Universal Healthcare

There are few words that incite greater passionate reactions on both sides of the political spectrum than "universal healthcare." I was initially reluctant to post anything on the matter because I was concerned about what kind of firestorm of comments I might unwittingly arouse. Through the course of a few conversations with different people and trying to gather some more information on the matter, I was surprised at my own level of misunderstanding, and I wonder if some of my misconceptions are shared by others.

I think my first "a-ha" moment was when I realized there is a difference between universal healthcare and universal healthcare coverage. The words "universal healthcare" have a very negative connotation in my mind. My initial reaction is to imagine a very socialized, almost Soviet style central planning and state ownership and management of healthcare services. I think heavy administrative bureaucracy, escalating costs and decreasing care would likely result from that type of system. Perhaps in its initial form this is what some people were proposing, but I don't think it has many supporters today. What I am learning is that more emphasis is being placed on universal healthcare coverage.

Universal healthcare coverage still relies on private industry. It seeks to make sure that everyone has access to health insurance to pay for medical treatment provided by private industry; it does not expect these services to be provided by the government. Again, that was a vitally important distinction for me to begin to understand.

There is disagreement on how access to this health insurance is to be gained. Some people want to require all employers to offer healthcare coverage to their employees. I would be concerned that the administrative and financial burden would be very detrimental to small businesses and the overall economy. (I know with my dad's experience, his business would probably have immediately gone under if he had that additional cost.) At this point, I think having state administered group plans that are available to everyone appears to be a better alternative. There are currently plans in place in each state called SCHIPS which expand medical coverage to those who make enough to not be eligbile for medicaid but can not afford private insurance.

I think there could be a lot of progress made in assisting the millions of Americans who do not have healthcare insurance and coverage (and therefore little access to appropriate levels of care) through a combination of strong SCHIP programs coupled with Health Savings Accounts. I have not seen anyone linking the two together yet, but I think it is an important step to take. I think deductibles, doctor co-pays and first dollar payments are an important check on the system that prevent over-use and abuse. The financial burden of these personal payments can be eased by the use of HSA's.

The issue of universal healtcare coverage and poverty are obviously interlinked. This is also why I would support an increase in the minimum wage. I am not sure where that stands right now in Congress. I think it would be far better to raise the minimum wage and provide additional income for lower income individuals and families to purchase healthcare through a state program than to require each small business to create and administer its own plan. It is also possible for states to subsidize these programs and further make health insurance affordable.

There still needs to be major reform within the healthcare industry itself, with greater emphasis paid on preventative and holistic care and greater use of information technology to reduce both burdensome administrative paperwork and the risk of malpractice. But that is probably another story for another time.

Some articles and resources I found interesting and helpful:
How to Heal Health Care
The Reformer and the Gadfly Agree on Health Care
http://clinton.senate.gov/issues/health/
http://johnedwards.com/about/issues/health-care/
http://www.newt.org/backpage.asp?art=3485
http://www.newt.org/backpage.asp?art=1897

Beware of Unintended Consequences

I am very supportive of the push for alternative fuels and more integrated use of renewable resources. However, I find myself rather alarmed by the frenzied, almost blind rush towards grain based ethanol. If not managed carefully, the rush towards this new alternative fuel could have dramatic conquences, not only economically but also to the natural environment.

First of all, has everyone forgotten that food is not exactly in abundant supply in many parts of the world, and that we are beginning to divert substantial amounts of crops that would be used for food into fuel? Or that a significant portion of our foreign aid is delivered in the form of corn, wheat and other natural grains? Also, according to one report I heard recently, inflationary pressures caused be increases in food prices have a much greater impact on most families' finances than increases in fuel prices. And if it is a greater burden for Americans to pay more for food than for fuel, imagine what it's like in many parts of the world where food can barely be afforded. Further, in places like Brazil where ethanol is the primary fuel, there is increasingly rampant deforestation to make room for sugar crops to produce the ethanol. So, we end up destroying the environment that we are trying to protect by switching from petroleum to ethanol based products in the first place.

Again, I support the exploration and implementation of alternative sources of energy, but we need to think very carefully about this now before we create a larger mess for ourselves in the future. I wish there was a stronger push for waste-product based biofuel production (i.e. switchgrass) than grain based production.

WWJ(W)D?

This morning I went out to my car and was shuffling a few things around as I was getting ready to leave for work. When I looked up, there was a police officer standing next to my car. I rolled down my window, and he asked if I knew the lady who lived in the apartment building next to me. I responded that I didn't, and he went on to explain that about an hour earlier she had been beaten unconscious and carjacked. Apparently she had resisted, and they (?) had beaten her profusely. He asked if I had heard anything, but I hadn't. He thanked me for my time, I thanked him, and then he walked away.

This is deeply disturbing. It got me wondering what the appropriate response would be in an incident like that. If I had walked outside an hour earlier and seen this event transpiring, what would I have done? As I was beginning to process this incident, my first reaction was a feeling of guilt. I wish I had heard something so that I could have called 911 and then walked outside with my Louisville Slugger. I know that's probably not the technically correct response, and that you should stay safe and let the police handle it. But in my gut I kept thinking, maybe it's about time some good men start taking some risks. If we never stand up, evil men will never back down. To repeat one of my favorite quotes, "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." I then wondered, what if I did walk outside with my baseball bat and one of them had a gun? If nothing else, this gave me a new appreciation for many of Jeff's posts on carrying arms.

This all brought back to mind an article Angela had sent to me shortly after 9/11. Incidentally, I watched my first John Wayne movie about two weeks ago. I was bored on a Saturday night, and I realized I had never actually seen a John Wayne movie so it seemed like a good idea. Maybe it was the novelty of it, but I actually liked it. Obviously, there is a suspension of certain realities and Wayne's character is idealized, but there was still something very appealing about it, about being the kind, generous, strong, respectful, man of integrity who shows up to save the day. It got me phrasing this morning's incident in the form of a different question: What Would John Wayne Do? Yes, I know he is not the model of behavior for us that Jesus is, but in this particular incident I have a feeling their reaction might have been fairly similar.

For now I guess there's not much I can do. And the way the news reported the episode was different from the perception I got from speaking with the officer so I'm rather confused by what transpired. I might drop off a little card to my neighbor expressing my concern. What else should I do?

March Madness

There are few things I am more indifferent to than March Madness. I guess this is because I didn't go to a large college, and even though our basketball team was really good within its league or conference I only went to one game and didn't enjoy it. I know some people enjoy the "purity" of college basketball, but it seems to me like an outdated nostalgia, like enjoying the "purity" of giving gifts at Christmas. Oh well. Enjoy, everyone. Wake me when it's over.

March

March has such brutally variable weather patterns. After enjoying a beautiful 72 degree, sunny day yesterday, I awake to a forecast indicating up to 4 inches of snow tomorrow. I always try to leave the possibility of snow open in my mind until Easter. I just enjoy the warm weather so much more. But, on the bright side, it looks like I'll have a few more opportunities to wear my new winter coat.

It's Pod-castic!

So I had my first i-Pod inspired workout this week, and it really did help. I was tired and ready to quit when "Today" by the Smashing Pumpkins came on, and immediately I'm like, "Okay, a few more laps". Then the next song came on, and I decided I had a few more minutes for an ab workout. I mean, really, how can you hear, "I'm going to fight them all, A seven nation army couldn't hold me back." and not be pumped for some more crunches?

Most Overrated

At lunch we were discussing some of our most favorite and most hated songs and artists. I would like to introduce another category: most over-rated. These are artists which, in my opinion, may have a good song or two here and there but are simply not as great as everyone says they are. My apologies ahead of time to all the loyal fans of these bands that I will be offending. I'm glad you enjoy them; they just don't do anything for me.

• The Rolling Stones
• The Beatles
• The Eagles
• Dave Matthews
• Billy Joel
• Elton John
• Lynrd Skynrd

In a musically related event, I have another pet peeve. Okay, so I admit I listen to some country music occasionally. But this may stop because the Philadelphia country music station (92.5 - XTU) will occasionally over-write songs with local references. For instance, on Teri Clark's "I Want To Do It All" they turn the line "see the Yankees play ball" into "see the Eagles play ball". Um, excuse me, I don't like the Yankees but at least they are a storied, epic franchise in a historic stadium. You have your annoying "E-A-G-L-E-S" chant; you don't need to be editing songs to make them about yourself. There is another song "Tim McGraw" by Talyor Sift and the line is edited from "you turn the radio on" to "you turn XTU on". And most recently, they changed the line to another new song which I do not know the name or artist to to "when the Phillies lose." What is up with that? Look, no one is going to write a song about the Eagles, the Phillies or the Philadelphia country music station. Leave these poor songs alone. Is this copyright infringement or are the artists openly pandering to what they hope will be a naive local audience?

Civility

I get really irritated when people use inflammatory, derogatory terms towards one another. Recently, political commentator/humorist Ann Coulter referred to Presidential candidate John Edwards as a "faggot." That is so wrong. First, it's not true. [It is worth nothing that he seems to have demonstrated stronger personal traditional family values than some of his opponents (i.e. Gingrich, Guiliani)]. Secondly, it is an inappropriate term to be used in today's culture. Thirdly, it adds nothing of value to the important discussions we need to have on the actual issues and problems the country faces. This is not a partisan liability. If I had a dime for every derogatory comment made against President Bush I wouldn't have needed to post my previous lament on Social Security because I would be independently wealthy. Here's my point: focus on the real issues and don't just call people names. If you think that President Bush is a stubborn, ineffective leader with poor diplomatic skills, then say it. But don't call him "the devil" or a "bastard." They fail the three tests I outlined earlier (true, appropriate, valuable). In the same way, if you want to express a negative sentiment about John Edwards, you can point out the fact that a candidate who wants to raise taxes to help the poor was 4 months late on paying taxes on his $3.8 million mansion rather than calling him a "faggot."

While I think everyone is at fault who fails to demonstrate a certain civility and kindness to their political adversaries, as Christians we have a special responsibility. "You have heard that it was said to the men of old, You shall not kill, and whoever kills shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court. But I say to you that everyone who continues to be angry with his brother or harbors malice (enmity of heart) against him shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the court; and whoever speaks contemptuously and insultingly to his brother shall be liable to and unable to escape the punishment imposed by the Sanhedrin, and whoever says, You cursed fool! [You empty-headed idiot!] shall be liable to and unable to escape the hell (Gehenna) of fire." Matthew 5:21,22

Social Insecurity

So I received my Social Security statement in the mail today. At least they're honest: "Unless action is taken soon to strengthen Social Security, in just 10 years we will begin paying more in benefits that we collect in taxes. Without changes, by 2040 the Social Security Trust Fund will be exhausted." So, do politicians not read their mail? How is this difficult to understand? We are like a patient with an infected wound who refuses to go see a doctor. We can either suck it up, go in for the treatment now and find a cure while there's still time, or we can wait it out until we're so sick the only option left will be to amputate. I hope you're all investing in your IRA's and 401(k)'s. You're definitely going to need it. It may be all you'll have.

Be Quiet

The last couple days I have been listening to NPR and CNBC in the background at work, but by late in the afternoon today I had to shut it off. I am so sick of all the cantankerous debate on social issues and the shortsighted nature of the financial markets. It made the disciplines of silence and solitude that we have been reviewing in Kairos all the more appealing. Sometimes it's good to shut out all the noise of the world and realize that all the things that are being so hotly debated and fiercely contested are not what makes the world go round.

Books

I love to read. I just finished re-reading Lord Foulgrin's Lettes by Randy Alcorn. Written in the vein of the Screwtape Letters, at one point the "victim" is in a Christian bookstore and Foulgrin advises the lesser-demon Squaltaint, "Restrain Fletcher from going back to this store. If you cannot, then at least distance him from books of substance, particularly those dealing with the Enemy's attributes. I'm attaching a list of authors you must keep from him. On it you will see such contemptible names as Edwards, Spurgeon, Tozer, Packer, Piper, Lewis, Schaeffer, Colson, and others. My list isn't long , and many on it are rarely carried now in bookstores anyway." I was thinking of books I have gone through and I found a couple lists. Most of these I highly recommend.


2005 Reading List
A Hunger for God - John Piper
Abiding in Christ- Andrew Murray
Blinking with Fists- Billy Corgan
Epic - John Elderidge
Experiencing the Depths of Jesus Christ - Madame Guyon
Faith Works - Jim Wallis
Financial Planning Process and Environment - American College
Go Ye Means You - Norman Lewis
Hearing God's Voice - Dallas Willard
Hinds Feet on High Places - Hannah Hurnad
Hope Lives Here - Janet Bly
If You Want to Walk on Water You Have to Get Out of the Boat - John Ortberg
Income Taxation - American College
Lord Foulgrin's Letters - Randy Alcorn
Love is a Choice - Hemfelt, Minirth and Meier
Love and Respect - Emerson Eggerichs
Love Must Be Tough - James Dobson
Plain Living: A Quaker Path to Simplicity - Catherine Whitmire
Planning for Retirement Needs - American College
Secret Power - D.L. Moody
Shattered Dreams - Larry Crabb
The Christian's Secret to a Happy Life - Hannah Whitall Smith
The End of Poverty - Jeffrey Sachs
The Four Loves - C.S. Lewis
The Hidden Smile of God - John Piper
The Ishbane Conspiracy - Randy Alcorn
The Singer Trilogy - Calvin Miller
The Wonderful Spirit Filled Life - Charles Stanley
Touching the Soul of Islam - Bill Musk
Transformations of the Heart - Dallas Willard
Unveiling Islam - Ergun Caner
Secrets about Men Every Woman Should Know - Barbara DeAngelis
What Women Want Men to Know - Barbara DeAngelis
With Christ in the School of Prayer - Andrew Murray

2006 Reading List
Captivating - John and Staci Elderidge
Devotional Classics - Richard Foster (editor)
For Women Only - Shaunti Feldhahn
Fundamentals of Insurance Planning - American College
God Is Closer Than You Think - John Ortberg
Healing Damaged Emotions - David Seamands
Knowledge of the Holy - A.W. Tozer
Living High And Letting Die - Peter Unger
Mountains of Spices - Hannah Hurnad
Poems - C.S. Lewis
Renovation of the Heart - Dallas Willard
Simplicity - Richard Foster
The Dangerous Duty of Delight -John Piper
The Republic -Plato
The Treasure Principle - Randy Alcorn

Unimpressed

So, James Cameron, the director of Titanic and Terminator 2, claims to have groundbreaking evidence that disproves the claims of Christianity regarding the resurrection of Jesus. We've seen your kind for 2,000 years now Mr. Cameron. You can enjoy and no doubt profit from your controversial moment in the sun but in another 1,000 years people will have discarded your claims in the same bin with all of the other heretics and people will still be responding in worship to Jesus Christ.

It is easy to be a madman: it is easy to be a heretic. It is always easy to let the age have its head; the difficult thing is to keep one's own. It is always easy to be a modernist; as it its easy to be a snob. To have fallen into any of those open traps of error and exaggeration which fashion after fashion and sect after sect set along the historic path of Christendom - that would indeed have been simple. It is always simple to fall; there are an infinity of angles at which one falls, only one at which one stands. To have fallen into any one of the fads from Gnosticism to Christian Science would indeed have been obvious and tame. But to have avoided them all has been one whirling adventure; and in my vision the heavenly chariot flies thundering through the ages, the dull heresies sprawling and prostrate, the wild truth reeling but erect. - G.K. Chesterton, Orthodoxy

Civic Infusion

At lunch today, I enjoyed a great conversation with Joe F. regarding the civic and environmental responsibilities we have as followers of Christ, and he referred me to Evangelicals for Social Action. I am very impressed by the careful, deliberate and effective message they share. One excerpt reads:

As Christians we confess our primary allegiance is to Christ, his kingdom, and Christ's worldwide body of believers, not to any nation. God has blessed America with bounty and with strength, but unless these blessings are used for the good of all , they will turn to our destruction. As Christian citizens of the United States, we must keep our eyes open to the potentially self destructive tendencies of our society and our government. We must also balance our natural affection for our country for a love of people of all nations and an active desire to see them prosper. We invite Christians outside the United States to aid us in broadening our perspectives on American life and action.

In another blog post on social action, a few people responded that they would like to see BVBC begin some programs to help with job training and placement. While I am not necessarily opposed to the idea, I would propose that instead of attempting to bring these services in-house and expecting the community to come to us for their needs, we infuse existing religious and civic institutions that are already in place and have experience in these areas. There is an opportunity for us to "engage with the world with gracious discernment" and to be salt and light by coming alongside like-minded people in our community and aid in their cause, influencing not only those we serve but those with whom we partner. I think it also brings responsibility back to as as individuals to involve ourselves now rather than to wait for the leadership of the church to draw on its own limited resources to create a new platform for service. I could be overstating things, but I think sometimes churches can take a sort of feudal approach with their resources instead of partnering with and sharing their resources with other groups for a more optimal impact. There are gains to be made by certain economies of scale and diversity of experience and perspective.

Along these lines, I am excited that BVBC will be partnering again with other churches in the state (the program of course was initiated by the Catholic diocese) with a "Rose and a Prayer" to overcome the legislature that will be re-presented in the Delaware Legislature to allow and fund embryonic stem cell research. I confess that while I supported the measure last time I failed to actually sign up. I will not repeat that mistake again. I am also excited that we have another Habitat for Humanity day on the calendar for March 31st.

"And they'll know we are Christians by our love."

Studies

Studies for the NASD 6-3 continue:

"These instruments must meet the four-pronged test of the Howey decision. For example, interests in farm animals must represent an investment of money in a common effort of others (the breeder or trainer) to realize a profit from the sale of the animals. A farmer's direct ownsership of a cow is not a security - it is a cow."

Ohh, that cracks me up everytime.

It Wouldn't Surprise Me

It wouldn't surprise me if after a year into the presidential campaign, the frontrunners in each party (Clinton and Obama, McCain and Guiliani) so mortally bludgeon each other that a dark horse emerges from the outside with 9-12 months before the elections.

Lunchmeat

So, I went shopping a few days ago to Super G and not only did they move the deli counter, but they no longer carry my favorite item: Dietz and Watson premium turkey breast. It seems that Boar's Head is taking over the universe so I gave it a try. I got their turkey and it's actually quite good so all is not lost. I get tired of lunchmeat after about one day though. I used to order 1/4 pound at a time, but I kept getting strange looks and snide response from the deli servers. Now I order 1/2 pound at a time. I wish I liked the taste of food more than I do.

Digital Imagery

Okay, so I finally broke down and joined the other 90% of Americans who have a digital camera. I have wanted a Canon Elph since my Indonesia trip in '05 when my teammate took the most amazing pictures with hers. Today, my dream came true. The only bad thing is that I really do suck with technology, and it's probably going to take me about six months to figure everything out.

Back in the day, Mrs. Bean had requested shots of my new pad. I have accommodated.

Super Serious Steve . . .

Not So Serious Steve . . .

Song of the Day: Audioslave - Like A Stone

This is a dreadful day in rock music. Chris Cornell announced he is leaving Audioslave. Dang it, just when there was finally a band out there making some solid rock music.

Financial Tips For The Newly Employed

I came across this helpful article at Morningstar. Enjoy.

Safari Story

A wealthy old lady decides to go on a photo safari in Africa , taking her faithful aged poodle named Cuddles, along for the company. One day the poodle starts chasing butterflies and before long, Cuddles discovers that he's lost. Wandering about, he notices a leopard heading rapidly in his direction with the intention of having lunch. The old poodle thinks, "Oh, oh! I'm in deep doo-doo now!" Noticing some bones on the ground close by, he immediately settles down to chew on the bones with his back to the approaching cat. Just as the leopard is about to leap the old poodle exclaims loudly, "Boy, that was one delicious leopard! I wonder if there are any more around here?" Hearing this, the young leopard halts his attack in mid-strike, a look of terror comes over him and he slinks away into the trees. "Whew!", says the leopard, "That was close! That old poodle nearly had me!" Meanwhile, a monkey who had been watching the whole scene from a nearby tree, figures he can put this knowledge to good use and trade it for protection from the leopard. So off he goes, but the old poodle sees him heading after the leopard with great speed, and figures that something must be up. The monkey soon catches up with the leopard, spills the beans and strikes a deal for himself with the leopard. The young leopard is furious at being made a fool of and says, "Here, monkey, hop on my back and see what's going to happen to that conniving canine! Now, the old poodle sees the leopard coming with the monkey on his back and thinks, "What am I going to do now?", but instead of running, the dog sits down with his back to his attackers, pretending he hasn't seen them yet, and just when they get close enough to hear, the old poodle says. "Where's that damn monkey? I sent him off an hour ago to bring me another leopard!

Moral of this story.... Don't mess with old farts...age and treachery will always overcome youth and skill! BS and brilliance only come with age and experience.

Something Positive From Obama

I am starting to like Obama for the same reason that I like Gingrich. He seems to genuinely want to find solutions to the problems and issues at hand. And he's even willing to piss off the media to make that point which I think is fantastic. As excerpted from the article linked above, Barrack noted

"a theme out there in the mainstream media" that he emphasized rhetoric at the
expense of policy specifics. He said there were plenty of specifics in his books
and his Iraq plan, "The substance is out there," he said, "but that's not what's
been reported. What's been reported is how I look in a bathing suit." Ouch.Then,
at the end of the presser, Obama squatted down next to three student reporters
and answered a question about the No Child Left Behind bill. He answered well,
in detail and without patronizing the kids. Then he looked up at the rest of us
and said, "Take some notes guys. That's how you do it."

Prophecy

I came across this startling passage tonight: "an hour is coming for everyone who kills you to think that he is offering service to God. And these things they will do, because they have not known the Father, or Me" (John16:2,3). This passage has a sadly contemporary feel to it, perhaps most notably in the rise of Islamic Extremism.

Song of the Day: Evanescence - My Immortal

Beautiful, heartfelt song, amazing vocals and a pretty cool black and white video.

More Monkeys

Oh, this cracks me up.

First

Second

Third

Fourth

Fifth

The last one is my favorite. I remember waiting for one of my accountants to turn in one of his long overdue reports, and when I went to see him at his desk he was playing Tetris on his cell phone. I really don't miss the place.

Remembering PFPC

This commercial came up during conversation at work the other day. I remember dying to get out of PFPC when this series of ads was playing. Oh, how I could relate. The clip with the sales chart is the best.

Song of the Day: Dashboard Confessional - Screaming Infidelities

Another great song from a few years ago. Kudos to Brianna for having this CD (well, at least the CD case) around at her party awhile back.

Minor annoyances

As I was driving today, a few things came to mind that fit into the category of minor annoyances:

1. Drivers who see no legitimate reason to slow down at all when roads are covered in snow, slush and ice. Extra credit to drivers in SUV's who see such conditions as reason to drive even more reckless.
2. Drivers who believe any presence of any form of wintery precipitation on roads mandates going no greater than 7 Mph.
3. Following the latter while being followed by the former.
4. Stopping at a red light when there is no cross traffic.

Song of the Day: Unwritten Law - Seeing Red

The video kind of sucks but I really like this song from a few years ago.

Fantasy Baseball

Okay, wait, I have found a way to be even more lame. For all my good friends who participated in my Swirve fantasy baseball league (may it rest in peace), I am trying a replacement this year. CBS has a free fantasy baseball league. Unlike Swirve, you have to choose your players in a draft format. I haven't exactly figured out how it all works yet, but I figured I would set it up anyways and see what happens. The league name is Lamponians and password is Kairos. I look forward to having a reason to still follow baseball after the Indians have been eliminated.

Commercials

I have reached a new low of lameness. Since I'm still on the mend physically I decided to stay in from the Super Bowl party. However, I do not have cable and so I couldn't watch the game from home either. I did however discover that I can just watch all of the Superbowl ads online. I'm not really sure why the ads get all the hype that they do. It's been years now since there have been consistently good ads during the superbowl. And keeping to form, most of these suck too.

Can't Get It Together

Do you ever go through phases when you know you're just not hitting on all cylinders? That's how I feel right now. Granted, I think part of that is because I am temporarily out of commission with a sinus infection, but it's been building. The apartment which has hitherto been kept in a rather immaculate state is now overflowing with dirty dishes. I have 707 messages in my e-mail inbox I need to reply to (literally). My neighbor yelled at me this afternoon for doing a rolling stop at the stop sign by my apartment building. I'm trying to study for an exam I can't schedule to take yet (NASD Series 6) so that I can then schedule to take my last CFP class. I was starting to get on a roll at the Y, but obviously I've been sidelined for the last few days. I missed a day and a half of work and will have a lot to catch up on when I get back. And I can only focus on something for a couple hours at a time before I feel an overwhelming compulsion to go back to sleep. I don't mean this so much as a complaint as an apology to anyone who has been negatively affected by my overarching subpar performance.

BVBC

Hey, did anyone else notice the church updated its website? Sweet! I like it.

Bumper Sticker of the Day

"When Jesus said love your enemies, I'm pretty sure he meant don't kill them."

Starbucks Snobbery

I don't like Starbucks. I was keenly reminded of this fact today when I met Aaron for breakfast at the Starbucks in Kennett. I nervously approached the order counter knowing full well what was about to transpire. The lady taking orders asked what I wanted and "Green tea, please" was my response. She stared back at me for five seconds with the most dumbfounded expression on her face. You would have thought I was having dinner at the White House and had asked for a hot dog. "What kind of green tea?" she said with a certain smugness indicating that I clearly did not belong there among the rest of the social elite. "Ah, I don't know. Just regular green tea I guess" was the best I could muster and stammer out. She rattled something off with what an order for regular green tea should actually sound like and I happily moved down the line to fork over my $1.50 for something that was probably worth $0.25.

I may not have the sophisticated class necessary to properly formulate an order at Starbucks, but at least as Hank Jr said, "A country boy can survive."

Lamponian Enviromental Impact Survey

I have added a new feature to get your input. Please take a few moments to share your thoughts. Thank you!

Relationships and Politics

I read an important statement this evening from a relationship book that also carries over into the world of politics and public policy. After reading Jesse's blog and noticing how abrasive my own comments were about Senator Clinton, I was about to pull the plug on all things political, but this quote helped me think of a different approach: "heated arguments are not a helpful way of dealing with disagreement. The problem is that fighting turns the focus toward 'defending and winning' and away from solving the issue at hand." - Dr. John Gray as referenced in The Most Important Year In A Man's Life.

So in this wonderful democracy that we enjoy, we each have the freedom and responsibility to seek, offer, discuss and implement solutions to the issues at hand rather than merely getting swept into the political defenses of the current power brokers. So, let's try this out. I am fortunate to have friends who form a broad mix along the political spectrum so let's create our own bipartisan workshop.

Three broad issues:

1. Environment
2. Poverty
3. Crime

What positive steps can we take to address these issues here in Wilmington, Delaware? (Input is sought from those in other areas though this will serve as the lab for those ideas.)

As I write and think about this, I am left with the same questions in my mind that I had from studying Nehemiah in my small group:

Why not here?

Why not now?

Why not us?

The floor is open. It's time to share your ideas. Let's change the world.

Politicians and Legislators

To me, one of the saddest aspects of the current political landscape is that we end up choosing the best politicians rather than the most effective legislators. Pull off a snappy one-liner in the middle of a contentious and substance-less debate and you'll pull ahead in the polls. Actually work with people from both parties to forge an effective piece of legislation and you'll earn no points with the media and consequently the general public.

This is why I am so passionate about Newt. Look, he has even worked with Hilary Clinton to try to create a viable solution to our national healthcare mess. It takes some serious guts and humility to talk to someone who had been your most bitter rival in search of any positive aspects from the plan you worked to defeat.

And then there's my favorite issue: social security reform. I still feel nauseated when I recall the scene of Democratic Congressman rallying around the statue of FDR and collectively putting their heads in the sand and refusing to consider any of President Bush's proposals for desperately needed reform. If you would actually like to see a well thought out presentation on the problems of and solutions to the Social Security crisis, click on the link above.

Newt probably would not win an election. But he has some excellent legislative ideas that he is offering to anyone from any party that will listen. I hope others will follow his approach.

Hillary's Announcement

I am reluctant to even give her space on my blog. [Go Newt!]

I can't help but to meet her official announcement to run for President with a big "woop-dee-freakin-doo". {Go Newt!}

As a Republican, I'm struggling to see this as an entirely bad thing. It's going to absorb a lot of funding in what will ultimately be a losing effort. It's going to be so great to watch her lose her own primary. Just wait for the first debate when the significantly more charismatic Edwards and Obama embarass her. And even if she somehow makes it to the general election (because the way the primaries are setup are brutally unfair and need to be changed immediately), she's only going to galvanize the disenchanted conservative base. (Go Newt!)

The Saints Are Coming

This is an awesome song from U2 and Green Day. Going on the Katrina Relief trip adds extra significance.

And I'll forgive some of their politicking on the Iraq war since it's a cool song.

Wish List

This is far and away my favorite Pearl Jam song.

"I wish I was the virtue trust and never let you down."

Everything

My favorite song from my favorite band. It's even better live if you ever get to see them in concert.

This was obviously not their actual video as one of the lines is written incorrectly; it's "You won't let me fall" not "You won't let me fold." Come on people get it right.

Father Of Mine

I heard this song several times this week. It is one of my favorites but it's very sad. I always used to hear this song playing in my mind when I read Ephesians 3:14-15, "For this reason, I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family on heaven and earth derives its name."

Anthem For The Year 2000

Another great Silverchair song, especially approaching a presidential election year.

Songs For Troubled Times

-- The Trouble With Normal --
Cockburn

30 June 1981. Toronto, Canada.

Strikes across the frontier and strikes for higher wage
Planet lurches to the right as ideologies engage
Suddenly it's repression, moratorium on rights
What did they think the politics of panic would invite?
Person in the street shrugs -- "Security comes first"
But the trouble with normal is it always gets worse

Callous men in business costume speak computerese
Play pinball with the Third World trying to keep it on its knees
Their single crop starvation plans put sugar in your tea
And the local Third World's kept on reservations you don't see
"It'll all go back to normal if we put our nation first"
But the trouble with normal is it always gets worse

Fashionable fascism dominates the scene
When ends don't meet it's easier to justify the means
Tenants get the dregs and landlords get the cream
As the grinding devolution of the democratic dream
Brings us men in gas masks dancing while the shells burst

The trouble with normal is it always gets worse

-- Worry Too Much--
Mark Heard

it's the demolition derby
it's the sport of the hunt
proud tribe in full war-dance
it's the slow smile that the bully gives the runt
it's the force of inertia
it's the lack of constraint
it's the children out playing in the rock garden
all dolled-up in black hats and war paint

sometimes it feels like bars of steel
i cannot bend with my hands
oh - i worry too much
somebody told me that i worry too much

it's these sandpaper eyes
it's the way they rub the luster from what is seen
it's the way we tell ourselves that all these things are normal
till we can't remember what we mean
it's the flicker of our flames
it's the friction born of living
it's the way we beat a hot retreat
and heave our smoking guns into the river

sometimes it feels like bars of steel
i cannot bend with my hands
oh - i worry too much
somebody told me that i worry too much

it's the quick-step march of history
the vanity of nations
it's the way there'll be no muffled drums
to mark the passage of my generation
it's the children of my children
it's the lambs born in innocence
it's wondering if the good i know
will last to be seen by the eyes of the little ones

Modest Hope In Darfur

There is moderate hope for a respite from the violence in Darfur as the President of Sudan agreed to a 60 day cease fire. This story has been overlooked amidst President Bush's tactical realignments in Iraq, but hopefully it as at least one small step in the right direction.

For more on how to be informed and get involved see http://www.savedarfur.org/content

Melancholy happiness

Spurred by memories of my goth boy days, I rediscovered one of my favorite Pumpkins songs.

Smashing Pumpkins › Stand Inside Your Love

You and me
Meant to be
Immutable
Impossible
Its destiny
Pure lunacy
Incalculable
Insufferable
But for the last time
You're everything that I want and ask for
You're all that I'd dreamed
Who wouldn't be the one you love
Who wouldn't stand inside your love
Protected and the lover of
A pure soul and beautiful you
Don't understand
Don't feel me now
I will breathe
For the both of us
Travel the world
Traverse the skies
Your home is here
Within my heart
And for the first time
I feel as though I am reborn
In my mind
Recast as child and mystic sage
Who wouldn't be the one you love
Who wouldn't stand inside your love
And for the first time
Im telling you how much I need and bleed for
Your every move and waking sound
In my time
Ill wrap my wire around your heart and your mind
You're mine forever now
Who wouldn't be the one you love and live for
Who wouldn't stand inside your love and die for
Who wouldn't be the one you love

Who Resurrected The Electric Car?

After being slammed for killing the EV1, it appears GM has leapfrogged to the front of the electric car craze. This little number gets 150 MPG!

`Car of the Year'

I am excited to find I am not alone in my assesment of GM's resurgence. At the 2007 North American International Auto Show, the Saturn Aura edged out the Toyota Camry and Honda Fit to be named Car of the Year. Go little Saturn!

The Chevy Silverado was also named Truck of the Year.

Open Fire

This is another video (from back in my goth days) that I never got out of my mind. While it seems a little strange now, the image of the woman washing her hands deeply resonated with me because of how well it represents shame. You see her washing her hands in great anguish even though they are clean but when the camera turns to what she sees in the mirror they are covered in dirt, mud and grime. She ends up washing her hands until they bleed until finally at the end she seems to find some cleansing and healing.

"Whether or not shame is identified, it leads you to feel: I am not quite good enough. Something is lacking in me. I am not like the others. They have something I do not have. I am incomplete. I am inadequate. This feeling may be outwardly invisible. You may have great poise. You may be well educated. You may be articulate. You may be successful. You may be powerful, but inside you lives a pain that will not go away. It is the pain of living a shame-based life, of feeling, I am not adequate. A shame based identity means that you want to hide who you are. Your feeling toward others is, 'If you really knew me, if you knew what I am really like, you wouldn't like me.' Your shame causes you to live in fear of being known for who you really are." - Making Peace with Your Past ~ Tim Sledge

"Do not be afraid; you will not suffer shame. Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. You will forget the shame of your youth." Isaiah 54:4

History Starts Now

I saw this video for "World" over Christmas and found it strangely compelling. The back to back scenes of a veiled woman in black casting an election ballot and a veiled woman in black laying an American flag on a grave grabbed my heart. It was a beautiful picture to me of the cost and grief of one to give a measure of freedom and hope to another. Whatever your views of the Iraq War, I think you can appreciate the artistry of these scenes.

I could definitely see one of the Presidential candidates (Edwards?) taking this as their theme song.

What kind of world do you want? History starts now.

NT 2007 Challenge

Recently a few friends and I were talking after the Luke class about doing a survey reading of Scripture. One of my goals for 2007 is to read through the New Testament between New Year's and Easter. If anyone would like to accompany me, here is the schdule I am going to attempt to follow:

• Jan 1: Mark 1-3
• Jan 2: Mark 4-5
• Jan 3: Mark 6-7
• Jan 4: Mark 8-9
• Jan 5: Mark 10-11
• Jan 6: Mark 12-13
• Jan 7: Mark 14
• Jan 8: Mark 15-16
• Jan 9: Romans 1-2
• Jan 10: Romans 3-5
• Jan 11: Romans 6-8
• Jan 12: Romans 9-11
• Jan 13: Romans 12-16
• Jan 14: Matt. 1-3
• Jan 15: Matt. 4-5
• Jan 16: Matt. 6-8
• Jan 17: Matt. 9-10
• Jan 18: Matt. 11-12
• Jan 19: Matt 13-14
• Jan 20: Matt. 15-17
• Jan 21: Matt. 18-20
• Jan 22: Matt. 21-22
• Jan 23: Matt. 23-24
• Jan 24: Matt. 25-26
• Jan 25: Matt. 27-28
• Jan 26: 1 Cor. 1-3
• Jan 27: 1 Cor. 4-6
• Jan 28: 1 Cor. 7-9
• Jan 29: 1 Cor. 10-12
• Jan 30: 1 Cor. 13-14
• Jan 31: 1 Cor. 15-16

• Feb 1: John 1-2
• Feb 2: John 3-4
• Feb 3: John 5-6
• Feb 4: John 7-8
• Feb 5: John 9-10
• Feb 6: John 11-12
• Feb 7: John 13-15
• Feb 8: John 16-18
• Feb 9: John 19-21
• Feb 10: 2 Cor. 1-3
• Feb 11: 2 Cor. 4-6
• Feb 12: 2 Cor. 7-10
• Feb 13: 2 Cor. 11-13
• Feb 14: Luke 1
• Feb 15: Luke 2-3
• Feb 16: Luke 4-5
• Feb 17: Luke 6-7
• Feb 18: Luke 8-9
• Feb 19: Luke 10-11
• Feb 20: Luke 12-13
• Feb 21: Luke 14-15
• Feb 22: Luke 16-17
• Feb 23: Luke 18-19
• Feb 24: Luke 20-21
• Feb 25: Luke 22
• Feb 26: Luke 23-24
• Feb 27: Acts 1-2
• Feb 28: Acts 3-4

• Mar 1: Acts 5-6
• Mar 2: Acts 7-8
• Mar 3: Acts 9-10
• Mar 4: Acts 11-12
• Mar 5: Acts 13-14
• Mar 6: Acts 15-16
• Mar 7: Acts 17-18
• Mar 8: Acts 19-20
• Mar 9: Acts 21-22
• Mar 10: Acts 23-24
• Mar 11: Acts 25-26
• Mar 12: Acts 27-28
• Mar 13: Gal. 1-3
• Mar 14: Gal. 4-6
• Mar 15: Eph. 1-3
• Mar 16: Eph. 4-6
• Mar 17: Phil. 1-2
• Mar 18: Phil. 3-4
• Mar 19: Col. 1-2
• Mar 20: Col. 3-4
• Mar 21: 1 Thess.
• Mar 22: 2 Thess.
• Mar 23: 1 Tim. 1-3
• Mar 24: 1 Tim. 4-6
• Mar 25: 2 Tim. 1-2
• Mar 26: 2 Tim. 3-4
• Mar 27: Titus & Philemon
• Mar 28: Heb. 1-3
• Mar 29: Heb. 4-6
• Mar 30: Heb. 7-10
• Mar 31: Heb. 11-13

• Apr 1: James
• Apr 2: 1 Peter
• Apr 3: 2 Peter
• Apr 4: 1 John
• Apr 5: 2 John, 3 John & Jude
• Apr 6: Rev 1-7
• Apr 7: Rev 8-16
• Apr 8: Rev 17-22

Geico Caveman at the Therapist

The latest installment in the series. Enjoy.

The Drive Home

A few things stood to me on the drive home to Ohio yesterday:

• People with New Jersey drivers licenses should not be permitted to engage in interstate travel.
• There needs to be a major airport put into Marietta because the drive really sucks.
• Best bumper sticker: Equal Rights for Unborn Women

Work Stress

It was another intense day at Chatham World Headquarters. There was nothing left we could do but put our thinking caps on and try our best.

Hillary on Iraq

"We've now heard from the Iraq Study Group, but we need the White House to become the Iraq Results Group."— Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton responding to the Iraq Study Group's recommendations.

Hillary, you can shut up too while we're at it.

Wal-Mart in China

Recently some more concerns were raised about how Wal-Mart is handling its ethical responsibilities towards workers in developing economies. I think there are a few things to keep in mind when surveying this issue. First, is that Wal-Mart is everyone's whipping boy and the corporate name carries its own emotional charge when it is brought up in discussions and there are people who will seek to capitalize on that for the sake of supporting their argument. In this report for instance, it could not yet be confirmed that all of the companies in the study that were operating outside of regulatory standards were in fact in Wal-Mart's chain of suppliers. It should also be noted who conducted this study (a labor group) and that there was a relatively small sample size (169 employees). For perspective, Wal-Mart itself is noted in the article as having 36,000 employees in China itself. Obviously even one incident with one person is important and needs to be handled responsibly; it's just important to keep a balanced perspective as one could quickly garner a false impression.

I have a couple responses to this. One is that I am glad that people are keeping a close eye on Wal-Mart and its operations. It can be too easy for a multinational behemoth to steamroll people locally and that should be guarded against. The second is that I would again take the challenge back to us as consumers. The Quakers have long been a leading example as they have a tradition of their members asking themselves, "Do I prayerfully discern how to use my financial resources for the common good? Do I look at my investments, clothing, furniture and other possessions to see if they sow the seeds of war and oppression?" Do you think about that when you are shopping? I think it's important. We tend to grossly underestimate the cumulative effect of small changes in our collective behavior. I'll try to give a practical example of how we can respond. Recently I did some major shopping to furnish my apartment as I am now living by myself. I was looking at a couple different cooking pots that appeared to be of a competitive quality and price, so I let the determining factor in the purchase be its country of origin, namely that one was made in the USA and other was made in China. I do not intend it as some sort of nationalism, but an understanding of the economic issues at hand. (To my discredit, I was not as concerned about the humanitarian effects of my decision at the time but was thinking more of our unsustainable trade imbalance with China.) Let me try to summarize my point, do you know why suppliers in China are under such pressure to pay less than the regulatory wages to their employees? Because consumers in America are willing to buy their products if they are even marginally cheaper than their rivals. Be informed. Be wise. Consider the unintended consequences of your actions.

Mr. President, Will You Please Listen!

I should start by saying that I have not yet read the commission's report on recommended strategy changes in Iraq. However, given that I am an accountant and not an expert on war, insurgency and Middle East diplomacy, it's probably not my place to scrutinize and criticize anyway. And a few years into President Bush's failing strategy, the recommendations are probably better than anything he has come up with too. So why won't he listen!?!

For crying out loud, this commission's report is a gift on a platter. It's a way to turn over a new leaf after the elections, work with respected representatives of both parties and follow a set of collective wisdom. He can gain respect and "political capital" both in Congress and across America by enthusiastically embracing and executing its counsel. Maybe if he had constructed this commission and heeded its advice a few years ago the world would be in a much better place. There is something to be said for learning from your mistakes Mr. President. So take the advice of a lowly accountant from Delaware: Shut up and listen for a change, cowboy!

Running Start to a Resolution

This week I have been able to get back to my exercise regiment in force. It's a good feeling. I know how difficult it can be to keep it going though, and so I want to invite my friends to join me in a friendly competition/accountability group. So get a step ahead of everyone on the New Year's resolution bandwagon! Clink on the link above, setup your profile and then join "Lamponians". It's free, it's easy and you too can become a sexy beast.

Tithing As You Never Knew It Before

I was going to blog on this earlier, but I wanted to wait until everyone had an opportunity to turn in their commitment cards for phase three before I gave someone any bright ideas.

You know, in all of the lessons and sermons I have heard on the issue of stewardship and tithing, I have never seen this passage referenced. It was fascinating to me to see how the tithe was actually used. My initial understanding was that it was all to be brought to the priests and Levites. But this is how the text actually reads:

You shall surely tithe all the produce from what you sow, which comes out of the field every year. You shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God, at the place where He chooses to establish His name, the tithe of your grain, your new wine, your oil, and the firstborn of your herd and your flock, so that you may learn to fear the LORD your God always. "If the distance is so great for you that you are not able to bring the tithe, since the place where the LORD your God chooses to set His name is too far away from you when the LORD your God blesses you, then you shall exchange it for money, and bind the money in your hand and go to the place which the LORD your God chooses. "You may spend the money for whatever your heart desires: for oxen, or sheep, or wine, or strong drink, or whatever your heart desires; and there you shall eat in the presence of the LORD your God and rejoice, you and your household. Also you shall not neglect the Levite who is in your town, for he has no portion or inheritance among you.

I get this picture in my mind of the giving of the tithe being like a giant tailgating party. A little beef roasting on the bbq and some wine and beer flowing freely. What a mighty God we serve.

Just make sure you invite the Levites.

Strange

Sometimes people refer to the Bible as "God's love letter to mankind", but that is really a gross oversimplification of things. There are some strange things in the Bible that one would not typically put in a love letter. Deuteronomy seems to contain its fair share of these.

My most recent reading brought me to Deuteronomy chapter 25 which discusses the fact that if a man dies who is married but has no children, his brother is to take his sister-in-law as his wife and their son is to take the name of the deceased husband. It then addresses how the woman is to respond if her brother-in-law is not to keen on the idea. You can imagine how deeply my life was impacted when I read the following:

But if the man does not desire to take his brother's wife, then his brother's wife shall go up to the gate to the elders and say, 'My husband's brother refuses to establish a name for his brother in Israel; he is not willing to perform the duty of a husband's brother to me.' "Then the elders of his city shall summon him and speak to him. And if he persists and says, 'I do not desire to take her,' then his brother's wife shall come to him in the sight of the elders, and pull his sandal off his foot and spit in his face; and she shall declare, 'Thus it is done to the man who does not build up his brother's house.' "In Israel his name shall be called, 'The house of him whose sandal is removed.'

You can also sort of tell that the Law was recorded by a man. The next two verses read

If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity.

Let's just say that I am glad we are under grace and not the law. Have a great day, and may you never be known as him whose sandal is removed.

Annoyed

If I hear one more commercial of Santa or his elves pitching products or traditional carols parodied to become an advertisement I think I am going to lose my mind. This is almost as bad as all the political ads for the election.

Has anyone else heard the old song "Green Chri$tma$" by Stan Freberg?

Saturn Update

I am sure you all were waiting on the edge of your seat for an update on my Saturn. Okay, so here's the deal. I should never attempt to be a mechanic and work on my car. Back in the summer when I was home on vacation, I decided it would be a great idea to try to give my car a tune-up. So, as part of the process I bought new platinum spark plugs and wires and installed them. Well, it turns out Saturns don't really like platinum spark plugs and that was causing the problem. I had to replace the ignition coil and plugs. Total cost for parts and service including the original diagnostic was about $230.

While I hope to have my SL2 for at least another 10 years, I am still in love with the Saturn Sky. And the new Aura is a nice sedan.

Warren and Obama

I am glad that people are already highlighting what I see as the senselessness of this controversy. It seems that Rick Warren is becoming a sensible and effective spokesman for evangelicals and I appreciate that.

There are so many aspects of this that get me fired up I can barely get it all out. First of all, I want to say how much I appreciate Saddleback Church is seeking to address the AIDS issue to begin with. How long was that a "hands-off" issue for evangelicals? It is a shame that this controversy is overshadowing the real work that they are trying to do in this area.

Secondly, I greatly respect Saddleback for inviting both a prominent Republican and Democrat to speak. As Warren said, "I've got two friends here, a Republican and a Democrat, why? Because you've got to have two wings to fly." How awesome is it that a Christian can try to put wind in the sails of bipartisanship?

Thirdly, I don't think you have to agree with someone on every single issue, even one as important as abortion, in order to hear their informed perspective on another issue, especially one as important as AIDS.

Aside from the Warren and Obama issue, I think we have to find ways to work with our opponents whenever there can be some measure of common ground. For instance, in the AIDS debate there has been controversy on abstinence-only education versus distributing condoms. Okay, I'm going to step out on a ledge here, but doesn't it make sense to first promote the benefits of abstinence, explaining all of the physical, emotional and spiritual impacts and consequences of sex outside of the confines of marriage, but also realize that there are people who will not respond to that message? If there are means of limiting the severe consequences of their actions on other people, should they not be utilized as long as they are understood as the non-preferred method? I know many Christians who have not maintained their sexual purity. Should I really expect unbelievers to when they do not have the spiritual means to subordinate the desires of the flesh? As Christians, do we not know enough theology to understand sin nature and the only means of overcoming it being the Holy Spirit? The problem is that we have divided into two all-or-nothing camps: the one saying abstinence only and not educating about the use of condoms or other means of birth control and the other simply distributing condoms and not educating on the moral and practical ramifications of their behavior but rather endorsing that lifestyle. I don't think it has to be that way. Can I really not say to someone, look in every way imaginable, it is best if you stay sexually pure until and within marriage and to not do so is a sin. But if you're not going to do that and you do choose to sin, at least use some common sense so that you do not do even further damage to yourself and those who care about you?

Okay, you may now proceed to burn me at the stake as a heretic.

Lasting Gifts

Quick, tell me everything you got for Christmas last year. Can you remember? How about two years ago? Three . . . ? Kind of takes the steam out of the rush to spend a lot of money on gifts, doesn't it?

I have a few recommendations for your consideration. First, if you haven't done so already, please make a budget for how much you can spend for Christmas and stick to it. You don't want to still be paying off your credit cards on the 4th of July. Don't buy gifts to impress people or out of a sense of obligation. I would rather not receive a gift from someone if that was their motivation.

Secondly, if you are giving to little kids who already have a zillion toys that they don't play with, consider starting a 529 College Savings plan. These vary by state to state so it might take a little bit of research to find the best option for you. There are a number of good web sites with more information such as http://www.collegesavings.org/. I started a college fund for my nephews and niece and have been able to sock away over $1,800 so far. This is all with money I would have spent on birthday and Christmas presents that would have long since been used up, broken or forgotten by now. You might seem like a bit of a dorky aunt or uncle now, but if you are still paying off your student loans you know how much they will appreciate this later. This is especially true when they are still at an age when they are more fascinated with unwrapping the paper than they are with whatever gift may be inside.

Third, if you don't know what to get for the person who has everything try making a charitable donation in their honor. I did this last year with my parents by making a donation in their honor to Unicef, and they thought it was the greatest thing. Not only does it help us to celebrate the holiday with simplicity and charity, but it helps those who are in desperate need. And yes, it may be tax deductible too.

I hope this helps! Have a safe and wonderful Christmas.

Service Engine Soon

Uh-oh. For the first time in its life, my venerable Saturn had the "Service Engine Soon" light come on as I was leaving work tonight. It seemed to be running well so I am not sure what is ailing it. I hope it's something small. It made it essentially problem free for the first 81,000 miles so I can't complain. Go little Saturn.

Just Another Liberal Yankee

So, over the course of the past week, I have had some conversations with friends in which I was referred to with the labels of "liberal" and "Yankee" respectively. How on earth does a Newt-supporting Republican from Ohio become mistaken for a liberal, Yankee? I find this amusing.

$30 from Uncle Sam

In case you missed it, the US Government has decided to stop charging a special excise tax on long distance phone calls that has existed since the Spanish American War. (Apparently, that war has now been paid for.) Anyway, what this means is that pretty much everyone who has had a phone can get a $30 refund on their taxes (up to $60 if multiple exemptions). So, make sure you look for this special line on your tax return when you complete it this year.

Follow, Fear, Keep, Listen, Serve, Cling

I have been going through Deuteronomy for a little while now in my devotions, and I re-discovered one of my favorite verses tonight. "You shall follow the LORD your God and fear Him; and you shall keep His commandments, listen to His voice, serve Him, and cling to Him (Deut. 13:4)". What a powerful grouping of verbs to sit and reflect on. I want to commit this one to memory and keep chewing it over.

I have been struggling in working out the application of what I am learning right now in small group. Last week we poured over Lewis's teaching, "That is why the real problem of the Christian life come where people do not usually look for it. It comes the very moment you wake up each morning. All your wishes and hopes for the day rush at you like wild animals. And the first job each morning consists simply in shoving them all back; in listening to that other voice, taking that other point of view, letting that other larger, stronger, quieter life come flowing in. And so on, all day. Standing back from all your natural fussings and frettings; coming in out of the wind."

Likewise, Brother Lawrence is teaching us how "At other times I beheld him in my heart as my Father and as my God. I worshipped him as often as I could, keeping my mind in his holy presence and recalling it back to God as often as I had found it had wandered from him . . . when we are faithful in keeping ourselves in his holy presence, keeping him always before us, this not only prevents our offending him or doing something displeasing in his sight (at least willfully), but it also brings to us a holy freedom, and if I may say so, a familiarity with God wherein we may ask and receive the graces we are so desperately in need of."

I've been struggling at that first breath of the morning to get myself into the presence of God. I think meditating on this verse will help anchor me there.

And The Candidate Is . . .

Newt Gingrich!! I kid you not. No doubt many of you are now shaking your heads. I really think he is worth considering as a candidate. For more information, click on link above which will direct you to http://www.newt.org/

Reforming Social Security For the Sake of Women and Minorities

I am very excited that my new favorite presidential candidate has listed as platform issue #2 to "Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children. " There is probably not a single issue that disgusted me more over the past two years than the despicable way Congress handled the prospect of reforming the Social Security system. When the Democrats gathered around the statue of President Franklin Roosevelt to fight reform and collectively stuck their heads in the sand, they compromised the future of millions of Americans, particularly women and minorities. It was a disgraceful act of stewardship towards the rights and freedoms of those they supposedly champion.

The bipartisan presidential commission that sought out ways to improve the current system, that without change is inevitably headed towards economic insolvency, clearly espoused how a change to private accounts would most benefit these groups that are often economically disadvantaged. The democrats, however, were more intent on a political victory afforded by stopping a Bush initiative to implement these plans than on realizing the benefits that would accrue to these groups.

The main reason it hurts African-Americans so much is because of the significantly lower life expectancy for the group. Let's say for instance that you have someone earning $25,000 a year from age 21 but then passes away at age 61. (For the sake of ease, I will assume no increases in salary). If that person is allowed to contribute even 2% of his salary (of the 6% FICA tax) into a personal account and earn 10% (the stock market has averaged between 10% and 11% since 1929), he or she will have accumulated over $220,000. Under the current system, the family would receive nothing. Under the reformed system, the family could use that $220,000 to help the family purchase a home or send grandchildren to college. Which system do you think is better?

Fun with red and blue blocks

This is an incredibly addictive little game that my co-worker just shared with me. My personal best: 16.891. Enjoy.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is perhaps my favorite holiday. Marketers have largely gone straight from Halloween to Christmas now which offers the day a greater measure of sanctity. That alone is something to be thankful for.

I was struck by how powerful and beautiful President George Washington's words were with the Thanksgiving Proclamation of 1789. It's fascinating to me that he committed the nation to God, not only in thanksgiving but also in confession.

Whereas it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favor; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me to "recommend to the people of the United States a day of public thanksgiving and prayer, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

Now, therefore, I do recommend and assign Thursday, the 26th day of November next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed; for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish constitutions of government for our safety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge; and, in general, for all the great and various favors which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions; to enable us all, whether in public or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shown kindness to us), and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as He alone knows to be best.

Given under my hand, at the city of New York, the 3d day of October, A.D. 1789.

Presidential Platform

Without knowing his or her name, would you vote for the candidate running on this platform?

We are committed to a safe, healthy, prosperous, and free America. We believe our children and grandchildren deserve the opportunities our parents and grandparents gave us.

In a rapidly changing world with new threats and new competitors, we must implement policies that will ensure America’s leadership, safety, and prosperity. And we must reinvigorate the core values that have made an exceptional civilization.

We do not believe the traditional instruments of government will reform themselves fast enough and thoroughly enough for the twenty-first century.

The entrenched lobbyists and entrenched bureaucracies will do all they can to minimize the changes no matter how vital those changes are to America’s future. Self interest will dominate national interest if the normal political system operates with business as usual. The pressure of daily events will keep both the news media and most politicians focused on the immediate and the trivial rather than the long-term and the profoundly important.

Only a grassroots citizens’ movement can insist on the level of change that is needed for our children and grandchildren to have a successful future.

Such a citizens’ movement would have to be focused on goals rather than on interest groups. The goals define the America we want our children and grandchildren to have.

To achieve this future we will:

I.

Defend America and our allies from those who would destroy us. To achieve security, we will develop the intelligence, diplomatic, information, defense, and homeland security systems and resources for success.

II.

Transform the Social Security system into personal savings accounts that will enable every worker to have higher retirement incomes from their own work and avoid the need for financial support from their children.

III.

Recenter on the Creator from Whom all our liberties come. We will insist on a judiciary that understands the centrality of God in American history and reasserts the legitimacy of recognizing the Creator in public life.

IV.

Establish patriotic education for our children and patriotic immigration for new Americans. To achieve this, we will renew our commitment to education about American citizenship based on American history and an understanding of the Founding Fathers and the core values of American civilization. We will insist that both our children and immigrants learn the key values and key facts of American history as the foundation of their growth as citizens.

V.

Meet the triple economic challenges of an explosion in scientific and technological knowledge, an increasingly competitive world market, and the rise of China and India by implementing:

1. A new system of civil justice to reduce the burden of lawsuits and to incentivize young people to go into professions other than the law.

2. A dramatically simplified tax code that favors savings, entrepreneurship, investment, and constant modernization of equipment and technology.

3. Math and science learning equal to any in the world and educating enough young Americans to both discover the science of the future and to compete successfully in national security and the economy with other well-educated societies.

4. Investing in the scientific revolutions that are going to transform our world—particularly in energy, space, and the environment.

5. Transforming health care into a 21st Century Intelligent Health System that improves our health while lowering costs dramatically. In the process, American health care will become our highest value export and foreign exchange earning sector.

VI.

Work to include every American in a system of patriotic stewardship so every person has a real opportunity to pursue happiness as their Creator endowed. Prepare for the aging of the baby boomers and their children so we can have active healthy aging with the best quality of life, the longest period of independent living, and the greatest prosperity. We will:

1. Develop a system in which those who wish to stay economically active are encouraged and incentivized to do so because active people live longer and healthier, have a greater opportunity to pursue happiness, and are less of a burden on their fellow citizens;

2. Develop a system of independent living and assisted living that increases the years in which people can be on their own and in most cases enables people to live their entire lives with freedom and dignity;

3. Develop a new model of quality long-term care in which both the care and the quality of life are compatible with a twenty-first century American expectation of progress and innovation;

4. Use the new technologies and new scientific knowledge to turn disabilities into capabilities and change government regulations and programs to help every American achieve the fullest possible ability to pursue happiness.

VII.

Change the mindset of big government in Washington by replacing bureaucratic public administration with Entrepreneurial Public Management so government can operate with the speed, effectiveness, and efficiency of the information age.

VIII.

Balance the federal budget and insist on a lean government, low tax, low interest rate economy to maximize growth in a competitive world.

IX.

Insist on congressional reform to make the legislative branch responsive to the needs of the 21st century.

X.

Ensure an election process that is honest, accountable, accurate, and free from the threat of illegal votes or subsequent litigation.

If we insist on these goals and insist on electing leaders at all levels dedicated to these goals, we will be able to leave our children and grandchildren an America of safety, health, prosperity, and freedom that would make our parents and grandparents proud. We too will have done our duty to our country and our achievements as citizens will be worthy of the America we inherited.

Jeff's Response

I appreciated Jeff's response to my posting on Bush's comments in Vietnam. I think his points are definitely valid. I do get frustrated with our squeamish, short term focus.

Herding Cats

I always remember Angela referring to leadership and coaching as similar to hearding cats. Now I know exactly what she means.

Caveman

Okay Joe, here you go. My discipline has been better the last few days. I can now reward myself with some entertainment.

It's so easy a caveman could do it. (quality is a little rough)

Apology dinner (my favorite)

Advertisement at the airport

News debate (new!)

History Lesson

So President Bush shared in his trip to Vietnam that one of the lessons learned from that war was, "We'll succeed unless we quit." What? That's the lesson we learned in Vietnam? I am not an expert in the Vietnam war, but I'm pretty sure that wasn't the primary lesson that we learned. Then again, maybe President Bush didn't know that since he was never there.

Out Of Focus

The last couple posts illustrate an important point. My life has fallen out of focus. I feel like a pinball being slung from one frenzied activity to the next. In response to the tide of stresses, my self discipline has fallen off dramatically, and I am numbing myself with pointless amusement.

There are roughly six weeks left in the year. I jotted down 12 goals for this six week sprint, something like a holistic, glorified to-do list.

I am looking forward to the last week of the year. Lord willing, I will be home in Ohio. It will be nice to get away. I need to re-evaluate my life and think about the year ahead.

Even More Great Commercials

Okay, had to post two more that came to mind:

Budweiser Lizards

Tobasco Mosquito

More Great Commercials

I love the Geico commercials. And thanks to YouTube, I've unearthed a few more of my all time favorites. This company has probably gone under after the tech bubble, but I love the Outpost.com's ads: Ravenous wolves and gerbils. The film quality is a little poor. And don't worry, no aminals were harmed in the making of these films.

FedEx's caveman ad is also stellar.

And who can forget Terry Tate office linebacker? (Pardon the language)



Okay, I need to go to small group.

Squirrels

One of my co-worker's sons was in an automobile accident this morning caused by an attempt to dodge a squirrel. It turns out there was quite a bit of truth to that Geico commercial. It's been a little while now since the breaking and entering incident when one snuck in to my apartment, snagged a Little Debbie brownie and relaxed on my fouton, but I still find them to be strangely amusing but destructive little creatures.

Winter

It feels like winter has finally decided to arrive, much to my dismay. When I walk outside on a cold night I am often reminded of Percy Shelly's "The Cold Earth Slept Below."

The cold earth slept below;
Above the cold sky shone;
And all around,
With a chilling sound,
From caves of ice and fields of snow
The breath of night like death did flow
Beneath the sinking moon.

The wintry hedge was black;
The green grass was not seen;
The birds did rest
On the bare thorn's breast,
Whose roots, beside the pathway track,
Had bound their folds o'er many a crack
Which the frost had made between.

Thine eyes glow'd in the glare
Of the moon's dying light;
As a fen-fire's beam
On a sluggish stream
Gleams dimly—so the moon shone there,
And it yellow'd the strings of thy tangled hair,
That shook in the wind of night.

The moon made thy lips pale, beloved;
The wind made thy bosom chill;
The night did shed
On thy dear head
Its frozen dew, and thou didst lie
Where the bitter breath of the naked sky
Might visit thee at will.

Motivation

Pastor Bo's sermon hit me right between the eyes today. I was wrestling with the matter of my motivation in worship and obedience just this morning. I went into the worship service feeling completely spent. It was one of those rare moments when I just didn't want to be there with all the people and all the singing. If I could have slipped away unnoticed and just been quiet for awhile I think I would have done it. The whole time I was singing I didn't even lift my eyes to the screen and felt my spirit reprimanding me, "The Lord says: "These people come near to me with their mouth and honor me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me. Their worship of me is made up only of rules taught by men. (Isaiah 29:13)." Yes, I looked like I had just swallowed a toad that had been sweating profuselt. In short, the only reason I found myself was because I had to be. It felt like taking vitamins; it tastes bad but I know it's good for me so I'll do it.

I need to reconnect with God in my heart. Move away from the broken cistern and drink freely from the fountain.

If Iwo Jima Happened Today

A tribute to the Marines and a slap on the modern media.

Political Landscape

As a Republican I have to admit that there is some strategic value to losing the House and possibly Senate to the Democrats. Unlike the Republican Revolution in '94, the incoming class of Democrats do not have an overarching strategic or tactical plan akin to the Contract With America. Many candidates seem to have run on a platform of "at least I'm not George Bush", and it worked to disenchanted voters who had become contemptful of the power grubbing establishment. The thing is, I don't hear how any of them have any meaningful, credible plans to actually fix any problems. I suspect that the sunset provisions on Bush's tax cuts might now be allowed to expire without renewal. Few things give Democrats more ecstasy than raising taxes. So, in a couple years voters will be faced with no greater international leadership, a social security and medicare system that's just as broke, a continued healthcare crisis, conflict and debate over illegal immigration and even more deadlock between the two parties with the only change being higher taxes on the horizon. Again, this is the perfect storm setting the stage for an independent candidate to emerge who actually has a freakin' plan to freakin' fix something. But maybe that's just wishful thinking.

Nightmare

I had a dream last night that I left Chatham to work for JP Morgan. It was one of those incredibly realistic dreams too. One can only imagine my relief when I woke up and realized it was just a dream. A very, very bad dream.

Waiting for '08

So, I was looking up the details on how to write myself in and apparently I missed the deadline. According to Delaware's website, "The deadline for candidates to file for office is 12 Noon on the last Friday in July of the year of the General Election."

I guess that means Castle is going to have two years left in D.C. Dang it.

Moses

So I've been reading through Deuteronomy the last few days for my personal devotions. I know this isn't a new discovery in the history of the study of Scripture, but I'm struggling a lot more with it this time: if Moses were alive today he would be prosecuted for war crimes on the level with Saddam Hussein. I'm only in chapter four, but he has already committed genocide at least once or twice depending on how you look at it. Speaking of Sihon it is written, "So we captured all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, women and children of every city. We left no survivor" (2:34). And speaking of Og it is written, "And we utterly destroyed them, as we did to Sihon king of Heshbon, utterly destroying the men, women and children of every city" (3:6). In both cases they tool all the animals and spoils of the cities (2:35, 3:7). Both Sihon and Og were Amorites which is why you might consider it one act of genocide and not two.

How do you explain that one of the "heroes of the faith" committed war crimes? If your answer is simply, "because God told him too" then how do you argue with the Muslim terrorists who crashed into the Twin Towers "because God told them too"? Both Moses and the terrorists were seeking a reward; at least the terrorists were looking for one in the afterlife and not just land on earth.

The traditional explanation (other than the one listed above) is that God was judging the peoples who lived in that land. And Scripture supports that as back in Genesis 15 God speaks of his promise to Abraham, "Then in the fourth generation they shall return here, for the iniquity of the Amorite is not yet complete." As a sidebar, that's pretty amazing that God seemed to be patiently waiting for roughly 500 years to deal with the Amorites and how he orchestrates the events of history. Back to my point though, again it just makes me wonder about the contemporary parallel that many of the Muslim terrorists also think they are God's way of judging the infidels. Should we as Christians living in America believe we are under judgement by these attacks? Or is that an "old dispensation"? And did Moses really have to kill every child? Is it possible God did deliver the Amorites over to Moses to be defeated as an act of judgement, but Moses and the Israelites took it one step further on their own volition and completed the massacre? Perhaps I haven't come across it yet, but I have not seen where God instructed them to kill every man, woman and child and to leave no survivor.

Filing this under "things that keep me up at 4 am."

Troops Respond To Kerry

In case you haven't made it over to Jeff's blog lately, I thought I'd go ahead and post this on mine as well. Pretty funny.

Live From Greenville

Well, as perhaps you could tell, I am now back in action with my DSL. Verizon even got the job done a couple days ahead of time. Sweet.

The hectic pace of the last month has taken a toll. I currently have 892 messages in my e-mail inbox. I'm not joking. And none of those are spam messages. Of the 892 outstanding messages, 250 have come in the last month. That's just crazy talk. So, if you have e-mailed me recently and are wondering why you haven't heard back from me, please know I am a little behind on my correspondence.

I am very, very happy with the way my apartment is looking. The Lamp Shack is now open. I would have never guessed I would have enjoyed setting it up as much as I have. Thanks yet again to everyone who helped me move and to those who have helped me bounce around some decorating ideas. Manly decorating ideas, I might add. Tanya, I'll try to get some pictures up at some point. I have not yet joined the modern era and purchased a digital camera so it could take awhile. I'll also try to find an open date on the calendar for an open house party.
Good times.

Hell's Take on Phase 3

My thanks to Jake who shared this with me awhile back. In the tradition of the Screwtape Letters here is a modern little soundbyte to think about as Celebration Sunday approaches.