Call your Congressperson and Senators ASAP!

I heard about this on my way home from work on the Mark Levin Show. This treaty MUST be stopped. Please post this on your Facebook, YouTube and wherever you can to get as many people as possible bombarding our Representatives. We must not let our sovereignty be handed over to the international community or we will one day, as Ronald Reagan said: "...spend our sunset years telling our children, and our children’s children, what it once was like in America, when men were free.”

What I'm working on

"As I was thinking about this, suddenly a goat with a prominent horn between his eyes came from the west, crossing the whole earth without touching the ground. He came toward the two-horned ram I had seen standing beside the canal and charged at him in great rage. I saw him attack the ram furiously, striking the ram and shattering his two horns. The ram was powerless to stand against him; the goat knocked him to the ground and trampled on him, and none could rescue the ram from his power. The goat became very great, but at the height of his power his large horn was broken off, and in its place four prominent horns grew up toward the four winds of heaven." Daniel 8:5-8

The Ram here is the Persian-Median Empire. The Goat is Alexander the Great. Daniel writes this in the 6th century BC and these battles don't take place until late in the 4th century BC.

Right now I am back in school, taking Western Civilization I, American Literature I and Art History I. I put that quote there because my Western Civilization class has extra credit based on movies from the time period we are covering. I will be doing one of these on Alexander. I have been fascinated by him for a long time, but more so since studying the bible, and specifically the book of Daniel. Alexander is of tremendous biblical importance because he spread Greek culture and most importantly the Greek language throughout much of the known world. The New Testament was written almost primarily in Greek, and Greek is an excellent language to communicate a message. There are many different words in Greek for many different emotions that in English might be combined into one word. The classic example of this is the word: Love.

We love our spouse, our children, our friends, our country, our sports teams, cars and even TVs. In Greek there is Agape, Eros, Philia, Storge and Thelema. It is very clear if one says to another "s'agapo", that this is not referring to sexual love. But in English, context is necessary to derive the true meaning. The point though, is that Greek was an amazing language to write down the greatest story ever told, that of the Gospel.

So this is kind of what's been on my mind. In addition to watching the 3 and 1/2 hour long Oliver Stone movie on Alexander, (which I think focuses too much on a kind of love that it is uncertain if Alexander partook in) I've been watching History channel videos (via YouTube) on the battle of Gaugamela as well as videos on Philip and Alexander. Pretty cool stuff.

My Art History class has led me to think of a really cool approach to talking to atheists about God. I don't know if it will work, but let me throw it out here.

This sculpture, called the Venus of Willendorf, is very primitive. It is dated at about 30,000 BC. Even though it is primitive, anyone who looks at this sculpture would say that it was created. An intelligent being "designed" this sculpture. A rock was taken, and some sort of tools were applied to make this rock look like a woman.

Now if this poor quality (though not for its time) sculpture is evidence of its creation and design by a creator, then how is the universe and everything in it, including the zenith of all designs, the human body the result of millions of "beneficial accidents"? It is quite simply preposterous to think that humans could have developed by accident or luck. I'll conclude with this quote:

"“To suppose that the eye with all its inimitable contrivances for adjusting the focus to different distances, for admitting different amounts of light, and for the correction of spherical and chromatic aberration, could have been formed by natural selection, seems, I freely confess, absurd in the highest degree.”
- Charles Darwin

Complete Lives System

This video from a recent Glenn Beck Show talks about two of Obama's advisers, Dr. Ezekiel Emanuel (Rahm's brother) who is a health policy advisor in the Obama administration and Cass Sunstein who is Obama's regulatory czar. From the statements of Dr. Emanuel and Mr. Sunstein, it is clear that they believe in a Darwinist/Eugenics style approach to the rationing of healthcare. I have read other writings of Sunstein which show heavy influence of Marxist thought as applied to taxes. In an Op-Ed, Mr. Sunstein wrote about how taxes are essentially owed to the Government, and property owners owe the Government more than those who don't own property. These are some of the men who have the ear of the President. How can we keep saying that the President may have some bad friends (William Ayers, Jeremiah Wright, Louis Farrakhan, Tony Rezko, Louis Gates, Charles Ogletree, Cornel West, James Cone, Rahm Emanuel, Ezekiel Emanuel, Cass Sunstein etc, etc.) but he's a great guy himself? He may have distanced himself from Wright, but he continues to be surrounded by radicals. He is, plain and simple, a Marxist. I can only hope that enough people wake up to this fact by the November 2010 elections and I hope that the nation hasn't been totally rocked from its foundations by that time.

Back on track

Well, it's been a while since I've posted anything consistently. There have been a myriad of reasons for this ranging from not having the heart for it to being too darn busy. I'm hoping to change this and write more consistently. I have shifted gears in my life from pursuing a career as a pharmacist (which I kind of liked) to pursuing a career as a writer. (which would be a dream come true) So if I want to be a writer, I need to write. I will continue to write here, probably in journals, and I'd like to post videos at my youtube channel, CTYankeeinTexas. Anyway, hopefully I'll have the time to stick to this. I Hope to have more soon.

In his own words: Obama's agenda from before the inauguration

This video from Glennbeck.com throws together a bunch of videos I've posted here in the past with some good commentary mixed in.

Obama's Trojan Horse

He has specifically said that his health care plan is not a "Trojan Horse". This video put together by Verum Serum would seem to refute that claim. Barack Obama in his own words, has said in the past that he wants a single payer (that payer being TAXpayer) system, but it will take time. The first step is getting the government in the business of insuring the uninsured. After that many businesses drop their health care coverage adding millions more to the rolls of government insurance. When the government is the single largest insurer, it can take out the other insurance companies one by one, until you have a single payer system. This is the goal of President Obama and the Ivy League crowd.

Justice Sotomayor

“I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life”

Sonia Sotomayor, from a 2001 speech at the annual Judge Mario G. Olmos Law and Cultural Diversity Lecture at the University of California, Berkeley.

I think it's a foregone conclusion at this point that Sonia Sotomayor will be confirmed as Supreme Court Justice to replace David Souter. (barring any tax problems) But I thought a post on her was warranted. Originally, I believed that she was a good pick, from a certain point of view. She was spun as a moderate, a slightly more liberal version of Sandra Day O'Connor. I thought: "It could be a lot worse." But she seems to be worse than I originally thought. Her racist comment from above shows that to her, in 2001 at least, justice is not blind. Below is a video of her speaking at the Duke University School of Law, and she states that the appeals court, (and eventually the Supreme Court) is a place for policy to be made. Call me crazy, but I've read Article III of the Constitution and it says nothing about policy being made in the courts. But maybe her copy is different than mine.

Spiritual Encouragement

I've had a rough week at work, surrounded by two extremely encouraging weekends. This weekend coming up, we'll be going to the Texas Christian Conference put together by the Greater Houston Church. It should be an awesome weekend. I'm real excited to hear Gordon Ferguson speak. I've never heard him speak before, but I have a couple of his books. I've also heard great things about Sam Powell, and he will be one of the other guest speakers. We will also be making a trip down to Galveston to check out Moody Gardens. I'm pretty excited about the whole trip.

This past weekend, we had Dr. John Oakes from San Diego come to Austin. He was teaching from his book on Daniel, available at www.ipibooks.com. On Friday evening he talked about the portions of Daniel dealing with Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach, Abednego and Nebuchadnezzar. Saturday, he dealt more with the prophecy, or what he called, (I'm paraphrasing) "The accurate history of the future". Daniel predicts accurately the history of Middle East for the next 600+ years. He predicts the Median/Persian Empire's defeat of Babylon, the divided nature of the Empire, and that the weaker part of the Empire (Persia) would become the stronger part of the Empire. He also prophesied the Greek defeat of Persia and the division into four portions of the Greek Empire after the death of Alexander the Great. He also predicted that one of the four, (the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt) would grow another Kingdom. (The Seleucids) Daniel also predicts with accuracy the time of the coming of the Messiah into Jerusalem. He predicts the persecution of Christians under the Roman Emperor Domitian, predicting that Domitian would overthrow three Roman Emperors, (Otho, Galba and Vitellius) and change set times and laws. Domitian changed the names of the months of September and October to Germanicus and Domitianius after his own names. He also changed the Roman laws significantly. These were changed back promptly after his death.

Daniel also predicts two Desolations that cause Abomination. The first is the desecration of the Jewish temple by Antiochus Epiphanes who sacrificed pigs in the temple, splatter the blood of pigs on the walls and put up a statue of Zeus with his own face. (Antiochus) The second was the destruction and subsequent desecration of the Jewish temple in 70 AD by General Titus (brother of Domitian and Emperor before Domitian) ending forever the sacrifices and traditions of the old covenant.

There were so many other great moments from the past weekend, but what really stuck with me more than anything else, was that God is in control. Dr. Oakes asked those of us who were in the class: "Who believes that God was in control?" Of course everyone raised their hand, but he asked, "Do you always believe that?" This made me think. It's very easy to believe that God is in control when things are going well. But when things are bad, when you're having a hard time, God is STILL in control. When you look at the lives of Daniel, Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego you see their fervent belief that God is in control. Total control, whether things are good or bad. (from our perspective)

After midweek last night, I was forced to remember this, and it put my bad Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday into perspective, and made me remember that God IS in control. I'm looking forward to this weekend and tons of spiritual encouragement.

Beware "The Story of Stuff"

I had seen the video: "The Story of Stuff" a while ago, and I knew their Defense spending numbers were garbage, but I had no idea that the majority of the numbers used in the video are garbage. This video is being widely shown in classrooms. It's important to be aware of what kids are learning to be able to properly educate them. I had a conversation with Ryan about "the green movement" today. He gets Ranger Rick, and while I like most of the stuff in RR, there is definitely a "green" agenda. I consider myself an environmentalist, but in the true sense. Not some whacked out anti-capitalist sense. Anyway, back to the point of the post. Pay attention to what your kids are learning.



Here's the link that "How the World Works" included on YouTube to a NYT article about "The Story of Stuff."

More Bumper Stickers

I saw this bumper sticker recently and it really ticked me off. I've recently seen some funny (contradictory) combinations, but this one just burns me up. It's not the first time I've seen the sticker either.

It goes: "Jesus was a community organizer, Pilate was a governor".

Now let's start with defining what the sticker was talking about. Barack Obama was a community organizer and Sarah Palin is a governor. So this is comparing Barack Obama to the Messiah, Jesus Christ and Sarah Palin to Pontius Pilate, the governor who authorized his crucifixion. There are serious problems with this analogy however. This also compares Bill Clinton, Jimmy Carter, FDR, Kathleen Sebelius, Bill Richardson and many other heroes from the left to Pontius Pilate.

Now let's get to the real point. Calling Jesus a community organizer is like calling WWII a small regional conflict. But it's more than that. Jesus never really did any 'community organizing'. Jesus was king, teacher, prophet, exorcist, healer, spiritual guide and carpenter. (among other things) Jesus taught many, trained twelve and intensely trained three men; Peter, James and John, teaching them everything. But, most importantly, who was and is Jesus? Jesus was not a community organizer, HE IS A KING! But not just any king, he is a right-wing extremist king. Now he is the only right-wing extremist leader who has been able to successfully balance love and compassion with his right-wing extremism, but you can't debate the teachings.

"For I tell you that unless your righteousness surpasses that of the Pharisees and the teachers of the law, you will certainly not enter the kingdom of heaven." (Matthew 5:20)

"You have heard that it was said to the people long ago, 'Do not murder, and anyone who murders will be subject to judgment.' But I tell you that anyone who is angry with his brother will be subject to judgment. Again, anyone who says to his brother, 'Raca,' is answerable to the Sanhedrin. But anyone who says, 'You fool!' will be in danger of the fire of hell." (Matthew 5:21-22)

"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart." (Matthew 5:27-28)

"It has been said, 'Anyone who divorces his wife must give her a certificate of divorce.' But I tell you that anyone who divorces his wife, except for marital unfaithfulness, causes her to become an adulteress, and anyone who marries the divorced woman commits adultery." (Matthew 5:31-32)

"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also." (Matthew 6:19:21)

"No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve both God and Money." (Matthew 6:24)

"Not everyone who says to me, 'Lord, Lord,' will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of my Father who is in heaven. Many will say to me on that day, 'Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and in your name drive out demons and perform many miracles?' Then I will tell them plainly, 'I never knew you. Away from me, you evildoers!'" (Matthew 7:21-23)

"If anyone comes to me and does not hate his father and mother, his wife and children, his brothers and sisters—yes, even his own life—he cannot be my disciple. And anyone who does not carry his cross and follow me cannot be my disciple." (Luke 14:26-27)

Jesus has very high standards. He is King, and failure to comply with his precepts has severe eternal consequences. He loves everyone, but will not fail to reject those who do not measure up to his standards. But getting back to the real point of this post, Jesus was not a community organizer, and calling him one is insulting.

Media Bias

More from the Chicago Tea Party. This is the video that I posted earlier, broken down, with some behind the scenes thrown in as well.

Chicago Tea Party

I saw this live yesterday during lunch at work and I was stunned. She sticks with the guy who can't articulate his points (which are valid) and she cuts off the guy who can articulate his points, then she has the gall to say dissent is "not family viewing". Does CNN really have to guess why Fox annihilates them in the ratings?

Austin Tea Party

Gosh Governor Perry. You're making me feel all warm and fuzzy. I couldn't make it to the tea party because I had church last night and the logistics would have been pretty crummy. But I'm wishing I could have made it there.



The re-election should be pretty interesting. Perry and Hutchison. It should be a Battle Royale. I like certain aspects of each, and I dislike certain aspects of each.

New Post

I feel like I need to put up a new post. Usually I find some kind of inspiration. Lately I haven't really felt any inspiration. I suppose I could rant for awhile, but really I don't feel like it. But with the nationalization of GM, I just feel much like Senator Amidala commenting on the creation of the Empire in Star Wars: Revenge of the Sith; "So this is how liberty dies; with thunderous applause." Our Republic is being destroyed by the Obama Administration, and far too many Americans are happy about it. It will be too late before we realize that we have given power over not to a benevolent dictator, but an evil one. But I pray that I am wrong. I hope that our leaders make the right decisions for America and I hope they can keep us safe.

St. Patty's Day

“An Irishman is never drunk as long as he can hold onto one blade of grass and not fall off the face of the earth” - Old Irish Toast

Moderated Again

I'm getting pretty irritated at being continually moderated at CNN.com. The last time I ranted about it, they actually posted my comments, but they've been 'moderating', aka repressing free speech, my comments fairly regularly. Especially Jack Cafferty. Now on CNN, you can say something like: "Sarah Palins evil she kill Caribou" or "Sarah Palins dum" and they don't moderate that. But if you have an insightful comment that goes against the viewpoint of their moderator, then you can't get your comments through.

So I put up this comment which was 'awaiting moderation' on the Michael Steele-Abortion thread on the political ticker.

"The liberal philosophy; Killing babies is OK, but the death penalty for convicted murderers and rapists is not.

I like Michael Steele, but he's not a very solid conservative, he's a moderate. Chairman Steele, you need to get some convictions on this issue. Your base has convictions on it. Abortion is not a state's right issue.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness."

It doesn't say we are BORN equal, it says we are CREATED equal. Created by God in the womb. Every man (and woman) was created by God and has the RIGHT to LIFE. It is not a choice. If someone is innocent, death can not be imposed as a sentence, but that's what abortion does, imposes the death sentence on a human who has committed no crime. Their only fault is being created in a woman with no convictions, and a country with no convictions.

Roe v. Wade has killed 50 million Americans. More than Hitler, more than Stalin, more than Mao. Wake up Chairman Steele and develop some conviction on this issue."

OK, so in the middle of putting this post together, I decided to check back at CNN and it went from 'awaiting moderation' to being posted. I think I should turn my posts into blog posts every time and maybe I wont be moderated anymore.

Ant Cemetary

Well, we ran into a little problem with our vegetable boxes. One of the boards was ridiculously hard and I'll have to scrap it, meaning another trip to HD. I also used the last nail on the last box I put together, which also means another HD trip. (well I'll get them both on the same trip of course) The last problem was the fire ant colony right in the spot of one of the boxes. The way we usually deal with fire ants is to get a big pot of boiling water and pour it on the mound. Then we use the hose to destroy their tunnels and hit with another pot of boiling water. Usually this will get them to move, but they usually come back. After two days and four pots of water, the and casualties were in the tens of thousands, but they were still fighting for survival. Death from Above (aka, boiling water) had failed to root out the most hardened and well dug in ants, so I had to resort to biological warfare. Keep in mind however that we plan to grow food on this spot in which I am using the most ruthless eminent domain tactics. So what did I use next? Instant Grits! You heard me correctly, Instant Grits. But not any old instant grits, Hill Country Fare Instant Grits. Apparently when the ants eat them their digestive juices cause the grits to expand and well, bye bye ants. So far it looks like they are going for it, and I see many more dead ants piled up than yesterday. But it's hard to tell if its from the grits or residual from the 'Napalm' Death from Above. Anyway, I just took 3 packets and poured a circle around their mound and they are going after it. We'll see soon how well it works.

The Worst Economy since the Great Depression?

Well today I experienced how bad our economy is. First, while my daughter had her first ballet class, we went to the shoe store next door. There were only a few people in there when we walked in, but by the time we left, it was packed. After the class, we went to Home Depot, to get the wood for our vegetable boxes. When we purchased our wood, there was a mild crowd, but to get the wood in the van, I had to take out all of the seats. So we paid for the wood and went home, and when I returned (minus the seats) to Home Depot all chaos had broken loose at the shopping center. It probably took 15 minutes to navigate through the shopping center to get to Home Depot. This time around, HD was really packed as well. In addition to the wood, I also needed to get a wheel barrow and I didn't like the prices at HD, so I went to Costco for the WB. The price was better, but I think I needed a train, a bus and a cab to get from my parking spot to the store. Once I finally had my wheel barrow, It was about 30 minutes in line. Now you'll say that I'm exaggerating, and you'd be right. But I'm not exaggerating very much. The shopping center with HD and Costco were packed. Business was booming today for whatever reason.

Now I understand we are undergoing an economic slowdown, but to call this "The Worst Economy since the Great Depression" is sensationalism. Drive-by media, please calm down and get a grip upon yourselves and stop trying to create a sense of panic. Fortunately though, on this day in Austin, TX, the economy was rip-roaring.

Go Piyush!

This was my response that probably won't appear on the CNN Political Ticker. Some of the comments were trying to insinuate that Republicans are 'using' Bobby Jindal because he is of Indian descent. Or that they feel like Republicans won't vote for him because of Indian descent. Really? A whole lot of people in Louisiana voted for him. That's DEEP SOUTH if you ask me. It really irritates me that Democrats are quick to call Republicans racist, but like to forget about the real history of race relations and the two major political parties in America. The Democrat Party is the party that has persecuted minorities throughout it's history. The Republican Party has been the party of advancing the cause of minorities.

Now, the Democrats have tried to flip this on its head, yet they still do everything they can to keep minorities down. They talk about being 'for' minorities, but want to keep them in the projects longer. They want minorities to stay on welfare longer. They want to raise taxes on businesses so that there are less jobs. Democrats continue to perpetuate this state of helplessness of minorities. They say to Blacks and Hispanics; "You can't get ahead because the White Man and the Republicans are keeping you down. But don't worry, we'll get more money for you. We'll raise taxes on those evil rich people." (the people who create jobs) Republicans say: "We'll keep taxes low so that there are more jobs available, and if you work hard, you'll be able to move into the next tax bracket. Then, when you're in the next tax bracket, you won't be paying as much in taxes. You can keep more of your own money!" The Republican Party is the party that says; "It doesn't matter what your skin color is, if you work hard, you can be successful." The Democrats say: "You don't have to work hard or be successful. We'll tax the snot out of those who are successful and give it to you."

The following is the contents of my post at the Political Ticker:

It's amazing that conservatives are always seen as racist. Conservatives don't bring up race, liberals do. Why are conservatives excited about Bobby Jindal? Because he's of Indian descent? NO! It's because he's a conservative. At 37, he has 10 times the experience of Barack Obama, he's charismatic and stands for what he believes in unlike the flip-floppers on the left. People are irritated that Jindal, Rick Perry, Haley Barbour and Mark Sanford are going to refuse the unemployment provision in the "stimulus" bill. They have chosen States Rights. They are not selling the souls of their states to the Federal Government. If the states accept the unemployment provision in the stimulus, it is a short term help from the Federal Government with the mandate that they continue to extended increased levels of unemployment insurance long after the Federal money has dried up. So essentially it is a tax increase on the taxpayers and businesses of any state that accepts the funds. Watch corporations move to the states that decline this money, and continue to flee from states like KaliFORnea, and Michigan that think the answer to their problems is raising taxes on the increasingly shrinking number of businesses and workforce.

Chad Vader's Oscars

This is for Linda. An uncanny representation of the Oscar Nominees...even though I haven't seen any of them. I'd like to see Benjamin Button...some day...when I have 3 hours to kill. I'm intrigued by Slumdog Millionaire, maybe I'll see that as well...someday. The other three...eh, not so much.

The Heart

This started as a comment at Stan Rosenthal's blog, and then began taking a life of its own, so I decided to post it here. Stan said; “Organized religion is a farce.” After reading this comment, I began writing:

I agree slightly with your premise. (Organized religion is a farce) When religious groups begin making rules and regulations outside of what the bible says, they begin entering into dangerous territory. The Pharisees did this (and most religious groups today do it) and it is what kept them from the true point of religion, which is to draw people closer to God; to love God and others. By creating external laws outside of what is taught in the bible, religious groups create more obstacles to what is truly important; love. If we become so focused on following rules, we don't get to the heart, which is what God really wants. But if our heart is a heart that loves and wants to please God, we will follow the rules automatically. We'll still sin, because we're sinners, but most of the time we'll follow God's commands without trying.

If we love God more than anything else, and focus on Him, we won't worship idols or use His name in vain.

If we rid ourselves of anger and malice, and focus on peace and love, we will not murder.

If we rid ourselves of greed and envy, and focus on gratitude for what we have, we will not steal or covet.

If we rid ourselves of lust, and focus on purity, we will not commit adultery.

Now for most people, the commands may not be too difficult to follow, but the heart behind them is. The commands are supposed to be boundaries, but the focus too often is on staying within the boundaries. We shouldn't focus on staying in the boundaries. We should focus on walking in the footsteps of Jesus. If we get too close to the boundaries we need a serious heart check. If we're walking in Jesus' footsteps we'll never get close to the boundaries.

But getting back to the comment about organized religion being a farce. If religion doesn't focus on God's Word as its standard for Christianity, it is a farce. If it places more emphasis on staying within certain boundaries than it does on walking with Jesus, then it is a farce. If it creates rules and traditions which supersede the Word of God, then it is a farce.

But religion which has a goal of bringing the members of The Body closer to Christ, in an environment with a primary goal of worshiping God, growing in knowledge and wisdom and knowing nothing more important than; " 'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind' ; and, 'Love your neighbor as yourself.' " (Luke10:27) , that religion is no farce.

Kerry wants your money

John Kerry 'knows' how to take care of your family better than you do. To think I actually voted for this guy. Well, I'm glad I've seen the light.



Hattip to www.marklevinshow.com

48 Hours

The most transparent administration in history. RIIIIIGGGHHHTTT! Just like San Fran Nan runs the most ethical congress in history. I'll quote Stanley Rosenthal, quoting someone else here. "What's black is white, what's up is down..." and so on and so forth. The Democrats live in backwardsville, where they mean the opposite of whatever they say, except on the rare occasions where they mean what they say, which is usually a flip-flop to cover up for something they didn't see, but might want to fix, if the polls say they should, unless of course it promotes, or goes against their far-left doctrine. (Confused? Me too.)

Black History Month

February is Black History Month and yesterday was the 200th anniversary of Abraham Lincoln's birth so I'll post this video that I found through Macho Sauce.

Test me Lord

Vindicate me, O LORD, for I have led a blameless life; I have trusted in the LORD without wavering. Test me, O LORD, and try me, examine my heart and my mind; for your love is ever before me, and I walk continually in your truth. (Psalm 26:1-3)

A few weeks ago, Jakob Jukovski came from Tel Aviv to preach here in Austin. He is originally from the former Soviet Union (either Russia or the Ukraine, I'm not sure) and moved to Israel a few years ago. Though he claimed his English wasn't that good, it was very good in my opinion. He also had insights into the Hebrew mind. He talked about how important genealogy, like the one in Matthew 1 is. Genealogy to the Jew is like having a passport or driver's license. It's ID. The scripture that he used that really struck me though is the one above from Psalm 26. What was David's relationship with God like that he asked to be tested? I can't remember ever asking God to test me. I've asked God to STOP testing me. But to say to God, "Father, I want to prove to you that I love you. Please, test me. I want to be sure, and want you to be sure, that my love for you is pure." Well, I've never prayed that prayer. I'm not sure I really want to. I'd like to be able to someday. But I feel like I've been tested for the past few years since I've moved to the Austin area. I feel like I'm done being tested. Surely, I need to be tested again, but I'd like a little break...please.

Jakob shared how this scripture moved him, and he prayed this prayer. Well, he got the test. His apartment in Tel Aviv burned down. They lost everything except their lives. But like God proves time and time again, He will work through tragedy. We just have to let Him. I just hope I can get to that mindset someday soon. Thanks Jakob, you're a true hero in the faith! And thanks be to God the Father through our Lord Jesus Christ through whom all things are possible! Give me this kind of heart Father, and to You be the glory!

Why Obama's "Stimulus" is a bad idea

I just caught this article on Yahoo!. The problem I noticed with most of these companies mentioned, which employ over 300,000 employees and includes the giants Rite Aid, Chrysler and Blockbuster is twofold. First, they are suffering from a lack of liquidity. They could probably survive, and eventually thrive, if they can hold out for a year or so. Second, consumer spending is down. Americans have decided, or have been forced, to spend within their means as credit has frozen up. Spending within your means is honestly a good thing, but when most Americans haven't been doing it, and then all do it at the same time, it's bad for the economy. The Bush/Paulson stimulus package has done little to unfreeze the lines of credit and have only made America's credit worse. The answer to this is obvious to real conservatives. Cut taxes. Across the board. Cut corporate taxes, cut the marginal rates, cut capital gains taxes, cut inheritance taxes, etc. By cutting these taxes, corporations and regular Americans, from the poor all the way up to the rich will have more money to spend. If the corporations and the people had more money, consumer spending would tick up slightly, and corporations would have more money to work with, and would be more likely to ride out the recession. Lower taxes would also mean more heavily in debt Americans would be able to pay their debt down faster. This means credit and lending will open up more quickly.

The problem to this of course is government. Government and the liberals believe the answer is more government. If we expand the size of government, which is already obscene, it means we have to raise taxes to cover the cost. If we raise taxes to cover the cost, it means corporations and consumers have less money to spend. If we spend less money, it will turn the recession into a depression. My question is, why doesn't Obama and the left-wing leadership know this? Or do they know this? If we pass the Obama/Geithner stimulus it doesn't provide much for tax cuts, it just provides for a whole lot of programs that do not have lasting impacts on the economy, and provides for the furthering of the liberal agenda. Things like abortion and "green" technology. (I've come to hate that word) I'm all for clean energy, but the government will do a better job of promoting it by removing free market obstacles. By throwing money at the problem we are going to encourage the companies who make "green" technologies (ugh!) to take their sweet time in producing a good product. Look at Cancer and AIDS research, and Education if you want to see how throwing tons of money at a problem with no restrictions works at solving problems.

We want Conservatives, not Mavericks

I found this video from the Gray Ghost blog over at Townhall.



He makes some good points. I think conservatives definitely need to hit the ground for the next two and four years. I foresee the fairness doctrine (or some form of it) coming soon. Informed Americans can dictate American policy, and the liberals can't have that. They are going after Rush right now, but I think they will really go after the local conservative hosts, and the smaller national ones. They will then attack the internet and churches. I believe their goal will be to legalize the 20,000,000 illegal immigrants before 2012 and to do that, they need to shut down talk radio. If they legalize the 20,000,000 illegals they will be nearly unstoppable in 2012 and beyond, even with a great conservative running. If conservatives want to save this nation, we need to work hard. I plan on writing Senators Cornyn and Hutchison as well as my Congressman, Michael McCaul on a weekly basis to keep the pressure on the Republicans to do their job, and lobby for conservative principles in Washington. Retake the House in 2010! Jindal '12!

Super Bowl

So last year I made a prediction that was right. I wasn't really close as far as the score, but I picked the right team. It was an emotional decision more than a logical one. Well there's no emotion in this one as I really don't care either way about either team. I'd rather see the Cardinals win, and I'll probably root for the Cardinals, but I think it'll be Pittsburgh. My prediction, Stillers 27, Cardinals 20.

Now is not the time for profits

President Obama yesterday was complaining about the $18 billion in bonuses that were received by Wall St. executives and had this to say:

“There will be time for them to make profits, and there will be time for them to get bonuses. Now is not that time.”

What was not stated is that the $18 billion in 2008 is 44 percent less than in 2007. He claimed that the bonuses were irresponsible, but what is more irresponsible, the $18 billion in bonuses paid out to companies, (some successful, some unsuccessful) or the $800 billion + (more than a trillion with interest) that our children and grandchildren will be paying for and is not going to fix the economy?

The question is this, what did the President mean? Was he letting the truth slip out here or did he simply misspeak? Rush Limbaugh was recently taken out of context and his statements were misrepresented. I don't want to do the same to the President, but I'm thinking that this is another example of how the socialist side of President Obama comes out when he's not in front of a teleprompter.

So far...

I've really tried to be optimistic about President Obama and wait until he does something before I really jump on his case. I've hoped that he would govern as a moderate as the RINO's have said he would. But unfortunately that hasn't been the case so far. He's planning on holding off on the stimulus package, so to speak. As of right now, the plan is to slowly release bits and pieces of the stimulus over the next 3-8 years. The thing about STIMULUS is that it's supposed to STIMULATE. Unemployment continues to rise and the President is not using the money designated to stimulate the economy to stimulate the economy. Over the next few years he plans to slowly release this money into special projects which do not provide long term benefits to the economy. He wants to build infrastructure, which is a one and done type of stimulus. Once the infrastructure projects are completed you will have those people involved in the projects out of a job. If you want LONG-TERM job creation, you need to cut taxes. The problem with cutting taxes is that the liberals will lose power so President Obama is unlikely to do that. But if I were a restaurant owner thinking of expanding my business, (and creating 10-20 new jobs) I wouldn't do it if I knew my taxes were about to go up. The only industry that will not be affected by this increase in taxes and spending will be the government industry which is the only industry that SHOULD be downsizing.

Next, in all of his wisdom, with his military and diplomatic experience the President has decided to close the detention center at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. Many of the detainees who have been released from this facility have gone on to return to the front lines against our military forces and have been involved in further terrorist activity. I agree that the detainees should receive a form of due process. They should be given a fair trial by military tribunal as would be given to any enemy combatant or prisoner of war. As terrorists who are not fighting for any nation, these terrorists are not guaranteed protection under the Geneva Convention. With that said, there should still be a trial which would release those held falsely and convict those who are truly terrorists. However, our soldiers and marines should not have to read terrorists Miranda rights, and terrorists do not deserve a trial in US civilian courts at US taxpayer expense. The other question is: What do we do with the guys that we can't convict and can't send back? My proposal is to let them stay at the Obama's home in Chicago. But seriously, the president at the press conference was referring questions regarding this Executive Order to his lawyer. Mr. President, you are the Chief Executive. You shouldn't be asking your lawyer questions about an order you just signed, especially in front of the media. But none of those empty suits called you on the fact that you didn't know what was in your own order did they?

The last thing that burned me up (well there's more, but this is the last one I'll talk about) is that the President signed another order to loosen restrictions on abortion. It allowed US tax dollars to be spent on abortions overseas. I don't really like the idea of my tax dollars going to murder babies. I don't want to say more because blood is about to shoot out of my eyes.

The one bright spot (if you can call it that) is that the President signed an order to freeze high-level executive pay in the government. I like the idea that we are freezing unnecessary spending, but this is a drop in the bucket. So he saves the taxpayers a couple of million (yea) and raises the deficit by about $500 billion and doesn't even get the stimulus where it's supposed to go. So he gets props for the one good measure, albeit a minor one, and a whole lot of thumbs down for just about everything else he did over the past week.

Worst Guest in the World???

I saw a CNN video where one of the CNN gossip shows was discussing how Ann Coulter was the worst guest in the world. (or something like that) The people who make a living talking about what other people do, and the producers and hosts of 'The View' should know what most people know about Ann. She is extremely opinionated and she believes what she believes and doesn't really care who it offends. This is quite the opposite of the bleeding hearts on 'The View'. The only time they get opinionated is if it has to do with attacking George Bush or Sarah Palin. Then they can attack away.

At any rate, as I watched this video, I didn't see anything wrong with Ann Coulter's appearance on this show, except the 5 women who kept interrupting her. Ann makes some statements in her book which are strong statements, and she backs them up with her sources. (I haven't read her book, but she quotes a few sources just during the interview) One of the sources is a progressive 'think tank'. (a bit of an oxymoron if you ask me) So as they are questioning her about her strong statements, they keep interrupting her answers. She makes a statement they don't like. They call her on it. She tries to explain why she said what she said and they cut her off. I thought the premise of 'The View' was to be a discussion program, where topics, light and heavy, are DISCUSSED. Apparently the only discussion allowed is what the liberals on that show want to talk about.

But the bottom line is this question: Was Ann Coulter out of line during her appearance on 'The View'? I don't think so. She was Ann being Ann, with strong opinions and not backing down from anyone, even 'saint' Barbara Walters.

It's My Potty

Ok, I'm sure a hundred other bloggers will use this title for this story, but it jumped in my head, and I had to go with it. Today, on Glenn Beck's radio show they did the numbers of expected Inaugural guests, (4,000,000) and the number of port-a-pottys at the inaugural event. (5,000) That means, if the expected 4,000,000 people show up, there will be 1 port-a-potty for every 800 people. According to the research on the Glenn Beck Radio Show, a private event would require, one P.P. for every 75 guests. A government event requires one for every 300. I don't know why there's such a disparity, but nevertheless there is seemingly a big gap between the estimates, and the number or P.P.'s available for the event. How did they resolve this dilemma? They just gave a low official estimate. Just like they do with their government programs. They say this will cost 1 trillion dollars, and it usually costs about 5 trillion. Very useless information I know, but it at least made me laugh.

Britain's Finest Hour

The conversations with Stanley Rosenthal and ReckNHavic on my Gaza post inspired this video post.

Gaza Conflict

This is what the LORD says: "For three sins of Gaza, even for four, I will not turn back my wrath. Because she took captive whole communities and sold them to Edom, I will send fire upon the walls of Gaza that will consume her fortresses. Amos 1:6-7

I don't believe this scripture really has any relevance as far as God's plan is concerned anymore. Jesus was the fulfillment of the law and the prophets. However, I'm sure there are people in Israel that are reading this. I don't really know what to say when it comes to Israel. I am truly on the fence. They appear to be a free and democratic, tolerant society, and compared to the rest of the middle east, they are. However there isn't true religious freedom there. Not if you are a Christian who is trying to fulfill the Great Commission:

Then Jesus came to them and said, "All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age." Matthew 28:18-20

If you are trying to fulfill the Great Commission in Israel, you will likely be barred from reentry into the country if you leave. I don't believe that it is God's plan for a physical state of Israel in the Middle East anymore, at least not in the sense of His twelve tribes. God's Kingdom is now a Spiritual Kingdom.

Jesus said, "My kingdom is not of this world. If it were, my servants would fight to prevent my arrest by the Jews. But now my kingdom is from another place." John 18:36

With that said, I feel that there is a great need for a strong democracy in the middle east. I also think that it is good that in Israel there is a chance to see the great historical sights from the bible. There is a big difference between reading the constitution in a book, and seeing the actual constitution. There is a big difference between seeing the White House on TV, and actually walking through it, or walking through the US Capitol. In the same way, but greater, it is important to have access to the physical historical sights spoken of in the bible. I also believe that as a nation whose borders have international recognition, Israel has a right to defend itself from foreign aggression.

Palestinian terrorists are firing rockets from Gaza into sovereign Israeli land. Israel doesn't have very much land to spare and every time that there is a flare-up between Israel and terrorists, the terrorists, be it Hamas or Hezbollah seem to be able to carry out more destruction than the last time. Their weapons systems become more and more advanced. If Israel does not defend itself, it will very soon cease to exist. Theodore Roosevelt said: "Don't hit at all if it is honorably possible to avoid hitting; but never hit soft." Israel may be the best in the world at doing this. They negotiate and negotiate, they give land back to their enemies and are thanked with rockets. The Israeli responses to their enemies would probably make TR proud. Israel annihilates the infrastructure of their enemies, and the capability of their enemies to strike Israel (at least for a few years) and they do so with surprisingly few civilian casualties. In any war, civilians will be hurt, but Israel is very good at keeping collateral damage to a minimum, especially considering that the terrorists hide among civilians.

I am torn in this conflict. As you see the devastation in Gaza, it is impossible to not feel sorry for those in harm's way; the innocent people who were unfortunate enough to be born on the wrong side of a border. But if Israel relents, if Israel doesn't defend itself, there will be no Israel left. They will be wiped out forever. I think there needs to be peace, but there needs to be international pressure put on Syria and Iran who are likely supplying Hamas with weapons to stop supporting them or it will be considered an act of war. But the United States seems to be the only nation defending Israel internationally, and I fear that on January 20th they will have no allies left. If Israel loses it's last ally, I suspect they will begin launching pre-emptive nuclear strikes. I hope I'm wrong. I hope this conflict can come to a peaceful resolution, and I pray for peace in the middle east. But somehow, I don't think it will happen.