Hebrews 4:12

For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any twoedged sword, piercing even to the dividing asunder of soul and spirit, and of the joints and marrow, and is a discerner of the thoughts and intents of the heart.

Thursday, January 31, 2008

Endorsement Train

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger today added his name to the list people endorsing John McCain for President. This begs the question, is there no end to this train of Pseudo-Republicans who are going to come out in favor of the Pseudo-Republican poster child?

Beyond this, in last nights debate, did anyone else notice that John McCain was very angry, defensive, nasty and vicious every time that anyone questioned his liberal record. He snidely and angrily proclaimed himself to be proud of his record, and twisted the facts about his record as much as possible to make it seem like it wasn't so bad.

As if his anger and twisting of his own record aren't bad enough, he told out and out lies about Mitt Romney, and even when he was clearly given the facts, he would not let go of those lies. He proved himself to be a politician, twisting not only his own record, but also Mitt Romney's record, and trying to twist his words, any way he could, to try to make himself look better than Romney. This is a classic trait of a liar. The liar feels that they can only look good if he can make other look bad. I don't understand why it is that people don't seem to be able to see through this.

McCain likes to talk of honor, but sadly, he has forgotten anything he ever knew about that subject.

Many will tell us that McCain's age shouldn't matter, and to some extent, they are correct. But one thing that the polls are showing is that seniors are voting for McCain at an alarming rate, that means that they are voting for him because of his age. This is just a crazy reason to vote for him. It's just as crazy to vote for someone based on age as it is to vote for someone based on race or gender. The fact is that none of these people are too young for the office, in fact, they can't be. Constitutionally a person must be a minimum of 35 years of age in order to be President.

McCain accuses Romney of mis-using buzz words, and yet all he seems able to do is use buzzwords to tell us that we should elect him. Of course, we shouldn't elect him, after all, if he couldn't keep his temper in check durring a debate, where you have to expect that people are going to say some not-so-nice things about you, how will he handle real problems on the world stage?

McCain accuses Romney of saying that he never held a real job, which is not what Romney said at all. What Romney said, and he has said it several times, that he (Romney) unlike McCain, has held a job in the real ecconomy. This is true. McCain was in the military, and he's been a politician, he has no experience actually getting things done outside of one of those two structures. Clearly military service bodes well for many people in many aspects of life, but there is no evidence to suggest it makes a person a better President, at least by itself.

Some are saying that because we are in a time of war, and McCain has been in the military, that he is the obvious choice to lead our country at this time. However, given that McCain is obviously the type of person who will not listen to other people, and will not allow for the possibility that he could be wrong, even when the errors in his own record are shown to him, he still will not admit mistakes. This makes him the worst option for the Oval Office. Someone like Romney knows the value of listening to people who know. He doesn't need to have his own military experience to draw on, he will have plenty of Generals to tell him what needs to be done, and let's face it, they are the ones that need to be listened to, even if the President has military service in his own past.

Now, for those who feel that they can't vote for Romney because of his Mormonism, I'll repeat something I've said before, by voting for him for President, you are not embracing or endorsing, or in any way approving of his religion.

I'm not saying that Romney is the best choice we could hope for, but he is clearly the best choice of what is left.

Another thing that Republicans should find telling, aside from the fact that McCain was endorsed by "The New York Times," and all his other endorsements are coming from liberal and so-called moderate Republicans, is the fact that Democrats are thrilled that he is doing so well. Why? Because, if McCain is the Republican Nominee, they get a Democrat for President no matter who wins. I still don't see how people don't see this.

McCain would be a disasterous choice for President of the United States of America. We cannot afford to put him in office. He has taken far too many stands against basic liberties, he has taken stands against the Constitution, he has a long history of pandering to Democrats, and embracing their point of view in the name of bipartisanship and getting stuff done. Sorry, John, doing the wrong thing is worse than doing nothing at all. He believes in Amnesty for illegal aliens, regardless of what he is saying in order to try to get people to vote for him. McCain is NOT the good choice for Republicans.

One of the ways that those in Washington get away with doing Unconstitutional things is because the American people don't know what the Constitution says. Don't let this be you, if you don't have a copy, you can go to http://www.heritage.org/ and they will send you a free pocket Constitution, so that you can see these things for yourself.

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

Touched By The Sun

There is a common joke in Florida that Floridians are monumentally stupid. I've always said that just being from, or in, Florida doesn't automatically make one stupid, after all, there are stupid people anywhere you go, it's just that here in Florida, we have more than our fair share. Yesterday this was proven by the victory of Senator John McCain in the GOP primary.

If you haven't read the comments on my last post (Weasel Endorsement) you should really do so. John McCain is no kind of Republican, and certainly no kind of Conservative. When he makes a speech, he tries to pull off a certain boyish charm, but the fact is that he's an ill tempered old man with a hair trigger that we can not risk in the Oval Office.

Now there is talk that Giuliani will drop out of the race and endorse McCain, which could give McCain the nomination, which would give us much reason for distress.

I actually heard someone on Fox News last night make the statement that Rush Limbaugh was the saddest person in the Republican party right now because he is against McCain, and McCain won. Let me just say that this is ridiculous. Any Conservative Republican should be saddened by this turn of events. If this turn toward McCain continues, it signals an abandonment of the true Conservative principles that are the best hope for the future of this country.

McCain likes to talk about being a foot soldier in the Conservative Revolution started off by Ronald Reagan. That's all well and good, it's just too bad that he ended up being a turncoat and doing his level best to destroy everything that the Reagan revolution stood for. I hope that voters in the rest of the country will take a good hard look at McCain, see him for who and what he truly is, and not cast any more votes for him.

On the Democratic side, a few thoughts. If you don't know, Hillary stomped the snot out of Obama in Florida, 50% to 33%. Then the Obama camp said that it was really a tie because they both got zero delegates out of it. To me this statement says that Obama doesn't take the voters in Florida seriously. So eager was his camp to downplay the Clinton victory in the Sunshine state that they thumbed their noses at the entire state. Hopefully they will remember this when it comes to the General election in November, but with the stupidity that was rampant here yesterday, it doesn't seem likely.

Another thing that I find amusing is the number of Conservative radio personalities that hate Hillary so much that they end up speaking favorably of Obama, which is funny because, as bad as Hillary is, Obama is actually worse. The difference is that they haven't known Obama long enough to hate him, but they sure do hate Hillary Clinton, and so passionate are they against her that they almost sound like they are in favor of Obama becoming President. I'm sure they don't mean to come across that way, but they still do.

Also hearing now that John Edwards is dropping out of the race on the Democratic side. Not a big surprise, since he hasn't been a serious contender for months now.

It still remains to be seen what is going to happen as far as who gets the nominations from the major parties, but on the dem side it doesn't matter much to me, I won't be voting for either one of them. On the GOP side, if it's McCain I won't be voting for him either, as he might prove to be worse than the dems in some area's. If it's Romney, it'll take some convincing, but I just might vote for him, especially if he has a good running mate.

Looking at the possibility that the Republican party will declare itself to be finished with Conservatives by nominating McCain, it may well be time for Conservatives, the real Republicans as it were, to find a new party, or form a new party if needed, that is still based on doing what is right. There is nothing that says that once a Republican, always a Republican, and there is nothing that says that you must become an independent or a Democrat, these do not have to be the only options open to us. I'm not saying that the time has come just yet, but we very well may see the time come very, very soon. Just some food for thought.

Monday, January 28, 2008

Weasel Endorsement

Florida's Weasel of a pretend Republican Governor is at it again. This time endorsing John McCain, another pretend Republican, for the Republican nomination for President. Please note that the term weasel is applied solely to Crist and not to McCain. McCain is no kind of Republican, but he is respectable in that he hasn't really pretended to be something that he's not, other than a Republican, and he is a true American hero, and therefore deserves respect, just not votes. Crist on the other hand is a pretender (and a weasel) who rode into the office of the Governor of our great state on the coat tails of Jeb Bush, a truly great man and great Governor. Since his election, Crist has done very little to honor the trust that was placed in him, and much to disgrace the great man that he followed into office. Hopefully Republicans will see this and we will have a good solid Republican leader to step up and crush Governor Weasel... errr... Crist in the Gubernatorial Primary in two years... but I digress.

Do we really need to know anything about McCain beyond the fact that he was endorsed by the ultra-liberal, outrageously far left radical rag, The New York Times? And do we need to know anything more about Crist than that he is in agreement with the New York Times? I don't think so.

Tomorrow is that day that Floridians will vote for their pick for the Presidential nominees, and my guess is that Romney will take the Republican side. Obviously I don't know for sure, and this is not a prediction, only a guess. I base this on the fact that McCain has only carried the primaries that he has so far because independents, and in some cases Democrats, were able to vote in the Republican Primary. This is not the case in Florida, nor should it be, this is not the general election, and each party should nominate it's own candidate without interference from uncommitted persons, or the opposition party. With dems voting, it's no wonder McCain has pulled off some victories. Also, despite what some in the media would have you believe, I think that a lot of Thompsons supporters will vote for Romney, not Huckabee. And Guiliani is doing very poorly in the polls right now, looking at a hard fight just to finish third. Therefore I am guessing that Romney will take the pot of gold that is the Florida Primary.

Truly the Florida Primary is a pot of gold, being one week before Super Tuesday, a victory here gives a candidate a lot of momentum moving into other big states. Florida is also a big state with a lot of delegates at stake, and unlike many other states, it is a winner take all state, with the first place finisher getting all the delegates and second place getting treated badly.

As for Guiliani, if you have paid any attention to the Republicans in the election cycle at all, you have almost certainly heard him talk about having been appointed by Reagan, and having worked for Reagan. Well, as luck would have it, I just finished reading "The Reagan Diaries" this morning, and found something absolutely delicious on page 618, in the entry for Tuesday, June 14th of 1988. Reagan writes, "And Guiliani (U.S. Attorney) is talking of drawing up an indictment against Marcos. I think he's crazy." (Bold Mine.) So there you have it, Reagan thought Guiliani was crazy!! How great is that!??! Ok, I admit, he's only talking in reference to one issue, but I still think it's great. I nearly laughed myself silly upon reading that line. I understand why Rudy hasn't used that in his stump speech, but I do wonder why no one in the media, or one of his opponents, hasn't latched onto it yet. To me, it's too much fun to pass up.

On a completely different, and non-political note, today marks the 22nd anniversary of the Space Shuttle Challenger Disaster. In his diary for that day President Reagan writes, "A day we'll remember for the rest of our lives." ... "Then I was getting a briefing for a meeting I was to have with network anchors--an advance on the St. of the Union address scheduled for tonight. In came Poindexter & the V.P. with the news the shuttle Challenger had blown up on takeoff. We all then headed for a TV & saw the explosion re-played. From then on there was only one subject--the death of the 6 crew & 1 passenger--Mrs. McAuliffe, the teacher who had won the right to make the flight. There is no way to describe our shock & horror. We cancelled--I should say postponed the St. of the Union address til next week. Cong. closed down for the day." I think it important that we never forget those who died that day.

Also, tonight is President Bush's final State of the Union address. Regardless of who wins the Presidency this year, this will be the final time that George W. Bush will be giving this address, as he has less than one year left in office. While I don't count myself amongst his strong supporters, I do wish him the best in this final year, and hope that he will lead our nation well, and hand the incoming president some real progress to build on.

Saturday, January 26, 2008

Doctored

A little while ago I made some reference to Dr. Phil getting himself some scorn for going to see Brittany Spears and then talking to the press about her. Apparently some in California want to add some trouble to the scorn.

From a news story that I read, since Dr. Phil is not licensed to practice in California, they want to charge him first off with practicing medicine without a license, even though, according to him, all the did was visit her and talk to her, and it was not a counseling session. He says he was there as a friend to the family. Anyway, it takes another twist, because he talked to the press they want to charge him also with violating Dr.-Patient privilege. At this point I'm a little confused. Aren't the two mutually exclusive? If he couldn't be there as a Dr. because he can't practice in that state, can he really be held to any sort of Dr.-Patient privilege? I just don't see how you could charge him with both at the same time.

I think that there is more to this however. I think that some of these people just don't like the guy. On top of all of the above nonsense, they also want to either ban his show from the airwaves in California, or to have a disclaimer placed in the front of it that the advice dispensed by Dr. Phil is contrary to what a licensed Psychologist might tell you. That's why I say that it would seem that those people just plain don't like him. It's really too bad that some people try to abuse power to force other people to go along with their own personal likes and dislikes.

For myself, I've watched Dr. Phil before, but I don't care too much about watching his show. Honestly though, I think that it's the people that he has on that bug me more than he does. Actually, a lot of the advice he gives isn't half bad. Mostly he talks about common sense ideals and taking responsibility for a persons own actions. That being said, I don't agree with all the advice I've heard him give, and most of the people that he has on his show are so idiotic, and have such nonsensical problems that you just want to smack them instead of listening to them whine and drone on and on about their nonsensical problems.

I even read one of his books once. It was the one on weight loss, and again, it wasn't half bad. Basically he took a common sense approach, and told everyone to be smart and make the correct decisions, but he did it in such a way as to make it more interesting, and he probably helped a lot of people with that book.

Like I said, I don't care much for watching his show personally, but I also don't think it's right to try to force other people not to watch it just because you don't like his style, or the advice he gives.

Isn't it time that some people grow up?

And yes, I understand that I have hit an all time low, blogging about Dr. Phil... I am ashamed... Ok, so not really.

Friday, January 25, 2008

Stimulus

We are all pretty much aware of the fact that our economy isn't in the greatest shape. Many fear that we are heading for a recession. We know that a lot of people have lost jobs as companies move productions facilities overseas to take advantage of lower wages and lower tax rates, and few regulations and restrictions, and even though a lot of these people who have lost these jobs have been able to replace them, they often end up working for far less than they had been in the job that they lost. Suffice it to say that things aren't as good as we would like to see them.

Some of the problems that people are facing were brought on by themselves. Buying houses that they couldn't afford in the first place, on adjustable rate mortgages, has really hurt a lot of people, but they did it to themselves. Also, with the outrageous cost of cars these days, a lot of people have bought cars that they can't begin to afford. A lot of this comes from our instant gratification culture, where you must have whatever it is that you want right now, without regard for the long term consequences. This also leads to increased credit card debt, which just puts people farther down, never a good situation.

On top of all of this is the fact that our Government has done a lousy job of managing our economy. With high taxes, and over regulations in certain area's, and not enough in others, have driven companies to move operations overseas. Also, with outrageously out of control spending, and not being able to control themselves with our money, they have taxed the American people nearly to death. On top of that they have spent so much money that they have had to borrow it in order to meet all of the obligations that they have come up with. Then you have social programs that reward people for not working, and give them no enticement to get out and get a job, which is a further drain on our economy. Of course there is also their refusal to act on illegal immigration which has the same affect. Out of control spending, out of control taxes and borrowing, and just plain stupidity has put us in the situation we are in.

The problem is not with Capitalism, the problem is with Government officials, elected and otherwise, who are not doing the jobs that they are supposed to be doing. I wish I could say that it was all the Democrats fault, but that would be dishonest, the Republicans had more than ample opportunity to straighten things out and make them better, but instead they just kept making them worse.

So now we can all rest easy, you see, the President and Congress have come up with a plan to "stimulate" the economy by giving us all money. Isn't that a great plan? They say that they will give $600 to each working adult, $1,200 for a working couple, plus $300 per child, in order to entice people to spend money. Of course it won't work, most of the people who qualify are going to use the money for bills, or to pay off credit cards and such things, but that is not my point. The point is that they broke it, and they don't want to take the hard steps to fix it, and so now they want to buy us off, with our own money, which we only don't have because they took it from us in the first place. And this is supposed to make everything better? Does anyone see any logic to this? Apparently they haven't heard that sometimes it really is better to do nothing, if you're too stupid to do the right thing anyway.

If this doesn't prove to you that a vast majority of elected officials need to be sent packing, and replaced with intelligent people who are interested in doing what is right, rather than playing political games and following their ideology, then I guess nothing will.

A lot of attention is being given to the Presidential election, by me and everyone else, but we need to be careful not to forget that the President is only one person, and has limited power to affect change within our nation as it is the Congress who controls the purse strings. We need to take a good hard look at the people who will be running for Congress this year, so that we pick a Congress who will do the right thing, and not play politics with our lives.

Thursday, January 24, 2008

Studies

A new study by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, which means it's not some fly by night group that nobody has ever heard of, it's the Federal Government, says that an increase in Ocean Temperatures, due to Global Warming, will result in more wind sheer over portions of the Atlantic Ocean, which will cause far FEWER Hurricanes in the Eastern Atlantic Ocean, and make it nearly impossible for a Hurricane to hit the Southeastern US. I wonder how Al Gore will spin this one.

To me this is not proof of anything other than what I have been saying right along, that the people who cannot tell you with certainty if it will rain tomorrow, or where those Hurricanes will go in 36 hours, cannot possibly know what is going to happen decades down the road.

Besides this is the fact that Global Warming, that is to say, the slight increase in average surface temperatures around the world, has not been proven to be anything beyond normal climate temperature cycles. And we keep hearing lies about what it all means in any event. For instance, we hear about ice melting in Antarctica, while the truth is that the temperatures in Antarctica have gone down, and the ice shelf has increased over the last few years.

When the lies are so blatant, and so easily debunked, how can we trust any of these people anymore?

Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Ramblings

I made my opinion of Oprah's endorsement of Obama very clear in a previous post, however, I just heard something on the news that I found kind of funny. I guess some of Oprah's female fans are all up in arms because she endorsed the black male candidate instead of the female candidate. In other words, they are upset because they feel that she picked a candidate based on race... instead of based on gender. Ok, for me, I don't know, and never claimed to know, if race was a deciding factor in her choice to endorse Obama or not. I don't think it's too large of a leap of imagination to assume that it was, but we really don't have any way to know for sure. I could see if people somehow found out that she did, and were upset about that, for obvious reasons, but for those same people to be upset because she didn't pick a candidate based on gender is just so outrageous. It's just as silly and ridiculous to vote based solely on gender as it is to vote based solely on race. We need to vote based on issues and character that we learn about because we take the time to learn about them for ourselves. How silly is this?

Some say that John McCain learned his lesson on immigration (and if you're one of the people who said that to me, you're not the only one, I've heard it from several different people) following the defeat of the insane McCain/Kennedy farce bill, but I don't see how that can be. To this day John McCain does not admit that his plan was amnesty. I guess people say that they like that he says that he does not believe in amnesty, which is good, neither do I, but where I think we need to part ways with McCain is that he swears that his bill was not amnesty. The truth, though, is that it was amnesty, all dressed up and disguised in an ultimately vain attempt to sneak it by the American people, but it was amnesty, and I would respect honesty from the man far more that I could ever respect his new "I'm tough on illegal immigration" rhetoric. I'm a sheep in terms of my relationship to God, but not in terms of my relationship to other humans, so, sorry Senator, I won't follow blindly into your bold vision of the North American Union.

Have you been left wondering lately if it is possible to Worship God outside of your local Church? I think, and I admit that I could be wrong, that a lot of people are confused by what worship means. I think that some people do feel that they can only worship on Sunday morning with all the other Church-goers. I can tell you, for certain, Worship comes from our hearts, and can be done anywhere, at any time, it can be spontaneous within ourselves, or it can be triggered by some stimulus. Just today at the Gym the song Adonai by Avalon came on my MP3 player, and it really moved me. I actually felt compelled to raise my hands in Worship, but I was stopped from doing this by a very real and legitimate fear that if I did so I would fall right off the treadmill, which I didn't think would be a good idea.

I'm sure pretty much everyone has heard by now that movie star Heath Ledger was found dead yesterday, apparently from a drug overdose, possibly accidental, and potentially from prescription drugs, they haven't really cleared all that up yet, but it is a sad thing any time that someone dies. I didn't see much of his work, though I'm sure I'll see his final film, the new Batman movie "The Dark Knight" where he plays the Joker, because it's the kind of movie I'm likely to see anyway. Other than that I saw the Patriot where he played alongside Mel Gibson, and proved himself to be a really great actor. I wish his family, and especially his daughter, the best going forward.

Another news story is about the wife of a school administrator who fairly well ripped into a student who called her house looking for her husband. Of course, the kid recorded the conversation, and the TV people only played the woman's side of the conversation, which makes me wonder right there. She was obviously very angry, so I'm guessing the kid was pretty snotty to her, and she unloaded quite a bit on him. My position on this is, good for her. The kid had no right to call her home and give her a hard time because he didn't like something that her husband had done. Besides, she never swore, she never threatened, she just told it like she saw it. More people should have to guts to stand up and say what needs to be said. If they did, just maybe, the obnoxious among us wouldn't cause quite so many problems.

Tuesday, January 22, 2008

Now What?

Well, I had settled on Fred Thompson as the guy to vote for in the Primary next week, and today he dropped out of the race. If this had happened some time ago I probably would have just voted for Duncan Hunter, but he dropped out a week or so ago.

So, now what? Still can't vote for Giuliani. He's pro baby murder, and that's a deal breaker in my book.

McCain has been making a strong showing, but I still don't trust him. I am starting to wonder if I might have been wrong about him not having a shot, but I still don't trust him. I respect him and his service to our country, but I also recognize how often he has pandered to the far left. Collaborating on bills with ultra liberal Senators just to say he got something done. Some believe that the utter defeat of his horrid immigration reform bill woke him up, but I'm not so sure. To me he seems like he has become a lifetime politician and professional panderer, rather than a strong Republican leader. Did I mention that I really don't trust him?

I'm not sure if I can trust Romney either, but perhaps I trust him more than McCain. I can't be sure. I do believe that someone can have a sincere change of heart on some issues, so, is that what happened with Mitt, or is he simply a flip flopper? I don't know for sure.

I absolutely do not trust Huckabee. If you've read here before you will know that I really wanted to like the guy and was really easy on him for a long time, but the fact is that he's a lifetime politician too. He likes to tout his religious background, but several of the comments that I have heard him make in that regard have been flat out offensive to me. I still haven't figured out how more Christians haven't seen through the guy yet. Hopefully with time they will.

And the only other person still in the race is Ron Paul. At least I trust him to do what he says. I do believe he is being completely honest. I don't know that there's much more that I haven't said about him in the past, but at least he's trustworthy, which is more than can be said for most of the others.

So now, what to do? I will go and vote fore someone, I just can't be sure who at this point. I still can't see it being Ron Paul, and it certainly won't be Giuliani, McCain or Huckabee, so I guess that leaves Mitt Romney at this point, and I'm not sure how comfortable I am with that.

On the subject of Mitt Romney, why is it that the media keeps trying to count the guy out? I know he hasn't made a clean sweep or anything, but he leads the delegate count by a ton at this point in the race. He nearly doubles his closest competitor, McCain, in number of delegates won up to this point. So I'm not sure how they can say his day is past. I guess it's more of that prediction stuff.

Why is it that there are no strong leaders to come out and take a commanding lead in this race? Why do we get stuck with the rif-raff right from the get go? Is this sorry lot what it has really come to in American Presidential Politics? I guess it is, and what truly sad state of affairs that is indeed.

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Torn

I have a swell of conflicting emotions today. On the one hand, you can follow the link in my sidebar to Gary Durbin's blog and see his beautiful new daughter, just born Wednesday, and this fills my heart with joy. So precious, so innocent, such a miracle, such a wonderful gift from God. Looking at those pictures and reading Gary's account of the birth was really cool, and for me, as I'm sure it does with all parents, brings to mind memories of the the births of both of my kids. Thank God for the kids. They truly are a gift from Him.

On the other hand, a new study says that abortions in this nation hit a 30 year low in 2005, which sounds good on the surface, until they continue and tell you that there were still 1.2 Million babies murdered in 2005. Over 20% of Pregnancies in the US in 2005 ended in murder. Needless to say, this brings overwhelming sadness.

When I got to the part about the sheer number of babies that are murdered in our country every year, I felt sick to my stomach. It kind of felt like I had been hit with something.

And furthermore, the way that stories like this are covered in the media is sickening. You find reporters so enamored of Barak Obama that they can scarcely contain themselves, throwing objectivity to the wind, but when reporting about "abortion," a grossly optimistic misnomer, they have no problem stating this very matter of factly, and they will say that they have to remain objective. So disgusting.

Where is the outrage? The ranks of the pro-life activists have dwindled significantly over the years. It's not that people don't believe just as strongly as they ever have, it's just that people grow tired of fighting day in and day out while babies are being killed in the womb, and it's hard to keep up the tempo year after year, but thank God for those who do.

This is why I'm so torn and conflicted today. It seems kinda funny to feel so much joy and so much sadness all at the same time, but here it is, it's how I feel today.

While we're talking about babies though, I'll throw this in. Last night O'Reilly had a segment about women targeting rich and famous men to get pregnant by them and thus have them on the hook for child support. The really funny part of the segment was the male guest who wanted to blame the whole thing on the women, saying that they are so bad because they are doing this on purpose. So Bill tried to point out to him that, while it was true that the women shouldn't be doing this, the men share in the fault because the women wouldn't have been able to get pregnant if the men hadn't slept with them, and the guy simply couldn't get it through his head. This I thought was pretty funny, because it's what I had said right at the beginning. I have no sympathy for these guys. They did the deed for free, but now they are going to have to pay the price. Tough. What a world.

Friday, January 18, 2008

Lies

A few things I want to share today. The first two are items reported last night by Bill O'Reilly on Fox News.

If you are someone who reads that New York Times, or even if you're not, you might be aware of a huge, front page story that they ran a few days ago about soldiers returning from Iraq and Afghanistan and killing people. The story told about several Veterans who have been arrested for murder since returning from the war zones, and it told how many have been, but did not put the number in any sort of context.

Upon further digging it was learned that approximately 7 Veterans out of every 100,000 commit murder, contrast that to non-military citizens, 40 out of every 100,000 of them will murder someone. That's right, regular citizens are nearly 6 times as likely to murder someone than is a returning veteran. But that's not how the New York Times told the story. To listen to them you would believe that every returning veteran comes home and goes on a murderous rampage. The message is that, if you are too close to a veteran, you may be in danger.

The reason, it would seem to me, why they would do this, is that they hate President Bush so badly that they wanted to use this story as a way to say, look at how this madman has ruined these wonderful young Americans. It might have been successful too, if it had been true.

Another thing that O'Reilly talked about last night has to do with former Senator, and Democratic Presidential hopeful, John Edwards.

Edwards has been doing a lot of talking about the Economy, and how it's all stacked against the little guy, and how it's designed to keep us all down. It's his "Two America's" message, and he preaches it where ever he goes. Of course, he always fails to mention that the reason that it can be so difficult (he would say impossible) for us to dig ourselves to the top of the heap is that the Government taxes us at outrageous rates, and doesn't take steps to protect us from companies moving operations overseas, and doesn't take steps to curtail illegal immigration. Certainly not things Edwards would try to change.

Anyway, part of his "proof" of this problem is the approximately 200,000 American Veterans who are homeless. This is a sad state of affairs, and needs to be addressed, but Edwards needs to be honest about what is really happening. For starters, he talks about 200,000 veterans sleeping under bridges and on grates. This is untrue because many of these people sleep in shelters, or live at half-way house type places, or live with family, so they are not totally on the street, but they are still homeless. The other part of this is that most of these veterans, indeed many homeless people, are homeless because of drug or alcohol addiction, or mental illness.

Now, I'm not saying that this is a good thing, or anything like that. In fact, this issue needs to be dealt with, however, these veterans cannot get the help they need from someone who will not even acknowledge what the problem is. Simply blaming the economy, and railing against a system which allowed him to be a multi-millionaire himself, in an effort to get himself elected, is not going to solve anything. To solve the problem he needs to talk honestly about it, without the hype and rhetoric, and talk about the need to get these people into drug and alcohol programs, and help those who need mental health programs to get into them. Lies solve nothing.

This next one isn't a lie, but it's still stupid.

A school here in Florida had a program in place, sponsored by McDonald's, that any kid who did well on their report card would get a free Happy Meal. Sounds fine right? Well, one mother didn't think so, and she raised hob about it, and got the school to cancel the program, because she didn't want her daughter eating fast food. So, I'm going to put this as simply as I can... You are the parent, if you don't want your kid to have the Happy meal, DON'T TAKE HER!! But come on, don't ruin it for everyone else. Personally I think it was a great idea for the School, and McDonald's, to reward the kids for their hard work, at no cost the the parent. And hey, any parent that doesn't want their kid to eat there can ignore it and decide to do reward their kids in a different way.

Some say, "Why can't we all just get along?" I won't get into that, but I will say I think it should be, "Why can't we all just be honest?"

Wednesday, January 16, 2008

For God And Country

There has been a realization amongst some Christians of late. It consists of the truth that Christianity knows no borders. The fact that all who have been saved by Grace, through Faith in Jesus Christ, believing that he was crucified as payment for our sins, buried, and that God raised him from the Dead, are truly our brothers and sisters in Christ (Romans 10:9) regardless of what country they live in.

In truth, I think that this is something that all of us have known on some level, but it may not be something that we think about all that often. I think, though, that it can be somewhat comforting to know that, in spite of the rapid growth of other religions, and cults being on the rise, there are many devout followers of Jesus Christ the world over. I think that we should be careful not to forget this, especially considering that many Christians around the world do not enjoy the freedom to worship that we do here in the US.

While we certainly have a commitment to the body of Christ, that doesn't mean that we don't also have a commitment to our Country. The USA was founded on Judeo-Christian values, and with freedom in mind. Our freedom of speech and freedom of Religion go hand in hand. Our Constitution was set up to protect these freedoms, among others. Given the chance, there are many who would take these freedoms away, because they find the Truth of God, as laid out for us in the Bible, to be offensive to them. Being that we are a Constitutional Republic, meaning a nation ruled by law, with the Constitution being the Supreme law, which no other law may contradict, they are limited in the way they can do this. There are some laws that do contradict the Constitution, which can only happen through the ignorance and apathy of the American People, and our elected officials. So that is one way that these things can be done, through the continued ignorance and apathy of the people. The second way is to change the Constitution, through either amendment, which means one major change at a time, or a Constitutional Convention, which would allow for the entire Constitution to be re-written, or a new one written to replace the current one.

One way in which the American people have allowed the wool to be pulled over their eyes is the entire subject of "Democracy." Regardless of what you may have heard in the past, or been taught in school, the fact is that the USA is NOT a Democracy. A Democracy is rule by the majority. Everything is put up for a vote, and the majority wins, pure and simple. In a true democracy the rights of the minority, or even a silent, apathetic majority, are always trampled by the majority, or, at least the majority of those who show up to vote. Always. In a democracy there is nothing to protect the rights of the rest of the people. In a Constitutional Republic, such as ours, the power still rests with the people, as we do use a democratic process to elect officials, but we are voting for people that we have decided to trust to do what is right, and to make the decisions that are best for all of the people, but laws are in place to protect people who find themselves outside of the majority opinion.

We do owe a great debt of gratitude to our Founding Fathers for the Republic that they set forth in this nation, but we owe a far greater debt of gratitude to our Heavenly Father for all of the blessings that He has bestowed upon this great nation.

One other thing that we need to remember are all of the men and women who have given their lives down through the years to continue to protect those freedoms from tyrants and other forces who would have ripped them from us. Thomas Jefferson put it forth this way, "The Tree of Liberty must be refreshed, from time to time, with the blood of Patriots and Tyrants." Our liberties are truly a gift from God, yet, how many of America's Military Men and Women have spilled their blood to keep it?

I'm thinking right now of the wonderful song by the Statler Brothers, "More Than A Name On A Wall."

I Saw her from a distance, as she walked up to the wall, In her hands she held some flowers, as her tears began to fall. She took out pen and paper, as to trace her memories, then she looked up to Heaven, and the words she said were these...

She said, Lord my boy was special, and he meant so much to me, And, Oh, I'd love to see him, just one more time You see. All I have are the memories, and the moments to recall, So Lord, could you tell him, he's more than a name on a wall.

She said, he really missed the family, and being home on Christmas day, And he died for God and Country, in a place so far away. I remember just a little boy, playing war since he was three. But Lord, this time, I know, he's not coming home to me.

She said, Lord my boy was special, and he meant so much to me, And, Oh I'd love to see him, but I know that just can't be. So I thank you for my memories, and the moments to recall. And Lord could you tell him, that he's more than a name on a wall.

Oh Lord could you tell him, that he's more than a name on a wall.

More Than A Name On The Wall
Words and Music by Jimmy Fortune and John Rimel
Copyright ©1988 Statler Brothers Music (BMI)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Oh Really?

I'm probably about the last person in the world to weigh in on this, but I can't let it pass me by without saying something about it.

Hillary Clinton has been taking some flack for saying that the civil rights legislation that Martin Luther King Jr. fought so hard for would not have been a reality if President Johnson hadn't signed it into law. She was trying to make the point that you need a strong President doing what is right, in order to get important things done. And she's right... unfortunately the things that she thinks are right are not things that we would agree are the right things to do, but that's beside the point.

Some Obama supporters, though to be clear, not Obama himself, or, as I understand it, anyone connected to his campaign, have decided to use this to play the race card, saying that Hillary was ignoring the role that MLK Jr. played in the Civil Rights movement, or at least diminishing it. As though she were trying to say that he didn't matter and it was the President that did it all.

In order to buy into this all you have to do is believe that a woman who has spent her entire life working and manipulating to gain as much personal power for herself as possible, finding herself in a position where she actually has a very real shot at being elected to the highest office in the land, arguably in the entire world, woke up one morning and decided to commit political suicide. I guess we can see how that doesn't hold up.

If anything, Senator Clinton didn't spread the credit around far enough. It's true that without King, and a great many other people who worked and fought very hard in the Civil Rights movement, the ball never would have been gotten rolling. Then, without Congress taking a stand, writing and passing the Civil Rights Act of 1964, there wouldn't have been a bill at all. And then, finally, without the President standing up for what was right, the bill wouldn't have (or at least may not have) become law. That's how our system works. All of the hard working activists in the world can't pass a law unless Congress (at the least) and the President (at best) stand with them.

This doesn't diminish the efforts of the Civil Rights workers (King included) it's just reality.

Honestly, I can't believe that I'm writing a post in defense of Hillary Clinton, but, in the interest of honesty, I feel like I have to do this. So, don't think I'm a Hillary supporter or anything, anyway, when it comes to the Democratic Primary, in the words of Dr. Phil, I don't have a dog in this fight. I hope that none of them win the Presidency, I just wish they would be honest about things. And don't worry, the Mainstream Media is working hard to pour gasoline on the fire.

On a different topic, how ironic is it that Wesley Snipes, an actor, is claiming that income tax doesn't apply to him? I mean, we know that most people in Hollywood are excessively Liberal, and liberalism has become the gateway to Socialism, in which everyone pays outrageous taxes, and the Government gives it back out to whom they will. This is called "Redistribution of Wealth," and it is the reason that liberals are always calling for higher taxes and more Government programs. So, isn't it ironic that one of their own had decided that the whole thing doesn't apply to him. Of course, he's making a silly argument as to why he doesn't have to pay taxes, but he screwed that up by sending in $14 Million in bad checks, so, apparently he knew that he owed the money, so it's looking like he's going to do some jail time for it.

Isn't life crazy?

Monday, January 14, 2008

Psalm 23

This is not something that I've done up to this point, however, I have seen a few expositions on Psalm 23, quite a few of which are basically modern nonsense, and I think some real clarity and Biblical perspective is called for.

Psalm 23:1 The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Psalm 23:2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: He leadeth me beside the still waters.

Psalm 23:3 He restoreth my soul: He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Psalm 23:4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for Thou art with me; Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

Psalm 23:5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

Psalm 23:6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

Of course this is a favorite scripture of a great many people, and no wonder, but what about the imagery?

In some ways it's pretty simple, but all the more beautiful for it. Most of the imagery would have been very easy to understand at the time, and even now amongst people who have sheep, but for the rest of us, we can use some help understanding. Some of this comes from my Sunday School teacher, Rick, who is also our Church's School Administrator, so, a thank you to him.

The Lord is my shepherd.

First of all, I think it's significant that David here basically calls himself a sheep, which is true in a Spiritual sense, but it's tough to say because sheep are dumb, and I mean really dumb. Sheep are among the dumbest animals that God created, and David, having been a Shepherd himself, would have known and understood this far better than we can today. Sheep constantly need to be watched over, guided and cared for, and hey, look at that, so do we.

I shall not want.

This refers to the fact that Shepherds take care of their sheep, they don't make the sheep go off and fend for themselves. This does not imply that God will give us everything we want in life, it speaks of Him meeting our needs, not fulfilling every desire of our human nature.

He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.

Sheep are very skittish and excitable creatures, and can be very difficult to calm down when something gets them going, so a Shepherd will take the sheep and lay it down on the ground, and hold it to the ground with both hands until it calms down, and stops being overly excited. I think this refers to us casting all our cares upon Him, but sometimes we don't, and we need Him to make us calm down, and though He certainly could use His own hands to do this, He will likely use other Christians to bring us back to reality.

He leadeth me beside the still waters.

Again, sheep are very skittish, and if they are lead near a raging river, or a stream that is choppy from going over rocks and such, they will get scared and run off, and be in need of being made to lie down in green pastures, so a Shepherd would take them someplace where the waters are calm, and not going to set the sheep off.

He restoreth my soul.

Sheep are very needy. They need to be reassured, and it does them good to know that the Shepherd is there, and loves them, and cares about them, and will take care of them and make sure their needs are met.

He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for His name's sake.

Sheep don't really know where to go on their own, they need to be lead, and the Shepherd will take them where it is safe to go, avoiding the paths that are fraught with peril, in favor of the good paths. This is something that we need in life just as much as sheep do. On our own we will go to places that God wouldn't want us to go, and if we follow Him, He will lead us to where we need to go, where it is safe for us, Spiritually, so that we won't be placed in undue temptation.

Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for Thou art with me.

Once again, sheep are very skittish, but, they can walk through scary places if the Shepherd is there with them. It will make them feel safe, just being in his presence.

Thy rod and Thy staff they comfort me.

The shepherds staff, as most of us who grew up in Church learned long ago, is a long stick with a hook on the end that the shepherd uses to guide the sheep, and uses the hook to lift sheep who have fallen into holes or off of embankments and such. The rod is a much shorter stick, much more akin to a club for fending off wolves and other predators.

Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies.

When a shepherd would bring his sheep to a field where they would feed, before allowing the sheep to start feeding, he would use his staff to move the grass in order to search for vipers, and if he found any he would pour some oil around the holes that the vipers lived it so that they couldn't get out of the hole, or, at least it would be very difficult for them, so the vipers would be able to watch the sheep eating, but not be able to get to them.

Thou annointest my head with oil.

There are two possible meanings here. Given the context it likely refers to the shepherd putting oil on the head/neck area of the sheep so that they would smell to the vipers the same as the oil around the holes, if the vipers did happen to get out, it would be a bad smell of warning to them, and they would leave the sheep alone. The other meaning could be a reference to the treatment for "scab" a common ailment amongst sheep, which would be treated by oil mixed with spices, and needs to be treated quickly lest is spread throughout the entire flock. So, it could be about God's protection, or about God taking away our blemishes, or it could be both, as both are true.

My cup runneth over.

I'm not sure about a reference to sheep here, but if anyone else does, please let me know. I do think though that this still talks about the blessings of God.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the Lord for ever.

When being cared for by a shepherd, a sheep doesn't have a half bad life. Again, this isn't about personal prosperity, it is about following God leading to a fulfilling life in Him, and Him giving us a home forever.

Saturday, January 12, 2008

The Rons

When watching the Republicans on the Campaign trail this primary season there is one name that you hear so much that, if you didn't know better, you would think that he was a current candidate. That name is Ronald Reagan.

The current crop of candidates have referenced our 40th President, Ronald Wilson Reagan, so many times because they all want us to think that they are just like him. They want us to think that they are going to be the return of the best President in recent history. For any candidate running for office today, Reagan is the gold standard for what a Republican needs to be. The problem is that most of them don't really understand, in my opinion, what it was that made Reagan such a great man, and such a great President.

For starters, it is clear that Reagan was a very strong leader, but, we can see that in people like Giuliani, and probably McCain and Thompson, and, to a lesser extent, Romney, so there must be something more right? Well, Reagan was also very good with a speech, very good with words, and getting his points across in an understandable manner, but so is Huckabee, and so is Thompson and Romney, and even McCain and Giuliani do pretty well here, and, for that matter, so did Bill Clinton. Reagan was intelligent, but so are the current crop. Reagan was a patriot, but that doesn't make him stand out either. He was a very likable person, but hey, so is Huckabee, and you know what I think of him. Despite the spin Reagan's strength wasn't even to be found in ultra-conservatism, or being the ultimate republican. What made him so special was his Character. Ronald Reagan was a man of integrity. He cared more for doing what was right than what was politically expedient. He knew how to pick his battles, when to compromise and when to stand up and fight. These are the qualities that set him apart, and these are the qualities that seem to me to be sorely lacking in some of the current candidates.

As much as many Republicans miss Ronald Wilson Reagan, the sad truth is that he's not coming back, and despite the claims, none of the current candidates are a return of Reagan, not even Fred Thompson, though, to be fair, he and Ron Paul are about the only two who haven't made such a claim as far as I know.

On the subject of Ron Paul, I have a few things to get off my chest. Anyone who reads hear on any sort of a regular basis knows that I'm not a Ron Paul supporter. I have even said that he may well be insane, but that's not really fair and I apologize for going that far in my assessment, however, some of his foreign policy idea's do seem a little bit nutty.

The fact is that, while I'm not a Ron Paul supporter, I do respect the man, and he deserves some respect. Let's look at what Ron Paul is. He is a Doctor, a Veteran, as well as a Politician. He is a Conservative, wanting to cut spending, cut taxes, and cut the size of Government. He is a Patriot, even his nuttier seeming stances are positions he has taken because he believe that they are best for the USA. He is an intelligent man, in fact, I think he may well be the smartest person running for President in any party at present. He is a strict Constitutionalist, probably understanding the document better that most politicians and even most judges. Suffice it to say, I have a lot of respect for the man, and I think he deserves it, I just don't agree with all of his positions.

What bothers me is the way he is treated and marginalized by the press. Do they fear him? Are they afraid that if they gave him fair and unbiased coverage that he might have a shot at the Presidency? Maybe they do, and they certainly wouldn't let that happen without a fight. I don't mean to say that Paul is the only victim of this bias, but he is clearly among the biggest, along with Duncan Hunter, and, to a lesser extent, Fred Thompson, all of whom the press want out of the running. Maybe we should give that some thought, people that the press doesn't want to become President might be the best options available.

One thing that bothers me even more is something that happened at the last debate. Other candidates have taken issue with Ron Paul's stances before, and that is fine. I have no problem if they disagree with him, and if they want to debate him, that is what it's all about. However, Mitt Romney went WAY over the line. During a discussion of the recent events involving our Naval vessels near Iran last week Ron Paul was very seriously explaining his opinion of the situation and what he thought needed to be done, or not done would probably describe it better, when Mitt Romney breaks in and says that Ron Paul "should not be reading as many of [Mahmoud] Achmadinejad’s press releases." What a disgusting and reprehensible thing for Romney to say! Again, it doesn't bother me if they disagree, but with that one little statement, Romney suggested that Paul is an Iranian sympathizer, and questioned his patriotism. I think Romney owes Paul a serious apology for this garbage. Ron Paul may be many things, but he is an American Patriot, and deserves to be taken seriously, as he is a very serious man. Also, it was obvious that Dr. Paul was very upset by the statement, though he couldn't be heard, you could read his lips saying, "Make fun, buddy!" And I don't blame him for being upset, I was too.

In fairness, McCain poked some fun at Paul later in the debate, but there was a huge difference, both the timing and the content of McCain's jab were far and away more appropriate than the outrageous and disgusting cheap shot leveled by Romney.

I'm also sick and tired, and just generally fed up, with Politicians abandoning reasonable and rational debate in favor of one liners and inane sound-bites. I guess we have the mainstream Media to thank for that too.

Friday, January 11, 2008

Duped

Slick Willy. That's what my Dad always called President William Jefferson Clinton (well, that or Commander in Chief Chicken Little). Now we have another former Arkansas Governor running for the Presidency, and I'm thinking a good name for him might well be Slick Mikey.

This thought struck me while I was watching last nights debate on Fox News. Huckabee, whom I really want to like, I really do, I want to buy into his hype, but that's kinda the point... Anyway, Huckabee always has an answer for everything, but half the time is witty one liners with nothing behind them. And when there is something more to it, when he does delve into the issues, I kind of get the feeling that he's not so much talking about the right and wrong of what should be done, but rather just begging for your vote.

My favorite part of the debate has to be Fred Thompson's serious thumping of Mike Huckabee, and every charge Thompson leveled at Huckabee was true. Thompson couldn't have done much more to Huckabee if he had walked over and socked him in the mouth. For his part, Huckabee used a lot of words and double talk and what not to try to dig out from under the rubble that ole Fred had just dumped on him, and may have confused people enough to get away with it. But that's where the comparrison to Slick Willy comes in. Lots of talk, but not much to back it up.

Personally, I have been glossing over Huckabee's record, just because I liked the guy personally. As I said before, I wanted to believe him, I wanted to buy into what he was selling, I wanted to believe that he was the man for the job. Fortunately I have learned the truth, and the truth has set me free.

The facts are that Huckabee is soft on illegal immigration, and he points to his Faith as the reason why he's willing to sell our security down the river. He wants to be seen as a compassionate Christian, which is all well and good, but I want a strong leader who will put America first in Political decisions, and that means taking a strong and harsh stand to protect us from both terrorism and illegal immigration. I also believe that the wide open borders of this country is one of the biggest national security issues that we face today. Huckabee's record bears out that he will not solve this problem.

Another fact is that Huckabee is a tax and spender. He loves to talk about cutting taxes in Arkansas, and making excuses for the taxes that he raised, but the fact is that taxes were a net increase under his Governance, and State spending increased dramatically. To be fair, some of this was not is fault, some of it was mandated, but not all of it. The fact is that his record is one of big spending, big taxes, and big Government.

All of this reminds me of an interview I once saw with Tom Clancy (the Author of "The Hunt For Red October" among other Epic Political Thriller novels) where he was asked about his opinion of Bill Clinton, and he said that he had met the President once at a baseball game, and something to the effect of, Clinton was one of the most charming people he had ever met, but that was it, there was no depth of Character behind it.

After a lot of thought, and a lot of prayer, Fred Thompson is the guy for me, and will get my vote on January 29th when Florida holds its primary election.

I'll not tell anyone who they should vote for, but I implore you, don't be sucked in by Mike Huckabee's rhetoric, and don't be duped by his claim of being the "Strong Christian" candidate. He is NOT the person that Christians should stake their hopes and dreams on. If you do, you will sadly find that you did not get what you bargained for.

Less seriously, in the previous Fox News Republican Debate something was said about Chuck Norris (who is endorsing Huckabee) waiting outside for the other candidates, to which Fred Thompson responded, "If John Wayne were here I'd have him (Wayne) beat him (Norris) up." Awesome comeback Fred!

Thursday, January 10, 2008

Is It Just Me?

I don't know if it's just me, if I'm cynical, or if my brain is wired a little funny, but I don't always respond to things they way that others would expect me to.

My first example of this starts with a wonderful story that I got by email the other day. It was meant to be powerful, and to convey a strong point, and it did just fine... that's just not how it struck me. Before I share the story, let me just say, I did understand what was being said, and I get the point of the story, but after I share the story, I'll tell you what my reactions were.

"There was a blind girl who hated herself because she was blind.She hated everyone, except her loving boyfriend. He was always there for her.She told her boyfriend, ' If I could only see the world, I will marry you.'One day, someone donated a pair of eyes to her. When the bandages came off, she was able to see everything, including her boyfriend.He asked her,'Now that you can see the world, will you marry me?'The girl looked at her boyfriend and saw that he was blind. The sight of his closed eyelids shocked her. She hadn't expected that. The thought of looking at them the rest of her life led her to refuse to marry him.Her boyfriend left her in tears and days later wrote a note to her saying: 'Take good care of your eyes, my dear, for before they were yours, they were mine.' "
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Honestly, the very first thought in my mind when I read this was, "There's no Doctor in the world who would agree to that!" (That is to say, agree to do the surgery to take the mans eyes and give them to the woman.) Then, right on the heels of that thought was this gem, "Why didn't the Moron just give her one eye?" Right? I mean, then they could both see, and live happily every after.
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A different story, and this one is a true story, I read about it on FoxNews.com last night, a Polish man visited a brothel, not something I condone in any event, especially for a married man, which this man was, and got the shock of his life. You see, he found his Wife working there! They have reportedly filed for divorce... I wonder why?
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Can you imagine trying to explain this to the judge?
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Judge: So, you want to divorce you wife?
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Husband: Yes, your Honor.
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J: And why do you want this divorce?
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H: She was working in a Brothel!!
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J: Oh, that's gotta sting. How did you learn that your wife was working in a Brothel?
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H: I found her there, saw her with my very own eyes!
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J: And what were you doing there?
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H: Well, I was there as customer.
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Judge shakes his head and grants the divorce.
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Sometimes truth really is crazier than fiction.
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On another note, Dr. Phil is under fire for "exploiting" the Britney Spears situation. I guess he went to see her, thinking that maybe he could help her turn her life around and get on a better track, and, after talking to her, held a press conferences. I don't know what he had to say, and honestly I don't care. I think you'd be pretty hard pressed to find someone who cares less about the Britney nonsense than I do. Where I find this funny is the idea that Dr. Phil needs to exploit any situation. I mean, he's not as big as Oprah or anything, but he's not hurting for loyal adherents. Also, wouldn't it be hard to exploit Spears? She's based her entire life on exploiting every part of her body and personality and whatever else that she can. And what is her family upset about? They had no problem with exploitation when she was raking in the money, and she's been destructive to herself for years now. Even if Dr. Phil wants to use this on his show, but maybe he can really help her, why not let him?
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On a very serious note, and something that I really do care about. I want to encourage everyone to spend time in prayer for all of the people who have been affected by all the tornadoes across the country this week. I've been listening to Fox News while I've been typing this post today, and apparently one hit an Elementary School in Mississippi just a short time ago, and, after that, another one touched down all the way up in Washington State, and there is also flooding in areas, and plenty of severe weather to go around. We need to pray for the people all over the country who have been affected by this.

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Predictions

I'm talking today about predictions as they relate to Presidential politics. Don't worry, I'm not in the business of making predictions of my own, but since I find them to be hysterically funny at times, I think I need to address them here today. Besides, yesterday was the New Hampshire Primary, which I probably would have talked about today in any case.

When the whole Primary season started all the predictions were that Hillary was going to be the Democratic nominee, and that was all there was to it. For my part, I simply maintained, as I still do, that Hillary could be the nominee, but it's not certain. Following Obama's big win in Iowa, the media and pundits started calling him the obvious nominee, and were ready to count Hillary out completely. However, now that she thumped Obama fairly good in New Hampshire, the media is all back on board the Hillary bus. The fact is that either of them could still easily win the nomination. About the only prediction I would feel comfortable making on the Democrat side is that John Edwards (or any of the others) don't have a shot at all. The Democratic side of this Presidential primary may well be only a two way race, but it really is a race, and either one of them could take it.

On the Republican side, the predictions have already gone around quite a bit. Some have said since the beginning that Giuliani was a sure thing, even though he hasn't made a showing in any of the primaries so far, the media, with all the bias they can muster, is making it clear that they still think he can win. On the other hand, many have said that Mitt Romney would be the one to beat, but now that he has come in second in both Iowa and New Hampshire, they are already ready to declare his campaign dead in the water (and mostly you don't even hear that he won in Wyoming, if you even hear that Wyoming Republicans held their Caucus at all) but I think it may well be a little early to count him out as well. After all, it needs to be considered that, even though he didn't win in either State, he was also not beaten by the same person in both States. Huckabee, who beat him in Iowa, came in a distant 3rd in New Hampshire, while McCain, who beat him in New Hampshire, came in 4th in Iowa, meanwhile, Romney did win in Wyoming. I understand that Second place finishes and victories in small states may not be the dream of any candidate, but it hardly puts him out of the running. Besides, as I said earlier, Giuliani has been performing so poorly that he might as well not have shown up in any of the states so far, and they are still talking about him as a major player, could it be because he is a media darling? Of course it is, they love him as a liberal. Fred Thompson also has not made much of a showing so far, though he's done better than Giuliani in some States, but they are ready to count him out too. Fred may be a long shot, but I don't think he should be counted out either. Huckabee, on the other hand, having a strong victory in Iowa still being downplayed as someone who doesn't have a shot... of course, these are the same people who said that he didn't have a shot in Iowa either, so, just maybe, we shouldn't put too much trust in their analysis. They are willing, however, to say that McCain might be able to pull it off, even though it's always been my feeling that McCain doesn't have a shot at all, I will say, I could be wrong, but I still don't think so at this point, and a single win in New Hampshire doesn't sway me from that opinion. Of all the Republican contenders, Ron Paul, and (sadly) Duncan Hunter are the only ones I would consider to be completely out of it at this point, other than them, the field is still wide open, and pretty much anything could happen.

My point, of course, is that we really shouldn't listen to the people who are telling us what WILL happen, because, the fact is, they don't know any better than we do.

There are things surfacing about Barack Obama that people really need to be aware of. I'm not going to rehash them here however, but I will point you to a place where you can get pretty much all the information you could want on that subject. Just go to http://talkwisdom.blogspot.com/2008/01/is-obama-really-christian.html and read it for yourself, it will be well worth it.

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Movies

Saturday morning we took the kids to see the new Alvin and the Chipmunks movie. Very cute, I only slept through about 10 to 15 minutes of it, though that's really no reflection on the movie, it's because I didn't take a nap when I got home from work Saturday Morning before we took the kids to the movie. Anyway, it was very cute, and the kids loved it. (Christine, if you're reading this, I think I picked out your daughter, but that scene moved so fast that I'm not 100% certain.) According to my Son, it was "Radical!" We also saw some previews for some upcoming movies that show some promise. The new Dr. Seuss movie, "Horton Hears a Who" looks to be a real treat for the kids, and probably one that adults can enjoy also. In addition, "Kung Fu Panda" looked like it might be pretty funny... if weird.

Last night my wife and I went to see the new National Treasure movie, "Book of Secrets" which we really enjoyed. Of course there were several parts that you have to just accept at face value, since they would be 100% impossible for anyone to pull off, but I think they made the movie expecting people to accept those impossibilities and move on, but those parts somehow seemed to make the movie even more enjoyable. Of course there was reference in the movie to what is on page 47 of the Book of Secrets, but we never find out, which kind of left us scratching our heads, so this morning I went to www.google.com and simply searched for "page 47" and the first thing that came up was a story about setting up a third National Treasure movie, which is exactly what I figured when the movie ended last night. This is ok with me, as long as they don't start making the movies silly, as sometimes happens when you get into series of movies, but as long as they keep them good I will be happy, since these are movies that I really enjoy, or at least, have enjoyed so far.

I know that from this post it seems that we must go to the movies all the time, but that's not the case. This happens to be a lot of movies in a short time for us. I enjoy movies and would like to go on a regular basis, but it will probably be awhile before we get a chance to see another one. Of course, being parents, most of the movies we get to see end up being kids movies, but that's ok too, because most of the kids movies these days are pretty high quality, enjoyable stories that parents enjoy almost as much as the kids do.

Of course, for me, I'm hoping that I get the chance to see the new Rambo movie, which, if it's as good as the other three, will be a great movie to see, even if I have to wait for DVD.

Now, on to other matters, I'm sure you all knew I couldn't leave this alone. The New Hampshire primary is going on today, so, once we learn who wins it, I imagine I'll be talking a little about that tomorrow.

Also, something else that should be upcoming here, I am looking for information on the insurance companies that are actively screwing over the citizens of Florida (and probably some of the Gulf states) in the aftermath of the 2004/2005 Hurricane Seasons and what we, as the people, can do about it, and not just the people of Florida, but everyone can help, so stay tuned.

Monday, January 7, 2008

uuggghhh

Ok, so I watched the ABC and FoxNews debates this morning on my DVR, for the Republicans anyway. I have to say that all of the candidates performed very well. Of course, I have seen some reviews of the debates and they have panned Fred Thompson hard, leaving me to question if these people were watching the same debate that I was. In my opinion I would have to say that Fred Thompson won the debates. I thought he came across as clear, concise, intelligent, honest, and very Presidential. As much as I like Mike Huckabee (or at least want to like him) I think he came across as kinda slick, and trying to be funny at inappropriate times. Still he did a pretty good job too.

Once again we saw Giuliani defending his liberal policies, and trying to convince us that he really is a Conservative Republican, but, I think we already know better. Of course when the moderator brought up his going off to see his girlfriend, while still married, and providing taxpayer funded security for her, he blew it off, citing the New York Times as a source for saying that nothing inappropriate had been done. Pretty much tells you whatever you need to know when a Republican is citing the New York Times as a defence for things they have done.

Mitt Romney did ok, but it was surprising to me they way that all the other candidates were ganging up on him. Of course, in the ABC debate Ron Paul was there to take some heat off of him, drawing the fire away as it were. Of course, it gave him a lot of face time trying to defend himself against all the ganging up, so it was probably a good thing for him.

I know that some people, even some whom I respect, think that John McCain has learned his lesson with the Illegal immigration amnesty garbage, but I'm not so sure, and I really still don't trust him, nor do I think he has a shot.

For me, as I said before, Fred Thompson won this debate, and while I don't know for sure, I have to say that I'm thinking that I'm about 70% sure that I'll vote for Thompson in the Primary. This could change of course, especially with time, reflection, and, most importantly, prayer.

Friday, January 4, 2008

And So It Begins

First off, I'm not too sure just how important the Iowa Caucus's are, but I am sure of this, if you have tried to watch any news program, or visit pretty much any news oriented web site, you have heard quite a bit about them. I am actually quite glad, I was kind of feeling that this day would never come, that we would be stuck forever in this confounded Primary season, but, alas, here it is.

On the Republican side the winner is Mike Huckabee, who made a strong showing, nine points ahead of his closest rival, Mitt Romney, and a full twenty one points ahead of McCain and Thompson. Giuliani might as well not have been in the running as he was even beaten by Ron Paul. Sadly though, Duncan Hunter came in dead last, and he is probably the best in the field. Of course the media was quick to point out that Rudy hadn't been campaigning in Iowa very much lately and didn't really expect a strong showing there. They have to make sure that people don't start to count out their fair haired boy. They also made sure to mention, yet again, that Huckabee has great appeal with Evangelical Christian voters, as if that dead horse hasn't been beaten enough.

On the Democratic side I can't say that I'm surprised at this juncture that Barack Hussien Obama pulled off a victory, with John Edwards coming in eight points behind him, with Hillary only one more point behind Edwards. It just goes to show how far left the democratic party has moved that people are supporting two candidates who are even nuttier than Hillary.

While it's true that I'm not surprised that Obama won, at the same time, when I sit back and reflect on it, I'm shocked! Shocked and outraged. How could any American cast a vote for (or stand in the corner of, as I understand it to be) a man who will not even recite the Pledge of Allegiance? I mean, honestly, how can someone who won't pledge loyalty to the United States of America (Which is what the pledge to the Flag really is) expect to be elected to the highest office in the land? What's worse is that people are actually going along with it! I guess he might be claiming an objection the the "Under God" portion, but he could just as easily have said the rest of it and shut his mouth when those words came up. I'm not claiming that this would have made me happy, but since the far left loony fringe (sadly more and more mainstream every day) is the voter block that he's after, there would have been a certain logic to it.

I'm really not willing to let go of that topic just yet. Obama wants to be President. That would mean that he would have to take the Oath of Office, and he would have to swear to uphold the Constitution of the United States. He would be the Commander in Chief of our Armed Forces, those sworn to protect us. He would be tasked with fighting for what was best for all the people of the USA, and yet, he doesn't even hold the USA, or the American people, in high enough esteem to even place his hand over his heart and pledge his allegiance! How outrageous is that?! Well, it's not nearly as outrageous as the fact that there are people who voted for him. Apparently quite a few people.

I do also want to take another jab at the mainstream media, especially since they make it so easy. So many of them were so certain that Huckabee wouldn't even be in contention for one of the top spots in Iowa, and yet he won. They will still say, however that he doesn't have a chance of getting the nomination. I guess we should believe them, their reputation being so reliable and everything. This is something akin to global warming alarmists claiming to have accurate forecasts decades into the future. Of course they don't know for sure if it's going to rain tomorrow, but they know what will happen fifty years from now. They really are a remarkable group those liberals... too bad the remarks are all bad.

I'm still not too sure who I'll vote for at the end of this month, or who will ultimately get the nod, but one thing's for sure, yesterday was a good day for Mike Huckabee.

Thursday, January 3, 2008

Go Fish

For Christmas my kids got what has to be the greatest kids CD ever. Or, at least I think so. The album is "Snazzy" by a group called "Go Fish." They are a Christian group that does kids music.

We have a CD of Bible songs for kids that we have had for quite some time, and it really drove me crazy whenever we would listen to it. It does have a lot of kids singing on it, and the worse the better, if you know what I mean, but it also features some who are obviously adults deliberately trying to sound like kids (not that I ever heard a kid sound like that, mind you) and if you are listening to it in the car, you just might start looking for a tree to wrap the car around. Not so with Snazzy.

There's no question this is Christian Rock for kids, but it's great. In fact, the subtitle on the album cover says, "Great Music for kids, that won't drive Parents BONKERS!" On the web site they talk about many families who have said that this is some of the only music that they can listen to in the car that the whole family can agree to. They also talk about how they like that the dads in the audience at their concerts don't look like they are sitting there taking one for the team just because they are at a kids concert.

As far as the music goes, they talk about Salvation, the song "Saved" talks about being "Saved by Grace, through Faith." While the song "Stories" is two or three old time kids Bible story songs all rolled into one, and jazzed up a bit, with some choruses worked in. In one part of "Stories" they say that there are some people who don't believe in Jesus, but one day every knee shall bow and then "everyone will know, what you know now." What better message can you ask for.

I am thrilled with this CD because it is for kids, but it is not dumbed down, it's fun, it's wholesome, it's intelligent, and it's something that adults can enjoy right along with their kids.

If you haven't checked it out, you can hear some clips from some of the songs at http://www.gofishguys.com/ and trust me, especially if you have kids at home, you'll be really glad you did.

Wednesday, January 2, 2008

Afraid

So I turned on the computer this morning and got an error message about the keyboard not being found, so I unplugged it and plugged it back in and continued on, but it still wasn't working. So I opened up the computer and found the dust to be pretty thick in there, so I went out to get some air in a can to dust it off, and to find a car wash to clean the salt and such off of the van from the New York snowy winter roads. Anyway, I went to Wal-Mart first and they were all out, so I ended up at Staples and got what I needed, but I was still a little concerned that the problem was with the keyboard and not a result of the dust buildup in the computer, so I started looking at keyboards. Now, I have an old keyboard from my old computer (it's a nice ergonomic one) that won't plug into this computer, so it's been in a box in the closet for years. So, while I was looking at the keyboards, something else caught my eye, the rack of adapters. At this point I have to say, I've looked for adapters for this purpose for years, I've tried at least three different Radio Shack's and some other computer stores, but never found what I needed, which I always thought was strange, but there it was right in front of me. So, even though it's taking a little time to get used to it again, I've got the old keyboard hooked up, and all is well.


Anyway, about the subject of the post, while we were up North for Christmas, the kids were all sleeping in my niece's room, all snug in their sleeping bags, and loving it. Well, for the most part. My Son, who is four, and his cousin, who is three, were fine, but my daughter who is eight was scared because the room was so dark at night, and she wanted to move and sleep in between the other two, but there simply wasn't room for that. So my Son turned his sleeping bag around so that if his sister got too scared she would be able to reach out and hold his hand. I mean, come on, how sweet is that?!!

Of course, I reminded her that when she is scared all she really has to do is to pray, and that God is always there, and even if we can't see what is around us, He can. Joshua 1:9 says, "Have not I commanded thee? Be Strong and of a good Courage, be not afraid, neither be thou dismayed, for The Lord thy God is with thee, wither soever thou goest." So, even though fear is a normal human thing, it's something that we don't need as long as we rely on God.

Vacation was great though, and, as shocking as this may be to some, I really didn't pay much, if any, attention to politics while I was gone. I'm sure I will now, especially since this will be a big political year, but it was good to have the time off from that as well. Of course, I also look forward to the distraction this summer of the Olympics, as that should take some of the focus of what is certain to be an intense political season, no matter who the nominees are. I always seem to enjoy the summer Olympics.

On another note, with the writers strike in full swing, and most of the network shows lingering about in re-runs, I'm thinking that this is going to be a really good year for places such as the History Channel and Discovery Channel, in fact Discovery has quite a lineup of new and returning shows this Winter and Spring that shouldn't be affected by the strike in any way, if Discovery would be anyway, which I don't know about. If you haven't checked out any of the new shows, you should go to www.discovery.com and do so, I'm pretty sure you will find it to be worth your time.