December 2005

Another one government can't fix

Yes, I've found another one that government can't fix; and John Stossel, who I've mentioned has become one of my fav reads, sheds light on this. Seems that even small decisions like smoking are a bad idea for govenment to dip their hands in. Since his publication, Geogia has gone smoke free in all indoor establishments. Read John's take on "The busybodies are at it again."

Let the free market be free - keep the government out

I wrote another piece entitled Governments don't fix, they complicate things" on December 26 about how Governments seem to muck things up. Well, another good one by John Stossel entitled "Let the free market be free." This is a definate must-read people. It's interesting how people like to use government to force their agendas, but don't want government meddling otherwise.

Is WalMart a problem?

Well, it seems as though I can't help myself. I've been hearing over the past month that Unions have geared a large slander campaign against WalMart. Apparently they are very upset over the fact that they tried to get the union into WalMart and it failed miserably. WalMart now employs 1 million people, second only to the overly incompetent US Government, and the union held a meeting with WalMart employees and promised all kinds of goodies if they vote them in. Well, the employees love WalMart and voted not to unionize and since the big union bosses got their feelings hurt, they're going on with a smear campaign. John Stossel has a very good read about this and how unions are trying to paint WalMart as bad. If there is one...ok two, complaints I have against WalMart, they are:

1) They need to have more people working the lines

2) They need to stop using Eminent Domain to get property

Outside of those two atrocities, WalMart is my favorite place to shop for anything. Next would be Amazon and Sam's Club. Enjoy John's read, I sure did!

DDT and Environmentalists

John Stossel turns out another good one. He is quickly becoming a fav read for me.

Upgraded blog program

Thought you all should know, I just upgraded to version 1.0.5 from 1.0.2.

Tookie Williams who?

For those of you who care about the Tookie Williams story...here's a good read from Larry Elder on the topic. I don't have an opinion...Amazing!!!

Next Year's Christmas List

Found this very good Christmas List on Neal Boort's website:

CHRISTMAS GIFT IDEAS

For the smoker

For the unrepentant heathen

For the recent ex-smoker (something to do with their hands)

For the National Endowment for the Arts hater

For the lady bar hopper

For when it's too cold for water pistols

For the Monty Python fan

For the trickster

For the computer nerd

For the wannabe sumo wrestler

For the clumsy meat lover

Katrina Idiocy

Today I've been catching up on my reading and found a very good tidbit about Katrina victims (here). It seems that though they are victims of travesty, many of them want to gain more than they had before the fact. I'm all for helping people from the hurricanes, but this seems ridiculous with what's going on. My biggest gripe is that many, not all, but many are complaining that a lot is not being done for them. What about them doing something for themselves? What about them getting a job? You don't hear about this. I have heard and read so many stories of people who want to work and rebuild getting very little assistance, yet they don't complain. However, those who are sitting on a free ride in hotels on taxpayer subsidy are the loudest complainers.

I probably will rant and rave more on this down the road, but for now, enjoy the Neal Boortz read.

Governments don't fix, they complicate things

Anytime Government gets involved in anything, there seems to be issues. Take for example the new Sarbanes-Oxley Act, John Stossel has a very good article on that very issue. Companies who spent maybe $500,000 a year now have to spend at least $1 million to stay in compliance. And people wonder why foreign companies charge less than domestic, or they wonder why small business fail. Read this article and you'll see how Big Brother makes it difficult for American companies to succeed.

A "Festivus" for the rest of us

Merry Christmas to all of you who read my blog.

Well I've heard it all. But before I share the all I've heard, my pc was at the PC Dr. Well, it seems the motherboard was shorting out because it was touching the case. Also, the video card fan died, along with the heat sync, and the main cooling fan. Considering it's a home made P1.1 gig which is about 3.5 yrs old, it fared well to last this long with so much abuse. So, with two new fans, a heat sync, and a cooling fan, we are back up and running...Yeah! Oh, and let's not forget I also bought my very first DVD-R for it. We shall see how I fare now that I'm catching up with the rest of the world.

OK, now, regarding Festivus (see also Wikipedia). The Jerry Seinfeld show will go down in history leaving us with things like "yada, yada, yada;" "No soup for you;" Elaine's wacky dance, and Festivus. Well, wouldn't you know, I read a Festivus article on Foxnews.com. I can't believe for the life of me that people are actually celebrating Festivus in Pennsylvania. That is kinda hilarious. I was a big Seinfeld fan, and that was one of the funnier episodes. Reading about Erie, PA celebrating Festivus made me chuckle and brought back some memories. Oh well, such is life.

Today's New Links to share

John Leo has an excellent Christmas Quiz for you. For instance, what are the new words to "Silent Night" at the Ridgeway Elementary School in Dodgeville, Wisconsin?

Tired of all the doom and gloom in the mainstream media? You're not alone...somebody has started a website dedicated to "Happy News."

Why are all Christians lumped into Catholicism?

You ever notice that when Fox News, MSNBC, CNN, the History Channel or any of the major media for that fact refer to Christianity, they show pictures of the Vatican or the popes? I added some Google links/ads to my website and wouldn't you know, Google came up with "Spirituality in America - Where do you stand on faith? Podcasts, polls, blogs and more - www.newsweek.com." This link goes on to talk about Father this and Catholic that. Now don't get me wrong, I have nothing against Catholics, but I do have a problem with the system lumping us all together. The Pope is not the leader of all Christendom! And Christians do not all pray to Mary! It would be nice to differentiate between Christians and Catholics.

I was watching GlobeTrekker on GPTV earlier today and on it, the host was in Malaysia talking about how the Hindu festivals is "not unlike the Christians." During the Hindu festivals participants pray to Sheba, stuck nails in themselves, pierce their bodies with hooks, attach the hooks to wagons and pull the wagons with their flesh to show their devotion to Sheba. The host exclaimed that, we should not find what they do sick or weird, because it's a pilgrimage like Christians who carry over sized crosses, pierce their hands, flagellate their bodies, and pray to Mary. This is a prime example of what I'm talking about. There is no way in this world that I will be praying to Mary, carrying an over sized cross, or flagellating and piercing my body for any reason. Catholics do this, not Christians.

Google was even kind enough to give me another ad link asking this question, "Is there a difference between Catholic and Christian?" Well, my curiosity got the better of me and I strolled on over to the link only to ascertain that the link only discussed "having Christ in your heart" and didn't touch on the question at all. So much for me getting my hopes up that other people felt the same as I do.

Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays

Well it seems that everyone is chiming in on this Merry Christmas vs. Happy Holidays issue (Link). I was driving home a week ago and I heard Dr. James Dobson of Focus on the Family charge everyone to boycott stores who don't wish you a Merry Christmas. Sean Hannity, Neal Boortz, and many more are also charged with the issue. Although Boortz takes a less forceful stance and only comically lets people know that "every time someone wishes you Happy Holidays, an elf dies." Now, I have to honestly admit that if I think about it too hard, I also get a bit charged. But...and in case you haven't noticed by now, I almost always have a but...there is also another side to consider. For example, Home Depot, they have no clue whether the person walking through their door is Christian, Buddhists Muslim, Jew, Amish, or an atheist, so how should they greet that person? For them to say, "Happy Holidays" is not such a terrible thing...is it? Of course not! Where I draw the line is when the ACLU comes in and forces us to do or not do our own will. But then, if you have a government building, wouldn't it also be fair to have up a menorah and a whatever that symbol is that Muslims have displayed? I would venture to guess equality is fair and let them put it up. Rather than the ACLU forcing people to take their's down, they should encourage people to also set up a Minora. Mike Straka wrote a very good article that brings out some poignant facts. I agree with a lot of what he has to say, and I encourage you to read the article. My biggest fear is that the ACLU, Christian Coalition, liberals and others who want to use government to spread their agenda are going to push us so far, that people will get fed up and we will swing so far the other way that Sunday Laws will be enacted with force and vengeance. I realize Sunday Laws are eminent (I'll address this sometime down the road), but that doesn't make me want it to happen all the same.

Have we Christians brought this on ourselves? Has the Christian Coalition been so poisonous with forcing religion on people that people are fed up and the other side is speaking out? I'm no expert, I don't claim to be one, but in my opinion this is what is happening. Christians take on such zealous attitudes sometimes that they forget that they need to love their fellow man. Yes man, none of this PC man and woman nonsense. "Man" is an all-inclusive word. So, as I was saying, they get so busy trying to force religion on people that many are turned away and turned off. As Mike Straka pointed out, Jesus doesn't care whether WalMart, Home Depot, or Macy's uses Merry Christmas or Happy Holidays. And Jesus never forced anyone to accept Him. We as Christians need to follow this, and if we follow Him and lift Him up, He will draw all men onto Himself (John 12:32). We as Christians have to accept some, though not all, but we must accept some fault because if we are too busy worrying about "Happy Holidays taking preference over Merry Christmas" then our hearts are not in the right place and we are lifting ourselves up rather than the person of the season...JESUS!

NBA and it's Dress Code

In a world of PC and all it's hoopla, I read an interesting article today by Star Parker.

Though I am no longer an NBA fan (still fond of the Lakers, but not activly a spectator) and was not aware of the new dress code, I agree with it and what Star wrote. Take the time to go and read the article. Very talented writer, she has gained a new reader. You go star!!!

Will Peace Ever Come?

Iraq seems to be a hot topic nowadays. Two sides parade the airwaves and print with their jaunts of how peace can come. Conservatives feel that we need to finish our venture in Iraq while Liberals say we need to pull out and bring out troops home so the world no longer view us as a bully. Some say our eye is black and blue because we want to police the world, while others feel we need to exert more force to show we care and we want to help other nations.

I've been pondering this question for sometime now and can't come up with a conclusive "correct" answer. I do feel we need to stay our position in Iraq, but we need to also encourage the Iraqis to hurry up with their part. Allow me a moment to digress and share an example of what I mean. It's kind of like a welfare recipient. Many people go on welfare for various reasons, situations, etc...etc. However, many of them get on there and it should be for a boost or temporary relief to help them out of that situation. However, once they receive that aid, if you will, they then need to be encouraged, prodded, shown, taught how to move on on their own. Rather than that, many remain career welfare recipients. If we don't encourage Iraq, there is a chance something like this may happen; Iraq may end up dependent on us for too long and too much draining us, the taxpayers, not the government, of or our hard earned money to pay for their help.

Now that I'm done ranting, we need to stay the course in Iraq to help them, but with an unannounced timetable. Now let me ask you, will this bring peace? Will this solve the questions and provide answers? If all of the radicals are captured and or killed, will peace come? There is a bigger picture going on here. Remember, I mentioned I am a Christian, and as such, I have to go back to my faith. No long dissertation but the book of Revelation does warn us that nations will waiver between peace and war. Am I to believe the Democrats who say peace comes by minding our own business? Or are we to follow the Republicans who say once we eradicate radical Muslims, peace will come? Or are we to believe our Lord who says peace will never come? I choose that latter. Too many times the Christian Conservative Right and all their experts run wild with their agenda's telling how peace can come. But if they only step back, look at what the their faith beckons them to see, they will realize their agenda is but in vain. Am I saying we shouldn't try? No I'm not, but I am saying too many times the Christ is left out of Christian. Peace will not come by our means, but by Christ. Nuff said on that. Just want to spur your minds. Again, I didn't say I had an answer or a solution to Iraq, but I do know that once this is fixed, if it's fixed, another issue to end peace will come out of thin air!