The Mission and The Operations Order

I, like many of my friends, am approaching decision points.  Do we continue on the same path we're on or do we take another?  Some of us are being forced to decide:  we are at the end of the path and must decide among several others to take.  Others of us are approaching a fork in the road: continue or turn aside?  Reading a friend's blog on the issue led me to publishing one of my own in response...

In Hebrews 11:8-12 and 11:17-19 Abraham is listed among the heroes who lived, "by faith."  Truly, he had great faith that the LORD would provide for him and lead him.  Did he do everything right during that time?  Of course not.  He lied, twice, about Sarah being his wife, because he was afraid that he would be killed.  He also tried to take things into his own hands to produce his heir.  Clearly he was not always being faithful.  And if Abraham, who notably has the longest passages in the "Faith" chapter, can get off the path, surely we can as well.

To put it bluntly, living off the path is bad. 

1 "Woe to the obstinate children,"
       declares the LORD,
       "to those who carry out plans that are not mine,
       forming an alliance, but not by my Spirit,
       heaping sin upon sin;
- Isaiah 30:1

Yet you have to look at the next verse to see why it is so bad.

2 who go down to Egypt
       without consulting me;
       who look for help to Pharaoh's protection,
       to Egypt's shade for refuge.

Those people who look to themselves or other people, instead of looking to God, will find themselves on the wrong path because they did not use His lamp to light the way.  Going to Egypt for safety and protection is not wrong -- God even told Joseph to take Jesus and Mary there to hide out from King Herod.  Going to Egypt for safety and protection in place of going to God is wrong.

So where does that leave us?  God doesn't put everything in the Bible.  It doesn't say which college to attend, which career path to take, which person to marry.  So where does that leave us?    Putting it in military terms: God gives us the mission; we must develop the operation order.  In layman's terms: God gives us the plan; we must take steps to follow the plan.  Of most importance, though, is to always ensure we are still remaining in Him -- because only then can we acknowledge Him.

5 Trust in the LORD with all your heart
       and lean not on your own understanding;

6 in all your ways acknowledge him,
       and he will make your paths straight. ^[a]

7 Do not be wise in your own eyes;
       fear the LORD and shun evil.
- Proverbs 3:5-7

Given that we are fearing the Lord, what then are our steps to be?  For that, we can look to Proverbs 16.

---

Proverbs 16

1 We can make our own plans,
      but the Lord gives the right answer.

I like what Matthew Henry has to say about this in his Commentary:

"The renewing grace of God alone prepares the heart for every good work.  This teaches us that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think or speak anything wise and good." 

The Bible does not say that we should not make our own plans: rather that our plans alone are not enough.

2 People may be pure in their own eyes,
      but the Lord examines their motives.

Once we have brought ourselves to remaining in Christ and allowing Him to be the one to make our hearts right, then we can effectively plan.  And this only because then our motives will be in line with His plan.

3 Commit your actions to the Lord,
      and your plans will succeed.

4 The Lord has made everything for his own purposes,
      even the wicked for a day of disaster.

We will always have choices to make:  we will either daily humble ourselves or we will be proud.

5 The Lord detests the proud;
      they will surely be punished.

But God (click to see a great devotional on "The 'But God' Gap" from Boundless)

6 Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin.
      By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.

Our choice to follow God's plan has its benefits, even when not entirely tangible.

7 When people’s lives please the Lord,
      even their enemies are at peace with them.

8 Better to have little, with godliness,
      than to be rich and dishonest.

Once we have submitted ourselves to the Lord, then our minds will be in the right place to make plans. 

9 We can make our plans,
      but the Lord determines our steps.
- Proverbs 16:1-9 (New Living Translation)

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Well, that's about enough for one post.  Here's a previw to the next one, "Living in the Comma" :

Abraham was 75 years old when he was called to leave his father's house and go to the land that would be shown.  He was 100 when Isaac was born.  That means that he spent roughly 25 years living life between Chapter 12:7 (when Abraham arrived and was promised the land to his descendants)  and Chapter 21 (Isaac's birth).  What was he doing during that time?  He was living out his faith.  Sure, it takes faith to leave all that you know and move.  It takes even more faith to continue to live after you've stepped out and not yet received what was promised.

Question: Is Mythbusters the Best Science Show on Television?

The NYT asks if Mythbusters is the best.  What do you think?

Racist Scholarship?

Would offering a scholarship only to people who are at least 25% Caucasian be racist?  I think so.  Would it be wrong?  No more wrong than any other scholarship that takes into consideration race.

The bottom line is that as long as someone is bothering to check the skin color/background/race/whatever as a precondition for getting treatment of any kind, it is wrong.

So do I like the idea of a "whites only" scholarship as a good way to fund someone's education?  No.  But I LOVE the idea of using such a scholarship to raise the issue that racist scholarships and racist practices still remain and need to be eliminated.

ymCa

Re-emphasizing the "C" in YMCA.  LA Times reports:

Religion rebounds at YMCA

More branches are showing a spiritual side, with ministry services and Christian rock. For some members, it's just not working out.

Flying While Muslim?

I don't know the facts about the incident -- there are too many versions of the story out there right now.  From what I can gather, six people were acting suspiciously, were asked to submit to further screenings, refused those screenings, and then were forcefully removed from the plane.  What I do know is the response to this incident has been thrown WAY out of proportion.  Granted:  I certainly face less discrimination while flying.  Why?  Because I don't fit the profile.  Yes, that's right a profile.  And what profile is that?  A profile of someone who is possibly a threat to the safety of the passengers and crew.  Is profiling wrong?  I don't think so.  I agree with Mona Charen over at NRO:

It’s a shame. But it’s absolutely necessary. It cannot have been pleasant to be denied the opportunity to fly, to be singled out, to be embarrassed in front of a plane full of strangers. But this knee-jerk reaction to the word “discrimination” is completely out of place in this discussion.

When passengers see six Arab men praying, talking animatedly in Arabic (a fellow passenger understood Arabic and was one of those who contacted a flight attendant), and then boarding an airplane and sitting in different places, I wonder what goes through their minds? Is it: “I sure don’t like Muslims. Think I’ll just harass and annoy them”? Or could it possibly be: “Oh dear God, this is what the 9/11 hijackers must have looked like”?

Is it discrimination? Well, of course it is. But that cannot be the end of the discussion. We are so robotic in America whenever the word “discrimination” is used that we shut down thought and all genuflect in the direction of whoever is complaining. But the proper question is not whether it is discrimination but whether it is justified.

What is even more unfortunate is that the profile looks like it must be extended even further:  to include Grandmothers.  Grandmas must now be included in the list of possible suicide bombers.

64-Year-Old Grandmother Blows Herself Up Near Israeli Troops in Gaza

So was it a case of Flying While Muslim?  No.  It's a sign that in order to be safe, we must submit to more searches.  Not that those searches necessarily keep us safe, but refusing to be searched will limit what you can and cannot do.  But that is a topic for another day.

Pumpkin Pie

For Thanksgiving this year I'm not at home -- so I won't get Dad's (or my sister's) pie, Grandma's Turkey, or Mom's 7 Layer salad. But my section is having a Thanksgiving Potluck Dinner. We're all bringing something -- so I'm bringing my version of the family Pumpkin Pie. Dad and sister helped out with the recipe - I haven't tasted it yet, but it looks good.

Time to call everyone, but here's the pics.

Happy Thanksgiving!!!

Must not Quote the Koran

I can't say this any better than Tongue Tied did.

Source 1

Source 2

LOTR Prequel Update

A sad day in Middle-Earth: Peter Jackson will not be directing the Lord of the Rings Prequel or The Hobbit.

I strongly disagree with Professor Larry Moran

While I don't have the time tonight to go into the entire Intellectual Design (ID) debate, nor into the UCSD debacle over the anti-ID lecture mandatory for all freshmen, I will place my vote firmly against Professor Larry Moran who wrote that "Pro-ID undergraduates 'should never have [been] admitted'" to UCSD and that they should be flunked:

The University should just flunk the lot of them and make room for smart students who have a chance of benefiting from a high quality education.

Pro-ID or Anti-ID does not make one smart or dumb.  Real education must consider alternate viewpoints -- not just dogmatic adherence to current beliefs.

China admits taking executed prisoners' organs

Just figured I would update y'all on the latest news out of China that backs up one of my earlier posts.  China admits that it uses executed prisoners' organs for transplants.  However, it does claim that, as of July 2006, the selling of those organs are illegal.

"Boys are a different species"

-Brett Landsberger, 12, a Campbell Hall seventh-grader on single-sex education.

While I disagree on the species aspect, I do like the idea that some classes be single-sex.  I don't think all classes should be, because then it would be much harder to learn how to interact with each other.  I mean, it's hard enough as it is, right?  Cricket, cricket... (it's not just me, right?)  ANYway, while it may be strange to agree with someone half my age, I believe this statement to be true:

"It's easier to pay attention in math when girls are not there," agreed Reese Wexler, 13.

The real part with this comes down to not gender, but learning style.  Some people learn better with different style of learning.  I tend to learn a little bit better if it is verbal and intuitive, but overall I'm balanced (Yes, that's right, I'm normal and all the rest of you are strange!!) according to this test:

---

 

Results for: Mac


      ACT                          X                      REF
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEN                              X                  INT
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      VIS                              X                  VRB
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

      SEQ                      X                          GLO
           11  9   7   5   3   1   1   3   5   7   9   11
                              <-- -->

          

• If your score on a scale is 1-3, you are fairly well balanced on the two dimensions of that scale.
  
• If your score on a scale is 5-7, you have a moderate preference for one dimension of the scale and will learn more easily in a teaching environment which favors that dimension.
  
• If your score on a scale is 9-11, you have a very strong preference for one dimension of the scale. You may have real difficulty learning in an environment which does not support that preference.

For more details, see this page.

---

If there were a way to match people according to their learning style, I think the education system would be much better.  I'm not saying that everyone would be custom tailored in their education plans, but we should at least attempt for the students to learn the core subjects in their own learning style.  Students should also be taught (not just a one or two hour lecture on) how to realize their learning style and what ways they can improve on their weaknesses and fine tune their strengths.

Maybe I should be an educator when I grow up?

Exercise

So I didn't go to the gym and workout today, like someone suggested I do.  However, I did get exercise today -- I spent about an hour snorkeling today.  That, I think, can count as working out.  Yes, I had fins, but it's still being in the water for a while and I did swim.

I didn't bring a camera with me, which I'm disappointed about, because I saw some really cool things this time.  I saw a jellyfish, which startled me, but I just let him pass by.  I also saw some fish that looked like rocks (the flat bottom dweling ones).  Anyway, next time I'll bring a camera so I show everyone.

For Thanksgiving this year, I'm going to attempt to immitate/re-create my dad's/sister's famous pumpkin pie.  I will be sharing it with everyone in the office.  Dad emailed me the recipe and my sister will be providing "help desk" support if I run into trouble.

Well, it's time to get going... we're having a bar-b-que with the neighbors.  Until next time...

The Post Worked!!!

Ok, so not everyone will be as happy as I am about this.  That's fine.  I didn't expect anyone to be elated over this new tool.  However, if anyone is interested in the latest Microsoft Beta that I'm trying, you can get Windows Live Writer that will post to multiple blog sites. (I got it to work for Blogger and Windows Live Spaces but not MySpace)

Windows Live Writer Test

This is a test to see if my new blog editing tool is working appropriately.  I wonder if it will work.  This would be nice to say the least.  Testing...

Ban Religion

"Religion... turns people into hateful lemmings, and it is not really compassionate." - Elton John

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." - Jesus

Where have we gone wrong?

"Spirits" and Purity

This started as a response I wrote to an email my dad sent to our immediate family (and with his permission I reprinted).

I believe that there are "spirits" that go with those spirits. Is it possible that drinking of these spirits can defile us? Is it possible that this too, can be a gate to our heart? Or, does that "spirit" simply dull our other gates so as to allow the other gates to become defiled? What about that "drink" as a "rite of passage" when someone turns 21? - Dad

I find there to be at least first and second order effects from "spirits":

1. Being drunk with wine keeps us from being "on guard." Any person assigned to guard duty must be alert and capable of doing the duty to his/her full extent. Guards must be trained, skilled, AND prepared for duty. We are at war, not against flesh and blood, but against "rulers... authorities... powers of this dark world and... the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms" (Eph 6:12). However, putting on the armor is only part of the steps necessary. We also have to "stand your ground" and "stand firm." Guards who fall asleep on duty are ineffective as guards and are subject to a death penalty. Two things can cause someone to sleep (barring sheer exhaustion and overwork) -- doing activities they are not supposed to be and drinking.

Being on our guard is not an option; it is a command (redundant references removed):

• Mark 13:9
  "You must be on your guard. You will be handed over to the local councils and flogged in the synagogues. On account of me you will stand before governors and kings as witnesses to them.


• Mark 13:23
  So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time.


• Luke 12:1
  Meanwhile, when a crowd of many thousands had gathered, so that they were trampling on one another, Jesus began to speak first to his disciples, saying: "Be on your guard against the yeast of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy.


• Luke 12:15
  Then he said to them, "Watch out! Be on your guard against all kinds of greed; a man's life does not consist in the abundance of his possessions."


• Acts 20:31
  So be on your guard! Remember that for three years I never stopped warning each of you night and day with tears.
  
• 1 Corinthians 16:13
  Be on your guard; stand firm in the faith; be men of courage; be strong.


• 2 Timothy 4:15
  You too should be on your guard against him, because he strongly opposed our message.


• 2 Peter 3:17
  Therefore, dear friends, since you already know this, be on your guard so that you may not be carried away by the error of lawless men and fall from your secure position.


• Proverbs 4:23
  Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.
  

The context in which we are do not get drunk on wine is in the middle of how we are to live:

Ephesians 5:8b-10

Live as children of light (for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness and truth) and find out what pleases the Lord.

Ephesians 5:15-18

Be very careful, then, how you live—not as unwise but as wise, making the most of every opportunity, because the days are evil. Therefore do not be foolish, but understand what the Lord's will is. Do not get drunk on wine, which leads to debauchery. Instead, be filled with the Spirit.

While we can rightly see debauchery as "extreme indulgence in sensuality" (Websters definition 1) it can also be seen as "seduction from virtue or duty" (Websters definition 2). I can see why NIV translates the Greek as "debauchery" and the KJV as "excess". The Greek, it has it as "unsavedness or profligacy" which is someone who is completely given up to dissipation and licentiousness. THAT type of excess is one who is living entirely for themselves -- which is the end state of someone who does not guard oneself.

2. The second order effect of "spirits" has to do with the culture we live in. The United States specifically is a culture of excess. We have no self-control. While most societies are able to limit themselves, we do not seem to be able to. (Whether that is by choice or if that is by nature I am not sure). We have workaholics, eat-holics, pleasure-holics, and yes, alchoholics. For this we are both despised (as uncouth and uncultured by the Europeans) and hated (as "sinners" by Islamic terrorists). If we could find a way to waste "waste," I'm sure we would add that to our list of everything else we waste and consume. (This is not just the US that does this, but we are
marked by it!)

Specifically with alcohol, our culture treats it as a way to: escape the world around them, have a good time, and loosen inhibitions (normally sexually). As such we sacrifice it our (US) supreme idol - ourselves. This is like the culture near Corinth and eating the meat of idols (1 Corinthians 8):

For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as indeed there are many "gods" and many "lords"), yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we live; and there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we live. But not everyone knows this. Some people are still so accustomed to idols that when they eat such food they think of it as having been sacrificed to an idol, and since their conscience is weak, it is defiled.

For those people, eating meat was eating meat sacrificed to idols. While eating food has no impact on our walk with Christ (see 1 Cor 8:8) eating specific food in front of others may (1 Cor 8:10-12). One time when I was explaining this to a friend, s/he asked me "Should then I only drink when in my private home?" and in that way not in front of anyone who might view it as sin. And I think, yes, that is the appropriate action. For while we, who throught the Holy Spirit produce the fruit of self-control, are able to "only have one drink" and not be drunk, those who see us may see us giving approval on those who DO drink to excess.

Now, regarding drinking at 21, we are called to obey the rules of the land. Drinking alcohol before 21 (in the US) is wrong for that reason. And drinking upon celebrating turning 21 is closer to the world's (US culture) idea of NOW you can REALLY party (with the idea that it is not your first time, but your first time legally).

In summary the first order effect is to dull one's ability to be an effective soldier - and there is nothing worse in war than an ineffective soldier. The second order effect is to either be a stumbling block to young-believers or to be seen as a hypocrite by non-believers.

Therefore, if what I eat {or drink} causes my brother to fall into sin, I will never eat meat {or drink liquor} again, so that I will not cause him to fall.

Dad's email:

---

Reading earlier this week in the Book of Mark chapter 7 is Jesus’ teaching about Inner Purity; it is also recorded in Matthew 15.

Jesus called to the crowd to come and hear. “All of you listen,” he said, “and try to understand. It’s not what goes into your body that defiles you; you are defiled by what comes from year heart.” . . . “Can’t you see that the food you put into your body cannot defile you? Food doesn’t go into your heart, but only passes through the stomach and then goes into the sewer.” . . . “It is what comes from inside that defiles you. For from within, out of a person’s heart, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, greed, wickedness, deceit, lustful desires, envy, slander, pride, and foolishness. All these vile things come from within; they are what defile you.”

It is from here and other passages that we get the little childhood song,

Oh, be careful little ears, what you hear (repeat)

For the Father Up above, is looking down in love,

So be careful little ears what you hear.

(VS 2) Oh, be careful little eyes, what you see,

(VS 3) Oh, be careful little mouth, what you say,

(VS 4) Oh, be careful little hands, what you do,

(VS 5) Oh, be careful little feet where you go,

(VS 6) Oh, be careful little mind what you think,

(VS 7) Oh, be careful little heart what you love,

I believe we would all agree that this little song is singing to us about protecting the gates to our heart. What we see, what we say, what we do, where we go . . . all are gates to our heart. Seeds are planted in our heart via our gates. Depending on what nourishments are in our heart determines which seeds grow. Now, just because
there are some weeds in our garden, we don’t plow the entire garden under, we get in and pull the weeds, we make sure that we are putting the right nutrients in so that the right plants are growing. You see, the other side of what Jesus said defiles us, is the Fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness and temperance. AND the opposite of what is mentioned as bad coming from a person’s heart: evil thoughts vs good, Godly, pure or creative thoughts; sexual immorality vs sexual purity; theft vs giving; murder vs life giving; adultery vs not straying; greed vs generosity; wickedness vs kindness; deceit vs truthfulness; lustful desires vs pure desires; envy vs desiring the best for others; slander vs pulling out the best in others; pride vs JOY (Jesus, Other, and then Yourself) there is obviously a Godly pride – but that Godly pride always points to the source and that is not us but Him. There is pride as in “I’m proud of YOU.” And, there is pride (not boasting) knowing that it is Jesus that works a good work in me. JOY. Foolishness vs well, grow up and act your age and like Solomon
and James 1:5, ask God for wisdom.

Jesus, can I push back on that? “You said that the food you put into your body cannot defile us.” In mentioning the Fruit of the Spirit, I’m reminded of other spirits. I know that when you served wine, it was not grape juice and that there was a reason why your servant, Paul, challenged believers to not be drunk with wine but to be filled with the Spirit. I do believe that there was a reason why that liquor store in Echo Park was named,

“Wines and spirits.” I believe that there are “spirits” that go with those spirits. Is it possible that drinking of these spirits can defile us? Is it possible that this too, can be a gate to our heart? Or, does that “spirit” simply dull our other gates so as to allow the other gates to become defiled? What about that “drink” as a “rite of passage” when someone turns 21?

Jesus, please help me to watch over the gates to my heart.

Community College Politics

I attended Pasadena City College, lately famous due to Kerry's bad joke, and served in the student government. I saw many things I disagreed with - nothing in particular was wrong, either ethically or legally - I happened to be on the other side of the political spectrum as some (almost most) of my colleagues. I spoke out and made a difference. As was my duty - I was elected to do so.

But, as someone who served a few years ago in PCCs student government, I can say that the actions of Orange Coast College's student government are nothing new. Our meetings (unlike the Board of Trustees) did not include the pledge of allegiance. A few of the student body VPs had Che Guevara T-Shirts on display in their office.

The trouble was not that the students were less educated, like Adam Carolla likes to say. The trouble is that most of the students at the school could care less about the student government and that conservatives are vacating the area. Out of 30,000 students we would get no more than 700 to vote. I happened to be one of only three conservatives who served in student government - and the other two decided not to run again. Without regular people caring to run or vote, "radicals" will be the only ones running the show.

If anyone needs convincing that not enough people run, this year's PCC student government only had two positions that had more than one candidate. At least when I ran, I had two opponents.

To be fair, most community college students are there to get an educuation and get on with their life. Taking the extra time to serve in student government is expensive - it does affect your grades and ability to take enough classes in a timely manner.

So why the blog on Community College Politics?

I'm really glad that we had several people voting in this mid-term election. I didn't vote (because I didn't register in time for overseas balloting -- I was busy and lost track of time, I know I know, poor excuse) so I can't say much about turnout. I can, however, say that for all those people who are disappointed with the candidates running for office, perhaps they can evaulate if THEY want to run. While the money surely is an issue, perhaps voters would like to see more choices for candidates. I'm sure you could even run a grass-roots-style campaign in '08 that would be based on leaflets/pamphlets that direct voters to internet blogs where they could interact with the candidate and help decide what issues to campaign on.

The minimum ages for national positions are: 25 for the House, 30 for the Senate, and 35 for the President (and native-born).

Boston and God

Supposedly I have a Boston accent. I really disagree. I have friends from Boston and I don't sound like them at all. Obviously, this is a limited questionaire and did not involve anyone actually listening to me speak. The next two choices DO match correctly.

What American accent do you have? Your Result: Boston You definitely have a Boston accent, even if you think you don't. Of course, that doesn't mean you are from the Boston area, you may also be from New Hampshire or Maine.
The West
The Midland
North Central
Philadelphia
The Northeast
The Inland North
The South
What American accent do you have? Take More Quizzes

So from this I have two questions:

1. Does this accent quiz match for you?
2. For those of you who know me, does it match for me?

Your help in this matter will be greatly appreciated

Why do accents matter?

Or do they matter at all? Accents generally show where a person is from and to what influences they may have been exposed. Accents do not impact the veracity of the speech or the importance of it. So why do we bother with accents? Some may sound pleasing or seductive, but is that because the accent is different from ours or are we programmed to be pre-dispositioned to certain accents?

I know that I prefer to listen to an Australian or British accent: I find the accent alluring and I rather enjoy listening even if the speech has no real content. I also know that I do not lot like to listen to the "Valley" (is that an accent or a different language??) and North Central accents. I find both of those distracting and thereby I struggle to extract the content of the communication.

In this I am not referring to the "filler" words such as "like," "um," "uh," "well," "you know," or the regionalisms such as "bubbler" or "ya'll." Though they, too, alter our perception of the person and the message they are communicating.

Accents are not limited to our "modern" age. Peter was identified during Jesus' trial as being a disciple from the way he spoke. He was identified as a Galileans, who were not expected to be highly educated. When Peter and John were called before the Sanhedrin the members were shocked that the undeducated men could speak substantively with courage. They could not do or say anything negative against them (such as being drunk, possessed) only because of the miracles that took place. My guess is that if it were not for the miracles, they would have been dismissed as uneducated and therefore ignorable.

How many of us dismiss what people have to say just because we think that they are uneducated? Do we do that based on accents? God does not choose His messengers do to education or lack thereof. Nor does He choose them by how they speak. Do not reject or accept the content of a message just because of level of education or type of accent.

In closing, Happy Veterans Day to everyone: both to those of us who make it possible and to those of you who can enjoy its benefits.

Pastel California and Air Shower

Pastel California

A LA Times editorial on why California is not Blue or Red, but a pastel mix that is similar to the NRO article from yesterday's post.

Air Shower

An Australian company, while not the first, offers an ingenious way to save fresh water -- use less by taking an "air shower."

California and the 2006 Election

Some may be licking their wounds from this election and others may be celebrating their gains. One thing is clear, lots of people turned out to vote for a mid-term election. That is a very good thing.

I saw two very good articles on NRO that I thought should be read. One is The Left Coast’s Right and the other is Marriage Wins.

Enjoy.

Update: Indonesian Schoolgirl Beheadings

For those who have been a long-term reader of this blog (or those of you who search through the Archives) may recall the posting last year on the Indonesian Schoolgirls who were beheaded on their way to school. They were attacked because they were Christian.

The update is that the men accused of such a hideous crime are now being prosecuted.

Stocks, 3D Maps, & Elections

Stocks
So I've finally found a brokerage with decent fees and no minimum purchase. I'll share which one after I can get credit for recommending someone. I'd get $50 if you signed up, but I have to wait 30 days before I can recommend anyone. I will, however, share my stock picks. I can't yet purchase because my ACH is still processing. Two companies that are relatively new and cheap to buy (penny stocks, folks) but I really like the companies' ideas.

One is APWL - Advanced Power Line. They are building high-speed internet connections through the electrical lines. It's still a work in progress, but I see that taking off -- high speed internet anywhere there are power lines in your home/office/etc. If that could be combined with a Vonage-type connection (Vonage has a portable VOIP telephone service that will follow you wherever you plug into high speed interent) to do charges, the portability would be nice. Some might argue that wireless is the way of the future, but lots of people still get DSL and cable internet. This would replace those types of connections.

The other stock pick is ITPD. ITPD is a company that is investing in medical-care facilities in Wal-Marts. The goal is to have a low-cost clinic in every Wal-Mart. Each facility would be staffed by nurses and groups of clinics would be managed by a doctor. Only two clinics have been opened so far.

Disclaimer: These are companies that I will be investing in... I make no guarantees on how they will do. Investing involves risk and should be a carefully managed part of your portfolio. I do not advocate "day-trading" or other get-rich-quick schemes.

3D Maps
We've all come to know and love Google Earth and the satellite images of Earth (and yes, they have Google Mars, too). Microsoft, not wanting to be left behind, also started its version with "bird's eye views" that had a closer image for certain cities. But it has now announced its three dimensional views of a few cities. It will be adding more in the future. It appears to be a composite of its earlier views, but combined it with a three dimensional frame and wrapped the photos onto the frame. I can't get any good views yet, but I think that's due to my current connection.

Will someone try and check it out for me? Thanks.

Elections Tomorrow
The 2006 Mid-Term Elections are tomorrow. I am not voting this year (yes, shame on me) because I failed to register in time -- the elections snuck up on me. It will be interesting to watch the results -- not the returns (the tally of who won) but how the country changes and in which direction it goes. These next two years are really pivotal for us.

As a side note, I prefer a divided government (control of Congress by one party and the presidency by the other). I think that best preserves the interests of our country. Only when the two sides work together is anything done and the excesses are limited (but not eliminated).

Until next time...

Microsoft might leave China or Is Blogging the new Democracy?

As the internet continues to grow and spread, it continues to show that this medium is the next printing press. The printing press allowed for mass distribution of retainable information. (Radio and television have had an impact, but not to the same degree. Those {excluding tape recorders and VCRs} only were a delivery system but no way of retaining that information.) Retainable information does not require a person to actively transmit (by voice) the ideas. Long after the person is gone, the ideas can be passed along to others. Because of the resiliency, a free press was the measure of how democractic, tollerant, and (in my opinion) good a society was.

Now the internet is providing that measuring rod. Blogging is a low cost, highly efficient (especially when combined with RSS or Atom feeds) way to mass distribute information. Bloggers are now the new press. (I will not address the concerns with the decline of the professional reporter - that is for another time.) And as the new press, how free those bloggers are is the measurement of how free that society is. There are concerns over the undemocratic distribution of the internet, ie Africa, as a whole, is lagging behind, but that is no different than any other distribution system because it takes money for it to operate.

My prime example is that Microsoft is considering leaving China. I don't know how largely the potential money will impact that decision, but it is telling that an executive is voicing that option. Perhaps it is just to scare the power brokers in China; I doubt that the shareholders would like money being thrown away. However, most other people in the world are not supportive of a non-free press and do not wish to support, with their dollars (or yen, or pounds or Euros), a company that will ban free speech.

Sliding closer toward the mark...

Of the beast:

"The surveillance society has come about us without us realising", adding: "Some of it is essential for providing the services we need: health, benefits, education." -Source

RFID is useful - I've used it for transportation and work on multiple occasions. I do not like, nor will I use, implanted chips.

Faith-Based Groups

Now you have another reason for your children to participate in faith-based groups:

Of all the organized activities teens participate in, faith-based youth groups provide the highest rates of personal and interpersonal growth experiences, according to a new University of Illinois study published in the September issue of Developmental Psychology. - Source

Finding Planets

Scientists will be using the upcoming transit of Mercury (when the planet passes in between the Earth and the Sun) to help them find other planets. The transit of Mercury only occurs 12x a Century (the only other planet that can come between Earth and the Sun is Venus, which will only do that 2x per century). Scientists will study the about of sunlight that is blocked by the planet and then compare that to other stars. If other stars have a tempory reduction in starlight, there is a strong possibility there is a planet orbiting it.

Finding planets is one thing... traveling to them... that would be really COOL.

Does God Exist?

If you were to ask an American, about half would say they have doubts.

[A] survey conducted by Harris Poll found that 42 percent of US adults are not "absolutely certain" there is a God compared to 34 percent who felt that way when asked the same question three years ago.

The bigger surprise, for me, is that only 76% of Protestants were "absolutely certain" that God exists. 7% of BORN AGAIN CHRISTIANS had doubts! While I do accept that people may have doubts, I did not know there were that many.

All of this is to show that we have a lot of work to do. Get Busy.

If Your Life Was a Movie...

What would the Soundtrack be?
Ok, so this might seem like a cheesy posts, but I found this one quite interesting. (Scroll down to find out why)

Small disclaimer: I wasn't going to list the fourth category,
but when the title appeared, I thought it carried an extra meaning. This list was not filtered or manipulated in any way.

So, here's how it works:

1. Open your library (iTunes, Winamp, Media Player, iPod, etc)
2. Put it on shuffle
3. Press play
4. For every question, type the song that's playing
5. When you go to a new question, press the next button

Opening Credits: Basics of Life – 4 Him
Waking Up: The Messiah Came – Lydia Ranger
First Day At School: Jar Jar’s Introduction – Star Wars Episode I
Sex Song: Pray – Rebecca St. James
Party Song: 1941 (March) – John Williams
Falling In Love: Symphony No. 6 – Allegretto - Beethoven
Fight Song: Brave – Nichole Nordeman
Breaking Up: Now’s the Time - Carmen
Prom: He’s Been Arrested for Espoinage – Spy Game Soundtrack
Life's OK: I’m Back – Back to the Future, Pt. II
Mental Breakdown: Blessed Assurance – Traditional Hymn
Driving: Concerto No. 8 Allegro - Vivaldi
Flashback: Untitled Track on Jesus Freak – DC Talk
Getting Back Together: Breathe –Marie Barnett
Wedding: Emmanuel – Michal W. Smith
Birth of Child: I heard the Bells on Christmas Day – Burl Ives
Final Battle: Are You Ready for Love – Audio Adrenaline
Death Scene: Patriotic Medley – Armed Forces Band
Funeral Song: Sure Shot – O.C. Supertones
Closing Credits: Here I am to Worship – Rebecca St. James

Interesting, no?

Sure, the randomness of a playlist has no real impact on your life. Out of 2300+ songs on my computer, these are the ones that showed up. But the real impact is that our play lists DO say something about us. Want to know what you are feeding your soul with? Look at your playlist.

Music has the power to capture the heart as well as the mind. Lyrics put to music have a greater memory retention than just ordinary prose. Music has it's own wavelength (pardon the pun) on which to carry meaning.

Music is a tool just like any other: it can be used to worship God, build others up, and teach important lessons. It can also be used to exalt ourselves, hurt others, and corrupt our minds. What is your playlist doing?