It was perhaps the greatest confrontation in history. An epic battle between good and evil. In one corner was a rough loner-used to living in the wild. In business terms he was a mere sheepherder, but that is only part of the story. As a baby he was adopted into the royal family and raised in the high courts of nobility. During those days he was on track for a stellar career. Perhaps even a contender for the throne. But he had shirked his responsibliities, committed murder and was a felon. That this man had the audacity to even return to these courts was enough to show he was a bit touched in the head and possibly insane. We know his name to be Moses.
In the other corner sits the refined establishment in it's glory. All of Egypt's religious and political power was embodied in a man considered to be a god - Pharaoh. Within the boundaries of his court was the accumulated wisdom and knowledge of the world. They were versed in astronomy, astrology, mathematics, engineering, history, logistics art and language. These men were descended from those who built the pyramids. The Egyptian civilization reached back beyond recorded history. Their culture was the finest and most advanced in the world and concerning knowledge and wisdom - unassailable.
We all know what happens next. The series of events that unfolded there brought about the destruction of one nation and birthed another. Within a short time the fledgling nation of Israel would be camped before Mount Sinai and this same rough sheepherder would receive the greatest law ever given to mankind. The Ten Commandments.
The question I would like to consider today is this. Was the outcome of this contest inevitable? Was it decided before it even happened? Was Pharaoh already set on a course of destruction and he actually had no choice in the matter. To do this we must also enjoin the third player in this drama. God Himself.
From the very beginning God tells Moses that his mission was going to be difficult. Exodus 4:21 says "... I will harden his (Pharaoh's) heart so that he will not let the people go..." In the past I have had some problems with that statement. I had interpreted it to mean that in some way God forced Pharaoh to take the course of action he did. The implication is that Pharaoh might have repented and done the right thing had not God interfered in his heart and mind. To me this is a serious charge and it took me quite a while to figure it out. What actually happened? God gave the Egyptian ruler an 'out'.
I will explain what an 'out' is. Let's say you are getting ready to go to the gym. You're not into it today and part of you wants to skip the workout. Right before you walk out the door your phone rings. What to do? You can ignore the call and let it go to voice mail, or answer it and risk that the call is important enough to keep you from the gym. You take the call. It turns out to be nothing and lasts less than a minute. You wind up not going to the gym. You took the 'out'. That little interlude was enough to 'convince' you to skip out of your workout.
The scriptures record that Pharaoh took every 'out' possible. When his magicians were able to perform by trickery the miraculous signs done through Moses, he used this as an excuse not to believe. Further, he didn't listen to his own staff when they reached the end of their tricks and told him 'this was the hand of God.' Later, he would apparently relent, but as soon as the various plagues ended his mind changed back shortly thereafter. When he finally gave permission for the Jews to go he set conditions to assert his authority.
Pharaoh was hard hearted and obstinate yet at all times he had a choice. Every time he went the wrong way. He would rather have taken any 'out', no matter how slim the rationalization, than accept the truth.
In the book of Romans Paul makes a case about Pharaoh: "...What shall we say? Is God unjust? Not at all. For he says to Moses, 'I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion. It does not, therefore depend on man's desire or effort, but on God's mercy..." (9:14-16) When I had read this statement before I took the part where he says 'it does not ... depend on man's desire or effort' to mean that somehow God decided the outcome beforehand and that was just too bad for Pharaoh. Sorry guy! Even though Paul says this is not unjust, I thought it to be so. Certainly (to me anyway) it was unfair.
Just a little later in verse 22 Paul clarifies: "What if God, choosing to show his wrath and make his power known, bore with great patience the objects of his wrath-prepared for destruction? What if he did this to make the riches of his glory known to the objects of his mercy, whom he prepared in advance for glory....". Let's define a couple of things. First of all, who are the objects of wrath? Pharaoh? No. That would be everyone. We are all flawed. We all fall under God's wrath. There is none who does good, not even one. All have sinned and come short of the Glory of God.
What about the 'objects of his mercy'? They would be all who repent of their sins and put their faith in God. These are the ones who are 'prepared in advance for glory'. Paul's argument here is beautiful. Yes, Pharaoh was hard hearted and bull-headed. God's judgment was destined to fall on him. He could have killed him outright. But He didn't. He was willing to show His mercy to this man. In fact, God gave him 9 chances to repent! (I'm going to believe that by the time they got around to the 10th plague, Pharaoh's mind was made up.) At the same time God was teaching a lesson both to the rest of Egypt and Israel. He was '...making the riches of his glory known....'. At the end of this ordeal everybody knew who the real God was!
One day this man will stand before the Righteous Judge and give an account of his actions. Will he be able to make an accusation against God? No. Will he be able to say that God in any way was unfair? No. There will be no 'out' in that courtroom.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Do You Know "The Secret"? Part 1
Recently I have had some exposure to a book titled "The Secret". It was originally recommended to me by one of the salesmen at the gym where I work out. I bought it last year and had not read it until this past week. At the time I had about 5 books ahead of it in the queue. It took me a while to get there.
The secret of "The Secret" is simple. That would be what they call the Law of Attraction. At its most basic level the law says that 'what you think about, you get.' I do not have much problem with that in and of itself. But I do have one with this statement on page 10: "Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency. As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is you."
As a Christian I don't think much of this idea and my response here is to attempt a rebuttal based on my world view.
Problem 1: What do they mean when they say "the Universe". I do not know, but our thoughts go there, and come back somehow. I noticed that they capitalize the term every time they use it, like it is supposed to be some kind of deity. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one Deity, God. We know from Exodus 20 that God hates idolatry. Anything that is worshiped which is less than God is abomination. We also know that the universe itself is a created thing. It is not personal, it is a work of art and engineering. It is finite and will ultimately wear out. The universe is not God. What becomes of thoughts that are sent to 'the universe?' They go nowhere. As a friend of mine said: Who's there to listen to them?
Maybe I am being a bit harsh by saying this. Maybe the writers are simply using the term 'universe' as a euphemism for God in order to reach the largest possible audience. I still have a problem. There seem to be a lot of people these days who have this idea that if you just believe something, it's true. And I believe that the moon is made of green cheese! Is it? Of course not. People can believe a lie. Beliefs, even religious ones, have to be tempered by reality. The implication here is either that god is created by my belief: Or that somehow, someway the true God will hear my thoughts, even if they are directed the wrong way. Both of these are incorrect. If I am going to send my thoughts anywhere, it will be to the true God, and in the form of prayer. Only He can hear prayer. Only He can answer prayer.
Problem 2: That wealth and material success can be attained by anyone who uses this technique. On page 4 we have this: "Religions such as Hinduism, Hermetic traditions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and civilizations such as the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians delivered it through their writings and stories." Christianity? Really? The comparison is lost on me.
We do know that several of the great people in the Bible were rich. Abraham, Job, Moses, David and Solomon to name a few. But many were not. The founder of Christianity, Jesus drew large crowds and some of his followers were quite well off, but Jesus personally was not rich. He may not have even carried cash. Jesus' message was not one of wealth. It was one of salvation. The way to a right relationship with God was (and is) through faith in Him.
It's quite a stretch to imply that Jesus was some sort of 'prosperity teacher'. In fact Jesus exhorted his followers to 'deny themselves'. When a rich guy came to Jesus to inquire about eternal life he was told to 'sell everything and give to the poor and follow Me' (Jesus) . The man went away disappointed. He couldn't come to grips with giving away his money. Jesus also exhorted his followers to 'take up their cross'. The understanding for this was 'take up your cross and die'. This is quite different from the message of these 'life coaches' et al who exhort their followers to 'attract a new car, home or success', through sending happy thoughts out to some disembodied universe.
Jesus was the most personal man who ever lived. He dealt directly with anyone and everyone's spiritual condition. This was unsettling for a lot of people. Many believed, of course, but not all. Even when He was hanging on the cross, in extreme pain and near death he responded personally. On one side of Him was a man who had obviously not sent out very many happy thoughts in his life. He was a thief, probably a murderer too and in every sense of the word, a worthless individual. He, knowing his condition asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus responded personally, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Is there anything in this world that is better than that promise?
To be fair, there are some things in the book that are quite good. In my next article I will address some of them as well.
The secret of "The Secret" is simple. That would be what they call the Law of Attraction. At its most basic level the law says that 'what you think about, you get.' I do not have much problem with that in and of itself. But I do have one with this statement on page 10: "Thoughts are magnetic, and thoughts have a frequency. As you think, those thoughts are sent out into the Universe and they magnetically attract all like things that are on the same frequency. Everything sent out returns to the source. And that source is you."
As a Christian I don't think much of this idea and my response here is to attempt a rebuttal based on my world view.
Problem 1: What do they mean when they say "the Universe". I do not know, but our thoughts go there, and come back somehow. I noticed that they capitalize the term every time they use it, like it is supposed to be some kind of deity. The Bible clearly tells us there is only one Deity, God. We know from Exodus 20 that God hates idolatry. Anything that is worshiped which is less than God is abomination. We also know that the universe itself is a created thing. It is not personal, it is a work of art and engineering. It is finite and will ultimately wear out. The universe is not God. What becomes of thoughts that are sent to 'the universe?' They go nowhere. As a friend of mine said: Who's there to listen to them?
Maybe I am being a bit harsh by saying this. Maybe the writers are simply using the term 'universe' as a euphemism for God in order to reach the largest possible audience. I still have a problem. There seem to be a lot of people these days who have this idea that if you just believe something, it's true. And I believe that the moon is made of green cheese! Is it? Of course not. People can believe a lie. Beliefs, even religious ones, have to be tempered by reality. The implication here is either that god is created by my belief: Or that somehow, someway the true God will hear my thoughts, even if they are directed the wrong way. Both of these are incorrect. If I am going to send my thoughts anywhere, it will be to the true God, and in the form of prayer. Only He can hear prayer. Only He can answer prayer.
Problem 2: That wealth and material success can be attained by anyone who uses this technique. On page 4 we have this: "Religions such as Hinduism, Hermetic traditions, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, and civilizations such as the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians delivered it through their writings and stories." Christianity? Really? The comparison is lost on me.
We do know that several of the great people in the Bible were rich. Abraham, Job, Moses, David and Solomon to name a few. But many were not. The founder of Christianity, Jesus drew large crowds and some of his followers were quite well off, but Jesus personally was not rich. He may not have even carried cash. Jesus' message was not one of wealth. It was one of salvation. The way to a right relationship with God was (and is) through faith in Him.
It's quite a stretch to imply that Jesus was some sort of 'prosperity teacher'. In fact Jesus exhorted his followers to 'deny themselves'. When a rich guy came to Jesus to inquire about eternal life he was told to 'sell everything and give to the poor and follow Me' (Jesus) . The man went away disappointed. He couldn't come to grips with giving away his money. Jesus also exhorted his followers to 'take up their cross'. The understanding for this was 'take up your cross and die'. This is quite different from the message of these 'life coaches' et al who exhort their followers to 'attract a new car, home or success', through sending happy thoughts out to some disembodied universe.
Jesus was the most personal man who ever lived. He dealt directly with anyone and everyone's spiritual condition. This was unsettling for a lot of people. Many believed, of course, but not all. Even when He was hanging on the cross, in extreme pain and near death he responded personally. On one side of Him was a man who had obviously not sent out very many happy thoughts in his life. He was a thief, probably a murderer too and in every sense of the word, a worthless individual. He, knowing his condition asked Jesus to remember him. Jesus responded personally, "Today you will be with me in paradise." Is there anything in this world that is better than that promise?
To be fair, there are some things in the book that are quite good. In my next article I will address some of them as well.
Tuesday, May 11, 2010
Preparing a Speech
I've just sat down to write a little piece for a class. Mental note: This is a speech, so write like you talk.
"Good morning everyone - it's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of...."
Just then I hear someone coming down the stairs. It's my daughter Steph.
"I've got a quick errand to run, can you watch the children for about a half hour for me?"
"Of course" I say, "I'll just take my computer upstairs and watch them while I'm writing."
In a few minutes I'm up the stairs, the computer is on my lap and I'm ready to go.
"Bye" she says.
Let's see, where was I? "It's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of a group...."
Just then the couch moves a little. Makenzie (age 5) is climbing on my shoulders.
Makenzie! Please!
"Can I ride a little bit..."
No - can't you see I'm working right now.
Ok.
I help her get down.
My hands go back to the keyboard ..... like yourselves....
Di wan two wide too!
That's Elijah, age 3.
"No Elijah, you can't ride too, I just got her down. Not right now."
Just then Faith (age 1) comes over and reaches out to me. I've got to take her. She wouldn't understand. I carefully set my computer on the couch beside me and pick her up. She smiles broadly and we make funny noises to each other for a few minutes. Then, I set her down near her toy box and pull out a couple of her favorite toys. She's happy.
"Great!" I think, "Now I can get back to...."
I feel the weight of Makenzie, who has just jumped on my back, laughing.
"Will you get down, please?" I say.
"Di wan two wide too!"
No Elijah, I just got her off my back.
"Pweeze! Do pwich ups."
"Well, Ok but just a couple."
I lay down on the floor. Elijah climbs on my back and I do a couple of puships. He's hanging on for dear life and squealing happily.
"Ok, I've got to work now..."
"Me too!" It was Makenzie. I do a couple of more pushups with her.
"I wan do lee logs!"
"I can't do Lincoln Logs right now, Elijah, I've got to get back to...."
Just then I realize Faith is nowhere to be seen. Crash! It's coming from the kitchen. I go in there to find that she has pulled out a couple of pans and is banging them together. She smiles at me. I pick her up, put the pans back where they ought to be and bring her back into the living room.
Again I set her down next to her toys. Again, while I'm bending over Makenzie jumps on my back.
"Will you get off!"
"Di wan two wide too!"
"No! You guys just chill. I've got something to do!"
I've notice that my voice has been getting higher in both volume and pitch.
In another moment I'm back at my computer.
....This is something of primary importance to any writer....
Again I feel the same bump. It's Makenzie again climbing on my shoulders, but this time she's got a plan.
"Can I comb your hair Babu?" (That's their name for me.) She's brushing my hair. It feels kind of good..... (I have a very dry scalp, so whenever anyone plays with my hair I like it.)
Thirty minutes later Steph comes in. We're all on the floor watching TV together. My computer is closed and sitting on the couch. Faith is happily messing with my cell phone....
"Thank You!" she says. "Did you get any work done?"
"A little", I say.
"What is your article about?"
"The Importance of Writing Without Distractions."
"Good morning everyone - it's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of...."
Just then I hear someone coming down the stairs. It's my daughter Steph.
"I've got a quick errand to run, can you watch the children for about a half hour for me?"
"Of course" I say, "I'll just take my computer upstairs and watch them while I'm writing."
In a few minutes I'm up the stairs, the computer is on my lap and I'm ready to go.
"Bye" she says.
Let's see, where was I? "It's always a pleasure to be able to speak in front of a group...."
Just then the couch moves a little. Makenzie (age 5) is climbing on my shoulders.
Makenzie! Please!
"Can I ride a little bit..."
No - can't you see I'm working right now.
Ok.
I help her get down.
My hands go back to the keyboard ..... like yourselves....
Di wan two wide too!
That's Elijah, age 3.
"No Elijah, you can't ride too, I just got her down. Not right now."
Just then Faith (age 1) comes over and reaches out to me. I've got to take her. She wouldn't understand. I carefully set my computer on the couch beside me and pick her up. She smiles broadly and we make funny noises to each other for a few minutes. Then, I set her down near her toy box and pull out a couple of her favorite toys. She's happy.
"Great!" I think, "Now I can get back to...."
I feel the weight of Makenzie, who has just jumped on my back, laughing.
"Will you get down, please?" I say.
"Di wan two wide too!"
No Elijah, I just got her off my back.
"Pweeze! Do pwich ups."
"Well, Ok but just a couple."
I lay down on the floor. Elijah climbs on my back and I do a couple of puships. He's hanging on for dear life and squealing happily.
"Ok, I've got to work now..."
"Me too!" It was Makenzie. I do a couple of more pushups with her.
"I wan do lee logs!"
"I can't do Lincoln Logs right now, Elijah, I've got to get back to...."
Just then I realize Faith is nowhere to be seen. Crash! It's coming from the kitchen. I go in there to find that she has pulled out a couple of pans and is banging them together. She smiles at me. I pick her up, put the pans back where they ought to be and bring her back into the living room.
Again I set her down next to her toys. Again, while I'm bending over Makenzie jumps on my back.
"Will you get off!"
"Di wan two wide too!"
"No! You guys just chill. I've got something to do!"
I've notice that my voice has been getting higher in both volume and pitch.
In another moment I'm back at my computer.
....This is something of primary importance to any writer....
Again I feel the same bump. It's Makenzie again climbing on my shoulders, but this time she's got a plan.
"Can I comb your hair Babu?" (That's their name for me.) She's brushing my hair. It feels kind of good..... (I have a very dry scalp, so whenever anyone plays with my hair I like it.)
Thirty minutes later Steph comes in. We're all on the floor watching TV together. My computer is closed and sitting on the couch. Faith is happily messing with my cell phone....
"Thank You!" she says. "Did you get any work done?"
"A little", I say.
"What is your article about?"
"The Importance of Writing Without Distractions."
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Political Suicide?
Do our representatives in Washington read the polls? Do they pay attention to protests? One would think not. They are pushing everything aside in favor of forcing a certain set of legislation on American citizens we do not want, or need. They seem to be blissfully ignorant of reality and no amount of reason can dissuade them.
Don't they know they will, if the polls are correct, suffer massive losses this election and the next? Of course they do. Then why pursue this course of action? It will lead to disaster for them. The reason is simple. They believe that, even if they lose this and the next election, the Republicans will not be able to muster the political will to repeal Obambacare and the rest of their agenda. At some point in the future they will again have the upper hand and can continue their socialistic ways.
They may have a point.
Remember about a decade ago when Bush Jr. was elected? didn't he enjoy majorities in both the House and Senate? They were free to pass or remove just about anything they wanted from the Federal Budget. The world of Washington politics was their oyster. And what did they do with this grand opporunity? They basically squandered it. They wound up spending money like the other party normally does. In the process they forced some of their own unconstitutional spending programs down our throat, like No Child Left Behind.
Did they have the opportunity to reduce federal spending? Yes. Did they do it? No. Instead they increased spending about a Trillion dollars. That is chump change compared to today. Did they have a chance to 'fix' Social Security? Yes. Did they do it? No. How about Medicare? No. Instead they voted into place the largest entitlement progrem to date. Did they have the opportunity to change our unfair tax structure into something that would truly be beneficial and fair to us citizens? Yes. Did they do it? No. You can see why I have some problems with the Republicans. When they got the power instead of doing the right thing they became politicians and ultimately made things worse for all.
With all due respect I believe they did a couple of things well. The best of them was to cut taxes. The resulting economic windfall from that piece of legislation was amazing. To give an example, take health care, about 15% of our total GDP. That one section of our economy grew more than the entire Chinese economy during the same period. It's great what free people can do when given the opportunity! But it was not enough by itself to overcome the other mistakes and wrong headed politics that were made. Which set the stage for the present Powers That Be and the disasters they have railroaded on us.
This is why the Tea Party movement is not, and should not be a Republican movement. It is a Freedom Movement. Oh yes, many of the values supported by the Tea Partiers are also that of Republicans. But that does not mean that any Republican candidate should be given instant approval. They should get the nod only after they have demonstrated their support for the Constitution of the United States. Do they know and will they defend our own laws? Will they work to defund or remove programs which are not authorized by this document? Will they stand for these principles without compromise?
This does not mean I am not going to vote. In spite of the problems I have with the Republicans, they are a whole lot better than the alternative. The goal of all free American citizens should be massive change in Washington. The more soundly we can defeat Democratic Socialism, the better message it will send that this is a failed idea and needs to be eradicated as completely as possible. It will also remind the new crop of legislators of their responsibility. Cut government drastically! Change the tax system! Fix the problems we now face without adding a host of new ones. Let us be free and everybody wins, including the government.
Our nation was founded on laws. The federal government's most important responsibility is to ensure those laws are enforced equally for every citizen. But once the government oversteps those bounds it becomes a dictator. This is the situation we find ourselves in today. If we value the freedoms we once had, the most important thing we can do is elect people who understand this and are willing to defend it by every possible means. Oh, yes, I know that politics is about compromise and all that. Fine. Quibble about small matters of budget allocation. Do not quibble about taking away my freedom under the lie that somehow it is good for me.
Don't they know they will, if the polls are correct, suffer massive losses this election and the next? Of course they do. Then why pursue this course of action? It will lead to disaster for them. The reason is simple. They believe that, even if they lose this and the next election, the Republicans will not be able to muster the political will to repeal Obambacare and the rest of their agenda. At some point in the future they will again have the upper hand and can continue their socialistic ways.
They may have a point.
Remember about a decade ago when Bush Jr. was elected? didn't he enjoy majorities in both the House and Senate? They were free to pass or remove just about anything they wanted from the Federal Budget. The world of Washington politics was their oyster. And what did they do with this grand opporunity? They basically squandered it. They wound up spending money like the other party normally does. In the process they forced some of their own unconstitutional spending programs down our throat, like No Child Left Behind.
Did they have the opportunity to reduce federal spending? Yes. Did they do it? No. Instead they increased spending about a Trillion dollars. That is chump change compared to today. Did they have a chance to 'fix' Social Security? Yes. Did they do it? No. How about Medicare? No. Instead they voted into place the largest entitlement progrem to date. Did they have the opportunity to change our unfair tax structure into something that would truly be beneficial and fair to us citizens? Yes. Did they do it? No. You can see why I have some problems with the Republicans. When they got the power instead of doing the right thing they became politicians and ultimately made things worse for all.
With all due respect I believe they did a couple of things well. The best of them was to cut taxes. The resulting economic windfall from that piece of legislation was amazing. To give an example, take health care, about 15% of our total GDP. That one section of our economy grew more than the entire Chinese economy during the same period. It's great what free people can do when given the opportunity! But it was not enough by itself to overcome the other mistakes and wrong headed politics that were made. Which set the stage for the present Powers That Be and the disasters they have railroaded on us.
This is why the Tea Party movement is not, and should not be a Republican movement. It is a Freedom Movement. Oh yes, many of the values supported by the Tea Partiers are also that of Republicans. But that does not mean that any Republican candidate should be given instant approval. They should get the nod only after they have demonstrated their support for the Constitution of the United States. Do they know and will they defend our own laws? Will they work to defund or remove programs which are not authorized by this document? Will they stand for these principles without compromise?
This does not mean I am not going to vote. In spite of the problems I have with the Republicans, they are a whole lot better than the alternative. The goal of all free American citizens should be massive change in Washington. The more soundly we can defeat Democratic Socialism, the better message it will send that this is a failed idea and needs to be eradicated as completely as possible. It will also remind the new crop of legislators of their responsibility. Cut government drastically! Change the tax system! Fix the problems we now face without adding a host of new ones. Let us be free and everybody wins, including the government.
Our nation was founded on laws. The federal government's most important responsibility is to ensure those laws are enforced equally for every citizen. But once the government oversteps those bounds it becomes a dictator. This is the situation we find ourselves in today. If we value the freedoms we once had, the most important thing we can do is elect people who understand this and are willing to defend it by every possible means. Oh, yes, I know that politics is about compromise and all that. Fine. Quibble about small matters of budget allocation. Do not quibble about taking away my freedom under the lie that somehow it is good for me.
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Politicians Are....
I find it difficult to write about politics. The main reason is I read a lot of conservative and Libertarian blogs. These people are very good and I agree with much of what they say. I do not know if I can add anything to the dialogue that they have not already considered. So this opinion will be a little off the beaten path. Warning: after this I'm going to be really demeaning. (To politicians, not you.)
I have never really liked politics. I could care less about it. But I do - now. I do because I have to. Let me say my regard for politicians is very low. To me they are contemptible. They spend their time trying to figure out new and more devious ways to take away what I have worked for; then they slap each other on the back and tell themselves they've somehow done something good for me. There are not many politicians in Washington who would merit even a handshake from me.
When In finish the statement "Politicians are...." I answer: "stupid". This is not a word I use for most people. When my girls were young we would not allow them to say it. Subsequently the word was largely pared from my working vocabulary. Even today I'll avoid it for most people. Rather I'll come back with something else like, "He's not very bright", or "That's going to hurt." But I do use the term for politicians.
Not just Democrats, either. Republicans, too. Usually I'll phrase it like this: "Republicans are idiots" and "I kind of expect the Democrats to be stupid. It's on the application. There are only two questions. The first is: "Your name" and the other is, "Are you stupid." If the answer is to the affirmative, you're in. I'm only being partly sarcastic on this. The IQ drop when the average politician crosses the Potomac River into Washington is about 50 points. You can see I'm an equal opportunity insulter. As my brother said, "They have earned our disrespect!"
By now if you're still reading this you've probably dismissed me as some wild-eyed crazy guy who's Angry At the World. You may even think I stand on busy street corners with a "The End is Near" sign, in a toga, and never shave. But I am not, in fact, angry. I do take a bath and shave regularly. I do not own a toga and I'm being as coldly logical as I know how to be.
What makes me think that politicians, and now I'm speaking specifically to the party in power are stupid? Two Reasons: First, they say stupid things. Let's try a few: "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it...": "The country is ready for a black president - particularly a "light skinned" one with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.": "We are making this up as we go along." The list is long and distinguished. There are too many to note here. The above statements were all made by Dems, or as they are sometimes referred, Dims.
Second, they take up stupid causes. One of them is the notion, for which there is absolutely no evidence, that we will somehow destroy the world by pumping oil out of the ground. The mind-numbing stupidity of this is amazing. They would much rather see up dependent on oil from nations that hate us. The fact of the matter is we've got enough oil to keep us going for hundreds of years. Let's try another one: 'Anthropogenic Climate Change'. They can't use the term 'Global Warming' anymore because the world hasn't gotten warmer in more than 10 years. How many times has this been shown to be a bald baced hoax? Anyone ever heard of Climategate? Yet those who peddle this snake oil continue, and very costly legislation is being considered right now, legislation that will negatively affect every citizen in this country. About a myth!
There are reasons for them to do this, and those are not stupid. Not the least of which is - it gets them on TV. The media loves them. Stupid is as stupid does! A politician can get a lot more publicity for free through backing some crazy scheme than they could ever buy. And why do they want this kind of publicity? Because the Average Joe will look at them in disbelief and dismiss them as kooks. And you thought I was one! That way the political class can pursue their real agenda, which no one in the media bothers to talk about, and only a few will pay attention. Their real purpose is to seize power for themselves. They can only do this by keeping us citizens out of the loop. Otherwise we would immediately see what's going on and get them out of there.
One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is called Tripps Take. (Check out his web site at http://www.trippstake.com/) This guy has a keen sense of what is important to us Average Joe types. I'd like to meet him. An article he posted recently was titled "545". That would be the total number of representatives, including the President and the Supreme Court who are tasked with ruling this nation. The gist of the article is that these representatives are directly responsible for the mess we're in. They can get us out of the mess, too. If those 545 people decided today we would have no deficits, we would not have deficits. If they decided that our taxes were too high they would lower taxes. (Or pass the Fair Tax.) If they decided.... well you get the idea. Insert the issue in the space. Nothing in Washington happens without them making it happen. Yet those same people would have you and I believe that somehow the problems we face are not their fault! Can you see the contempt they have for us? And we're the ones who put them there in the first place.
If we take our nation's population of 300 million and divide it by 545, we come up with a ratio of about 550,458 of us to each one of them. The big question to me is how can a bunch of low-brow, self serving, idiotic kooks like this even get elected in the first place? By hiding their true intentions, of course. Until it is too late. That is why we are in such serious trouble as a nation. For too long we've allowed them to take away our Liberty a little at a time. Now they are doing it on a massive scale. so massive I wonder if there is any way we can survive. There is a ray of hope. We outnumber them - and a lot more Average Joe Citizens are coming around to their real intentions. The time to stop them is now.
I have never really liked politics. I could care less about it. But I do - now. I do because I have to. Let me say my regard for politicians is very low. To me they are contemptible. They spend their time trying to figure out new and more devious ways to take away what I have worked for; then they slap each other on the back and tell themselves they've somehow done something good for me. There are not many politicians in Washington who would merit even a handshake from me.
When In finish the statement "Politicians are...." I answer: "stupid". This is not a word I use for most people. When my girls were young we would not allow them to say it. Subsequently the word was largely pared from my working vocabulary. Even today I'll avoid it for most people. Rather I'll come back with something else like, "He's not very bright", or "That's going to hurt." But I do use the term for politicians.
Not just Democrats, either. Republicans, too. Usually I'll phrase it like this: "Republicans are idiots" and "I kind of expect the Democrats to be stupid. It's on the application. There are only two questions. The first is: "Your name" and the other is, "Are you stupid." If the answer is to the affirmative, you're in. I'm only being partly sarcastic on this. The IQ drop when the average politician crosses the Potomac River into Washington is about 50 points. You can see I'm an equal opportunity insulter. As my brother said, "They have earned our disrespect!"
By now if you're still reading this you've probably dismissed me as some wild-eyed crazy guy who's Angry At the World. You may even think I stand on busy street corners with a "The End is Near" sign, in a toga, and never shave. But I am not, in fact, angry. I do take a bath and shave regularly. I do not own a toga and I'm being as coldly logical as I know how to be.
What makes me think that politicians, and now I'm speaking specifically to the party in power are stupid? Two Reasons: First, they say stupid things. Let's try a few: "But we have to pass the bill so that you can find out what is in it...": "The country is ready for a black president - particularly a "light skinned" one with no Negro dialect, unless he wanted to have one.": "We are making this up as we go along." The list is long and distinguished. There are too many to note here. The above statements were all made by Dems, or as they are sometimes referred, Dims.
Second, they take up stupid causes. One of them is the notion, for which there is absolutely no evidence, that we will somehow destroy the world by pumping oil out of the ground. The mind-numbing stupidity of this is amazing. They would much rather see up dependent on oil from nations that hate us. The fact of the matter is we've got enough oil to keep us going for hundreds of years. Let's try another one: 'Anthropogenic Climate Change'. They can't use the term 'Global Warming' anymore because the world hasn't gotten warmer in more than 10 years. How many times has this been shown to be a bald baced hoax? Anyone ever heard of Climategate? Yet those who peddle this snake oil continue, and very costly legislation is being considered right now, legislation that will negatively affect every citizen in this country. About a myth!
There are reasons for them to do this, and those are not stupid. Not the least of which is - it gets them on TV. The media loves them. Stupid is as stupid does! A politician can get a lot more publicity for free through backing some crazy scheme than they could ever buy. And why do they want this kind of publicity? Because the Average Joe will look at them in disbelief and dismiss them as kooks. And you thought I was one! That way the political class can pursue their real agenda, which no one in the media bothers to talk about, and only a few will pay attention. Their real purpose is to seize power for themselves. They can only do this by keeping us citizens out of the loop. Otherwise we would immediately see what's going on and get them out of there.
One of the blogs I read on a regular basis is called Tripps Take. (Check out his web site at http://www.trippstake.com/) This guy has a keen sense of what is important to us Average Joe types. I'd like to meet him. An article he posted recently was titled "545". That would be the total number of representatives, including the President and the Supreme Court who are tasked with ruling this nation. The gist of the article is that these representatives are directly responsible for the mess we're in. They can get us out of the mess, too. If those 545 people decided today we would have no deficits, we would not have deficits. If they decided that our taxes were too high they would lower taxes. (Or pass the Fair Tax.) If they decided.... well you get the idea. Insert the issue in the space. Nothing in Washington happens without them making it happen. Yet those same people would have you and I believe that somehow the problems we face are not their fault! Can you see the contempt they have for us? And we're the ones who put them there in the first place.
If we take our nation's population of 300 million and divide it by 545, we come up with a ratio of about 550,458 of us to each one of them. The big question to me is how can a bunch of low-brow, self serving, idiotic kooks like this even get elected in the first place? By hiding their true intentions, of course. Until it is too late. That is why we are in such serious trouble as a nation. For too long we've allowed them to take away our Liberty a little at a time. Now they are doing it on a massive scale. so massive I wonder if there is any way we can survive. There is a ray of hope. We outnumber them - and a lot more Average Joe Citizens are coming around to their real intentions. The time to stop them is now.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Good Writing: Arnold: The Education of a Bodybuilder
Arnold Schwarzenegger, Mr. Terminator, The Gov - as a good writer? Of course. We know, however, that his autobiography, published in the late 70's never won a Pulitzer, but it did in my mind when I first read it. It still moves me today. What makes this book so compelling? Arnold chose to make the story of his life (up that that point, anyway) short, punchy and a quick read. In fact the biographical part comprises only about half of its pages. The other half is a primer on working out. The pace of the book is tremendous, just like the pace of a workout for an elite bodybuilder.
There is one short paragraph that speaks volumes to me about him. It is near the end of Chapter 3 right after Arnold places 2nd to Chet Yorton in his first Mr. Universe contest. His friends recognized his talent and told him next year he was sure to win. Arnold sensed they were right. But the outcome was still uncertain. Who knows what could happen in a year? Of this he says:
"I was relying on one thing. What I had more than anyone else was
drive. I was hungrier than anybody. I wanted it so badly it hurt. I
knew there could be no one else in the world who wanted this title
as much as I did."
Can you feel the intensity in his words? His drive? His ambition? That is what makes his bio so interesting. It's not a minute by minute retelling of his life. It is a look into his mind.
In the last year I've read three really good book about the brain and developing talent. (The Brain That Changes Itself, The Talent Code and Talent is Overrated.) All are good. I would recommend them to anybody. The modern day versions can quantify their conclusions using examples supplemented with the most recent brain research and the current theory of mylenation: But at the same time they offer nothing more than what I find in Arnold's book. Let's take a look at what made Arnold the greatest bodybuilder of his generation.
1. Focus. Concentration. Take a look at this quote from Chapter 1: "I'm not exactly sure why I chose bodybuilding, except that I loved it. I loved it from the first moment my fingers closed around a barbell and I felt the challenge and exhilaration of hoisting the heavy steel plates above my head." That's focus. Later on when he moves to Munich and owns his own gym he talks about putting little cards on the mirror in his bathroom so when he was shaving he could see what his workout would be that day. Every morning he would try to think about nothing else but his workout from the moment he woke up. By the time he got to the gym already psyched, pumped and ready to go.
This kind of concentration is probably the single most important key to achievement in any endeavor, be it a sport, business, writing or chess.
2. Hard Work. Arnold put in his time at the gym every day, sometimes twice a day with no let up. When he got back to Munich after the Mr. Universe competition his friends picked him up at the airport and they had a big celebration. In the midst of this Arnie's thoughts were far away. He was anxious to get back to the gym the next morning and start training for next years contest!
3. Emotional and Visual Engagement. When working out he used visualization too. He would imagine his biceps were mountains, his lats were the wings of a 747 and the weights themselves were planets. Outrageous? Yes. But these were (and are) a great method to force his muscles to work harder. (And grow bigger.) At the same time he systematically eliminated negative input from his life. Anything that prevented him from total concentration was pared away.
4. Training Partners. This belief came early, while still a teen. He liked to have knowledgeable and hard working people around him. He noticed there were times when he didn't feel very motivated. He was lethargic and couldn't lift anywhere near the same weight. His partner at the time, a doctor, recognized that he needed some extra motivation and would challenge the youth to do more. This worked quite well. Arnold came to see his workouts as miniature competitions. Winning these little daily victories prepared him for the big ones later on.
5. Big Picture. Early on Arnold saw bodybuilding as a means to an end. In his teens he told his parents his goal was to become the best bodybuilder in the world, move to America and make movies. His parents thought he was crazy. Maybe he was, a little. Bodybuilding was a vehicle for his ambition, a stepping stone to greater things.
Once Arnold had achieved his goals in the athletic world, he would use that same drive, work ethic and sense of confidence and apply them to whatever he wanted, business, acting and ultimately politics. All of us can benefit from his example.
There is one short paragraph that speaks volumes to me about him. It is near the end of Chapter 3 right after Arnold places 2nd to Chet Yorton in his first Mr. Universe contest. His friends recognized his talent and told him next year he was sure to win. Arnold sensed they were right. But the outcome was still uncertain. Who knows what could happen in a year? Of this he says:
"I was relying on one thing. What I had more than anyone else was
drive. I was hungrier than anybody. I wanted it so badly it hurt. I
knew there could be no one else in the world who wanted this title
as much as I did."
Can you feel the intensity in his words? His drive? His ambition? That is what makes his bio so interesting. It's not a minute by minute retelling of his life. It is a look into his mind.
In the last year I've read three really good book about the brain and developing talent. (The Brain That Changes Itself, The Talent Code and Talent is Overrated.) All are good. I would recommend them to anybody. The modern day versions can quantify their conclusions using examples supplemented with the most recent brain research and the current theory of mylenation: But at the same time they offer nothing more than what I find in Arnold's book. Let's take a look at what made Arnold the greatest bodybuilder of his generation.
1. Focus. Concentration. Take a look at this quote from Chapter 1: "I'm not exactly sure why I chose bodybuilding, except that I loved it. I loved it from the first moment my fingers closed around a barbell and I felt the challenge and exhilaration of hoisting the heavy steel plates above my head." That's focus. Later on when he moves to Munich and owns his own gym he talks about putting little cards on the mirror in his bathroom so when he was shaving he could see what his workout would be that day. Every morning he would try to think about nothing else but his workout from the moment he woke up. By the time he got to the gym already psyched, pumped and ready to go.
This kind of concentration is probably the single most important key to achievement in any endeavor, be it a sport, business, writing or chess.
2. Hard Work. Arnold put in his time at the gym every day, sometimes twice a day with no let up. When he got back to Munich after the Mr. Universe competition his friends picked him up at the airport and they had a big celebration. In the midst of this Arnie's thoughts were far away. He was anxious to get back to the gym the next morning and start training for next years contest!
3. Emotional and Visual Engagement. When working out he used visualization too. He would imagine his biceps were mountains, his lats were the wings of a 747 and the weights themselves were planets. Outrageous? Yes. But these were (and are) a great method to force his muscles to work harder. (And grow bigger.) At the same time he systematically eliminated negative input from his life. Anything that prevented him from total concentration was pared away.
4. Training Partners. This belief came early, while still a teen. He liked to have knowledgeable and hard working people around him. He noticed there were times when he didn't feel very motivated. He was lethargic and couldn't lift anywhere near the same weight. His partner at the time, a doctor, recognized that he needed some extra motivation and would challenge the youth to do more. This worked quite well. Arnold came to see his workouts as miniature competitions. Winning these little daily victories prepared him for the big ones later on.
5. Big Picture. Early on Arnold saw bodybuilding as a means to an end. In his teens he told his parents his goal was to become the best bodybuilder in the world, move to America and make movies. His parents thought he was crazy. Maybe he was, a little. Bodybuilding was a vehicle for his ambition, a stepping stone to greater things.
Once Arnold had achieved his goals in the athletic world, he would use that same drive, work ethic and sense of confidence and apply them to whatever he wanted, business, acting and ultimately politics. All of us can benefit from his example.
Sunday, April 4, 2010
A Tribute: You Were One of a Kind
When you took me to a drive-in movie and fed me hot dogs for dinner on our first date in the spring of 1967, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you asked me if you could "come calling" In knew you were one of a kind.
When you told me you were a salesman, mechanic, and wash boy of City Motor Sales and six months later, I learned you really owned it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I went back to Graduate School at Appalachian State University and you came up and proposed marriage to me at Moses Cove Lookout on the Parkway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to visit my Mother and Dad and asked for my hand in marriage, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were almost late for our wedding on August 22, 1969, because you had to make that car sale so we could have honeymoon money, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you introduced me the day after our wedding as your 'brand new wife', I knew you were one of a kind.
When in 1969 you spent $25 for a motel room at the Congress in Washington, DC while we were on our honeymoon, I knew you were one of a kind.
When we gave out of money on our honeymoon and you went in that bank in Connecticut to borrow $200.00 so we could get back home and actually got it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I cooked my first meal for you, James and David and burned the fish and you ate them anyway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you built our house at the Wildlife Pond because you knew I loved to fish, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you chose to attend the Methodist Church because I was Methodist even though you were Pentecostal, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I wanted to move our membership to the First Pentecostal Holiness Church, you agreed although you were actively involved in the Methodist Church, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I retired from teaching at Wayne Community College, you established the Fay B Weeks Accounting Scholarship in my honor, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you continued to give James and David fatherly advice even though they were grown, married and successful in business, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you loved your daughter-in-law as you loved your boys, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you lovingly teased and tussled with your grandchildren and allowed them to drive your antique cars, it was easy to see you were one of a kind.
When you always made sure you had tootsie rolls for your little buddies, the great-grandchildren, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to Haiti to play Santa Claus to the orphran children and came home and cried as you ate Christmas dinner realizing that you had enough food on your plate to feed several hungry Haitians, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you planted those big gardens so you could take corn, collards, and turnips to the preachers, widows, doctors and friends, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you would take preachers and all those other friends to eat at Pete's BBQ in Ayden, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were standing at the entrance of the church greeting worshippers and presenting children with those little Bibles, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you go to heaven, I believe God will introduce you to Peter and Paul and say, "He joins the two of you in being one of a kind."
When it comes to tributes, the heartfelt is vastly superior to the eloquent. None is more heartfelt than this one. Written by my aunt Faye for her beloved husband Facie. They were married for more than 40 years. He was known to us mostly because of the antique cars he traded and owned. Actually he was much more than that. He was a doorkeeper at his church and now is a doorkeeper in heaven. That's where we will meet him again. Godspeed, Uncle!
When you asked me if you could "come calling" In knew you were one of a kind.
When you told me you were a salesman, mechanic, and wash boy of City Motor Sales and six months later, I learned you really owned it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I went back to Graduate School at Appalachian State University and you came up and proposed marriage to me at Moses Cove Lookout on the Parkway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to visit my Mother and Dad and asked for my hand in marriage, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were almost late for our wedding on August 22, 1969, because you had to make that car sale so we could have honeymoon money, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you introduced me the day after our wedding as your 'brand new wife', I knew you were one of a kind.
When in 1969 you spent $25 for a motel room at the Congress in Washington, DC while we were on our honeymoon, I knew you were one of a kind.
When we gave out of money on our honeymoon and you went in that bank in Connecticut to borrow $200.00 so we could get back home and actually got it, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I cooked my first meal for you, James and David and burned the fish and you ate them anyway, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you built our house at the Wildlife Pond because you knew I loved to fish, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you chose to attend the Methodist Church because I was Methodist even though you were Pentecostal, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I wanted to move our membership to the First Pentecostal Holiness Church, you agreed although you were actively involved in the Methodist Church, I knew you were one of a kind.
When I retired from teaching at Wayne Community College, you established the Fay B Weeks Accounting Scholarship in my honor, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you continued to give James and David fatherly advice even though they were grown, married and successful in business, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you loved your daughter-in-law as you loved your boys, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you lovingly teased and tussled with your grandchildren and allowed them to drive your antique cars, it was easy to see you were one of a kind.
When you always made sure you had tootsie rolls for your little buddies, the great-grandchildren, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you went to Haiti to play Santa Claus to the orphran children and came home and cried as you ate Christmas dinner realizing that you had enough food on your plate to feed several hungry Haitians, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you planted those big gardens so you could take corn, collards, and turnips to the preachers, widows, doctors and friends, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you would take preachers and all those other friends to eat at Pete's BBQ in Ayden, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you were standing at the entrance of the church greeting worshippers and presenting children with those little Bibles, I knew you were one of a kind.
When you go to heaven, I believe God will introduce you to Peter and Paul and say, "He joins the two of you in being one of a kind."
When it comes to tributes, the heartfelt is vastly superior to the eloquent. None is more heartfelt than this one. Written by my aunt Faye for her beloved husband Facie. They were married for more than 40 years. He was known to us mostly because of the antique cars he traded and owned. Actually he was much more than that. He was a doorkeeper at his church and now is a doorkeeper in heaven. That's where we will meet him again. Godspeed, Uncle!
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