. As he corrected back into his lane after the second swerve he lost control and did a 180 across three lanes of traffic and went into the dirt right after the exit near the funeral home.

Evidently, he was:

a) Not drunk.

b) Not stoned.

c) Definitely stupid.

d) Definitely looking for trouble from the rest of the people that witnessed the whole event.

I'm guessing that he had had a little confrontation with the Taurus earlier and was trying to show that he was the dominant male in the situation. One word describes this kind of person: Bozo. (By the way, does anyone remember that show?)

Revenge is for pukes, as this guy made a fool of himself and put the lives of the rest of us in danger.

Finally, a hearty farewell goes out to Bob Barker as he has retired from The Price is Right ("The price is wrong, Bob!!").

Frownies

2007-06-06T14:19:00.000Z

After you read this post, you will come to realize that I (when writing it) had a lack of motivation to do anything else. :) Let us begin...

At class yesterday, some of the students were having some trouble with adding. Specifically...

2x + 3x = 5x

Of course, most of the people in there haven't had algebra in at least five years (for some it has been more than twenty years).

So...

Mr. S: Two times the square root of two plus three times the square root of two equals...
All (I should say "Most"): Five times the square root of two.
Mr. S: Five smilies (draws a smilie next to the five) plus three smilies equals...
Me: None.
Dude behind me with a southern accent: Eight frownies.

So that was the highlight of my day besides the fact that I confirmed that I had a confirmation e-mail for CWIS.

"Hey Moe, we got a prooooblem..." "Whaddya mean, 'we got a prooooblem,'?"

2007-06-02T23:32:00.000Z

I been thinking about posting this for a while, and the Patton/Halsey/O'Neill in me said, "post it, $#@%!"

So here I am.

I hate it when people ask me "the question".

"So, what do you want to do in life?"

It makes me uneasy real quick. You all know that I usually don't get uptight or uneasy when I'm talking to anybody, but when someone asks me "the question" I go berserk inside because I'm trying to think up a way to get out of answering the question.

The first part of the answer isn't too bad. Most people are okay with it.

"Well I'd like to go into the Navy..."

The second part triggers the reaction...

"as a career." (and I don't even dare mention that I'm interested in unconventional things)

I've received a plethora of responses from people with just the first part of the answer:

1) A genuine response of acceptance.
2) An "okay," which is just fine.
3) "Oh."
4) "Why?"
5) "Oh, you must have your parents worried to death!"
6) A look that blatantly says, "why in the hell would you do that?"

You guys also know that I really don't care when people disagree with me on certain things. But with this, I can't reason with them or get angry at them (and I shouldn't get angry with anybody else). So instead of getting angry at them or debating (in a sense), I get edgy and nervous, hoping that the subject doesn't get brought up. I almost worry ahead of time when I go into a situation where the whole scenario is a possibility.

Memorial

2007-05-28T12:01:00.000Z

"No rows of white crosses mark the graves of those who died for victory at sea..."

"If I only had a brain..."

2007-05-27T20:28:00.000Z

For those of you who went to the conference talent show on Friday night, think back to the moment when the announcer (who was pretty cool) asked the crowd if he should sing.

Some of the Crowd: Yes!
The Rest of the Crowd: No!
Announcer: What should I sing?
Man near front row: "If I Only Had a Brain"! (which was played earlier in the show)

For those of you who heard that, I want to lie to you and say that I don't know who that guy was. I cannot. All I can say is that he is a close relative.

Anyways, it was almost (dare I say it) sad to be at the graduation ceremony. In three hundred and something days I will be up there along with several other friends. We'll eventually go our own ways, doing what we are all called to do in many places across this world. I just hope that our friendships will stay together for the rest of our life here on earth (Christian Worldview Institute for Seniors!). That brings me to another totally random thought.

Isn't it cool that we don't have to worry about never seeing each other again?

It's awesome.

The final, blood pressure-raising thought of the day revolves around Memorial Day. I am currently taking a college algebra class this summer at the community college (no matter what your placement scores are you have to take college algebra before doing pre-cal). I have class tomorrow, and so do the regular public schools. For MLK Day, nobody had school. You all know that I'm not racist or anything, but Memorial Day is more important than MLK Day anytime. Memorial Day is about remembering those who have fought for our country and basic freedoms for all people, all over the world. Every single one of them.

Hooyah!

Come on down...down to Meanstreet...

2007-05-19T13:40:00.000Z

It is routine for my dad and I to cruise around town on Friday night after getting a shake. I was driving and we went to another side of town to get to these really fun two-lane roads outside of town. This part of town didn't look so bad. In fact, it almost looked better than the area close to where my sister lives. Anyways, I came around a corner at 40 mph. and this dude is standing next to a car on my side of the road. At first it looks like they are having car trouble or something. This is a regular two-lane road by the way, complete with a stripe down the middle and just enough room for two cars. As I slow down to move around the guy I see money and a baggie exchange hands. In the street, on a two-lane road, in a not-so-deserted part of town (there was a car behind the stopped one). The dude was dealing in the middle of the street! The more I think about it, the more I want to go back and wring his neck.

The pimps, pushers, pornographers, punks, etc., do not make me happy. These lovely people wouldn't make me mad, though, if they didn't have customers. If they have customers, they will sell. The local porno store has a cheap fence in the parking lot so that the cars belonging to the customers won't be seen by others. Now why are we worried about that, huh? It makes me so mad whenever I pass the place because lives are being ruined every time somebody purchases the stuff.

At night I walk this stinkin' street

Past the crazies on my block

And I see the same old faces

And I hear that same old talk

2007-05-14T14:55:00.000Z

Have you ever doodled on the back of your place mat at a restaurant?

To be "random"...

2007-05-06T18:12:00.000Z

My dad and I sometimes have the most random yet "interesting" discussions. One day, we were waiting for the cold-air intake filter to dry. On the Neon, the intake is so big that you have to take it off at the throttle body. To prevent junk from getting into the system, we just put a dirty sock over the throttle body.

Me: So if we turned on the engine now, it (pointing to the butterfly-valve) would just open up and suck in air, right?
Dad: Actually, it would suck in the sock.
Me: I forgot that was there.
Dad: Yep. You'd have a burned sock come out of the tailpipe.
Both of us laughed.
Me: (After pausing to think about the implications of a sock actually getting into the combustion chamber without leaving a valve open, which isn't good for the crankshaft, and the lack of air in the combustion chamber if the sock could actually even make its way up the intake manifold in the first place, I concluded that our mental image of black pieces of cotton flying out of the tailpipe was not correct.)

Another time while we were eating sloppy Joes, my dad wondered why there isn't such a thing as a female version of the name.
Me: Like a "sloppy Jane"?
Dad: Or it could be a "sloppy Jean".
Me: What about a...

We eventually concluded that we could not come up with a politically correct female name for a sloppy Joe, which, when you think about it, is stupid. It's like trying to call a Burger King a Burger Queen (or something like that).

In the Navy...

2007-05-03T15:14:00.000Z

I am worried...about something stupid. About a week ago I had finished riding my bike and was putting it in the garage. There are two pegs that hang from rafters in the ceiling and these go inside the rims of the bike. In this way, the bike hangs upside down and doesn't take up space on the floor. The only reason for this is because the Camaro takes up 95% of the floor space. When lifting the bike, I have to be extremely careful because the car is right there. Anyways, I lifted the bike wrong and now my lower back has been hurting for a week. This Saturday, after the SAT, the Naval reserve center is having this little family fun day thing with activities. Sore back = no physical activity what so ever. It's fun to participate because everyone thinks I'm in the reserves. At the Army/Navy picnic I was able to participate because...well...no one asked if I was a civi. After the convocation, I was sitting in one of the rooms and this guy pops his head in and says, "Have you seen Seaman so-and-so?" Uh..... (It's kind of weird. I'll say "No, sir" and they are some E3 that isn't usually called "sir".) Yes, go ahead and laugh.

A quote I found yesterday:

"I like shooting, and I love hunting. But I never did enjoy killing anybody. It's my job. If I don't get those [blah], then they're gonna kill a lot of these kids we got dressed up like Marines. That's just the way I see it." - Long Tra'ng du'Kich

An interesting quote from an interesting person.

Veto

2007-05-02T16:11:00.000Z

Good evening.
Twelve weeks ago I asked the Congress to pass an emergency war spending bill that would provide our brave young men and women in uniform with the funds and flexibility they need.
Instead, members of the House and the Senate passed a bill that substitutes the opinions of politicians for the judgment of our military commanders. So a few minutes ago, I vetoed the bill.
Tonight, I will explain the reasons for this veto and my desire to work with Congress to resolve this matter as quickly as possible.
We can begin tomorrow with a bipartisan meeting with the congressional leaders here at the White House.
Here's why the bill Congress passed is unacceptable.
First, the bill would mandate a rigid and artificial deadline for American troops to begin withdrawing from Iraq. That withdrawal could start as early as July 1, and it would have to start no later than Oct. 1, regardless of the situation on the ground.
It makes no sense to tell the enemy when you plan to start withdrawing. All the terrorists would have to do is mark their calendars and gather their strength and begin plotting how to overthrow the government and take control of the country of Iraq.
I believe setting a deadline for withdrawal would demoralize the Iraqi people, would encourage killers across the broader Middle East, and send a signal that America will not keep its commitments.
Setting a deadline for withdrawal is setting a date for failure, and that would be irresponsible.
Second, the bill would impose impossible conditions on our commanders in combat. After forcing most of our troops to withdraw, the bill would dictate the terms on which the remaining commanders and troops could engage the enemy. That means America's commanders in the middle of a combat zone would have to take fighting directions from politicians 6,000 miles away in Washington, D.C.
This is a prescription for chaos and confusion, and we must not impose it on our troops.
Third, the bill is loaded with billions of dollars in non-emergency spending that has nothing to do with fighting the war on terror. Congress should debate these spending measures on their own merits, and not as a part of an emergency funding bill for our troops.
The Democratic leaders know that many in Congress disagree with their approach and that there are not enough votes to override the veto. I recognize that many Democrats saw this bill as an opportunity to make a political statement about their opposition to the war. They've sent their message, and now it is time to put politics behind us and support our troops with the funds they need.
Our troops are carrying out a new strategy with a new commander, Gen. David Petraeus. The goal of this new strategy is to help the Iraqis secure their capital so they can make progress toward reconciliation and build a free nation that respects the rights of its people, upholds the rule of law, and fights extremists and radicals and killers alongside the United States in this war on terror.
In January, Gen. Petraeus was confirmed by a unanimous vote in the United States Senate. In February, we began sending the first of the reinforcements he requested.
Not all these reinforcements have arrived in Baghdad. And as Gen. Petraeus has said, it will be the end of the summer before we can assess the impact of this operation.
Congress ought to give Gen. Petraeus's plan a chance to work. In the month since our military has been implementing this plan, we've begun to see some important results.
For example, Iraqi and coalition forces have closed down an al-Qaida car bomb network. They've captured a Shia militia leader implicated in the kidnapping and killing of American soldiers.
They've broken up a death squad that had terrorized hundreds of residents in a Baghdad neighborhood.
Last week, Gen. Petraeus was in Washington to brief me, and he briefed members of Congress on how the operation is unfolding.
He noted that one of the most important indicators of progress is the level of sectarian violence in Baghdad. And he reported that since January, the number of sectarian murders has dropped substantially.
Even as sectarian attacks have declined, we continue to see spectacular suicide attacks that have caused great suffering. These attacks are largely the work of al-Qaida, the enemy that everyone agrees we should be fighting.
The objective of these al-Qaida attacks is to subvert our efforts by reigniting the sectarian violence in Baghdad and breaking support for the war here at home.
In Washington last week, Gen. Petraeus explained it this way: Iraq is, in fact, the central front of all al-Qaida's global campaign.
Al-Qaida's role makes the conflict in Iraq far more complex than a simple fight between Iraqis. It's true that not everyone taking innocent life in Iraq wants to attack America here at home. But many do.
Many also belong to the same terrorist network that attacked us on September the 11th, 2001, and wants to attack us here at home again.
We saw the death and destruction al-Qaida inflicted on our people when they were permitted a safe haven in Afghanistan. For the security of the American people, we must not allow al-Qaida to establish a new safe haven in Iraq.
We need to give our troops all the equipment and the training and protection they need to prevail. That means that Congress needs to pass an emergency war-spending bill quickly.
I've invited leaders of both parties to come to the White House tomorrow and to discuss how we can get these vital funds to our troops. I'm confident that with good will on both sides we can agree on a bill that gets our troops the money and flexibility they need, as soon as possible.
The need to act is urgent. Without a war-funding bill, the military has to take money from some other account or training program so the troops in combat have what they need.
Without a war-funding bill, the armed forces will have to consider cutting back on buying new equipment or repairing existing equipment.
Without a war-funding bill, we add to the uncertainty felt by our military families. Our troops and their families deserve better, and their elected leaders can do better.
Here in Washington, we have our differences on the way forward in Iraq, and we will debate them openly. Yet, whatever our differences, surely we can agree that our troops are worthy of this funding and that we have a responsibility to get it to them without further delay.
Thank you for listening.
May God bless our troops.

Isn't it ironic...

2007-04-30T21:31:00.000Z

I saw a recent mugshot on The Smoking Gun the other day and it made me sad. It was evident that the dude had been huffing because he had silver spray paint all around his mouth and nose. It reminded me of one incident I had when I was a little bit younger. I was working on a model outside and when I bent over to spray paint the body, I shot myself in the face. It was...unpleasant to say the least. My mom comforted me by saying that every female does that at least once with a can of hairspray. I was glad that I did something stupid while attempting to do something worthwhile at the same time, unlike hairspray. Ha. Anyways, that image brought back the memory of that incident. Now it has made me think about how irrational we as humans are. It's obvious that if we as Christians believe that God is who He says He is, we can conclude that sin is irrational. Most people when they do something like drugs, they are acting out of selfish ambitions. I want to get high, I want to get stupid drunk, I want to smoke, I want to take steroids, etc. I want to feel good. It's those lusts of the flesh. However, these ambitions are not selfish enough if we want to do the right thing. If we really cared about ourselves, we wouldn't do these things because of their health effects. I found that interesting.

Spidey

2007-04-25T23:18:00.000Z

Hmm...the other picture doesn't seem to want to work anymore. Anyways, I hope this one does.

Cary LD has a new mascot....

More later...

2007-04-19T16:44:00.001Z

Aloha from my aunt's CO. Taken while refueling somewhere over the sandbox.

What is...

2007-04-15T21:35:00.000Z

A Harley add in the latest Road and Track reads:

Don't worry. The rest of the world has normal covered.

Tie up your boots nice and snug. Pull on your cowhide leathers. Fire up that mountain of Milwaukee metal, leave your mark on the world and watch normal go up in a ball of tire smoke.

It features a picture of a Harley doing a hairy burnout.

My first thought was, That's kind of neat. But then I asked myself the question, What is "normal"?

"1. usual
conforming to the usual standard, type, or custom"

That still doesn't answer the question.

From what basis do we apply a standard of "normalcy"?

If you say that someone is doing something normal when they go over the speed limit, you are committing the bandwagon fallacy because since everyone does it, it's "normal". But if something isn't right, is it "normal"? According to the definition, the answer could be yes. What if the answer was no?

Now, should something that is right, just, morally okay, etc. , be considered abnormal? If something is done morally wrong, the intentions were selfish. If something is done morally right, which means that it was not done with selfish intentions, is it ever okay to classify that as being strange, weird, stupid, etc.? When someone wants to do the right thing is it okay to classify them as being just plane weird, especially when that action is not something that most want to step up to the plate and do?

What makes something "normal"?

Ohm-sweet-ohm...

2007-04-13T22:57:00.000Z

It's funny (funny as in strange). In lab yesterday, I had yet another person unwittingly express their view on things such as grades. It seems that a good portion of the class doesn't give too much a hoot about due-dates, completing the lab, and completing the lab report with that thing in it that makes it a lab report.

"Dude, that lab was due today."

"I know."

"Right, so how come it isn't done?"

"Obviously, you care more about your lab."

I guess so...

Then we have another person in our class that has a heart attack whenever he gets something like a 90...because it's just too low.

Said person looks at lab report and grumbles.

Ben takes a peek.

"What's wrong?"

"I got a stinkin' 90."

"So? That's pretty good (especially for that lab)."

"Shut up."

"You know, there are a lot of people in this group that would be happy to consistently get that kind of grade."

It seems like he has some sort of issue with achievement and letting his aptness in certain areas be known.

Some others seem to think that finishing the lab minutes before class isn't a big deal. And if they don't finish it, they don't care all that much. In fact, it's a laughing matter. Haha! (?)

2007-04-11T16:19:00.000Z

I just have a funny story to tell today; nothing serious or thoughtful (as if my posts are).

When my grandpa was out working at Point Mugu, CA, they were doing a lot of missile tests and such. One day, they were launching drones so that pilots could come in behind them and practice. The Brits were doing it this day. In the drone, there were two fuel tanks: One that took up the front and the middle of the drone, and one auxil. tank that was in the back. The Brits accidentally filled up just the auxil. tank, apparently because of a lack of communication, putting all of the weight on the back of the drone. When the drone was launched ahead of the pilot it pretty much did a back flip, sending the drone over the base and causing the pilot to make some quick maneuvers. :)

Remind me to tell you about the Nike missile sometime...

TFTD

2007-04-09T20:39:00.000Z

I forgot the Thought For The Day (gasp).....

Keep your brain sharp. You never know when you might have to stab somebody with it.

Legos...

2007-04-09T15:33:00.000Z

You know, I always like to look back on all the crazy things that I did when I was 6, 7, 10, 13, 16...

What is it with people banning things like legos?
"They're violent!"
"Well, so is your attitude towards them. Hey, is that because Ken and Barbie didn't get along when you were a kid?"

I think that it is just the war against boys. But why is it against boys? Why are there a lot of feminists but hardly any....girly men (?). Naturally, most guys don't really care for sewing, changing diapers, prancing like a ballerina, etc. AND...most girls don't care for explosive materials, cars, weapons of any sort, camping, etc.

For example: Last weekend I was on a camp out. It was midnight. As I was sitting there in my tent, I saw something that had a lot of legs and was crawling around the top of the tent. I turned on my flashlight and to my delight, I discovered a Brown Recluse sitting there above my head. My initial reaction was, "Cool. You don't see one of those everyday, let alone sleep next to it." The desire for personal safety outweighed the coolness, so I killed it. On Friday, a friend and I took some left over cap rings from a cap gun and piled them on my driveway (They had been lying in my room for two years). I then hit it with a hammer. Besides the fact that our ears were ringing, my buddy and I said, "Cool," and finished them off.

Go to a dragstrip and you'll see what I mean. Every time there's some lady in the stands who looks utterly bored. Some car will make a run and you'll hear exclamations of all types from the guys while the ladies have this look on their face that says, "That's great honey, but can we go now?"

Wouldn't it be nice if the girls kept on being girls, and the guys remained guys?

2007-04-08T16:47:00.000Z

Seeing as this is my first post...I don't know what to write.

There is one thing that I have observed concerning the automotive world and how it relates to the church (All of you who can't stand my ramblings concerning autos, just wait). I recently heard that the federal government is thinking about making Electronic Stability Control (ESC) standard on all vehicles by 2011. I have a problem with this. ESC, in its most basic form, automatically applies the brakes to certain wheels when it detects things like wheel slippage. This is kind of cool. However, it adds weight and cost to the car. Also, the situations in which the ESC takes control of a good portion of your car are ones such as ice, rain, etc. For one, people shouldn't be out driving when there is ice and snow on the road. If they lose control because of black ice, they probably weren't paying careful enough attention to the road and taking the necessary precautions. If you lose control in the rain, you were either driving too fast or you hydroplaned. People are not to blaim for all of these things, but the conditions of the road serve their own warning. How does this relate to the church? I'll get there in a second. The problem with ESC is that when it is required on all vehicles, people will automatically have a false sense of security, making them more apt to make rash decisions such as driving too fast in the rain. The same thing was seen when the "child-proof" caps on medicine bottles came out. People had a false sense of security and left the bottles out in the open, which resulted in more infant deaths because of poisining and the like. We are letting things such as a computer system on a car take over when we make bad decisions. This has happened for the following reason: Most people do not enjoy driving anymore. This is because vehicles are seen as just a means for transportation. We live in such a hurried and lazy society that I believe the auto market is currently in a state of ruin. We don't use maps anymore, we have GPS. We have DVD players in our cars to occupy our time (please forgive me if I have stepped on any toes there). I have noticed that the colors which cars come in these days are usually limited to red, black, white, silver, and maybe champagne. This is because most people don't care too much about how their cars look. To most they are just tools for transportation. The car manufacturers are adjusting to the mindset of the people by coming out with poorly-designed, blandly-colored, and under-powered vehicles. It used to be that people would take their cars out on Sunday for a drive in the country because it was so fun.

Now, how does this relate to the church? Currently, a large number of churches have changed their look, style, and even their messages to conform to the ways of the world so as to attract more members. They are losing membership. This is because the churches have not been presenting messages that are biblically sound or true to God's word. People are leaving the church because, frankly, they are bored. This is evident because conservative-minded churches are flourishing. The churches that have liberal mindsets are having to adopt certain principles such as same-sex unions because they are dying as a denomination.

I just found that an interesting comparison between how auto manufacturers are making vehicles and how churches are starting to conform to the world.