GotDesign

STOP THE MADNESS!!

2009-03-31T10:25:00.005-04:00

I can't believe it. It seems like some Orwellian fantasy, but Congress is trying to control salaries across the board. It's like we awoke from a bad dream and discovered we now live in a socialist "worker's paradise."

I'm frustrated. I can't write, I'm so .... argh! Go read -- Beyond AIG: A Bill to let Big Government Set Your Salary.

Time for a Rant

2009-03-24T09:13:00.004-04:00

There are times when I look at the extraordinary efforts being exerted on my behalf by members of the armed forces in places hither and yon and I am filled with an overwhelming desire to do something for those who are wounded in their efforts -- something to show appreciation, in some small way, for the heroic sacrifices of life and limb to protect my liberty and to extend freedom around the globe.

I don't want to get off on a rant here, but don't you have the slightest inclination to lend a hand to those who have already lent an arm and a leg (and sometimes both) to us in the name of liberty? I don't know what kind of crazy sweater the Norns have woven for me that I haven't been put in harm's way -- after 15 years of service in the Army, you'd think I was due to have my tour of duty in the far-flung places of the world where the men are bad and the personal hygiene is worse. You'd think that I was about due to be cross-stitched into the mayhem our armed forces endure on a regular basis. I thank God both that I haven't been thrust into this global kerfuffle and, at the same time, wish I were already hip-deep in the fray.

So, what's a frustrated old soldier to do? Play golf? Actually, that's the ticket. USA Cares, a nonprofit organization that helps frustrated individuals like myself provide care for wounded veterans (and their families), is hosting a golf scramble on Thursday, Arpil 2nd at the Covered Bridge Golf Club in Sellersburg, IN (outside Louisville, KY). The golf scramble is to raise funds for USA Cares who, as previously mentioned, provides financial assistance to wounded veterans to cover medical bills, pay housing costs, and provide for daily necessities. For wounded veterans, it is mightily difficult at times to keep up with daily finances when you're struggling to pay for therapy sessions to deal with your post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Or you can't make your car payment because you have to pay to have your prosthetic leg fixed after taking a tumble.

But this is not just some other golf scramble. The USA Cares event will feature the King of Rant himself, Dennis Miller. Mr. Miller will be present for both the golf scramble as well as for a dinner afterward where he will, no doubt, practice his linguistic legerdemain. I can assure you, it will be an afternoon to remember.

USA Cares is still looking for golfers, hole sponsors, and non-golfing dinner attendees. If you are at all interested in either attending this event, or in supporting USA Cares' efforts generally, please don't hesitate to contact me. There are over 16,000 veterans who have been assisted by USA Cares in the past 6 years and there are countless more who still need assistance. Step into the breach and put yourself on the line for those who have held the line against tyranny and desctruction.

But enough from me, what do you think?

Need Volunteers

2009-03-20T14:30:00.003-04:00

As I mentioned in my blog post yesterday, I've been volunteering with USA Cares. Their latest campaign -- 50-50 -- is to get 100 people to donate $5 in 50 states over the course of 50 days -- that's $25,000. Donations are made specifically by texting from your cellular phone. But we still need someone to coordinate the campaign in each state. The following states are still in need of a volunteer coordinator: MD, NJ, OK, SD, CT, IA, MI, AR, ID, MN, WI, NE, RI, UT, WV, ME, SC, and WY.

Through the miracle of Twitter, I was able to find someone to cover Missouri just yesterday. I'm working on bringing USA Cares into the Twitter-verse. I think it will be a boon for us.

If you can volunteer to help USA Cares with their 50-50 campaign, please e-mail me. Thanks.

The Cause

2009-03-19T09:32:00.006-04:00

Many of you already know that I am a soldier. I have over 15 years of service in the U.S. Army, Army Reserves and National Guard. I'm a lifer. So soldiers are near and dear to my heart. We've sweated and bled together. Because of this I have recently become involved with an organization that goes out of its way to help soldiers, sailors, marines, and airmen alike in their time of need.

I recently began volunteering with USA Cares. USA Cares is a non-profit organization that helps veterans in three areas. First, they help combat injured veterans by making grants to help cover their medical needs. Second, USA Cares helps veterans by providing housing assistance grants and financial counseling to keep veterans and their families in their homes or apartments. And finally, USA Cares' "Quality of Life" program helps to provide daily necessities for veterans until they can get back on their feet.

I have read USA Cares' external audits -- they are very fiscally sound. Over 90% of all donations are given out to help veterans. That means that the administrative staff operates on less than 10% of the money that has been donated. Not many non-profits can say that. The first and foremost mission of USA Cares is to help veterans -- period! USA Cares is an organization that I am proud of and I am volunteering my time to help however I can. that's saying something! Because, as some of you know, I'm unemployed. My time comes at a premium.

This is the part where I ask for your help. So, for the squeamish ones out there, please skip to the end.

How can you help USA Cares? Thanks for asking (I love you guys). Donations can be made at the website -- usacares.org. But you can also make donations this very moment. Text "VET" to 90999 on your cell phones and $5 will be sent to USA Cares. In fact, I'm looking for help throughout the US with this texting project.

USA Cares is preparing to roll out its 50-50 program. 50-50 is short for "50 States in 50 Days." We want to get volunteers to help us coordinate a 50-day fund-raising drive in all 50 states. Our goal is to raise at least $25,000 by getting at least 100 people to donate $5 via texting in each state of the union. That's 100 people, $5 each ($500 so far), and 50 states (voila! $25,000 -- I know... multiplication). But we still need volunteers in several states to coordinate the effort. Specifically, we need volunteers in: MD, NJ, OK, SD, CT, IA, MI, AR, ID, MN, WI, MO, NE, RI, UT, WV, ME, SC, and WY. That's 20 states out of 50! Please send me an e-mail if you're interested in helping. Volunteers will receive plenty of support in marketing the efforts in each state. You won't want for assistance in this effort, but we need warm bodies to get the work done. And soon! USA Cares hopes to start 50-50 on April 1st.

Please let the veterans know that you appreciate their sacrifices. Text "VET" to 90999! Go to the website -- usacares.org -- and donate!

Thanks.

UPDATE 1: We've found our volunteer to coordinate our 50-50 campaign in Delaware. Just since this morning! But we still need another 19 volunteers (minimum). Contact me!

Flying Into The Flames

2009-02-08T20:18:00.003-05:00

A UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter takes off on a mission to transport soldiers of the 1204th Aviation Support Battalion to their home station in Independence, Ky. on Monday, Feb. 2, 2009.

Classism At Its Best

2009-02-08T19:12:00.003-05:00

A good friend of mine has an awesome bumper sticker. It reads: "I [heart] Capitalism." It warms my heart to see that my friend has both a firm grasp on how the world works, and a great sense of humor.

So when our new President has decided to force a salary cap on executives whose companies receive bailout money, I cringe. First and foremost, I don't like bailouts! Companies that receive bailouts don't learn the lessons that the market has to teach. They also do not build up institutional creativity and innovation required to handle crises. But this salary cap move also sends a sign that the Administration knows better than the markets.

When corporate executives receive sizable salaries and bonuses, I sometimes wonder if they're worth it. But I also understand that, unless I'm a stock owner, it's not my call. Senior executives are the decision-makers. Their decisions are the focal point of succeed-fail moments. A single decision can make or break a company. High salaries attract the best candidates. High salaries compensate for extreme responsibility. High salaries are the sole prerogative of the Boards of Directors.

A lot of people have made comparisons between President Obama and President Franklin Roosevelt. And there is a comparison to be made. Alan Brinkley's Wall Street Journal article "Railing Against the Rich: A Great American Tradition" is a great explanation of President Obama's blatant class warfare. Brinkley does a great job of explaining how both FDR and Hughey Long pursued a "soak the rich" policy -- as does Obama.

Franklin Roosevelt himself, trying to steal the thunder of the populists, proposed the so-called "soak-the-rich" tax, passed in 1935, which targeted high corporate salaries and investment income, even though it did little to increase government revenues or reduce the real wealth of those required to pay.

While the current economic malaise is by no means comparable to that of the Great Depression of 1929 and following, President Obama's policies belie the inner socialist that lurks within the extremely popular breast of our 44th president. When the circumstances are so different, why does Obama seek to use the same policies as FDR to spark a recovery. Because, while FDR's policies didn't spark a recovery (they actually prolonged the Great Depression and unnecessarily drew out the recovery), they did help to entrench the Democrat Party in the halls of power for over 40 years. And class warfare is the prime waeapon of the Democrats.

Truly, if you want to spark an economic recovery, why remove incentives for decision-makers to accept responsibility in desperate companies? If anything, you want to encourage the best managers to step up to help beleaguered companies out of their dire circumstances.

They way out of the economic blues lies in a few basic principles. First confidence -- talk a good game. FDR talked up some confidence when he enetered office in 1933. It was the increased public confidence in FDR's (assumed) ability to restore hope (where have I heard that before?) that allowed him to begin a series of socialist and sometimes unconstitutional policies. If confidence were restored currently, it would shore up markets and gain time to implement policies that would truly stimulate the economy. The current "Stimulus Package" is rife with corruption, payback and pork -- not stimulus.

Second, corporate tax cuts. Currently, the state and federal corporate tax rates are the highest in the world. Corporations are the entities responsible for driving the economy. Corporations are responsible for employment. Employment pumps money into the economy. The economy grows due to cash flows created by happy, purchasing peole in the markets. It's the circle of life, people! If you reduce corporate tax rates, companies can then expand workforces, invest in innovation and productivity -- in a nutshell, drive economic growth!

Third (and finally for me), encourage savings and investment. In 1990, the government of Chile moved from a Social Security system that had been the model for the U.S. in the 1930s, to a system that encouraged personal savings and investment while maintaining the security of retirement savings. From 1990 until the time I heard about it (1995), the Chilean economy grew by an average of 8% per year. It can be done here, too. And our economic engine is bigger!

Wake up, America! Open your eyes! Don't allow "hope" to lead you around blindly. There is such thing as false hope.

God's Grace

2009-01-21T16:00:00.004-05:00

As you already know, I'm unemployed. I've been unemployed for nearly 4 months. Things are getting tight. I just received an e-mail from a close friend. This friend -- who will remain nameless at present -- has recently come into some small profit in a venture and has offered to share some of this profit with my wife and I in our time of need.

Being unemployed is difficult for a number of reasons. The obvious reason being financial. But often more devastating is the emotional toll that unemployment takes on (especially) a man. Unemployment shows us that we are not truly in control of our circumstances. It is extremely difficult for a man to not be able to provide for his family. Feelings of worthlessness threaten to drown him.

But praise be to God for his compassion! He sees us in our need and provides for us according to his plan for us. In his time, he provides for us. Below is my reply to this close friend's offer of assistance:

[Name],
As you know, the one thing that truly separates us from God is our own pride. The pride that says we can do things for ourselves. It is pride that keeps us from admitting our need, whether that need is spiritual or (in this case) physical. Pride drove Cain to kill Able after being recognized for his better sacrifice. Pride led Moses to strike the rock in the desert without God's direction. The Bible is filled with examples of people giving in to pride instead of trusting in God.

Trusting requires humility. Humility that we're are not "all that and a bag of chips." Humility requires that we acknowledge the truth of our situation. The truth is that we would have nothing without God. God works in our world to see that we have provision. In his divine wisdom, he uses people in this world to accomplish that provision. God is using you and [your wife], [Name], to provide for his people. And that is truly humbling.

Melanie and I would like accept your offer of financial assistance. We are humbled by your consideration of our circumstances. And yet, we are proud of our God who sees our need and has compassion. We are so thankful to you and Mimi that words are not sufficient (despite the long-winded nature of this e-mail). What I have written here is only a small expression of Melanie's and my appreciation of this gift. This act is another jewel in your crown and yet another justification of the warmth and friendship I hold for you.

Thank you very much. May God continue to bless you and your family. May he bless us all.

Once again, all praise be to God for his provision and his compassion!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good;
his love endures forever. --Psalm 118:1

Border Bowl Experience

2009-01-19T16:28:00.004-05:00

As mentioned in my last posting, I went down to Williamsburg, KY to cover the 2009 National Guard Border Bowl for the Public Affairs Office of the Kentucky National Guard. What a trip!

I started my morning by meeting the Adjutant General (a.k.a., "the TAG") of the KY National Guard, Major General Edward Tonini, at Bowman Field in Louisville. I flew along with the TAG in his UH-60 Blackhawk helicopter to Willimasburg. In addition to myself were 3 other public affairs personnel. this was my first experience in a Blackhawk helicopter. It was worth the wait. The flight to Williamsburg was pretty uneventful -- no turbulence. We arrived in Williamsburg at the University of the Cumberlands around 11 a.m.

At about 12:30, I rejoined the pilots at the Blackhawk. The Blackhawk was scheduled to do a high-speed flyover just before the game started. About 20 minute prior to the flyover, we took off and flew around the area while we waited for our cue. In that time, the pilot took it upon himself to try to get me to puke in his aircraft. He started a series of high-speed banks and dives. I normally get very nervous at turbulence in fixed wing aircraft, but that didn't seem to bother me in the Blackhawk. I just hung on tight and enjoyed the ride.

The flight back to Louisville was a little more eventful. We encountered a lot of turbulence due to high winds in the area. But it settled down as we got farther away from Williamsburg. But the sun came out and everything calmed down. I've posted some photos of the day's events over at Flickr.

Oh, yeah. I almost forgot. Kentucky beat Tennessee 26-20.

Mild Mannered Journalist

2009-01-15T12:36:00.005-05:00

Yeah, right! Don't you believe it.

But seriously, I start my Army career as a journalist tomorrow. I'll be covering a high school football event -- "The Border Bowl" -- in Williamsburg, KY for the KY National Guard. I'll be driving down to Williamsburg on Friday morning to cover the practices and interview some of the players. On Saturday, I'll be flying down with the Adjutant General for the KY National Guard -- Major General Edward Tonini. I'll be shooting the game as well as the various activities associated with the Border Bowl.

The Border Bowl is sponsored by the National Guard. High School seniors from eastern Kentucky and eastern Tennessee submit applications for selection to the Kentucky or Tennessee teams. Last year, over 400 high school seniors applied. In last year's contest, Tennessee beat Kentucky 23-13.

Once it's said and done with, I'll post some of the photos and tell you all about it.

Back 'n' Scrubbing

2009-01-02T16:00:00.005-05:00

Well, we're back from Texas. This time we made it back without any incidents. But my wife picked up a bug... some might call it an illness. She's cleaning!

Before we left for Texas, my wife informed me that she could not leave home with "it being in such a mess." So, we started cleaning the house. The laundry room looks much better, I must say. After returning home, the fever continued. We're now cleaning up the office and removing a good deal of clutter. But it always makes me nervous when she starts "cleaning." I have to look to my personal nicknacks. She might just throw away the ballpoint pen I brought back from Ethiopia. You know, the one I haven't used since I returned from East Africa over eight years ago.

In truth, I'm glad my wife started us down this road. It gives me the impetus to throw junk away. How much do I really need this? I should really throw that away. You know, pry open my tightly clutching fingers and let some stupid stuff go. Thanks, sweetie!

Yet another reason I absolutely love my wife. Couldn't live without her. [Insert smooching sound here]

Alive and Kicking in Texas

2008-12-24T19:34:00.005-05:00

But just barely. So here's the story...

My wife and I board the plane in Louisville for the first leg of our trip to Lubbock, TX. I had an aisle seat. Across the aisle from me was a gentleman of generous proportions (I'm trying to be respectful but still reference his size). While putting personal items in the overhead compartment, this gentleman lost his balance and fell backwards. In falling, he thought he would break his fall by throwing his arm back and bracing himself against the seat behind him. The seat I was sitting in. He consequently slammed his elbow into my eye socket. I now have a new definition of pain. My head throbbed for the remainder of the day. I was quite certain that I would be sporting a shiner for the holidays. But it would seem that the rapid application of ice to the affected area kept me shiner-less.

To his credit. the gentleman who fell on me was continually offering his appologies. He even offered to give me his name and contact information should I wish to file a claim against his medical insurance. All in all, he was a nice guy.

And, as if that wasn't enough, halfway through our flight to Dallas, my wife inadvertantly knocked her coffee off of her tray table and on to my leg. Happily, it was not scalding, but only mildly warm. So I arrived in Dallas with a wrung bell and stained jeans.

The remainder of our trip was, thankfully, uneventful. We arrived a little late in Lubbock and were met by my In-Laws. And well met, at that.

Unemployment Sucks

2008-12-18T11:06:00.002-05:00

I just wanted to make that clear. Unambiguous, I mean. Leaving no doubt.

At the end of September on this year, I was cut loose from my wonderful job as a criminal intelligence analyst for the KY National Guard because they did not get the accustomed level of counter-drug funding that they had previously received. Since I was the junior man in the organization, I was cut loose.

Now, I have a B.A. in Diplomacy & Foreign Affairs from Miami University, an M.B.A. from the University of Louisville, over 15 years experience in graphic design, and more than 15 years of military experience as an intelligence analyst. I am not uneducated. I am highly skilled. However, no one seems to be looking for my skills. I have been looking online, I have been asking friends and colleagues. Nothing seems to be on the grapevine.

About six weeks ago I finally bit the bullet and filed for unemployment. I am not happy about it. While I am not a prideful man, I hesitated about taking unemployment for two reasons: 1) I had hoped to find another job rather quickly (the whole "mad skills" thing), and; 2) I don't think it is governments role to pay money out to the unemployed. While I understand that the government has been taking money out of my paychecks for years to provide these unemployment checks, it is the basic principle of unemployment that bothers me. I would prefer locally operated job programs that provided, for example, resume banks, placement assistance, and the like. I don't like that I am now, to some degree, dependent on the federal government for my own subsistence.

While I could go out and flip burgers for McBurger Bell, et al, then what would all of my education and experience be doing for me? In the meantime, I'm relying on unemployment until I can go away for training for the National Guard in February. Or find a job in the meantime.

The Lord WILL provide. He has always provided for me in the past. He is providing for me even now. Praise be to God, Lord over all creation... and Lord over my employment situation, too.

P.S. If anyone wants my resume, drop me a line.

The Ticker is Moving

2008-12-14T14:37:00.002-05:00

Well, I just checked Google Analytics (which tracks my visitors, links, etc) and I have had 5 visitors since Friday. Jubilation!

But you're saying to yourself, "only 5 visits?" Well, I haven't blogged in so long that no one follows my blog any more. So 5 is a magic number. Hopefully, they are not the last 5 visitors I will have.

Tell a friend!

I'll Just Pass, Thank You

2008-12-10T22:17:00.006-05:00

I am a devoted fan of Science Fiction. One of the classics of Science Fiction is the 1951 movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. A flying saucer lands on the mall of Washington, D.C. and out pops a alien being named Klaatu. Klaatu has come to delivers us a message from the grand brotherhood of outer space that we shouldn't be so cavalier with our development/use of nuclear weapons. Failing to keep ourselves under control will mean that the aforementioned "grand brotherhood" would take care of the problem for us. For a more detailed plot description, try Wikipedia.

On Friday, a "reimagining" of The Day The Earth Stood Still (DESS) will be released starring Keanu Reeves (sigh) and Jennifer Connelly (pitter patter). From all of the commercials I am seeing, they have ruined a classic of the genre. While I am sure that the visual effects are first rate, they have screwed up two other aspects of the film. First, they chose Keanu Reeves for the lead. Next time, choose someone who can act his way out of a paper bag. Better yet, don't let there be a next time -- leave excellence (1951) alone. Second, and the bigger gripe that I have, changing the plot of the film.

The new plot of the 2008 DESS is that Klaatu has come to destroy human kind because humans are on the verge of destroying the Earth environmentally. In the original, Klaatu came peacefully and had planned to discuss the development of nuclear technology peaceably. It is only after he is shot by a nervous soldier that Klaatu becomes (justifiably) aggravated. In the 1951 DESS, the plot driver is the very real concern about nuclear power and its military use. There is no denying that such concerns were indeed real. As the tensions between the United States and the Soviet Union (link provided for those too young to remember) escalated, the general public's concerns grew as well. After all, it was during the 1950s that school children were taught to get under their school desks after seeing an atomic blast. The anxieties were real, the threat was real. My problem with the new plot is that environmental extremists have NO evidence that there is any long-term or short-term effects of pollution or any other such atmospheric phenomena. We cannot reliably predict the next day's weather let alone try to predict the medium- to large-scale effects over any appreciable geographical range. I mean, REALLY, the level of pollution has been generally decreasing since the late 1970s -- since we have been conscious of atmospheric pollution. I could understand if we had seen any effects from pollution during the Industrial Revolution then maybe I would be willing to listen less antagonistically. The worst pollution I have heard of in my lifetime has been that which occurred in the former Warsaw Pact nations. In that case, the effects of said pollution were very noticeable, but localized. After the fall of the Warsaw Pact, and the reduction of pollution in those areas, the localized effects cleared up. And yet we still have environmentalists crying, "the sky is falling!"

So called "Global Warming" is silly to begin with, but now they're taking down a classic work of Science Fiction... with fictional science. Ironic. And sad.

I won't be going to see this travesty of a movie. Nor will I buy it on DVD... Blu Ray or otherwise. I hope you won't either.

Ich heiße Aaron

2008-12-09T10:32:00.005-05:00

AS mentioned previously, I have recently transferred to a new unit -- the 133d Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD). One of the cool opportunities I have with my new unit is to go to Germany for my annual training (AT).

It has been several years since I was anywhere near Germany. In 2000, I went to Ethiopia to do some missions and humanitarian assistance work. The flight over (and back) included a stopover in Frankfurt, Germany. But I was only able to spend about 2 hours in Frankfort before continuing my flights.

This time I'm going to spend the better part of a month in Germany. I'm hoping to be able to go see an Eintracht Frankfurt soccer match. Wouldn't that be great? Anyway...I'm taking some time before I go to learn German. The Army encourages learning in general, but it also especially smiles upon learning foreign languages. So much that they make available free access to online Rosetta Stone language training software.

I like Rosetta Stone, but it's a different style of language learning than I'm used to. I am a graduate of the Defense Language Institute (DLI) at the Presidio of Monterey, CA. At DLI they train you to a proficiency level of a well-educated native speaker. You walk away with a very good understanding of the grammar of your new language. Rosetta Stone, on the other hand, takes a different approach to language training. Rosetta Stone uses an intuitive style where the software shows you photos of an item or situation, then plays an audio description of the image in the target language. You have to associate the audio with the image to understand what you're being taught. But that's not my problem. My problem is that you don't really get an explanation of the grammar that you are learning. So I find myself looking on the web for German grammar and verb declination websites.

One of the really cool things about Rosetta Stone is that, if you have a microphone attached to your computer, the software will require you to speak in the target language and will challenge you to properly pronounce your word or phrase. It's pretty strict about its pronounciations. I highly recommend that, if you need to learn a language, you should give Rosetta Stone a try.

New Unit, New Opportunities

2008-12-07T19:02:00.001-05:00

As of Friday afternoon, I am officially reassigned to the 133rd Mobile Public Affairs Detachment (MPAD). I am really looking forward to this portion of my military career.

If you have followed my past blogging, you know that I truly enjoy photography. This past April I learned that I could indulge my love of photography in the National Guard. After showing some of my photography to members of the 133d MPAD, I was told they could use someone of my talents. So, I spent the next several months getting myself in shape to pass my Army Physical Fitness Test (APFT) so I could transfer to the MPAD. This was a challenge in itself. I'm 40 years old and have not seriously exercised in several years. In 4 months time, I lost 20 pounds (and several inches off my waist) and finally passed my APFT. My transfer was initiated.

I am looking forward to putting my graphic design and photography skills to use for the Kentucky National Guard.

Returning from the (Blogging) Wilderness

2008-12-01T09:53:00.005-05:00

I've decided that I'm going to start blogging regularly again. As I am currently unemployed, I have the spare time. Plus, I am miffed about the election results and what they say about our nation. If anyone is still watching this blog, please stay tuned.

I plan to blog on general topics with a few focuses. First, I intend to spend a good deal of time to blogging about post-Capitalist America (read "the Obama administration"). Second, my experiences job hunting.

I want to make a something clear. While I will be a fierce critic of the Obama administration, I will not attack the man. One of my greatest concerns about the past eight years has been the near-complete lack of true political criticism coming from the Left. I did not hear any criticism of the Bush administration -- I only heard ad hominem attacks against the person of George Bush and members of his administration. This bothers me for two reasons, 1) it is supremely disrespectful of both the person and the office of the President of the United States; 2) there is no intellectual content to such attacks -- it is shear meanness for the sake of spite.

Those of you who have followed my blog in the past will know that I am a Christian, a husband, a soldier, and a conservative -- in that order. I'll give it to you straight and packed with reason and intellect. I'm not afraid of being challenged, but I won't stand for disrespect or discourtesy.

Anyway, that's the story. I hope you'll tag along.

Russia Invades

2008-08-15T09:48:00.004-04:00

It has been a while since I last blogged about anything. But I have recently been stirred back to life. With Russia's invasion of Georgia last week, I find myself roused from my blog-sleep.

Late last week, Russia invaded the independent nation of Georgia. No, you need not worry about any relatives in Atlanta or Macon. It's not that Georgia. The Georgia I'm talking about was an independent nation before it was gobbled up and included in the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and following the USSR's dissolution it is once again independent. As you can see from the above map, Georgia is on the eastern banks of the Black Sea.

Here is the Russian view of things. Prior to the break-up of the Soviet Union there was an ethnically-defined region known as Ossetia. After the break-up, Ossetia was divided between Russia and Georgia as North (Russian) and South (Georgian) Ossetia. Both halves of Ossetia, as well as neighboring Abkhazia, have strong separatist movements that seek to establish separate nations of Abkhazia and Ossetia. Prime Minister Vladimir Putin claims that Russia has a vested interest in the welfare of the Ossetian people and has Russian troops in North Ossetia to maintain order in that region. So, when Georgia moved troops into South Ossetia (which is within the territorial borders of Georgia) to quell violence and restore order, Putin used this as a pretext on which to invade Georgia and help the Ossetian people there.

There are a couple of problems with Putin's reasoning (insert a small chuckle here). First, Russia has no real interest in the Ossetian people. Ever since the break-up of the Soviet Union, the Ossetian people have wanted to establish their own independent state and the Russian government has always opposed this (even before Putin). the Russians just don't like the idea of loosing terroitory regardless of how little it may effect Russia as a whole.

Second, Georgia's movement into Southern Ossetia was a relatively quick matter -- a matter of internal politics. Russia claims that it acted in the interests of the Ossetian peoples only after Georgia's actions. However, in order to move into the South Ossetian region of Georgia, Russia had to cross a major mountain range. This is no easy matter -- it requires a grea deal of advanced planning. It is very difficult to move an armored force over mountainous terrain. This was in no way an impromptu action.

The crux of the matter is that Russia's invasion is unvarnished aggression. The Russians haven't even restrained their actions to South Ossetia, but have moved within 30 miles of the Georgian capitol, Tblisi. All of Russia's excuses are transparent.

What should be the American reaction? What a question! It is generally considered that the American people have no stomach for any further military action. We're tired of war. But are we tired of justice? Are we tired to stand up for the rights of others? Last time I checked, America was the country of "the little guy."

America has a number of options available for its reactions. I would recommend the expulsion of Russia from the G8 economic forum. Dissolve the G8 and re-form it without Russia. Also, grant Georgia's request for membership in NATO. Membership should also be extended to Ukraine, which may follow Georgia as a target for Russian aggression. Military aid, as well as humantiarian assistance, should be sent to Georgia. At the very least, the U.S. should provide Georgia with intelligence support. All of these actions should accompany attempts to get European and United Nations political and economic sanctions in place.

Many people are comparing Russia's actions in Georgia to America's invasion of Iraq in 2003. Saying that America invaded Iraq on similar pretexts. But this couldn't be further from the truth. America invaded Iraq following attacks on the United States and Iraq's collaboration with the attackers.

But what do you think?

Industrial Sky

2008-02-19T17:14:00.003-05:00

Canon EOS 10D, 1/250 second, F/9.5, 73 mm, ISO 100

Hindu Experience

2008-02-18T10:13:00.003-05:00

On Saturday, my wife and I toured a Hindu Temple here in Louisville. It was a truly interesting experience. Neither my wife nor I had much knowledge about Hinduism so it was an eye-opening experience.

The Reader's Digest condensed version of Hinduism is that Hindus are seeking the Divine (read "god") in the world around us. They believe that the Divine has visited earth in human form on several occasions -- Vishnu, Ganesh, Shiva, Rama, and even Jesus of Nazareth. These human incarnations -- called avatars (not to be confused with the cartoon on Nickelodeon) -- are "god's" way of reaching out to his creation. Families may choose to worship one or more deities, individuals choose their own personal deities (which may or may not be their family's deity).

The temple itself was a medium-sized building in which were housed shrines to various Hindu deities. Priests went about the business of performing rites and ceremonies for worshipers as well as maintaining the statues and temple facilities.

While I cannot of course agree with Hinduism, I do greatly admire their devotion to spiritual pursuits. Their search for the Divine reminds me very much of Dallas Willard's concept of "the Kingdom Among Us." I believe, as a Christian, that as we search for the spiritual presence of God we will become more and more in tune with His spiritual nature and, therefore, more able to submit ourselves to His Kingdom Will.

A good time was had by all.

Warning Thought

2008-02-15T14:05:00.003-05:00

I decided to walk around the campus of the University of Louisville yesterday. This is the pedestal of, you guessed it, the famous "The Thinker" statue. Not the original, obviously. It sits in front of a set of stairs leading into a building. Due to the recent snows, the university had Caution tape strung up preventing access to the stairs.

I took this shot for a couple reasons; 1) the fabulously rich colors, and 2) the unintended message -- The Thinker...Caution. In my opinion, the universities have become a place where diversity of thought is discouraged. Universities have become enclaves of liberal ideology. No longer are students taught how to think and reason, merely how to parrot what they are told by professors. As someone who considers himself somewhat of an intellectual, this trend bothers me. While I am philosophically conservative, I encourage people to seek a reason behind what they believe, not just spout whatever is currently en vogue.

Anyway, that's my opinion. What's yours?

Bing Crosby on Acid

2008-02-12T10:12:00.000-05:00

It started snowing yesterday. Now, you should know that I'm a huge fan of snow. I have fond memories of the winters of my youth. Today's snows are paltry by comparison. So when it started snowing yesterday, I started singing the Crosby classic, "Let it Snow."

At the time I was at my church -- Southeast Christian Church. Then, at about 6 pm, I received a call telling me that the Bible Study I had planned to attend had been cancelled. As I had been at the church since about 10 am, the news just meant I could leave at 6 pm instead of at 8:30 pm. So, after brushing a little snow off the headlights, I hopped in my car.

On the highway I expected it to be a slow and steady trip home. Normally, this trip would take me about 20 minutes or so (depending on traffic). But it was neither slow nor steady. It was a crawl. At one point I did not move -- not an inch -- for 45 minutes. I left the church at 6:20 pm and arrived home at 10 pm. That's right -- it took me 3-1/2 hours to get home!

Up until about 9 pm, I was taking it all in stride. I was still in the joy of snow. "Oh, the weather outside is freightful...(humming along)." I even thought that I would get outside my car and throw snowballs at the traffic on the opposite side of the highway (just in fun, not in spite of the fact that they were moving almost unobstructed). I was even imagining, if I was getting so much joy from the snow, how much joy was God getting from it. By 9 pm, my rosy disposition was in the trash can covered in coffee grounds.

At almost exactly 10 pm, I pulled my VW Jetta into my garage (if you don't have a garage, I highly recommend them). I walked inside, shucked off my coat, and wrapped my arms around my loving wife. I then had to kill 12 suitors, shoot an arrow through the loop of 10 axe heads, and lift the living tree from which I had carved my bed. (If you still don't get the references, please read The Odyssey.) Let's just say that I was glad to be home.

Stymied

2008-02-07T13:34:00.000-05:00

I just don't know what to think. I just foudn out that Mitt Romney has dropped out of the hunt for the 2008 Republican Presidential nomination. I'm still trying to get my mind around it.

"I must now stand aside, for our party and our country," Romney told
conservatives.

Evidently, he made the announcement at the CPAC convention in Washington.

My problem with Romney's exit is that there is no longer any reason for McCain to pretend to be conservative. With Romney in the race, McCain had some external force driving him to be more conservative. Now, there is no conservative in the race.

My only hope now is to regain a Republican majority in Congress. At all costs, we HAVE TO WIN BACK CONGRESS!!!

Now, go make it happen!

Template Madness

2008-02-04T21:29:00.000-05:00

I want to apologize for my apparent inability to choose a consistent template for my blog. The really nice, graphically dazzling template I have been using doesn't seem to want to work 100% of the time. There are times when I go to the site only to find text and no graphics. And, as a graphic designer, this frustrates me to no end.

Pleas pardon me as I work to create a unique template for my blog. I will be using this generic template from Blogger in the interim. Thanks for your understanding.

Super Bowl

2008-02-04T12:09:00.000-05:00

Disclaimer: I am generally disinterested in most major league sports in the U.S. Baseball -- juiced, who cares. Basketball...uhhhh. Football... I'm sorry, what'd you say? Just don't care.

I loved last night's Super Bowl! That was an exciting football game! And on top of it all, I enjoyed watching the underdogs -- NY Giants -- when at the very end of the game. WOW! A touchdown pass with only 35 seconds remaining in game! WOW!

The Giants' defense was all over Tom Brady like a cheep suit. Tom Brady was covered in cheep , polyester plaid. And Eli Manning just did a great job on keeping focused. And that tackle he shook off in the 4th quarter! Great job!

And the commercials, which is the reason I usually watch the Super Bowl, were excellent. In particular, I enjoyed the Planters Cashews, the Coke parade balloons, the Will Ferrell Budweiser ad, the FedEx carrier pigeons, and the Bridgestone tires' ads were hilarious!

Just thought I'd chime in.

Send in the Marines

2008-01-31T20:22:00.000-05:00

I couldn't believe this story when I saw it on Fox News. It seems that the city of Berkeley, CA has decided that the U.S. Marine Corps recruiting office in Berkeley is considered an invasion.

The City Council has voted to tell the Marines their downtown recruiting station is not welcome and "if recruiters choose to stay, they do so as uninvited and unwelcome guests."

The city council also voted to give Code Pink -- a ultra-liberal anti-war protest group -- a permanent parking spot in front of the recruiting office. In addition, they've also authorized immunity from noise laws for the purpose of protesting.

Hopefully, we'll see what a federal district court thinks about the issue. But, knowing that portion of the country, the district will probably side with Berkeley. More justification for judicial reform.

Pout for Me

2008-01-30T16:04:00.000-05:00

For Christmas, my lovely wife bought me a new digital camera -- a Canon EOS 10D (at left). For years I have been "jonesing" to do some serious photography. If you so desire, you can go check out my gallery to see my work. I have decided just today that I'm going to push myself to actually do more shooting.

In that vein, I'm going to make an offer. Anyone who lives in the greater Louisville, KY area can drop me a line and I will arrange to take your portrait for a minimal fee. As long as it doesn't require a great deal of travel, I would probably just ask to cover the cost of prints/CDs. Why so cheap? Because I want to enhance my portfolio and build experience. Just drop me a line.

Whazzzz Uppppppp

2008-01-29T20:20:00.001-05:00

Just thought I'd take a moment to make a post. I used to be a more prolific blogger, but my job has gotten more interesting since then. Much more interesting. So, when I get home, I'm not quite so eager to spend time on the computer. Anyway, I'll try to get better (especially as the election progresses).

Speaking of the election, I'm following the Florida Primary rather closely at the moment. With more than 30% of the precincts reporting, it's still anybody's game (at 8:30pm EST). I'm a Romney supporter, so I'm pulling for Mitt.

I can't believe the vitriol that I'm hearing from McCain against Romney. He's made any number of rancorous attacks on Romney. I heard a automated phone message that McCain sent out in Florida that accused Romney of being for abortion on demand and supporting gay marriage. But we all know that Romney is against both these issues. Hopefully, McCain will stop this type of campaigning soon.

Just my opinion.

Resurrection

2008-01-10T13:17:00.001-05:00

I'm thinking about switching back to my GotDesign blog. Smarter Than Celery is just a little too long and awkward. Probably coming back soon... if at all.

Adios

2007-02-02T11:36:00.000-05:00

Since it has been so long since I actually posted to GotDesign, I have decided to start a new blog. Please go check out my new blog -- Smarter Than Celery.

I figure I must have lost my audience so I decided to start a new blog instead of resurrecting GotDesign. This also allows me to start fresh with new ideas and not be tied to my past.

So long and thanks for all the fish.

Some Light Reading

2006-10-12T10:57:00.000-04:00

Sorry to have been gone for a while. The Charming Mrs. GotDesign and I went to Reno, NV for a week. What a beautiful area! It is places like the Sierra Nevada mountains and Lake tahoe that reaffirm what Paul said in Romans 1:20:

For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

The power of God is clearly seen in His creation -- the Sierra Nevadas, Lake Tahoe, etc.

I have a few reading assignments for you. They are on subjects that are dear to me. One is about the growing attacks on Christianity and its evangelical practitioners in particular. The other is about an attack on an obscure provision of the Constitution of the United States.

Were Nazis Christians? Are Christians fascists? by Marvin Olasky is about recent attacks on Christianity. There seems to be a growing trend in trying to paint all Christians as extremists and radicals. This might become so if the culture continues to be pushed farther and farther to the Left. But, for centuries Christianity has been mainstream, not some farcical, extremist belief. One could even argue that Christianity has been mainstream in Western society since Constantine the Great legalized Christianity throughout the Roman Empire in 313 AD. It seems to me that Olasky does a good job of reporting on the fallacies of these recent attempts to paint American Christians (Evangelicals) as radicals. Go take a look at the article and let me know what you think.

The second article is about Governor Arnold Schwartzenegger's recent veto of a bill from the California state legislature that would have given all of the state's electoral college votes to "whichever candidate receives the most popular votes nationally." This may take a little explanation by way of introduction.

Many people came to realize during the 2004 Presidential election that the United States is (and always has been under its current constitution) an indirect democracy. By "indirect," I mean that the people do not directly elect their chief executive. When the people vote, they are signalling their intent to an Electoral College which then places the actual votes for the presidential candidate. Each state within the Union decides how to allocate the electoral votes. Some will cast all of their electoral votes for the candidate who wins the popular vote within their states, while some states cast their electoral votes based on which candidates wins a majority in each congressional district. So basically, each state sets its own policy on the casting of electoral college votes.

This particular bill in California would have cast all of California's electoral votes for whoever wins the popular vote nationally. It means that California would turn over its votes to the majority of other states -- effectively nullifying the will of California's voters. George Will explains this failed legislation very well. Take a look and let me know what you think.

What's Opera, Doc?

2006-09-28T10:21:00.000-04:00

I couldn't help myself in using the classic Looney Tunes episode title, but my usage is not as hilarious as the original. A great deal of talk lately has been about Muslim response to Danish cartoons or the Pope's speech, and now an opera -- Idomeneo by Mozart -- is being scrapped because of expected Muslim backlash about certain scenes in the opera. Namely, the decapitation of the Prophet Mohammed.

But after reading a recent column at OpinionJournal.com, I am of a mixed mind about this particular incident in the Muslim attack on Western culture. Normally, I would say "damn the torpedoes" let the opera continue. By no means would I advocate placating the cry-baby segment of the Islamic faith by pulling the opera. But, this is where I am of a mixed mind. The producer, Hans Neuenfels, has made his own revision of Mozart's 1871 opera.

As Roger Kimball states in his OJ piece, the original opera, Idomeneo, is a story of sacrifice and reconciliation. Kimball sums up the original thusly:

The opera ends with King Idomeneo issuing a "last command. I announce peace,"
before ceding power to his son.

Whereas, Neuenfels' ending now concludes with King Idomeneo parading around the island of Crete with grisly trophies -- the severed heads of Poseidon, Jesus, Buddha, and the Prophet Mohammed.

If the original Mozart production were scrapped for fear of Muslim reprisal, I would be much more outraged and probably make a bigger stink about it. But, knowing more about the specifics of the revised Idomeneo, I will merely express my relief that such a travesty of art will put out of our misery.

Winds of Change

2006-09-25T14:15:00.000-04:00

Many of you have been very supportive of me recently during my current period of unemployment. Until recently, things have not looked particularly good for me. But all of that seems to be changing.

I have just come from an interview. A friend of mine -- from my early days in Louisville -- owns an advertising and design company. Before my recent trip to Mississippi, he took me to lunch and told me he felt I would fit very well with his company. Today, I met with him and his two designers so they could learn a little bit more about me. They confirmed something I already knew about myself -- I'm weird. They didn't expect someone with military service experience to have the creative background that I do. But I am happy to confound them. My friend told me that he would contact me later this week to follow up on this interview. The most encouraging thing about the interview was that they started talking about how I would fit into their workflow.

I want to thank all of my readers who have sent me notes of encouragement and have asked for my resumes to circulate. It means a lot to me that help someone you only know from my online rantings. At this point I would only ask for your prayers concerning this job opportunity. This could be the position that starts me on the career path I've been seeking for years. By God's will, and for his glory, I will get this position. Please pray that this will be so.

Thanks again.

Updating

2006-09-19T14:09:00.001-04:00

I want apologize for my absence of late. For the past two weeks I have been in lovely, scenic Hattiesburg, MS at Camp Shelby. Camp Shelby, as near as I can tell, is the primary National Guard facility for deploying Nat'l Guard troops to Iraq and Afghanistan. Anyway, the Guard unit to which I am assigned -- the 231st MI Company -- returned from Iraq in June and I went to Shelby in order to unload my unit's shipping containers and prepare the unit's equipment for return to the Louisville, KY area. And glamorous work it is (ahem).

In the meantime, I am ready to return to the blogosphere. And there is no dearth of issues to comment on, so I shall dig in.

The Pope
Can you say "much ado about nothing?" Muslim extremists have only justified the Pope's words by reacting violently. They are doing the Muslim faith absolutely no good. You know, there used to be a time when Muslims and Christians and Jews could live together rather peacefully. But now, the moderate elements of Islam have sat idly by while the extremists have taken over as the public face of Islam. The peace-loving majority of Muslims must step up and oppose their violent brothers and reclaim the reputation of Islam and the Prophet Mohammed.

Thailand
By now, you may have heard of the breaking news from Thailand. Some are reporting it as a coup d'etat, whereas others are reporting it as a coup attempt. Right now, Fox News is reporting that the Thai military has seized control of the media and the Prime Minister's offices and is declaring support for a return to monarchy. Now, while I am against the widespread corruption that seems to have spread through the Thai government, I am aghast that the military has risen against the government and have left the people of Thailand without a voice in their nation.

When it comes to political philosophy, am I first and foremost a proponent of Democracy. I feel that power, in its most basic form, is derived from the consent of the people. But in Thailand, senior members of the military have usurped the people's position and have toppled a government that was democratically elected. Whatever claims of corruption there may be, these have to be resolved through Thailand's judiciary not by the arbitrary exercise of military force.

Aliens!
Finally (for now), NASA has delayed the scheduled Wednesday-morning landing of the space shuttle Atlantis. Part of the reason is the spotting of a mysterious object orbiting the earth near the International Space Station. It's aliens, I'm tellin' ya! They're comin' to suck out our brains! Quickly, find yourself some aluminum foil and make little hats -- it's the only way to protect your brains!

Selah

2006-08-11T14:12:00.000-04:00

O LORD, how many are my foes!

How many rise up against me!

Many are saying of me,

"God will not deliver him."

Selah

Above are the opening lines from Psalm 3 and they are an accurate reflection of how I feel at the moment. I find myself in a position that I was in not even a year ago -- out of work and not sure where to go. Today, I was cut loose from my job and I feel horrible. I was not released for any specific cause, but this does little to assuage my fears and guilt.

My fears are that I will not be able to find a job that will provide for my wife and I. My fears tell me that I will be living over a steam grate this winter somewhere in downtown Louisville. My fears would have me break down and live in shadows and doubt.

My guilt says that I didn't do enough to achieve the goals that were set before me. My guilt says that I'll never be good enough to make a real career for myself. My guilt tells me that I the best I should expect is a position at McDonald's somewhere.

But you are a shield around me, O LORD;

you bestow glory on me and lift me up my head.

To the LORD I cry aloud,

and he answers me from his holy hill.

Selah

I lie down and sleep;

I wake again, because the LORD sustains me.
I will not fear the tens of thousands

drawn up against me on every side.

Arise, O LORD!

Deliver me, O my God!

Strike all my enemies on the jaw;

break the teeth of the wicked.

From the LORD comes deliverance.

May your blessing be on your people.

Selah

I have been very careful to include the full text of Psalm 3 here. Including the word, "Selah." Selah means, pause and consider. And while I have been pausing and considering for most of the afternoon, it has been difficult not to consider my fears and my guilt. And while, emotionally, I have struggled with these, I have also lifted up my voice to the LORD. I am confident that the LORD will hear my cry and, as David says in Psalm 40, he will lift me from the mud and mire of my fears and guilt. While I am not confident in myself (at the moment), I am confident that the LORD has wonderful things planned for me and that HE will sustain me.

I would appreciate your prayers for my job search.

UPDATE: Well, I have two interviews scheduled for Tuesday, August 22nd. I'm feeling a little more confident about my prospects. Thanks for your prayers and keep praying.

Separated at Birth?

2006-08-09T14:45:00.000-04:00

I just couldn't help but notice a striking similarity between this bust of Hillary Clinton and Taun-We from Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones. Am I wrong?

Global Warming?

2006-08-03T09:39:00.000-04:00

While getting my morning news fix I found an article that really grabbed my attention. A lot of people have been saying that record high temperatures during the summers over the past couple years must mean that global warming does exist and must be dealt with. But what would these people say about record cold temperatures elsewhere in the world? While getting my news fix I came across an article on a rare snowfall in South Africa. Snow? In Johannesburg?

Although I am no scientist, this tends to support my contention that our climate changes over time -- sometimes hotter, sometimes colder. Thirty years ago we were facing record cold temperatures and record snowfalls. I remember going to school on the bus and not being able to see anything out the windows but snow drifts. I personally don't think global warming exists. I think it's a knee-jerk reaction by environmentalists. But that's just my opinion.

Disproportionate

2006-07-28T11:39:00.000-04:00

While I was driving around and listening to the Laura Ingraham Show, Laura mentioned an article by syndicated columnist Charles Krauthammer where he talked about the change in the moral environment where people claim that a nation reacting to a violent and indiscriminant attack on its people and territory must only respond proportionately to that attack.

Once again Krauthammer shows how clearly he thinks. A must read article. You go, Chuck!

I'll add one comment to Krauthammer's piece. You can go all the way back to Sun-Tzu and throughout history before and since (including Vegetius, de Saxe, von Clausewitz, Du Picq, Jomini, Frederick the Great, ...you get the point) -- the history of military philosophy is clear that one responds to attacks only with overwhelming force. To do anything less is to invite continued attacks and a prolonged conflict. By responding with a "proportionate" amount of force you are not doing anything to settle or resolve the conflict, in fact you are prolonging it and doing a disservice to your nation. Adapt, overcome and destroy! Then, if any opponents remain, settle the matter with diplomacy.

The only remaining problem is to figure out how Israel's opponents can be negotiated with when to do so is to turn their backs on a guaranty of life everlasting in Heaven.

Universities in the Future

2006-07-21T14:02:00.000-04:00

Over the past several years, there has been an increase in the number of outrageous things coming out of our colleges and universities. Probably the most glaring instance was Ward Churchill of the University of Colorado. His statement that the victims of the September 11th attacks on the World Trade Center towers were all "little Eichmanns" -- referring to Nazi Adolf Eichmann (logistical mastermind of the concentration camps of Eastern Europe during World War II) -- set the nation on fire in indignation. But this notoriety led to the discovery of his various plagiaristic activities and eventual dismissal from the University of Colorado.

People like Ward Churchill draw our attention to the academic world (and it is another world) and rightly so. I came across a great article -- The Future Will Be Different! -- which comments on the frivolous activities and coursework that parade as "education" today. Definitely worth a read.

US Position on Israel

2006-07-19T09:36:00.000-04:00

Much has been made of late about the U.S. government's lack of commentary on Israel's attacks into southern Lebanon. Many have taken this as another opportunity to attack President Bush on his foreign policy (although it's not like they seem to lack any opportunities for attacking Bush -- they often make up opportunities). Critics seem to think that because the President (until recently) had not made any comments about Israel's foray against Hezbollah that it indicates a lack of a position or policy.

Many have even called for President Bush to appoint former-President Clinton as special envoy to the Middle east for the purpose of calling all parties to talks. this does not surprise me as Clinton seemed to be only capable of talking when it came to his own foreign policy. And all of this talking that took place during the late 1990s only allowed organizations like Hezbollah to build up their strength and weapons in order to press future attacks.

Very few (apart from most conservative pundits) have called into question Iran's part in Hezbollah's attacks on Israel. It has been quite obvious that from the time President Ahmadinejad took office that Iran was going to step up its antagonism of Israel -- possibly to the point of a nuclear attack. It is beginning to get some notice that many of the rockets that Hezbollah is firing into Israel are of Iranian manufacture.

But, back to my main point -- US policy regarding the current hostilities. It has become an unfortunate mantra that hostilities -- real or threatened -- should always be met first with negotiations. But, as I've mentioned in the past, negotiations will only work when all parties are committed to resolve the conflict. If (as is the case with Hezbollah, Syria and Iran) one party in the conflict has no desire for conflict resolution, but only wants to press its attacks, then peace is only "that blessed time when all [terrorists] pause to reload."

America's best policy in regard to Israel's attacks into Southern Lebanon is to allow Israel to decimate Hezbollah and create the buffer space it is looking for. With the degree of hatred that Hezbollah, Iran and Syria have for Israel, it will only be through military might that Israel will win an all too brief respite from these attacks. Total eradication of Israel is the only goal Hezbollah, Iran and Syria have. Therefore, talks will only buy time for re-arming and escalating the battle.

The U.S. is taking the correct stance on Israel -- let them press their advantage and destroy Hezbollah. Maybe a call should be made to coordinate anti-terrorist activities with the Lebanese government thus aiding both Israel and Lebanon. Either way, enemies of civilization are being eradicated. So I will say, "drive on Israel, drive on."

Then and Now

2006-07-17T08:21:00.000-04:00

I've just found an article at OpinionJournal.com by Fred Barnes on how liberals/Democrats are revising the legacy of Reagan to bad-mouth President Bush. A very worthwhile read. Check it out.

Don't Laugh

2006-07-14T16:39:00.000-04:00

Yes, the New York Times WOULD out Superman ...for the public good.

Cartoon by Gary Varvel

Origins of Treason

2006-06-28T08:30:00.000-04:00

Lately, I've been thinking about the latest exposure of American covert activities in the war on terrorism. As you are no doubt aware, The New York Times came out with an article exposing U.S. efforts to use an international banking database to track the financial dealings of terrorists and their supporters. This leak follows others exposing NSA signals intelligence programs and secret CIA prisons for terrorists (and European support of these prisons). What is it that is driving these leaks and the joyous way the New York Times, and other members of the MSM, has published the information disclosed in these leaks?

I look back at the modern history of terrorism. Going back into the 1960s and 70s, the first type of terrorism most Americans were aware of was communist terrorists. The communist world, headed by the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR), espoused that the only way to continue the spread of world communism was to export it via "terrorist" organization which would take the role of being the "vanguard of the proletariat." So the Cold War saw the rise of terrorist organizations like the Bader-Meinhoff Group (a.k.a. The Red Army Faction, in Germany), the Red Brigades (Italy), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Columbia or "FARC" (Columbia), and Action Directe (France). While this list is by no means exhaustive, it is representative of the organizations that sought worldwide socialist revolution in the 1960s, 70s and 80s. The idea behind these organizations is that they would infiltrate a given society and foment public discontent with the government and spark an eventual revolution in which the communists would rise to power. These organizations would receive support from the Soviet Union and its client states (members of the Warsaw Pact). Such support would include not only money, but training, equipment and weapons.

How does this tie into our current security woes? I'm glad you asked. As you should be aware, many of today's liberals are constantly urging that the government should take on greater responsibility for society's ills and woes. This effort often borders on outright socialism (e.g., Hillary Clinton's universal healthcare initiative of the early 1990s). Sound familiar? The communist terrorists of the 60s-80s went to whatever lengths to explain how utopian socialist revolution could be. "From each according to his abilities, to each according to their needs!" It sounds good, but the failure of over 70 years of communism has shown the fallacy of good sounding slogans. But, for American liberals, those slogans just sound too good to be left behind.

But the Cold war ended. The foreign policy efforts of Eisenhower, Nixon and Reagan led to the downfall of the Soviet Union. So now we have no more enemies, right? Wrong. Beginning in the 1980s, we saw the rise of militant Islam. Beirut, Lebanon, Palestine. The philosophy of terrorism changed from communist ideology to radical Muslim theology. Terrorists are no longer seen as extensions of a powerful communist state sponsor. However, just because they no longer wear a uniform, does not take away their status as combatants. The Left has decided that with the fall of communism, there are no more enemies. Therefore, terrorism is a legal/police matter. So we shouldn't engage in combat operations. Because early terrorists claimed to be fighting on behalf of the oppressed peoples (a lie even back then), many liberals see that as the reason for today's terrorism. "If these Muslims were not oppressed by Western foreign policies, they would not be fighting so." That line of reasoning is as much a lie now as it was back in the Cold War days.

Basically, what I am saying is this. Modern liberals identified with the ideology given for communist terror during the Cold War (to throw off oppression) and still see that as being the valid reason for the militant Islamic terror we see today. But they have not seen that world has changed from those "bad old days" of the Cold War. So their sympathies for socialist ideology manifest in a desire to oppose Western (read "American") oppression of Third World and impoverished societies and cultures. "How can we disrupt such policies," they say to themselves. By reporting on anything that portrays the US in a bad light or derails its foreign policy. So, if the New York Times oir the Los Angeles Times should hear about covert American programs, they expose them in order to do their part in fighting oppression.

Which leaves me with one question that I'm not entirely sure I can answer -- how cognizant are the MSM of their underlying motivations? Do they know they are helping to destroy the US? I would love to get your input on this question.

The Second Coming of Superman

2006-06-27T15:32:00.000-04:00

The title I have chosen for this post is both provocative and stolen. It is provocative because of the mixture of Christian eschatology and pop culture -- the return of Jesus Christ, our Lord and the latest movie featuring America's greatest pop icon -- Superman. I have intentionally chosen this title because many of the reviews of the new film Superman Returns have remarked on its Christian themes. It is amazing that an organization like CNN would pick up on some of the Christian themes that are present in the Superman mythos. CNN does not have a positive history of positively presenting Christian theology no matter what its medium.

I mentioned that I have stolen this title for my blog posting. Guilty as charged! I snagged it from ChristianityToday's leadership blog -- called Out of Ur. They recently posted a review of Superman Returns called, you guessed it, The Second Coming of Superman. the purpose of their posting was make the point that, in Superman Returns, we have a movie that features Christian values and themes without the often over-rich marketing that "Christian films" get. Don't get me wrong, I thoroughly enjoy films like The Chronicles of Narnia, The Passion of the Christ, etc. But I don't necessarily enjoy the way such films are marketed. The media has often treated Christian films much like kibbles thrown to a rather noisy and bothersome puppy.

Now, I will admit I'm rather biased when discussing Superman. After all, I've devoted part of this blog to the Superman Returns marketing effort. But, when you filter out all of the various political and social spins placed on the Man of Steel, you are looking at a fabulous moral character. Now, while Superman holds only a dim candle to Jesus, I have always looked up to Superman. Superman is an amalgam of high moral character, altruisms like truth and justice, and positive American nationalism known as the American Way. While a being such as Superman might have a definitive right to boast of his Kryptonian origin and the powers conferred by that heritage, Kal-El chose to identify himself as an American and to live his private life as an American citizen. What's not to like?

So, if you're looking for me over the next several days, try looking in a theater. That's probably where I'll be.

Just Doesn't Get It

2006-06-27T10:16:00.000-04:00

I figured something like this would happen. Frank Cannon & Richard Lessner wrote an article for the Weekly Standard titled Nil, Nil -- The nihilism of soccer: The more you look, the less there is to see. The article sound to me more like some backwoods hillbillies decrying the diversion of public interest from typical American sports (and trust me, living in Kentucky, I hear a lot of this. to Kentuckians there are only two sports -- Cardinal or Wildcat). But let's take a look what these two "learned" gentlemen have to say about soccer.

First they take aim at the U.S. Men's National Soccer team's match against Italy. Compared to the US's other matches (against the Czech Republic and Ghana), the match against Italy was remarkably well played. The US worked better together and showed a more aggressive spirit than they did in their match against the Czech Republic. And while the US team's lone goal was due to a shot being deflected by a defender into his own goal, American player Brian McBride was waiting at the back post for the pass that was deflected into the goal by the Italian defender. It would have been an American goal even without the Italian deflection.

Then the authors the move to their primary point -- not enough scoring. I can see that these gentlemen are probably great afficionados of professional basketball where scores often range near 100 points. But it seems to me this is more boring than soccer. When you're scoring 100 points per game how much time do you actually have for tactics and strategy? Many basketball fans I know cite this as the primary reason they have moved their interest to collegiate basketball. Except in the extreme, scoring has never been the primary determinant in what makes an exceptional game/match in American sports. More often than not, American sports have attributed greatness to the level of struggle in a game or match. The true giants of American sports have claim to their titles due to stratagem and talent, not ability to score. Pete Rose, for example, is considered great due to his hitting consistency. When the focus of American sports turns solely to scoring, we will get nothing but Barry Bonds clones.

Cannon and Lessner then take stabs at the fans of soccer. They belittle them for their enthusiasm over near misses and their notoriety for violence in defeat. But Americans are not to be left out of the fanaticism debate. I still cannot understand the draw of watching two dozen (or so) high powered automobiles speeding around an oval track. But fanaticism is not explained by its active environment, but by the emotional and psychological setting of the fans themselves. The fanaticism display in the stands of soccer pitch is more a product of the nihilism of their own lives that they ascribe so much personal meaning to soccer. European soccer fans have so little to hope for in their increasingly socialist home countries that they seek achievement and glory in 22 men kicking around a sown leather ball. South American and African fans have even less to which they can tie their personal identity. While I call myself a soccer fan, I do not find meaning in the actions of Beckham, Ronaldo, Donovan, Ronaldinho, or any other soccer phenom. I derive my meaning and self worth from the Lord God Almighty and his son, Jesus the Anointed One of God.

The authors denigrate soccer by claiming that any sport that denies players the use of their hands is contrary to nature. Golf? Duffers cannot simply pick up their dimpled white pellets and throw them up the fairway. They must use a club. Sounds cave-mannish! How about billiards? Tennis, anyone? In basketball you can't just run down the court, you must "dribble" the ball while you walk/run. There are plenty of sports where use of the body is restricted.

It sounds to me like the authors just have decided to respond to a drought in their usual sports fixations with a childish rant. I enjoy making references to Shakespeare so let me say that I think "it [this article] is a tale Told by...idiot[s], full of sound and fury, Signifying nothing. (Macbeth, Act 5 Scene 5)"

End of an Era

2006-06-26T16:09:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, my wife, parents and I attended the worship service and farewell sermon of Bob Russell at Southeast Christian Church. Bob has been the senior minister at Southeast for 40 years. When he first starting preaching at Southeast in 1966, the church was averaging in the mid-100s in attendance. Currently, weekend attendance at Southeast runs around 18,500 in three weekend services. Bob's final sermon drew over 23,000!

No one can deny the massive impact Bob Russell has had for the Lord in his 40 years of service. By Bob's own recollection, he has seen the baptism of around 35,000 people in his tenure at Southeast. It is my hope that Southeast's ministry in Louisville, KY and around the world will continue to grow and spread the Word of God.

For my own experience at Southeast over the last 7 years I can say that, before Southeast, I did not know what worship truly was. I grew up in a church that varied in size from around 150 to over 800. And I was a bit dazzled when I first visited Southeast. But since that time, I have felt more at home at Southeast than anywhere else.

So I will add my voice to those who extoll the virtues of Bob Russell -- preacher, teacher, storyteller, man of God. But I will say that what has been done at Southeast over the last 40 years was not done by Bob, but by God working through him.

Catching Up

2006-06-22T07:59:00.000-04:00

A lot has happenned since I last blogged. So it's time I got caught up.

The Episcopal Church USA, in its annual convention, has elected a female bishop to head the church. While I am very positive about the contributions women can make within the church, I agree with the Apostle Paul in saying that women should not be in leadership positions within the church -- this is a role God has reserved for men. To give a case in point as to potentially one reason why God has reserved leadership for men is the first pronouncement of Bishop Katherine Jefferts Schori. Almost immediately after being elected, the Right Reverend Bishop Schori issued a statement saying that homosexuality is not a sin -- in complete opposition to scripture (for a discussion of this proclamation, see Albert Mohler). Now, Ms. Schori has also given a sermon about "our mother Jesus." I don't know whether Ms. Schori is confused about the sex of our Lord and Savior or is trying to luad the feminine side of God. Either way, she is preaching heresy. And this heresy (in addition to many others in recent years) are leading the ECUSA to the brink of schism. In my opinion, those members of the ECUSA who believe in the inerrancy and non-relativistic nature of the Bible should require the heretics and liberals to leave the ECUSA and form their own church or, failing this, break off and form their own new church. Please pray for the Episcopal Church -- it really needs your prayers.

North Korea -- what can I say. N. Korea is going to do whatever it wants and completely disregard the rest of the world (just like Iran). N. Korea will soon test launch a long range missile with the capability (supposedly) to reach the West coast of the U.S. Surprisingly, two former Clinton Administration officials have now come out urging a preemptive strike. I have to wonder if these officials were among the crowd decrying American preemptive intervention in Iraq under the Bush Administration? I'll have to do some digging. But I am of two minds on this issue. At first, I would agree that we need to strike the missile launch site and destroy the missile before it can be launched. But this would only deny N. Korea the performance data to be gathered from such a launch and increase the diplomatic tension in the region. The communist regime would still have its research and production facilities and would only forestall the inevitable test launch. Striking first will only increase N. Korea's obstinacy. But I must stand on principle and state that we must oppose them however we can on this matter. Going further, I would say we need to find some way to overturn the communist government of N. Korea and support the establishment of a democracy in its place. Although I'm not ready to recommend doing so by force.

That's my two cents on these issues. Let me know what you think.

Happy Birthday

2006-06-14T08:09:00.000-04:00

In case you should hear the tune of "The Caissons Go Rolling Along," you should know that today is the 231st birthday of the U.S. Army. The U.S. Army has been around longer than our current form of government (only 215 years). So, should you see an American soldier -- specifically, a member of the U.S. Army -- acknowledge both their service to our nation and the long, proud tradition of which they are the current embodiment.

A proud and mighty "HOOAH!"

Ding Dong

2006-06-08T09:32:00.000-04:00

"...the witch is dead. Which witch?"

Zarqawi, of course. Silly rabbit. Precision bombing is not for kids. It's for terrorists.

Switching topics to euthanasia (how's that for transitions?). According to Great Britain's The Guardian newspaper (article link), one of UK's leading medical ethics voiced a call for doctors to be able to end life without patient consent. Here's an excerpt:

Len Doyal, emeritus professor of medical ethics at Queen Mary, University of London, takes the euthanasia debate into new and highly contentious territory. He says doctors should recognise that they are already killing patients when they remove feeding tubes from those whose lives are judged to be no longer worth living. Some will suffer a "slow and distressing death" as a result.

It would be better if their lives were ended without this unnecessary delay, Professor Doyal writes in an article in Clinical Ethics, published by the Royal Society of Medicine. He calls for the law and professional guidance to be changed.

And people look at Christians and conservatives funny when we talk about a "Culture of Death." This shouldn't even be a point of contention. Erring on the side of sustaining life should be the unquestioned norm. Instead, Europe is moving toward disposing of problematic patients -- permanently! And they're asking to be able to do so without giving patients and choice in the matter. Can I get a Sieg Heil? Pray for Europe. Pray for both their leaders and their citizens. There are many in the USA who look to Europe for their ideas and trends. We cannot let such evil thought processes get a hold here.

Pray.

The Future of Christian Adoption

2006-06-01T12:19:00.000-04:00

No, this won't be a post about deep Christian theology -- our adoption by God as sons and daughters through Christ Jesus. That is already guaranteed to us, according to the Bible, through Jesus' blood. What I'm posting about now is the legal future of Christians to establish adoption agencies that function in accordance with Christian beliefs and morals.

Townhall.com has posted an article by Maggie Gallagher about a recent court ruling in Massachusetts. The article is about how a Catholic adoption agency is being forced to grant adoptions to same sex couples against their own Christian-based policies. Instead the adoption agency has chosen to quit the adoption business.

This article goes to the heart of two interests in my life -- my own future adoptive child and my devout Christian faith. As I see it, we as Christians need to begin standing up for our faith and not allow it to be trampled on. The courts of State of Massachusetts did not need to force same sex couples on to those who have a moral reservation against them. There are other adoption agencies in Massachusetts that are not Christian organizations who will grant adoptions. If there were none in the Boston area, one could have easily been established. But instead the courts have chosen to force Christian-based adoption organizations to act against their convictions or go out of business.

There are a number of things that we Christians can do. First, elect judges who will stick to the interpretation of the law and not try to legislate from the bench. Next, Christian lawyers could take cases defending these organizations on a pro bono basis. Also, we could donate money to help these organizations with taking challenges to the United States Supreme Court, since this case is an obvious infringement on the U.S. Constitution's "Establishment" clause.

Jesus said, "blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth." But Jesus did not mean a meekness where we sit around and let others step all over us and the truth of the Bible.

This article was originally posted on The Adoption Blues
(HT: Al Mohler)

Character Still Counts

2006-05-31T15:14:00.000-04:00

You haven't heard from me lately due to the usual reason -- super busy at work. But I did find this article (HT: Albert Mohler) about the Colorado Rockies baseball team and how they are rebuilding their organization with a strong emphasis on personal and organizational character. Hear is an excerpt from the article:

Behind the scenes, they quietly have become an organization guided by Christianity — open to other religious beliefs but embracing a Christian-based code of conduct they believe will bring them focus and success.

This type of organization deserves our support. Way to go, Rockies!

Mo Media

2006-05-26T15:27:00.000-04:00

Here is some more media for you to check out. I love this one -- Hyperactive. It took a good deal of editting to work this one out. Enjoy!

Do It Vulcan Style, Baby

2006-05-18T12:59:00.000-04:00

One of the most effective techniques of comedy is to take something that is widely know and accepted -- and, if possible, well integrated into the culture -- and give it new or different attributes such that the difference created is comic.

Case in point: G4 TV -- the technology and gaming network -- decided to broadcast the original Star Trek television series with some additions. They added a scrolling chat dialog at the bottom of the screen, list the number of times Cpt. Kirk's shirt gets torn -- you know, take advantage of the campy nature of the old series.

To advertise this re-issue of Star Trek, G4 got an advertising campaign that featured the stop animation of Star Trek action figures. You have to see them! Check out the links below.

Star Trek Karaoke
No Wi-Fi
Star Trek Poolside
Star Trek Cribs
Star Trek Cribs - Director's Cut

Not By The Hair...

2006-05-16T08:31:00.000-04:00

"...of my chinny chin chin."

That is one phrase I will no longer ba able to use. As of Saturday, I will no longer be sporting a goatee. I will be reporting to my National Guard unit, so I will have to shave my goatee to comply with U.S. Army uniform regulations. I am a little heartbroken about it, but I am making the sacrifice in order to once again serve my country. I will post a new photo of myself in uniform sometime soon.

I appologize that I have not been keeping up with things. I have been extremely busy at work and have not been able to post.

Oil Profits

2006-05-03T20:44:00.000-04:00

It seems that every year (and this year in particular due to the rise in gas prices) Liberals take great joy in thrashing the oil companies for their "excessive profits." But to a shareholder's mind, there is no such thing as excess profits. A shareholder has put up some of the money that the oil companies use to pay payrolls and buy oil rigs (and the like). The first reason for anyone to go into business is to make money. Thing come things like "for the public good" and "because I like to do it."

But let's look at how much profit oil companies are making. I went to the Exxon Mobil website and looked at their 2005 annual report. On page 38 of their annual report, Exxon Mobil reports its Statement of Income. Exxon Mobil had a total income of $371 Billion and costs (including taxes) of $334 Billion -- which means that Exxon Mobil made a profit of $36 Billion. When you do the math, that means Exxon Mobil's profits as a percentage of Income were 9.7%. That's not bad and its definitely not excessive. In any investment you would do well to get a return on your investment of 10%. After briefly browsing other oil companies, you see generally the same level of profits across the board. I wouldn't categorize profits as "excessive" until you get above 25%. But, if you can get 25% profits, GO FOR IT! There is nothing wrong with profits at any level. If people will pay for it, profit as much as you can. In the end, the market will work you back down to "more reasonable" profit levels.

Back In Boots

2006-05-03T19:51:00.000-04:00

I, GotDesign, do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; and that I will obey the orders of the President of the United States and the orders of the officers appointed over me, according to regulations and the Uniform Code of Military Justice. So help me God.

That's right! I'm back in the service. I was sworn in last Friday and will begin service as soon as my paperwork is processed and I receive orders for duty. I kept the same rank -- Staff Sergeant (E6) -- and job title -- Intelligence Analyst.

Can I get a Hooah?

Keepin' Busy

2006-04-17T16:51:00.000-04:00

I've been workin' my tail off lately. The company I work for has a number of very nice contracts with Papa John's Pizza including doing a digital wrap on a 42ft. mobile pizza kitchen (see photo). I helped design and apply the wrap. And the corporate folks are talking about a dozen or so more.

Work, work, work.

Immigration Etc.

2006-04-10T11:54:00.000-04:00

It seems that the discussion about immigration is all the rage lately. While I have generally held back from "pop politics," I feel there may be a new dimension that I can add.

First, I think we must secure our borders. This should not be a surprise coming from someone with an intelligence and security background. There is a definite problem with illegal immigration and we need to stem the tide before we can do anything about serious about it. I think it would be a good idea to put up a fence/wall similar to that employed by the Israelis. Turn off the leak before it becomes a torrent.

Being a business school graduate, I initially thought that the debate over illegal immigrants was so much hubbub. I mean, after all, illegals do fill certain unattractive jobs and help keep prices lower. But after examining the effects of illegal immigration in the medium to long term, I begin to put some more serious thought into the issue. You should too.

The massive influx of illegal immigrants will have a serious impact on our economy. As most people know, illegal immigrants are willing to accept lower wages here in the U.S. This has the effect of lowering the payroll costs for those employ the illegals. As payrolls -- or "labor costs" -- are a significant portion of the cost of goods and services, hiring illegals either increases the profit margin of the employer or lowers prices of goods and services or -- more frequently -- both. While it is a boon in the short run, it bites you in the butt in the long run. The lower labor costs effectively put a cap on wages for everyone else. Because, let's face it, if an illegal is happy to pick lettuce for lower wages that same illegal will also happily build your house or landscape your pool for lower wages. What won't an illegal happily do for lower wages? If an illegal has a degree, why wouldn't he be able to take someone else's well paid job by offering to accept less in pay?

So illegals cap wages at an artificially low level. This is not just an isolated effect. Lower wages hamper buying power throughout an economy. And while lower labor costs will keep prices low, it also thwarts the expectations of ordinary citizens. Your garden variety employee has a general expectation that his/her wages will increase with the change in the cost of living. Well, if the economy grows but wages don't grow with it, it causes frustration for the legal workforce. Frustration that usually shows up at the ballot box or in incidents of road rage and maybe...violence against immigrants -- legal or otherwise? Who knows how such frustrations will manifest themselves. In addition, it will cause people to stop spending money. And this leads to economic depression which would be disastrous for the U.S. coming in the middle of a fabulous growth in the economy.

If you disagree, I would love to hear from you. Let me know what you think.

Steel on Celluloid

2006-04-05T13:49:00.000-04:00

I am giddy with anticipation. Superman returns to the big screen on June 30th in Superman Returns. For all of my life, I have been a Superman fan. While Jesus Christ the man I want to model my life after, Superman still ranks rather high on my list of personal influences.

I have, for the past 4 seasons, been a regular viewer of the WB TV series Smallville. I was a huge fan of the Christopher Reeve films (except maybe the last two -- Superman IV: The Quest for Peace). I even enjoyed watching re-runs of the 1950s TV series "Adventures of Superman" with George Reeves. And I also used to collect the comic book on a fairly regular basis.

Because of my love for Superman, I have placed links to Superman-related websites in my links column at right. I hope you enjoy them.

The title role has been filled by relative-unknown, Brandon Routh. Now, some will bemoan that "no one can replace Christopher Reeve." Well, no one can. But if Superman is to continue to be a integral part of American culture, we must move beyond Christopher Reeve. Adding more gravitas to the movie, Kevin Spacey is playing Lex Luthor. Smallville actor Tom Welling will even make a cameo in Superman Returns.

And if the premier of Superman Returns weren't enough for the month of June, my birthday is on the 27th and my anniversary is the 29th. What a month!

If I Only Had A Heart

2006-03-30T11:29:00.000-05:00

While I am not prone to rust, the status of my heart has been called into question lately. Yesterday I had an appointment to see a cardiologist regarding my recent diagnostics. To recap: I had an Army physical for the purpose of enlisting in the National Guard. The Army physician looked at the chest x-ray and thought he saw an enlarged heart. While this problem in chest x-rays is not uncommon, he thought it best to have a secondary diagnostic done to rule out an enlarged heart. So I had an echocardiogram (ECG) done and the interpretation of the ECG said that my heart was not pumping up to snuff (50% against a normal range of 55-70%). After seeing the interpretation of the ECG the Army physician suggested a thallium stress test. So, that brings us up to yesterday.

Yesterday afternoon I saw my cardiologist. Before the cardiologist even saw me I had an electrocardiogram (EKG). After asking some background medical questions, Dr. Bessen (the cardiologist) said, "Let's look at the ECG." After looking at the ECG he proclaimed that he could see no abnormality. By his calculation, my heart was working normally and pumping blood well within the normal range. So it turns out that this has been much ado about nothing. So, just like the Tin Man, it turns out that I was doing fine all the time. Going further, Dr. Bessen said that, while he could go ahead and order the stress test, he saw no medical need for it or other diagnostics to be done.

Thanks to those of you who have been thinking about me and/or praying for me. I am a firm believer in the power of prayer.

Uncommon Valor

2006-03-29T08:14:00.000-05:00

One of the relatively few things that strike me to the very core of my heart is heroism. The reason I value heroism so highly is because heroism is rooted in love. A person loves their family or friends, and so will give up their life in place of their friends'. Generally, heroism is an "uncommon valor," as Admiral Chester Nimitz once said. And it is in the armed forces where, to continue Nimitz's quote, uncommon valor is a common virtue.

The reason I bring this up is because of the recent award of the Medal of Honor to SFC Paul Ray Smith. Please read the linked article at Opinion Journal.com for the details of SFC Smith's actions. SFC Smith is among the many reasons why I am proud to have served my country in the U.S. Army.

The soldier, above all other men, is required to perform the highest act of religious teaching—sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when He created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instincts can take the place of the divine annunciation and spiritual uplift which will alone sustain him.

--General of the Army Douglas MacArthur

The Adoption Blues

2006-03-27T10:23:00.000-05:00

My wife and I have decided that we are going to adopt a child. And as we begin down the road of adoption we want to invite others to follow us. So, we have started a blog -- The Adoption Blues.

You might be tempted to think, "You don't seem to be excited about it -- I mean, 'The Adoption Blues?'" It is a common misconception that The Blues are depressing form of music or music that focuses on depression and the like. Give a listen to the works of Stevie Ray Vaughan, listen to Texas style blues, or even Chicago style. You will find that The Blues incorporates just as much elation and excitement as it does commiseration. When you come right down to it, The Blues is a form of communal music. The signer invites you into his life through his song and sets the tone through the music. Since neither my wife nor I have much musical talent, we will share our adoption experience through blogging.

Standing for Christ

2006-03-22T10:57:00.000-05:00

Hopefully by now you have heard of the case of Abdul Rahman, a 41-yr old Afghan, who is now facing trial and possible execution for converting to Christianity from Islam. Sixteen years ago, Mr. Rahman converted to Christianity. At which time he told his family and friends. Now this, in itself is a brave thing. It is not uncommon for family or friends to themselves kill another family member or friend for apostasy (renouncing faith in Islam) in the name of family honor. While most "honor killings" we hear of are usually about killing a woman who has "disgraced herself" (frequently a loosely defined offense) in the eyes of the family, honor killings are frequently used for any family member who commits apostasy.

Apostasy has always been treated harshly in Islam. It is treated as treason might be within a national political context. It also must be understood that apostasy is not mentioned in the Q'uran, but in the Hadiths -- the Islamic interpretations and traditional of law and the Q'uran. So this is not a requirement of Islam required by the Q'uran.

The most recent development is that Mr. Rahman has been offered the opportunity to take the insanity plea to avoid death. It has never been contested that Mr. Rahman has, in Islamic eyes, committed apostasy. He is definitely a professing Christian where he was once a muslim. Which brings me to my point -- would you take the plea?

By accepting the insanity plea, Mr. Rahman could walk away from a definite death penalty. (By the way, before the case has even been decided, Mr. Rahman's family, the prosecutor and the judge have all said that Mr. Rahman should be put to death if found guilty of apostasy.) Mr. Rahman can walk away and keep his Christian faith. But should he take the plea? Would you?

I recently started reading Corrie ten Boom's The Hiding Place. Corrie was a Dutch Christian who helped hide and protect Jews during the German occupation of Holland during World War II. Corrie was eventually discovered by the Germans and put into prison and eventually a concentration camp. Throughout her entire ordeal she continued to look for God in everyday events. Corrie was able to forgive her captors because they were the means by which she could live life as Jesus called her to -- with bravery and full reliance on God's strength, not her own. As the Apostle Paul said, it is in weakness that God is shown strong.

How strong will Mr. Rahman be? How strong could you be? I will be watching this case closely. Please pray that God's glory may be shown through Mr. Rahman's case. Pray that Mr. Rahman will continue to stand strong for his faith and his reliance on Christ. And consider how you would stand when you face what -- comparatively speaking -- little persecution you may face here in the U.S.

(HT: The Counterterrorism Blog)

Education in the Military

2006-03-21T10:33:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, I was listening to the Laura Ingraham show. She was playing clips from Bill Maher's Real Time program on HBO. Mr. Maher had guests including REM's Michael Stipe, actor/comedian Richard Belzer, Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-FL), writer Michele Mitchell, and television anchor Lou Dobbs. The clips that Laura played were from that portion of the show where the guests discussed American troops in Iraq. Richard Belzer said the following in response to Rep. Ros-Lehtinen's comments about our troops commenting about what is going on in Iraq:

They don't read 20 newspapers a day. They're under the threat of death every minute. They're not the best people to ask about the war because they're going to die any minute.

Mr. Belzer also said that most American soldiers are 18 and 19 year olds who have only a high school education and couldn't find any other kind of work so they entered the military. I find these comments disgusting. According to Wikipedia, Belzer dropped out of Junior College and joined the Army. If anything, Belzer should have certain sympathies with our troops -- himself only being a high school graduate and a U.S. Army veteran.

I guess what disgusts me the most about Belzer's comments is the assumption that our troops are mindless automatons who have to be spoon fed information to be functional in any given situation. While Belzer claims he reads 20 newspapers a day. And this is supposed to make on intelligent? And which newspapers would these be? The Congresswoman pressed the point that her son(-in-law ?) is a Marine officer with a Master's degree and that many other servicemen and women have a great deal of education, Belzer hastily added that her son was in the extreme minority.

For the record, all U.S. military entrants are required to have either a high school diploma or a GED. And while a significant number of veterans also have collegiate degrees, those who don't are highly trained. Gone are the days when you only needed a basic education to fight our nation's conflicts. Apart from basic soldier weapons (M-16, 9mm pistol, etc.), most weapon systems require a great deal of additional training. Also, many military jobs require extended training that includes an understanding of the laws and morals of war and international relations and diplomacy.

Don't get me wrong, after serving over 11 years in the Army myself, I know that there are some real rocks in the military. I have come across those whose brain's electrical activity would only lightly toast bread, but these are the aberration -- these are the exception, not the rule.

While I am a member of the not-insignificant minority of those in the military with a master's degree, I know that the vast majority would be well qualified to comment on the both the military and political situation in any zone of conflict in which they are serving. Despite Mr. Belzer's crazed ravings to the contrary, our military is very capable of intelligent analysis and commentary on any situation in which it finds itself.

UPDATE:
By the way, I just found this article (thru Hugh Hewitt and Mudville Gazette) about the press being not particularly bright regarding the recent Operation Swarmer in Iraq. It seems that press did not read a press release on Operation Swarmer that described the scope and mission of the action. Instead they bumble around trying to get a description of the military action. And people say soldiers are not bright?

The Heart of the Matter

2006-03-15T11:19:00.000-05:00

I just got back from having an echocardiogram (ECG). Why would a strapping young man (guffaw) such as myself need an ECG? Well, I'll tell you.

Back in February, I had a physical examination for the purpose of enlisting in the Kentucky National Guard. As part of this physical, I had a chest x-ray taken. When the doctor reviewed the x-ray he said my heart appeared to be enlarged and said I would need to get a second opinion by means of another chest x-ray or an ECG. I would have thought that electrocardiogram (EKG) I had during the physical should have been used to rule out any abnormalities in my heart, but I just do what I'm told. Anyway, I had my ECG today. The results are to be sent to my doctor either on Friday or Monday.

Now, my intellect knows that fears are mostly irrational -- the hobgoblins of a worst case scenario. But that doesn't stop me from letting run amok with my emotional self. In other words, I'm a little worried. I know that it is premature (at best) to worry about the ECG before the results come in but, for some reason, that doesn't stop me. Rationally speaking, I probably don't have any reason to worry -- I'm a healthy, 37-yr old male with a slight weight problem, but no real history of any problems. So I'm going to put it out of my mind (as best as I can) until Friday.

Prayers would be appreciated (and I almost said "but probably not necessary" -- which is NEVER true.) Thanks.

UPDATE: I got the results of my ECG back today. The impression given by the ECG was that I have: 1.) Borderline generalized left ventricular hypokinesis, 2.) Trivial posterior pericardial effusion, and 3.) Trace aortic insufficiency. It sounds really bad, but isn't. I just spoke to a friend of mine who is an emergency room physician. He told me that it sounds kinda mild. Regardless, I have an appointment to see a cardiologist later this month. Your continued prayers would be appreciated.

It's Not Easy Being...

2006-03-15T08:10:00.000-05:00

...GREEN!

But seriously, I decided it was time for a little change. Let me know what you think of the new verdant look.

Also, much thanks to my friend Anthony Campla who made the Flash header for me. He's a very talented designer. Please go check out his work -- personal site -- DeviantART site.

Glimpse Into The Subconscious

2006-03-07T08:07:00.000-05:00

This past Sunday, I was channel surfing and came across an interesting movie. The movie was entitled "Equilibrium" starring Christian Bale (from Batman Returns). Equilibrium is about a future totalitarian society where they have eliminated murder, war, and all crimes of hate. They have done so by eliminating all emotion. Citizens are required, several times a day, to inject themselves with a chemical which supresses emotion. The movie continues its Orwellian themes -- gray or black clothing, video monitors, secret police, etc.

There was one scene that I thought was particularly enlightening. In that scene, Christian Bale's character's son is sitting in front of a video screen watching a "Big Brother-like" character (I didn't catch the character's actual name) talking about how their perfect society was achieved. "Big Brother" says that society became enlightened when they pass the first hate crime laws. That is when my brain slipped into overdrive thinking about the role of hate crime legislation.

So called hate crimes are normal crimes that are motivated, in some sense, by hatred. In truth, hate crimes don't do anything other than make "hate" a crime. For instance, hate crime status has been mostly added to crimes of physical violence (assault, murder, etc.) that have some racial component -- e.g., the beating of a black man by a white man. Hate crime status has also been applied to crimes committed against homosexuals. Some have even lowered the degree of criminal activity below physical violence. For instance, in Canada and Europe, anyone speaking out against homosexuals can be convicted of a hate crime. A Christian pastor in Europe was arrested and imprisoned for preaching about the Biblical view on homosexuality. Once again, the crime here is "hate," not speech.

According to the movie, the advent of "hate crimes" was the opening that led down the road to their perfect society. A society where emotion is prohibited. Possession of art and music that provokes an emotional response is outlawed and the offending art is collected and burned (in the opening scene the police raid a home and find the Mona Lisa, which is then burned). In the real world, hate crimes are still being pushed and expanded -- more so in Europe than in here in the U.S. Speech is being targeted for hate crime status. American universities are already implementing speech codes for their campuses. Any "intolerance" is being rooted out through the application of hate crime status. Who determines what speech is worthy of hate crime status? I would also point out that where hate crimes are being advanced, liberals are the ones behind them. I find this particularly interesting.

Something to think about.

Join the Coalition

2006-02-27T10:15:00.000-05:00

Way back when, I created the Cardinal Coalition to be a mini blogosphere for the greater Louisville area. I envisioned something like the Northern Alliance. But due to increased workload and business travel, many of the Squawk Squad at the CC have been unable to post very frequently. So, after polling the group, we've decided to send out a call for bloggers to join the Coalition.

If you are a Louisville-area blogger and would like to join the Coalition, drop me a line. We're also looking for ways the Coalition can better serve the Louisville area. Just let us know. We would greatly appreciate it.

Inspiration

2006-02-24T13:48:00.000-05:00

Getting an MBA is a difficult task. This should be obvious. Not only is it a Master's degree program -- with all of the challenges that entails -- but the MBA requires the achievement of a certain minimum score (differs at each university) on the Graduate Management Admission Test (GMAT). Beyond these hurdles, individual MBA programs often require a certain amount of "real world" experience. Now, add to this list of hurdles blindness.

I recently received a phone call from a friend of mine who has started the MBA program at the University of Phoenix Online. He is having some problems with one of his courses and he has asked for my assistance. This in itself is not uncommon. What is uncommon is that my friend, Mario, is blind.

Mario was born and grew up in South America. At about age 9, Mario was injured in a hunting accident and was rendered blind. Because Mario lived in a rural/jungle area, having a blind son was a difficult burden on his parents. Not knowing how to deal with a blind son, Mario's parents gave him over to an American missionary to care for. The missionary arranged for Mario to be adopted and moved to the United States. Mario was raised in the U.S., has completed a B.A. in Business, and is now working on his MBA.

Mario asked me over to help him with his Intro to Accounting & Finance course. Of course, accounting is difficult subject for most, but what one generally fails to notice is that there are certain fundamentals of accounting that are spatially oriented. For someone who is blind, how do you explain the spatially oriented nature of accounting and financial data. For instance, the basic premise of accounting is that assets must equal liabilities plus owner's equity (assets = liabilities + equity). This posits a horizontal relationship. Add to this the vertical notation of different types of assets, liabilities and equity that shown on a Balance Sheet. How does someone who is blind keep track of all of these entries on financial statements when their interrelation is frequently shown in a visual medium?

Mario has no problem understanding the concepts of basic accounting. And I have no doubt that he will be able to master the precepts of managerial accounting. But I am amazed at the challenge that still faces Mario and how well he handles them.

Mario lives with his wife -- Sharon, who is also blind -- and their daughter, Sierra, who is sighted. So Mario faces challenges every day in almost every aspect of his life.

The purpose of this posting is not to describe the hurdles that the visually impaired face. It is definitely not to toot my own horn about helping Mario. The purpose of this article is as an encomium to Mario. Encomium means "glowing and warmly enthusiastic praise." And I must say that Mario is worthy of such encouragement.

Hitting Home

2006-02-20T10:48:00.000-05:00

I have long been a proponent of Christian values and morals. Being a Christian myself, this should be obvious. But my desire to have these beliefs and morals generally accepted as good for society has been based almost solely on intellectual arguments. You aren't really a "true believer" until it comes from the heart.

My wife is a mental health therapist at a local university where she counsels students. And while most of her clients are "I don't know how to handle my girlfriend leaving me" and "my parents just don't understand me" -- typical college life issues -- she recently had a client of a different nature.

A female student who is pregnan came in to talk to my wifet because she is considering an abortion. She and her parents emigrated to the U.S. a number of years ago and her parents still hold to traditional cultural values. The girl wants to have an abortion because she knows her parents will ostracize her. Normally, I would oppose this abortion on the strict grounds that the Bible teaches us to hold every life -- even those still in the womb -- as sacred and valuable to God. But another factor has been added to the equation.

My wife and I have recently decided that we are going to adopt. We haven't established a timeline yet, but we know that we would like to adopt some time in the next year.

With this added to the mix, abortion takes on a new meaning. I see this young woman's unborn child as the "every child" -- one that could potentially be the child my wife and I would adopt. I now find that I am heart-broken when I think about this girl's plans to abort "the fetus." The young lady asked my wife if we had any children and "smiled" when told we plan to adopt. But she would not be able to hide her pregnancy from her parents and carry the child to term in order to put it up for adoption.

I find myself grieving terribly for the unborn child. I grieve for the young woman who is put in the position to make such a decision. And while I have a greater understanding of this issues that such women face, I still stand firm on my belief that abortion is the murder of unborn children for convenience sake. The young woman in question is merely exchanging one set of the consequences for exercising her sexual "freedom" for another set of consequences. She is trading potential ostracism by her parents for the psychological and spiritual damage of an abortion will cause. And while I try not to hold it against her, she has broken my heart. She has decided that there will be one less child who could potentially be my son or daughter. One more offering at the altar of the culture of death. This will not be easy for anyone involved.

Please pray for her -- unnamed. Please pray for me. Pray for our society of convenience and death.

Valentines Day

2006-02-15T15:55:00.000-05:00

I know... it was yesterday. But I wanted to pass along a secret.

Yesterday, after work, I raced home to pick up my beautiful wife to whisk her off to Outback for V-Day dinner. We arrived at approximately 6:10 pm. As we approached the front entrance, we were greeted by others waiting in line who were mumbling something along the lines of "2 hour wait." Indeed, as we stepped up to the rostrum and asked, we were told that there was a wait of over 2 hours. My response was probably not what you would expect. No rolled eyes. No intake of breath. No emotional explosions. Instead, I said, "I called in earlier, the name is Mr. GotDesign."

We were seated within 15 minutes.

What's my secret? Did I slip the attendant a $20? No. At about 2:30 pm yesterday afternoon, I called to ask if they took reservations on such a busy night. "No," I was told, but they do allow you to put your name on the waiting list in advance of your arrival. They asked, at what time would I like to have my name inserted? Six o'clock, please. And...voila!

I had a wonderful evening with my wife. I had "Ribs on the Barbie" and my wife had the "Outback Special" steak (after tasting mine, my wife preferred the ribs). We finished the evening with a "Chocolate Thunder from Down Under." They wheeled up a forklift and helped me out of my seat and then we went home.

The moral of the story? Even if they don't accept reservations, call ahead anyway. It never hurts.

Greeting Cards

2006-02-13T10:42:00.000-05:00

I was out with my wife yesterday looking for some goodies for a baby shower she will attend next weekend. After we had selected the gifts we moved on to the greeting card section to look for an appropriate card. While I was standing out of my wife's way (like a good, dutiful husband), 2 cards caught my eye. The first had a picture of President Bush on the cover and the message was that you could have a great birthday because George Bush cannot run for President again. The second had a picture of Senator Hillary Clinton and had a fake autograph on the cover with a message that such an autographed photo would make you popular and prestigious. There were no other cards to appeal to a conservative/Republican audience.

While I could probably rant about the liberal appeal of seemingly innocuous greetings cards, I won't. You know what I would say. My problem is that I think the society is becoming too fractious. Too political. Greeting cards! Political greeting cards! Can't we get a break from the political messages we seem to be getting everywhere? I am the first person who would enjoy a good political discussion or debate, but it's getting so that you cannot escape political biases anywhere.

What do you think?

Cartoon Madness

2006-02-08T08:37:00.000-05:00

I was pleasantly surprised just a moment ago when I discovered an illustration on the graphic arts community that I belong to -- DeviantArt.com -- that calls for the Islamic community to stop its riotous ways and respect freedom of speech rights in the Nordic countries where editorial cartoons have caused such an uproar. The piece is called STOP -- go take a look, leave a comment.

UPDATE: After browsing this artist's gallery, I can by no means endorse his other works -- she is obviously a Bush hater -- but she is paradoxically on the right side of the Danish Cartoon issue. I say "paradoxically" because the same toleration he exhibits in his piece STOP is missing everywhere else in his political pieces. Instead of expressing opposition to the President's policies or offering constructive criticism, Fealasy resorts to the basest of emotions and attacks the person of President Bush instead of administration policies. Instead of acting responsibly, like she exhorts Muslims to do, she echoes their behavior. Do as I say, not as I do.

UPDATE 2: I need to issue an appology. I overlooked the fact that Fealasy is a women, not a man. I have corrected my above comments accordingly. I am sorry for my oversight.

Adoption Adventure

2006-02-08T08:23:00.000-05:00

Good friends of mine -- Andy & Julie Gould -- are in the process of adopting a little girl from China. They will be traveling to China sometime during the next month to pick up their newest child -- Maya. They have also put up a blog to chronicle the process and post photos. Please go check it out -- The Adoption Adventure.

Super Bowl XL

2006-02-06T08:12:00.000-05:00

Now most of you know that I have practically no interest in most sports. The only exception being soccer at all levels. But I must say that I am happy with the results of last night's Super Bowl XL. The only reason I have any interest in this game is because Pittsburgh quarterback Ben Roethlisberger is a graduate of my alma mater -- Miami University! Go Redskins! (Although they're now know as the Miami Redhawks -- I hate political correctness)

Busy Busy Busy

2006-02-02T17:21:00.000-05:00

As many of you have probably noted, I haven't been posting much lately. At work, I have been working on a project that has taken all of my time. Including the time I would normally devote to posting to GotDesign. Anyway... here's the latest.

I will be joining the Kentucky National Guard. I don't have a specific date, but sometime in the next 2 weeks. Since I have over 11 years of prior service, I am returning to the Guard at previous rank of Staff Sergeant. I am joining an intelligence unit -- which makes sense because I am an intelligence analyst. If I can swing it, I will try to get in another 7 years of service so I can qualify to retire at 18 years of service. I am even considering becoming either a commissioned or warrant officer. We'll see what the options are.

An Ode to Jonathan Kent

2006-01-31T17:16:00.000-05:00

There are only a few things that will make me emotional. For instance, when I look into my wife's eyes and see the love she has for me. Anything having to do with my fellow veterans. And any display of positive father-son relationships.

One of the things I have always loved about the Superman mythos is the relationship between Jonathan and Clark Kent. Although I don't know if the comic books have spent much time on it, the WB television series Smallville has spent four seasons showing how Clark Kent has been taught by example to be the Superman (or super man) we know he'll become. I think that the father-son relationship shown in Smallville is about the best that can be expected on television today.

This past week WB aired the 100th episode of Smallville. This episode was advertised by saying that one of the regular characters would die. From the trailers one would expect that Lana Lang was going to die. But it was Jonathan Kent who died. Those of us who know the Superman mythos have been expecting this. We know that Jonathan Kent died when Clark was in his late teens. So this death was not unexpected. But it moved me strongly.

I love my father. I can think of no better example of how a man should live his life than the example my father has lived for me. I hope that if/when I have children, I can be at least half the fatherly (and Christian) example that my father is for me. So when Jonathan Kent keeled over from a heart attack last week, I was teary-eyed. I am not looking forward to the time when the Lord calls my father heavenward (of this there is no doubt).

Breath of Fresh Air

2006-01-18T17:37:00.000-05:00

As I frequently do, I was listening to the Albert Mohler radio program (today via WTSJ's website) and heard an ad featuring Kenneth Blackwell, the Secretary of State for Ohio. Mr. Blackwell's commercial made me take a moment. The commercial was for a program Mr. Blackwell has initiated within the State of Ohio to focus attention on the undeniable truth that character is essential to a healthy society.

I was born and raised in the State of Ohio and did not leave Ohio until I joined the Army after high school. While I was in junior high school, I did have a section where we were taught some Ohio history. But I have never heard of any other state-sponsored programs even remotely similar to Mr. Blackwell's character initiative.

Kenneth Blackwell, as Ohio's Secretary of State, has established the Ohio Center for Civic Character in order to: 1) build leadership character, 2) unite leaders in a collaborative culture, and 3) equip leaders to effectively enrich their communities...together. To achieve these goals, the Ohio Secretary of State's website offers downloadable documents and materials that sponsor character development, leadership development and civic education. Go take a look.

I am truly impressed by what Mr. Blackwell has undertaken. In most cases, governments try to shape the behavior of society by enacting laws and regulations. But what Mr. Blackwell has done is to take the issue of societal behavior to the very kernel of its being -- individual character. This program shows a truly rare and wise insight into what drives behavior both on the individual and the communal levels.

I cannot overstate how much this raises Mr. Blackwell in my personal estimation. Kenneth Blackwell for President!

Reading List

2006-01-10T15:23:00.000-05:00

As I was sashaying through Jefferson Mall I came to B. Dalton Booksellers (a division of Barnes & Noble) which is in the process of closing up its Jefferson Mall location. What interrupted my sashaying was the 50% off closing sale they were having. So I decided to stock up. I decided to pick up the entire "Brotherhood of War" series (9 books) by W.E.B. Griffin and "Meditations" by Marcus Aurelius. I know...a little light reading.

I read The Brotherhood of War series back when it was first published and loved it. Somewhere along the way, I lost all of these books (or maybe I gave them away). This series covers the military careers of several officers from mid-WWII through the 1970s. I really enjoyed the whole series. I guess it makes me remember the highlights of my own Army service. I am currently reading the first book in the series -- The Lieutenants. The series includes:

Once finished with the Brotherhood of War series, I will turn to a more heavyweight subject -- Stoic philosophy. Marcus Aurelius' Meditations is considered a primer in Stoic philosophy. But I'm going to read it because it was recommended by the Hillsdale College reading list. In any case I am always up for learning from the classics.

What is on your reading list? Drop me a line.

Back In Boots?

2006-01-05T12:58:00.000-05:00

Surprisingly, I am considering rejoining the U.S. Army Reserve. Today, when I went to lunch, I stopped into a recruiter's office to ask about getting copies of my military personnel records. In trying to determine where I should look for these records, the recruiter asked about my background. He then asked if I would like to get back on board. I told him that I am 30-something years old and have bum knees. He told me that the Army is looking for prior service personnel to return to service in the Reserves and that, if I sought medical treatment for my knees and took a physical, a reserve unit would likely work with me.

So, I have asked my wife to think about this. It would mean one weekend a month, 2 weeks in the "summer" by way of time commitment. I would receive pay as a Staff Sergeant with 11 yrs of service. In addition, I would also receive a $7,500 signing bonus for a 3-yr contract or $15,000 for a 6-yr contract. It's beginning to sound really attractive to me.

To be honest, I miss my time in the Army. While I am fully cognizant of the problems I've had in the Army/Reserves, I do miss the good times I've had.

What do you think? Should I? Anyone out there, prior service, rejoin the military lately? Please, tell me what you think.

Withholding Judgment

2006-01-05T08:31:00.000-05:00

While scanning Drudge, I came across a story about the upcoming NBC television series "The Book of Daniel." The show will feature an Episcopal minister who has an addiction to Vicodin, troubles within his church, and he has imaginary conversations with Jesus -- who is actually a character in the series.

Already, Christian organizations have begun calling for NBC affiliates to boycott the show. Many affiliates have been receiving phone calls and e-mails regarding the program, but it has even aired yet. I, however, am withholding judgment. No one has even seen the show yet. And while I find it difficult to accept a show with an imaginary Jesus character, it is possible -- repeat possible -- that it might actually be an OK program. I don't have a problem with the main character's addiction to Vicodin, because that is a problem common with painkillers and ministers/priests are, after all, common people.

Let's just wait and see how this show will portray Christians and Christianity before we raise a howl. But if it does take a derogatory approach to Christianity, then let us ask NBC to cancel the series and ask the affiliates to not air the show locally.

Murtha Monster

2006-01-03T16:26:00.000-05:00

Having served in the U.S. Army, I understand the great opportunities presented by military service as well as the way military service redefines, hones and polishes a person's character. Democratic Representative John Murtha, a 37-year veteran of the Marine Corps, should understand these observations as well. After all, he served during a period of war. He led men in battle. And war is the ultimate crucible for shaping a man.

In an interview last Friday, rep. Murtha, however, said he would not serve in the military today. Murtha, a proponent of the insane idea of pulling troops out of Iraq immediately, went so far as to say that he would encourage the enlistment-age youth of America not to join the military either.

"And I think you're saying the average guy out there who's considering recruitment is justified in saying 'I don't want to serve'," the interviewer continued.
"Exactly right," said Murtha.

Rep. Murtha is quickly flying up the list of those members of the Liberal Left who sicken me. As a 37-yr veteran of the Marine Corps, Murtha should be able to put aside the current mission of our military and acknowledge the personal development aspects of military service at the very least. Beyond shaping one's character, the military also provides first class professional training. In fact, the list of personal and societal benefits that come from military service is almost as long as Santa's checklist.

It pains me that a distinguished veteran such as Murtha would chuck the lessons of a life of service out the window for the sake of sound-bite politics. Shame on you, Mr. Murtha.

(HT: Drudge)

The Rights of Men

2005-12-28T08:07:00.000-05:00

This morning I awoke to the sounds of Bill Bennett's Morning in America. Dr. Bennett was absent and so the program was being hosted by Jerry Boyer (?). One caller stated that he believes that the Roadmap to Peace is a farce. Jerry dissented by asking if the Palestinians had a right to an independent state. To support his position, Jerry quoted the Declaration of Independence:

We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. --That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed....

At first, I tended to agree with Jerry. But the more I thought about it I realized that Jerry is wrong. The Palestinians do not have a right to an independent state. Why not? Because rights are not given, they are earned. Jerry Quoted the Declaration of Independence. Well, the Founding Fathers had to fight to secure those rights that they declared -- no one handed them those rights of which they so eloquently wrote. King George and the British Parliament did not confer those rights on the American colonies. In fact they resisted the colonies' efforts to secure these rights.

Even now, rights are not something that can be given. As I remember (and I may be wrong), the Palestinians have never asked for an independent state. The Palestinians were offered a state as a condition of peace. But what Palestinians truly want is the destruction of Israel. If the Palestinians have pursued statehood, it has been as a tool to be used to secure their ultimate objective -- Jewish destruction. The Palestinians have no right to an independent state without their standing to achieve that right.

The same goes for all "rights." What most people call "rights" are truly privileges. We don't have a right to privacy -- privacy is a privilege of our society. If individual privacy were to endanger the safety of the society, the government of that society would have the responsibility to curtail privacy in order to secure the safety of the people. Roman statesmen Marcus Tullius Cicero once stated that "The safety of the people shall be the highest law." Governments are established to protect its citizens and provide for an ordered society. The people have to wisely establish the rights of man through their governing bodies. The Founding Fathers asserted three general, non-specific rights of mankind within the auspices of the government of the United States -- life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Later, these same Founding Fathers further enumerated the rights of American citizens when they enacted the first 10 amendment to our Constitution -- also known as the Bill of Rights. And even these rights had to be fought for.

Let us remember that there is no such thing as a free lunch. Or more to the specific point I'm making -- there is no such thing as given rights. They are always purchased with devout struggle. And sometimes with blood.

The Conservative Mind

2005-12-27T08:43:00.000-05:00

Jeffrey Hart wrote a piece recently in the WSJ's Opinion Journal on how Russell Kirk's book "The Conservative Mind" and how Conservative thought has stood the test of the past 5 decades. I highly recommend that you read it. I think it is vital that every Conservative know the underpinnings of his/her philosophy. Check it out. I'd also be interested in your comments regarding Hart's piece.

Freedom

2005-12-22T15:20:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to pass along a quick quote of an American soldier taken from the article "The Media, The NSA and The Patriot Act" by Clint Van Zandt:

"Freedom. One word but yet countless words could never capture its true meaning or power. For those who have fought for it, freedom has a taste the protected will never know. The biggest outcries of opposition to our cause are from those who have had no military experience and have not had to fight for freedom." (Emphasis added)

Hooah! 'Nuff said.

(HT: Hugh, Counterterrorism Blog)

Case Closed

2005-12-21T08:41:00.000-05:00

Evidence has been brought to light (thanks, Drudge) that all of the hubbub over the Presidential "wiretap" order is merely vile partisan politics. Drudge has unearthed two executive orders -- one signed by President Jimmy Carter and another by President Bill Clinton -- that have authorized similar activities by the NSA and FBI.

On May 23, 1979, then-President Jimmy Carter signed an executive order (EO# 12139) stating that:

the Attorney General is authorized to approve electronic surveillance to acquire foreign intelligence information without a court order, but only if the Attorney General makes the certifications required by that Section.

This is essentially the same action that President Bush has taken. the only difference I can see is that President Bush has required that the need for the surveillance be reviewed every 45 days to ensure that civil liberties are not infringed upon. President Carter's order does not so stipulate.

On February 9, 1995, President Bill Clinton signed Executive Order # 12949 that authorizes physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes:

By the authority vested in me as President by the Constitution and the laws of the United States, including sections 302 and 303 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978 ("Act") (50 U.S.C. 1801, et seq.), as amended by Public Law 103- 359, and in order to provide for the authorization of physical searches for foreign intelligence purposes as set forth in the Act, it is hereby ordered as follows....

EO 12949 provides such authorization for "periods of up to one year," which is even more intrusive than either Carter's or Bush's surveillance authorizations.

One other point should be made. President Bush's authorization limits surveillance to "people with known links to al Qaeda and related terrorist organizations." The other aforementioned executive orders made no such limitations. So, if anything, President Bush has taken greater steps to protect civil liberties than previous administrations.

One key thread that runs through all of these authorizations is that they stipulate that the purpose for such authorizations is the collection of foreign intelligence. Foreign intelligence means information which points to threats to the sovereignty and security of the United States from foreign powers. These "foreign powers" are no longer as nicely defined as they used to be. In the past we looked to threats from other nations. Now, we must look not only to nations but also to non-national actors such as terrorist organizations. Terrorists work without concern to geographic origin. Therefore, greater efforts much be taken to gather information and form intelligence about these organizations. And guess what? They are currently operating within the United States.

Now, let's see if we actually hear anything about these other authorizations from the MSM. I kinda doubt it.

A Must Read

2005-12-20T09:42:00.000-05:00

Go take a look at this e-mail received at the Mudville Gazette from the father of a soldier killed in Iraq. It is a must read.

(HT: Hugh Hewitt)

Bush Opens Up A Can

2005-12-20T09:22:00.000-05:00

Can I just say that I love President George W. Bush? Can I? His press conference yesterday was fabulous. Not only did he step up and give a great defense for his authorization of NSA monitoring of al-Qaeda-related international calls with one connection within the US, but he also bitch slapped some pesky members of the press. Take, for instance the following exchange:

Q: Thank you, Mr. President. I wonder if you can tell us today, sir, what, if any, limits you believe there are or should be on the powers of a President during a war, at wartime? And if the global war on terror is going to last for decades, as has been forecast, does that mean that we’re going to see, therefore, a more or less permanent expansion of the unchecked power of the executive in American society?

THE PRESIDENT: First of all, I disagree with your assertion of “unchecked power.”

Q: Well –

THE PRESIDENT: Hold on a second, please. There is the check of people being sworn to uphold the law, for starters. There is oversight. We’re talking to Congress all the time, and on this program, to suggest there’s unchecked power is not listening to what I’m telling you. I’m telling you, we have briefed the United States Congress on this program a dozen times.

This is an awesome responsibility to make decisions on behalf of the American people, and I understand that, Peter. And we’ll continue to work with the Congress, as well as people within our own administration, to constantly monitor programs such as the one I described to you, to make sure that we’re protecting the civil liberties of the United States. To say “unchecked power” basically is ascribing some kind of dictatorial position to the President, which I strongly reject.

Q: What limits do you –

THE PRESIDENT: I just described limits on this particular program, Peter. And that’s what’s important for the American people to understand. I am doing what you expect me to do, and at the same time, safeguarding the civil liberties of the country.

What a great response! The whole press conference was like this -- great replies to many stupid questions. I also like the President's response to this question:

Q: Mr. President, in making the case for domestic spying, could you tell us about the planned attacks on the U.S. that were thwarted through your domestic spying plan? And also, on the issue of race, since you brought up the issue of Katrina, 2005 gave us your defense of yourself on race, and some are still not sold on that. In 2006, what are you giving to the nation on the issue of race, as we're looking to the renewal of the Voting Rights Act in 2007 and things of that nature?

THE PRESIDENT: Yes, thanks. April, the fact that some in America believe that I am not concerned about race troubles me. One of the jobs of the President is to help people reconcile and to move forward and to unite. One of the most hurtful things I can hear is, Bush doesn't care about African Americans, for example. First of all, it's not true. And, secondly, I believe that -- obviously I've got to do a better job of communicating, I guess, to certain folks, because my job is to say to people, we're all equally American, and the American opportunity applies to you just as much as somebody else. And so I will continue to do my best, April, to reach out.

Now, you talked about -- and we have an opportunity, by the way, in New Orleans, for example, to make sure the education system works, to make sure that we promote ownership. I think it is vitally important for ownership to extend to more than just a single community. I think the more African Americans own their own business, the better off America is. I feel strongly that if we can get people to own and manage their own retirement accounts, like personal accounts and Social Security, it makes society a better place. I want people to be able to say, this is my asset. Heretofore, kind of asset accumulation may have been only a part of -- a single -- a part of -- a segmented part of our strategy. We want assets being passed from one generation to the next. I take pride in this statistic, that more African Americans own a home or more minorities own a home now than ever before in our nation's history, not just African Americans; that's positive.

I still want to make sure, though, that people understand that I care about them and that my view of the future, a bright future, pertains to them as much as any other neighborhood.

The President also was quite humorous. I highly recommend that you go and read the official transcript.

Loose Lips

2005-12-16T08:24:00.000-05:00

Yesterday, the New York Times published an article about a supposed Presidential order signed in 2002 allowing the National Security Agency -- whose mission is to monitor international communications -- to monitor calls originating inside the United States with international destinations. Now, I could spend some time discussing the ramifications of such a move, or the legal merits of the order, or even the methodologies involved. However, there is a more pressing issue -- the leaking of classified information to the press and the presses insistence on publishing these leaks.

This article is just another in the recent series of leaks that have come out in the MSM and I find it despicable. The press was all up in arms about the supposed leak of Valerie Plame's identity though it was not classified information, but they have no compunction against venting any classified information that may portray President Bush in a bad light or damage his foreign policy positions. And the MSM has no problem publishing this information although its disclosure may lead to the death of American intelligence assets in the field.

Something has to be done to staunch the flow of classified information to the MSM and to halt its publication. I would be in favor of enacting a new component of the Patriot Act that would make it a criminal offense to publish classified information. Now I fully understand that the MSM can play an important role in being a whistle blower against legally or morally repugnant activities by the intelligence communities, but I think that such whistle blowing should be vetted through the Senate Select Committee on Intelligence. As the Senate is required to provide oversight on intelligence matters, it should be the clearinghouse for such leaks in order to safeguard national intelligence assets.

I also think that DCI Porter Goss needs to throw out the baby with the bath water in order to clean house at the CIA. Stronger measures need to be taken to find and stop leaks of intelligence information. In Tom Clancy's novels, CIA analyst (and future US President) Jack Ryan is credited with creating a method of subtly altering documents so that their specific text and wording will point to that document's origination. Clancy called it a "Canary Trap." We need to be rounding up the loose canaries at the CIA and throughout the intelligence community.

Now, regarding the NYT article, I have no problem with the NSA listening in on demostic calls with an international destination. The NSA would monitor all of these calls and run them through search algorithms using certain keywords -- words or codewords synonymous with terrorist plotting. If these keywords are found then these calls are further scrutinized. When the United States is faced with a non-national enemy -- read "terrorists" -- who has infiltrated the territory of the US and seeks to destroy the government and its people, a greater degree of security is necessary.

UPDATE: Drudge has just posted that this NYT story was released in conjunction with an upcoming book release by an NYT national security reporter. So now we're endangering national security and foreign policy in order to hype book written by a staff reporter? That's a wonderfully moral use of the power of the press. I was listening to Laura Ingraham earlier when said that the NY Times has had this story for over a year without disclosing it. Now we see what they were waiting for -- a chance for one of their own to make some money. Sickening.

More on this from PowerLine.

Fantastic Science

2005-12-13T20:34:00.000-05:00

Those of you who have been reading me for a while will know that I am vehemently opposed to embryonic stem cell research (if not, please read this). But I am a great supporter of the use of adult stem cells in medical research and treatment. To that end, there has been a major scientific breakthrough in, of all places, Louisville, KY.

Researchers at the University of Louisville James Graham Brown Cancer Center have been able to coax adult stem cells in mice to change into other cell types throughout the body. This is fabulous because it would obviate the need to the morally bankrupt use of embryonic stem cells. Dr. Mariusz Ratajczak had the following to say:

We have found a counterpart for embryonic stem cells in adult bone marrow. This could negate the ethical concerns.

For years, scientists have been making groundbreaking advances in medical science using adult stem cells. At the same time scientists have always held that adult stems cells have the most potential for future medical breakthroughs -- not embryonic stem cells. As soon as the stem cell research team at the James Graham Brown Cancer Center can replicate this success with human adult stem cells, there will be no reason to pursue embryonic stem cells other than to further the agenda of pro-abortion crowd.

This is fabulous news. I would encourage you to support the research of the James Graham Brown Cancer Center and similar ventures seeking solutions through adult stem cells. Support life.

Die Santa Die

2005-12-08T15:48:00.000-05:00

This year we have seen a more mainstream effort to end the attacks on the Christian aspects of the Christmas holiday. But we're also seeing some more blatant attacks on Christmas in its secular aspects. A Miami Beach, FL citizen has strung up Santa (HT: Drudge).

Miami Beach resident Ron Stroia took a large Santa doll (photos) and bound its hands and feet together, blindfolded it, and has hanged it in a noose up in a tree in plain sight of all neighborhood residents. Many of Mr. Stroia's neighbors have complained to police and have asked to have it taken down. Police have responded that they cannot remove the bound Santa because Mr. Stroia has a constitutionally-protected right to free speech.

Mr. Stroia obviously received a lump of coal at some point during his youth and still bears the emotional scars thereof. I have served my country in order to protect our Constitutional rights -- free speech included -- but Mr. Stroia's actions are repugnant. While "Free Speech" is protected, the Supreme Court has placed limits on free speech. Personally, I would say that this type of action is tantamount to inciting to riot. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if someone climbed the tree at night and freed Santa.

So let's all take up the cheer, Free Santa! Free Santa!

Couldn't, Shouldn't, Wouldn't

2005-12-06T11:58:00.000-05:00

I remember last year's campaign season and how I said back then that the Democrat Party was not offering any solutions, merely opposition to President Bush and the Republican Party. I said that opposition alone does not a political party make. Without having an alternative plan, it's just loud squawking.

Well, recently DNC chairman Howard Dean has been squawking rather loudly about Iraq. In an interview given on San Antonio, TX radio station WOAI, Dean stated that the "idea that we're going to win the war in Iraq is an idea which is just plain wrong." In fact, Dean is a prominent member of the cut and run crowd. He wants to see all Reservists and National Guardsmen pulled out of Iraq immediately and the rest of U.S. troops out within 2 years. Retreat is not an alternative plan -- it's a failure to deal with the issue at hand. Dean's idea is not to deal with the problem of terrorism but to run away and say, "Don't hurt us." Dean goes on to pull another Democrat ploy -- compare it to Vietnam:

I've seen this before in my life. This is the same situation we had in Vietnam. Everybody then kept saying, 'just another year, just stay the course, we'll have a victory.' Well, we didn't have a victory, and this policy cost the lives of an additional 25,000 troops because we were too stubborn to recognize what was happening.

Dean fails to recognize that his comparison is innappropriate and gravely flawed. Dean fails to offer any alternative to the Bush Administration's strategy for the War on Radical Islamic terror. It's the same thing we saw last fall during the campaign -- John Kerry wasn't so much a Democrat candidate for President as much as he was an anti-candidate against President Bush.

If the Democrat Party continues to push itself farther and farther to the Left, if they continue to offer opposition instead of alternatives, if they stay on their current path, we will have an even greater Republican majority at this time next year.

Keep it up, Howie!

Additional Thoughts
I just wanted to add something. Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld had some great comments in a speech he gave on Monday at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies which was reprinted in the WSJ's Opinion Journal. While I would recommend reading the entire speech, here is one quote that is salient regarding pulling out of Iraq:

Quitting is not a strategy. Quitting is an invitation to more attacks and more terrorist violence here at home. This is not just an hypothesis. The U.S. withdrawal from Somalia emboldened Osama bin Laden in the 1990s. We know this. He has said so.

The message retreat in Iraq would send to the free people of Iraq and to moderate Muslim reformers throughout the region would be that they can't count on America. The message it would send to our enemies would be: that if America will not defend itself against terrorists in Iraq, it will not defend itself against terrorists anywhere.

What is needed is resolve, not retreat; courage, not concession. Rather than thinking in terms of an exit strategy, we should be focused on a strategy for success. The president's strategy focuses on progress on the political, economic, and security tracks. You can read that strategy paper on the White House's Web site.

In Flux

2005-12-02T16:09:00.000-05:00

flux (noun) - ...
2 : a continuous moving on or passing by (as of a stream)

Well, my life has sort of calmed down for the moment. I just started my new job a few weeks ago. I am so busy now that I don't have time to do freelance graphic design work -- which is what I had hoped to be able to do. So, where does this leave me? I'm not really sure.

Part of me just wants to be involved in nothing else outside of work. A part of me wants to take on a more significant role at my church -- whether it be in teaching, taking a Bible study, or something yet undefined. And yet another part of me wants to work on a Ph.D.

I just don't know. Those of you who are the prayin' kind, send a word up for me, please.

By the way...
Tak a look at this article comparing Monday Night Football to the MSM's coverage of Iraq. I loved it.

Back to Basics

2005-12-01T12:42:00.000-05:00

It seems that a lot of the MSM is coming out against the Catholic Church's new policy on homosexual clergy. A priest in Arizona recently left the priesthood and called his presence there like being a Jew working for the Nazis. Everything I've heard coming out of the MSM in response to the new "Instruction" released by the Congregation for Catholic Education has been radically opposed and usually included some epithet about Nazis. But let's take a look at the heart of the matter.

Both in the Old Testament and the New, the Bible is very clear about the practice of homosexuality. In Exodus 20:13, the Bible says, "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable." And this verbiage is repeated frequently. Also in the New Testament letter to the Romans (1:27), the Apostle Paul says, "In the same way the men also abandoned natural relations with women and were inflamed with lust for one another. Men committed indecent acts with other men, and received in themselves the due penalty for their perversion." So the Bible is very clear about its prohibition on the practice of homosexuality.

But the Bible also calls everyone to live a life of sexual purity -- not just for homosexuals, but also for heterosexuals. You'll notice my language above -- the practice of homosexuality is forbidden. The practice of any sexuality -- gay or straight -- is forbidden outside the bonds of marriage. The Bible requires the self-discipline of its believers in all aspects of their lives, and even more so in their sexual lives. This is the Biblical teaching about sexual purity.

Throughout the Bible those who are called to be preachers and teachers are called to live a life of purity and live that life to a higher standard than what is expected of the body of believers at large. How can a man lead if he does not live a life worthy of following?

Therefore, the new Catholic "Instruction" restricting the ordination or the acceptance of homosexuals as priests is very much in line with the teachings of the Bible. I give a lot of credit to Pope Bendict XVI for bringing the church back into line with the Bible. Most of the Catholic church's problems throughout the past 2,000 years have come when the church ignored or departed from the teachings of the Bible. And while this one edict will not miraculously heal the problems the Catholic church has been having with sexual abuse by clergymen, it is a start. I personally think they should also rescind the requirement of celibacy for its priests and reduce it to a strong recommendation. After all, the Apostle Peter -- the man the Catholics claim as their first Pope -- had a wife (1 Corinthians 9:5). But this is just my opinion.

To Heal the Sick

2005-11-21T14:56:00.000-05:00

Recently, we had a guest speaker in my Sunday school class who really has one of the keys to helping with health issues in Third World countries. Dr. Alynne MacLean is the founder and director of Science with a Mission (SMI), Inc. During Dr. MacLean's studies and her travels, she came to understand that one of the major hurdles in dealing with medical issues in the Third World is diagnosis. Because of the tax breaks, many pharmaceutical companies are more than happy to provide medications for practically any illness. But the problem is getting an accurate diagnosis before starting treatment. Many doctors who work in impoverished countries can only diagnose an illness by noting the symptoms displayed and then guessing. The truly lucky physicians may have access to a microscope. But Dr. MacLean is developing diagnostic tools that will vastly improve the ability to diagnose and treat a wide variety of diseases.

If you've ever been in the military, you've had a "whiz quiz" -- a urinalysis. A significant number of women have used a home pregnancy test. In both cases, a small quantity of urine is placed on a test strip and, after a few minutes, results are displayed by either a color change on the paper or the appearance of a + (plus) or - (minus) to indicate the results of the test. Very simple. You're either pregnant or you're not. You've used drugs or you haven't.

Dr. MacLean is using this same technology to diagnose illnesses in Third World countries. Recently, Dr. MacLean delivered 5,000 malaria tests and 1,000 typhoid tests to the Democratic Republic of Congo. Currently, through Dr. MacLean's work and the efforts of a few others, a small amount of blood is all that is required to test for Malaria , Typhoid, HIV 1/2, Dengue IgG/IgM, Hepatitis B, H.pylori, Tuberculosis, Syphilis, Chlamydia, and Gonorrhea. Can you imagine how effective this would be in diagnosing and treating villagers in the remote regions of Congo, Nepal, Burkina Faso, and similar nations? Previously, this kind of work could only have been done with microscopes. A small village would take several weeks to diagnose before beginning treatment. Now, with a simple blood test can quickly screen for the diseases listed above and begin treatment. Also, this type of diagnostic testing can be done without needing a doctor or nurse on-site. Roving medical teams can be much more effective in their efforts using these diagnostics.

So what? What's the big deal? The big deal is that I'm asking you to consider helping Science With a Mission by donating to their efforts. With your help, diagnostics can be developed for even more diseases. With your help, more of the existing diagnostic tests can be distributed throughout the world to quickly diagnose and treat diseases and reduce their death rates. Please go to the SMI website and look at their work. Contact Dr. MacLean and ask her to come and speak to your church or organization about this important work. And, in addition to anything else you may do for SMI, please pray for Dr. MacLean and SMI. The work could be the beginning to reducing the impact of diseases in Third World and impoverished nations.

Editorial Update: After publishing this post I received a few corrections regarding the technical aspects of SMI's work and the diagnostic methods they use. It is important for you to have an accurate understanding of what SMI does and the impact they can achieve. Thanks.

The Sweet Smell of Employment

2005-11-17T10:31:00.000-05:00

For those of you who care, I received and accepted a job offer last Friday. I will be working as a project manager for a printing company. My primary responsibility will be helping them roll out a new product line. It will be a significant challenge as I have not done anything this ambitious before. But I am confident that I will succeed.

For those of you who were praying for me, thank you very much. This job opportunity came through rather quickly for me and I am sure that the Lord has brought this about. All praise, honor and glory are due to the Lord, my God.

For those who don't care and/or didn't pray for me, just move on to the next posting. And thanks for visiting.

Sticks 'n Stones

2005-11-16T15:20:00.000-05:00

In my most recent post -- Propriety -- I started with a brief discussion of why I am Republican. This is frequently an action that will draw a response of some sort, and this particular posting is no exception. Some unknown commenter -- "JB" -- decided to take me on regard my statements in this posting. Below I have posted his original comments and I will reply to each statement he makes. I would have responded directly to "JB," but he/she did not leave an e-mail address to which I could respond. So I have chosen to respond here.

lol...it's hard to read this without laughing.
quote: "We Republicans don't just throw money..."
Really? What do you call Iraq? How about throwing enough money (as
in over 200 billion dollars & counting) to bring our national debt
to previously unimagined proportions (after those morally repugnant
Democrats had balanced the budget for us), dropping the dollar into
the toilet, and bringing the economy to a near standstill. I guess
the Republicans don't just throw money, they also throw the lives of
young men and women as well.

There is a great difference between throwing and spending money. For instance, one hallmark of liberal social policy is the tendency to constantly increase spending on educational programs without any sort of metrics for tracking the success or failure of these policies. This is throwing money at an issue. In JB's example of Iraq, this is not an instance of throwing money and expecting results. Money is being spent to fund the U.S. military's efforts to effect regime change in Iraq (a U.S. policy since 1998 -- completed 2003), restore social order (in progress), empower the Iraqi people to defend themselves (in progress), and prepare the way for a democratic form of government in Iraq as defined and selected by the Iraqi people. This is not throwing money, it's money well spent. As for the lives of U.S. service men and women, they are never asked to give "the last full measure of devotion" without reason. And while JB may not like the reason for sending our best and brightest into harm's way, as Thomas Jefferson once said (a perennial favorite of liberals) "The tree of liberty must be refreshed from time to time with the blood of patriots and tyrants."

Just what exactly are you referring to when you are saying
"republicans take their civic responsibilities as seriously as their
civic liberties?" Or by civic responsibilities do you mean
protecting the interests of Big Business?

Liberals are frequently crying about freedoms and liberties. Our constitution guarantees U.S. citizens certain freedoms -- freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of assembly, etc. But you rarely hear them speak of the responsibilities of each citizen also bears as part and parcel of that citizenship. For instance, responsibilities may include (and are not necessarily limited to) military service, the assistance of civil authorities (police, emergency services, etc.) in maintaining social order, service in the governing bodies of our nation (local, state and federal), etc.

As for "Big Business," all business entities -- from sole proprietorships to multinational corporations -- abide by laws and regulations set by the people of the United States (and other countries when applicable) through the Congress. It is this body of laws that governs all commerce. Businesses have a right to ply their trade and make whatever profits they can within the law. A basic tenet of business is that as risk increases, so does reward. Businesses who take larger risks, frequently receive larger rewards (from the market) for doing so. But, as always, they have to be responsive to the markets (read "the people"). For example, oil companies used to have little concern for the environment until the greater public decide that a clean environment is important to them. Since that time of environmental awakening, oil companies have had to clean up their act, so to speak, as a matter of social or civic responsibility. So, as long as business act within the laws that govern commerce, I have no problem with them making as much profit as they can responsibly make.

And just what exactly is "trumped up" about the Plame-CIA leak? and
why do you refer to it as a "so-called" leak? It is a fact that
Plame's undercover identity was outed. Is it not? It is a fact that
outing an undercover agent's identity is a crime, not um...a civic
responsibility.
Partisanship has nothing to do with it.
Yes, Libby should be prosecuted. Great. Now what about Rove?

The whole matter of Valerie Plame is trumped up. There is no record that Ms. Plame has ever worked as a covert agent for the CIA or any other government organization. At the time of the newspaper article in question, Ms. Plame was flying a desk at the CIA. If you will refer to my earlier post -- Plame Game -- you will find that the mere statement that Ms. Plame is/was an employee of the CIA is not criminal. And partisanship has everything to do with it. It was Ms. Plame's husband -- a dyed in the wool Bush hater -- who made the assertion that the law broken in "outing" his wife. There was no outing. And Ambassador Wilson has been caught in any number of lies about his role in the matter and his participation in a mission to Niger regarding Yellow Cake allegations.

Libby should be prosecuted only if he was found to have lied to the grand jury. I don't think he will be found guilty of perjury at all. Rove has been cleared of any wrong-doing, so, what about Rove?

Oh, and speaking of lying...where are the Weapons of Mass
Destruction? Why has everyone forgotten about that?

There were no lies about WMD. At the end of the Persian Gulf War of 1990-91, the U.S.-led coalition found large quantities of WMD in Iraq. As part of the cease fire agreement with Iraqi, they were supposed to destroy these materials in the presence of coalition/UN inspectors. Inspectors were never allowed to watch the destruction of Saddam Hussein's WMDs. Since that time, every major intelligence organization in the world claimed that Saddam Hussein maintained his stock of WMD -- the U.S., the British, the French, the Germans -- everyone. Since we had no evidence of their destruction, the natural assumption was that they remained in Saddam's arsenal. After the 2004 invasion, no WMD were found. Many reasons have been advanced for their absence. The most credible reason, in my opinion, is that they were transported out of the country -- possibly to either Syria or North Korea. At most, there was an unforgivable lapse in the intelligence regarding Iraqi WMD. But this does not mean that anyone lied. It means that we were misled. There is a big difference.

Make no mistake. Clinton did lie...and that was wrong. Unequivically wrong. However, I think it's interesting that you dismissed the Plame incident as a partisan attack...if the Clinton incident was not a partisan attack, I don't know what was. That doesn't make it any more right...but at least his actions did not put someone's life at risk.

Actually, the impeachment of President Clinton was not a partisan attack. Clinton lied to a grand jury and he was correctly prosecuted for it.

We acted against the UN in attacking Iraq. Shouldn't someone be
punished?

The U.S. acted in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law. First, the united States was the major signatory power to the Persian Gulf War cease fire agreement. Iraq failed to uphold its responsibilities as a part of this cease fire agreement and was therefore liable for a resumption of hostilities without regard to any claims by the U.N. As for the United Nations, Article 51 of the UN Charter and the precedents of international law allow any UN member nation to act in preemptive self-defense of their national interests. The United States (and others) passed 17 resolutions through the UN Security Council and Iraq did not comply with any of them. The final Security Council resolutions allowed the U.S. to act in any way to enforce the outstanding resolutions. Therefore, we did not act "against the UN." We were acting in accordance with the U.N. Charter and international law.

Or is that more Republican civic responsibility?

Actually, our actions in Iraq could be considered an action of "civic responsibility" if you expanded the general definition to a global scale.

It will be interesting to see if JB will reply to this posting. The facts are already on record as I have stated both here and in other postings. If JB does reply, I'm sure it will be more unsubstantiated spin. But I will listen to any reasoned argument.

Propriety

2005-11-11T11:20:00.000-05:00

Do you want to know why I'm a classic Republican? It's because I believe that the Republican party stands for a pragmatic approach to the issues of the day. We Republicans don't just throw money -- although recent congressional behavior has me concerned. We seek solutions that are all about the people taking their civic responsibilities just as seriously as their civic liberties. And, we classic Republicans, moderate our rhetoric and focus it on issues and not on vitriol.

Recently I have been concerned about how Democrat ex-presidents have broken with tradition and publicly malign a sitting President. For years now, former president Jimmy Carter has blasted President Bush over anything that the MSM has brought up as an issue. But, I think that president Carter has only been serving as lackey of the Democrat movers and shakers. But recently, former president Bill Clinton has also taken up the role of party hack. While at a recent symposium at Hofstra University devoted to the consideration of the legacy of the 42nd President of the United States (which I think is too soon to be historicly informative), former president Clinton joined the fray. As the Washington Post's John Harris says in his article, Clinton started off by saying that we would not be commenting on President Bush but, true to form, he did take shots at the President's foreign policy.

Clinton also commented that he felt that his impeachment by Congress was "an egregious abuse of the Constitution" and "challenged those who say history will judge him poorly because of his White House tryst with Monica Lewinsky." But, one should remember that president Clinton's impeachment was not directly about Lewinsky, but was directly about his lying before a grand jury. As we have recently seen (vis-a-vis Scooter Libby) purgery is -- and should be -- taken very seriously. And while I think that the so-called Plame-CIA leak is a trumped up partisan attack, if Libby did lie under oath, he should be prosecuted.

(HT: Drudge)

European Civil War

2005-11-07T13:40:00.000-05:00

Those of you who watch world events have, by now, heard of the rioting in France (despite the MSM's attempts to downplay it or ignore it). Over the past week, Muslims have begun rioting -- over 1,500 cars have been set ablaze in France. The French Interior Minister claims this brings the total number of immolated cars to over 9,000 since t he beginning of the year. I have also just heard that similar riots are beginning in Belgium, Denmark, German and Holland. I believe these to be the first shots fired in the inevitable European Civil War.

As with our own Civil War, these riots have been long expected by those who have their eyes open. In the U.S., we had decades of discussions and debates over the institution of slavery. But the precursors of the impending European Civil War have not been as vocal. The French in particular have gone out of their way to not require Muslim emigrants to assimilate into French society and culture. This is partially due to arrogance about French culture (which Muslims would dilute), and it is also partly due to France's moral relativism. While it is OK in France to bash Israel and French Jews, it is intolerable that they would criticize Islam or its adherents.

I intend to keep a close eye on the state of Europe and how it deals with its Muslim problem. I'll be posting more on this as events unfold.

Job Update

2005-11-02T10:10:00.000-05:00

I just wanted to make a quick update on my employment situation. Last Monday I interviewed with a company that is looking to expand. The position would entail my working on expansion opportunities while the owner is working with franchisees on a new product line. My only concern has been with the personality inventory that he requested I take. Throughout my career I have found it very efficacious to modify my responses based on the situation and personnel involved. Having said this, it is difficult for me to answer a work-environment personality assessment without knowing the "details". In other words, does the subordinate in question require a firm hand or encouragement? So I am not sure how this personality inventory turned out.

Regardless, I know the Lord will provide.