Ryan North

Kenya Trip in March

2011-01-16T22:00:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends and Family,

Did you know that in Kenya alone there are currently 2 million orphans out of the 12 million children? And 700 children a day become orphaned in Kenya – 1 every 2 minutes! As you know God has given Ryan and I a heart for orphans. We are active foster parents, adoptive parents, and advocates for foster care and adoption amongst our circle of influence.

Recently I have been presented with an opportunity to go to Kenya over my spring break (March 10-20) to work in an orphanage that is just starting to welcome children. This orphanage is called Naomi’s Village and is located in near Nairobi, Kenya. I will be traveling with an organization called Lost Orphans International (LOI). We will stay at Naomi’s Village during our trip and work on various projects. I am hoping to spend lots of time loving on these children, but I’m sure there will be some manual labor involved as well!

I would love for you to be a part of my support team. You can contribute financially to my trip by making a donation of $25, $50, $100 or more. My total expenses will be around $2000. The first deadline for money to be raised is coming up next week (Jan. 23^rd). If you are able to contribute you can send the donation directly to LOI (with Kayla North – Kenya in the memo line) or I am glad to come pick up checks if you are local.

Lost Orphans International

PO Box 1388

McKinney, TX 75070

I would also love for you to pray for me and my team while we are in Kenya. If you would like to receive email updates and specific prayer requests please send an email to kayla@partnersonline.org with Kenya Prayer in the subject line.

Thank you for considering being a part of my support team as I step out in faith and trust God to use me in a powerful way. Below are websites for Naomi’s Village and Lost Orphans International if you want more information about either of these organizations.

Naomi’s Village - http://naomisvillage.com/

Lost Orphans International - http://www.lostorphans.org/

His,

Kayla North <><

The Therapy of Writing and Emotions, etc.

2010-05-11T09:06:00.000-07:00

I’m told that writing is therapeutic so I thought I’d give it a try.

I realize that I am not necessarily the best verbal communicator in the world. I also realize that information is rarely received the way it was intended if the listener filters what they hear through any emotion. So I share what I believe to be absolutely true; emotion is the enemy of logic and reason.

The last boy scout

2010-01-25T20:57:00.000-08:00

Hi my name is Ryan and I watch The Bachelor.

Out of the mouths of children...

2009-12-08T19:53:00.001-08:00

Our sweet little Tori talking about Jesus.

Funny

2009-12-06T20:04:00.000-08:00

This is little Brooklyn

Insane

2009-11-30T11:30:00.001-08:00

LA Clippers play-by-play man Ralph Lawler and color analyst Michael Smith were suspended one game because of the following offensive conversation on air last week.

Smith: “Look who’s in.”

Lawler: “Hamed Haddadi. Where’s he from?”

Smith: “He’s the first Iranian to play in the NBA.” (Smith pronounced Iranian as “Eye-ranian,” a pronunciation that offended a viewer who complained.)

Lawler: “There aren’t any Iranian players in the NBA,” repeating Smith’s mispronunciation.

Smith: “He’s the only one.”

Lawler: “He’s from Iran?”

Smith: “I guess so.”

Lawler: “That Iran?”

Smith: “Yes.”

You never know who you might meet

2009-11-15T22:28:00.000-08:00

In an odd turn of events I met New York Yankees first baseman Mark Texiera at church this morning.

Control is an Illusion

2009-11-12T12:35:00.000-08:00

People fascinate me.

I love going to mass gatherings and watching people. I am equally intrigued by what people do as I am by why people do the things they do. Underlying causes explain so much of human behavior. I also love dealing with people. When God made me he made me relational. It is amazing how people are the sum of their experiences. Our behaviors are shaped by our past.

Why I can't watch Oprah

2009-04-22T19:54:00.000-07:00

I was reminded again today why I don't watch Oprah.
I was watching Oprah's earth day special with my wife today and the subject of gardens came up. One of her guests suggested that growing your own vegetables was the "greenest" thing you could do. Oprah agreed. She said that having a garden was one of the best ways to exercise and that there were few things that brought her more joy than tending her garden.
Fast forward two segments.
She doesn't tend her own garden. She has people who do it for her and she loves it when they bring the food in. Nice.
Oh yeah, she didn't know what a compact fluorescent light bulb was. I found her show on earth day to be phony.

Coaching

2009-03-11T21:30:00.000-07:00

I believe that coaching is equal parts education, inspiration and manipulation.
Education - teaching someone how to do something.
Inspiration - convincing someone they can do it.
Manipulation - Convincing someone that they can do something they don't think that they can do.

Apples and Onions

2009-01-13T20:36:00.000-08:00

Apple Introduces Revolutionary New Laptop With No Keyboard

WIth Liberty and Justice for All

2008-12-23T21:39:00.001-08:00

My four year old can recite the Pledge of Allegiance. The last line always gets me. "With Liberty and Justice for All. What if we lived in a world with liberty and justice for all.

Cry Out to Jesus

2008-07-10T21:52:00.000-07:00

I was driving home from work last week and instead of listening to sports talk radio I decided to listen to some music. Now I don’t listen to Christian music radio, but I like Third Day. And as I listened to Cry Out to Jesus in my car I was moved.

Here are the lyrics for those of you not familiar with the song.

There is hope for the helpless
Rest for the weary
And love for the broken heart
There is grace and forgiveness
Mercy and healing
He’ll meet you wherever you are
Cry out to Jesus, Cry out to Jesus

I started thinking about church while I was driving and how different the world would be if a church was a place where the helpless could find hope and the weary could find rest. Where the broken hearted could be loved. Where grace, forgiveness, mercy and healing where freely given and received. Where people were met wherever they were in life.

Why?

2008-07-01T08:04:00.000-07:00

Rudyard Kipling said that who, what, where, when, how and why were his "friends" who taught him everything he ever knew. Any question started with who, what, where, when, how and why cannot be answered by a simple yes or no. They require thought.

If his friends are my friends then my best friend is "why". If you ask most people why they do things a certain way you will inevitably get "I guess we've always done it that way" as an answer. I love to ask people why. Especially when it come to their beliefs and practices.

So much in churches today is tradition passed off as biblical. So much is done out of convenience, yet convenience is only wrong when others do it. Example. Why is the offering taken up as the third element of the Lord's table in some churches? Convenience. This one bothers me. It's like you're paying for your meal at a restaurant. I often wonder what people visiting a church that does that thinks when they see the offering plate come by?

I have always questioned everything. Questions are good, not bad. One of the things I love about the heroes of the New Testament is that they were not afraid of questions.

We're Moving

2008-04-08T07:19:00.000-07:00

I 've made two decisions about this blog.

post weekly
comment on what I know and care about

Having said all of that, this blog is moving to http://www.partnersonline.org/blog. I hope to see you there.

Negative Attention

2008-03-31T10:41:00.000-07:00

My wife and I are currently reading Proverbs together at night after we put the kids to bed. We read chapter 27 last night and I had to stop and re-read verse 7.

"He who is full loathes honey, but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet."

The catch 22 of parenting has never been more succinctly stated.

"He who is full loathes honey" helps me understand my daughter, "but to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet" helps me with my son.

My daughter has received much love and affection from birth. As a result she is very independent and secure. As I kissed her this morning when I put her into her car seat she proclaimed that she didn't need my kisses as she wiped them from her cheek. - "He who is full loathes honey."

My son, by all accounts, was not the recipient of much love and affection for the first four years of his life. He has since been loved on constantly. He will engage in poor behavior when he is not the center of attention. Sometimes I feel like he tries to fail at certain things. I finally realized something last week. When he does something right or learns something new he is praised. When he does something wrong we work with him and try to help him get it right. The equation in his mind is success = praise BUT failure = attention + interaction. If attention is what he seeks then he knows how to get more of it - "But to the hungry even what is bitter tastes sweet"

My feelings are not hurt when my daughter wipes my kisses off. I rejoice that she is wildly independent. I would not want it any other way. I believe that parenting is not about me but that it is about raising the children that God has blessed us with to be the people He wants them to be.

Faith Restored

2008-02-10T20:33:00.000-08:00

An event happened this week that restored my faith in professional sports. But first a little history.

On February 6, 1958 Manchester United's team plane crashed on take-off from Munich. Among the dead that evening were 8 of Manchester's starting 11. Four of those were English internationals. Many felt that England were the favorites for the 1958 World Cup before the crash. Instead it turned into a coming out party for a 17 year old Brazilian named Pele.

The Munich crash is an event that has touched generations of English people and United fans around the world. The 50th anniversary of the crash was commemorated today at the Manchester United game. The club could have milked a very emotional occasion for every possible dollar. But they didn't. There was a minute of silence before the game and Man U played in a 1958 throwback uniform. The cool thing is that there were only 16 uniforms made. Eleven starters and 5 subs. No commemorative ones were made for sale. How refreshing to have a tribute be about the deceased not about the money.

Peace be upon you

2007-11-29T11:46:00.000-08:00

AP - KHARTOUM, Sudan - British teacher Gillian Gibbons was convicted of insulting Islam for letting her pupils name a teddy bear Muhammad and sentenced to 15 days in prison and deportation from Sudan, one of her defense lawyers said Thursday. [Click here for full article]

The good news is that she was convicted of a lesser crime. She was initially charged with inciting religious hatred.

How ironic.

Naming a teddy bear Muhammad is hatred, flying a plane into a building is a not.

Missing the Point

2007-08-14T19:46:00.000-07:00

The following is by Brian McClaren and Tony Campolo from their book Adventures in Missing the Point: How the Culture-Controlled Church Neutered the Gospel.

I'm in Home Depot. A series of consumer canyons tower menacingly overhead. All I need is a thingamajig. Where is it and who cares? My eyes quickly scan the horizon of stuff looking for a little just-in-time customer service.
I want to scream at those apron-clad folks: Take your eyes of those boxes! Get down off that stupid ladder! Quit visiting with your coworkers! Don't pick up that phone! Pay attention to me!
But it's pointless, and I finally get it: I'm an interruption. An irritation. They'd prefer I wasn't in their building.
They've forgotten why they went into business. It wasn't to count boxes. Or visit each other. Or ignore the customer. They went into business to pay attention to the customer.

The Home Depot story reminds me of the modern church. We sometimes forget why we are in business. We forget that the "Son of Man came to seek and to save what was lost." Jesus was and still is all about people. Not buildings or programs or meetings or any of the other things we spend our time on.

Why everyone should watch the Onion News Network

2007-08-07T08:24:00.000-07:00

This clip is an example of the ONN's stuff.

In The Know: Is Our Wealth Hurting Africa2019s Feelings?

Music and Lyrics

2007-08-05T19:39:00.000-07:00

This is a clip from one of my favorite movies of the last few years. Hugh Grant is phenomenal.

I really should post more frequently.

2007-07-17T21:10:00.000-07:00

I wish I had the time to post more frequently.

Magical

2007-06-21T21:21:00.000-07:00

Manchester United FC 7

AS Roma 1

Why you should think before you speak

2007-06-20T10:12:00.000-07:00

The North Texas town of Oak Point voted to make English it's official language on Monday. I'm sure that is a debate for another day.
What amused me however was a local news feature on this some weeks ago. One of the proponents of this ordinance said something along the lines of you need to speak English if you come to America. He then add that, "If I was in Mexico I would speak Spanish and if I was in German I'd speak German." That's not a typo folks.

I would think that a proponent of "English only" should at least be able to speak the language.

Moving on.

The reporter closed with this gem. "The ordinance would not apply to restaurants. A Chinese restaurant could still have it's menu in Chinese while a Mexican restaurant could still have it's menu in Hispanic." That's no typo either.

Amazing

2007-05-02T19:58:00.000-07:00

If you didn't see this on American Idol you missed something great.

The best thing I have seen in a while

2007-03-20T09:29:00.000-07:00

The Late Late Show's Craig Ferguson explains why he refuses to make fun of Britney Spears. Fantastic stuff.

Sports and all that implies

2007-02-03T12:34:00.000-08:00

I love football, both American and real football you know, the one played with a round ball and your feet. You probably know it as soccer.

What I don't love is football (soccer) hooligans. They have been a blemish on the game for a long time. The game's history is full of violence and death because of people who are unable to separate sports from reality. I recall watching the European Cup final in 1985 between Liverpool and Juventus. 39 fans were crushed to death at that one.

Much effort (time, money, police) has been made to fix this problem. I had to go through security at Gatwick (London) airport the day the European championships started in Portugal. The cops with dogs and sub-machine guns made DFW look and feel like a tea party.

It has thankfully been a long time since their has been a game related death. That was until this week.

One police officer was killed and 100 people injured after a game between Catania and Palermo in Italy's Serie A. That is most tragic, what is impressive however is the Italian Football Federation's response. All professional soccer games in Italy have been canceled until further notice.

"I have demanded a stop to all activity of football in Italy," said the Italian football commissioner, Luca Pancalli. "Enough is enough. It's a situation that I cannot speak of. To lose your life at 38 is incredible. This is not a sport. The football tournaments will remain suspended until we solve the violence in our football."

To realize the magnitude of that decision you have to understand that Serie A is the second most profitable soccer league on the planet. This decision costs money, creates scheduling nightmares but they made it anyway.

This has caused me to reflect on sports in America on this Super Bowl weekend. Would the NFL suspend games under similar circumstances? Would they sacrifice the dollars? I doubt it. The Super Bowl, and the endless NFL network coverage, the insufferable five hour pre-game show and the overpriced commercials remind me how "Super"ficial it all is. I used to love the Super Bowl but now it is an event I can do without. I installed shelving during the game last year.

There's only one David Beckham

2007-01-12T08:48:00.000-08:00

"There's only one David Beckham, one David Beckham" the chorus that used to ring out around the theater of dreams - Old Trafford - home of Manchester United FC. Now the same chorus will ring out at the Home Depot Center in Carson California, home of the Los Angeles Galaxy.

I have a confession to make. I love David Beckham. For years he was the hero of the Man U faithful and now he is heading to the USA to help grow the game. Of course the naysayers (ESPN) are saying this won't increase the popularity of the game in this country at all. I'd like to disagree.

Hockey no longer has a national TV deal, the NBA and baseball have ever dwindling numbers. I think the time is perfect for the ascendancy of the beautiful game. Last summer's World Cup final had more TV viewers in the USA than the World Series did. Don't forget that the "Big 3" sports in this country were horse racing, boxing and baseball 50 years ago.

I will purchase tickets for the first LA/Dallas featuring Becks when they go one sale.

"There's only one David Beckham, one David Beckham"

2006 in Review

2007-01-04T08:17:00.000-08:00

As I reflect on the year that was, I came across this winner of a 2006 Darwin award.

(Belize) Benjamin Franklin reputedly flew his kite in a lightning storm, going on to discover that lightning equals electricity. However, certain precautions must be taken to avoid sudden electrocution. Kennon, 26, replicated the conditions of Ben Franklin's experiment, but without Ben's sensible safety precautions. Dennon was flying a kite with a short string that he had extended with a length of thin copper wire. The copper made contact with a high-tension line, sending a bolt of electrical lightning towards the man. Just bad luck? Kennon's father told listeners his son was an electrician, and "should have known better." Kennon is survived by his parents, six sisters, and five brothers.

I hope that 2007 has a few more brighter days (and people).

A Picture is worth a thousand words - Part II

2006-11-21T19:48:00.000-08:00

Need I say more? You know I will, but I'll wait for you to get the conversation started.

A Picture is worth a thousand words - Part I

2006-11-20T08:52:00.000-08:00

Check out Faith Hill's reaction to Carrie Underwood winning Female Vocalist of the Year at the Country Music Awards.
I thought country artists were just one happy family.
Nice.

Truth, Reconciliation, Crocodiles and Politics

2006-11-12T21:21:00.000-08:00

Former South African president PW Botha died recently. For those of you who do not know, Botha was the last hardline conservative apartheid leader. He frequently used the army to enforce South Africa's sepratist laws. He was affectionately known as the Great Crocodile by Afrikaners

It is estimated that up to 30,000 people were held without trial during states of emergency imposed by him between 1986 and 1989. It is also suspected that he ordered the death of current South Africa president Thabo Mbeki's son some twenty years ago.

When the Truth and Reconciliation summoned him to testify some years ago, he responded by saying: "I have nothing to apologize for. I will never ask for amnesty. Not now, not tomorrow, not after tomorrow."

Having said all of that, I found it ironic that Mr. Mbeki was sititng on the front row of his funeral next to FW de Klerk the man who ousted him from office. I must admit that some of the ways he is being remembered has left me scratching my head.

Nelson Mandela said, "While to many Mr Botha will remain a symbol of apartheid, we also remember him for the steps he took to pave the way towards the eventual peacefully negotiated settlement in our country."

Mbeki said of him, "Mr Botha took over the reigns of government at a difficult time in the history of our country. It stands to his credit that when he realised the futility of fighting against what was right and inevitable, he, in his own way, realised that South Africans had no alternative but to reach out to one another."

Politics sure does make some strange bedfellows.

There are however many who shed no tears for the man. Former Gauteng premier and Robben Island prisoner Tokyo Sexwale responded in a way that is probably more reflective of many South Africans, "We should not forget the kind of regime he represented, he was ruthless, he was brutal, he was a leader of apartheid during the harshest years of that regime, the sad truth is that he is leaving with many secrets which he should have revealed perhaps during the time of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission."

My personal memories of the man are not many but I know that South Africa became better for everyone when he left office.

Goodbye, Goodbye, Adios.

National Adoption Day

2006-11-10T13:52:00.000-08:00

Next Saturday, November 18, is national adoption day. We will participate in this event as we adopt our son. My wife and I are thrilled to be able to adopt him and continue to pray for the same with our daughter.

I'm Baaaack

2006-11-05T20:44:00.000-08:00

Well it has been months since my last post. If anyone still visits this site I promise weekly posts.

Stay tuned.

Summer Missions

2006-03-10T07:48:00.000-08:00

My apologies for the infrequency of my posting lately. I hope to be better about that moving forward.

I have great news. Our ministry, Partners in Hope, is sending our first mission team to Africa. I met with representatives from Harvesters Reaching the Nations monday evening. HRTN is an orphanage and school in Yei, Sudan.

I am thrilled by this challage and opportunity. Please pray for us.

Why I have had enough of Islamic cartoon backlash

2006-02-08T12:37:00.000-08:00

I heard yesterday that the reason peaceful muslims have turned violent is because of American cartoons. These guys would have me believe that watching Looney Tunes has turned them into, well, looney tunes. So the roadrunner is responsible for global terrorism? Who knew?

Another item for the "it's so lame file" is the announcement that Sesame Street will soon add a peace loving muslim puppet. I wonder what it will do when you tickle it.?

I shudder to think.

Private Property Rights?

2006-01-18T13:46:00.000-08:00

We recently purchased a house. For those of you who have purchased property before you know what a whip the process is. Driving around with the realtor, negotiating, financing and the biggest beating of the all...CLOSING.
I think the closing agent was getting annoyed with me questioning so many of her documents. Two in particular stand out

We had to sign a mineral rights waiver. Anything found under the soil does not belong to us.
Homeowners association. Failure to pay our $180 annual fee could result in us being evicted from our own home and the property being resold.

Where are the private property rights? Let us not forget that one of the 10 major tenents of Communisim was the abolishment of private property rights. Ah, at least "freedom is on the march."

Bush's Presidency Most Resembles That of LBJ

2005-12-29T09:24:00.000-08:00

The following article is by Ivan Eland. He is the Director of the Center on Peace and Liberty at the The Independence Institute.

Although George W. Bush likes to compare his presidency to that of Ronald Reagan, it most resembles that of Lyndon Baines Johnson. Some conservatives and liberals alike may be horrified at the comparison, but that is where the facts lead.

Although Ronald Reagan’s efforts to reduce the size of government were mostly rhetorical, his philosophy was one of small government conservatism. Certainly, the deficits Reagan racked up by cutting taxes more than spending and the percolation of his philosophy into public opinion probably played at least some role in reducing the growth of federal spending during the Clinton presidency

In contrast, both George W. Bush and LBJ ran “guns and butter” presidencies—that is, spending other people’s money was their specialty. Although Bush claims to be a “conservative,” the growth rate of domestic (non-defense) spending under his watch has increased more than under any recent president except LBJ. And that’s no coincidence. Throughout American history, war is the most prominent cause of government expansion at home. The three recent presidents with long wars during their terms—LBJ, Nixon, and George W. Bush—also had higher growth rates for domestic spending than presidents without extended wars during their time in office—for example, Carter, Reagan, and Clinton. In the case of both LBJ and Bush, shoveling money into their respective military adventures eventually “crowded out” their domestic spending sprees and forced at least some financial retrenchment in those programs.

In the 1960s, LBJ and his advisers had little knowledge about what would really solve the problem of poverty. His strategy in the federal “War on Poverty” was merely to throw money at the problem. He didn’t know which programs would work and which would not. But LBJ, the seasoned political operative, knew that it would be difficult to kill even ineffective programs once they were established. Interest groups would fight the funding termination. So he realized that unsuccessful programs could be “adjusted.” Yet LBJ didn’t predict that the entire “War on Poverty” would fail, leading to the massive waste of taxpayer dollars and a permanent underclass dependent on federal assistance.

Similarly, Bush has tried to fix the broken public school system by increasing federal funding and intervention into what had traditionally been a locally dominated policy area. (Interestingly, LBJ was the first president to overcome decades of congressional resistance to general federal aid for education, thus setting the precedent for Bush’s efforts.) Like LBJ’s “War on Poverty,” Bush’s attempt to cure a systemic problem by simply providing greater federal cash, with strings attached, will probably fail.

Although the U.S. economy performed well during LBJ’s term, his economic policies reverberated far into the future. For example, in the 1960s, LBJ’s profligate spending on unsuccessful Great Society social programs and the Vietnam War helped cause the stagflation of the 1970s. Similarly, although the economy is performing well now, Bush’s big government conservatism will likely have future negative economic effects that are not apparent at the current time.

The greatest resemblance of the two administrations, however, may be their deceptions about the need to conduct foreign wars, which later turned into quagmires. In 1964, LBJ used an alleged attack by a North Vietnamese patrol boat on a U.S. destroyer off the coast of Vietnam to push through Congress the open-ended Gulf of Tonkin resolution. The resolution allowed him much flexibility to conduct military operations against North Vietnam. He made a fatal mistake, however, by conducting a piecemeal, secret escalation of the war without gaining congressional or public support for growing U.S. involvement. Thus, as the war dragged into a stalemate involving more than a half a million U.S. combat troops, the American public began to bail out. Although LBJ had moments of tactical candor as popular support for the war ebbed, his failure to allow an informed debate on escalation before the going got tough eventually doomed the war effort. Furthermore, under LBJ’s acquiescence, the U.S. military, using heavy-handed tactics and massive firepower to substitute for a more sophisticated counterinsurgency strategy, also made the U.S. war unpopular in Vietnam—further eroding the possibility of success.

In the same way, Bush exaggerated the threat that Saddam Hussein posed to get initial public and congressional support for invading Iraq. But when no weapons of mass destruction were found after the invasion and U.S. casualties mounted as a guerrilla war slogged on, public support for the endeavor eroded domestically. Recently, in a likely vain effort to turn around long-term public opinion on the conflict, Bush has grudgingly admitted that mistakes were made but has promised ultimate victory if the public is patient. Unbelievably, in a replay of Vietnam, the U.S. military, under Bush’s tacit acceptance, made the U.S. occupation unpopular in Iraq by using large conventional units and heavy firepower to destroy Iraqi towns in order to save them. Losing public support at home and in the country of occupation dramatically lessens the chance that any counterinsurgency will succeed.

Overseas counterinsurgencies are difficult to conduct even when leaders are honest about the goals and costs of the war, but are even more treacherous in a democracy when leaders deceive their publics and their legislatures. If anything goes wrong—as it inevitably does—the leaders are left standing out on a very fragile limb.

Foreign wars are often the signature event in a president’s time in office. Vietnam took over LBJ’s term, as Iraq has Bush’s tenure. Vietnam destroyed LBJ’s “guns and butter” presidency, and Iraq will likely destroy Bush’s 21st century counterpart.

Patriot Act?

2005-12-22T07:19:00.000-08:00

The president said yesterday that the Senate needed to renew the Patriot Act because failure to do so would make America weak.

I disagree Mr. Bush.

The failure to renew the so called Patriot Act (that name is the greatest piece of marketing in recent history) is what helps make America strong. Those elected to govern acting in the best interests of those they govern is what makes America strong.

America should not be measured in terms of military might. America should be measured in terms of ideals; Freedom, Liberty and Justice. Not renewing the Patriot Act makes America stronger not weaker.

Disturbing Trend

2005-12-07T12:35:00.000-08:00

I have noticed that some churches have decided to cancel all worship services on Christmas. The reason being that it is a family holiday?!?!? What better way to celebrate the birth of our Lord than by cancelling our corporate worship of Him.

O, South Africa dear land

2005-12-05T21:10:00.000-08:00

The country of my birth became the first African nation to legalize homosexual marriage this week. Seems like a brilliant move for a country with the world's highest rate of HIV positive people.

Our Legacy

2005-11-30T20:14:00.000-08:00

It saddens me that the legacy of the church is not changed lives but big buildings and creative pastors. We need to not be concerned about our own fame but rather reaching out to others.

According to the US Department of Health and Human Services there are 600,000 homeless Americans. There are 542,000 kids in foster care. What are our churches doing for these often overlooked groups. Judging by the numbers not nearly enough.

Dignity Restored

2005-11-20T19:25:00.000-08:00

I must start by being confessional. I harbor no moral grudges towards William Jefferson Clinton. Yes, he committed adultery while president. While I am obviously opposed to the sin of adultery I do not dismiss the sinner (see John 4:4-26).

What I am opposed to is Christians who blindly support George W. Bush and claim him to have restored dignity to the White House while completelty dismissing Clinton as a bad guy.

What bothers me is that Republicans successfully pushed for Oil company executives to not testify under oath. The same executives who were invited by Cheney to meet with his staff to "discuss" the White House energy policy in 2001. And I know people who believe that unrest in the Middle East and OPEC are responsible for high gasoline prices. Ok OPEC is not entirely blameless, but there has been no decrease in Middle Eastern unrest latley. And we have recently lost refineries along the gulf coast which would usually lead to increased gas prices. (Constant demand and decreased supply = higher prices.) Isn't it VERY interesting that things being the way they are, gas prices finally drop dramatically when oil companies are in the spot light?

I can sleep better tonight knowing that honest people have restored dignity to the White House. At least the Clinton's are not longer in power.

Something to think about

2005-11-11T12:56:00.000-08:00

Here is a verse that has always grabbed my attention. I wonder how many of us (myself very included) are able to live up to this simple requirement.

He has showed you, O man, what is good.
And what does the LORD require of you?
To act justly and to love mercy
and to walk humbly with your God.

- Micah 6:8

What happened to the Old Testament?

2005-10-30T06:54:00.000-08:00

I must admit that I am intrigued by those Christians who have no knowledge of the Old Testament. Not only do the have no knowledge of, they also have no desire to study it. I hear the same thing over and over again, "the OT is boring" and "Jesus is in the NT so all I need to know is in the NT". The last comment is particularly sad and ignorant.

The OT reveals not only God's plan of redemption, but also very much about His character as well. The person of Jesus Christ is also revealed in the pages of the OT.

Jesus himself said in Matthew 5:17-18 "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished."

Why then have churches devalued the OT so much?

The real problem in America

2005-10-20T19:10:00.000-07:00

I received the following e-mail from Andy McQuitty this week. Andy is the pastor at Irving Bible Church and someone who has been a great support and encouragement to me in ministry.

Poverty has become a particularly hot topic in America in the aftermath of Katrina. Those searing images of thousands of poor folks wading away from their old lives in New Orleans in waist-deep water are etched on our minds and hearts. As some have pointed out, an unexpected consequence of the hurricanes was to place the poverty issue front and center in the national debate. And as you would expect, people have wildly different takes on both the causes and the solutions to the problem.

Some think American wealth is too narrowly pooled, and the answer is for more money to be invested on top of the trillions already spent on the war on poverty over the last five decades. Some think institutional racism holds people down, and the answer is quotas, set-asides, legislation and more affirmative action.

I'm no sociologist, but I suspect that the diagnosis and cure for the disease of poverty is far more complex than anyone wants to admit. And there's surely some truth in practically all the prominent analyses of the issue. What troubles me is that there's an elephant in the national room where this debate is being staged. Nobody seems to want to recognize his presence, but he's got peanuts on his breath and refuses to leave.

The elephant is this: we can talk about bigotry and wealth redistribution and affirmative action until we're blue in the face, but until we address the disintegration of the family, we'll get nowhere. In her article "Fatherhood Is More Than a Paycheck," Jane Jimenez wrote:

"From 1960 to 1995, the proportion of children living in single-parent homes tripled from 9 percent to 27 percent, and the proportion of children living with married parents declined. Today, 24 million children (34 percent) live absent their biological father. And in 2000, 1.35 million births -- one-third of all births -- occurred out of wedlock.

Fathers are the missing ingredient for many children. The results of father absence are staggering. An analysis reported in 2001 of nearly 100 studies on parent-child relationships found that, in some studies, father love was actually a better predictor than mother love for certain outcomes, including delinquency, substance abuse and overall mental health and well-being."

You might wonder what this preponderance of single parent families (primarily led by women) in America has to do with poverty? Let me answer by quoting Robert Rector's article "How Not to Be Poor":

"Nationwide, children born and raised outside marriage are seven times more likely to live in poverty than are children in intact married families. Nearly two-thirds of all poor children live in single-parent families."

"If poor single mothers were married to the fathers of their children, some 60 percent would be immediately raised out of poverty."

And then he writes: "A real war against poverty must be a campaign for moral renewal; its heart must be a long-term effort to rebuild marriage."

I think Robert Rector is right. I also think he's on to why we don't hear more of these kind of stat's about the poverty issue on the national stage-they're politically incorrect! The attitude is like this: "What, you think we need to trot out these quaint mid-Victorian notions of marriage and monogamy and faithfulness of both moms and dads to each other and to their kids? That just won't fly in our liberated twenty-first century ethos of "hooking up", "reproductive freedom", and moral license." Don't believe people think that way? Just ask Bill Cosby.

Well, it better fly, because if it doesn't, things are going to get a lot worse before they get better! I'm not saying that because I'm a pastor with an ax to grind. The only dog I have in this fight is the desire to recognize reality, because if we willfully miss a major component of poverty's cause, we'll definitely fail in bringing poverty's cure. I like what Rob Bell writes in Velvet Elvis: "Being a Christian is not cutting yourself off from real life; it is entering into it more fully. It is not failing to go deeper; it is going deeper than ever. It is a journey into the heart of how things really are."

So how are things, really? An honest look at the relationship between poverty and the family's disintegration tells us. It tells us that God's idea of loving and committed parents raising children together in the security of an intact home makes much better sense than everything else we are trying and that we better be at least as much about that as making new laws and throwing money around.

Now I'm fully aware that not all single-parent families are poor. I'm also deeply sympathetic to moms and dads who never wanted to be single and who fought valiantly if not successfully for their marriage. I believe that God has a special place in His heart for single parents who struggle to live faithful to Him and heroically to raise their children with love and values. The church needs to be there big-time for such moms and dads, encouraging and helping and blessing them. It's not these single parents who understand the importance of a child having positive input from both mom and dad and the security of their love for one another that I worry about. It's the ones who refuse to recognize the importance of marriage or commitment or values and what those mean to the well being of their children that give me the willies.

Once again, I'm reminded of the incredible responsibility we have as believers to both teach and live truth. Could an investment in my marriage actually be a blow struck against poverty in America? In isolation, probably not. But carried out in conjunction with hundreds of thousands of others in American churches who also pass their values to their children and grand-children and teach others as well, probably so. Who, if not the church, will mount the needed campaign for moral renewal? Who, if not the church, will commit to the long-term effort to rebuild marriage?

I say kudo's to those brave and lonely voices in our country who are calling for a renewed commitment to strong marriages and intact families in addressing the issue of poverty. May we as believers do our part as we keep tender, generous hearts open to meeting the needs of the poor even as we seek to promote long-term solutions.

The religion of peace?

2005-10-18T20:05:00.000-07:00

According to the recently published Human Security Report, there has been a decline in every form of armed conflict except one since the end of the Cold War. Would anyone care to hazzard a guess which form of armed conflict has seen a rapid increase since 1992?

That's right terrorism.

Now I don't think I am making too large of a leap when I say that most terrorists are from a certain part of the world. Middle East to be exact. And the vast majority of the people from that region are islamic.

I am so tired of hearing main stream American media calling islam a religion of peace. The evidence suggests the complete opposite. How do we condider people who kill non military personnel in public places without warning peaceful? How do we consider people who dance and sing in the streets because thousands have perished peaceful? You only need to know a little about the history of islam to know that it has no connection to peace.

Wal-Mart, the Secret Service and censorship

2005-10-18T09:37:00.000-07:00

The following was taken from Matthew Rothschild's article in The Progressive.

Selina Jarvis is the chair of the social studies department at Currituck County High School in North Carolina, and she is not used to having the Secret Service question her or one of her students.

But that’s what happened on September 20.

Jarvis had assigned her senior civics and economics class “to take photographs to illustrate their rights in the Bill of Rights,” she says. One student “had taken a photo of George Bush out of a magazine and tacked the picture to a wall with a red thumb tack through his head. Then he made a thumb’s down sign with his own hand next to the President’s picture, and he had a photo taken of that, and he pasted it on a poster.”

Click here to read the entire article.

That is the question

2005-10-12T16:35:00.000-07:00

I must start by saying that I feel for those who are struck by natural disasters. I can't imagine the terror of a tsunami, earthquake or category 5 hurricane.
Having said that, I recall when certain people in the islamic community said that Katrina was God's judgement on the United States. Katrina claimed less than 1,500 lives. The recent earthquake in Pakistan, an islamic nation, killed in excess of 30,000 people. I have not yet heard any comments about God's judgement on Pakistan.
Now we can debate the theology of God's judgement on nations if you wish, but my point is simply this; islamic silence is speaking volumes. 1,500 dead leads to shouts of joy and proclomations of God's judgement. If Katrina proves how evil America is what does 30,000 dead say about islam?

What have you done for me lately?

2005-10-05T16:42:00.000-07:00

I must admit that I have always been perplexed by the fact that black people vote Democratic because "Democrats have done more for black people" I always ask what exactly the Dems have done for black people and I don't get much more than the occasional "affirmative action" reply

The following is taken from Charles North's blog.

Today, Democrats still keep blacks on the plantation of dependency, and the results are disastrous – see recent events in New Orleans. Affirmative action, likewise, smacks of the bigotry of low expectations.

As long as we continue to see all of life is terms of color things will never change in our country. The battle lines are drawn on the basis of race. They always have been and I'm afraid to say they always will.

The better question is obviously what have they done for America? The even better question is have they governed justly in accordance with the law of God?

Here we go again

2005-09-23T20:11:00.000-07:00

The South African governement had adopted a "willing buyer, willing seller" approach to land redistribution since 1994 . They have paid market prices for land that white owners were prepared to sell, and then distributing it to landless blacks.
Things are about to change. There are many angry people in South Africa who do not think that land redistribution is moving fast enough. They count among their numbers new Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka. She thinks that the pace of redistribution should be sped up, to match neighboring Zimbabwe, where most white-owned land has been seized by the state. Her actual quote was"There needs to be a bit of oomph. That's why we may need the skills of Zimbabwe to help us."
Asking for Zimbabwe's help on land redistribution is like asking Eichmann and Mengele to head up a human rights commission. Let us not forget that one of the results of Zimbabwe's "redistribution" is that 50% of its population now has no food. Zambia, on the other hand, who took many displaced Zimbabwean farmers in has enough to feed its citizens and still some left to export. South Africa wants help from Mugabe's government? The same Mugabe who is banned from Europe and the USA? The same Mugabe who flattens settlements when people don't vote for him in a "democratic" election? The same Mugabe who blames his country's economic problems on a Western plot to remove him from power?
Much can be said about someone based on who their friends are, and I don't like what this says about South Africa.

The Postmodern Church

2005-09-18T20:30:00.000-07:00

The following text is from the website of a large church very close to where I live. It tells me all I need to know about the focus of the church. It also helps me understand the size of its membership.

The ________ Church Praise and Music Teams are some of the most gifted and talented performers! Their music ministers to and entertains over __________ people each weekend.

When did worship become about entertaining the congregation? Perhaps some of you out there know the actual date. Sadly, this statement is probably not the exception in western Christian circles.

The postmodern, me-centered church is alive and well in America. Rick Warren's Purpose Driven Church sold 900,000 copies. Warren's Purpose Driven Life has sold almost 30,000,000 copies. People are, according to Warren's book sales, three times more interested in the subject matter when it is about them than they are when it is about the church.

But any of us could have predicted those sales trends.

Maybe if the church were less about entertaining people and more about reaching them with the life changing truth of the gospel we would be more effective in our evangelical efforts.

May God have mercy on us all.

40,000 volunteers needed

2005-09-10T18:41:00.000-07:00

According to the BBC The American Red Cross says it needs 40,000 extra volunteers to help deal with Hurricane Katrina's aftermath.
If this is true, and I assume that it is, why have I heard so many "The Red Cross told me they don't need any volunteers when I tried to volunteer" stories?

What a sobering weekend

2005-09-06T18:13:00.000-07:00

We (Partners in Hope) split our 30 voluteers between Irving Bible Church and the DFW Lakes Hilton on Labor Day weekend. Who would have thought two weeks ago that we would have almost 600 refugees in the Hilton in Grapevine? For that matter who ever thought we would have American refugees in the United States? Most of us never did.
I was pleased to see the amount of volunteers who came out to help. I sincerley hope that the volunteers are still out in force three weeks from now.
I would like to share about an incredible lady I met on Sunday morning. Phyllis is 72 years old and I met her whilen helping refugees check their e-mail, sign up for assistance etc. I sat next to her and read the e-mail from her husband (who refused to leave New Orleans) saying that he was hospitalized in Lake Charles, LA and that he was doing fine. She shared that she heard that he was alive after praying all night for his safety. Hers was sadly one of the few happy stories from the weekend.
I helped a man whose eyes were glazed over and who seemed to be in shock. So much so that he could not remember his address. He apologized to me and checked his drivers lisence for the correct information.
Phyllis, even during this moment of tragedy in her life was able to put things into perspective for me. She said that God had been faithful to her all of her life and that He had not forgotten her now either. All of her family members were alive and that was all that mattered.
What a lady.

Good vs. Evil

2005-08-31T16:37:00.000-07:00

When the tsunami hit Asia last year the US sent troops and money to the region. Private citizens donated millions of dollars to the relief effort. I recall that some of the nations hit by the tsunami are islamic. We gave them aid anyway.
This was in the Associated Press today. "Islamic extremists rejoiced in America's misfortune, giving the storm a military rank and declaring in Internet chatter that "Private" Katrina had joined the global jihad, or holy war. With "God's help," they declared, oil prices would hit $100 a barrel this year."

Enough said.

Deeper Still

2005-08-28T07:12:00.000-07:00

Did anyone see Pat Robertson's "apology" for his comments concerning the president of Venezuela? He said that "take him out" does not neccessarily mean kill it could mean "kidnap". Pat said that his comments were taken the wrong way. I would comment on this but I don't think I need to.

Partners in Hope clothing drive

2005-08-20T16:07:00.000-07:00

Today was a good day. Our ministry, Partners in Hope, concluded a clothing drive at the apartment community we live in. We had residents bring their clothing to our monthly breakfast and representatives from Mission Arlington collected them at the end. This was the kind of event we can easily do. Get those who have to give to those who don't have.
Please check out our website at www.partnersonline.org

Zimbabwe to speed up land seizure

2005-08-18T09:20:00.000-07:00

From the BBC today.

Zimbabwe's government has tabled a constitutional amendment bill to speed up the acquisition of white-owned land.
The proposals would nationalise all land and stop appeals to the courts.

Some 4,000 white farmers have been evicted from their land since 2000, but the government says legal battles are slowing up the transfer of ownership.

President Robert Mugabe's party gained the two-thirds parliamentary majority needed for constitutional change in March's disputed elections.

Passport confiscation

Justice Minister Patrick Chinamasa, who introduced the bill to parliament, told the AFP news agency that the legislation would "conclude the land question".

Other proposed constitutional amendments include the creation of an upper house of parliament, the senate and bringing all schools under state control.

Authorities would also be able to confiscate passports and impose travel bans on people thought to pose a risk to state interests.

Zimbabwe is beset with shortages of food, fuel and foreign currency, and rampant unemployment and inflation, which government critics blame on the seizure of land.

The government blames food shortages on drought and economic sabotage by Western countries, led by the UK, opposed to land reform.

Turn the world upside down

2005-08-17T16:28:00.000-07:00

According to a recent study by UPS there is a huge demand in China for American goods.

"A public opinion poll of China’s emerging urban middle class found that high-quality personal care toiletries and consumer electronics lead the list of most desired American products. Apparel and fashion accessories and music and videos are close behind."

The study went on to say that US exports to China have risen by 80% in the last four years. It appears that the "Chuppies" of China are quite prepared to "Buy American."

Long Live the King

2005-08-15T22:09:00.000-07:00

Elvis Presley left the building for the final time 28 years ago today. His life is truly one of the most tragic in modern history. He was the original superstar. All others are imitations of the original. You can have your one name superstars, Madonna, Prince, etc. but none of them compare to Elvis. The two best books written on the man are by Peter Guralnik, Last Train to Memphis and Careless Love. They are basically the rise and fall of Elvis Presley. Heartbreaking yet wonderful reads.

Just when I thought I had heard it all

2005-08-11T20:59:00.000-07:00

I came across the unschooling movement for the first time today. These people believe in no formal education but that all is learned through everyday experiences. Don't teach your child to read they will learn how to do it themselves they say. Yeah right, all the kids I know just want to read, read, read all of the time. If my parents bought into this I'd be illiterate.
The scary thing is that Google returned 99,300 sites for unschooling. Yahoo returned 469,000.

Now that the shoe is on the other foot

2005-08-05T14:09:00.000-07:00

I remember many things about growing up in South Africa. I remember the beauty, the food and the people. I also remember the strikes. I remember when South Africa's current leaders were trying to topple the white government in the 80's and 90's. One tactic they used was strikes. They attempted to stop the economy to bring about change.
Fasty forward 15 years.
According to (state owned airline) South African Airways pilots association spokesman John Harty, SAA pilots have been informed that they are not entitled to strike. Even though their grievances are legitimate ones like working conditions and dispute resolution policies.
The pilots who are mostly white are not allowed to strike while the ground workers who are mostly black are currently on strike. Its nice to see that the current administration is governing South Africa in the interests of all its citizens and not along racial lines.

France Expels Radical Preacher

2005-07-31T09:23:00.000-07:00

According to the BBC, France has deported a radical Islamist preacher from Algeria said to have given pro-jihad speeches in a mosque in north-east Paris.
Reda Ameuroud and his brother Abderahmane have been permanently banned from French territory and the French are on the verge of expelling 10 more radical Islamists in August.
The real news here is that these guys would probably not have been deported from the US. We'd have every religious liberty group, the ALCU and coincidently the French up in arms if we expelled radical Islamic preachers.

Africa

2005-07-27T11:20:00.000-07:00

George Ayittey was interviewed on PBS' Wide Angle last night. Mr. Ayittey is from Ghana and is a professor of economics at American University in Washington D.C. This was without a doubt one of the best interviews I have ever seen or heard on the subject of Africa. He was honest about the reasons for the continent's problems and was accurate in his assesment of the west's stance on Africa.
I highly recommend that you read the transcript of the interview by clicking here.

Seventh Heaven

2005-07-25T08:11:00.000-07:00

So Lance rolled into Paris yesterday to collect his seventh tour title. I'll give the devil his due. Lance is probably the most dominant athlete I have ever seen.
A curious thing happened on the final podium yesterday. Lance told the assembled crowd that it was too bad that they didn't believe in miracles. This was an obvious stab at the Frenchies for all of the Armstrong dopes allegations. Hmmm...The curious thing is that according to Lance himself, he doesn't believe in miracles either.

Nelson Mandela

2005-07-19T06:18:00.000-07:00

Yesterday was Nelson Mandela's 87th birthday. He is one of the most beloved people on the planet but I don't really know why. I hear people say things like, "He was wrongfully imprisoned and did not seek revenge on his captors."

Let's evaluate the wrongness of his imprisonment shall we?

Mandela was one of the leaders of the African National Congress (ANC) in the 60's. The ANC had decided that in order to bring about the change they wanted in South Africa, they would start targeting civilians. This of course means bombs in banks, restaurants etc. If this guy lived in the US we'd have him in Gitmo by now.

His organization of "freedom fighters" were very active while he was in prison in the 70's and 80's. I remember when all extra-curricular activities at our schools were cancelled in 1986 because the ANC had announced that in order to bring about the change they wanted they were going to kill white children. These are the same people who sang "kill the farmer, kill the white man" at Walter Sisulu's funeral.

After his relese from prison in the early 90's Mandela promised jobs, homes and running water for everyone if the would vote for him. I was in South Africa last summer and saw that he had delivered on none of the three. While serving as president of South Africa his three best friends were Momar, Fiedel and Yassir. Hardly the company a great humanitarian would keep.

So let's see Nelson for what he really is; a master politician. A man who is able to manipulate the masses at will.

Church outrage at Zimbabwe raids

2005-07-13T20:42:00.000-07:00

The following story was taken from the BBC

South African church leaders have accused Zimbabwean President Robert Mugabe of "trampling on humanity" with the recent destruction of houses.

A South African church delegation has just completed a visit to Zimbabwe to see the consequences of raids on shack dwellers and informal traders.

Shack demolitions over the past two months have left more than 200,000 people homeless, according to the UN.

The government says the crackdown is aimed at ridding cities of criminals.

The police have this week started demolitions in more affluent parts of the capital, Harare.

Eddie Make, deputy secretary general of the South African Council of Churches (SACC) said a visit to the Caledonia transit camp near Harare, to which people have been relocated, had caused the delegation "a lot of pain".

"People had literally been removed from their places of abode and dumped in a remote area with no cover other than plastic sheets and pieces of wood they had cut from surrounding trees in order to protect them from the winter cold," he told the BBC's Network Africa programme.

Mr Make said the delegation appreciated that governments have a responsibility for law and order.

"But we are of the opinion that this is not creating order," he said. "Rather, it is disrupting the lives of people."

Political solution

"We would like to say to President Mugabe that he is trampling on the humanity of people and as we believe all people, regardless of whether they are poor or engaged in illegal activities, are created in the image of God it is therefore incumbent upon the political authorities to respect their human dignity."

Mr Make said that as a church organisation, SACC would pray for those responsible for the actions.

"Secondly we would like to encourage churches in South Africa and around the world to write letters of support to the people of Zimbabwe," he said.

A seven-year-old boy crying after his home was demolished
This seven-year-old boy cried after his home was knocked down
He added his organisation would campaign for aid and relief to Zimbabwe, because "it is quite apparent that this kind of assistance is not being offered by the Zimbabwean government, and it is an open secret that when aid is made available to the country it is being used for political purposes".

Mr Make also said SACC would "be facilitating a political solution for the people of Zimbabwe through talking to the president of South Africa".

Anglican Archbishop Njonkulu Ndungane and Catholic Cardinal Wilfred Napier were also part of the interdenominational church delegation.

New South African Deputy President Phumzile Mlambo-Ngcuka has also visited Zimbabwe.

After meeting Mr Mugabe, she said her country was working to understand the challenges facing Zimbabwe.

Meanwhile, a motion condemning the demolitions has been rejected by Zimbabwe's parliament.

It was proposed by the opposition Movement for Democratic Change but lost the vote 54-33.

Where does the money go?

2005-07-13T16:22:00.000-07:00

According to the World Bank Europeans spent $11 billion on ice cream last year. Before we get too upset at the Euros we should remember that Americans spent $19 billion buying gifts off of wedding registries last year.* So we spent $30 billion on wedding gifts and ice cream in the western world. Nice.

According to the Commission for Africa the world's wealthiest nations spent $24 billion on aid to Africa. We in the west spent $6 billion more on wedding gifts and ice cream than helping the poorest people on the planet. We should be ashamed. We are more concerned with pleasure and keeping up appearances than helping others. Weddings and ice cream are the modern day equivalents of bread and circuses.

*Source theknot.com

London Calling

2005-07-10T20:15:00.000-07:00

I was saddened to see the bombings in London yesterday. I like the British people. I come from a former British colony and am still a citizen of a British Commonwealth nation. I am always saddened by the loss and suffering of others but London touched me a little more than maybe some others might have.

My wife and I were in London last June. One of the things that is very noticable is the higher level of security in the UK. It is obvious that people are more vigilant over there than they are over here. London does still bears the scars of the second world war. But none of the vigilance mattered as the bombs were exploded last week. The truth of the matter is not that we are being protected by our governments but rather that we are at the mercy of the extremists. It is apparent that they can attack whenever they want to.

This leads me to my point. JR Rousseau was wrong. The government can not save us. Our only hope is God Almighty Himself.

Happy Birthday America!

2005-07-04T20:20:00.000-07:00

The land of the free, home of the brave celebrated its 229th birthday today. I often hear people in evangelical circles say that we need to return to our Christian roots. Perhaps the truth is that we have never deviated too far from our enlightenment roots. Were the framers of the constitution not influenced by John Locke and Jean Jacques Rousseau?

Rousseau's Social Contract stated that we are born good, corrupted by an evil society, good goverment steps in to save good individual from corrupt society and utopia is realized. Is this not how most view our world? We are good, the world is bad and the government must save us.

Firstly, The Social Contract is flawed in its logic and secondly, it is the complete opposite of a Christian worldview.

So the next time someone wants us to return to our Christian roots we need to evaluate our roots and rather desire to view the world Christianly.

UK, US caused Zimbabwe droughts - Zimbabwean state-run newspaper.

2005-06-29T14:32:00.000-07:00

According to The Hearald, climate change has been artificially induced "in a bid to arm-twist the region to capitulate to the whims of the world's superpowers". It said weather was being manipulated for political gain using unspecified "unconventional" chemical weapons.

More evidence that Mugabe has to go. I hope the West will not need more proof that this guy is a threat to millions of people. How can someone so nutty be trusted in charge of anything? I don't think this is just how air from Harare. I truly believe that he believes this stuff.

If you want to read more you can click here.

Casulties of War

2005-06-29T13:55:00.000-07:00

In 2002, the divorce rate among married army officers was 1.9 percent. The rate had risen to 6 percent by 2004.

Hotel Rwanda

2005-06-29T09:05:00.000-07:00

I watched Hotel Rwanda yesterday. Don Cheadle does a great job as Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager who housed 1286 Tutsi refugees during their struggle against the Hutu militia in Rwanda. I won't give any of the movie away because I think everyone should watch it. It highlights so many things that are still relevant today.

1 - Man's inhumanity towards his fellow man.
2 - The hypocricy of the West in particular as it relates to Africa. (listen for Nick Nolte's great line)
3 - If one person will do what is right no matter what the personal costs may be then many can be helped.

There is a slide show on the 100 days of genocide on the BBC website. Click here if you would like to view it.

My Evening at Children's Medical Center

2005-06-22T21:52:00.000-07:00

I'm writing this from the Emergency room at Children's Medical Center in Dallas. I love being a father. It is a source of great joy in my life. I hate the fact that I am so familiar with this place. I know where everything is, I know where the fastest elevators are and I know where the cafeteria is. I even found the Starbucks on the 6th floor of the Bright Building.

We have been to the emergency room twice, spent six days here in April and my daughter had surgery three weeks ago. That does not include the numerous ENT, GI and surgical appointments my wife has brought her to. I'm not even sure why I 'm writing this other than the fact that it is therapeutic.

Anyhow, its late and I'm tired so I think I shut down.

Patriotism at its stupidest!

2005-06-22T16:30:00.000-07:00

The following Bloomberg News story ran in the Seattle Post-Intelligencer today.

U.S. airlines must tell passengers where planes were built, under a rule that becomes final today and was prompted by a U.S. lawmaker's concern that so many aircraft are being manufactured outside the country.

Carriers, including American Airlines and United Airlines, must place the information on the plastic cards in airplane seat backs that describe emergency exits.

The rule is the result of a provision that Rep. John Mica, R-Fla., who is chairman of the House aviation subcommittee, added to legislation enacted in December 2003.

"All of the airlines are probably already in compliance," Federal Aviation Administration spokesman Les Dorr said yesterday in Washington. The agency estimated it would cost carriers $522,000 to print stickers with the location where planes were "finally assembled" and place them on the placards in 6,559 aircraft.

Airbus has won more orders than The Boeing Co. in five of the past six years and delivered more planes the past two years. U.S. airlines also use planes made by Montreal-based Bombardier Inc. and Empresa Brasileira de Aeronautica SA, which has its headquarters in Sao Jose dos Campos, Brazil.

The requirement is "irrelevant" because aircraft manufacturing is a global industry and planes contain parts from countries around the world, said Mary Anne Greczyn, a U.S. spokeswoman for Airbus.The company's planes are "finally assembled" in France or Germany, she said.

???? $522,000 to pay for stickers with final assembly location information on them. Unless you are an aviation freak (like me) I doubt if most people can tell the difference between a 757 and a A320.

Zimbabwe police demolish township

2005-06-16T06:44:00.000-07:00

According to a news report from the BBC, the United Nations estimates that 200,000 people are now homeless after Zimbabwean authorities demolished a township in Bulawayo. President Robert Mugabe says that his governments actions are neccessary to "restore sanity" to Zimbabwe. Those opposed say "Operation Murambatsvina (Drive out rubbish)" is punishment for urban dwellers who mostly voted against Mugabe's ruling Zanu-PF party in the March elections.

Our western leaders want to increase financial aid to Africa. I don't think this will ultimately help at all. The problem with Africa is not that it is poor, but rather that most of its nations are run by ruthless corrupt dictators who in turn keep the people poor. The solution to Zimbabwe's problems is not just aid but rather the removal of Robert Mugabe from office as well.

Britain, as the former colonial power, and South Africa as the economic powerhouse in the region must act. Both nations have a moral responsibilty to the people of Zimbabwe to intervene. I don't care if Mugabe gave refuge to any then outlawed ANC (South Africa's current ruling party) operatives. Political favors must become secondary to moral responsibility. South Africa continues to grow and flourish as a nation. Could it be that because South Africa is goverened as a democracy for all people that it flourishes? Why can't the people of Zimbabwe have the same?

Jackson and Mandela

2005-06-15T06:04:00.000-07:00

I hear that Michael Jackson's acquittal is being compared to Nelson Mandela's release from prision. The two events could not be further apart.
I was in South Africa the day Mandela was released. Millions danced for joy in the streets as his release signaled the dawning of a new day. It marked the beginning of a journey that would lead to freedom and equality for all South Africans. Jackson's release marked another celebrity trial that prosecutors in California botched.
The only historical event that Jackson's acquittal mirrors is OJ Simpsons acquittal ten years earlier.

I feel safer now

2005-06-14T05:43:00.000-07:00

My wife and I attended the Texas Rangers game last night. We tried to enter the ballpark with a small hard cooler containing our daughter's formula and medication, both of which need to be refrigerated. We both discovered that you are not allowed to take hard coolers into the stadium. I had no idea. Sure that's my fault. I could have called or checked the Ranger's website. But I didn't.
When asked why we could not enter with the cooler we were given this gem as an answer, "Since 9/11 terrorists have been able to make bombs in hard coolers". Give me a break. This guys somehow implies that everyone was behaving themselves before 9/11/. I don't doubt that you could make a bomb out of a cooler. But I don't want to hear how its connected to 9/11. Every lame law/rule is blamed on 9/11 and EVERYONE accepts it. As long as those in authority still have that day fresh in people's minds then they can almost do as they please. Just tell people that they are being protected because of 9/11 and most will buy it.
Not this guy though. I know Sean Hannity says "that its different in a post 9/11 world" but its really not different at all. Americans are sadly now more aware of the way of the world. I can't take a cooler into the ballpark for security purposes, but I can take a stroller or a car seat, or anything I can hide on my person because I am not searched or required to walk through a metal detector. Nice.

Border security and why removing your shoes at the airport is lame

2005-06-08T16:10:00.000-07:00

This is a section from an article I read in the Associated Press today.

BOSTON - On April 25, Gregory Despres arrived at the U.S.-Canadian border crossing at Calais, Maine, carrying a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with what appeared to be blood. U.S. customs agents confiscated the weapons and fingerprinted Despres. Then they let him into the United States.

The following day, a gruesome scene was discovered in Despres' hometown of Minto, New Brunswick: The decapitated body of a 74-year-old country musician named Frederick Fulton was found on Fulton's kitchen floor. His head was in a pillowcase under a kitchen table. His common-law wife was discovered stabbed to death in a bedroom.

So you can enter the United States with a a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with blood, but you can't take a nail file with you on an aircraft.

My wife and I flew to London out of DFW last summer. We had to remove our shoes (a measure other nations find laughable) and explain everything in our carry-on bags. I wonder who these measures are for? I especially wondered about those measures that day. I had watched a feature on the local news the evening before that showed how checked baggage was not x-rayed for explosives in the terminal we were flying out of. So I wonder why the show of security at the gate?

Anyhow, back to the story.

A spokesman for U.S. Customs and Border Protection, said that "Despres could not be detained because he is a naturalized U.S. citizen and was not wanted on any criminal charges on the day in question." he added that "Being bizarre is not a reason to keep somebody out of this country or lock them up. ... We are governed by laws and regulations, and he did not violate any regulations."

The problem is that we are governed by laws and regulations and that wisdom has no place at the table. Entering a country with a a homemade sword, a hatchet, a knife, brass knuckles and a chain saw stained with blood is not bizzare, it is a huge red flag! It yells deatain me! It begs for further investigation. When did common sense take a permanent vacation?

Anyhow, rest peacefully in the knowledge that we are governed by laws and regulations.

Britain to shelve vote on EU constitution

2005-06-06T19:30:00.000-07:00

After being soundly voted down by French and Dutch voters the EU Constitution will not have the same oppourtunity in the United Kingdom. The British Foreign Secretary Jack Straw will inform parliament that legislation to enable a referendum will be frozen.
So the Euro's can't even get along long enough to get their constitution passed. Boo-Hoo! The real story here is not the failure of the voters to pass the constitution but rather that the Euro's thought they could all get along.
So Germany has failed for the third time to conquer Europe.

Secularism and the meaningless life

2005-05-31T08:55:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd share a Dennis Prager article from townhall.com. Great food for thought as usual.

As I have noted on occasion, there are three values systems competing for world dominance: Islam, European style secularism/socialism and Judeo-Christian values. As the competition in America is between the second two (in Europe, Judeo-Christian values are dying while Islam is increasing its influence), my columns on Judeo-Christian values have concentrated on differences between Judeo-Christian and secular values.

Perhaps the most significant difference between them, though one rarely acknowledged by secularists, is the presence or absence of ultimate meaning in life. Most irreligious individuals, quite understandably, do not like to acknowledge the inevitable and logical consequence of their irreligiosity -- that life is ultimately purposeless.

Secular and irreligious individuals raise two immediate objections:

1. Irreligious people, including atheists, are just as likely to have meaningful lives as any religious person. They need neither God nor Judaism nor Christianity nor any other religion to have meaning.

2. Secular and irreligious are not the same as atheistic; many secular individuals believe in God and therefore whatever meaning accrues from having a belief in God, they, too, have. They do not need religion or Judeo-Christian values to give their lives meaning.

The first objection denies a fact, not a subjective judgment: If there is no God who designed the universe and who cares about His creations, life is ultimately purposeless. This does not mean that people who do not believe in such a God cannot feel, or make up, a purpose and a meaning for their own lives. They do and they have to -- because the need for meaning is the greatest of all human needs. It is even stronger than the need for sex. There are people who lead chaste lives who achieve happiness, while no one who lacks a sense of purpose or meaning can achieve happiness.

Nevertheless, the fact that people feel that their lives are meaningful -- as a parent, a caregiver, an artist, or any of the myriad ways in which we feel we are doing something meaningful -- has no bearing on the question of whether life itself is ultimately meaningful. The two issues are entirely separate. A physician understandably views his healing of people as meaningful, but if he does not believe in God, he will have to honestly confront the fact that as meaningful as healing the day's patients has been, ultimately everything is meaningless because life itself is. In this sense, it is far better for an individual's peace of mind to be a poor peasant who believes in God than a successful neurosurgeon who does not.

If there is no God as Judeo-Christian religions understand Him, life is a meaningless random event. You and I are no more significant, our existence has no more meaning, than that of a rock on Mars. The only difference between us and Martian rocks is that we need to believe our existence has significance.

Now to the second objection, that you don't need religion or Judeo-Christian values, just a belief in God or, as is more popular today, in "spirituality" to imbue existence with meaning. Theoretically, one can posit the existence of the God of Judeo-Christian religions without actually believing in any of those religions or in any of their holy works. There is, however, some absurdity in believing in the God made known through texts whose authenticity one rejects. "I believe in the God made known to the world solely through the Old Testament but not in the Old Testament" is not logically compelling.

Whatever the logical inconsistencies or theoretical arguments in either direction, the fact remains that while secular individuals can believe that their own lives have meaning, secularism by definition denies that life has meaning. The consequences have been devastating to mental health and to social order.

Among these have been increased unhappiness and depression, increased reliance on drugs and numbing entertainment to get people through life, moral confusion, belief in nonsense (such as Marxism, fascism, communism, male-female sameness, pacifism, moral equivalence of good and bad societies, and much more), and perhaps most ubiquitous, political meaning as a substitute for religious meaning.

Given that the need for meaning transcends all other human needs, its absence must create havoc individually and societally. In government, secularism is a blessing; but most everywhere else it is not.

American Idol Final Tonight

2005-05-25T14:12:00.000-07:00

I am endlessly fascinated by this cultural phenomenon. Millions of people will tune in to see which one of the two people who were complety unkown a few months ago will win. Proving once again that if you can get on TV the masses will adore you.

South Africa Tries to Curb Domestic Violence

2005-05-25T12:41:00.000-07:00

CAPE TOWN, South Africa - Shamed by daily headlines about murder, rape and assault and a study showing four women are killed every day by their partners, South African authorities are trying to launch community-based campaigns to curb the rate of domestic violence.
Click here for complete AP story

Recent South African Census

2005-05-24T19:37:00.000-07:00

For those of you who don't know I was born in South Africa. We moved to the United States in 1994.
My family and I started attending a predominantley black church when I was 7 years old. Imagine my shock as a young boy when I discovered that not only were non-white people not the evil white hating people that they were reported to be, but they were some of the nicest people I had ever met. They wanted to share what little they had with us who had so much more.
I have never identified with the white, mostly Afrikaner, nationalism even though I am half Afrikaner myself. When the Afrikaners took control of South Africa from the British in 1962 they changed the names of monuments, towns, etc. When the black majority took control in 1994 they changed the names of monuments, towns, etc. to a huge outrage from the Afrikaners. How quickly we forget.
When the Afrikaners took control of South Africa from the British in 1962 they only gave government jobs to Afrikaners. When the black majority took control in 1994 they only gave government jobs to blacks which greatly upsets the Afrikaners. How quickly we forget.
I have many family members in South Africa who constantly complain about how there are only jobs for black people. They constantly complain how bad things are in South Africa. I was in Johannesburg one year ago today and saw a country that was much better than the one I left.
I read the most recent South African census figures today. Very interesting stuff. According to the census the unemployment rate for blacks is 28 percent. It's only 4.1 percent for whites. Yet white South Africans still complain how only blacks get jobs???
Click here for complete AP story

Lawyers, lawyers everywhere

2005-05-23T08:41:00.000-07:00

I am becoming increasingly frustrated with the fact that you need a lawyer to accomplish almost anything lately. Case in point. Have you ever tried to apply for 501 (c) 3 status (non-profit) with the IRS? The application is 28 pages long, the instuctions are 30 pages long and the IRS estimates that it will take you 100 hours to complete the application. Or, you could pay a lawyer $1,000.

Zimbabwe May Allow Food Aid From U.N.

2005-05-19T09:52:00.000-07:00

Wel, well, well, Mr. Mugabe may allow food aid from U.N. How gracious of the man. There are an estimated 5 million Zimbabweans who are on the brink of starvation and this guy wants no conditions? There should only be one condition with this food. Leave Office! This guy is rediculous. He along with Castro and others are a major blemish for the West. Nothing confirms the notion that the West only intervenes in human rights issues when their is a strategic need more than Zimbabwe. No communism, no need to intervene.
Farmers are forced from their land, murdered while the authorities turn a blind eye. Millions face starvation while other wait in line for two days to buy gasoline and the best the West can come up with is the Zimbabwe Democracy Act and suspending Zimbabwe's membership in the Commonwealth of Nations. When have these measures ever hurt anyone except those that they were designed to help? Let us not forget the very useless travel ban imposed by the European Union. What is this supposed to do?
This guy needs to go. His list of enemies include the US, EU, Commonwealth, Pius Ncube, Desmond Tutu, Amnesty International and decent people everywhere. Even former supporter Kenneth Kaunda has now joined the list of those who oppose him. This is where South Africa needs to step up and remove this guy from office. As the economic leader in the region I believe that they have a moral obligation to help the people of Zimbabwe.
Click here for AP story

Thoughts on VE Day

2005-05-15T00:08:00.000-07:00

Great post from my brother Charles North's blog.

Before I voice my grievances and challenge conventional thinking on this, let me make the disclaimer that I believe Hitler was evil, and he deserved to be crushed. Also, my family fought WW2. I had a grandfather in the Royal Navy and a grandfather in the RAF. I have even alienated friends by arguing that we were right to drop “the bomb” on Japan, and should have used it on Germany.

However, as the world has celebrated VE Day this week, some things have really bothered me. (If you’re wondering “what’s VE Day”, you won’t get this blog.) Firstly, the image of George Bush standing shoulder to shoulder with Putin in Red Square reviewing troops carrying Soviet flags, and giving defacto praise to unrepentant Stalinists is disheartening. I swear, if I ever hear Mr. Bush say, “freedom is on the march” again, I’ll scream! I wonder, when he looked into “Vladimir’s eyes, and saw the man’s soul,” were Putin’s eyes saying, “you’re no Reagan”? You can’t fight a war to liberate Iraqis from a Stalinist (Saddam), while claiming Putin as your “buddy.” Defending Russia's record in the "Great Patriotic War," Putin declared, “Our people not only defended their homeland, they liberated 11 European countries.” Those countries were Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Poland, East Germany, Czechoslovakia, Hungary, Romania, Bulgaria, Yugoslavia and Finland.

The true story of WW2, east of the Elbe, was not freedom; it was Stalin, the most odious tyrant of the century. Where Hitler killed his millions, Stalin murdered his tens of millions. The summit at Yalta was a betrayal of small nations as immoral as the Munich Pact. So why do we venerate Churchill and FDR? At Yalta, this pair secretly ceded those small nations to Stalin, co-signing a “Declaration on Liberated Europe” that was a monstrous lie. As FDR and Churchill consigned these peoples to a Stalinist hell run by a monster whom FDR affectionately called “Uncle Joe” why are they not in the history books alongside Neville Chamberlain, who sold out the Czechs at Munich by handing their country over to Germany?

Aside from the Holocaust, there are other questions, relating to the actual reasons the war was fought. If Britain endured six years of war and hundreds of thousands of dead in a war she declared to defend Polish freedom, and Polish freedom was lost to communism, how can we say Britain won the war? If the West went to war to stop Hitler from dominating Eastern and Central Europe, and Eastern and Central Europe ended up under a tyranny many times worse, did the West really win the war? It is true that Allied troops liberated France, Holland and Belgium from Nazi occupation. But before Britain declared war on Germany, those countries did not need to be liberated. They were free. They were only invaded and occupied after Britain and France declared war on Germany – on behalf of Poland, whose freedom was lost at the end of the war! Again, why go to war to defend Polish freedom, just to give Poland to Stalin?

The war Britain and France declared to defend Polish freedom ended up making Poland and all of Eastern and Central Europe safe for Stalinism. And at the festivities in Moscow, Americans and Russians were front and center, smiling – not the British and French. The legacy of WW2 is that the British and the French lost their empires, while the U.S. and the Russians emerged as Superpowers. Maybe that’s why we’re so nostalgic about the war. And, are there lessons we can learn relating to our current war of “liberation” ???

Judge Approves End of United Pension Plans

2005-05-10T20:53:00.000-07:00

From the Associated Press. "CHICAGO - A federal bankruptcy judge approved United Airlines' plan to terminate its employees' pension plans on Tuesday, clearing the way for the largest corporate-pension default in American history." So the judges do it again. Just as they have always supported the airlines in the past. The only thing you have to do in this country to screw thousands of people is file for bankruptcy. Because you know that some judge somewhere will side with you. Ditch the pension plan. Don't pay the creditors. What is the incentive for keeping your word? Where are the ethics? It doesn't matter if you mismanage your company because some judge somewhere will tell the creditors and employees to get lost. I almost want to admire American for working their way out of there problems. Almost, although I can't really admire a corporation that is managed to a $350 million 1st quarter loss. Or maybe that is the genius of it all. Keep the company teetering on the verge of bankruptcy. That way you can continue to screw the employees. No new hires, no pay increases. Why would you do right by people if you know that some judge somewhere will do whatever you want them to?

Living in Big D

2005-05-04T20:15:00.000-07:00

I am sitting here and watching the local news in Dallas. The CBS affiliate just ran a story showing footage from a police chase yesterday. The perp (I loved NYPD Blue) stops his car, gets out and lays face down on the ground. Eight cops run up with guns drawn (while the guy lays face down remember). The first cop to arrives and stands on the dude's head several times. After being flooded with phone calls over the excessive use of force the Dallas police department issued a statement today saying that the suspect was still a threat. How on earth is some unarmed guy lying face down in the road a threat? I wonder why Dallas has the highest crime rate in the USA?

We now have a name!

2005-03-18T11:54:00.000-08:00

We finally agreed on a name last night and are currently working on our website. The ministry will be called Partners in HOPE (Helping Orphans and People Everywhere). Our website will be located at www.partnersonline.org. My thanks to BJ Schaefer of bschaeferdesigns.com for hosting the site for free.

The Passion Recut

2005-03-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

I hear that Mel Gibson is releasing a less violent version of the movie just in time for easter. How convinient! Will removing 5 or 6 minutes of the most violent material really make that much difference? I loved the movie. I thought he did a great job portraying the final 12 hours of the life of Christ. But this seems like nothing more than an attempt to fleece the masses one more time.

Kids in Crisis

2005-02-25T09:46:00.000-08:00

"Jesus loves the little Children, All the children of the world,
Red and yellow, black and white, they are precious in his sight,
Jesus loves the little children of the world."
I struggle knowing that Jesus loves the little children of the world but so few of us do. There are a great many needs out there and I pray that God would use us mightily to accomplish His purposes around the world. It saddens me to know that there will be 2.5 million children orphaned by AIDS in South Africa by the year 2010. We can not sit by and watch Africa go up in flames. We must do something.

Please canel the local news!

2004-11-24T20:26:00.003-08:00

I watched the local news in Dallas tonight . I don't usually but I did tonight. Oh how I wish I hadn't. Local news coverage is worthless. I watched the first 20 minutes and not a single piece of useful information. They opened with a it's cold tonight but don't worry about the horses they have coats. Spare me. I can't believe I'd rather watch CNN.

Why is the news media so lame?

2004-11-01T13:37:00.000-08:00

Reuters is reporting that a "Suicide bomber kills 3 in Israel with Arafat abroad" obviously implying that everyone was behaving themselves when Yasser was in the country. Stupid!

Upon further review...

2004-10-06T13:46:00.000-07:00

I find political debates to be such a guilty pleasure. I enjoy watching them, yet afterwards, I feel like I shouldn't have watched at all. Kerry vs. Dubya I was ok I guess. Although I am now convinced more than ever before that the Dems have constructed a John Kerry robot after watching the debate. And the first question goes to Mr. Motionless Monotone. "I would like to thank......... blah, blah, blah, blah, blah.
Kerry vs. Dubya II was much better, at least for the president. I hate the way John Kerry "respects" everyones questions. And I really hate how neither of the candidates never answer the queston they are asked. They always answer the question they wish they were asked.
Kerry Vs. Dubya III was so infuriating I had to leave the room several times. I found it appropriate that they looked the same (dark suit, white shirt, red tie) since they are really not that different. Kerry's religious beliefs allow him to support a woman's right to choose (lame euphamism for murder). Well, my religious beliefs allow me to say that murder is wrong. After watching the three debates I am stunned by how stupid the candidates think the average person is. Kerry is going to solve all of the world's problems, keep America safe, invade Iran and North Korea, build alliances, break alliances, fund every social welfare program and not raise taxes. Perhaps for an encore he could walk on water?

Debates

2004-09-20T11:48:00.000-07:00

I was watching the news this morning and heard that the two campaigns have tenatively agreed on dates for the debates. Groovy baby. Actually the prospect of a Bush vs. Kerry debate is about as exciting as syncronized swimming in Athens. Cheney vs. Edwards does however, to borrow a phrase from Seinfeld, "scratch me where I itch". Cheney is going to eat Edwards for lunch. It will be like Clark Kent vs. Godzilla. Does anybody think that Edwards will be able to go toe-to-toe with a seasoned warhorse like the VP?

The Return of the NFL

2004-09-12T10:36:00.000-07:00

As I sit here anticipating this afternoon's Cowboys/Vikings game I am thankful that the NFL is back. As other leagues struggle with falling attendances and labor problems the NFL continues to grow from strength to strength. I know I'd rather watch big play wide receivers and hard hitting safties than overpaid crybabies. Lock-outs and strikes. That's what fans of other leagues have to look forward to, but not us fans of the NFL. Aah, if everyday were Super Bowl Sunday. Why does Major League baseball think that revenue sharing is a mortal sin? If only MLB would learn a few lessons from the NFL were there are no small market teams. The Packers can compete with The Cowboys but The Brewers can't compete with The Yankees. Baseball needs to remember that horse racing used to be America's favorite sport. Now, hmm....nobody cares. As long as MLB thinks that it is invincible it is headed the same way as boxing and the ponies. More kids play soccer than baseball in this country. And nobody cares about soccer?

Elections and all that that implies

2004-09-09T20:36:00.000-07:00

Political Conventions. Who needs them anyway?
They have enough pomp and ceremony to make me think that I'm in England. And does anybody except the media and the hardliners on the left and the right really care about these things? Democratic National Convention or Republican National Convention it doesn't really matter. It's pro wrestling in suits and ties. I'm tired of hearing how the opponent is worse than the candidate. I want to hear how the candidate is good for America.
Having said that I can't really see John Kerry as the Commander-in-Chief. The guy is a plastic used car salesman who condecendes to the rest of us common folk. I'm tired of elected officials acting like they're their better in every way, especially intellectually, than those who elected them. What does this guy stand for anyway? Doing a better job than the current President? Good luck pal. Doing everything George Bush is doing, but only doing it better is not a platform. It's lame. It's almost as lame as having a 12 year old girl suggest that the Vice President be put in time-out because he said a bad word. Like that's what we need in a leader. Someone who teaches kids to wag their fingers in the face of authority figures. I'd rather stick to the guy we've got. Not that I'm really a fan of George W. but at least he stands for something. Like his politics or not its easier to vote for somebody who appears to have some character.