The Stand-up Philosopher

Ramit Sethi- Useless Black Friday Advice

OK, Black Friday was yesterday. I didn’t have a chance to write a blog post until now.

Ramit Sethi is one of my favorite bloggers. He’s the blogger behind I Will Teach You To Be Rich. He wrote a post yesterday about how the typical financial pundit the media digs up for segments will whine and complain about typical Black Friday behavior.

Black Friday: the biggest consumer spending day of the year. And also the day with the most annoying advice in the world.

Seriously, guys, you would not believe how many press releases I’ve gotten about how what a terrible, scary, foreboding day this is going to be for our country. And every “expert” is eager to take advantage of it.

“Americans are spending too much!” these so-called “experts” will cry. “They just need to _____ (keep a budget/stop spending/resist evil marketers).”

They’ve been repeating advice like this for decades, but has anything changed?

No. We spend more and save less than almost ever before.

When your entire philosophy rests on urging Americans to NOT do something they want to do, chances are very good that you’ll fail. It’s like trying to push back a tsunami.

I’ve been reading Ramit’s blog for years now. He puts an interesting perspective on personal finance. Rather than telling you to be frugal in all your ways, he suggests spending what you want in those areas that you value, and cut costs mercilessly in other areas. A friend of his greatly values eating out, and spends about $21,000 a year doing it. But he lives in a smaller apartment and drives a smaller car, as those things don’t mean as much to him.

I don’t quite understand Black Friday. I used to go Black Friday shopping with my wife, but eventually I got fed up with it. I’m not convinced the bargains were that good, and getting up at 0300 to save a few dollars on something that would end up on sale for the same price a few weeks later didn’t make sense to me. I started staying home with the kids.

This year, she did the midnight madness thing. She was out all night shopping. No thank you. It made me feel refreshed to get up at 5 for work.

Veterans and Active Duty, Here Are Some Veteran ’ s Day Freebies

With Veteran’s Day coming up in 2 days, several businesses are offering freebies for veterans and active duty service members. You can find one catalogue of them here.

I have a question I’ve always wanted to ask other veterans. Do you ever feel uncomfortable when people who have not served in the military seem to make a big deal out of “Thank you for serving our country!”?

Granted, I would not want to live through the 70’s when being military was a bad thing in some parts of the culture. But I did what I did because it was about the only option I seemed to have. I didn’t have many altruistic motives. OK, I had a few. But not many. I was 17, wasn’t ready for college, and had few options besides fast food. My dad retired after 21 years in the Air Force. I grew up in the military, most of my friends were military brats, and I didn’t really know any different. So I went in the Navy.

I served 6 years, went to some interesting places, learned electronics, a work ethic, and how to endure without sleep or comforts and how to get along with some really weird people. I got my GI Bill, VA Loan, and have had a decent career from the experience I gained.

Don’t get me wrong; I’m not above a free meal at Chilli’s. I appreciate it. But sometimes I wonder if I really deserve to have a big deal made of my service. John T. Reed says we live in a nation of draft dodgers. Most are trying to make up for their guilt. I think from my observations, he has a point.

If you know of any Veteran’s Day freebies, feel free to post them here in my comments.

This Explains A Lot …

Blogger Vox Day took an empathy quotient test. He scored a 23. I took the same test and scored a 15. The test says that people with Asperger’s Syndrome or high functioning autism score a 20.

Of course, you can only take these internet tests at face value. But it would explain a lot.

“ Raising Awareness ” vs. Getting Results

I really don’t want to write this post. I probably shouldn’t. I guess I can take solace in the fact that nobody reads my blog, so I can write whatever I want. But I also don’t want somebody to stumble by and misunderstand me. Some people can be incredibly irrational, and from the depths of misguided emotion, will draw conclusions that were never intended.

For instance, I once wrote a post that did little more than make my reader(s) aware of a humorous post Tim Challies wrote comparing Joel Osteen’s (ghostwritten) sayings to fortune cookies. Somebody stumbled across my post and somehow drew the conclusion that because he had a fortune cookie with a proverb in it, we should stop reading the book of Proverbs.

And so, as this post continues, I want you to know up front: I HAVE ABSLOTELY NOTHING AGAINST BREAST CANCER OR CHARITIY. I will only be discussing and ranting about methods and terminology associated with them.

The other day, a friend of mine opened up a fecal storm with a post on Facebook. It got nasty fast. I was going to jump in and attempt to help him out, but the hits were coming fast and furious and I realized that nobody involved would listen to reason. So I caught him later and we discussed it free from the irrationality of the others involved.

Apparently, there was a campaign that was supposed to somehow “raise awareness” of breast cancer by asking women to post where they like to put their purses in the form of a sexual innuendo “I like it on…” How posting “I like it on the coat rack” or “I like it in the back seat of the car” “I like it in the trunk” or whatever else is supposed to “raise awareness” for breast cancer is beyond me.

I’m also curious as to the point. “Raising awareness for breast cancer”. Is there anybody who is not “aware” of breast cancer? Especially on Facebook? What exactly does that mean anyway? I’m “aware” of breast cancer. Therefore, your objective has been met and you can leave me alone and stop annoying me

This is what I think: this is little more than a way to make people feel better about themselves while requiring no risk or effort. You post a Facebook status. Good job, little girl! I’m sure by posting “I like it on the floor next to the coat rack” is going to cure breast cancer! Why didn’t we start this 40 years ago?

I’m not a fan of doing things that make you feel good but not accomplishing anything. Drink some booze or take a hot bath if that’s all you’re after.

The same goes for those stupid “If you love Jesus, then post this as your Facebook status”. No. I’m not doing it. I’ve never done it, and I don’t plan to start now. Or ever. Copying and pasting a status message about Jesus does absolutely nothing for Him. If anything, it cheapens His name. Go do something productive for Him. Go help the poor. Donate some non-expired food to a church pantry.

Seriously, my wife has run the food pantries for 2 churches. At our last church, we’d get up to 7 bags at a time of expired food. In 2009, we were getting food that had expired in the 90’s as donations. Most of the food that came in had to be thrown away.

All I’m saying is, if you really believe in a cause, then go do something productive for it. If your life’s mission is to eradicate breast cancer, then go to places where people might not be aware of it, or the dangers of it, or their responsibilities regarding it. But I’ll give you a hint: your efforts will not produce any results by copying a status message on Facebook.

The Burning of Any Book

I’ve been tempted to write this only as a journal entry. I want to organize my thoughts, but not to take any real risks. But few people read my blog anyway.

I pay very little attention to the media. Too much bias, and too many non-issues blown out of proportion. Normally, anything important enough for me to know about will find me. Lately, I’ve heard a bunch of noise about some apparent kook from a small church in (nowhere) planning to burn a bunch of Korans on 9-11.

Sounds like a silly and pointless stunt to me. Barely worthy of my attention. Had the Facebook posts stopped after the first one, I wouldn’t have noticed.

But “the media” took and ran with the story. I picture Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, and whoever else is still out there talking almost 24/7 about this “story”. I don’t know because I don’t bother to watch them. I have more important and effective ways to waste my time.

It makes me wonder, why does the media seem to love a story like this? Seriously, this church is located practically nowhere and has about 50 members. Berean is at least twice as big, and we get no media attention. OK, Magnolia, NJ is practically nowhere too, but we’re still bigger.

I think the media likes stories like this for a couple reasons:

1. They’re lazy. The media is about as lazy as anybody else. A story like this requires little research. Just keep parroting the same lines over and over again and book guests who parrot the same lines over and over again.
2. There’s little to no risk. A story like this isn’t likely to anger anybody the media considers important. But it also attracts a lot of viewership and sells advertising.

And of course, they don’t have to tell you  anything about what is really going on. Do you realize that if the November elections involve a huge turnover in Congress, we’re heading into one of the largest and most dangerous Lame Duck sessions of Congress in history? Lame Ducks are dangerous. All the Congress people who know they’ll be out of a job in January have no accountability to anybody, except for whoever will cut their next paychecks (hint, not the voters). This November/December session of Congress, we could get some dangerous measures passed, including the Law of the Sea Treaty (LOST). If you haven’t heard of it, thank the media that spends way too much time on stories like a nobody church from nowhere doing something pointless.

As for the burning of books, I’m not a fan. I believe that the marketplace of ideas is a good enough filter for books. Bad books slowly disappear from circulation. Good books propagate and end up in collections to be preserved. Do you really think Twilight will be around in 100 years? As soon as the next fad pops up, nobody will remember Stephanie Meyer. How many books from 100 years ago simply disappeared because they weren’t really that good? When my grandmother died, I picked up some socio-political books from the 60’s that belonged to my uncle. Someday I might read them, but I doubt anybody has ever heard of them. I’m sure they’re all out of print.

In most cases, I believe book burning is a sign of cowardice or of elitism. Either it’s “you people are too stupid to realize how dangerous I think the ideas in these books are, so we’ll burn them!” or “We can’t counter the ideas in these books, so we’ll burn them!”

In the book of Acts, there is an account of the burning of a bunch of occult or magic books:

[19] And a number of those who had practiced magic arts brought their books together and burned them in the sight of all. And they counted the value of them and found it came to fifty thousand pieces of silver. (ESV)

 

I don’t think this is a universal application though. It was something these people felt they needed to do when they came to Christ to part with their past. Paul didn’t tell them to do it. God didn’t tell them to do it. They decided to do it.

I think it really sucks that the Library of Alexandria was destroyed. I think China lost a lot of knowledge and history through various emperors ordering all the books in the empire burned.

I am not a fan of book burning. I believe that bad, stupid, and worthless books will naturally be filtered out of circulation through the marketplace of ideas. There are far better ways to disagree with the ideas in a book than to burn the book.

How Twilight Works

Originally a comic by The Oatmeal, this has been turned into a YouTube video. Watch to see how Twilight works, and why the women in our lives go nuts over this cheesy fiction, featuring an immortal who has chosen to spend his immortality as a junior in high school, a fate worse than death.

 

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K4uuGvmAxTI&color1=0xb1b1b1&color2=0xd0d0d0&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&fs=1]

How Madoff Got Away With It: The SEC Was Surfing for Porn

I stumbled across this today, ironically enough, through a humor site. And I am not surprised at all. Apparently, while Madoff was ripping people off and banks were getting ready to siphon billions off the economy and collapse, the SEC was too busy surfing for porn to care.

"During the past five years, the SEC OIG (Office of Inspector General) substantiated that 33 SEC employees and or contractors violated Commission rules and policies, as well as the government-wide Standards of Ethical Conduct, by viewing pornographic, sexually explicit or sexually suggestive images using government computer resources and official time," said a summary of the investigation by the inspector general's office.

More than half of the workers made between $99,000 and $223,000. All the cases took place over the past five years.

Believe it or not, I’m not shocked by this. I’m also not surprised. If anything, it explains a lot.

If you think this is an isolated incident, you need to get out more. You wonder why government bureaucracies have to be so large and inefficient? It’s probably because of the amount of people not getting anything done while they look for porn. Or play golf. Or do anything but the jobs they’re supposedly hired to do. You know, like watch over the economy. And regulate the banks.

I Hate Contrived Arguments

I wrote this draft last year, and never posted it. It's a point I wanted to make but lost track of. Sometimes I'll update an old draft to allow for the length of time that passed from the time I originally wrote it. I won't bother this time. Let me repeat that this post has NOTHING to do with politics. It has NOTHING to do with the issue behind the email I'm referring to. It is only about contrived arguments and leading poll questions.

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The following poll question is from an email that I got today. I have no desire in this blog post to get into the politics surrounding the issue. They’re beside the point. Look at the following question:

Now, all politics and beliefs aside, can you tell which of the two answers you should choose based on how the question is asked?

I don’t think it’s an honest poll when the questions are this leading. I don't care what side of the issue the poll is on. This is like asking:

Choose one of the following:

1) I like red cars

2) I’m a complete loser who sleeps with his mommy

Not much of a choice, is it? Also notice that it totally leaves out plenty of other reasonable choices, like “I like green cars.” “I like blue cars”. “I like purple cars”. “I like to walk”.

I don’t like it. Even if I bothered to read any farther through this email, which I won’t, I’m not convinced that I’ll expect any better argumentation or reasoning from an email that starts off with this. Even if I agree with whatever point is being made in this email, I don’t trust it because it starts off with such a leading question. I’ve gotten other emails from this group before. I usually just delete them, but this time I’m unsubscribing from their email list.

Look around you, in advertising, on the news, or on your favorite TV shows. How often are you confronted with a choice between two options that are this leading? When you’re confronted with something this leading, stop and ask yourself if you’re even being asked the right question. Trust me, this is key. You don’t want to travel too far down a road that goes in an unproductive direction (I carefully did NOT say the wrong direction).

Cracked: The 6 Most Insane Moral Panics in American History

I came across an interesting article at Cracked about the 6 Most Insane Moral Panics in American History. As with all Cracked material, the language can be a little raw, so you should know that going in if it's an issue for you.

The article discusses moral panics like Comic Books, Dungeons and Dragons, Satanic subliminal messages in heavy metal, and Satanic ritual abuse.

Dungeons and Dragons

I was growing up when most of the moral panics were happening. I can remember some kind of stink about video games as well. As with all moral panics, I think there is a lot of excitability and a lack of critical thinking involved.

Let's take Dungeons and Dragons as an example. I remember one time in the early 80's when we were stationed in Germany. My dad came home with some D&D material. I don't think he had much. He had some cardboard tiles to make a dungeon out of. Maybe a book or two. He was excited about playing D&D with my brother and I. Then, nothing happened.

I asked him later why we never did anything with it. He said something about some kids were playing in a storm drain, and it flooded and killed them. Somehow, it was the fault of Dungeons and Dragons. I never really understood it. I even asked him if he really thought I was so stupid that I'd think it was OK to play in a storm drain just because I played Dungeons and Dragons. He didn't think so, but somehow the idea that some kids' deaths were related to the game kept him from playing it with us.

When I got a little bit older, I bought a Basic D&D kit. I played a little bit with a friend of mine. Then we got into AD&D for a while. Then I realized it was boring and I walked away from it. I couldn't get into it, and it wasn't worth trying anymore.

I've read some of the literature against D&D. I've read Jack Chick's stuff. I read William Schoenbelon's claims that the creators of D&D consulted with him as a high-level warlock to ensure accuracy of the material with the occult. Even if it's all true, I still believe that if people are going to do stupid, insane, or unsafe things, they don't need D&D to do it.

Comic Books

I never could get into comic books. The villains were dumb, the heros were cheesy, I wasn't impressed with a panel taken up by a "BAM!" or "SOCK!", and I had better things to do than worry about "Wait! I'm missing the 4th issue of the 31st edition!" I don't know the difference between Marvel and DC Comics. That is, I couldn't tell you which comic went under which label. I also don't feel like I'm missing out on anything because I can't. I'm not likely to end up on Jeopardy. 

I bought a Lobo comic once. It was amusing. I could have followed Lobo, but I couldn't be troubled to make sure I had EVERY SINGLE ISSUE so I didn't bother.

I think the moral panic surrounding comic books was silly.

Satanic Subliminal Messages in Heavy Metal

I agree with Cracked's assessment of this one. If a metal band had the idea to implant a subliminal message, "Buy more of our stuff!" would be more like it. Actually, I'd expect that to be placed by the record companies, which seem to have a direct communication link to evil. Of course, the Compact Disc rendered the "play a record backwards to hear our Satanic altar call" obsolete. When I was a teenager and this was going on, I couldn't understand why everybody appeared to be worked up over this. Of course, I didn't listen to much Heavy Metal at the time. Trans-Siberian Orchestra didn't exist.

I can remember an image of old people sitting around churches late at night listening to metal records backwards and painstakingly transcribing the Satanic messages supposedly implanted in them. 

I think history bears out that this moral panic was a huge overreaction to nothing.

Conclusion

I'm not denying that there are moral reason why we should get worried. There are moral issues that need to be confronted. But most of the moral panics that show up in popular culture are not those moral issues. At best, they are symptoms.

Lottery Budget: Dave Ramsey Nails It!

Apparently, one of Dave Ramsey’s callers asked if he should set aside a budget for buying lottery tickets. I’ve long since (independently) come to the conclusion that the lottery tax is merely a voluntary tax on greed, misplaced hope, and a poor mindset. Then I actually did some research on lottery winners, and was more than convinced that I’ve been right to stay out the the whole thing for most of my life.

I haven’t listened to the call. I’m sure when I get home and sync my iPhone,that podcast with sync across for me and I can listen to it then.

You can use the Google Search box to the right to look for the posts I’ve written over the years about the lottery. I have no use for it.

Arlen Specter is a Demonican: Who Cares?

This isn’t a political blog. It’s not because I’m not interested in politics, but because I’m not interested FIGHTING about politics. When you step outside of a two-party system be selecting some option other than “C”, you tend to be at odds with everyone.

So Arlen Specter is going to run as a Demoncrat. It’s taking up a lot of headlines. I was having lunch with a program manager yesterday when that news came up. I kept my mouth shut as tight as possible, other than saying ‘Well, he’s always tended to vote with them anyway.” That’s as non-confrontational as you can get.

I think Vox Day nails it: He came out of the closet.Although, I’m not sure that’s quite as accurate. Seriously, no matter which of the two mainstream parties is in office, does anything  but the rhetoric change? Replublicrats had both the White House, the Congress, and even the Supreme Court for several years, but didn’t do anything with them than expand government.

Anyway, Arlen Specter is going to be a Demonican in 2010. It’s not likely to change anything, other than to give news and political pundits a way to sell advertising for a few weeks.

This is why I rarely do politics on my blog. I don’t care about the party lines.

Tim Ferriss: How To Be Jason Bourne…

Tim Ferriss has an interesting post with excerpts from a book about how to disguise assets and become an international citizen. I’m almost paranoid enough to get this book. In any case, it sounds interesting. I have no idea if things will ever get THIS bad in America, but it never hurts to be prepared or have alternative plans, does it?

Dude, the White House Goes Web 2.0!

This is an interesting surprise. The White House now has a blog, already complete with RSS. President Obama (please bear with me while I adjust to that as I wasn’t as enthusiastic as some of you) plans to have an open and transparent government. That will be interesting. I’m fairly cynical, and when I read that line in the White House’s first blog post, I immediately thought of former-President Clinton’s promise to have the most ethical administration in history.

I didn’t agree with the new President in many of his policies and proposed solutions, but now that he’s in office, it is my duty to support him as I am able, and of course to pray for him.

At this point, the best we can do is watch. I will say that while I don’t agree with many of his policies and proposed solutions, I do respect the man in many ways.

Anyway, I’ve already got the White House blog in my Google Reader feeds. I’ll pray for the new President as he goes through BlackBerry withdrawals. That would hurt me.

Technorati Tags: White House Blog,White House Tech,Presidential tech

Merry Christmas

My wife told me that my blog has taken a negative tone lately. She's probably right. I'm thrilled that she's been reading it. For today, let's feel hope and joy.

Isaiah 7: [10]  Moreover the LORD spoke again to Ahaz, saying, [11]  “Ask a sign for yourself from the LORD your God; ask it either in the depth or in the height above.” [12]  But Ahaz said, “I will not ask, nor will I test the LORD!” [13]  Then he said, “Hear now, O house of David! Is it a small thing for you to weary men, but will you weary my God also? [14]  “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a Son, and shall call His name Immanuel. *

Luke 2:[8]  Now there were in the same country shepherds living out in the fields, keeping watch over their flock by night. [9]  And behold, * an angel of the Lord stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were greatly afraid. [10]  Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. [11]  “For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. [12]  “And this will be the sign to you: You will find a Babe wrapped in swaddling cloths, lying in a manger.” [13]  And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying:

[14]  “Glory to God in the highest,

And on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” *

[15]  So it was, when the angels had gone away from them into heaven, that the shepherds said to one another, “Let us now go to Bethlehem and see this thing that has come to pass, which the Lord has made known to us.” [16]  And they came with haste and found Mary and Joseph, and the Babe lying in a manger. [17]  Now when they had seen Him, they made widely * known the saying which was told them concerning this Child. [18]  And all those who heard it marveled at those things which were told them by the shepherds. [19]  But Mary kept all these things and pondered them in her heart. [20]  Then the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told them.

(All Scriptures taken from the New King James version of the Bible, from PocketBible for Windows by Laridian Software).

Merry Christmas to all! Joy to the world!

As always, those of you who so prefer may have a wonderful non-specific cultural observance.

I don't have one of those silly iTunes blog plug ins, but this post was written with Trans Siberian Orchestra's Christmas Cannon Rock playing in the background.

Things I Don’t Like About Christmas

I know, what’s not to like about Christmas? Actually, I’ve developed several annoyances regarding this upcoming time of the year.

1) Generic and Unmentionable Holiday

This is by far the worst offender. I can understand the point of referring to a “holiday season” which can encompass everything from Halloween to Presidents’ Day, but when referring to one specific day as “holiday” strikes me as the worst kind of intellectual cowardice. Simply saying the word “Christmas” does not make one Christian and does not in any way acknowledge Christ. When I see commercials or advertisements or movies that specifically refer to Christmas themes but cover with the “holiday” word, I can't help but wonder if those behind it have ever seriously given this any critical thought. I hate when I go to a store that is decorated with Christmas decorations (lights and trees really don’t fit with Hanukkah or any other celebration this time of year) and I’m told by the cashier to “Have a nice holiday”, I often respond with “You too. You have a wonderful generic and unmentionable holiday yourself.” I’m not trying to be a jerk; I'm just trying to get people to think in the only way I can.

Don't think this whole "holiday" thing is purely secular. My church is going to put on a "Holiday" program involving the children. My wife asked if we should involve our boys in it. I wanted to respond "Only if they call it what it really is." I think it has to be a bad thing when a church reflexively refers to Christmas activities with generic unmentionable holiday terminology.

To be fair, it's possible that this could be a local thing. I notice in this region that during every holiday, people will say "Have a nice holiday." If I go to visit my dad in San Antonio, I'll hear "Merry Christmas" and "Happy Easter" and "Happy Thanksgiving" rather than "Have a nice holiday". It could entirely be that I live in New Jersey, a state that I can't speak of negatively enough even though it has somehow become my permanent home.

2) Christmas Music

97.5 FM in Philadelphia started playing Christmas music the first week in November. I'm already sick of it. Let's face it, the collective artistic talent of mankind is not focusing one bit on improving the polluted gene pool that has become our reservoir of Christmas music.To top things off, I'm pretty much burned out on everything BUT Trans-Siberian Orchestra. There are a lot of Christmas songs that I simply can't stand, and even if I once did like them, I've heard them way too many times in 34 years to tolerate them any longer. Most Christmas songs are not very good. The singing and the melodies are horrible, or the words are just plain stupid. "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas". Hey, did that guy have a literature degree from Yale or anything? Wow, seems like "Don't Worry, Be Happy" had more intellect behind it than "Have a holly, jolly Christmas". "Rocking Around the Christmas Tree" is another song that I really don't like. The music starts out with an electric synthesizer that sounds like a small animal dying, then that woman with the raspy voice starts singing. I change the station or listen to music on my iPod when those start playing. I've heard "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire" too many times and I can't take it any longer either. It's way too monotone for me. I lived in San Antonio for 7 years and spent the first several Christmases of my adult life going back there on leave, so don't get me started on "Feliz Navidad".

Every now and again, somebody actually does come out with a new Christmas song, but it goes into the rotation of limited selection and grows old fast. In 2000, the song "Christmas Shoes" was thought provoking and tear jerking. Now, it gets the station switched as fast as "Have a Holly, Jolly Christmas".

Believe it or not, I do like some of the classic or traditional Christmas music. Of course, those happen to be the songs that don't get played very often.

I have little use for Frosty and Rudolf and Santa is coming, but I do remember enjoying them as a child so I try to put up with them for my own kids, but I will change the radio station if I can at all get away with it.

To all artists and musicians, I appeal to you: please, write some new Christmas music. If the record labels are stopping you, then release it as indies. We'll find a way to get you the publicity that you deserve. If you have a new, Indy Christmas song, please send it to me and I'll share it with my readers (I must have at least 2). Just make it Christmas. There is a song that's been playing recently called "Happy Holidays". That's like writing a doxology to atheism. Seriously, it's a song about nothing. At least it's a little upbeat, rather than the monotonous "Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire".

3) Traffic and Poor Planning

We know that Christmas is on December 25 every single year, and has been for every single year in recent memory. There are people, every year, who apparently as I'm getting ready to leave work on Christmas Eve, suddenly look at the calendar and say "Oh, crap! Tomorrow is Christmas! I have 800 people to buy for!" Then they proceed to take out a second mortgage and pile onto the highway right in front of me as I'm trying to get home from work to my family.

I married a woman who is good at planning for Christmas. It's November 14, and she's already done. She has me, the kids, her parents, and our extended family taken care of. She even has presents wrapped. She'll go out on Black Friday if there are some good deals, but we won't be stuck in traffic or crammed into the malls the last few weeks before Christmas. We also won't be thousands of dollars deep in credit card debt like a lot of you come January. We're done, and we did it out of pocket. I'm thinking about getting my wife a new laptop for Christmas (I don't think she reads my blog) and I won't have to go into debt for it either. I have time to research and find a deal if I go that route.

It's become a staple of the news to go to the mall the last few days before Christmas, and rather than actually report on anything that's going on in the world, they interview the people who looked at the calendar on Dec 23 and said "Doh! Christmas is coming!"

4) Christmas is Coming...

I've hated this one since I was a kid. There's a difference between a want and a need. Somehow after August, when I mention to my wife that I need a certain item, I'll hear "Well, Christmas is coming." Seriously, I'm a grown man (at least, by most definitions). If I mention in September that I NEED something, chances are that waiting until Christmas is not desirable. Just let me get what I need and I'll tell you what I WANT for Christmas.

Of course, I realize that Christmas is not about me. This blog, however, is. Have a merry Christmas, a happy Thanksgiving, or have wonderful generic, unmentionable holidays, whichever you prefer.

Albert Mohler’s Thoughts on the Election Outcome

http://www.albertmohler.com/blog_read.php?id=2715

I enjoy Albert Mohler. He’s a truly insightful theologian and cultural commentator. I can’t say an Obama win really inspires me, but then again I wouldn’t have felt any inspiration had McCain won. I have been contemplating a blog post on the communication of ideas and on changing other people’s minds. Maybe it will gel into a post at some point.

As Albert Mohler exhorts us, we are to pray for President Elect Obama.

One of Dave Ramsey's Calls, and My Election Prediction

This was too good. Even if you don't exactly see things this way (or Dave's way) it's still funny.

I have set a goal to make it through the night without hearing election coverage. I'll find out in the morning. The Discovery Channel has a "Dirty Jobs Dirty Presidents" 3 hour marathon tonight. That should keep me busy until I fall asleep. I'm sure that no matter which of the two establishment party candidates wins, the sun will still rise in the morning, and traffic on 42 will be as bad as it normally is. My coffee maker will be waiting for me in my cubicle, and my stack of work will be right where I left it, and all the blog entries I've started and gone nowhere with will still be in the same state. That's my election prediction. Now, for some Mike Rowe...

How Many Times Can I Get One Video Emailed To Me In One Election?

Seriously, I've gotten this video emailed to me at least 4 times in the last few weeks. I've gotten variations of it emailed to me several times. I can't even keep track any longer of which organization has emailed it to me and how many times.

Anyway, if you still haven't voted yet (as of 5:09 PM EST) and you subscribe to the "two party- Messianic: one candidate will save us and one will destroy us" theory of American politics, then please watch and be influenced accordingly. Or if the music and images inspire you, watch accordingly. Of if you completely disagree with the message and are looking for amusement, watch accordingly.

There, multiple organizations, I have done my part to distribute this video to everybody I can think of so you can stop emailing links to it to me. I'm not saying I don't agree with the general message. I'm just not as enthusiastic about the conclusions the message is designed to lead people to.

I can't wait to get back to blogging about technology and books and other stuff after this election is over. I think I need to read Maddox's take on blogging again. (NOTE: NSFW- Not Safe For Work. Not a good idea for children, either.)

Meandering Thoughts on Today’s Election

I doubt I can put anything I’m going to write in a coherent fashion, so I’ll just post it. I’m not thrilled with either Obama or McCain, or their parties, for various reasons that probably don't matter in the grand scheme of things. I'm honestly tired of voting out of fear and intellectual bullying based on the logic of "Not voting for one guy is essentially the same as voting for the other." I decided I'm tired of that kind of bullying. Yesterday the thought occurred to me that this is sort of like asking "Would you rather eat rat poison, or a box of thumb tacks?" I would probably respond "Neither. I'd like pizza." Under a two party system, the questioner would then respond something like "Well, I think you should eat the rat poison. If you vote for a third choice, then that's the same as voting for the box of thumb tacks." That is obviously ludicrous, yet people fall for it in each and every election. I decided this time around I'm not voting out of fear, and I'm surely not voting for one candidate that I don't really care for based on fear of what the other guy *might* do if he wins. No doubt by the end of today either McCain or Obama will be the President-elect, but I'm sorry, I jumped off the two party train and wrote Ron Paul on the ballot. I felt that all I could do was register my disagreement in the only way possible. Based on past history, New Jersey will probably be about 60% or more blue, so nobody has anything to fear from my vote.

Yesterday a discussion broke out among my coworkers. I can remember several years ago when I would take disagreements personally. If I supported one candidate, and another person supported the other, I would take it personally. I decided I'm not going to do that anymore. I am not afraid of ideas. I have some reservation about the consequences of those ideas, but I think a true scholar should follow the truth wherever it leads. This can sometimes lead to an interesting journey with a lot of rabbit trails, but I decided I'm not going to fear ideas.

One observation that I would like to make is that most people do tend to agree, at least on the "ground level" on what the problems are. For the most part, people agree on the solutions. Where we tend to part ways is in which personalities or systems can best provide those solutions. I posted my choice of writing Ron Paul on the ballot this morning in a few places on the Internet. I got responses from other "3rd Party" people of their having voted for Chuck Baldwin, or Bob Barr. Some said that they voted for Baldwin because he was endorsed by Ron Paul. In consideration of my vote, I took into account even though none were likely to win, I should vote for the man best qualified to be the Chief Executive and Commander in Chief. I'm not sure that, even if either possessed the proverbial "snowball's chance in hell" of being elected, either Barr or Baldwin could be head of the Executive Branch or Commander in Chief of the military. To be honest, I don't know if Paul could be either, but he seems to have chased his philosophy closer to it's logical conclusion. This is probably why no 3rd party will ever get enough votes, because those of us who are starting to identify with the 3rd parties still can't agree on which particular party or personality can provide the solutions that we may agree on.

Philosophical and political disagreements aside, part of my discomfort with voting for McCain and Obama has to do with my 3rd party reasoning. McCain is a Navy veteran and has been a POW. Go Navy! Heh. But, does he possess the executive and military leadership required of the job? Obama was a "community organizer". I have no idea what the heck that is, but it doesn't seem like it translates well to executive and Commander in Chief type responsibilities.

In any case, no matter who wins, those stupid campaign commercials should stop playing tonight. Sometimes they do for whatever reason continue for the next week, but at least I'll have a few months reprieve from campaign BS until the NJ Governor's campaign starts ramping up next year. Then the year after there will be House and Senate elections again, then we'll get a two year break until until the 2012 election.

More Election Perspectives

I love to study history, if for no other reason than it can put current events into perspective. I recently came across a couple of artifacts that to me show that in our political system, there is nothing new under the sun.

The first artifact came from my in-laws’ basement. My wife and I had planned to sell our house and take over their house, and expecting a quick sale we moved a lot of our things into their basement to make our house less cluttered for showings. Now, a year and a half later, we found ourselves sorting through our things that had been down there for a year and a half looking for items to take to Goodwill to make some room in the basement. While my wife made a run to Goodwill, I rearranged some items and walked around a little bit. I saw a stack of books that had been in the basement for years. Looking through them, I saw a book titled “Is Eisenhower God’s Man for America?” I didn’t pick it up and read it, but I’m sure I’ve seen similar titles for more contemporary (Republicrat) Presidents.

Another thing I saw was in a book. Our library has a book sale at least once a year, and we went to the fall sale somewhere in the last couple of weeks (I’ve been so busy everything tends to run together) and I picked up some interesting titles. Once of the books I picked up was “The Memoirs of Richard Nixon”. While flipping through this rather large hardcover book, I saw a picture of one of Nixon’s campaign ads when he was running for the house. Guess what it said? “America needs change! Vote Richard Nixon, WW II Combat Vet for House.” Heh, don’t we have somebody campaigning on the “change” platform this time around?

There is nothing new under the sun.

Election Perspective 2: John Stossel's Politically Incorrect Guide to Politics

I can't find a way to embed video from ABC News, so click this link:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=6062018

Talk about reading my mind. John Stossel is a great reporter for turning out this kind of content. Besides, how can you possibly go wrong by invoking the question "What would Brian Boitano do?" That question is especially cool when Brian Boitano actually shows up. This isn't like South Park where they have to draw him in. Truth be told, I probably wouldn't have heard of Brian Boitano without having seen South Park.

And of course, let's not forget Brewster's Millions. None of the above, 2008!

Technorati Tags: 2008 election,John Stossel,Brian Boitano,South Park,election perspective,McCain,Obama

Perspective on the Upcoming Presidential Election

The purpose of this post is not to place anybody in a bad light, nor is it to start a fight. I only want to attempt to put things in perspective, if only for myself. Yesterday morning, as I was going through my email, I came across an email from the American Family Association. I've been on their email list for years. Sometimes they put out interesting updates or let me know about issues I hadn't heard of before. At other times, they seem alarmist and silly. One time, they wanted to call for a boycott of a certain company. I can't remember if it was Comcast or DirectTV, but the commercial dealt with things being pulled toward the TV and the characters in the commercial would make statements like "Our cable sucks!" I personally thought it was funny, and didn't see it as damaging to my children, so I deleted their email asking me to call whichever company and complain.

Christian Heuristics

When I took my first Systems Analysis class, I was introduced to the word "heuristic". Wikipedia defines heuristic as a rule of thumb used to solve a problem among other things that you can read on your own.

I've been wanting to write this post for a while, but I partly haven't had time, nor have I known exactly what I wanted to say. I also realize that what I want to say could violate some principles that I'm supposed to hold to, or at the minimum could hurt some feelings.

Christians in 21st century America (at least, this is where I live, possibly it's the same in other western countries) have developed some strange heuristics, or rules of thumb. Some of them are starting to drive me nuts. I have no idea where they come from, I have no idea where the idea that they have any effectiveness came from, and I have no idea why they persist despite no evidence of any fruit whatsoever being produced by and through them. All I really want to accomplish with this post is to share some thoughts, and maybe get a productive discussion going about them. That's all I want. I don't want to hurt any feelings, attract any flames, or cause any problems.

Robert Kiyosaki Predicts "Crisis"

This is interesting, not that is was all that hard to see coming. People have been talking about "bubbles" for years, but everyone was too busy making "easy money" and running up debt. It can't last forever.

 

Technorati Tags: Kiyosaki,crisis,prediction,rich dad

My Take on the Upcoming Election

I can’t use Photoshop or Gimp to save my life, so the idea I’ve had for a few days just won’t happen. Instead, thanks to Google Image Search, I’ll just borrow a couple of images. This is what I think of McCain/Palin vs. Obama/Biden:

(Image courtesy of http://z.hubpages.com/u/329853_f520.jpg )

 

Image courtesy of http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://bp3.blogger.com/_qSD5cP564CA/Rr0flrOKWpI/AAAAAAAAAJU/cirUV_PeFGU/s320/brewster.jpg&imgrefurl=http://usapolitik.blogspot.com/2007/08/democrats-unveil-none-of-above-campaign.html&h=245&w=320&sz=20&hl=en&start=3&usg=__aVqAWtNqQ-vjCRkjVxVPUM9odfk=&tbnid=T84ddUk_MVkr3M:&tbnh=90&tbnw=118&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dnone%2Bof%2Bthe%2Babove%2Bbrewster%2527s%2Bmillions%26gbv%3D2%26hl%3Den%26sa%3DG )

 

NONE OF THE ABOVE 2008! Seriously. That’s about all I have to say about that.

Technorati Tags: 2008 election,Obama,Biden,McCain,Palin,voting,President

This Is Why Senators Shouldn’t Be Allowed to Run for President

http://edition.cnn.com/2008/POLITICS/09/16/mccain.blackberry/

McCain was on the telecommunications committee, so he helped invent the BlackBerry. Seriously. If he were on the transportation committee, would he or his staff claim that he helped invent the hybrid? If he were on a defense committee, would he claim to have invented the UAV?

Gore invented the Internet (don’t forget, Gore was a Senator), and McCain invented the BlackBerry. What committees has Obama been on, so we can figure out what he could have invented?

The Funniest Campaign Moments of 2008

I’m too lazy to embed these, but since the work is already done for me, I give you the link:

http://trevinwax.com/2008/09/12/2008-funniest-campaign-moments/

McCain promises to veto beer, Obama has traveled to 57 states and still has one to go but couldn’t get to Hawaii and Alaska, they’re all at that link. Click on the link for some non-partisan exploits of both major candidates.

Technorati Tags: Funny campaign moments,political gaffes

A Moment for the History Books

I can’t not post this. Everybody makes a mistake now and again, and it must be a rare privilege to commit a gaff like this on national TV, during a political convention. I don’t bother with political conventions myself. Thanks to blogs and YouTube, I’m likely to see that better parts or read them picked apart into meaninglessness later.

Technorati Tags: Barack Obama,MSNBC,son of a black man from Kenya and a white man from Kentucky

Are Social Greetings Pointless?

Have you ever run across a person who seems to perpetuate a pun or phrase to the point of assault? I thought it was sort of funny in middle school the first time I asked somebody “what’s up?” to have them point up and say “The sky!” It was amusing then. By now, in my mid-thirties, I’m much less amused by it, especially when the same people seem to think it is still funny. In the effort to be socially polite, I still try my best to make the person who still does this think that he or she is so witty and is the first person on earth to have thought of such a response to a common social greeting. In reality, I fantasize about saying “OK, let my rephrase that: what particular events are occurring in your life right now that you would like to discuss with me in chit chat as we pass each other in the hall/on the street/online? Obviously, your response is supposed to be ‘not much/going great/all right’ or something along the lines of ‘I really don’t have anything in my life uncomplicated enough to share with you at the moment, so I’ll just pretend that my life is going great and sum it up in two words or less!’ ”

Sometimes I wonder why we even bother with greeting in passing. Even when my entire life seems to be melting down like Chernobyl, I know better than to share it with the stranger or casual acquaintance who passes me in the hall or walks by my cubicle to ask “What's up?" or  "How's it going?"

Yes, I often get like this at times when sleep becomes a luxury. It's been several nights since one or both of the kids haven't been up part of the night. Oh, wait, that should have been "I'm doing fine."

Technorati Tags: Social greetings,what's up,how's it going

My Review of The Faith of Barack Obama by Stephen Mansfield

Thomas Nelson recently published “The Faith of Barack Obama” by Stephen Mansfield. The CEO, Michael Hyatt, made a very interesting offer to bloggers: Thomas Nelson would provide a free copy to the first 100 bloggers willing to write a minimum 200 word review of the book. Michael Hyatt had been linking to promotional videos by the author in his Twitter feed, and those videos got me very interested in the book. Though I am hardly a supporter of Obama, the promotional videos piqued my interest. A comment by the author stating that “Even if he loses this election, Barack Obama can run for President every four years for the next 24, and he will still be younger than John McCain is now. He’s going to be around for a long time” really gave me a desire to understand the man.

I wasn’t sure what to expect when I first opened the book. Thomas Nelson emailed me the introduction and the first two chapters to get started, and they only made me want to finish the book, which arrived about a week later. This is not a very long book, but I found it to be packed with interesting information. I can’t say I’ve ever gone out of my way to read a book about a candidate in an election year, but I find that most fall into one of two categories: the puff-piece and the hatchet job. This book was neither. I found it to be an honest attempt to understand a prominent man in our politics who will likely be a fixture on the public scene for many years.

“The Faith of Barack Obama” contains 144 pages of content, plus acknowledgements, references, and a bibliography and index in the back. It totals 164 pages with the “back matter.” Keep in mind that the definition of “content” in this review is my own, and I do count the endnotes and bibliography as valuable. The book is organized into an introduction and 6 chapters.

Chapter 1, “To Walk Between Worlds,” is about the man: his background and upbringing. It traces the formation of Barack Obama’s background through his grandparents, his mother, his father, and stepfather. It deals with the “urban legend” that Obama was raised as a Muslim. I do personally know Christians who believe that because Obama has a school document from Indonesia declaring his religion as “Muslim,” then obviously he must be part of some Islamic plot to take over America from the inside. I’m all for a good conspiracy theory, and I do believe several that are very well documented, but this one is easily handled by Mansfield in this chapter. Barack Obama also attended a Catholic school, but does that make him part of a plot to take over America for the pope? His mom was an Atheist, does that mean Christopher Hitchens will be Secretary of State? Anyway, I’m getting off base here. This chapter also traces Obama’s growing up and going to college, trying to find his way between worlds of black and white. What was his identity? The chapter ends with Obama sitting in Trinity United Church of Christ listening to Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Chapter 2, “My House Too,” speaks about Obama’s longtime church, his pastor’s background, and black liberation theology. The concept of Black Liberation Theology is not new to me. I have heard and read of it in the past. This is a key to understanding Barack Obama.

Chapter 3, “Faith Fit for the Age,” speaks about Obama’s conversion and his beliefs and politics. Obama clearly does claim that he believes the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and his words to me as an “Evangelical” clearly do indicate an honest belief and conversion. Obama also seems to subscribe to a postmodern philosophy, and claims to believe that there are other paths to God. This chapter examines these issues, as well as the issue of why Obama remained at Trinity when some of his former pastor’s statements made it out into the media. I must admit, Stephen Mansfield’s explanation of this made my ears pick up. I came to realize that I could not make the same claims currently about my church. Stephen Mansfield says that Obama stayed at Trinity because the church met his needs. The church was his family, and it fed him intellectually and in other areas. My wife and I are struggling with an issue at our church with whether it is meeting our needs or making us feel like we truly belong to the group, and when I read those paragraphs to my wife, we were about ready to just not go back to our church. I even wrote a note in the book “If only our church met our needs like that.” That has no bearing on the review; I just can’t help but adding TMI (Too Much Information) every time I open my mouth or start pounding on a keyboard. Our personal reasons for our reaction go very deep and I have no idea if I will blog about it or not, ever.

Between Chapters 3 and 4 are a series of pictures from Obama’s life, from childhood to present.

Chapter 4, “The Altars of State,” explores the formation of Obama’s political career and how he had to reconcile his Christian faith with his politics in the Democratic party, which has been secular for a long time. Even men such as Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton, with claims of being “born again,” have tried to push faith and politics far apart. This chapter explores Obama’s race against Alan Keys, a man I have supported in the past, for the Senate seat from Illinois. Obama did win, but the race against Keys, a very eloquent and well spoken man, left him shaken. This chapter examines that.

Chapter 5, “The Four Faces of Faith,” contrasts the faith of Obama against John McCain, Hillary Clinton, and George W. Bush. I found this chapter particularly fascinating, though I think I’d rather open another discussion on them rather than sidetracking this review.

The final Chapter, 6, “A Time To Heal,” speaks of the issue of healing and Obama’s desire to help with some of that healing in our culture and our politics.

All told, I thought this was a very good book. It did not inflate Obama, nor did it skewer him. I took it as an honest attempt to understand the man and the issues surrounding him, and to pass that understanding to others. To me, this is what journalism should be. This book did help me to better understand Barack Obama. It challenges the seeming notion that Christianity in American politics belongs to the “Religious Right,” and that Democrats can’t be Christian and Christians can’t be Democrats. (I dropped my normal facetious “Demoncrats” for this review.)

This book did not in any way give me a desire to support or vote for Obama, but I believe it gave me something much better: it gave me the idea that I could like him. It even gave me the thought that perhaps I could like Hillary Clinton. Yikes! Our two party political system (I currently support neither, though I once considered myself part of one of them, you guess) seems to encourage demonization of the “other side.” I can’t say I haven’t fallen prey to that idea in the past myself. I’m finding it to be liberating that I can disagree with somebody and still like them, that disagreement does not need to mean lack of association. This is something I have been thinking through on my own prior to this book.

My final comment about the book itself is the price. During one of my discussions with my wife about my use of time during the evenings, as in, should I be reading a book or doing something she prefers, I said “Look, Thomas Nelson GAVE me this book on the promise to write a review. This book would have cost me…” I looked at the back and saw the price listed as $19.99. This is the MSRP, but my eyes must have popped out of my head and I had to restrain my urge to make a comment about some variation of “sacred fecal matter” in front of the kids. I’ll be honest; I have absolutely no idea what goes in to the pricing of a book, but I have bought thousands of books in my life so I can only go on the relative cost of them. $20 for a 6 chapter, total of 164 page book does sound kind of high. It is listed for $13.59 on Amazon with “39 new and used from $9.25.” Maybe some fellow Michael Hyatt readers can join me to ask him for a primer on how books get priced one of these days. I find him to be a very open CEO and I believe he would respond if we asked him. His blog has been a tremendous source of inspiration and advice to me over the years.

I would like to make one final comment on our political system. I’m not sure why, but so many people seem to treat the Presidential election as if we’re choosing our Messiah (already got one, thanks.) It’s as if we put the right man in and he’ll save us all, and the wrong man will destroy our country, ruin our lives, and make George Orwell’s 1984 sound like the recounting of a stay at a vacation resort. Please, people, read our Constitution and keep this all in perspective. Don’t look to the President to save you. He’s only the head of one branch of government. You still have one Representative and two Senators that you can call or write or email about any issue you wish.

If you’d like to read The Faith of Barack Obama, I highly recommend it. You can buy it from the Amazon affiliate link in my sidebar on the left under “Books I’m currently reading.” I’ll probably move it to the “Books I’ve recently read” sidebar at some point. I know, that’s a shameless plug, but if you buy enough of them from my affiliation, maybe you can help feed my gadget habit.

Technorati Tags: The Faith of Barack Obama,Faith of Obama,Obama's Faith,Democrats and Religion

Do You Give Back, or Give?

Here is a phrase that has made it's way into our popular lexicon to the point that it is repeated everywhere. I'm not sure it makes much sense, or even says what people think it says. I like to listen to Rabbi Daniel Lapin, who addressed this subject in one of his radio shows. We constantly hear of people "giving back" to the community, or giving back to the church, or giving back to society, or the elderly, or whatever. The rabbi made a point that really stuck with me: the phrase giving back implies that you took something. I know the phrase is meant to convey generosity and kindness and philanthropy, but if you really look at it, the phrase says that you are giving something back which you took. For me to be successful, this phrase implies, I have to take. Then, when attempting to share of that success, I am not being generous; I'm merely doing my duty.

That should not be the case at all. I know that our schools and especially our media give a really bad impression of how the economy works. When one of us is successful, we're all successful.

Remember, words mean things. Recently, my wife and I were looking into the possibility of trading in one of the minivans we've ended up with on a Hyundai. The dealer showed us a used Sonata that would just about work, but the mileage was too high for my wife's comfort. The dealer said they would "throw in" a warranty. Then when working up the price list, we saw the warranty in the stack of costs. I explained to the dealer that when he said "throw in", we assumed that meant the cost would not have to be carried by us. If I sell you my computer and "throw in" a copy of Windows Vista, you don't expect me to charge you for Windows Vista because I threw it in. The car salesman is a good guy, and we bought our Kia Sedona from him and will gladly give him the sale of the next car we buy, but I had to point out that he should be careful with words like that.

Technorati Tags: Words mean things

Are Technology Journalists (in general) Really Experts, or are They Closed-Minded, Elitist Parrots?

I've been following technology (specifically personal computers, but also consumer electronics) for more than a decade. I've used every version of Windows since 3.11, I've used 3 versions of Mac OS X plus Mac OS 8 and 9, and several versions of Linux. I've also worked with HP Unix, Sun Solaris, and Open VMS. Every desktop computer I've ever had I built myself. I've cracked open laptops (including an Apple iBook) to upgrade RAM and repair broken components and replace hard drives. I also recently completed a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology. I'd like to think I can speak with some authority on this topic.

I listen to several technology podcasts, and read several technology blogs. I also read magazines like ComputerWorld. Some of my favorite podcasts are from the TWIT network by Leo LaPorte and his friends. I also really enjoy John C. Dvorak's Cranky Geeks video podcast. Many of these tech journalists seem to be part of some kind of inside circle. Many are friends. Many of them use Macintosh computers and completely shun those of us who use PCs with Windows.

I see a very common theme in tech journalism that is very much against anything Microsoft does. Many tech journalists, like Scott Foley and Leo LaPorte, will publicly declare "I still don't recommend Windows Vista", despite the fact that it's been in circulation for over a year, has had a service pack released, and is stable and capable. Articles and blog entries routinely emanate from these technology luminaries about the demise of Microsoft and the rise of Apple and/or Linux.

Let me say one thing: if you thought political journalists were completely biased and lived in elitist circles totally removed from reality, you know nothing about tech journalism. A recent slew of articles about the impending demise of Microsoft makes me want to get up in the morning and watch the regular news (which I avoid like the plague in election years.)

First, let me say one thing: it is perfectly acceptable to like Windows. It is perfectly acceptable to use Windows. If you follow tech journalism, remember, just because these people get paid to be mouthpieces does not mean that their opinions should overshadow yours. You have the right and responsibility to do your own homework and research.

People in technology hold to silly positions. Here is an editor of a major PC Magazine (appropriately titled PC Magazine) who still carts an old PC to work. It has Windows 3.11. He likes it. He writes his articles in an old word processing, and somebody else have to manually transcribe his writing back into Microsoft Word for publication. Good for him. I'll tell you one thing though: I got into technology because I like shiny new things. I don't want to stick with "the way things were". I like to see changes and improvements and enhancements. That's what drives my participation in this field.

Take everything you read in tech journalism worth a grain of salt, just as you should in political journalism. Seriously, the people who rise to these positions, (and there are not a lot of paying jobs in tech journalism, so there are very few people who make it) may know a lot of general information, but they have their own opinions. They live in very small circles, full of people who see the world almost exactly as they do. Remember that. They don't live in your world. They don't work in your job, or maintain computers for your family, or make purchasing decisions for your company. They have huge budgets or get review units. I'm not likely to get a review unit MacBook Air, nor is my wife likely to let me buy one. I don't have $30,000 a year to set aside for computers and iPhones like Leo Laporte does. Neither do you. I can't afford to have one HP laptop, three Dell laptops, one legit iPhone on AT&T, one unlocked iPhone on T-mobile, three Blackberries, a Nokia N95, two MacBooks, a Mac Pro, and all of the other stuff most of these people, like Leo Laporte and Robert Scoble cart around. Of course, you might make fun of me for going through airport security with a Pocket PC Phone, an iPod Touch, and a laptop.

I also notice that most of the criticism leveled against Microsoft from tech journalists tends to come from people who have no idea how to build and support a world class, run on everything under the sun operating system. It's one thing to say "Windows should do this", but it's entirely another thing to actually make it happen. Just like in political journalism, the mouths running the loudest are the farthest removed from actually making anything happen in real life.

Just remember to make your own decisions. Remember that some tech journalists have their own viewpoints and/or agendas, and they may not live in reality like you have to.

Technorati Tags: Technology journalism

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Crazy Ron Paul has stolen our ad

The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs: Crazy Ron Paul has stolen our ad

I'm really getting a lot of mileage out of Windows Live Writer's "Blog This" extension for Firefox.

Fake Steve Jobs points out that Ron Paul is using one of Apple's advertisements. I'd say it fits. I'll let you get the link to the video from FSJ. If you end up here, I'll give him some "link love".

Technorati tags: Ron Paul, politics, Apple Advertisements, Fake Steve Jobs

Labels: Apple, Media, Socio/Political

Life in the Cellular Age

Life in the Cellular Age

I found this post on Albert Mohler's blog. Cell phones certainly have reshaped the way in which we communicate. As I've said before on this blog, my wife and I are untethered from a land line. We got rid of our Verizon phone service two and a half years ago, and I am happy with that decision.

Many years ago (at least eight) I scoffed at the cell phone as an unnecessary luxury for spoiled teenagers. I have obviously amended that position over the years. I now see a cell phone as a vital tool. I love my Windows Mobile phone (HP iPaq 6945). It truly is an integrated communications system.

I have to say that one of my favorite uses for my cell phone is finding my wife in stores. Growing up, my mom could disappear into a store for hours, and no matter how many times I search every inch of the store I could not find her. When my wife and I have to separate while shopping and I can't find her, I just call to say "Where the heck are you?" If I'd only had the capability in my teen years.

Technorati tags: Cell Phones, Telecommunications

 

Labels: Telecommunications

Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe

I came across this article about Medical Myths Even Doctors Believe. I thought it was interesting reading. That common belief in particular about "we only use 10% of our brains" always seemed like bovine fecal matter to me, and this article specifically mentions that belief. Just like my previous post on "Does Watching TV Really Cause Short Attention Spans?", I've always figured that statement about unused brain capacity has never really been put through the wringer of critical thinking. It's just been parroted throughout the years, even by doctors on PBS and Discovery Channel shows.

 

Technorati tags: Myths, Medical Myths

 

Labels: Health, Media, Socio/Political

Dvorak Uncensored » Islam In Europe — It Has to Go!

I found this on John C. Dvorak's blog and thought it might be worth linking. Islam is on the rise in western society and although we're not hearing about many of the issues raised in this video yet, we very well may at some point. This video is of a British comedian presenting a commentary on the issue of Islam in Europe.

I made a slip the last time I linked to John C. Dvorak's blog. I misattributed a blog entry to Mr. Dvorak, when in fact many of the posts on that blog are user or editorial staff generated content.

Dvorak Uncensored » Islam In Europe — It Has to Go!

Technorati tags: Europe, Islam, Politics, religion

Labels: Socio/Political

Thomas and Friends Wooden Railway Toy Recall

There has been a recall of some of the wooden components of the Thomas and Friends wooden railway set. I just thought I'd post this here for other parents. I'm sure my kids have chewed on these at one point or another, and they somehow got through with lead paint. I guess whatever communist country these toys are manufactured in hasn't gotten around to banning lead paint yet. If you have any of these toys, follow directions on the CPSC recall immediately.

Labels: Family, Hall of Shame, Health, Misc comments, News, Shopping

My Thoughts on The DaVinci Code

I've largely stayed out of commenting on The DaVinci Code, Dan Brown's popular book that has not yet outsold the Bible. As a Christian, I do frequent some Christian sites. I also notice that Dan Brown has caught a lot of people's attention with his story, which I have not read. I don't know if I ever will, but right now I just have other priorities.

I was reading a commentary the other day about the book, and the writer claimed that people keep asking him if there is any truth to The DaVinci Code. I will repeat and slightly paraphrase his response to that question, with appropriate emphasis, in a moment.

I find it almost humorous that many Christian websites and ministries have a feature that in one way or another resembles the following title: "The DaVinci Code: Seperating Fact From Fiction". You can't go anywhere these days without seeing it. Entire volumes of books and study guides have been written in an effort to debunk The DaVinci Code, which is going to be released as a movie this year, I believe.

OK, here is my public comment on The DaVinci Code and whether or not there is any truth at all to it whatsoever:

IT'S ON THE NEW YORK TIMES' FICTION BESTSELLER LIST! Doesn't that make it, by nature, fiction? If there were truth to it or if the book were intended as a serious theological treatise, would it not be on the NON-FICTION LIST?

Seriously, if you're going to base your views on Jesus Christ from a fictional bestseller, you have much larger problem than whether or not there is any truth to The DaVinci Code.

Labels: Bible, Misc comments

Alex Jones Interviews Charlie Sheen on 9/11

Alex Jones of Infowars.com interviewed Charlie Sheen about inconsistencies surrounding 9/11. Maybe you've noticed that a few things don't add up. Maybe you buy the official government/media line. In any case, check this out. You can find the interview here, but I experienced some problem with the audio and the MP3 download link doesn't work, so I went searching. For your convenience, I was able to locate an available MP3 download here. Enjoy.

Labels: Socio/Political

Stupid In America

 

The following is from a newsletter that I receive on an almost daily basis. ABC’s John Stossel did a report on public schools called “Stupid In America”.  I’m normally not one for spending $30 on a less than 1 hour DVD. Thankfully, it is available to be watched online for free with no commercials. Please watch this, especially if you have children in public schools.

 

 

 

By the way, I do find that ABC has apparently reduced the price back to it’s original $29.95.

 

 

 

*************************

 

ABC'S "STUPID" PRICE-GOUGING

 

 

 

Two days ago, I ordered a copy of John Stossel's "Stupid In America" 20/20 report from last Friday night off ABC's website.  This report, in case you don't know, BLISTERED the education establishment and has the potential of finally waking the public up and forcing them to declare they've had enough of the government monopoly over education in this country.

 

 

 

The demand for a copy of this report must have been staggering.  When I ordered my DVD on Wednesday, the cost was $29.95.  But when I re-checked the website on Thursday, I discovered that ABC was now charging a whopping $89.95.

 

 

 

And liberals complain about price-gouging by the oil companies?

 

 

 

Not to worry, dear reader. Thanks to an email I received this morning from South Carolina Gov. Mark Sanford, who was featured in the report, here's a link where you can watch "Stupid In America" for FREE.  And with NO COMMERCIALS, too.  Spread this link far and wide...

 

 

 

mms://sql2.slicker.com:1890/sanfordforgovernor/2020.wmv

 

Labels: Misc comments

Want to increase your gas mileage by 35%?

I got the text below in an email. I am going to post it on my blog. I have not as yet taken steps to verify the information. Once I have, I will post an update.

*****Update: 6 Feb 2007: The Mythbusters recently took on some gas mileage myths, and found this one actually decreased mileage. The guy who originally sent this to me claims that he gets 40 MGP in his Honda SUV. I still haven't tried it and I actually forgot about it until I went through some older blog posts.*****

_____________________________________________________________

Author: Louis LaPointe

Date: April 20, 2005
Questions asked by the common man:
"There is no question things will change. The real question is will the change be for the better or for the worse?"

Where do I find 100% pure acetone?
From a hardware store such as Ace, Menards, K-Mart or Wal-Mart. We buy a gallon can of 100% pure acetone for about nine bucks. We go to the paint section in these stores. The Torco EAL 12-oz. bottle is a good container for acetone. These bottles are excellent containers. Save them. Reagent grade acetone (highest purity) is found at student science centers near universities. It may be found at VWRlabshop.com for such purposes as professional dyno testing or scientific experimentation.

How much acetone do I put into my fuel?
For gasoline we use about three oz. per ten US gallons. Sometimes we use four oz. per ten gal. For diesel we use about two oz. per ten US gallons. That is equal to about 2.5 ml per liter for gasoline and about 1.5 ml per liter for diesel. Any tiny amount is better than none. No engine can deliver good MPG without some acetone.

What kind of mileage increase will acetone give my car?
Normally from 15% to 35% depending on your driving habits and how many of our mileage suggestions you have taken. But we have seen 65% and even higher in Neons. We know an aeronautical engineer in San Jose whose test car went from a baseline of 19.3 MPG to 27. He certified this with his ScanGauge. That is a genuine boost of 27%. Note on a downhill cruise with the gas pedal up, the ScanGauge says the instant reading goes OVER 100 MPG. So it pays to back off on the gas when cruising down hills. We know a Neon owner whose MPG average went from 23 to 44.5 MPG. Normal is over 40 MPG in his 2004 Neon, according to his ScanGauge.

What can the car companies do to increase mileage?
A lot. But they won't because improved MPG results in less engine wear and better engine life. The LaPointe Rule says that ALL the industries that make cars and fuels could easily improve MPG. Certainly the fuel companies could do so in a matter of days. The spark plug guys, the injector companies and of course the lubricants people could all contribute to high MPG if they wanted to.
When did you first start using acetone? Starting in 1953 with my 1948 Hudson. I used acetone as a test ingredient, driving up and down the coast of California. Later I used acetone in a 1939 Chevy going from California to Alabama in 1954. Been at it ever since. I love the absolute smoothness it gives my cars and trucks. Everyone does. Never leave town without it.

What speed gives my car the best mileage?
The one that produces the least waste. This is easy to find with a vacuum gauge you place on your dash. Drive your car at whatever speed gives the highest vacuum reading at cruise. A high manifold vacuum helps to tear apart fuel molecules to vaporize them with air to start an efficient combustion process in the chamber. Learn to back off on your gas pedal briefly as you drive.
Is acetone harmful to my valves? No. What is harmful is late timing or lean mixtures and unburned fuel. But these first two conditions generally disappeared when they put in computers to manage your engine settings. The harm of acetone is one of the myths being passed around to naive listeners by Big Oil. No valve has ever been hurt simply by using a tiny bit of acetone in gasoline or diesel fuel. Acetone is good for engines.

Have any car companies accepted the use of acetone in the gas?
Maybe Toyota because I am told the Prius gets 62-63 MPG with acetone used per my website hints. They seem proud of that fact. I was further told they do NOT approve of alcohol in the gasoline. Neither do boat mechanics whose clients constantly complain about the problem with alcohol. Many car companies seem hell-bent against good mileage. Owners of Neons claim the best increase in MPG that I have read in my Email BUT after 2005, the economical Neon is being discontinued because it gets too much MPG.

Can acetone reduce the wax crystals that form in gasoline in cold weather?
Yes. Those strings form when cold. They need to be dissolved better in the fuel with acetone. Ice crystals can also form and damage parts but acetone greatly helps with that problem too. Acetone also helps with varnish, shellac and gums that form in diesels from cheap biodiesel fuels that are becoming popular. And of course acetone helps with ethanol problems.

Can acetone improve starting in very cold climates?
Absolutely. You notice easier starts and better throttle response. The MPG in cold weather is notoriously bad but acetone helps so that highway speeds become steady with just a slight touch on the gas pedal.

Will acetone harm my pistons or other engine parts?
Absolutely not. Gasoline never gets to the pistons with acetone in the right amount because nearly all the fuel evaporates and burns like it is supposed to. Without acetone, fuel will certainly wash the rings and pistons. You see clean tail pipes with acetone. Sooty black tail pipes are the norm without it.

Would acetone melt plastic or neoprene parts like in fuel pumps or fuel hoses?
That comes from the oil companies, I believe. There are false rumors we have contradicted over and over. We have dozens of such parts soaking outside for months in various solutions of gasoline with up to 10% acetone which is several hundred times too much. No damage so far.

What does acetone do for emissions?
This is a real success story. Unburned hydrocarbons drop dramatically with acetone. This is true for both gasoline and diesel, ending soot problems. Black smoke truly disappears when acetone is used in diesels.

What cars and for how long did you drive them with acetone in the fuel?
Listing only the very longest lived: 1956 Chevy/Chrysler for 130,000 miles, 1964 Ford Econoline van for 567,000 miles, 1982 Plymouth Champ for 190,000, 1990 Caravan for 180,000 and a 1995 Neon has gone 140,000 and is still going strong. All delivered excellent mileage and dependability on acetone.
Why have we not heard of common mileage additives before now? They have been suppressed by every means possible. Acetone alone could cost the oil industry billions. But with acetone, those billions could remain in YOUR pockets and purses. You are going to hear a lot more about acetone in the near furure.

Do YOU have a question for SmartGas.net?

A snapshot of how I think as a researcher:
To do what is right--
To search for enlightenment--
To practice non-injury--
To work for the benefit of all beings.

Thank You

Labels: Misc comments

A Slogan For New Jersey?

I had been meaning to write this post for about a week, but I did not get myself motivated to do it. For some reason, it was decided that New Jersey needs a new slogan. I'm not sure what the old one was, but it was important enough for acting Governor Dick Codey (Referred to by the Jersey Guys on New Jersey 101.5 as "Shrek") to spend more than $200,000 of taxpayer money to a marketing company and then reject their solutions. I was listening to 101.5 one afternoon as the slogans were being debated. One was "New Jersey- we'll win you over". The hosts of the show said that slogan would be just fine with one word change: "New Jersey- we'll f you over" was their suggestion.

It's too late to take part in the voting, but the official state page is here: http://nj.gov/slogan/. I did not vote, as I thought all five offerings were incredibly cheesy. I would like one with, in the spirit of 101.5's suggestion, a brief modification: "New Jersey- comes see (how screwed up this place really is) for yourself".

If you'd like to see some really creative New Jersey slogans, look no further: http://www.cafepress.com/njslogans/1088385.

My wife seems to have the idea that I hate New Jersey. Well, other than the fact that I have a really good job here, we own a house, and I genuinely do love her family and as such enjoy living near to them, I would rather live in a real state like Texas. However, every time I start to think that New Jersey's roads are some of the worst I've ever seen, all it takes is a drive through Philadelphia on their Shore Kill, I mean Schuykill Expressway to disabuse myself of the notion that no other state is as incapable of properly designing a road.

My friend Geoff, linked on the side of my main page, keeps telling me that I should leave because New Jersey is such a liberal hell hole. I actually think the opposite: that he, and other freedom loving Americans, should stop running away from blue states and rather start flocking to them. Let's start voting and trying to change things around. Stop running away like it will actually solve our problems.

Labels: Socio/Political

It's Christmas, Not Generic and Non-Offensive Holiday!

I am getting tired of the references to some "generic" holiday. I understand "the holidays" as a period of time spanning from pre-Thanksgiving to post-New Years, and yet the greatest of these holidays in our culture is Christmas. When was the last time people clogged the highways and ran up their charge cards to buy each other Thanksgiving presents? How about New Years presents? No, both of those holidays are boons for grocery stores and liquor stores, respectively. There are a few other holidays representing other religions, yet none have had the influence on western culture that Christmas has. Hanukah has been celebrated for more than 2000 years, and yet the Jews have not exactly exported it to other cultures and religions. Ramadan is not much of a profit margin for J.C. Penny's and Wal-mart. Nope, Christmas is what this time of year is all about.

If people are that bothered by Christmas, then close your credit card accounts and get back to work. Merry Christmas!

http://www.angelrays.com/fla/legend.html http://www.riversongs.com/christmas/carols.html http://www.angelrays.com/Flash/story.html

Labels: Holiday

Merry Christmas is NOT Offensive

I really enjoy Rabbi Daniel Lapin’s commentaries, and I highly respect his work at Toward Tradition, which is linked below in this email that I’m forwarding to my blog. I think on of the primary reasons why Jews and Christians don’t get along is because we each overlook some pretty important parts of the Bible. They seem not to realize that they were to be a light to all nations and that all nations would be blessed by them. We tend to forget that we are grafted into their branch and without the promises to Abraham, there would be no church and no Christians. I think that both sides need to learn to take the Scripture a little more seriously. Rabbi, Happy Thanksgiving, and may the Lord continue to bless your efforts to unify His sheep of both folds.

Joh 10:16 And other sheep I have, which are not of this fold: them also I must bring, and they shall hear my voice; and there shall be one fold, [and] one shepherd.

Merry Christmas is NOT Offensive—Jews Should Protect Religious Freedom for Everyone.
Rabbi Daniel Lapin
Toward Tradition
Well, December is nearly here which means the dreaded “C word” is upon us. Put politely, “the holiday season” is nearly here. We shall all hear those “Happy Chanukahs” and “Happy holidays,” but rarely a “Merry Christmas.” Secular fundamentalism has successfully injected into American culture the notion that the word “Christmas” is deeply offensive. I think we Jews may be making a grievous mistake in allowing them to banish Christmas without challenge.
We see obsequious regard for faiths like Judaism and even Islam, while Christianity is treated with contempt. I don’t want Judaism treated with less respect. I want Christianity to be treated with as much respect.
Step up to the greeting card racks in your local drug store and see what I mean. Virtually every Chanukah card is respectful. Similarly, every Kwanza card is a paper paean to this rootless, recent invention. You won’t find many cards taking vulgar shots at those holidays.
You will, however, find tasteless cards that mock Christmas. You’ll find off-color risqué Christmas cards that you’d be embarrassed to be caught looking at. Few even mention Christmas, almost as if the word is so offensive that casual card browsers should be protected from accidental contamination. Secularism is saying, if we can’t completely banish Christmas, let’s at least turn it into a bad joke.
Our self-appointed “leaders” in the Jewish community do us no favor by denouncing every public expression of Christian faith as if it were a ham sandwich at a barmitzvah. Anti-Christianism is unhealthy for all Americans; but I warn my brethren that it will prove particularly destructive for Jews to be leading the extirpation of all signs of Christian fervor from the village square. Just look at France. Only a religion can stand up to another religion. Christianity could have defended France, but secularism wiped pushed Christianity into retreat. Now, Islamic fundamentalism has its way because there is nobody with moral fervor to resist. Secularism promotes cowardice, not courage and that is bad for everyone.
Nearer home, Palm Beach prohibited a Christian group from placing a Christian manger scene alongside a menorah on public property. One of the plaintiffs, a Christian woman named Maureen Donnell, told Fox News, "They've discriminated against us, they allow the menorahs but they have absolutely no interest in these Nativity scenes."
Although Palm Beach didn’t always welcome Jews, today it is a city with a large Jewish population. It would have done wonders for Jewish Christian friendship if Palm Beach’s Jews would have valiantly defended religious rights for everyone, not just for Jews. Too bad they missed this opportunity. Remember, friendship is a two-way street.
This I can promise all Jewish parents—trying to prevent your children from awareness of Christianity is not enough to fill them with a love for Judaism. That takes dedication. You should not allow your children to listen to rap music’s obscene lyrics. But neither should you recoil in horror when your kids hear Christmas carols. It is invariably a local Reform rabbi who teams up with the ACLU to file a lawsuit against the school singing carols. Christianizing the culture is not the problem for Jews, secularizing it is.
A music teacher in a Washington school removed Christmas from the lyrics in Dale Wood's "Carol from an Irish Cabin" to read: "The harsh wind blows down from the mountains and blows a white winter to me.”
Parent Darla Dowell, whose 7-year-old daughter sang the song, called the decision "absurd." "I think the most important thing that angers me is that they sent a message to my child that there's something wrong with Christmas and saying Christmas and celebrating it and performing it at her school with her peers," Dowell told Fox News. She couldn't understand why it's okay to exclude Christmas when her daughter was forced to sing Hanukkah tunes that included lyrics about the "mighty miracle" of Israel's ancient days. In that song, there were at least six mentions of the Jewish holiday.

Will Mrs. Dowell think better of Jews on account of their yanking Christmas? How exactly does this aggressively applied double standard help to maintain the mutual respect that used to characterize relations between American Jews and Christians?
A 1989 Supreme Court decision found a Nativity scene on city property to be unconstitutional. The court emphasized that the privately owned crèche was indisputably religious. In the same case, however, a five-judge majority found that a nearby display, featuring an 18-foot Hanukkah menorah did not violate the Establishment Clause. In the interests of fairness and friendship, we Jews ought to protest the court’s anti-Christian bias. Nationwide, Christmas Nativity scenes are banned from city halls and shopping malls but Chanukah menorah’s are frequently permitted.
I know the court’s distinction but I reject the legal fiction that a menorah, over which I say a blessing invoking God’s name, is merely a cultural symbol. I think most Christian’s also find that distinction meaningless and offensive.
As an Orthodox rabbi with an unquenchable passion for teaching Torah and devoting myself to the long term interests of Judaism and America’s Jewish community, I believe we Jews must turn our backs on the secularism that will sink us all. An act of friendship would be welcome. Let us all go out of our way to wish our many wonderful Christian friends—a very merry Christmas. Just remember, America’s Bible belt is our safety belt.
Rabbi Daniel Lapin, an Orthodox Rabbi in Seattle, Washington, is author of Thou Shall Prosper, America's Real War and Buried Treasure ,is President of Toward Tradition and hosts his own television and radio shows.
To support Toward Tradition please visit http://s123030713.onlinehome.us/news/lt/t_go.php?i=48&e=Njc4Ng==&l=http://www.towardtradition.org/donate.htm Toward Tradition is America's leading bridge-builder between Jewish and Christian communities; spanning the divide between Christians and Jews by sculpting ancient solutions to modern problems in areas of family, faith, and fortune. Visit us on the web at: http://s123030713.onlinehome.us/news/lt/t_go.php?i=48&e=Njc4Ng==&l=http://www.towardtradition.org
To schedule an interview with Rabbi Daniel Lapin, contact Rachael Whaley at (800) 591-7579For free and unrestricted use with attribution

_______________________

BRUSHFIRE ALERT NOVEMBER 13, 2005 _______________________

* * * * * * * * * * * * * ANY SOLDIER

As the Veterans Day weekend wraps up, a letter-to-the-editor published in today's Nevada Appeal tells about a wonderful program called "Any Soldier" in which all of us across the country can do something a little more substantive than slapping a "I Support Our Troops" bumper sticker on the backs of our cars.

"www.anysoldier.com is a Website with a huge database of troop names and units where one may read their messages and choose whomever you would like to adopt," Jessi Winchester notes. "The contact person for each unit has agreed to accept mail and packages for distribution to those in their unit who get little or no mail. Adopting a unit is such a small thing to do and can bring such happiness - especially with the holidays just around the corner.

"Our brave military men and women can't run to the store for items needed to make their lives easier, but we can. They need medicated foot powder, baby wipes (to get the sand off their FACES!), lip balm, hand lotion, toothbrushes, moisturizing soap, body wash, shampoo, room deodorizers (they sleep several to a room in nasty temperatures), Crystal Lite powdered lemonade mix (to mix with their water) Little Debby snack cakes (nothing that will melt), protein or breakfast bars, trail mix, crackers, microwave popcorn, canned tuna (a frequent request), gum, black socks, phone cards, games of any kind, paperback books, magazines (sports, physical fitness, cars), rechargeable batteries (and charger), DVDs (most units try to have a movie night to help the troops forget where they are), post cards to decorate their walls (anything green - no sand!) and remind them of home - and the ultimate luxury ... pillows. Be sure to include your name and return address as many recipients will write back."

Although the website is known as "Any Soldier," once there you can choose to "adopt" a soldier, a Marine, an airman, a sailor or a Coast Guardsman.

Folks, let's make this Veterans Day weekend more than just a three-day holiday. And let's make "support" for our troops something more than a cheap slogan. Do what our family is doing today: Adopting a trooper and heading down to the local drug store to fill up a care package. Just go to www.anysoldier.com for additional information and a list of potential "adoptees."

And, pssssst. Spread the word.

Chuck Muth Citizen Outreach

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Removal? Click this link:

http://www.worldprofit.com/[email protected]&dlsid=5937

Labels: Socio/Political

The following is from an email that I recieved. I thought it was funny.

http://www.americancomedynetwork.com/FLASH/soldiers.htm

Labels: Misc comments

Here in New Jersey, we just had an election day. On Tuesday, 8 November 2005 some of us headed to the polls to vote. As I was getting dressed that morning, I heard on the news that polls open at 0600. Since that's the time I normally leave the house anyway, and the polling station is only a couple of streets over, I decided to just take care of it on my way to work. Because of some jerk tailgating me all the way up to 80 miles an hour on the highway, I was at work at my normal time anyway.

My wife was so sick that day that she could barely get out of bed. I had to come home and take care of the kids. And yet, she still managed to drag herself out to the polls to cast her vote.

I know that a lot of people get discouraged by election turn out and candidates. Personally, I wish that we'd had a "None of the above" box on our ballot. We had a full cast of unknown 3rd party candidates including the "New Jersey Weedman", but primarily the race was between a Democrat and a Democrat running on the Republican ticket. That's great news if you're a Democrat and you're somehow afraid that the governor of New Jersey somehow has the power to outlaw abortian and stem cell research. These are such non-issues that I am amazed at the ignorance of voters.

I don't believe the the problem is the candidates. The problem in our country is the voters. Few of you take any real time to educate yourselves about the candidates, issues and current events. You vote based on emotionally charged yet essentially meaningless political buzzwords, and the parties know it and play to it. You want better candidates? Then become a better voter. Turn off "Survivor" and go looking for your news. Stop taking the fluff that the networks spoon feed you. If you become a better voter, then just maybe the parties will run better candidates.

Labels: Socio/Political

The following is an email that I sent to Doug Forrester this morning. Yes, the typos snuck through even though I checked it several times. I will leave it that way. Maybe they're too busy to care.

To whom it may concern:

I attempted to send the text below through the contact section of the campaign website, but I was met with an internal server error:

Sir, I felt that I should give you the courtesy of notifying you as to why my vote will not be cast for you tomorrow. No doubt you are very busy, but if this note contributes to your after action review I will be glad to have helped.

Prior to last Friday, the only compelling reason that I had to vote for you is the fact that you are not Senator Corzine. You really don't have any outstanding credentials as a fiscal conservative or a civil libertarian. Like all campaigns, this one has been wages along the lines of attack ads and emotionally charged yet essentially meaningless political buzzwords such as "anti-choice" "getting illegal guns off our streets".

You probably pay people a lot of money to inform you that some voters will vote Republican because they have always voted Republican. You could show up on stage the day of your election in an ugly oversized dress and praise Joseph Stalin's leadership over the USSR, and these people would still vote for you because you are a Republican. Likewise, some voters will vote Democrat for no other reason than they have always voted Democrat. I happen to be one of the few who actually takes a few minutes to study the issues and the candidates. I have long since written the RNC and told them that I do not support them any longer, yet I still lean Republican in some cases. I will not in yours, however.

On Friday, after you did a terrible job on NJ 101.5 of trying to convince listeners that you have never been unfaithful to your wife (a trivial issue anyway after the Clinton years), I saw a commercial on TV featuring your wife assuring voters that you are basically for the same campaign issues that Senator Corzine is. I suddenly realized that if I am voting against Senator Corzine, then I have absolutely no reason to vote for you as you have become a political clone of the Senator. At least Senator Corzine has the grace to be true to his position rather than pander to the other side like a child on the playground trying to prove to the popular kids that he can be one of them.

Let me take a moment to try to reasonably explain my positions on what have become the three main issues in the final days of this campaign. First, regarding abortion, I am smart enough to realize that this issue will not go away. I am, however, not of the opinion that it needs to be legitimatized, funded, and sanctioned at all levels of government. I do not appreciate my money being forcibly taken from in the form of taxes that are then distributed to abortion programs. I would not want my money taken from me by force to fund church pregnancy programs either. Let me keep my money and I'll decide which one I prefer to spend it on. Likewise, anyone who finds abortion a worthwhile contribution can fund it out of their own income. I would also like to note that I resent being called “anti-choice”, and I resent your legitimatizing of that phrase by your recent campaign commercial. I will segway into embryonic stem cell research as an extension of the same topic. Citizens who like it should certainly be able to donate to the cause, but I disagree with my money being taken by force to fund such morally and scientifically questionable research.

I will close with my position on "taking illegal guns off our streets". Sir, do you have any clue how difficult it is for a LAW ABIDING CITIZEN in New Jersey to acquire a gun? The problem is not the guns, it is the criminals. There is no evidence that "gun control" is effective, as you can see from Washington DC which has the strictest gun control in the nation and yet the highest rate of gun related crime.

I will not vote for you now or ever in the future. The Republican Party of today has completely lost its direction. George Washington was right to warn this nation against political parties, as the party line mentality causes group think rather than a climate of freedom and personal responsibility. I hope you have attracted enough of Senator Corzine's voters to make up for those of your own that you have lost. May the citizens of this blue state choose wisely, though I have little faith that they actually will.

Sincerely, Eric S. Mueller, Lindenwold, NJ.

Labels: Socio/Political

As a continuation of yesterday's blog, http://emuelle1.blogspot.com/2005/07/breaks-over-back-on-your-heads.html, I want to make a few comments about the Bill of Rights. Actually, there is one specific right that I would like to discuss among the original 10.

The Founding Fathers wrote the Contitution of the United States to specify what the federal government could do. Then they wrote the Bill of Rights to specify what it could NOT do. We hear a lot of misconceptions about the rights listed within. The original ten amendments to the Bill of Rights were intended to guarantee individual rights that the federal government could not take away, with the 10th amendment also adding the states.

Before I go any farther, I will say that I consider myself to be somewhat of an amateur Bible scholar. I enjoy studying the Bible, especially in a historical context. It truly comes alive when you study it in light of the history and culture of ancient Israel. In any case, whether you believe the Bible or not, you most likely have seen people take parts of it far out of context. If you think non-believers are bad, I know many brothers and sisters in Christ who are just as bad. If you think the liberal churches take things out of context, I've seen the conservative ones do it too. I often hear about the "twenty verse rule", which says that each verse should be read in the context of the previous twenty verses and the following twenty verses to avoid misapplication of the verse. Some verses operate just fine as stand alone verses, but often can be taken out of context when used alone.

That brings me back to the second amendment to the Bill of Rights, which reads as follows:

Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

We hear quite a bit about how this amendment doesn't really mean "the people", but it means that each state has a right to a militia and that since we have the National Guard in each state now there is no need to maintain a militia as the National Guard maintains that role. (If that is the case, why are they in Iraq? As the caption to a cartoon I read says "When I joined the National Guard, I had no idea what nation I would be guarding!")

When you look at the context of the rest of the original Bill of Rights, however, you see that each right is a personal right. YOU have a right to freedom of speech, YOU have a right to NOT have soldiers quartered in your home (so far, the only amendment not directly attacked by the courts), YOU have a right to be secure in your person, place, effects, papers, etc, and YOU have a right to a speedy trial by jury of your peers, YOU have a right against self-incrimination, etc. If every other right is a guarantee to the individual, then how can they say, in context, the only the second amendment is a collective right, the fulfillment of which is met by a National Guard on assignment in Iraq?

If the second amendment is not a personal guarantee, then what good is it? Now, why would you want to own a gun? Or several guns? Why is the second amendment in there in the first place? The British attempted to disarm the colonists to prevent them from rebelling. A disarmed population cannot stand up to itself. Perhaps you have seen the T-shirt "Mass murderers agree- gun control works!" No tyrant can stand up to an armed population. It is the final check and balance against the government growing too large or too tyrannical. "But it can't happen here!" you say. Oh, can it? Look at Waco, Ruby Ridge, etc. Our government is perfectly capable of killing all of us to meet it's own ends.

Let's look at the Bible for a moment. Don't worry, skeptics, this is not evangelistic, merely historical. During the time of the judges, the Philistines occupied Israel for forty years. Here is an interesting detail that we are given about how the governed the Israelites:

1Sa 13:19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make [them] swords or spears:

There was no metal smith in the land. The Philistines made sure of that. Why? Because they didn't want the Israelites to arm themselves and rebel. Even after Saul was made king, we are told that only himself and his son had swords. The rest of the army was fighting with farm implements for a while.

What I would like for you, the reader (and I have no idea if anyone reads my blog or not) to take from this are a few things to think about. One is, what is the proper context of our founding documents? Forget the party line mentality that pervades our culture today. Use your own brain to analyze what you see and here. Also, think about who exactly benefits from the general population being disarmed? I mean, besides the criminals. Britain has some of the strictest gun control legislation in the world; so strict even that their Olympic pistol team has to practice in another country. Yet their gun crime is through the roof. The criminals love the fact that nobody can shoot back, and the politicians love that the criminals won't march on Parliament.

Labels: News

The title for this entry is from the old joke about Hell. A man dies and finds himself in Hell. The Devil meets him and tells him "This is the new, user friendly Hell. There are three doors. Each one is how you'll spend your eternity. You have an hour, so take your time and choose wisely."

He opened the first door, to find a firey pit. Men were chained to posts and eternally flogged by demons as the flames burned around them. He decided that would not be an acceptable choice.

The second door revealed an icy slope. Men eternally pushed giant boulders up the side of an icy mountain, only to have a demon kick them back down when they reached the top, forcing them to repeat this for eternity. He closed the door behind him, deciding that this won't do either.

The third door revealed people standing neck deep in a pit of fecal matter, but they were drinking coffee and smoking and joking. The demons stood around the sides of the pit looking bored.

When the Devil came back to ask him if he'd made up his mind, he replied "Of course, I'm not stupid! I'll take door number three!". The Devil told him "As you wish", and he went in to spend eternity there.

He grabbed a cup of coffee from the urn and stepped into the pit looking for a smoke to bum and a person to talk to when the head demon cracked his whip and bellowed "All right, break's over, back on your heads!"

When I was in the Navy, we often used that statement with each other to indicate that the fun is over and that it's time to get back to work.

I hardly know where to begin. We just finished the long weekend of the summer. Everybody calls it "the Fourth of July", but that is not proper. If you look at the calendars of every nation of the world to follow the Roman calendar, you'll discover that each and every one of them shows a Fourth of July. Look at the small print in ours. According to the office calendar that I have in my cubicle, it is "Independence Day (US)". That's right; if you live in the United States it is Independence Day. I get so sick of hearing it called by it's improper name, just as I'm sick of Christmas time being referred to as "the holidays".

Sadly, we may not see another Independence Day, at least not as we know it. CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, passed the Senate and is expected to get voted on in the house very soon; July 11th was the last I heard. If this passes, we can kiss our independence good buy, along with our jobs and our economy.

And so, America, "break's over, get back on your heads". Contact your representative and tell them to vote NO on CAFTA. See http://www.stopcafta.com for short videos and more information.

Labels: News

Chuck Muth's Brushfire Alert - November 13, 2005- Anysoldier

_______________________

BRUSHFIRE ALERT NOVEMBER 13, 2005 _______________________

* * * * * * * * * * * * * ANY SOLDIER

As the Veterans Day weekend wraps up, a letter-to-the-editor published in today's Nevada Appeal tells about a wonderful program called "Any Soldier" in which all of us across the country can do something a little more substantive than slapping a "I Support Our Troops" bumper sticker on the backs of our cars.

"www.anysoldier.com is a Website with a huge database of troop names and units where one may read their messages and choose whomever you would like to adopt," Jessi Winchester notes. "The contact person for each unit has agreed to accept mail and packages for distribution to those in their unit who get little or no mail. Adopting a unit is such a small thing to do and can bring such happiness - especially with the holidays just around the corner.

"Our brave military men and women can't run to the store for items needed to make their lives easier, but we can. They need medicated foot powder, baby wipes (to get the sand off their FACES!), lip balm, hand lotion, toothbrushes, moisturizing soap, body wash, shampoo, room deodorizers (they sleep several to a room in nasty temperatures), Crystal Lite powdered lemonade mix (to mix with their water) Little Debby snack cakes (nothing that will melt), protein or breakfast bars, trail mix, crackers, microwave popcorn, canned tuna (a frequent request), gum, black socks, phone cards, games of any kind, paperback books, magazines (sports, physical fitness, cars), rechargeable batteries (and charger), DVDs (most units try to have a movie night to help the troops forget where they are), post cards to decorate their walls (anything green - no sand!) and remind them of home - and the ultimate luxury ... pillows. Be sure to include your name and return address as many recipients will write back."

Although the website is known as "Any Soldier," once there you can choose to "adopt" a soldier, a Marine, an airman, a sailor or a Coast Guardsman.

Folks, let's make this Veterans Day weekend more than just a three-day holiday. And let's make "support" for our troops something more than a cheap slogan. Do what our family is doing today: Adopting a trooper and heading down to the local drug store to fill up a care package. Just go to www.anysoldier.com for additional information and a list of potential "adoptees."

And, pssssst. Spread the word.

Chuck Muth Citizen Outreach

= = = = = = = = = = = = =

Removal? Click this link:

http://www.worldprofit.com/[email protected]&dlsid=5937

Labels: Socio/Political

FW: Puff Daddy Bush

The following is from an email that I recieved. I thought it was funny.

http://www.americancomedynetwork.com/FLASH/soldiers.htm

Labels: Misc comments

So You Can't Bring Yourself To Vote?

Here in New Jersey, we just had an election day. On Tuesday, 8 November 2005 some of us headed to the polls to vote. As I was getting dressed that morning, I heard on the news that polls open at 0600. Since that's the time I normally leave the house anyway, and the polling station is only a couple of streets over, I decided to just take care of it on my way to work. Because of some jerk tailgating me all the way up to 80 miles an hour on the highway, I was at work at my normal time anyway.

My wife was so sick that day that she could barely get out of bed. I had to come home and take care of the kids. And yet, she still managed to drag herself out to the polls to cast her vote.

I know that a lot of people get discouraged by election turn out and candidates. Personally, I wish that we'd had a "None of the above" box on our ballot. We had a full cast of unknown 3rd party candidates including the "New Jersey Weedman", but primarily the race was between a Democrat and a Democrat running on the Republican ticket. That's great news if you're a Democrat and you're somehow afraid that the governor of New Jersey somehow has the power to outlaw abortian and stem cell research. These are such non-issues that I am amazed at the ignorance of voters.

I don't believe the the problem is the candidates. The problem in our country is the voters. Few of you take any real time to educate yourselves about the candidates, issues and current events. You vote based on emotionally charged yet essentially meaningless political buzzwords, and the parties know it and play to it. You want better candidates? Then become a better voter. Turn off "Survivor" and go looking for your news. Stop taking the fluff that the networks spoon feed you. If you become a better voter, then just maybe the parties will run better candidates.

Labels: Socio/Political

Message to Doug Forrester- Why You Lost My Vote

The following is an email that I sent to Doug Forrester this morning. Yes, the typos snuck through even though I checked it several times. I will leave it that way. Maybe they're too busy to care.

To whom it may concern:

I attempted to send the text below through the contact section of the campaign website, but I was met with an internal server error:

Sir, I felt that I should give you the courtesy of notifying you as to why my vote will not be cast for you tomorrow. No doubt you are very busy, but if this note contributes to your after action review I will be glad to have helped.

Prior to last Friday, the only compelling reason that I had to vote for you is the fact that you are not Senator Corzine. You really don't have any outstanding credentials as a fiscal conservative or a civil libertarian. Like all campaigns, this one has been wages along the lines of attack ads and emotionally charged yet essentially meaningless political buzzwords such as "anti-choice" "getting illegal guns off our streets".

You probably pay people a lot of money to inform you that some voters will vote Republican because they have always voted Republican. You could show up on stage the day of your election in an ugly oversized dress and praise Joseph Stalin's leadership over the USSR, and these people would still vote for you because you are a Republican. Likewise, some voters will vote Democrat for no other reason than they have always voted Democrat. I happen to be one of the few who actually takes a few minutes to study the issues and the candidates. I have long since written the RNC and told them that I do not support them any longer, yet I still lean Republican in some cases. I will not in yours, however.

On Friday, after you did a terrible job on NJ 101.5 of trying to convince listeners that you have never been unfaithful to your wife (a trivial issue anyway after the Clinton years), I saw a commercial on TV featuring your wife assuring voters that you are basically for the same campaign issues that Senator Corzine is. I suddenly realized that if I am voting against Senator Corzine, then I have absolutely no reason to vote for you as you have become a political clone of the Senator. At least Senator Corzine has the grace to be true to his position rather than pander to the other side like a child on the playground trying to prove to the popular kids that he can be one of them.

Let me take a moment to try to reasonably explain my positions on what have become the three main issues in the final days of this campaign. First, regarding abortion, I am smart enough to realize that this issue will not go away. I am, however, not of the opinion that it needs to be legitimatized, funded, and sanctioned at all levels of government. I do not appreciate my money being forcibly taken from in the form of taxes that are then distributed to abortion programs. I would not want my money taken from me by force to fund church pregnancy programs either. Let me keep my money and I'll decide which one I prefer to spend it on. Likewise, anyone who finds abortion a worthwhile contribution can fund it out of their own income. I would also like to note that I resent being called “anti-choice”, and I resent your legitimatizing of that phrase by your recent campaign commercial. I will segway into embryonic stem cell research as an extension of the same topic. Citizens who like it should certainly be able to donate to the cause, but I disagree with my money being taken by force to fund such morally and scientifically questionable research.

I will close with my position on "taking illegal guns off our streets". Sir, do you have any clue how difficult it is for a LAW ABIDING CITIZEN in New Jersey to acquire a gun? The problem is not the guns, it is the criminals. There is no evidence that "gun control" is effective, as you can see from Washington DC which has the strictest gun control in the nation and yet the highest rate of gun related crime.

I will not vote for you now or ever in the future. The Republican Party of today has completely lost its direction. George Washington was right to warn this nation against political parties, as the party line mentality causes group think rather than a climate of freedom and personal responsibility. I hope you have attracted enough of Senator Corzine's voters to make up for those of your own that you have lost. May the citizens of this blue state choose wisely, though I have little faith that they actually will.

Sincerely, Eric S. Mueller, Lindenwold, NJ.

Labels: Socio/Political

Context Is Everything

As a continuation of yesterday's blog, http://emuelle1.blogspot.com/2005/07/breaks-over-back-on-your-heads.html, I want to make a few comments about the Bill of Rights. Actually, there is one specific right that I would like to discuss among the original 10.

The Founding Fathers wrote the Contitution of the United States to specify what the federal government could do. Then they wrote the Bill of Rights to specify what it could NOT do. We hear a lot of misconceptions about the rights listed within. The original ten amendments to the Bill of Rights were intended to guarantee individual rights that the federal government could not take away, with the 10th amendment also adding the states.

Before I go any farther, I will say that I consider myself to be somewhat of an amateur Bible scholar. I enjoy studying the Bible, especially in a historical context. It truly comes alive when you study it in light of the history and culture of ancient Israel. In any case, whether you believe the Bible or not, you most likely have seen people take parts of it far out of context. If you think non-believers are bad, I know many brothers and sisters in Christ who are just as bad. If you think the liberal churches take things out of context, I've seen the conservative ones do it too. I often hear about the "twenty verse rule", which says that each verse should be read in the context of the previous twenty verses and the following twenty verses to avoid misapplication of the verse. Some verses operate just fine as stand alone verses, but often can be taken out of context when used alone.

That brings me back to the second amendment to the Bill of Rights, which reads as follows:

Amendment II
A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.

We hear quite a bit about how this amendment doesn't really mean "the people", but it means that each state has a right to a militia and that since we have the National Guard in each state now there is no need to maintain a militia as the National Guard maintains that role. (If that is the case, why are they in Iraq? As the caption to a cartoon I read says "When I joined the National Guard, I had no idea what nation I would be guarding!")

When you look at the context of the rest of the original Bill of Rights, however, you see that each right is a personal right. YOU have a right to freedom of speech, YOU have a right to NOT have soldiers quartered in your home (so far, the only amendment not directly attacked by the courts), YOU have a right to be secure in your person, place, effects, papers, etc, and YOU have a right to a speedy trial by jury of your peers, YOU have a right against self-incrimination, etc. If every other right is a guarantee to the individual, then how can they say, in context, the only the second amendment is a collective right, the fulfillment of which is met by a National Guard on assignment in Iraq?

If the second amendment is not a personal guarantee, then what good is it? Now, why would you want to own a gun? Or several guns? Why is the second amendment in there in the first place? The British attempted to disarm the colonists to prevent them from rebelling. A disarmed population cannot stand up to itself. Perhaps you have seen the T-shirt "Mass murderers agree- gun control works!" No tyrant can stand up to an armed population. It is the final check and balance against the government growing too large or too tyrannical. "But it can't happen here!" you say. Oh, can it? Look at Waco, Ruby Ridge, etc. Our government is perfectly capable of killing all of us to meet it's own ends.

Let's look at the Bible for a moment. Don't worry, skeptics, this is not evangelistic, merely historical. During the time of the judges, the Philistines occupied Israel for forty years. Here is an interesting detail that we are given about how the governed the Israelites:

1Sa 13:19 Now there was no smith found throughout all the land of Israel: for the Philistines said, Lest the Hebrews make [them] swords or spears:

There was no metal smith in the land. The Philistines made sure of that. Why? Because they didn't want the Israelites to arm themselves and rebel. Even after Saul was made king, we are told that only himself and his son had swords. The rest of the army was fighting with farm implements for a while.

What I would like for you, the reader (and I have no idea if anyone reads my blog or not) to take from this are a few things to think about. One is, what is the proper context of our founding documents? Forget the party line mentality that pervades our culture today. Use your own brain to analyze what you see and here. Also, think about who exactly benefits from the general population being disarmed? I mean, besides the criminals. Britain has some of the strictest gun control legislation in the world; so strict even that their Olympic pistol team has to practice in another country. Yet their gun crime is through the roof. The criminals love the fact that nobody can shoot back, and the politicians love that the criminals won't march on Parliament.

Labels: News

Break's Over, Back On Your Heads

The title for this entry is from the old joke about Hell. A man dies and finds himself in Hell. The Devil meets him and tells him "This is the new, user friendly Hell. There are three doors. Each one is how you'll spend your eternity. You have an hour, so take your time and choose wisely."

He opened the first door, to find a firey pit. Men were chained to posts and eternally flogged by demons as the flames burned around them. He decided that would not be an acceptable choice.

The second door revealed an icy slope. Men eternally pushed giant boulders up the side of an icy mountain, only to have a demon kick them back down when they reached the top, forcing them to repeat this for eternity. He closed the door behind him, deciding that this won't do either.

The third door revealed people standing neck deep in a pit of fecal matter, but they were drinking coffee and smoking and joking. The demons stood around the sides of the pit looking bored.

When the Devil came back to ask him if he'd made up his mind, he replied "Of course, I'm not stupid! I'll take door number three!". The Devil told him "As you wish", and he went in to spend eternity there.

He grabbed a cup of coffee from the urn and stepped into the pit looking for a smoke to bum and a person to talk to when the head demon cracked his whip and bellowed "All right, break's over, back on your heads!"

When I was in the Navy, we often used that statement with each other to indicate that the fun is over and that it's time to get back to work.

I hardly know where to begin. We just finished the long weekend of the summer. Everybody calls it "the Fourth of July", but that is not proper. If you look at the calendars of every nation of the world to follow the Roman calendar, you'll discover that each and every one of them shows a Fourth of July. Look at the small print in ours. According to the office calendar that I have in my cubicle, it is "Independence Day (US)". That's right; if you live in the United States it is Independence Day. I get so sick of hearing it called by it's improper name, just as I'm sick of Christmas time being referred to as "the holidays".

Sadly, we may not see another Independence Day, at least not as we know it. CAFTA, the Central American Free Trade Agreement, passed the Senate and is expected to get voted on in the house very soon; July 11th was the last I heard. If this passes, we can kiss our independence good buy, along with our jobs and our economy.

And so, America, "break's over, get back on your heads". Contact your representative and tell them to vote NO on CAFTA. See http://www.stopcafta.com for short videos and more information.

Labels: News