Saturday, February 28, 2009

Why the Market is in the Tank.... No One believes

KIPLINGER'S MONEY POLL
Thank you for participating in our poll.

Do you think the stimulus package will help the economy?
Yes, this year8.6%

Yes, but it will take more than a year29.7%

No52.1%

Not sure9.5%

Total votes: 8492

Thoughts

““The trouble with socialism is that you eventually run out of other people’s money”—Margaret Thatcher.”

Conservative: If you give a man a fish, you feed him for one night. If you teach a man to fish, he feeds himself every night thereafter.

Liberal: If you give a man a fish, he owes you a favor. If you teach a man to fish, he won’t need you any more. That's not good, for a liberal.

Where is Urban Rap's Public Interest and Diversity?

Dick Durbin was able to get an amendment voted on along a party vote regarding the fairness doctrine. The idea Sen Durbin initiated is that if a station was unable or unwilling to balance it's programming with Community Interest then it's licence to operate could be pulled, even before a hearing. This is the Language in part:
S.160's Purpose is "To encourage and promote diversity in communication media ownership, and to ensure that the public airwaves are used in the public interest."

The idea is not just that a radio or TV station finds an audience, it now must fit the defined by the left's template of diversity and public interest.
The worst part of the Durbin Amendment is the possibility that Obama's FCC may now be empowered to prematurely pull the broadcast licenses of radio stations they deem as failing to meet these new "Fairness" Doctrine-esque guidelines. Several lawyers who do this for a living see this rider's wording as amorphous enough to allow for this interpretation.

This would be absolutely devastating to talk radio. Stations currently carrying Conservative and Christian talk would be perpetually under the FCC gun - never knowing when the regulatory hammer would fall and crush their businesses. They would feel tremendous pressure to change formats so as to be able to stay on the air.

The truth is these licenses would then be awarded to more "diverse" owners who show a greater desire in meeting the new more "Progressive" FCC's definition of the "local" and "public interest." You know, ACORN activists and MoveOn.org hosts who couldn't cut the mustard on National Public or Pacifica Radio.


There is no question this idea is targeting conservative and christian radio and TV. I get that. Let's apply the goose and gander test to this. I'll start with Urban Rap music. Many, even President Obama would admit that a significant component of Rap Music is not diverse and does not serve the public interest. It's certainly not local when I hear it in lily white St. Charles IL. So, let's get them off the air. Let's apply this test and take them down. They certainly are undiverse and without any public interest. Ask Bill Cosby.

We have an urban talk radio station, WVON. I listen to it. The Black Radio commentators espouse and promote all kinds of things a listener like me would consider to be lacking in diversity and not in the public interest. Never mind Air America. Jim Leher on PBS. Much of NPR. Not diverse. Not in the public interest. Not local.

Our national sports radio feed from ESPN promotes teams other than the Bears in it's talk format. I'm in IL. I don't think that's proper. It's not in our local public interest to have opinions that do not serve our local community. I would be the first to petition them off the air.

I'm kidding....a little.

You see the problem. Who decides. The market has spoken. Christian and Conservative (not the same programs) have succeeded. Many liberal formats have not.

So, in view of that, I am offering up this list of radio formats that exist in most markets. Apply the Durbin analysis to it. Turban Durbin might think that an Islamic voice to balance a christian one would be appropriate. What about these formats, what would balance them:

  • # News, talk, sports formats
  • # Country music formats (Classical?)
  • # Contemporary hit radio (CHR) music formats (All Sinatra?)
  • # Adult contemporary music formats (Euro Beat?)
  • # Rock and alternative music formats (Barry Manilow?)
  • # Urban music formats (Poetry Reading for balance from Keats?)
  • # Jazz and Classical music formats (Motown only?)
  • # Oldies, Adult Hits and Nostalgia music formats (Miley Cyrus 24/7?)
  • # Spanish and Latin music formats (All German Music all the time?)
  • # World music formats (Indian Drumming from NODAK?)
  • # Religious programming formats (Sharia Law endorsement for dummies?)
  • # Public, Government, Community radio formats (remember the lunch menu's in school announcements?)
  • # College, student formats (I think that same little girl that I hear on our local North Central college radio station works every where, at least is seems like it)
You see the problem. Who decides. These formats exist because there's an audience for them. Yes, they fit a narrow cast market. Let the market decide who wins and who loses. Not George Soros and Dick Durbin.

Friday, February 27, 2009

Slowdrifts

An annual report released this week about church growth highlights two Pentecostal denominations as the only faith groups of traditional Christian orthodoxy that increased church membership.

altFeb. 26, 2009 -- While membership in the nation's largest Christian communions declined last year, two Pentecostal denominations showed an increase.

The Assemblies of God (AG) of Springfield, Mo., and the Cleveland, Tenn.-based Church of God were the only two denominations of traditional Christian orthodoxy among the 25 largest churches in the U.S. to report membership increases, according to the 2009 edition of the Yearbook of American & Canadian Churches, an annual chronicle of religious institutions edited by the National Council of Churches (NCC) and published by Abingdon.

The AG listed nearly 2.9 million members while the Church of God reported 1 million.

The ecumenical NCC reported the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and Jehovah's Witnesses as the only other church groups to show membership increases, even though most Pentecostals, and many mainline churches and orthodox Christians, would consider those two groups separate religions.

A slight membership decline among Catholic and Southern Baptist churches, according to the yearbook, raised eyebrows because both denominations have typically grown over the years. "Now they join virtually every mainline church in reporting a membership decline," stated an NCC release.

In the bigger picture, the yearbook reported the small less-than-one-percent drop in membership in each denomination was not "earth-shattering" because there are still more than 67 million Roman Catholics in the U.S. and 16 million Southern Baptists.

Churches listed in the NCC yearbook as experiencing the highest rate of membership loss are the United Church of Christ, the African Methodist Episcopal Zion Church, the Presbyterian Church (USA), the Lutheran Church - Missouri Synod, and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.

The Rev. Eileen W. Lindner, the yearbook's editor, said there are no clear-cut theological or sociological reasons for church growth or decline. "Many churches are feeling the impact of the lifestyles of younger generations of church-goers," Lindner said, "the Gen X'ers or Millenials in their 20s and 30s who attend and support local congregations but resist joining them."


Footnote: Last night I met with other ministers from our area and the report is the International Pentecostal Holiness Church is holding steady nationally. Our conference is up some. I hate to see good churches sliding. The last few years I have been trying to bring what I have to help our local Church (LCMS) not be a statistic. There is much work to be done. It's time to get back....To the Basics of Love.

Questions Fellow Blogger from England Asked -- I will answer, but if you like, you can think of how you would

Why do you blog?
I have something to say, some people read it, I think it matters a little if only to me

What has been your best blogging experience?
Writing meaningful tributes to people I love

What has been your worst blogging experience?
A stupid blog war over nothing with Julie a long time ago.

What are your favourite blogs?
They are on both blogrolls. I like Go Prairie for the artistic way she writes, I like Julie for her skill, I like Steve for his capacity for profound insight, I like Ron for the way he challenges my thinking.... ETC... They are all good and when I tire of them, they go away.

What are you reading at the moment?
I just finished The Great Depression Ahead by Harry S Dent. Keeps me up nights.

What is the best novel you've ever read?
Final Quest by Rick Joyner, not long but earthshaking stuff

What is your favourite movie?
Still Matrix One.

What is your favourite song?
When I'm 64 by the beatles because I am in a couple weeks

Can you name a major moral, political or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind? Yes, several. Not moral, but Political and intellectual. I have become more intellectually convinced of the absolute truth of the Bible. Politically, when I was very young and confused I was a Hubert Humphrey Liberal which would make me about the quasi Conservative I am today.


What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to disseminate? People do what they do in their own best interest and you can't legislate around that.


What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to combat? Socialism, Marxism and Collectivism, Atheism


Can you name a work of non-fiction which has had a major and lasting influence on how you think about the world? Up the organization by Townsend


Who are your political heroes? Truman, Reagan, Paul Simon and Glen Poshard


If you could effect one major policy change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
Eliminate Public Education and implement a flat consumer based tax system.

What would you do with the UN? Deconnect from it and move it to Bermuda


What do you consider to be the main threat to the future peace and security of the world? Islamic Fundamentalism


What personal fault do you most dislike? My capacity to be arrogant and a know it all, even when I do.


In what circumstances would you be willing to lie? To save a person's life


What commonly enjoyed activities do you regard as a waste of time? Exercise in a gym


What, if anything, do you worry about? Government control of our lives, it's out of hand.


If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything you'd do differently? Too much to talk about here, I have done plenty stupid and wrong.


What would you call your autobiography? Finding My Voice


Who would play you in the movie about your life? Carl Maudlin (is he still alive?)


Where would you most like to live (other than where you do)? Bahamas


What is your most treasured possession? Wow, I'm not very materialistc, I'm not sure I know. Take take take it all.... I probably won't miss it.


Who is your favourite comedian or humorist? Many that were funny to me when I was younger have become bitter old men and women. They just aren't that funny any more. Carlin cracked me up pretty good.


Who are your sport heroes? I think all major leauge baseball is amazing. They are very skilled.


Which football team do you support? Da Bears. It's the law in IL


If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner who would they be? OK, trick question. Jesus of course. Alone. A long long dinner. Luther. I am fascinated with him. Sarah Palin.... Say no more.


What animal would you most like to be? An Eagle flying high. So noble.

OK, now you. I'll post the questions below for you to cut and paste. Have fun if you want. Post them on your own blog. Let me know. I would like to read it.

Why do you blog?
What has been your best blogging experience?
What has been your worst blogging experience?
What are your favourite blogs?
What are you reading at the moment?
What is the best novel you've ever read?
What is your favourite movie?
What is your favourite song?
Can you name a major moral, political or intellectual issue on which you've ever changed your mind?
What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to disseminate?
What philosophical thesis do you think it most important to combat?
Can you name a work of non-fiction which has had a major and lasting influence on how you think about the world?
Who are your political heroes?
If you could effect one major policy change in the governing of your country, what would it be?
What would you do with the UN?
What do you consider to be the main threat to the future peace and security of the world?
What personal fault do you most dislike?.
In what circumstances would you be willing to lie?
What commonly enjoyed activities do you regard as a waste of time?
What, if anything, do you worry about? .
If you were to relive your life to this point, is there anything you'd do differently?
What would you call your autobiography?
Who would play you in the movie about your life?
Where would you most like to live (other than where you do)?
What is your most treasured possession?
Who is your favourite comedian or humorist?
Who are your sport heroes?
Which football team do you support?
If you could have any three guests, past or present, to dinner who would they be?
What animal would you most like to be?

Ten Things I'm Betting President Obama Would Take a Mulligan on if he could

I want him to do well. We need him to do well. We can't keep going south like we are. Here are ten things our young and frankly still pretty clumsy President has done. I hope practice will make more perfect and not permanent.

1. Pelosi’s Stimulus Package:
Letting Speaker Pelosi take the lead on writing the stimulus bill -- ensuring an ideological, pork-laden package. He's the President She's not.

2. Geithner’s Financial Bailout:
Why raise expectations and then send out the Treasury secretary with a plan that has only scant details? No wonder the markets tanked.

3. Census Grab:
A brazen, possibly illegal, power grab. Did he think people wouldn’t notice if he took the census away from Commerce and put it under political superpartisan Rahm Emanuel? This will not stand and is very clumsy.

4. Commerce Debacle:
First, the poor vetting of Bill Richardson, then he tried to pull the census away from his GOP nominee, Sen. Judd Gregg.

5. Cabinet Tax Cheats:
Geithner, Daschle, Killefer, Solis. Can’t he find people who paid their taxes?

6. Closing Gitmo:
Sure, he fulfilled a campaign promise, but what will he do with all the monsters like 9/11 mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed that other countries won’t touch? I think he may rethink this one.

7. Reversing Mexico City:
Do American taxpayers really want to pay for overseas abortion promotion? I knew he would do this, but it wasn't necessary. It was a clumsy way to pay off the pro death wing of the democrat party. He got nothing for it. I wonder if he even understands Chicago Politics.

8. Talking Down the Economy:
All of his talk of economic calamity to help sell his huge stimulus package will make people stop spending, causing more economic woes. For what? He didn't need this. He's showing his inexperience.

9. Phony Bipartisanship:
Having Republicans over for dinner is nice, but how about letting them participate in writing legislation. They won't accept another phony invitation. He will pay dearly for this maneuver.

10. Iran Dialogue:
He said he wants a “face-to-face” dialogue with Iran. Ahmadinejad’s response: Put Bush on trial he said as a condition. What did our President think?

Who are the POOR among us??

I was reading Deuteronomy 15 and the question came to mind, Who are the poor that are not supposed to be among us? Is that the man on the street who has his hand out? Is that the person in Appalachia? Is it the poor in the inner city? Is that the man with no place to live? Is that the people living in other countries with far less than we have? Who are the poor in this passage? Read it with that question in mind once more:

Deuteronomy 15 (NIV)

The Year for Canceling Debts
1 At the end of every seven years you must cancel debts. 2 This is how it is to be done: Every creditor shall cancel the loan he has made to his fellow Israelite. He shall not require payment from his fellow Israelite or brother, because the LORD's time for canceling debts has been proclaimed. 3 You may require payment from a foreigner, but you must cancel any debt your brother owes you. 4 However, there should be no poor among you, for in the land the LORD your God is giving you to possess as your inheritance, he will richly bless you, 5 if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today. 6 For the LORD your God will bless you as he has promised, and you will lend to many nations but will borrow from none. You will rule over many nations but none will rule over you.

7 If there is a poor man among your brothers in any of the towns of the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not be hardhearted or tightfisted toward your poor brother. 8 Rather be openhanded and freely lend him whatever he needs. 9 Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought: "The seventh year, the year for canceling debts, is near," so that you do not show ill will toward your needy brother and give him nothing. He may then appeal to the LORD against you, and you will be found guilty of sin. 10 Give generously to him and do so without a grudging heart; then because of this the LORD your God will bless you in all your work and in everything you put your hand to. 11 There will always be poor people in the land. Therefore I command you to be openhanded toward your brothers and toward the poor and needy in your land.

Here's the question, WHO are "Your Brothers"? Who are the poor and needy if they are in your land? Is there a difference between a neighbor and a brother. When Jesus admonishes that we are to do unto the least of these MY BROTHERS who is he talking about?

I'm not certain we really understand this. Worse, I wonder if we haven't perverted the purposes of the storehouse by using Brother dedicated money for wrong purposes.

Think about it....I am.

Good versus Bad Forgetting

I was talking with Peggy about regrets, I've had a few, but then again.....

Wait that's a Sinatra Song. I try hard to forget the dumb things I have done. Not to forget them as if they never happened, but to put them in the right places in my mind.

Memories can be torment.

This morning I was reading Nancy Minor's fine new blog and she wrote a great post on forgetting and not forgetting. I recommend you read the whole thing. In it she says in part:

There is a good kind of forgetting, and a bad kind. The Lord speaks to us about both kinds.

Here is the bad kind:

In Psa. 103:2 (DRB) Bless the Lord, O my soul, and never forget all he hath done for thee.
King James says ..."forget not all his benefits."

Mat 13:19 (BBE) When the word of the kingdom comes to anyone, and the sense of it is not clear to him, then the Evil One comes, and quickly takes away that which was put in his heart. He is the seed dropped by the wayside. (In other words he causes us to FORGET!)

Jas 1:25 (Amp) But he who looks carefully into the faultless law, the [law] of liberty, and is faithful to it and perseveres in looking into it, being not a heedless listener who forgets but an active doer [who obeys], he shall be blessed in his doing (his life of obedience).

Good forgetting:

Philippians 3:13(GNB) Of course, my friends, I really do not think that I have already won it; the one thing I do, however, is to forget what is behind me and do my best to reach what is ahead.

Job 11:16 (GW) Then you will forget your misery and remember it like water that has flowed downstream.
Then she gives prophetic words of encouragement. Read the whole thing. I did and I'm glad.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

A Float from A German Fashing Parade (German Mardi Gras)

Somehow depicting President Obama as an Angel seems just a little weird, isn't it. Can you imagine Bill Clinton?

Nope, me either.

Put Away Childish Things

Holman Jenkins says (Emphasis Mine) and I agree:


Put away childish things, President Obama said during his inauguration. He couldn't have found a theme more suited to the moment. The preoccupations that he and most politicians are used to running on, and that still characterize too many of his administration's utterances, are being exposed in the global economic disaster as the soppy indulgences they always were.

[Business World]
Dan Renaldo/NBC NewsWire via AP Images


Put away the global warming panic. Mankind's contribution to rising CO2 levels raises serious questions, but the tens of billions poured into climate science have, by now, added up only to a negative finding. We don't really have the slightest idea how an increase in the atmosphere's component of CO2 is impacting our climate, though the most plausible indication is that the impact is too small to untangle from natural variability.

In any case, has Mr. Obama taken a gander at collapsing industrial production numbers around the world? He's going to get a big reduction in CO2 output whether he wants it or not. Nor will the public be moved to make costly, material changes in its energy habits, especially if the recent global cooling trend continues. What we'll get instead is already depressingly clear: climate pork, or lucrative favors for lobbying interests in the name of global warming that have no impact on global warming.

Put away the "energy independence" conceit. This notion, a favorite of Tojo and Hitler, was debunked by Churchill, who reasoned that true energy security came from a diversity of suppliers, not the foolish pursuit of self-sufficiency.

We only hurt our own cause by blocking development of our own resources and closing our markets to biofuel producers in the Southern Hemisphere. Let's grow up. Through all the ups and downs of oil prices, the U.S. has been able to buy all it wants, even from countries that wish us dead. We are a bigger buyer of oil than any country is a supplier of it. We've had the whip hand all along.

Put away Ponzi welfarism. The day is gone when politicians could have hoped to have begun and ended their careers before the public ever faced the implosion of redistribution programs that depend on the workforce growing faster than the retired population.

Put away the idea that more government control is the cure for health care. We already bribe, through supremely asinine tax policy, the most affluent, capable consumers on the planet not to use their smarts to make sure the system returns value for money.

Let's fix this -- by eliminating the tax subsidy for employer-provided health insurance. Then it might actually become economically feasible to subsidize health care for the needy.

Put away class warfare tax politics: Only a flatter, less distorting tax code is compatible with the kind of growth needed to get us out of the debt mess without inflation.

We already levy punitive tax rates on bank deposits, at a time when households need to build up savings and banks need deposits. Now Mr. Obama wants to raise taxes on small business, on investment, and on the incomes of the most productive job creators. Is he crazy?

Like a subprime borrower who hasn't gotten the news yet, now is not the time to go deeper into debt to build a third Jacuzzi. Our politicians need to address an accumulation of past excesses before sponsoring new ones.

Mr. Obama came to office without a conspicuous vision other than "bipartisanship" and a belief in the beneficent influence on America and the world of seeing a black man exercising the powers of the presidency. He wields his party's shibboleths like one who sees them mainly as levers for delivering the goods. His ideas about the exercise of politics, in fact, may be accurately reflected in the recent stimulus bill -- in office you supply the wish lists of those who put you there.

His will be a fascinating presidency to watch, not least because of his inexperience, his intellectual agility, and the crisis in which he finds himself. But his presidency will get really interesting in a year or two, or six months -- whenever he finally realizes that everything he thought he wanted to do is irrelevant. He'll then have to adapt an agenda for the world as it is, in which many childish things no longer have a place.

And, by the way, he kids himself if he believes he will be allowed, like FDR, to preside over a depression without being politically blamed for it. The public is different now -- the world is different -- and he will own the "Obama depression" sooner than he thinks.

Mancow Mueller on TBN

IF you don't know Mancow, you haven't watched or listened to TV for a while. But he is a Christian, wasn't always. But, has been revolutionized by the Gospel.

He's on our local radio WLS. He is a crazy man now, crazy for Jesus.

If you want to see the interview with him you can see it at about the 1 hour and 33 minute mark of the program. It's worth it. And what he has to say is worth it.

No more strippers, sex, drugs or Rock and Roll. Jesus. Thought you would find this encouraging.

David Brooks is no Conservative

David Brooks was just in our area. I know many went to see him. He is no conservative. He is is critical of the conservative movement. He may be good for the Republican party. But he is a liberal.

His type of politics will be the death knell of the Republican party. We need a new party. We need a party of true fiscal and social conservatives. These are secularists without a compass, moral or otherwise. They do not understand what is happening to our country. They are oblivious. Unfortunately these left wing republican in name only interlopers get a voice. Sometimes they even sucker in the weak.

David Brooks does not speak for me or any conservative I know of. He speaks for a lukewarm middle of the road republicanism that has no future in this country. They are guppies suckered in by the philosophy that if we are nice the left will like us and might vote for us. That's why we had McCain, he was a classic middle of the road, reach across the Aisle republican. If it were NOT for Sarah Palin he would have been beaten 2-1. I was embarrassed for him the other day when he asked the Helicopter question of Pres Obama. He should resign and retire and let a real conservative take his place. We will never win the hearts and minds of the population being phony conservatives. We learned that in Illinois when Judy Barr Topinka tried to become governor against a flawed incumbent, Blago. No center. No Values.

David Brooks has a philosophical representation of why the Republican Party will fail and a Conservative movement must arise. Or we will never win another election. This is a crime. Mary Matlin was on the Today Show. Here is an interview where she is asked about David Brooks. She nails it:

On Thursday's "Today" show NBC's Meredith Vieira invited on former George W. Bush assistant Mary Matalin to discuss the excessive spending in Barack Obama's budget, and the interview got off to a promising start as Vieira actually asked Matalin, "Do you see it as a disaster in the making?" However the segment quickly turned sour when Vieira cited a critique of Bobby Jindal's post-Obama address response by New York Times columnist David Brooks and claimed: "Conservatives were criticizing him for stale ideas. He didn't say anything, nothing new." Matalin ably defended the Louisiana governor as seen in the following exchange:

MEREDITH VIEIRA: You know, you talk about a united Republican Party, but I want to read to you something that David Brooks said, now he's a conservative columnist. This was after governor Bobby Jindal gave the response to President Obama's speech on Tuesday. Brooks said, "To come up at this moment in history with a stale "Government is the problem. We can't trust the federal government." It's just a disaster for the Republican Party. The country is in a panic right now." And he went on to suggest that the party is out of touch with where this country is and where it is headed. So, you do not agree with what he said?

MARY MATALIN: No, I don't, and I live in Louisiana now, as you know, and Bobby Jindal is an extraordinary public servant. He's the greatest public policy innovator in the country today, and that isn't what he said. That's David Brook's rendition of it. Who, who's a friend. But his, Bobby Jindal has made more progress in Louisiana in the shortest period of time in the history of the state and probably in the country. Education reform and, and ethics reform. Everything that put Louisiana downscale is now one of the top states in the country. What people who are objecting to, about Governor Jindal's presentation was the presentation itself. And you know, demonstrably he was much stronger on "Meet the Press" and much stronger on the "Today" show than he was in front of a teleprompter. I think if you want to take the measure of a man, I'd rather see him be able go up against you than stand in front of a teleprompter.

VIEIRA: But you know Mary it wasn't just that. It was, again conservatives were criticizing him for stale ideas. He didn't say anything, nothing new.

MATALIN: No, these are not stale ideas. These are the essence of the, of fiscal conservatism upon which this country was founded and prospered and he is applying in, in the state of Louisiana. What is an old idea that's never worked in the history of this country or any other is government growing, which does not create wealth. It discourages investment and wealth creation. And the, they call, they're calling those ideas stale, but those are the only ones in the history of this country that have created prosperity. It worked for Kennedy, it worked for Reagan, it worked, it got us out of the last recession, and it's the only thing that's gonna grow this economy again.

Unblogrolling Activity

I revised my blogroll today. Not a big deal to anyone but me.

One was little green footballs who has become campaign headquarters for conservative atheism. Why would I consider blogrolling him? I no longer do.

The other will remain anonymous except to those who might notice he's gone. It's a man who I thought had spiritual depth and discernment who now it appears has neither. I'm saddened by this. He has gone far off the deep end. His spirit has become entangled with the world so much he no longer knows who he even is as a Christian. I wrote about him recently, about his slow slide into apostasy. I remember the last time I was with him. He talked so loud and so fast that no one else in the conversation got a word in edgewise. It was at that point I knew something was wrong. It was. I hope he comes back to the Father.

So long to these sad people. The good news is I have added a couple of real sparklers. Alan Knox is one of those. Read his blog. He's a breath of fresh air.

It's spring and it was time to do a little house cleaning.

The net effect of Taxes on the Rich

Below is a copy of a letter sent (allegedly) to the employees of a large firm. I have the man's phone number. You can call and ask him if he sent it.

When I heard President Obama say he was about to raise taxes on the Rich I laughed. I know rich. I have been rich. I know what happens when Rich in America no longer works, you go elsewhere. There are always little dominions who welcome rich folks to bring their riches.

Ask Mark Rich.

In any case, this letter is a warning to government. They won't listen. They think they are smarter than the rich. They are smarter than the near rich. But the the true rich will get wheels when the going gets tough. They don't need this. And, they don't need to sit around and have you pick their pockets. This letter was sent to a larger companies employees:
My dear fellow Workers:

There have been some rumblings around the office about the future of this company, and more specifically, your job. As you know, the economy has changed for the worse and presents many challenges. However, the good news is this: The economy doesn’t pose a threat to your job. What does threaten your job however, is the changing political landscape in this country.

However, let me tell you some little tidbits of fact which might help you decide what is in your best interests.

First, while it is easy to spew rhetoric that casts employers against employees, you have to understand that for every business owner there is a back story. This back story is often neglected and overshadowed by what you see and hear. Sure, you see me park my Mercedes outside. You’ve seen my big home at last years Christmas party. I’m sure; all these flashy icons of luxury conjure up some idealized thoughts about my life. However, what you don’t see is the back story.

I started this company 28 years ago. At that time, I lived in a 300 square foot studio apartment for 3 years. My entire living apartment was converted into an office so I could put forth 100% effort into building a company, which by the way, would eventually employ you.

My diet consisted of Ramen Pride noodles because every dollar I spent went back into this company. I drove a rusty Toyota Corolla with a defective transmission. I didn’t have time to date. Often times, I stayed home on weekends, while my friends went out drinking and partying. In fact, I was married to my business—hard work, discipline, and sacrifice.

Meanwhile, my friends got jobs. They worked 40 hours a week and made a modest $50K a year and spent every dime they earned. They drove flashy cars and lived in expensive homes and wore fancy designer clothes. Instead of hit ting the Nordstrom’s for the latest hot fashion item, I was trolling through the Goodwill store extracting any clothing item that didn’t look like it was birthed in the 70’s. My friends refinanced their mortgages and lived a life of luxury. I, however, did not. I put my time, my money, and my life into a business with a vision that eventually, some day, I too, will be able to afford these luxuries my friends supposedly had.

So, while you physically arrive at the office at 9am, mentally check in at about noon, and then leave at 5pm, I don’t. There is no “off” button for me. When you leave the office, you are done and you have a weekend all to yourself. I unfortunately do not have the freedom. I eat, and breathe this company every minute of the day. There is no rest. There is no weekend. There is no happy hour. Every day this business is attached to my hip like a 1 year old special-needs child. You, of course, only see the fruits of that garden—the nice house, the Mercedes, the vacations… You never realize the back story and the sacrifices I’ve made.

Now, the economy is falling apart and I, the guy that made all the right decisions and saved his money, have to bail-out all the people who didn’t. The people that overspent their paychecks suddenly feel entitled to the same luxuries that I earned and sacrificed a decade of my life for.

Yes, business ownership has is benefits but the price I’ve paid is steep and not without wounds.

Unfortunately, the cost of running this business, and employing you, is starting to eclipse the threshold of marginal benefit and let me tell you why:

I am being taxed to death and the government thinks I don’t pay enough. I have state taxes. Federal taxes. Property taxes. Sales and use taxes. Payroll taxes. Workers compensation taxes. Unemployment taxes. Taxes on taxes. I have to hire a tax man to manage all these taxes and then guess what? I have to pay taxes for employing him. Government mandates and regulations and all the accounting that goes with it, now occupy most of my time. On Oct 15th, I wrote a check to the US Treasury for $288,000 for quarterly taxes. Yo u know what my “stimulus” check was? Zero. Nada. Zilch.

The question I have is this: Who is stimulating the economy? Me, the guy who has provided 14 people good paying jobs and serves over 2,200,000 people per year with a flourishing business? Or, the single mother sitting at home pregnant with her fourth child waiting for her next welfare check? Obviously, government feels the latter is the economic stimulus of this country.

The fact is, if I deducted (Read: Stole) 50% of your paycheck you’d quit and you wouldn’t work here. I mean, why should you? That’s nuts. Who wants to get rewarded only 50% of their hard work? Well, I agree which is why your job is in jeopardy.

Here is what many of you don’t understand ... to stimulate the economy you need to stimulate what runs the economy. Had suddenly government mandated to me that I didn’t need to pay taxes, guess what? Instead of depositing that $288,000 into the Washington black-hole, I would have spent it, hired more employees, and generated substantial economic growth. My employees would have enjoyed the wealth of that tax cut in the form of promotions and better salaries. But you can forget it now.

When you have a comatose man on the verge of death, you don’t defibrillate and shock his thumb thinking that will bring him back to life, do you? Or, do you defibrillate his heart? Business is at the heart of America and always has been. To restart it, you must stimulate it, not kill it. Suddenly, the power brokers in Washington believe the poor of America are the essential drivers of the American economic engine. Nothing could be further from the truth and this is the type of change you can keep.

So where am I going with all this?

It’s quite simple.

If any new taxes are levied on me, or my company, my reaction will be swift and simple. I fire you. I fire your co-workers. You can then plead with the government to pay for your mortgage, your SUV, and your child’s future. Frankly, it isn’t my problem any more.

Then, I will close this company down, move to another country, and retire. You see, I’m done. I’m done with a country that penalizes the productive and gives to the unproductive. My motivation to work and to provide jobs will be destroyed, and with it, will be my citizenship.

If you lose your job, it won’t be at the hands of the economy; it will be at the hands of a political hurricane that swept through this country, steamrolled the constitution, and will have changed its landscape forever. If that happens, you can find me sitting on a beach, retired, and with no employees to worry about….

Signed,
Any good successful businessman or woman could sign this letter. And even if they don't, they do in their heart. What NOW??

Advice on Surviving this Great Depression from an 87 year Old Mother

Chuck Norris has written an article you should read. It's about how we must learn to live like they did during the 30s. That government can't and won't help you. This advice came from His 87 Year old Mother:

Here's her advice, in her words:

-- "Get back to the basics. Simplify your life. Live within your means. People have got to be willing to downsize and be OK with it. We must quit borrowing and cut spending. Be grateful for what you have, especially your health and loved ones. Be content with what you have, and remember the stuff will never make you happy. Never. Back then, we didn't have one-hundredth of what people do today, and yet we seemed happier than most today, even during the Great Depression.

-- "Be humble and willing to work. Back then, any work was good work. We picked cotton, picked up cans, scrap metal, whatever it took to get by. Where's that work ethic today? If someone's not being paid $10 an hour today, they're whining and unwilling to work, even if they don't have a job. The message from yesteryear is don't be too proud to do whatever it takes to meet the financial needs of your family.

-- "Be rich in love. We didn't have much. In fact, we had nothing at all, compared to people today, but we had each other. We were poor, but rich in love. We've lost the value of family and friends today, and we've got to gain it back if we're ever to get back on track. If we lose all our stuff and still have one another and our health, what have we really lost?

-- "Be a part of a community. Today people are much more alone, much more isolated. We used to be close with our neighbors. If one person had a bigger or better garden or orchard, they shared the vegetables and fruits with others in need. Society has shifted from caring for one another to being dependent upon government aid and welfare. That is why so many today trust in government to deliver them. They've forgotten an America that used to rally around one another in smaller clusters, called neighborhoods and communities. We must rekindle those local communal fires and relearn the power of that age-old commandment, 'Love thy neighbor.'

-- "Help someone else. We never quit helping others back then. Today too many people are consumed with their own problems and only helping themselves. 'What's in it for me?' is the question most are asking. But back then, it was, 'What can I do to help my neighbor, too?' I love Rick Warren's book The Purpose Driven Life, and especially his thought, 'We were created for community, designed to be a blessing to others.' Most of all, helping others gets our minds off of our problems and puts things into better perspective.

-- "Lean upon God for help and strength. We didn't just have each other to lean on, but we had God, too. We all attended church and belonged to a faith community. Church was the hub of society, the community core and rallying point. Today people turn to government the way we used to turn to churches. It's been that way ever since Herbert Hoover's alleged promise of a 'chicken in every pot' and President Roosevelt's New Deal. Too many have abandoned faith and community. We trust in money more than God. And maybe that's a reason why we're in this economic pickle."

Now that's conventional wisdom that should be shouted and posted in every corridor of government, every community across America, and every blog on the Internet.

Call me overly pragmatic, but I think a little practical wisdom and encouragement is what we all need about now. Mom always was good for that. She still is.
I always assumed that if we could just go back and live as simply as a nation as we did in 1954 we would be OK. At one time I considered writing a book called living like it's 1954. Maybe we would be better able to weather the storm if we dialed back a bit.

I have some amazing older people who read this blog. What advice do you have, not for me, it's too late for me, for younger people. How then shall we live?

Wednesday, February 25, 2009

The Sharp Tounge of Ann Coulter bites again

Yes she's funny, sharp tongued and eviscerates liberals everywhere. Sort of a good looking Conservative Molly Ivins.

Her last missive, THE CAL RIFKIN PRESIDENT is classic Coulter. You must read it where she says in part:

Are we going to have to hear about this for the next four years? Obama is becoming the Cal Ripken Jr. of presidents, making history every time he suits up for a game.

Recently, Obama also became the first African-American president to order a ham sandwich late at night from the White House kitchen! That's going to get old pretty quick.

But as long as the nation is obsessed with historic milestones, is no one going to remark on what a great country it is where a mentally retarded woman can become speaker of the house?
..................
With an additional eight years of a public school education under their belts, Americans fall from the 92nd percentile in science to the 29th percentile. While American fourth-graders are bested only by South Korea and Japan in science, by 12th grade, the only countries the American students can beat are Lithuania, Cyprus and South Africa.

Which suggests that if public education were extended all the way through college, by the time a student gets to graduate school he might very well be qualified to be ... speaker of the house!


Read the whole thing if you dare.

Tuesday, February 24, 2009

A half Billion of us under Investigation

It's all good. Pentecostals are going to be studied. All 500 million of us. I'll be interested to see what they say. Here is the background:

"Our goal is to inspire research partnerships around the globe and fund projects that will shape the discussion for years to come," said Donald Miller, executive director of the Center for Religion and Civic Culture, and author of Global Pentecostalism: The New Face of Christian Social Engagement. "We are interested in understanding why Pentecostalism is growing so rapidly, what impact it is having on society, and how it is different in various cultural settings."

Representing approximately 500 million adherents around the world, Pentecostal and charismatic Christianity is distinguished both by its powerful forms of worship, prayer, and manifestation of the Spirit, and its entrepreneurial drive generating profound social, cultural, and economic changes. Sustained academic research by sociologists, anthropologists, economists, political scientists, and other scholars is necessary to understand the significant growth and impact of this religious movement.


By the way, there are far more than 500 million of us. Lots of people in Africa, India and China.

You can only study those you can find. I think the real number is closer to a billion than not.

A movie of Impact - Fireproof

Last Saturday night 200 people came out to Church to watch this movie. It was a blockbuster. The best I have ever seen on marriage. I recommend it if you haven't seen it. Go rent it. Peggy and I did on Valentines Night. Now we have seen it 3 times. It moves me every time.



February 20, 2009 (LifeSiteNews.com) - Meet Alex Kendrick, a man of unshakeable faith in God, whose incredible success both in filmmaking and publishing can only be described as miraculous. Alex has six children, the eldest age ten and the sixth due to be born in April. He and his brother Stephen have no professional training in film and writing and are in full time ministry at Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia.

The pair's third film, "Fireproof," starring Kirk Cameron of Growing Pains fame, was the highest-grossing independent film of 2008, with over $33 million in theatre sales, beating out such films as Woody Allen's "Vicky Cristina Barcelona" (starring Scarlett Johansson and Penelope Cruz), and "Milk," starring Sean Penn.

That success is all the more stunning considering the film was made with an all-volunteer, 1,200-person cast and crew, drawn mostly from Sherwood Baptist church. Fireproof is the third major film venture by the church's volunteer production crew, dubbed Sherwood Pictures. "Flywheel," produced in 2004, has sold 200,000 DVDs. "Facing the Giants," in 2006, earned $10.1 million at the box office and has sold more than 1.6 million DVDs in 58 countries, in 14 languages.

Apart from the films, the Kendrick brothers have produced a book on strengthening marriages, which is currently sitting at number one on the New York Times bestseller list. The Love Dare book, as it's called, now has 2.2 million copies in print, and the book itself was a plot device in the film Fireproof.

But far more than the box office success, Kendrick cherishes the spectacular results of the book and film in terms of lives touched. Thousands of emails and testimonials report relationships restored, marriages saved, love recaptured, and divorces dissolved. The film and book give inspired step by step advice on working to salvage a marriage, even tackling the rampant yet rarely discussed marriage-killer, pornography.

LifeSiteNews.com spoke with Alex Kendrick, finding he was more than willing to share the secret of his success - God. Kendrick, who opened each filming session with prayer, told LifeSiteNews.com that his deep faith came from the example of his parents.

"We have a dad and a mom who have really been consistent in their faith," he said. "My father was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis in 1984, had a brief time when he sank into depression and determined that he was going to praise God either way. That you don't just praise God when He blesses you, you praise Him because He is God. And that was a lesson that I watched him live out. And that has a lot to do with the way we make movies today."

Kendrick's second film, "Facing the Giants," has as its theme just that - praising God in good times and bad.

"We did not have to deal with any of the common issues in families - drinking, drugs or immoral material. We didn't have to deal with any of that," said Kendrick. "My father decided when he was a young man, after seeing those types of things wreck the former generations in my family, he decided he was going to be sold out to the Lord."

"Fireproof" deals with eliminating from family life such harmful items or behaviors, including pornography. The controversial subject was handled in the film for the sake of adults, but in a sensitive fashion so as to leave children virtually oblivious to it. LSN asked Kendrick about taking on that touchy topic.

"Well," he said, "in ministry, you tend to deal with re-occurring problems among your members and even in the community and because of cable television and the internet, men can get away with looking at immoral material by piping it into their homes. They don't have to sneak into a store and buy a magazine any more. ... As we studied and got counsel from professional counselors and as we studied what it did to marriages and families, we just realized how devastating it is and that pornography has become one of the primary reasons that couples get divorced."

The natural question for fans of the films is what's up next. But in answer to that, Kendrick could only respond with his own version of the cliché "God only knows." But for Kendrick it's no cliché, it's just a fact. "I do not have any pre-conceived notions about what all our movies are going to be about," he said. He described the process as going through a "season of prayer" where the brothers ask: "God, what would you have us to do."

As to what the brothers are up to now, the Lord, he says, has told them to, "Get your house in order." With six young children, and his brother's four, the heavenly advice is sensible. He explained we are "just pouring into our children and our families and making sure that physically and spiritually we are the healthiest that we can be."

Kendrick explained that between him and Stephen, and another brother, they have 15 children. Asked about his views on large families and contraception, he replied: "You know what, my wife and I have made all of those decisions seeking God's word and seeking Him in prayer and He has always been very clear. So, for us, He has always lain on our heart what he says in Scripture, 'Be fruitful and multiply' and 'The Children are a blessing of the Lord.' We decided that we wanted a full quiver and it is in His hands. He says very clearly in Scripture that He is the one that opens and closes the womb and so we have rejoiced in the family that He has given us."

Those interested in the book or films are directed to these websites:
http://www.fireproofthemovie.com
http://www.lovedarebook.com

Rampant Atheist Evangilism is Everywhere these days

Sounds kinda weird. Doesn't it. Yet, there is a concerted movement to evangelize on behalf of atheists. WHY? I will explain. First so you understand, according to them, if you are a Christian you are misled. Never fear, there is a woman who will save you. She is a Psychologist. Convinced that all the ills in the world would be solved if she were to wipe out the Love of Jesus by Christians. So she enters into full on Atheist Evangelism.

Here is her 7 step program to get you off that drug - Jesus:

1. Get Real.
Be honest with yourself about whether your religion is working for you. Let go of trying to force it to make sense. Have a look at life and the world AS IT IS, and stop trying to live in a parallel universe. This world might not be perfect but facing reality will help you get your life on track. If you feel guilty, realize that the religion teaches you to feel responsible when it isn’t working and tells you to go back and try harder, just like an abusive relationship.

2. Get a Grip.
Don’t panic. The fear you feel is part of the indoctrination. All those messages about what will happen to you if you leave the religion are a self-serving part of the religion. If you calm down, you’ll be just fine. Many people have been through this.

3. Get Informed.
Do everything you can to educate yourself. You are free to read and expose yourself to all the knowledge in the world – history, philosophy, other religions, mythology, anthropology, biology, psychology, sociology, and more. In particular, read about how the Bible was put together and church history. Read authors who have explained why they deconverted. Many websites have deconversion stories and helpful reading lists.

4. Get Help.
Find support in any way you can. Explore online forums to discuss issues with others leaving their religion. Join a supportive group in your area. If necessary, find a therapist who understands or go to a recovery retreat. Do the work to heal the wounds of religious abuse.

5. Get a Life.
Rebuild your life around new values and engage fully with your choices. Develop your identity as you learn to love and trust yourself. Take responsibility and create the life that works for you – in work, family, leisure, social – all the areas of commitment that make a life structure. If you still want a spiritual life, define it for yourself. Venture into the “world” for new experiences and new friends. This will take time but you can do it.

6. Get With the Program.
Welcome to the human race. Accept the idea that Earth is your home and humanity is your true family. If you aren't part of a special group that is leaving, consider what that means for you. You may want to participating in larger concerns to make the world a better place, such as caring for the environment or working for social justice. Let go of expecting God to take care of all the problems. You can begin with knowing your neighbors.

7. Get Your Groove On.
Reclaim enjoyment of sensation and pleasure as you relax with the idea of being an animal like all the others on Earth. Learn to be present here and now. Discover all the ways to appreciate nature. Enjoy and love other people instead of judging. Reclaim your creativity and express yourself any way you like, not just to “glorify God.” Love your body and take care of it. Embrace this life instead of worrying about the next. Sing and dance and laugh for no reason except Being Alive.


Marlene Winell, Ph.D., is a psychologist who works in religious recovery, and the author of Leaving the Fold: A Guide for Former Fundamentalists and Others Leaving Their Religion. Information about counseling services and weekend retreats can be found at marlenewinell.net
I'm sure you will all be signing up.

I have puzzled about this. This is NOT a republican or democrat issue. Not left or right. Not liberal or conservative. There is a huge conservative atheist movement.

Just the other day one of the spokesmen for the movement said the following: "No creationist will or can be elected President of the USA". That belief in a creator God and his creation as opposed to evolution would automatically preclude any potential President from election.
No avowedly creationist Republican candidate will be elected President of the United States. Not. Gonna. Happen. And if that creationist Republican candidate is far superior with respect to governing philosophy and executive experience and skills, as he or she may well be, it will be so much the worse for the country. Sorry Bobby, Tim & Mark. Republicans: Do NOT try this electoral experiment. Please!

I guess that would preclude Jimmy Carter, Ronald Reagan, Bill Clinton, George W Bush and perhaps if my guess is right, Barack Obama. Why the objection, why the rabid atheism, why the intense atheist evangelism. I asked my close personal friends why atheist evangelism at the level it exists even finds a voice? Actually these are compiled comments, but they are good.

Here are their conclusions:


  • It must be very freeing to meander through life with the knowledge that you are basically the same as a shrub, a clam or a squirrel.
  • With no God, there is no devil -- ergo, there is no wrong. Do what you want when you want to whomever you want. That becomes situational ethics which is a corrupt, immoral lifestyle.
  • Atheists spend a lot of time thinking about the motives for belief. Why do religious people believe these ridiculous things? When you turn the tables on atheists and ask them why they don't believe, they will answer, "Because we don't have enough evidence. We don't believe because there's no proof." But if you think about it, this is an inadequate explanation, because if you truly believe that there is no proof for God, then you're not going to bother with the matter. You're just going to live your life as if God isn't there.
  • ......If you really look at the motivations of contemporary atheists, you'll find that they don't even really reject Christian theology. It's not as if the atheist objects to the resurrection or the parting of the sea; rather, it is Christian morality to which atheists object, particularly Christian moral prohibitions in the area of sex. The atheist looks at all of Christianity's "thou shalt nots"—homosexuality is bad; divorce is bad; adultery is bad; premarital sex is bad—and then looks at his own life and says, "If these things are really bad, then I'm a bad guy. But I'm not a bad guy; I'm a great guy. I must thus reinterpret or (preferably) abolish all of these accusatory teachings that are putting me in a bad light."
  • I have never understood why atheists are so obsessed with God. Bill Maher mentions God more often than practicing Christians do during public events.
  • I first noticed this when I used to post on "Yahoo Answers" in the category of "religion and spirituality". I was shocked to find that 50% of the participants in that sub-category were atheists. The atheists were constantly mocking, discrediting and insulting people of faith. Also, I have been insulted and then banned from a liberal web-site because I posted about creation.
  • I never understood why people who don't believe in God, spend so much time and energy discussing God. Why are they so emotional invested in trying to prove that there is no higher meaning to life and that God does not exist?
  • Methinks they doth protest too much.
  • It's because they are angry at God. They are so angry that they attempt to hurt God and destroy whatever He is involved in.
  • When you think about it, people don't act that way towards things that aren't real. How many organizations are out there to prove that the tooth fairy doesn't exist?
  • Why are atheists so emotionally invested in the issue of God? Because they have unresolved issues with their father. Daddy stuff is very personal. And when you're so angry with your father that you take the issue cosmic, you're looking at a defiant and unstable personality. A personality so disturbed that a battle rages on most everywhere, most all the time.

What makes it more interesting is this post from Ace of Spades. You will want to read this whole thing.

The more I see of Atheist Evangelism, the more desperate they seem. Not knowing God eventually must lead to emotional imbalance in my opinion.

HOWCOME??

Why as Pastor I never wanted to know what people gave

It will dishearten you:

While Wall Street continues to endure a string of high-profile scandals and plummeting markets, a church in nearby Queens, N.Y., has decided to tackle its financial difficulties by making things personal-a little too personal for most of its members.

Two weeks ago St. Luke's Church in Whitestone, Queens, began publishing a breakdown of members' tithes and offerings in the weekly bulletin. Though the listing doesn't name any specific names, it reveals how much was given in each offering envelope and how many gave similar amounts.

For instance, last week's printed "announcement" indicated a weekly collection of $8,527 from 661 donations. Of those, 21 parishioners gave only $1. The majority of givers tossed $5 in the offering plate, with $10 coming in second place as the most popular amount given.

"It just left a bad taste in my mouth," said one 20-something churchgoer. "What someone gives is their personal business. They shouldn't be made to feel bad that they're on the lower end of the spectrum."

Many members argued that offering such public financial disclosure was not only embarrassing but also seemed like a ploy to get people to give more. "I think it will embarrass some people a bit," said Fred Peterson, 82, a parish member since 1951. "Their names aren't on there, which would be really bad. But privately, people may be embarrassed."

But St. Luke pastor John Tosi said the reason was more for financial transparency than to shame individuals. "The idea was to let them know where our money comes from and where it's going, which is important," Tosi said. "We're not embarrassing anybody, we're not judging anybody," he added. And if the efforts causes a parishioner to reach deeper into his pockets, "That's not such a bad reaction, is it?" [nypost.com, 2/22/09]

Gaining your Voice

I was at a ministry event today. For 6 hours. Ministries from all over the area.

During it the question was asked regarding future events. I held my piece. Then as time went on, with a hundred or so people in significant ministries in the room I shared what the Lord is showing me about the future. In detail. A pin dropping would have been heard.

Arlene came to me, (remember these are not Pentecostals but Evangelicals) and after hearing what I said commented, "You are prophesying". I said nothing. Then she said (she runs one of the largest homeless shelters in the whole of Chicagoland) I know you are a prophet, no one speaks like that unless they are one. God has great plans and a future for her significant ministry. I gave her the encouragement she needed to hear. She is in tune with where God is headed in her ministry.

I confessed that many have acknowledged the prophetic gift God has given me. That people call me "Prophet Gene".

She asked me to come and at some point share with her people what God is saying to the Body of Christ about the future and her ministry.

I will do that.

I was reminded of the truth of something said at this meeting: You gain your voice when you are at your highest God Given Competence heard in your Greatest Circle of Influence.

It's true. I have associates in ministry who for one reason or another do not embrace the prophetic gift brought by yours truly. That's OK, but that means they have succeeded in doing what Jezebel did, silencing the prophet.

On the other hand, there are people who are not at their highest and best competence but who have circles of influence where they exercise their gifts without the anointing. This happens in pulpits all across the Body of Christ every week.

So, if you want to gain your voice in ministry, look for people who will embrace the gift you bring in your highest and best God Given Competence and you will gain your voice.

If they haven't ears to hear, shake off the dust. Move on.

Stupid people with agendas convene to talk about stupid things

I don't get it. I don't know why I am wasting precious electrons commenting on the Energy Summit Obama convened. What dopes.

All these people were part of the summit. What makes you think any of them has a clue or is agenda free. We will never ever be energy free or engage alternatives when you have people like this trying to solve the problem.

Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-Nev.) and
John Podesta, President Bill Clinton's White House chief of staff, co-chair of President Barack Obama's transition team, and president of the Center for American Progress Action Fund. Moderated by former Sen. Tim Wirth (D-Colo.),
President Clinton,
Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi (D.-Calif.),
Nobelist and Secretary of Energy Steven Chu,
Nobelist and former Vice President Al Gore, and
oilman T. Boone Pickens.

The stated goal of the summit was to discuss the policies needed to construct a national smart grid to support new renewable energy generation and transmission, as well as how to best wean America off of foreign oil. In reality, the summit was a made-for-media event designed to show the breadth of the coalition pushing for a comprehensive federal green energy policy. Other participants included
AFL-CIO President John Sweeney,
Service Employees International Union President Andy Stern,
Wal-Mart Chairman Lee Scott,
American Wind Energy Association CEO Denise Bode,
National Rural Electrification Cooperative Association CEO Glenn English,
Sierra Club CEO Carl Pope,
Owens Corning CEO Michael Thaman,
Robert Kennedy from the Natural Resources Defense Council,
American Electric Power CEO Michael Morris, and
National Association of Regulatory Utility Commissioners President Fred Butler.
Now look over that list carefully. Very carefully. See any agendas? See any Payoffs to Unions? See any government as savior folks? See any political hacks? See any crackpots like Gore and Kennedy?

Where are the REAL experts? Not in this list.

It was just blah blah blah, yadda yadda yadda. I had hoped for more from Obama. Looks like it's business as usual.

Oh, and by the way, ditto for the stupid Economic Summit. Political Hacks and goofballs. Where was Warren Buffet. Bill Gates? Where are the smart people or do we have to put up with wackos like Charlie Rangle soon to be imprisoned crackpot in the front row.

I wanted hope and change. I didn't vote for him, so I didn't get it. Neither did anyone who did.

Monday, February 23, 2009

The one person who scares me the most

I'm pretty fearless. I don't tremble, demons do. But this scares me. This person is Speaker of the House of Representatives, second in line if something happens to the President and the Vice President, the author of the Stimulus bill that is ravishing the USA. I need no other horror show than this.

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Stock Market Wisdom

The market fell a lot today.

The further it falls, the more certain and intense will the rally be when it comes.

It's all psychology.

When the market starts to go north for whatever reason, the market will suddenly seem cheap. People will think they will miss the bottom if they don't buy in now. Money will be looking for a safe haven. Piling on will start. Irrational optimism will replace irrational pessimism. The market will zoom up. Probably to 10,500-11,000. Then caution will take over at those levels. Market will level. Bad news will hit at some point and....

The problem is, it won't and can't stay. The psychology can't sustain it. This will be a mini Kondratiev blow off and a crash once more.

The decline will happen for real and for a long time stay there (years, maybe a decade), Winter is here marketwise.

Maybe I misunderstood the order of things

The Bible says, "the fool hath said in his heart there is no God".

I have been watching the flailing around of Mr Bill Maher. Probably an intelligent man. But, he is a fool. Not because he is an atheist. That's foolish enough. But because he is acting like a fool.

He's miffed because he didn't get an Oscar nod for his anti God movie "Religulous". Hey Bill, maybe it was just a badly done film.....

You just aren't that good. Or that smart.

I wonder if a fool says in his heart there is no god or if a person who says in their heart there is no god becomes a fool. Chicken and Egg. Horse and Cart.

Just wondering.

Freud Strikes Again

This morning I mentioned something to Peggy about the NEWS MURDIA. Of course I meant the media. But, murdia may be a better description.

If you, or more important it I spend too much time watching and focusing on the things going on in the Media can Murder the hope in my Spirit.

News Murdia.... Seems about right................

Sunday, February 22, 2009

OK, this is one of the COOLEST ideas ever

I have been aware of the technology that via the Internet allowed people to play music together at a distance. That in fact duets, quartets, even whole orchestra's can be connected and play one song as if they were in the same room. There is even a Jam Session website where if you have a computer and an instrument you can play with others live in real time.

This video appears to be that. According to my friend Chuck it is not exactly as I envisioned. Yet, it could be. Or should be. Read the comments. Here's a little info on the technology.

I think it is one of the most interesting applications of a technology. What impresses me most is how they all seem to give each other room as they play. It's a study in proper ensemble protocol.

Watch this, Stand by Me played by the world.

Jokes really stupid people laugh at or are offended by

I had missed this. Christopher Hitchens on Bill Maher's Show says:

I've been on the Jon Stewart show, I've been on your show, I've seen you make about five George-Bush-IQ jokes per night. There's no one I know who can't do it. You know what I think? - this is now the joke that stupid people laugh at. It's the joke that any dumb person can laugh at because they think that they ... can prove they're smarter than the president (like the people that make booing and mooing noises in your audience ... none of whom are smarter than the president).

[The transcription is mine - see original video here - at approx. 1:50]

I have watched the fake news shows, Colbert, Stewart, Maher, Letterman, Maddow, Olberman and a hundred wannabes who's only joke is George Bush is Dumb. Now, with Bush off the scene, Sarah Palin is dumb. That the whole joke. Nothing more.

While Mr Hitchens and I may not share a common faith, we share a common sense.

People who have no repertoire other than making fun of politicians with whom they disagree are stupid indeed. Those people are telling the Jew Jokes, the Norwegian Jokes, the Amos and Andy negro jokes of our modern age. George Bush and Sarah Palin walk into a bar......

HA?

They aren't funny and they aren't clever. They telegraph bad things about the people who watch them, the people who unthinkingly unanimously voted for Barack Obama because the jokesters told them to.

These are the same people who are all thin skinned and upset over a chimp cartoon. Never mind that Bush was pilloried as Chimpy Mc Chimpy thru his whole administration. That was OK. There's even a website dedicated to making fun of GWB as a Chimp.

I’m sure
the audience for these shows is packed with Harvard MBAs who can fly jet fighters. No doubt many have been general managers of major league baseball franchises and quadrupled their value. The audience must be wall-to-wall with former two-term governors of large states and former two-term presidents of the United States. And you can bet most of these people in the audience have liberated 50 million people from tyranny.


People who watch these shows are unthinking drones who have no ability to acquire objective information and do their own synthesis of an original idea. Sheep

Just ridicule. That's all they know. Jokermen..

Bob Dylan, the great prophet, wrote of this:
Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

So swiftly the sun sets in the sky,
You rise up and say goodbye to no one.
Fools rush in where angels fear to tread,
Both of their futures, so full of dread, you don't show one.
Shedding off one more layer of skin,
Keeping one step ahead of the persecutor within.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

You're a man of the mountains, you can walk on the clouds,
Manipulator of crowds, you're a dream twister.
You're going to Sodom and Gomorrah
But what do you care? Ain't nobody there would want to marry your sister.
Friend to the martyr, a friend to the woman of shame,
You look into the fiery furnace, see the rich man without any name.

Jokerman dance to the nightingale tune,
Bird fly high by the light of the moon,
Oh, oh, oh, Jokerman.

OK - OK, I know he's not a great prophet, he just sings and writes like one sometimes.