I'm the guy who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to judge for yourself whether there's a madness to my method, or vice versa, in this series.
We've all seen an various ads for this or that brand of toothbrush, and invariably one of the boasts made is that "because of its unique design, our brush reaches places in your teeth that other brushes can't reach!" Have you ever chewed one of those pills that exposes how much you missed after brushing by turning the food particles remaining in your mouth into a bright color? So this definitely is something to consider.
I have no doubt that toothbrush A, with one design, may reach places that B, with a different design, may miss, but I'll bet B can get to places A can't. And C with yet another design might reach spots that the first two missed. So should you use A, B, or C? Yes. Who says you have to use one toothbrush three times a day, every day? I actually have five that I choose from (in no particular order). Why not? Toothbrushes are cheap--I never spend more than a dollar for a toothbrush. So there's a greater chance that every part of my teeth will be eventually cleaned every day.
The bottom line: My dentist tells me that my teeth and gums are healthier than 95% of her patients.
BTW, don't forget to floss at least once a day!
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Monday, August 24, 2009
Thinking Outside Of The Box 3
I'm the guy who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to be the judge whether there's a madness to my method or vice versa, in this series.
I make the world's best-tasting scrambled eggs. And I don't use any kind of cooking oil or spray--they're all either unhealthy or expensive or both. The jgapinoy method is to add plenty of chopped tomatoes just after you dump the eggs into the pan. The tomato "juice" keeps the eggs from burning or sticking to the pan, if you stir things up often enough. And you can keep them on the burner long enough to make sure they're well-cooked, yet they still come out moist. I also like to chop up some ham and onions to throw in, as well as a little pepper. But the tomatoes are the most important ingredient--high in vitamin C, low in calories, and a great "substitute" for cooking oil. No, I wasn't using a non-stick pan. No, the tomato juice doesn't all turn to steam unless you cook much longer than necessary. I've already had a skeptical comment ("silly"), but just try it.
I make the world's best-tasting scrambled eggs. And I don't use any kind of cooking oil or spray--they're all either unhealthy or expensive or both. The jgapinoy method is to add plenty of chopped tomatoes just after you dump the eggs into the pan. The tomato "juice" keeps the eggs from burning or sticking to the pan, if you stir things up often enough. And you can keep them on the burner long enough to make sure they're well-cooked, yet they still come out moist. I also like to chop up some ham and onions to throw in, as well as a little pepper. But the tomatoes are the most important ingredient--high in vitamin C, low in calories, and a great "substitute" for cooking oil. No, I wasn't using a non-stick pan. No, the tomato juice doesn't all turn to steam unless you cook much longer than necessary. I've already had a skeptical comment ("silly"), but just try it.
Sunday, August 23, 2009
Thinking Outside Of The Box 2
I'm the kind of guy who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to be the judge whether there's a madness to my method, or vice versa, in this series.
Most everyone is trying to get better gas mileage these days, whether you think the Earth is in some kind of danger, or you're just trying trying to save a few bucks. But very few folks with standard transmissions in the US drive in the very efficient way that most of the world has learned to drive, because much of the world pays twice as much per gallon as we do. Instead of shifting at 3000 rpm or higher like your dad taught you, try shifting at 2400. Unless you're in a big hurry or you're on a freeway entrance ramp, you'll probably have plenty of power. Of course, if you hear the engine pinging, shift at a higher engine speed, but if not, your car will be fine and you'll save gas. Generally speaking, the lower your engine speed, the less gas you're using.
I always get 36 or 37 mpg in my 2007 Honda Fit, even though the EPA says it should only get 30.
Most everyone is trying to get better gas mileage these days, whether you think the Earth is in some kind of danger, or you're just trying trying to save a few bucks. But very few folks with standard transmissions in the US drive in the very efficient way that most of the world has learned to drive, because much of the world pays twice as much per gallon as we do. Instead of shifting at 3000 rpm or higher like your dad taught you, try shifting at 2400. Unless you're in a big hurry or you're on a freeway entrance ramp, you'll probably have plenty of power. Of course, if you hear the engine pinging, shift at a higher engine speed, but if not, your car will be fine and you'll save gas. Generally speaking, the lower your engine speed, the less gas you're using.
I always get 36 or 37 mpg in my 2007 Honda Fit, even though the EPA says it should only get 30.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
jgapinoy Thinks Outside Of The Box
I'm the joker who's always trying to come up with better methods to accomplish goals, be they mundane or essential. For example, I have developed two ideas for mail carriers to sort mail faster (I recently retired from the USPS). One was adopted nationwide, while the other is now being officially evaluated. But you'll have to be the judge whether there's a madness to my method or vice versa.
Watermelons are good for you and quite inexpensive. If you get the seeded kind, they can be very sweet and tasty. But what about those pesky seeds? Perhaps you take a big bite and try to push the seeds out of your mouth with your tongue, one by one. But you're too busy fishing for seeds to enjoy the taste and the texture. Or maybe you pick at the slice with your fingernail, juice running down your hands. Try this: get a plate, a steak knife, and a fork. Cut the edible part into pieces of approximately one inch squared, just as if it was a steak. Use the pointed tip of the knife to pry out the seeds. Then just pop each morsel into your piehole with the fork. Enjoy the flavor without being messy or distracted.
Watermelons are good for you and quite inexpensive. If you get the seeded kind, they can be very sweet and tasty. But what about those pesky seeds? Perhaps you take a big bite and try to push the seeds out of your mouth with your tongue, one by one. But you're too busy fishing for seeds to enjoy the taste and the texture. Or maybe you pick at the slice with your fingernail, juice running down your hands. Try this: get a plate, a steak knife, and a fork. Cut the edible part into pieces of approximately one inch squared, just as if it was a steak. Use the pointed tip of the knife to pry out the seeds. Then just pop each morsel into your piehole with the fork. Enjoy the flavor without being messy or distracted.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
The Pain of Separation
Andrew, a friend of mine in Facebook, recently posted this comment there:
My kids felt it about twelve years ago. Their mother, in her eagerness to reject me, also abandoned them for a time.
Several years after the divorce, I fell in love with a woman who lived 7000 miles away. We both experienced it until we were able to unite again (the third anniversary of our incredible marital bliss is next week).
Perhaps you also have gone through some painful periods of separation. But I have a loved one who has suffered like no one else ever has, and separation was a major part of his pain. (click underlined parts for more)
there are so many people leaving me in the next couple weeks its ridiculous
He's got some friends going off to college, while others are leaving to start churches in faraway cities. So Andrew is starting to taste it.My kids felt it about twelve years ago. Their mother, in her eagerness to reject me, also abandoned them for a time.
Several years after the divorce, I fell in love with a woman who lived 7000 miles away. We both experienced it until we were able to unite again (the third anniversary of our incredible marital bliss is next week).
Perhaps you also have gone through some painful periods of separation. But I have a loved one who has suffered like no one else ever has, and separation was a major part of his pain. (click underlined parts for more)
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Be a blessing
I prayed a prayer that I often pray this morning: "Lord, make me a blessing to people today." But this morning, he actually responded: "Always seek first to be a blessing to me, and you will automatically be a blessing to others."
(for more, see comments)
(for more, see comments)
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
"Meet" a funny video
Have you ever heard of a movie with an extremely promising premise, only to watch the film and be extremely disappointed at how they ruined the idea? We watched a video last night that did just the opposite: they took a lemon and made lemonade. I suppose the reason that Meet Dave was a box office bomb was that folks considered it a stupid premise for a movie--a space ship that looks just like a human arrives in NYC, and the ship's crew look human except that they're each about an inch tall. But as soon as Eddie Murphy reels you in with his brilliant performance, even the premise becomes a source of laughter. Because I don't do raunchy, I had only seen one Murphy film before--Daddy Day Care. He was good in that flick, but it didn't utilize his comedic talents the way Meet Dave does. Every gyration and every facial expression bring either a smile or a LOL. The rest of the cast does well, too. Yes, the plot is occasionally as senseless as the premise, but I think you'll find that that adds to the fun. So if you want some senseless fun, Meet Dave is highly recommended. Because of the premise, it'll be in the discount bin at Blockbuster, but don't let that hinder you.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Valuable
Just as a beat-up old doll has value because a four year old loves it, so I have ginormous value because the King of the Universe loves me.
I WAS DEAD in my sin--spiritually broke, busted, disgusted, and couldn't be trusted--but GOD saw fit to choose me--me!--to demonstrate his grace and love to.
Awe-inspiring.
Gratitude-inspiring!
WORSHIP-INSPIRING!
Saturday, August 8, 2009
"Come Here, little Buford"
The Most Important Parenting Method That No One Ever Talks About:
I think it's very important to teach kids as soon as they can walk to come immediately whenever they're called or else. This is for safety's sake, obviously, but there's an added benefit. Before I had kids, I noticed parents would yell instructions at their misbehaving kids from across the house, and the kids would usually ignore them. You should summon them because:
--it's a mild punishment when they have to stop what they're doing and come to you (incentive not to misbehave)
--kids listen better when you look them in the eyes (no excuses like "I didn't hear you say that")
BTW, don't say, "Gertrude, come here now!" Putting "now" at the end of a command is redundant; it's also a sign of weakness and exasperation. Your child should come when you calmly say, "Come here", or you should administer discipline until he learns to do so.
I think it's very important to teach kids as soon as they can walk to come immediately whenever they're called or else. This is for safety's sake, obviously, but there's an added benefit. Before I had kids, I noticed parents would yell instructions at their misbehaving kids from across the house, and the kids would usually ignore them. You should summon them because:
--it's a mild punishment when they have to stop what they're doing and come to you (incentive not to misbehave)
--kids listen better when you look them in the eyes (no excuses like "I didn't hear you say that")
BTW, don't say, "Gertrude, come here now!" Putting "now" at the end of a command is redundant; it's also a sign of weakness and exasperation. Your child should come when you calmly say, "Come here", or you should administer discipline until he learns to do so.
Tuesday, August 4, 2009
"What In The World Are You Doing?"
The post office is desperate to get rid of people, so they offered to let me retire seven years early. The vast majority of the thousands who have received similar early-out offers have refused, for these reasons:
--We haven't prepared financially to retire now, so
--We'd need to find jobs until we can fully retire, and no one's hiring
--Our retirement funds have tanked with the stock market devaluation
So I went along with the majority, right?
Nope.
My wife and I have dreamed since before we were married of moving to the Philippines as soon as we can. We want to do charitable work to help some of the millions of poor children there. My son goes to off college in four years, so we decided that I should accept the early-retirement offer now, and find another job to pay the bills until we're empty-nesters and can emigrate in 2013. In the Philippine economy, we will be able to live comfortably with just my pension and our diminished savings.
We would appreciate your prayers for me getting a decent job, as well as for us deciding which charity we should join up with (or maybe we'll start a new one?). Here are the three that we are supporting as much as we can now:
--Child's Wish (if you're on Internet Explorer, you'll see a video on their home page in which my wife and I make a few statements )
--House of Light (my wife and I are written about on the bottom of their home page)
--Family Circus (I am the editor of their email bulletins)
Thank you for your prayers.
We hope to also inspire someone out there to use retirement as an opportunity to serve, to experience real adventure, rather than merely playing golf and watching Oprah for the rest of your lives!
(Some of you have never seen jgapinoy. Here's your chance--visit the links.)
--We haven't prepared financially to retire now, so
--We'd need to find jobs until we can fully retire, and no one's hiring
--Our retirement funds have tanked with the stock market devaluation
So I went along with the majority, right?
Nope.
My wife and I have dreamed since before we were married of moving to the Philippines as soon as we can. We want to do charitable work to help some of the millions of poor children there. My son goes to off college in four years, so we decided that I should accept the early-retirement offer now, and find another job to pay the bills until we're empty-nesters and can emigrate in 2013. In the Philippine economy, we will be able to live comfortably with just my pension and our diminished savings.
We would appreciate your prayers for me getting a decent job, as well as for us deciding which charity we should join up with (or maybe we'll start a new one?). Here are the three that we are supporting as much as we can now:
--Child's Wish (if you're on Internet Explorer, you'll see a video on their home page in which my wife and I make a few statements )
--House of Light (my wife and I are written about on the bottom of their home page)
--Family Circus (I am the editor of their email bulletins)
Thank you for your prayers.
We hope to also inspire someone out there to use retirement as an opportunity to serve, to experience real adventure, rather than merely playing golf and watching Oprah for the rest of your lives!
(Some of you have never seen jgapinoy. Here's your chance--visit the links.)
Sunday, August 2, 2009
Random Rants
An icon in the life of the Filipino people died Friday. Former President Corazon Aquino will be remembered there for a long time with much fondness, just like her husband Ninoy, who was murdered by the Marcos regime in the 1980s.
ABC's John Stossel Takes on ObamaCare:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdx_2cuPgQQ
The NY Times reports that "Some X Games Bad Boys Turn Lives Around." The NY Times???
When they say, "We don't want a gov't takeover of health care", don't believe them.
In their own words:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p-bY92mcOdkThe Cash-For-Clunkers program is a method for the feds to gain access to your computer?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mqfuZ7hiap0&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Ftos%2Ephp%3Fapi%5Fkey%3Dca55612231318500789c068e036619e8%26next%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapps%2Efacebook%2Ecom%252Frealpolls%252Fvote&feature=player_embedded
From Dubai to Moscow to Bangkok, sex slavery is on the increase. There are more slaves worldwide today than ever before:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=19llq4OsuwQ&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Ftos%2Ephp%3Fapi%5Fkey%3Dca55612231318500789c068e036619e8%26next%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapps%2Efacebook%2Ecom%252Frealpolls%252Fvote&feature=player_embeddedThis family is going to the wrong church if the kid hates it this much! (I think he'd like the third grade Sunday School my wife and I teach):
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mleGU017KEE&eurl=http%3A%2F%2Fwww%2Efacebook%2Ecom%2Ftos%2Ephp%3Fapi%5Fkey%3Dca55612231318500789c068e036619e8%26next%3Dhttp%253A%252F%252Fapps%2Efacebook%2Ecom%252Frealpolls%252Fvote&feature=player_embedded
Sunday, July 26, 2009
Kim Dung Hill, The Sub-Human Dictator
By "Sub-Human", I'm not referring to his diminutive stature.
BTW, why do we continue to make treaties with him when he has broken every promise he has made?
Everyone is now aware that North Korea has a menacing nuclear weapons program. Getting less media attention is the fact that while hundreds of thousands of his people are starving, "Dear Leader" Kim Dung Hill's army is very well fed, and he lives in Bill Gates-style opulence. Almost unknown is the fact that NK uses mentally handicapped children for chemical weapons testing.
http://hotair.com/archives/2009/07/24/noko-testing-bio-chem-weapons-on-disabled-children/BTW, why do we continue to make treaties with him when he has broken every promise he has made?
Friday, July 10, 2009
God left his C.O.A.T. behind
Guest blogger Marty Clapp answers the skeptics: Is there really a God?
COSMOLOGY (Universe)
Memorization tool: B.E.G.A.N.- We want to know how the universe began.
-BEGINNING- Scientists now know that the universe has not always existed. Cosmologists tell us that space, matter, and time literally had a beginning.
-EXPLOSION- (Some of the problems with postulating the Big Bang theory as a “God-substitute”)
(question 1)- What caused the “original matter” to suddenly explode after existing eternally in a state of balance, equilibrium, and stability? Why would it suddenly become unstable? (consider the laws of inertia and the law of causality).
(question 2)- What kind of cause best explains this? There are two types of “causes” = “natural causes” (caused by something), and “intelligent causes” (caused by someone). Consider the following:
(2a) If everything simply exploded from some original material source, why are stars and planets so different from each other? Why are the planets themselves so different from each other? Wouldn’t we expect more similarity if they all originated from the same material source?
(2b) Explosions have a natural tendency to disorganize, not to organize. Yet, the universe, our solar system, and planet earth show a high degree of order and precision.
(2c) This event would have to be the “perfect explosion”. It would require such a perfect balance between the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force that it defies explanation by chance. In other words, if it expanded too rapidly, no galaxies, planets, stars, etc. would have formed. But, if it expanded too slowly, it would have collapsed back in on itself under its own gravitational pull. Paul Davies in “God and the New Physics” states that this degree of accuracy could be compared to taking aim at a 1 inch square target 20 billion light years away, and hitting the mark!
-GALAXIES- Scientists tell us that, for all practical purposes, stars and galaxies should not exist. Yet, they do. (Some of their theories on star formation actually require stars in order to make stars. (But where did the first stars come from?)
-ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE- The design and order of the universe and our solar system is so finely-tuned and well-balanced, it’s as though it was all made specifically for life, particularly on planet earth.
-ENTROPY- (a.k.a. the Second Law of Thermodynamics) The universe, just like everything in it, is wearing down and wearing out. The fact that it is wearing down and running out of usable energy tells us once again that the universe had a beginning.
Conclusion: Cosmology tells us that the universe had a beginning, and that the cause of the universe is best explained by an intelligent cause. Therefore, God is the most plausible explanation.
ONTOLOGY (Being)
(in combination with the design argument)
1) There never was a time when there was absolutely nothing. (Ex nihilo nihil fit- “Out of nothing, nothing comes”)
2) There are two possibilities:
A) A self-existent, eternal something (universe, matter, energy, etc.). In other words, something that was always there.
B) A self-existent, eternal Someone (God). In other words, Someone Who was always there.
3) Recent scientific discoveries confirm that the universe had a beginning, therefore, it did not exist eternally. In addition to this, we know that matter and energy, by their very nature, are subject to change and dependent.
4) Something that is subject to change and dependent cannot be self-existent and eternal. Thus, there cannot be a self-existent, eternal something.
5) A Someone is a more reasonable explanation for such things as design, order, specified complexity, and information systems (such as DNA).
6) Therefore, there must be a self-existent, eternal Someone (God).
(A summary of this argument)
There never was a time when there was absolutely nothing. This tells us that there must be something or Someone that was always there. A Someone is a more rational explanation for such things as design, order, specified complexity, and information systems (such as DNA). Therefore, God is the most plausible explanation.
AXIOLOGY (Moral Law)
(Definition of “Objective moral values”- To say that there are “objective moral values” is to say that there are some things that really are morally wrong)
(example)
In Germany during the 1940s, the Nazis were torturing and murdering millions of Jews. It would be unthinkable to suggest that the Nazis were doing the right thing because it was “right for them” or “right for their culture" to do so. It is obvious that torturing and murdering innocent people really is morally wrong (an objective moral value).
(A summary of this argument)
Objective moral values cannot exist without a Supreme Lawgiver.
Objective moral values do exist.
Therefore, there must be a Supreme Lawgiver. God is the most plausible explanation.
TELEOLOGY (Purpose and Design)
Design and purpose point to a designer.
There is great design in the universe.
Therefore, there must be a Great Designer of the Universe. God is the most plausible explanation.
(jgapinoy writes)
For more on teleology, see The Privileged Planet, available (in 12 parts) at YouTube or on DVD. If you happen to know me, I'll happily loan you my DVD.
COSMOLOGY (Universe)
Memorization tool: B.E.G.A.N.- We want to know how the universe began.
-BEGINNING- Scientists now know that the universe has not always existed. Cosmologists tell us that space, matter, and time literally had a beginning.
-EXPLOSION- (Some of the problems with postulating the Big Bang theory as a “God-substitute”)
(question 1)- What caused the “original matter” to suddenly explode after existing eternally in a state of balance, equilibrium, and stability? Why would it suddenly become unstable? (consider the laws of inertia and the law of causality).
(question 2)- What kind of cause best explains this? There are two types of “causes” = “natural causes” (caused by something), and “intelligent causes” (caused by someone). Consider the following:
(2a) If everything simply exploded from some original material source, why are stars and planets so different from each other? Why are the planets themselves so different from each other? Wouldn’t we expect more similarity if they all originated from the same material source?
(2b) Explosions have a natural tendency to disorganize, not to organize. Yet, the universe, our solar system, and planet earth show a high degree of order and precision.
(2c) This event would have to be the “perfect explosion”. It would require such a perfect balance between the strong nuclear force, the weak nuclear force, the electromagnetic force, and the gravitational force that it defies explanation by chance. In other words, if it expanded too rapidly, no galaxies, planets, stars, etc. would have formed. But, if it expanded too slowly, it would have collapsed back in on itself under its own gravitational pull. Paul Davies in “God and the New Physics” states that this degree of accuracy could be compared to taking aim at a 1 inch square target 20 billion light years away, and hitting the mark!
-GALAXIES- Scientists tell us that, for all practical purposes, stars and galaxies should not exist. Yet, they do. (Some of their theories on star formation actually require stars in order to make stars. (But where did the first stars come from?)
-ANTHROPIC PRINCIPLE- The design and order of the universe and our solar system is so finely-tuned and well-balanced, it’s as though it was all made specifically for life, particularly on planet earth.
-ENTROPY- (a.k.a. the Second Law of Thermodynamics) The universe, just like everything in it, is wearing down and wearing out. The fact that it is wearing down and running out of usable energy tells us once again that the universe had a beginning.
Conclusion: Cosmology tells us that the universe had a beginning, and that the cause of the universe is best explained by an intelligent cause. Therefore, God is the most plausible explanation.
ONTOLOGY (Being)
(in combination with the design argument)
1) There never was a time when there was absolutely nothing. (Ex nihilo nihil fit- “Out of nothing, nothing comes”)
2) There are two possibilities:
A) A self-existent, eternal something (universe, matter, energy, etc.). In other words, something that was always there.
B) A self-existent, eternal Someone (God). In other words, Someone Who was always there.
3) Recent scientific discoveries confirm that the universe had a beginning, therefore, it did not exist eternally. In addition to this, we know that matter and energy, by their very nature, are subject to change and dependent.
4) Something that is subject to change and dependent cannot be self-existent and eternal. Thus, there cannot be a self-existent, eternal something.
5) A Someone is a more reasonable explanation for such things as design, order, specified complexity, and information systems (such as DNA).
6) Therefore, there must be a self-existent, eternal Someone (God).
(A summary of this argument)
There never was a time when there was absolutely nothing. This tells us that there must be something or Someone that was always there. A Someone is a more rational explanation for such things as design, order, specified complexity, and information systems (such as DNA). Therefore, God is the most plausible explanation.
AXIOLOGY (Moral Law)
(Definition of “Objective moral values”- To say that there are “objective moral values” is to say that there are some things that really are morally wrong)
(example)
In Germany during the 1940s, the Nazis were torturing and murdering millions of Jews. It would be unthinkable to suggest that the Nazis were doing the right thing because it was “right for them” or “right for their culture" to do so. It is obvious that torturing and murdering innocent people really is morally wrong (an objective moral value).
(A summary of this argument)
Objective moral values cannot exist without a Supreme Lawgiver.
Objective moral values do exist.
Therefore, there must be a Supreme Lawgiver. God is the most plausible explanation.
TELEOLOGY (Purpose and Design)
Design and purpose point to a designer.
There is great design in the universe.
Therefore, there must be a Great Designer of the Universe. God is the most plausible explanation.
(jgapinoy writes)
For more on teleology, see The Privileged Planet, available (in 12 parts) at YouTube or on DVD. If you happen to know me, I'll happily loan you my DVD.
Tuesday, July 7, 2009
On the Origin of Atheism
The atheists I've encountered often tell me how their conclusion (that is, their religion) is based on logic. Is it logical to insist that life arose, by itself, from non-living matter? Even Darwin hesitated to speculate on the origin of life (even though his seminal book was called "Origin of Species"), and Darwin had no idea how complex the simplest form of life is. No, atheism is based on PRIDE. Jesus Christ said, "How can you believe (in me), when you receive glory from one another, and you don't seek the glory of God?"
Saturday, July 4, 2009
The Declaration of Independence
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness. Prudence, indeed, will dictate that Governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shewn, that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same Object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute Despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such Government, and to provide new Guards for their future security.
Such has been the patient sufferance of these Colonies; and such is now the necessity which constrains them to alter their former Systems of Government. The history of the present King of Great Britain is a history of repeated injuries and usurpations, all having in direct object the establishment of an absolute Tyranny over these States. To prove this, let Facts be submitted to a candid world.
- He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.
- He has forbidden his Governors to pass Laws of immediate and pressing importance, unless suspended in their operation till his Assent should be obtained; and when so suspended, he has utterly neglected to attend to them.
- He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people, unless those people would relinquish the right of Representation in the Legislature, a right inestimable to them and formidable to tyrants only.
- He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records, for the sole purpose of fatiguing them into compliance with his measures.
- He has dissolved Representative Houses repeatedly, for opposing with manly firmness his invasions on the rights of the people.
- He has refused for a long time, after such dissolutions, to cause others to be elected; whereby the Legislative powers, incapable of Annihilation, have returned to the People at large for their exercise; the State remaining in the mean time exposed to all the dangers of invasion from without, and convulsions within.
- He has endeavoured to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners; refusing to pass others to encourage their migrations hither, and raising the conditions of new Appropriations of Lands.
In every stage of these Oppressions We have Petitioned for Redress in the most humble terms: Our repeated Petitions have been answered only by repeated injury. A Prince whose character is thus marked by every act which may define a Tyrant, is unfit to be the ruler of a free people.
- He has obstructed the Administration of Justice, by refusing his Assent to Laws for establishing Judiciary powers.
- He has made Judges dependent on his Will alone, for the tenure of their offices, and the amount and payment of their salaries.
- He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harrass our people, and eat out their substance.
- He has kept among us, in times of peace, Standing Armies without the Consent of our legislatures.
- He has affected to render the Military independent of and superior to the Civil power.
- He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:
- For Quartering large bodies of armed troops among us:
- For protecting them, by a mock Trial, from punishment for any Murders which they should commit on the Inhabitants of these States:
- For cutting off our Trade with all parts of the world:
- For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:
- For depriving us in many cases, of the benefits of Trial by Jury:
- For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences
- For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighbouring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government, and enlarging its Boundaries so as to render it at once an example and fit instrument for introducing the same absolute rule into these Colonies:
- For taking away our Charters, abolishing our most valuable Laws, and altering fundamentally the Forms of our Governments:
- For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever.
- He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.
- He has plundered our seas, ravaged our Coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.
- He is at this time transporting large Armies of foreign Mercenaries to compleat the works of death, desolation and tyranny, already begun with circumstances of Cruelty & perfidy scarcely paralleled in the most barbarous ages, and totally unworthy the Head of a civilized nation.
- He has constrained our fellow Citizens taken Captive on the high Seas to bear Arms against their Country, to become the executioners of their friends and Brethren, or to fall themselves by their Hands.
- He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us, and has endeavoured to bring on the inhabitants of our frontiers, the merciless Indian Savages, whose known rule of warfare, is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.
Nor have We been wanting in attentions to our British brethren. We have warned them from time to time of attempts by their legislature to extend an unwarrantable jurisdiction over us. We have reminded them of the circumstances of our emigration and settlement here. We have appealed to their native justice and magnanimity, and we have conjured them by the ties of our common kindred to disavow these usurpations, which, would inevitably interrupt our connections and correspondence. They too have been deaf to the voice of justice and of consanguinity. We must, therefore, acquiesce in the necessity, which denounces our Separation, and hold them, as we hold the rest of mankind, Enemies in War, in Peace Friends.
We, therefore, the Representatives of the united States of America, in General Congress, Assembled, appealing to the Supreme Judge of the world for the rectitude of our intentions, do, in the Name, and by Authority of the good People of these Colonies, solemnly publish and declare, That these United Colonies are, and of Right ought to be Free and Independent States; that they are Absolved from all Allegiance to the British Crown, and that all political connection between them and the State of Great Britain, is and ought to be totally dissolved; and that as Free and Independent States, they have full Power to levy War, conclude Peace, contract Alliances, establish Commerce, and to do all other Acts and Things which Independent States may of right do. And for the support of this Declaration, with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor.
Wednesday, July 1, 2009
Entertaining Ourselves To Death
The title of the post refers to both the quantity and the (lack of) quality of the entertainment that Western Civilization indulges in. I could go in several different directions about that, but the thing that's bugging me now is the movie industry. More specifically, films marketed to children. If Follywood had any morals, they would only make clean movies attractive to kids. Current feature Land of the Lost is not clean. It's filled with profanities (almost 100), illicit sexual content, and many other problems. I'd deem it for mature audiences only, but mature people would be repelled by the filth in this production.
LOTL is the latest in a long tradition of awful Hollyweird offerings that lure children. A glance at the "Family" section of an online video retailer reveals such trash as Marley & Me, Mike Myer's Cat In The Hat, and Steve Martin's Pink Panther.
There are films with no cussing and no sexual situations that are still dirty in my book. Inherit The Wind and Disney's Pocahantas are full of twistory--much of what is presented is the opposite of what happened. The Golden Compass is a Narnia-style tract for atheism.
"How am I supposed to know what's a good movie for my family?" I'm glad you asked. Simply go to pluggedinonline.com before you go to the theater or DVD store.
UPDATE: From HotAir.com.
LOTL is the latest in a long tradition of awful Hollyweird offerings that lure children. A glance at the "Family" section of an online video retailer reveals such trash as Marley & Me, Mike Myer's Cat In The Hat, and Steve Martin's Pink Panther.
There are films with no cussing and no sexual situations that are still dirty in my book. Inherit The Wind and Disney's Pocahantas are full of twistory--much of what is presented is the opposite of what happened. The Golden Compass is a Narnia-style tract for atheism.
"How am I supposed to know what's a good movie for my family?" I'm glad you asked. Simply go to pluggedinonline.com before you go to the theater or DVD store.
UPDATE: From HotAir.com.
Friday, June 26, 2009
Sanford Spirals Downward
A story line that goes back to David and Bathsheba and beyond--powerful male gambles everything on a fling in the hay. Yes, many women are attracted to men in power (even if they look like Mr. Sanford). But it takes two to tango. "What was he thinking?"--the question that always gets asked.
An acquaintance of mine was describing a hunting jaunt: The guys were in an open Jeep, scouting for rabbits. They saw a pair mating in the distance. As the hunters approached, the female broke away from the male's grasp to flee for her life, and the male was also running behind her, but not to flee. He soon tackled her and resumed his attempt to make baby bunnies. This gave the hunters a chance to catch up, and soon both of our furry friends were in a stew.
The moral of the story is that your sex drive can drive you off a cliff. It's like a drug or alcohol--under it's influence, you do things you otherwise wouldn't think of doing. Adultery is like a plague in America's homes, destroying families.
These three short chapters in the Biblical Proverbs are a powerful antidote to this influence.
Yes, this is a slightly adjusted reprint from my post 14 months ago. Sanford acted like Spitzer, so it was worth a second look.
An acquaintance of mine was describing a hunting jaunt: The guys were in an open Jeep, scouting for rabbits. They saw a pair mating in the distance. As the hunters approached, the female broke away from the male's grasp to flee for her life, and the male was also running behind her, but not to flee. He soon tackled her and resumed his attempt to make baby bunnies. This gave the hunters a chance to catch up, and soon both of our furry friends were in a stew.
The moral of the story is that your sex drive can drive you off a cliff. It's like a drug or alcohol--under it's influence, you do things you otherwise wouldn't think of doing. Adultery is like a plague in America's homes, destroying families.
These three short chapters in the Biblical Proverbs are a powerful antidote to this influence.
Yes, this is a slightly adjusted reprint from my post 14 months ago. Sanford acted like Spitzer, so it was worth a second look.
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
Random Rants
Why does adultery destroy the careers of politicians, while apparently enhancing the careers of Follywood stars?
If Iran had a Second Amendment, the pro-mullah thugs who raid homes in the middle of the night would have Second Thoughts before doing so.
I occasionally see people jog while wearing heavy sweatsuits in 90 degree heat. I wonder, did it ever occur to them that they'll gain back the extra sweat-weight when they drink water?
It seems that the knee-jerk hostility known as Bush Derangement Syndrome in the angry Left crowd has been replaced by PMS: Palin Malevolence Syndrome.
I'll never buy another song or album. Why should I when it's so easy to custom-make playlists on YouTube that work just like albums?
One of the reasons I never use Google's search engine is that GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo) donates to my favorite charity every time I use it.
Observing the response to the immorality of Governor Mark Sanford, one sees a lot of hatred, a lot of irrational guilt-by-association arrows being shot. This is a more thoughtful examination of the episode. And I'm reminded of this.
If Iran had a Second Amendment, the pro-mullah thugs who raid homes in the middle of the night would have Second Thoughts before doing so.
I occasionally see people jog while wearing heavy sweatsuits in 90 degree heat. I wonder, did it ever occur to them that they'll gain back the extra sweat-weight when they drink water?
It seems that the knee-jerk hostility known as Bush Derangement Syndrome in the angry Left crowd has been replaced by PMS: Palin Malevolence Syndrome.
I'll never buy another song or album. Why should I when it's so easy to custom-make playlists on YouTube that work just like albums?
I make the world's best smoothies. Today's creation: I threw 2 bananas, 5 strawberries, 4 ice cubes, some milk, and a small slice of cherry pie into the blender. Awesome.
One of the reasons I never use Google's search engine is that GoodSearch (powered by Yahoo) donates to my favorite charity every time I use it.
Observing the response to the immorality of Governor Mark Sanford, one sees a lot of hatred, a lot of irrational guilt-by-association arrows being shot. This is a more thoughtful examination of the episode. And I'm reminded of this.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
Grim Remembrance
It's been 20 years today since Red China brutally crushed the hope of freedom in Tiananmen Square. Today, China is just as brutal, but the IOC awarded them with hosting the Olympic Games, during which NBC recklessly heaped praise on many aspects of that oppressed society, and GM CEO Obama just sold the Hummer portion of GM to a Chinese company, and Google still works hard to prevent the Chinese people from using the internet to advance the cause of freedom.
Please check out HotAir's take on the anniversary.
Saturday, May 30, 2009
A Call For A Criminal Justice Revolution
Now that President Obama has spent half of our children's and grandchildren's life earnings on liberal programs and rewarding political allies, government needs some money-saving ideas. Ah-nold has threatened to release thousands of California's inmates from prison because of their especially awful budget crisis (is it a coincidence that the most leftist states are in deepest recession?), but he might not have to if he follows my prescription.
Simply put, you give inmates a choice. You can have a traditional sentence, or your sentence can be reduced by two-thirds if you agree to:
1) Solitary confinement with no visitors except family, clergy, medical and legal professionals;
2) Productive labor for eight hours a day at whatever task is assigned to you (this must be something that can be done within the prisoner's cell);
3) No media of any kind except reading materials that can be considered educational or spiritual; and
4) Excellent behavior.
What about exercise?
Millions have done aerobics in the few square feet in front of their TVs. Inmates can do the same, except without the TV. Not to mention push-ups, sit-ups, jump-rope, isometrics, and running in place.
It would be far cheaper to keep an inmate in "lockdown" all of the time. An inmate who accepts this offer wouldn't be able to intimidate or be intimidated by other inmates. He wouldn't be pumping himself up in the weight room to facilitate overpowering the guards during the next riot. Therefore the prison would need fewer guards. New prisons could be made smaller, especially since many inmates would leave 66% faster, so there would be fewer inmates. The prospect of solitary confinement keeps the incentive to avoid prison. And the fact that it's a choice made by the convict keeps the ACLU away.
Simply put, you give inmates a choice. You can have a traditional sentence, or your sentence can be reduced by two-thirds if you agree to:
1) Solitary confinement with no visitors except family, clergy, medical and legal professionals;
2) Productive labor for eight hours a day at whatever task is assigned to you (this must be something that can be done within the prisoner's cell);
3) No media of any kind except reading materials that can be considered educational or spiritual; and
4) Excellent behavior.
What about exercise?
Millions have done aerobics in the few square feet in front of their TVs. Inmates can do the same, except without the TV. Not to mention push-ups, sit-ups, jump-rope, isometrics, and running in place.
It would be far cheaper to keep an inmate in "lockdown" all of the time. An inmate who accepts this offer wouldn't be able to intimidate or be intimidated by other inmates. He wouldn't be pumping himself up in the weight room to facilitate overpowering the guards during the next riot. Therefore the prison would need fewer guards. New prisons could be made smaller, especially since many inmates would leave 66% faster, so there would be fewer inmates. The prospect of solitary confinement keeps the incentive to avoid prison. And the fact that it's a choice made by the convict keeps the ACLU away.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Outrageous Money-Making Scheme
Hey, let's get a bunch of tall guys to put on silly clothes and fight each other over who's better at putting a toy ball through a metal ring. We'll need to get a ton of taxpayer dollars to build a place to play this game, of course, and maybe a lot of those taxpayers will actually pay a bunch more money to visit the arenas that they paid for because they'd really want to see these games.
OK, I guess it's a silly idea...no one would fall for such an outrageous money-making scheme.
Sunday, May 24, 2009
Remember those who have paid dearly for our blessings
I searched the internet in vain to learn who this quote originated with, but it's still worth repeating:
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to his country for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'
Thanks to all who have served honorably in our armed forces, and a special appreciation goes out to those who have lost loved ones serving our country. God bless you.
A happy yet pensive Memorial Day to all.
A veteran is someone who, at one point in his life, wrote a blank check made payable to his country for an amount of 'up to and including my life.'
Thanks to all who have served honorably in our armed forces, and a special appreciation goes out to those who have lost loved ones serving our country. God bless you.
A happy yet pensive Memorial Day to all.
Monday, May 11, 2009
Altruism, Vengeance Not Condusive To Darwinistic Survival
My Miniature Pinscher killed a sparrow. I didn't see it happen, but I heard and then saw the ruckus as the surviving birds swirled around, threatening revenge on Buster. Why would they do that? Why would they take turns swooping down within a couple of feet of the one who had just demonstrated his willingness and his ability to kill? (He's killed at least twenty birds in his eight years of guarding our home) It couldn't have been some maternal or familial instinct to protect the species, you Darwinists out there, because most of the eight or nine birds that were trying to intimidate Buster were pigeons or blackbirds. Only one sparrow sought to avenge it's bird-of-a-feather.
Again I ask, why would they do that?
Again I ask, why would they do that?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Ten Non-Theological Reasons To Oppose Homosexual Marriage
If homosexual marriage becomes entrenched in the law...
1) there can be no rationale to refuse polygamists the right to legally wed...
2) there can be no rationale to refuse incestuous relationships the right to legally wed...
3) there can be no rationale to refuse inter-species relationships the right to legally wed...
4) through this precedent activists will force churches, religious counseling agencies, religious schools, and everyone else to hire homosexuals against their consciences...
5) every government institution (including schools) and every institution that has any government assistance (such as tax exemptions) will eventually be forced to portray homosexual marriage as normal...
6) it will become illegal to prevent children from being adopted or foster-cared by homosexual couples, even though more than ten thousand studies have concluded that the ideal for raising kids is having a father and a mother for a variety of reasons...
7) the health-care system, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents, many of whom are infected with STDs, including HIV...
8) the Social Security system, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents...
9) many retirement policies, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents.
Finally,
10) homosexual intercourse is disgusting, dirty, and unhealthy in and of itself, and homosexuals are much more likely to add even more dangerous and unhealthy sexual methods and instruments to their sexual expressions, and homosexuals are generally extremely promiscuous (not the marrying type). So it would be wrong for the State to sanctify homosexuality.
Instead, the State ought to promote the cure.
For further information, see
http://www.wevotevalues.com/11arguments.pdf
http://www.conservapedia.com/Homosexuality_and_Promiscuity
1) there can be no rationale to refuse polygamists the right to legally wed...
2) there can be no rationale to refuse incestuous relationships the right to legally wed...
3) there can be no rationale to refuse inter-species relationships the right to legally wed...
4) through this precedent activists will force churches, religious counseling agencies, religious schools, and everyone else to hire homosexuals against their consciences...
5) every government institution (including schools) and every institution that has any government assistance (such as tax exemptions) will eventually be forced to portray homosexual marriage as normal...
6) it will become illegal to prevent children from being adopted or foster-cared by homosexual couples, even though more than ten thousand studies have concluded that the ideal for raising kids is having a father and a mother for a variety of reasons...
7) the health-care system, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents, many of whom are infected with STDs, including HIV...
8) the Social Security system, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents...
9) many retirement policies, already strained, will be devastated with hundreds of thousands of new dependents.
Finally,
10) homosexual intercourse is disgusting, dirty, and unhealthy in and of itself, and homosexuals are much more likely to add even more dangerous and unhealthy sexual methods and instruments to their sexual expressions, and homosexuals are generally extremely promiscuous (not the marrying type). So it would be wrong for the State to sanctify homosexuality.
Instead, the State ought to promote the cure.
For further information, see
http://www.wevotevalues.com/11arguments.pdf
http://www.conservapedia.com/Homosexuality_and_Promiscuity
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Counterintuitive
Being a mailman, I can’t help but notice that there are certain mags that always feature sex on the cover, whether it’s the how-to articles in every issue of Cosmo, or the "cheesecake" in many other publications. Not to mention that TV, movies, & internet (occasionally including HotAir) have lots of sex all ’round. So…why is erectile dysfunction continually growing (no pun intended) as a social phenomenon? Why the ever-increasing need for sexucation & sex therapy? And why are the sexually happiest couples those who use few or none of the sexual “resources” I’ve listed above?
http://old.mbconf.ca/mb/mbh3704/mattox.htm
http://old.mbconf.ca/mb/mbh3704/mattox.htm
Sunday, April 26, 2009
A Call For A Health Care Revolution
John C. Goodman is the president of the National Center for Policy Analysis. His brilliant essay on the incredible depth, the cause, and the cure of our health care mess can be found here. I'll excerpt the cure part of it here:
Reprinted by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College.
Cleaning Up the Mess
The only sensible alternative to relying on a welfare state to solve our health care needs is a renewed reliance on private sector institutions that utilize individual choice and free markets to insure against unforeseen contingencies. In the case of Medicare, our single largest health care problem, such a solution would need to do three things: liberate the patients, liberate the doctors, and pre-fund the system as we move through time.
By liberating the patients I mean giving them more control over their money—at a minimum, one-third of their Medicare dollars. Designate what the patient is able to pay for with this money, and then give him control over it. Based on our experience with health savings accounts, people who are managing their own money make radically different choices. They find ways to be far more prudent and economical in their consumption.
As for doctors, most people don’t realize that they are trapped in a system where they have virtually no ability to re-price or re-package their services the way every other professional does. Medicare dictates what it will pay for, what it won’t pay for, and the final price. One example of the many harmful effects of this system is the absence of telephone consultations. Almost no one talks to his or her doctor on the phone. Why? Because Medicare doesn’t pay a doctor to talk to you on the phone. And private insurers, who tend to follow Medicare’s lead, don’t pay for phone consultations either. The same goes for e-mail: Only about two percent of patients and doctors e-mail each other—something that is normal in every other profession.
What about digitizing medical records? Doctors typically do not do this, which means that they can’t make use of software that allows electronic prescriptions and makes it easier to detect dangerous drug interactions or mistaken dosages. Again, this is something that Medicare doesn’t pay for. Likewise patient education: A great deal of medical care can be handled in the home without ever seeing a doctor or a nurse—e.g., the treatment of diabetes. But someone has to give patients the initial instruction, and Medicare doesn’t pay for that.
If we want to move medicine into the 21st century, we have to give doctors and hospitals the freedom to re-price and re-package their services in ways that neither increase the cost to government nor decrease the quality of service to the patient.
In terms of quality, another obvious free market idea is to have warranties for surgery such as we have on cars, houses and appliances. Many are surprised to learn that about 17 percent of Medicare patients who enter a hospital re-enter within 30 days—usually because of a problem connected with the initial surgery—with the result that the typical hospital makes money on its mistakes. In order for a hospital to make money in a system based on warranties, it must lower its mistake rate. Again, the goal of our policy should be to generate a market in which doctors and hospitals compete with each other to improve quality and cut costs.
We won’t be able to make any of this work in the long run, however, unless we pre-fund the system. Today’s teenagers are unlikely to receive medical care during retirement if they must rely on future taxpayers, because taxpayers of the future are unlikely to be agreeable to living in poverty in order to pay their elders’ medical bills. This means that everyone must start saving now for post-retirement health care. I would propose that everyone in the workforce put a minimum of four percent of his or her income—perhaps two percent from the employer and two percent from the employee—into a private account, invested in the marketplace, that would grow through time. These private accumulations would eventually replace taxpayer burdens.
In summary, if health care consumers are allowed to save and spend their own money, and if doctors are allowed to act like entrepreneurs—in other words, if we allow the market to work—there is every reason to believe that health care costs can be prevented from rising faster than our incomes.
The Market in Action
Let me offer a few examples of how the free market is already working on the fringes of health care. Cosmetic surgery is a market that acts like a real market—by which I mean that it is not covered by insurance, consumers can compare prices and services, and doctors can act as entrepreneurs. As a result, over the last 15 years, the real price of cosmetic surgery has gone down while that of almost every other kind of surgery has been rising faster than the Consumer Price Index—and even though the number of people getting cosmetic surgery has increased by five- or six-fold.
In Dallas there is an entrepreneurial health care provider with two million customers who pay a small fee each month for the ability to talk to a doctor on the telephone. Patients must have an electronic medical record, so that whichever doctor answers the phone can view the patient’s electronic medical record and talk to the patient. This company is growing in large part because it provides a service that the traditional health care system can’t provide. Likewise, walk-in clinics are becoming more numerous around the country. At most of these clinics a registered nurse sits in front of a computer terminal, the patient describes his symptoms, and the nurse types in the information and follows a computerized protocol. The patient’s record is electronic, the nurse can prescribe electronically, and the patient sees the price in advance.
We’re also seeing the rise of concierge doctors—doctors who don’t want to deal with third-party insurers. When this idea started out in California, doctors were charging 10-15 thousand dollars per year. But the free market has worked and the price has come down radically. In Dallas, concierge doctors charge only $40 per employee per month. In return, the patient receives access to the doctor by phone and e-mail, and the doctor keeps electronic medical records, competes for business based on lowering time costs as well as money costs, and is willing to help with patient education.
Finally, consider the international market for what has become known as medical tourism. Hospitals in India, Singapore and Thailand are competing worldwide for patients. Of course, no one is going to get on a plane without some assurances of low cost and high quality—which means that, in order to attract patients, these hospitals have to publicize their error rates, their mortality rates for certain kinds of surgery, their infection rates, and so on. Their doctors are all board-certified in the United States, and they compete for patients in the same way producers and suppliers compete for clients in any other market. Most of their patients come from Europe, but the long-term threat to the American hospital system can’t be denied. Leaving the country means leaving bureaucratic red tape behind and dealing instead with entrepreneurs who provide high-quality, low-cost medicine.
As these examples suggest, liberating the medical market by freeing doctors and patients is the only way to bring health care costs under control without sacrificing quality. Continuing on our current path—allowing health care costs to rise at twice the rate of income under the aegis of an unworkable government Ponzi scheme—is by comparison unreasonable.Reprinted by permission from Imprimis, a publication of Hillsdale College.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Tribute
In this blog, I've written about everything from bicyclists to education reform to Rush Limbaugh to scorpions. It's time to get a little personal. I want to honor my family.
My daughter Tabitha is a beautiful, intelligent 17 yr old with tremendous potential to accomplish much in this life. She's a talented actress (member of the International Thespian Society), an accomplished student (National Honor Society), and she won first prize in a beauty/talent competition some years ago (her talent was singing).
My almost-14 yr old son Isaac is also quite talented. He got a set of drums for Christmas, and he's much better at playing than I was five months after I started. He's also learning guitar and violin, and he's quite adept at Fruity-Loops, having recorded several CDs of his own compositions. He's got a fun sense of humor, and he's very easy to get along with (no sign of teen angst yet).
My bride Gina...what can I say? I'll say what I tell her every day: she's the best wife in the world. OK, I don't have any vast reservoir of empirical data to prove this assertion, but I still believe it to be true.
Gina has me wrapped around her little finger--I would do anything to show her that I love her. The secret of her power? She is truly kind, patient, gentle, humble, generous, meek, and forgiving. (That, Betty Friedan, is The Feminine Mystique)
She also loves the Lord and the mission that he has called us to. For now, she and I enjoy teaching 9AM the fourth-grade Sunday School at Chandler Christian Church.
Gina is a very talented painter/artist (please mention her to anyone who collects such art). Between her painting, her ministry, her part-time job at Wal-Mart, her vegetable garden, her excellent cooking, and her diligent house-keeping, she is the ultimate Proverbs 31 woman.
Am I bragging about my loved ones? Babe Ruth said something to the effect of, "It aint bragging if it's true." It's true.
My daughter Tabitha is a beautiful, intelligent 17 yr old with tremendous potential to accomplish much in this life. She's a talented actress (member of the International Thespian Society), an accomplished student (National Honor Society), and she won first prize in a beauty/talent competition some years ago (her talent was singing).
My almost-14 yr old son Isaac is also quite talented. He got a set of drums for Christmas, and he's much better at playing than I was five months after I started. He's also learning guitar and violin, and he's quite adept at Fruity-Loops, having recorded several CDs of his own compositions. He's got a fun sense of humor, and he's very easy to get along with (no sign of teen angst yet).
My bride Gina...what can I say? I'll say what I tell her every day: she's the best wife in the world. OK, I don't have any vast reservoir of empirical data to prove this assertion, but I still believe it to be true.
Gina has me wrapped around her little finger--I would do anything to show her that I love her. The secret of her power? She is truly kind, patient, gentle, humble, generous, meek, and forgiving. (That, Betty Friedan, is The Feminine Mystique)
She also loves the Lord and the mission that he has called us to. For now, she and I enjoy teaching 9AM the fourth-grade Sunday School at Chandler Christian Church.
Gina is a very talented painter/artist (please mention her to anyone who collects such art). Between her painting, her ministry, her part-time job at Wal-Mart, her vegetable garden, her excellent cooking, and her diligent house-keeping, she is the ultimate Proverbs 31 woman.
Am I bragging about my loved ones? Babe Ruth said something to the effect of, "It aint bragging if it's true." It's true.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
Who took the body?
The tomb was empty!
Where was the Corpus Christi, the body of Christ?
If the Romans or the Jewish leaders took it, they would have produced it promptly after the disciples started preaching the resurrection.
If the disciples took it, why did they keep preaching that they saw Jesus alive, that they saw him ascend to Heaven, when it would eventually cost most of them their lives? Who would die for what they know is a lie?
Jesus is risen indeed!
Where was the Corpus Christi, the body of Christ?
If the Romans or the Jewish leaders took it, they would have produced it promptly after the disciples started preaching the resurrection.
If the disciples took it, why did they keep preaching that they saw Jesus alive, that they saw him ascend to Heaven, when it would eventually cost most of them their lives? Who would die for what they know is a lie?
Jesus is risen indeed!
Thursday, April 9, 2009
You saw "The Passion", but...
One might think that it can't get any worse than the intense, relentless pain illuminated so forcefully in The Passion of The Christ, but I believe the worst part of Jesus’ suffering was the rejection:
by the civil government
by the religious elite
by the crowds that once followed him
by his disciples (Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, others ran away)
and, in my opinion, the worst thing anyone has ever suffered, Jesus’ own beloved Father turned his back on his beloved Son.
The Father had to forsake the Son when the sins of the world were dumped on him.
If you've seen Slumdog Millionaire, you'll remember the scene in which the young protagonist falls into the cesspool and emerges covered in feces. I think that might begin to illustrate the revulsion that the perfectly holy Lord Jesus must have felt when our sins were put upon him.
Thank you for leaving the glory of Heaven to suffer for us, Lord.
Have a happy yet pensive Holy Week.
by the civil government
by the religious elite
by the crowds that once followed him
by his disciples (Judas betrayed him, Peter denied him, others ran away)
and, in my opinion, the worst thing anyone has ever suffered, Jesus’ own beloved Father turned his back on his beloved Son.
The Father had to forsake the Son when the sins of the world were dumped on him.
If you've seen Slumdog Millionaire, you'll remember the scene in which the young protagonist falls into the cesspool and emerges covered in feces. I think that might begin to illustrate the revulsion that the perfectly holy Lord Jesus must have felt when our sins were put upon him.
Thank you for leaving the glory of Heaven to suffer for us, Lord.
Have a happy yet pensive Holy Week.
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Archeological Epic Fail
Please, please don't ever suppose that the Mormon "scriptures" are comparable to the Bible. The Book of Mormon was written by Joseph Smith, the son of a man who spent way too much time looking for buried treasure (especially that of Captain Kidd) and his very superstitious wife. Smith's tome is an Epic Fail in the archaeology department. For example, it claims that all of the following were around in the pre-Columbus New World:
horses, cattle, sheep, goats, elephants, wheat, barley, metallurgy (coins, "steel swords"), chariots, written languages, a massive temple
But there is no evidence whatsoever for any of these until up to 2000 years after Smith said they were in the Americas.
This "history" even describes a humongous battle in what is now upstate New York, on a hill that is now owned by the Mormon institution. Imagine a fight with 2,000,000 casualties, yet with no trace of evidence that it ever happened. Hmmm...I wonder why they're not doing any excavating, or allowing others to?
Smith even wrote that Jesus Christ was born in Jerusalem.
Mormonism teaches that every male Mormon must strive to become a god. Does that sound like anything remotely resembling Christianity?
If you're looking for a place to worship during this Holy Week, please don't visit any Mormon institution that has the audacity to call itself a church.
horses, cattle, sheep, goats, elephants, wheat, barley, metallurgy (coins, "steel swords"), chariots, written languages, a massive temple
But there is no evidence whatsoever for any of these until up to 2000 years after Smith said they were in the Americas.
This "history" even describes a humongous battle in what is now upstate New York, on a hill that is now owned by the Mormon institution. Imagine a fight with 2,000,000 casualties, yet with no trace of evidence that it ever happened. Hmmm...I wonder why they're not doing any excavating, or allowing others to?
Smith even wrote that Jesus Christ was born in Jerusalem.
Mormonism teaches that every male Mormon must strive to become a god. Does that sound like anything remotely resembling Christianity?
If you're looking for a place to worship during this Holy Week, please don't visit any Mormon institution that has the audacity to call itself a church.
Sunday, April 5, 2009
Joe & Katy
A friend of a friend--let's call him "Joe"--finally paid off his car, and he celebrated by getting it a $1700 paint job. The morning after it was finished, Joe was horrified to find scratches resembling a child's handwriting all over the passenger side of his car. He knew this would involve a lot of money and hassles. Joe went in to the house to get his two year old daughter "Katy", and after showing her the damage and much loud complaining to her, she said, "I sorry, I no do again." Poor Joe tried to come up with a way to explain to her just how much she had cost him, but she still didn't fully understand. He obviously couldn't force her to pay for it, so he did, while making sure that Katy would write her messages elsewhere.
Do you wonder why Jesus had to suffer and die for our forgiveness?
This Bible passage tells us that when God saw that every mortal who ever lived had done very costly damage to the moral fiber of the universe, he knew that it had to be paid for (because he is holy), and since there is no way we could pay for it, Jesus paid for us (because he is merciful) by suffering for us on the cross. Unfortunately, most people either don't know that they have damaged "the car", or they try to fix it in ways that only do more damage, or they call the damage "art".
Do you wonder why Jesus had to suffer and die for our forgiveness?
This Bible passage tells us that when God saw that every mortal who ever lived had done very costly damage to the moral fiber of the universe, he knew that it had to be paid for (because he is holy), and since there is no way we could pay for it, Jesus paid for us (because he is merciful) by suffering for us on the cross. Unfortunately, most people either don't know that they have damaged "the car", or they try to fix it in ways that only do more damage, or they call the damage "art".
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
April 1--Atheist Day?
No doubt about it: there are many absolutely brilliant atheists. And there are lots of absolutely brilliant Christians. So we have extremely intelligent folks who have diametrically opposed beliefs. How can this be?
What causes atheism?
I believe God intentionally arranged things so that the scientific, historical, and philosophical evidence alone would be less than overwhelming to prove his existence and his authority. You have to want, to seek, to love ultimate truth, regardless of the consequences, to find it. Fortunately, God promises that those who seek him wholeheartedly will find him. Unfortunately, most folks don't want him, because they love sin and/or they think they know best how to live their lives (pride). To illustrate:
--Sir Julian Huxley, nicknamed "Darwin's Bulldog", was asked why the scientific community quickly embraced evolution, and he candidly responded, "I suppose the reason we leaped at The Origin of Species was because the idea of God interfered with our sexual mores."
--Jesus Christ once rebuked the religious leaders who rejected him because of their pride: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not want the glory that comes from God?" You have to humble yourself to receive glory from God.
Who has more credibility?
The atheist scholar gathers facts to bolster his position, as does the Christian scholar. But I believe that the atheist has some credibility problems. First, he doesn't believe in an all-seeing Judge, so he has no motivation except pure altruism to honestly search for and propagate truth, and no human is constantly altruistic. In fact, I think Christians are far more likely to act altruistically. Second, when an atheist confidently asserts that he knows there is nothing in the universe except matter and energy (as Carl Sagan did shortly before he met his Maker), he probably hasn't inspected the entire universe to see if this is true. It's like saying, "I've never met a blue-eyed African American, so there are none." Those who have met blue-eyed African Americans, like I have, will disagree, but the doubter may keep doubting.
When the Bible says,
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God,"
it's not speaking of a lack of intelligence. The Hebrew word translated "fool" here has a moral connotation, as in acting or believing foolishly.
Happy April Fool's Day to you all.
What causes atheism?
I believe God intentionally arranged things so that the scientific, historical, and philosophical evidence alone would be less than overwhelming to prove his existence and his authority. You have to want, to seek, to love ultimate truth, regardless of the consequences, to find it. Fortunately, God promises that those who seek him wholeheartedly will find him. Unfortunately, most folks don't want him, because they love sin and/or they think they know best how to live their lives (pride). To illustrate:
--Sir Julian Huxley, nicknamed "Darwin's Bulldog", was asked why the scientific community quickly embraced evolution, and he candidly responded, "I suppose the reason we leaped at The Origin of Species was because the idea of God interfered with our sexual mores."
--Jesus Christ once rebuked the religious leaders who rejected him because of their pride: "How can you believe, when you receive glory from one another, and you do not want the glory that comes from God?" You have to humble yourself to receive glory from God.
Who has more credibility?
The atheist scholar gathers facts to bolster his position, as does the Christian scholar. But I believe that the atheist has some credibility problems. First, he doesn't believe in an all-seeing Judge, so he has no motivation except pure altruism to honestly search for and propagate truth, and no human is constantly altruistic. In fact, I think Christians are far more likely to act altruistically. Second, when an atheist confidently asserts that he knows there is nothing in the universe except matter and energy (as Carl Sagan did shortly before he met his Maker), he probably hasn't inspected the entire universe to see if this is true. It's like saying, "I've never met a blue-eyed African American, so there are none." Those who have met blue-eyed African Americans, like I have, will disagree, but the doubter may keep doubting.
When the Bible says,
The fool has said in his heart, "There is no God,"
it's not speaking of a lack of intelligence. The Hebrew word translated "fool" here has a moral connotation, as in acting or believing foolishly.
Happy April Fool's Day to you all.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
I Almost Wet My Pants!
Once every month or two, someone at the office I work at finds a scorpion creeping around inside the building (we're literally at the edge of the desert). Usually they're tiny, but the other day a big specimen was discovered--stretched out, nearly five inches (30 cm). I asked the finder if I could have it, to make it into a decoration. I took it home and dumped it into a bucket of water to drown it. Two hours later, I took it out, put it into a big dog food bowl we don't use any more, and I began to shape it into a cool pose while it was still flexible. Several minutes of handling later, it was ready, so I carefully took the bowl into the garage to let it dry there for a couple of days. Ten minutes later, my son Isaac wanted to see it. We went into the garage...to find it walking around! I nearly wet my pants.
I now know just a wee bit of how the apostles must have felt when seeing the risen Christ!
Anyway, it's very dead now (I put it in the water for three days), and when it dries, I'll cover it with about ten coats of clear lacquer spray paint. I'll have a decoration and a conversation piece.
I now know just a wee bit of how the apostles must have felt when seeing the risen Christ!
Anyway, it's very dead now (I put it in the water for three days), and when it dries, I'll cover it with about ten coats of clear lacquer spray paint. I'll have a decoration and a conversation piece.
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Rabid Rants
I'm weary of what seems like bi-weekly local news stories in which a dog has killed or maimed a person, and invariably at the time of the report the beast "is being quarantined". Why isn't the worthless monster dead already?
I'm weary of animal charities appealing for money. With all of the human need on this planet, I'm baffled and annoyed that anyone would consider the Humane Society or the World Wildlife Fund more deserving of donations than organizations that help people.
I'm weary of folks who love animals way too much.
I'm weary of animal charities appealing for money. With all of the human need on this planet, I'm baffled and annoyed that anyone would consider the Humane Society or the World Wildlife Fund more deserving of donations than organizations that help people.
I'm weary of folks who love animals way too much.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
What caused the meltdown?
The ignorance displayed by Chris Matthews and his collection of "experts" on this weekend's show is shocking and disturbing. I'm not going to discuss their Limbaugh comments--Rush is usually right, but he's too mean-spirited and boastful for me. I'm referring to their repeated, unanimous, confident assertions that, in this economic crisis, it is oh-so-obvious that capitalism has failed us. Months ago I considered writing about the cause of the meltdown, but I thought the truth was at least out there and fairly commonly known, even if some socialists were scrambling to distort it. Judging from Matthews' misinformation, I may have been wrong. For the truth behind the housing bubble bursting, which was the first domino to fall, here is an excellent history. And here is Fox News' summary. And here is a microcosm of the government's wrong priorities.
I'm no TV pundit--I'm just a nobody in flyover country--but I know better than to automatically trust what comes across the TV. Capitalism works just fine. Government intruding where it shouldn't--liberalism--is what has failed us.
I'm no TV pundit--I'm just a nobody in flyover country--but I know better than to automatically trust what comes across the TV. Capitalism works just fine. Government intruding where it shouldn't--liberalism--is what has failed us.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Tax Cheat Tim Geithner’s History Of Incompetence
Guest blogger Ed Morrissey from HotAir.com:
Remember when the Obama administration and its allies in Congress urged the confirmation of Tim Geithner despite his tax problems? They claimed that Geithner was “uniquely qualified” to lead the nation out of an economic collapse, and that no other candidate could possibly replace Geithner. Former Australian prime minister Paul Keating must have thought the Democrats and American media had discovered a completely different Tim Geithner than the one he knew:
If anyone in the US media had thought to ask a former Australian prime minister for his assessment, they would have heard a different view. And they would not have been so surprised at Geithner’s performance since.
In a speech to a closed gathering at the Lowy Institute in Sydney on Thursday, Paul Keating gave a starkly different account of Geithner’s record in handling the Asian crisis: “Tim Geithner was the Treasury line officer who wrote the IMF [International Monetary Fund] program for Indonesia in 1997-98, which was to apply current account solutions to a capital account crisis.”
In other words, Geithner fundamentally misdiagnosed the problem. And his misdiagnosis led to a dreadfully wrong prescription.
In fact, Geithner bungled the job so badly that Asian nations still refuse to “stick their head in the IMF noose,” as Keating puts it. Despite 7% compound growth over several years afterwards, Indonesia still couldn’t get itself out of the hole Geithner dug for them. Soeharto lost power, and countries like China paid attention. Instead of working more cooperatively, China built up big reserves, creating a debt imbalance that helped make the current financial crisis much worse than it might have been.
Geithner’s performance since his confirmation hasn’t surprised Keating at all. The dithering on bank issues has left the US with few realistic options outside of nationalization on some scale. The vacillation and fumbled rollouts of economic policy have left the markets with no confidence at all in his leadership, leading to a flight from capital investment clearly shown in the stock market performance of the last few weeks. Keating understands that lack of confidence from his own experiences with Geithner, but the US has just begun to figure out Geithner’s incompetence.
That sound you hear from down under? Laughter at the gullibility of Congress and the media in buying the argument that a man who couldn’t figure out his own taxes had the only qualifications for handling American economic policy. Our mainstream media never reported on this botch-up until it was far too late to do anything about it.
Thursday, February 26, 2009
No Doubt About It
I know God is real.
By the hundreds of prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled.
By the power of the Bible to discern the thoughts of our hearts and to transform our lives.
By the wisdom of the Bible, which is the biggest influence upon Western Civilization and the cornerstone for the greatest nation in history.
By the truth of the Bible, which has persuaded the hardest of skeptics who have dared to examine it.
By the way God's Spirit has spoken to my heart exactly what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it, for almost thirty years.
By the miracles of healing I’ve received.
By the testimony of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Christ, who were willing to die for their faith (if it was a lie, why would they die?).
And by this:
Jesus claimed to be the Lord, the source of life, the only way to Heaven. Either he is or he isn’t. If he isn’t, either he knew it (he's a liar) or he didn’t (he's a lunatic).
So he has to be either Lord, liar, or lunatic.
His words inspired ten of his closest friends to lay down their lives for him. His words have been universally acclaimed as the wisest ever recorded. His words have inspired many millions--from self-righteous moralists to serial murderers--to change their ways and follow him.
Lunatic? Come on.
He accepted the arrest, the whipping, the fists, the interrogations, the crown of thorns, the crowd's scorn, and the cross without changing his story.
Liar? Get real.
Jesus is Lord.
By the hundreds of prophecies in the Bible that have been fulfilled.
By the power of the Bible to discern the thoughts of our hearts and to transform our lives.
By the wisdom of the Bible, which is the biggest influence upon Western Civilization and the cornerstone for the greatest nation in history.
By the truth of the Bible, which has persuaded the hardest of skeptics who have dared to examine it.
By the way God's Spirit has spoken to my heart exactly what I needed to hear, when I needed to hear it, for almost thirty years.
By the miracles of healing I’ve received.
By the testimony of the eyewitnesses of the resurrection of Christ, who were willing to die for their faith (if it was a lie, why would they die?).
And by this:
Jesus claimed to be the Lord, the source of life, the only way to Heaven. Either he is or he isn’t. If he isn’t, either he knew it (he's a liar) or he didn’t (he's a lunatic).
So he has to be either Lord, liar, or lunatic.
His words inspired ten of his closest friends to lay down their lives for him. His words have been universally acclaimed as the wisest ever recorded. His words have inspired many millions--from self-righteous moralists to serial murderers--to change their ways and follow him.
Lunatic? Come on.
He accepted the arrest, the whipping, the fists, the interrogations, the crown of thorns, the crowd's scorn, and the cross without changing his story.
Liar? Get real.
Jesus is Lord.
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Undiluted Is Best
Please don’t judge Christianity as a whole by American Christianity. While there are multitudes of wonderful Christians here, there are millions of what the Bible calls “tares” (wheat-lookalike weeds growing among the wheat). It’s easy to say you believe in Jesus here, and many mean-spirited or foul-mouthed or perverted people do say so.
For the purest Christianity, look in places where the Church is persecuted.
For the purest Christianity, look in places where the Church is persecuted.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Anniversary Answers
I'm blessed to be a member of the exclusive HotAir.com comment community (hundreds of thousands of readers, only about two hundred commenters). During the inevitable evolution debates as we mark the 200th birthday of Charles Darwin, I've been concerned with the response of some creationists. For example, saying "evolution is a myth" is not rational. Micro-evolution is observable all around us, from the many dog breeds to the various beak sizes of finches that Darwin observed. Attacking the concept of natural selection is silly, too. The wolf pack will most likely catch the slowest, weakest elk in the herd, and the eagles with the sharpest eyesight will probably out-survive their compadres who need optimetric care. But it's no wonder that Darwin did not discuss the origin of species in his seminal work The Origin Of Species. Natural selection does not explain how the life itself began--selection implies that there are already species to select from. And there is no natural way that one specie can change into another (macro-evolution). (see posts from 1/17/9, 1/1/9, 11/9/8, 6/8/8, and 11/20/7)
Wednesday, February 11, 2009
Slumdogs
My son will be fourteen soon. He and I have been talking about what it means to be a man.
For those who say (by your words or by the way you live) that manliness is defined by sexual conquests, ability to hold alcohol, swearing, stunts, or sporting exploits, I say quit fooling yourself. Try responsibility, leadership, integrity, and confidence.
I've been reading about Slumdog Millionaire. It's the kind of film I wouldn't have taken my son to a year or two ago--violent, dark, with bad language and some sexual situations (probably mild by Hollywood standards). The "dirty" parts are by no means gratuitous; they add weight to the physically dirty lives the characters lead.
I saw Slumdog as an opportunity to teach my boy about the way most of the world lives. Americans of every age are far too insulated about the desperate conditions that plague hundreds of millions, and our media are too myopic, too uninterested in anything beyond our still-wealthy shores. This film takes us to the foreign depths of despair in a sometimes heart-breaking but ultimately exhilarating way.
I also wanted to remind my son that we rich Americans can do something to help children like Jamal and Salim. A dollar goes far in Third World economies. My favorite channels to bless poor children are here, here, and here (my wife and I are friends with the leaders of the first two, and I am the editor of the third's email reports).
My son surprised me as we left the theater this evening. He said this was an awesome movie, even "better than The Dark Knight". I agree.
Update: During the Academy Awards buzz about Slumdogs, I learned that the children in the movie were not trained actors--they were plucked from the slums of Mumbai, India. I'm so happy that their future is brighter now that they're famous. For more rags-to-riches stories, please support one of the charities I linked above!
For those who say (by your words or by the way you live) that manliness is defined by sexual conquests, ability to hold alcohol, swearing, stunts, or sporting exploits, I say quit fooling yourself. Try responsibility, leadership, integrity, and confidence.
I've been reading about Slumdog Millionaire. It's the kind of film I wouldn't have taken my son to a year or two ago--violent, dark, with bad language and some sexual situations (probably mild by Hollywood standards). The "dirty" parts are by no means gratuitous; they add weight to the physically dirty lives the characters lead.
I saw Slumdog as an opportunity to teach my boy about the way most of the world lives. Americans of every age are far too insulated about the desperate conditions that plague hundreds of millions, and our media are too myopic, too uninterested in anything beyond our still-wealthy shores. This film takes us to the foreign depths of despair in a sometimes heart-breaking but ultimately exhilarating way.
I also wanted to remind my son that we rich Americans can do something to help children like Jamal and Salim. A dollar goes far in Third World economies. My favorite channels to bless poor children are here, here, and here (my wife and I are friends with the leaders of the first two, and I am the editor of the third's email reports).
My son surprised me as we left the theater this evening. He said this was an awesome movie, even "better than The Dark Knight". I agree.
Update: During the Academy Awards buzz about Slumdogs, I learned that the children in the movie were not trained actors--they were plucked from the slums of Mumbai, India. I'm so happy that their future is brighter now that they're famous. For more rags-to-riches stories, please support one of the charities I linked above!
Monday, January 19, 2009
Enjoy Your Day Off Today
It's not difficult to find tons of dirt on the guy. Just type his name and "adulterer", or his name and "communist", or his name and "plagiarist", into a search engine. If you think these are all internet fables, rest assured that snopes is not exactly a bastion of right-wing extremism. It's especially problematic that he clung to the title Reverend throughout his public life. Palling around with communists and whores is not a lifestyle worthy of being revered. But he was an excellent speaker (even though some of his speeches had plenty of borrowed thoughts and words).
I would suggest that today be called Racial Equality Day instead, but where's the equality when the only reasons that his dirt is swept under the rug are that he's Black and martyred? Where's the equality when we have Black History Month every February, but no Asian History Month? Where's the equality when the only reasons that Barack H. Obama will rise to the pinnacle of temporal power tomorrow are that he's Black and a good speaker (who also happens to borrow thoughts and words from others' speeches)?
I would suggest that today be called Racial Equality Day instead, but where's the equality when the only reasons that his dirt is swept under the rug are that he's Black and martyred? Where's the equality when we have Black History Month every February, but no Asian History Month? Where's the equality when the only reasons that Barack H. Obama will rise to the pinnacle of temporal power tomorrow are that he's Black and a good speaker (who also happens to borrow thoughts and words from others' speeches)?
Saturday, January 17, 2009
No Sweat
A few animals have limited ability to prevent a rise in body temperature by evaporative cooling through sweat secretion. Since evolutionists insist that monkeys and men are closely related, surely they exhibit similar sweat-cooling characteristics, right? The monkey has virtually no ability to cool itself with sweat. Other animals? Cats have a slight ability; dogs greater but still slight. Horses have more ability to sweat, though their sweating is tied to exertion rather than body temperature. Only humans use sweat glands to such an extent to cool off.
Sweat glands are incredibly complex, and if they are the products of evolution, then no doubt the ability to sweat must be indicative of how closely species are related to each other. So horses are our nearest relatives, not monkeys. I'm sure he would agree. And he would tell you about it until his voice became hoarse.
Sweat glands are incredibly complex, and if they are the products of evolution, then no doubt the ability to sweat must be indicative of how closely species are related to each other. So horses are our nearest relatives, not monkeys. I'm sure he would agree. And he would tell you about it until his voice became hoarse.
Sunday, January 4, 2009
Retirement? There's Too Much Work To Do
Most people retire to take it easy. Most people fill their quotas for adventure with movies, amusement parks, games, and tourism. Most people try to keep the needs of humanity from getting too close. I hope to persuade you to "retire" to a life of adventure while serving humanity.
I will be eligible to retire in about four and a half years (I'll be 53). At that time, my wife and I will take our meager savings and small pension to the Philippines. (If we were to stay here, we wouldn't be able financially to retire yet. In that Third-World economy, we'll be living well.) We'll devote our lives to the welfare of poor children. Startling fact: 50% of the population in the Philippines is age 16 or younger. With the poverty, domestic violence, neglect, and child-labor abuse in that nation of 80 million, there's a lot of need.
Don't praise us for any perceived altruism--imitate us! Ask God to show you a need in a Third-World country that you can get passionate about.
Many of you have job-related retirement benefits waiting for you in the future. Others have savings and investments prepared. Why retire here and barely get by, playing games and rocking your chair every day, when you can live well and do good in Mexico or Liberia or the Philippines?
OK, I understand that this is not for everyone. But I hope I planted a seed in at least one person who will go and change lives in a far land.
I will be eligible to retire in about four and a half years (I'll be 53). At that time, my wife and I will take our meager savings and small pension to the Philippines. (If we were to stay here, we wouldn't be able financially to retire yet. In that Third-World economy, we'll be living well.) We'll devote our lives to the welfare of poor children. Startling fact: 50% of the population in the Philippines is age 16 or younger. With the poverty, domestic violence, neglect, and child-labor abuse in that nation of 80 million, there's a lot of need.
Don't praise us for any perceived altruism--imitate us! Ask God to show you a need in a Third-World country that you can get passionate about.
Many of you have job-related retirement benefits waiting for you in the future. Others have savings and investments prepared. Why retire here and barely get by, playing games and rocking your chair every day, when you can live well and do good in Mexico or Liberia or the Philippines?
OK, I understand that this is not for everyone. But I hope I planted a seed in at least one person who will go and change lives in a far land.
Saturday, January 3, 2009
The Man Of Sorrows
For those who went to church at Christmas after missing every service since the previous Christmas, please allow me to reflect on the meaninglessness of Christmas without Resurrection Day, a.k.a. Easter.
Mel Gibson went to great pains in researching Biblical narratives and ancient Roman culture to accurately portray the arrest, trial, scourging, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One cannot watch The Passion of the Christ without being awestruck at the amount of physical suffering the Lord endured, and many have come to appreciate him all the more for being willing to go through that for our sake. I do find one fault with the film, however. I wish Gibson had done more to show how much Christ suffered. Let me explain: I believe that the physical pain that Gibson portrayed in Passion was only a fraction of what Jesus endured. Besides the whipping, the beatings, the crown of thorns, the dehydration, the sleep deprivation, etc., the one who had never sinned became sin. The Bible's 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us:
God made him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We might have difficulty comprehending the dreadful nature of this punishment because we haven't experienced anything like it. Perhaps I can illustrate it: Imagine a child born with no immune system, who has to live his entire life in a totally sanitary environment. One day someone abducts him and throws him into a huge septic tank to drown. This analogy falls short in that having a deficient immune system is a dire weakness, while being immaculately holy is an incredible strength, but it's the best I can come up with to illustrate the extremes of cleanliness and filth.
Perhaps the worst thing Jesus had to suffer was being rejected by his Father. Again, we can't fully understand this. We have never loved anyone as much as Jesus loves his Father, and we have never been so inseparable from anyone for immeasurable eons of time. One of the few personal complaints ever uttered by Jesus was regarding his anguish of soul from being abandoned by his Father. The Father had to turn his back on the Son because he had become sin for our sake. This reveals God's intense hatred of sin, which makes our Lord's intense love for sinners like us so amazing. This love explains why Jesus left the glory of Heaven to suffer what he did. Do you love him? Enough to walk with him every day, no, every moment? After all, just going to church once a year is weak.
Mel Gibson went to great pains in researching Biblical narratives and ancient Roman culture to accurately portray the arrest, trial, scourging, and crucifixion of Jesus Christ. One cannot watch The Passion of the Christ without being awestruck at the amount of physical suffering the Lord endured, and many have come to appreciate him all the more for being willing to go through that for our sake. I do find one fault with the film, however. I wish Gibson had done more to show how much Christ suffered. Let me explain: I believe that the physical pain that Gibson portrayed in Passion was only a fraction of what Jesus endured. Besides the whipping, the beatings, the crown of thorns, the dehydration, the sleep deprivation, etc., the one who had never sinned became sin. The Bible's 2 Corinthians 5:21 tells us:
God made him who had no sin to become sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
We might have difficulty comprehending the dreadful nature of this punishment because we haven't experienced anything like it. Perhaps I can illustrate it: Imagine a child born with no immune system, who has to live his entire life in a totally sanitary environment. One day someone abducts him and throws him into a huge septic tank to drown. This analogy falls short in that having a deficient immune system is a dire weakness, while being immaculately holy is an incredible strength, but it's the best I can come up with to illustrate the extremes of cleanliness and filth.
Perhaps the worst thing Jesus had to suffer was being rejected by his Father. Again, we can't fully understand this. We have never loved anyone as much as Jesus loves his Father, and we have never been so inseparable from anyone for immeasurable eons of time. One of the few personal complaints ever uttered by Jesus was regarding his anguish of soul from being abandoned by his Father. The Father had to turn his back on the Son because he had become sin for our sake. This reveals God's intense hatred of sin, which makes our Lord's intense love for sinners like us so amazing. This love explains why Jesus left the glory of Heaven to suffer what he did. Do you love him? Enough to walk with him every day, no, every moment? After all, just going to church once a year is weak.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
On the Origin of Species
Yes, I borrowed the title for this post from Darwin's seminal tome, but I'm going to do what Darwin didn't: pontificate on the origin of the first specie. The origin of life. The pertinent facts:
1) Whether creationist or evolutionist, we all know that at some time in history, biological life arose from non-living matter.
2) We have known from the time of Pasteur that life cannot naturally, spontaneously arise from non-living matter.
3) Therefore, life arising from non-living matter must have occurred outside of the laws of nature, or supernaturally.
Some evolutionists, most notably Richard Dawkins, try to avoid this logic by claiming that life on Earth was seeded by extraterrestrials. However, this only pushes the origin of biological life farther back. It still originated somewhere.
To those who would turn this logical progression back at me and ask about the origin of the Creator's life, I would remind you that I am discussing the origin of biological life. Since God is, by definition, above the laws of nature, one cannot use science to discuss the possibilities of whether he has an origin or is eternal. That discussion is for theologians and philosophers.
If Darwin and Pasteur were contemporaries, why did the scientific community rush to embrace Darwin's theory while seemingly ignoring Pasteur's conclusions? I think Sir Julian Huxley (nicknamed "Darwin's bulldog" because he was the leading evolutionist of his day), when asked this question, may have said it best:
"I suppose the reason that we all jumped at The Origin (of Species) was that the idea of God interfered with our sexual mores."
Now that we have dispensed with the supposedly spontaneous generation of life, we can critique the things that Darwin covered.
Because of the limited technology of his time, Darwin thought that the mechanics of biology were far simpler than they actually are. For example, he thought that cells were not much more than blobs of goo. We now know that cells can be more complex than the computer you're using now. I do not doubt that if Darwin knew what we now know about this complexity, and the irreducible nature of much of the complexity in nature, he would have never considered macro-evolution to be possible.
Additionally, Darwin wrote that he was confident that paleontology--a science still in its infancy in his day--would one day provide millions of fossils of creatures in transitional stages of evolving from one species to another. These are still missing.
Also missing is common sense from much of the scientific community today. If a blue-collar, college non-grad like me could figure this out, why can't they?
This simple article is only food for thought. Please read the linked web pages for more information.
1) Whether creationist or evolutionist, we all know that at some time in history, biological life arose from non-living matter.
2) We have known from the time of Pasteur that life cannot naturally, spontaneously arise from non-living matter.
3) Therefore, life arising from non-living matter must have occurred outside of the laws of nature, or supernaturally.
Some evolutionists, most notably Richard Dawkins, try to avoid this logic by claiming that life on Earth was seeded by extraterrestrials. However, this only pushes the origin of biological life farther back. It still originated somewhere.
To those who would turn this logical progression back at me and ask about the origin of the Creator's life, I would remind you that I am discussing the origin of biological life. Since God is, by definition, above the laws of nature, one cannot use science to discuss the possibilities of whether he has an origin or is eternal. That discussion is for theologians and philosophers.
If Darwin and Pasteur were contemporaries, why did the scientific community rush to embrace Darwin's theory while seemingly ignoring Pasteur's conclusions? I think Sir Julian Huxley (nicknamed "Darwin's bulldog" because he was the leading evolutionist of his day), when asked this question, may have said it best:
"I suppose the reason that we all jumped at The Origin (of Species) was that the idea of God interfered with our sexual mores."
Now that we have dispensed with the supposedly spontaneous generation of life, we can critique the things that Darwin covered.
Because of the limited technology of his time, Darwin thought that the mechanics of biology were far simpler than they actually are. For example, he thought that cells were not much more than blobs of goo. We now know that cells can be more complex than the computer you're using now. I do not doubt that if Darwin knew what we now know about this complexity, and the irreducible nature of much of the complexity in nature, he would have never considered macro-evolution to be possible.
Additionally, Darwin wrote that he was confident that paleontology--a science still in its infancy in his day--would one day provide millions of fossils of creatures in transitional stages of evolving from one species to another. These are still missing.
Also missing is common sense from much of the scientific community today. If a blue-collar, college non-grad like me could figure this out, why can't they?
This simple article is only food for thought. Please read the linked web pages for more information.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Learning Insights About Human Nature
I mentioned a while ago that I have had puppies to sell. This has been the fifth litter we've sold. Along with a small minority of honest, happy customers, I've experienced many, uh...shall we say, disappointments. Dozens of times, people have called and lied to me: "I'll call you right back to let you know if we'll come," or, "I'll be there in twenty minutes," and they're gone. Even more brazenly, folks have looked me in the eye and lied many times. For example, a few days ago a couple of women asked me where the nearest ATM was (it's less than a mile from my house). They said that they would go get the cash and come right back for the puppy. I never saw or heard from them again. These are all nice-sounding, and when I see them, nice-looking people. Just like you and me. And that's the saddest point.
We are not as good as we think we are. We compare ourselves with others around us, and we can always find people who act worse than us (as I did in the first paragraph). But the Bible says, "All men are liars" ("men" refers to humanity--don't quote that to your husbands, ladies), and, "All have sinned, and all fall short of the glory of God." It also says, "The wages of sin is death," and, "It is appointed for everyone to die, and after this, the judgment."
Now that you've read the bad news, here's the good: Jesus lived the sinless life that each one of us should have lived. Then he suffered the penalty of death that we all deserve. Now he offers forgiveness for our sins when we live by our faith in him.
I don't know if All Dogs Go To Heaven, but I know that I will, by the grace of God.
We are not as good as we think we are. We compare ourselves with others around us, and we can always find people who act worse than us (as I did in the first paragraph). But the Bible says, "All men are liars" ("men" refers to humanity--don't quote that to your husbands, ladies), and, "All have sinned, and all fall short of the glory of God." It also says, "The wages of sin is death," and, "It is appointed for everyone to die, and after this, the judgment."
Now that you've read the bad news, here's the good: Jesus lived the sinless life that each one of us should have lived. Then he suffered the penalty of death that we all deserve. Now he offers forgiveness for our sins when we live by our faith in him.
I don't know if All Dogs Go To Heaven, but I know that I will, by the grace of God.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
Follow-Up: The W-o-r-s-t Christmas Songs
Dan Folgelberg trashes the spirit of Christmas with a perennial favorite that glorifies adultery.
The late communist and atheist John Lennon adds irony to goofiness by singing a Christmas song with inaccuracies such as Christmas starts a new year, with his wife Yoko Oh-No contributing backup screeches.
Little Drummer Boy does well in honoring the Lord Jesus Christ, but why does the kid keep saying he has nothing to give to the Lord when he has a drum? And turning it from bad to creepy is Michael Jackson's version (MJ singing about a little boy...eewww).
Feliz Navidad was fine the first time I heard it, but its endless repetition of basically one line--"Merry Christmas, I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"--is nauseating now.
The late communist and atheist John Lennon adds irony to goofiness by singing a Christmas song with inaccuracies such as Christmas starts a new year, with his wife Yoko Oh-No contributing backup screeches.
Little Drummer Boy does well in honoring the Lord Jesus Christ, but why does the kid keep saying he has nothing to give to the Lord when he has a drum? And turning it from bad to creepy is Michael Jackson's version (MJ singing about a little boy...eewww).
Feliz Navidad was fine the first time I heard it, but its endless repetition of basically one line--"Merry Christmas, I wanna wish you a Merry Christmas"--is nauseating now.
Monday, December 15, 2008
Tunes For A Merry Christmas
Here's my Christmas e-Card: Links to my favorite Christmas songs (at least my favorite ones that are on YouTube). Enjoy!
Best Male Vocalist Christmas Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OTgMe5demPc
Best Female Vocalist Christmas Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3EU5p4Xys
Best Singing-Children Christmas Song:
Best Female Vocalist Christmas Song:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4j3EU5p4Xys
Best Singing-Children Christmas Song:
Best Instrumental Christmas Song:
Best Modern Rock Christmas Song:
Best Call-To-Social-Action Christmas Song (It's Not What You Think):
Best 90s Glam-Rock Christmas Song (sans Spandex):
Best RedNeck Christmas Song:
Best New Christmas Song (And My Current Overall Favorite):
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