" by the Gaither Vocal Band:Gun-ControL Laws Can Be Repealed, If Need Be
Thomas Sowell writes the following about Gun-Control Laws:
When you stop and think about it, there is no obvious reason why issues like gun control should be ideological issues in the first place. It is ultimately an empirical question whether allowing ordinary citizens to have firearms will increase or decrease the amount of violence.
...
If the end of gun control leads to a bloodbath of runaway shootings, then the Second Amendment can be repealed, just as other constitutional amendments have been repealed. Laws exist for people, not people for laws.
REALMnotes - Relationships and Dating (Week 1)
Here is the basis of the brief introductory talk I gave last week for our college ministry.
At the foundation of all of our relationships, we have to realize and recognize that everyone is made in the image of God (this concept is theologically referred to as the doctrine of “Imago Dei”). This is evident in Genesis 1:26-27.
Because of Genesis 1:31, we know that at the end of the day, God was pleased with what He had created. However, if we continue reading, we see in Genesis 2:18, God declares that it is not good for man to be alone. God is not bipolar or misleading when in chapter 1 He declares what he created good and then in chapter 2 he says “It is not good for man to be alone.” What we see here is God, in His infinite wisdom, declaring the importance of relationships in a person’s life before Adam knew he needed them.
God is a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He has always been a triune God and always will be. That means that within Himself, God the Father has always been in a perfect relationship with the Son and Holy Spirit. He was that way before He created anything in our universe and will remain that way long after He returns to Earth. Therefore, we should not be surprised by the fact that God understands the need for relationships in our lives and was determined to provide us with a means to experience a glimmer of what He Himself experiences.
The often-quoted-during-weddings verse of Genesis 2:24 tells us how God determined for our most intimate earthly relationship to be completely separate and unique from all of our other human relationships and that is lived out in a healthy marriage. However, before we can have a healthy marriage and before we can experience the sort of relationship that God calls most people to have in marriage, we have to sort through a bunch of misconceptions and lies we have been fed by Satan about every relationship we are a part of.
In our pursuit of a “significant other”, as well as any other relationship, we must always be mindful of the fact that God created us for His Glory. We were made to worship Him. We are commanded to love Him first and foremost above all else. It would be foolish to attempt to discuss relationships without first pointing out that the most important relationship we have in our lives is our relationship with God. Throughout the Bible we are reminded of this, time and time again. In Luke 10:27, Jesus summed up all of the commandments in the Old Testament by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. We are commanded to love God and then love other people. In doing so, we will be fulfilling our created purpose, while building and maintaining healthy relationships at every stage of our lives.
Over the course of the next two weeks we will be answering questions about relationships and dating. We will attempt to answer some pretty typical questions on the topic, while taking time to specifically answer the questions you have submitted in the previous weeks. There are some things that we will say that may not be popular and may go against the culture in which we live, but we believe them to be True as stated in God’s Holy Word. Some of what we share may be informed opinion, but our intent and desire is to base our answers on our understanding of the Bible and what it says about relationships and dating. As with any topic of potential division, we plead and pray for an extra amount of grace and mercy to be woven throughout our conversations on this important topic.
At the foundation of all of our relationships, we have to realize and recognize that everyone is made in the image of God (this concept is theologically referred to as the doctrine of “Imago Dei”). This is evident in Genesis 1:26-27.
Because of Genesis 1:31, we know that at the end of the day, God was pleased with what He had created. However, if we continue reading, we see in Genesis 2:18, God declares that it is not good for man to be alone. God is not bipolar or misleading when in chapter 1 He declares what he created good and then in chapter 2 he says “It is not good for man to be alone.” What we see here is God, in His infinite wisdom, declaring the importance of relationships in a person’s life before Adam knew he needed them.
God is a triune God: Father, Son and Holy Spirit. He has always been a triune God and always will be. That means that within Himself, God the Father has always been in a perfect relationship with the Son and Holy Spirit. He was that way before He created anything in our universe and will remain that way long after He returns to Earth. Therefore, we should not be surprised by the fact that God understands the need for relationships in our lives and was determined to provide us with a means to experience a glimmer of what He Himself experiences.
The often-quoted-during-weddings verse of Genesis 2:24 tells us how God determined for our most intimate earthly relationship to be completely separate and unique from all of our other human relationships and that is lived out in a healthy marriage. However, before we can have a healthy marriage and before we can experience the sort of relationship that God calls most people to have in marriage, we have to sort through a bunch of misconceptions and lies we have been fed by Satan about every relationship we are a part of.
In our pursuit of a “significant other”, as well as any other relationship, we must always be mindful of the fact that God created us for His Glory. We were made to worship Him. We are commanded to love Him first and foremost above all else. It would be foolish to attempt to discuss relationships without first pointing out that the most important relationship we have in our lives is our relationship with God. Throughout the Bible we are reminded of this, time and time again. In Luke 10:27, Jesus summed up all of the commandments in the Old Testament by quoting Deuteronomy 6:5 and Leviticus 19:18. We are commanded to love God and then love other people. In doing so, we will be fulfilling our created purpose, while building and maintaining healthy relationships at every stage of our lives.
Over the course of the next two weeks we will be answering questions about relationships and dating. We will attempt to answer some pretty typical questions on the topic, while taking time to specifically answer the questions you have submitted in the previous weeks. There are some things that we will say that may not be popular and may go against the culture in which we live, but we believe them to be True as stated in God’s Holy Word. Some of what we share may be informed opinion, but our intent and desire is to base our answers on our understanding of the Bible and what it says about relationships and dating. As with any topic of potential division, we plead and pray for an extra amount of grace and mercy to be woven throughout our conversations on this important topic.
Large Bureaucracy Leads to Democracy's Demise
"Least of all shall we preserve democracy or foster its growth if all the power and most of the important decisions rest with an organization far too big for the common man to survey or comprehend. Nowhere has democracy ever worked so well without a great measure of local self-government, providing a school of political training for the people at large as much as for their future leaders. It is only where responsibility can be learned and practiced in affairs of one's neighbor rather than some theoretical knowledge of the needs of other people which guides action, that the ordinary man can take a real part in public affairs because they concern the world he knows.Where the scope of political measures become so large that the necessary knowledge is almost exclusively possessed by the bureaucracy, the creative impulses of the private person must flag."
- p. 257-258 The Road to Serfdomby F.A. Hayek
Large-scale Economic Planning Leads to Using Force
"To imagine that the economic life of a vast area comprising many different people can be directed or planned by democratic procedure betrays a complete lack of awareness of the problems such planning would raise...To undertake the direction of the economic life of people with widely divergent ideals and values is to assume responsibilities which commit one to the use of force; it is to assume a position where the best intentions cannot prevent one from being forced to act in a way whih to some of those affected must appear highly immoral."
- p. 244-245 The Road to Serfdom
When Democracies Have Nothing to Offer
"If the democracies themselves abandon the supreme ideal of the freedom and happiness of the individual, if they implicitly admit that their civilization is not worth preserving, and they know nothing better than to follow the path along which the Germans have led, they have indeed nothing to offer."
- p. 238 The Road to Serfdom
Minority Led Policy Leads to Destruction
"It is one of the saddest spectacles of our time to see a great democratic movement support a policy which must lead to the destruction of democracy and which meanwhile can benefit only a minority of the masses who support it."
- p. 218 The Road to Serfdom
A "Wicked" Night
Well, over a month ago, my wife bought tickets for us to see "Wicked" as a birthday/Father's Day present. I have been listening to, and enjoying, the music from the musical for several years now and it has come to the Fox Theatre in St. Louis several times since I first heard it, but the timing was never right for me to see it. Having memorized most of the music, as well as having read the book years ago, I was really looking forward to experiencing the entire musical story for the first time and was pretty sure Lisa would also like it as well.
We left the house two and a half hours early, so we could grab a bite to eat and then be in our seats with plenty of time to spare. Since we had eaten a late lunch and weren't really hungry, we decided to swing by Lowes and look at some things that we hadn't been able to do with Lydia in tow. A half hour later, we left armed with some good information and an idea about what we wanted to do on an upcoming house project. With plenty of time to spare, we stopped at a Home Depot on the way to check their selection/prices. As I turned off the car, Lisa noticed some steam coming out from under the hood.
I popped the hood and saw that the steam was coming from a radiator hose on top. We then went into the store to cool off and browse a bit. Fifteen minutes later we were back in the car and it started fine and there was no engine temperature trouble of warning lights. So off we went. About a mile down the highway the temperature jumped and I took the next exit. With steam pouring out from under the hood, I eased the car into a gas station and parked in some shade. The radiator coolant container was completely empty, which would explain why we overheated. Lisa went into the station and the attendant gave us a bucket of water. I promptly filled the reservoir and let it sit for a few minutes.
1 hour to Showtime
We made the decision to return home and swap out the cars. The timing would be tight, but we might get to the theatre in time for the start of the show. We made it less than 5 miles and the engine temperature shot up again and the check oil light came on. I pulled off into another gas station and this time both Lisa and I went in. She headed toward the Diet Coke fountain and I grabbed some coolant and oil. As we were checking out, the cashier lady said "Happy early Father's day" to me. Lisa explained that we had a little one already at home with one on the way. The cashier then said something about it being too hot outside for Lisa to be pregnant. Lisa explained what our situation was and that we were trying to get to this show. The cashier finished the transaction and said 'You guys are way calmer than I would be." I filled up the reservoir again, added a quart of oil and off we went in our hot car.
20 minutes to Showtime
We called my father and asked him to bring us the other car and meet us at a midway point. After less than 3 miles, it became clear that we were not going to make it to that midway point without another stop. I pulled into an old abandoned gas station and filled the reservoir once again. This time the car would not restart. I tried a couple of times before calling dad to have him come to our current location. As soon as I was off the phone with dad, I called our car insurance towing service and began setting up the arrangements to have the vehicle towed to our usual service garage. Dad showed up before I was off the call and we were on our way home.
Showtime
We pulled into the driveway right about the time the curtain was going up at the Fox Theatre. We both ran in real quick to use the restroom and then we were back out the door and on our way to the show. At this point, we figured we were going to be at least 45 minutes late, but we were “determined to succeed” and were also pretty certain that there was no way we could exchange the tickets for another show. Throughout the drive, Lisa tried several different numbers to see if we could speak to someone about the possibility of exchanging the tickets, but could never get anyone on the phone.
I was trying to figure out what we might be missing, so I could maybe explain it to Lisa before we got to the theatre. Without knowing what dialogue or scenes took place in between the songs I knew, I was guessing that we might miss 5 or 6 songs. I thought that we might miss through “Dancing Through Life
”, whose lyrics were at this point reverberating in my head: “Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing, when you're dancing through life...” For some reason, I was flipping the song order around in my head, and was certain we would have missed “Popular
” by the time we entered the building.
Being as late as we were, there was no traffic on the road to the theatre. We followed some parking lot signs and ended up on the street that runs alongside of the Fox Theatre. The lot was full and the only sign we saw was a lot for Handicapped parking. I pulled the car into the lot and the young attendant walked over with a quizzical look on his face. I asked him if we could park in the lot or if he knew where there was another available lot. He hesitated and turned around to ask the older attendant if we could park there. After a few moments of thought, the older man said “Yeah. Park them in #3.” So we pulled right into that slot that is reserved for Fox Club patrons only, did not have to pay for parking and hurried inside.
45 minutes after Showtime
We hustled through the lobby, without glancing twice at the merchandise for sale. Immediately, our heard “Dancing Through Life” just starting to play and was thrilled to have made it to hear the song. We made our way up several flights of stairs and had a kind gentlemen point us in the right direction. After the handoff, a nice lady usher led us into the dark theatre where we quickly took our seats. Since they were in the second row on the aisle, we did not have to disturb anyone around us or inhibit anyone else’s view of the performance while getting to our proper seats. I sat down in my seat and was pleasantly surprised a few minutes later that we hadn’t missed “Popular”.
I cannot tell you how the “Wicked” performance begins. I cannot tell you how the first few songs song live. I cannot speak to certain scenes and dialogue. What I can tell you is that at the moment I sat down, I was the sweatiest, most out of breath, latest arrival who was absolutely thrilled to be there.
God provided us with family to help watch Lydia, family to help us with our car issues, insurance to deal with the car issues, a free parking spot that we should never have been allowed to park in, helpful attendants to get us to our seats quickly and the opportunity to be entertained by some very remarkable performers. I’m thankful that He granted me patience and the ability to remain calm through what was a pretty frustrating and stressful couple of hours and that He allowed me to marry someone who understands me (probably better than I do).
A Review of “Wicked”
The remainder of the night was all that I had hoped and I was incredibly pleased with all of the performances. The set of “Wicked” is not nearly as elaborate as “Phantom of the Opera”, but it is functional and does not detract from the story or music. The characters are introduced and developed in a very natural way, with numerous one liners thrown in that tie the story of “Wicked” directly to “The Wizard of Oz”. As Lisa stated to me after the fact, they do a good job of having Dorothy be a part of the story, without allowing her be a part of the scenery. I agree with my wife that not showing Dorothy allows the story of “Wicked” to stand on its own merits and not cause the audience to be distracted by the farm girl.
The music was perfectly played, with no noticeable mistakes. The vocalists nailed their notes and, for the most part, their diction allowed the hearer to understand without difficulty the message. There were a few moments where a microphone seemed to have a little trouble picking up a line clearly, but for the most part the sound was well-managed. Although I felt that there were times in the duets where one voice seemed to be lost in the other, making it hard to hear the harmonies clearly, I cannot hold this against the sound engineer, as in live theatre so much is left in the hands of the vocalists.
I do not have a broad experience with Broadway productions of musicals. It may be more than most, but it is not very diverse or artsy in nature. I prefer the mainstream musicals that have proven incredibly popular over time. I would place “Wicked” in the top tier of productions I have seen and would not have any hesitation in recommending it to any adult. I think “Wicked” tells an intriguing story, using interesting characters that perform some really amazing songs.
I am pretty sure I will see it again, although perhaps next time I could do it without all of the drama on the way to the theatre.
We left the house two and a half hours early, so we could grab a bite to eat and then be in our seats with plenty of time to spare. Since we had eaten a late lunch and weren't really hungry, we decided to swing by Lowes and look at some things that we hadn't been able to do with Lydia in tow. A half hour later, we left armed with some good information and an idea about what we wanted to do on an upcoming house project. With plenty of time to spare, we stopped at a Home Depot on the way to check their selection/prices. As I turned off the car, Lisa noticed some steam coming out from under the hood.
I popped the hood and saw that the steam was coming from a radiator hose on top. We then went into the store to cool off and browse a bit. Fifteen minutes later we were back in the car and it started fine and there was no engine temperature trouble of warning lights. So off we went. About a mile down the highway the temperature jumped and I took the next exit. With steam pouring out from under the hood, I eased the car into a gas station and parked in some shade. The radiator coolant container was completely empty, which would explain why we overheated. Lisa went into the station and the attendant gave us a bucket of water. I promptly filled the reservoir and let it sit for a few minutes.
1 hour to Showtime
We made the decision to return home and swap out the cars. The timing would be tight, but we might get to the theatre in time for the start of the show. We made it less than 5 miles and the engine temperature shot up again and the check oil light came on. I pulled off into another gas station and this time both Lisa and I went in. She headed toward the Diet Coke fountain and I grabbed some coolant and oil. As we were checking out, the cashier lady said "Happy early Father's day" to me. Lisa explained that we had a little one already at home with one on the way. The cashier then said something about it being too hot outside for Lisa to be pregnant. Lisa explained what our situation was and that we were trying to get to this show. The cashier finished the transaction and said 'You guys are way calmer than I would be." I filled up the reservoir again, added a quart of oil and off we went in our hot car.
20 minutes to Showtime
We called my father and asked him to bring us the other car and meet us at a midway point. After less than 3 miles, it became clear that we were not going to make it to that midway point without another stop. I pulled into an old abandoned gas station and filled the reservoir once again. This time the car would not restart. I tried a couple of times before calling dad to have him come to our current location. As soon as I was off the phone with dad, I called our car insurance towing service and began setting up the arrangements to have the vehicle towed to our usual service garage. Dad showed up before I was off the call and we were on our way home.
Showtime
We pulled into the driveway right about the time the curtain was going up at the Fox Theatre. We both ran in real quick to use the restroom and then we were back out the door and on our way to the show. At this point, we figured we were going to be at least 45 minutes late, but we were “determined to succeed” and were also pretty certain that there was no way we could exchange the tickets for another show. Throughout the drive, Lisa tried several different numbers to see if we could speak to someone about the possibility of exchanging the tickets, but could never get anyone on the phone.
I was trying to figure out what we might be missing, so I could maybe explain it to Lisa before we got to the theatre. Without knowing what dialogue or scenes took place in between the songs I knew, I was guessing that we might miss 5 or 6 songs. I thought that we might miss through “Dancing Through Life
”, whose lyrics were at this point reverberating in my head: “Woes are fleeting, blows are glancing, when you're dancing through life...” For some reason, I was flipping the song order around in my head, and was certain we would have missed “Popular” by the time we entered the building. Being as late as we were, there was no traffic on the road to the theatre. We followed some parking lot signs and ended up on the street that runs alongside of the Fox Theatre. The lot was full and the only sign we saw was a lot for Handicapped parking. I pulled the car into the lot and the young attendant walked over with a quizzical look on his face. I asked him if we could park in the lot or if he knew where there was another available lot. He hesitated and turned around to ask the older attendant if we could park there. After a few moments of thought, the older man said “Yeah. Park them in #3.” So we pulled right into that slot that is reserved for Fox Club patrons only, did not have to pay for parking and hurried inside.
45 minutes after Showtime
We hustled through the lobby, without glancing twice at the merchandise for sale. Immediately, our heard “Dancing Through Life” just starting to play and was thrilled to have made it to hear the song. We made our way up several flights of stairs and had a kind gentlemen point us in the right direction. After the handoff, a nice lady usher led us into the dark theatre where we quickly took our seats. Since they were in the second row on the aisle, we did not have to disturb anyone around us or inhibit anyone else’s view of the performance while getting to our proper seats. I sat down in my seat and was pleasantly surprised a few minutes later that we hadn’t missed “Popular”.
I cannot tell you how the “Wicked” performance begins. I cannot tell you how the first few songs song live. I cannot speak to certain scenes and dialogue. What I can tell you is that at the moment I sat down, I was the sweatiest, most out of breath, latest arrival who was absolutely thrilled to be there.
God provided us with family to help watch Lydia, family to help us with our car issues, insurance to deal with the car issues, a free parking spot that we should never have been allowed to park in, helpful attendants to get us to our seats quickly and the opportunity to be entertained by some very remarkable performers. I’m thankful that He granted me patience and the ability to remain calm through what was a pretty frustrating and stressful couple of hours and that He allowed me to marry someone who understands me (probably better than I do).
A Review of “Wicked”
The music was perfectly played, with no noticeable mistakes. The vocalists nailed their notes and, for the most part, their diction allowed the hearer to understand without difficulty the message. There were a few moments where a microphone seemed to have a little trouble picking up a line clearly, but for the most part the sound was well-managed. Although I felt that there were times in the duets where one voice seemed to be lost in the other, making it hard to hear the harmonies clearly, I cannot hold this against the sound engineer, as in live theatre so much is left in the hands of the vocalists.
I do not have a broad experience with Broadway productions of musicals. It may be more than most, but it is not very diverse or artsy in nature. I prefer the mainstream musicals that have proven incredibly popular over time. I would place “Wicked” in the top tier of productions I have seen and would not have any hesitation in recommending it to any adult. I think “Wicked” tells an intriguing story, using interesting characters that perform some really amazing songs.
I am pretty sure I will see it again, although perhaps next time I could do it without all of the drama on the way to the theatre.
Authority Presented As "Organization"
"When authority presents itself in the guise of organization, it develops charms fascinating enough to convert communities of free people into totalitarian States."- "The Times" (London)
- p. 199 The Road to Serfdom
Father's Day 2010
I am blessed by God to be the father of two children, one of whom I have watched grow into a beautiful little girl and one whom I have only seen in ultrasound images and am looking forward to meeting in a few months.
I am blessed to have a God-fearing father that loved spending time with me as I grew up and took the time to be my dad, all while being that to my 8 sisters as well.
Happy father's Day!
This song/video is perfect for today:
Video created by Trevor Little
Song: "Family Man
" by Andrew Peterson
I am blessed to have a God-fearing father that loved spending time with me as I grew up and took the time to be my dad, all while being that to my 8 sisters as well.
Happy father's Day!
This song/video is perfect for today:
Video created by Trevor Little
Song: "Family Man
" by Andrew Peterson
Collectivists Must Be Unbound By Morals
"The principal that the end justifies the means in individual ethics is regarded as the denial of all morals. In collectivist ethics it becomes necessarily the supreme rule; there is literally nothing which the consistent collectivitist must not be prepared to do if it serves "the good of the whole," because "the good of the whole" is to him the only criterion of what ought to be done..."
"There can be no limit to what its citizen must be prepared to do, no act which his conscience must prevent him from committing, if it is necessary for an end which the community has set iself or which his superiors order him to achieve."
- pp. 161-162 The Road to Serfdom
One Inherent Contradition of Socialism
"But what socialists seriously contemplate the equal division of existing capital resources among the people of the world? They all regard the captial as belonging not to humanity but to the nation - though even within nation few would dare to advocate that the richer regions should be deprived of some of "their" capital equipment in order to help the poorer regions. What socialists proclaim as a duty toward the fellow-members of the existing states they are not prepared to grant to the foreigner..."
"One of the inherent contradictions of the collectivist philosophy is that, while basing itself on the humanistic morals which individualism has developed, it is practicable only within a relatively small group. That socialism so long as it remains theoretical is internationalist, while as soon as it is put into practice, whether in Russia or in Germany, it becomes violently nationalistic, is one of the reasons why "liberal socialism" as most people in the Western world imagine it is purely theoretical, while the practice of socialism everywhere if totalitarian. Collectivism has no room for the wide humanitrianism of liberalism but only for the narrow particularism of of the totalitarian."
- pp. 155-156 The Road to Serfdom
Poetry in Motion
I had a skateboard growing up, but could never do anything but stay upright on it. Of course, I never practiced or attempted much of anything other than that, so it is only natural that I wouldn't be able to ollie, let alone pull off anything resembling any of these tricks.
These two are for Mike, Brody and Bryson - all of whom are much more worthy of owning a skateboard than I ever was or will be.
(HT: Abraham Piper)
These two are for Mike, Brody and Bryson - all of whom are much more worthy of owning a skateboard than I ever was or will be.
(HT: Abraham Piper)
The Creation of a Totalitarian Regime
"We must here return for a moment to the position which precedes the suppression of democratic institutions and the creation of a totalitarian regime. In this stage it is the general demand for quick and determined government action that is the dominating element of the situation, dissatisfaction with the slow and cumbersome course of democratic procedure which takes action for action's sake the goal. It is then the man or the party who seems strong or resolute enough "to get things done" who exercises the greatest appeal. "Strong" in this sense means not merely a numerical majority - it is the ineffectiveness of parliamentary majorities with which people are dissatisfied. What they will seek is somebody with such solid support as to inspire confidence that he can carry out whatever he wants. It is here that the new party, organized on military lines, comes in."
- p. 150 The Road to Serfdom
The Church - TuesdayTunes
This is not the original version, which I cannot find anywhere online, but it is not bad either.
Lyrics for "The Church
" by Derek Webb (song background):
I have come with one purpose
To capture for myself a bride
By my life she is lovely
By my death she's justified
I have always been her husband
Though many lovers she has known
So with water I will wash her
And by my word alone
So when you hear the sound of the water
You will know you're not alone
'cause I haven't come for only you
But for my people to pursue
You cannot care for me with no regard for her
If you love me you will love the church
I have long pursued her
As a harlot and a whore
But she will feast upon me
She will drink and thirst no more
So when you taste my flesh and my blood
You will know you're not alone
There is none that can replace her
Though there are many who will try
And though some may be her bridesmaids
They can never be my bride
Lyrics for "The Church
" by Derek Webb (song background):I have come with one purpose
To capture for myself a bride
By my life she is lovely
By my death she's justified
I have always been her husband
Though many lovers she has known
So with water I will wash her
And by my word alone
So when you hear the sound of the water
You will know you're not alone
'cause I haven't come for only you
But for my people to pursue
You cannot care for me with no regard for her
If you love me you will love the church
I have long pursued her
As a harlot and a whore
But she will feast upon me
She will drink and thirst no more
So when you taste my flesh and my blood
You will know you're not alone
There is none that can replace her
Though there are many who will try
And though some may be her bridesmaids
They can never be my bride
Unrestricted Government Leads to Democratic Destruction
"Democratic government has worked successfully where, and so long as, the functions of the government were, by a widely accepted creed, restricted to fields where agreement among a majority could be achieved by free discussion; and it is the great merit of the liberal creed that it reduced the range of subjects on which agreement was necessary to one on which was likely to exist in a society of free men. It is now often said that democracy will not tolerate "capitalism". If "capitalism" means here a competitive system based on free disposal over private property, it is far more important to realize that only within this system is democracy possible. When it becomes dominated by a collectivist creed, democracy will inevitably destroy itself."
- pp. 77-78 The Road to Serfdom
Playing at the Pool
Lisa, Lydia and I went to the McNair Park pool for the first time today. We spent a little over an hour there, with the majority of the time dedicated to climbing the steps to and sliding down the big slide. After going down a couple of times with each of us, Lydia proceeded to going down on her own. She would smile and laugh the whole way down and didn't mind the few times she rolled over onto her belly.
It was really fulfilling to see, and hear, her having so much fun. It is one of those times where you know you have shown your child something new and exciting and they are thrilled with it. It is heart-warming and makes you feel incredibly blessed as a parent. I am sure this will become a fairly regular activity for our family over the coming months and years.
It was really fulfilling to see, and hear, her having so much fun. It is one of those times where you know you have shown your child something new and exciting and they are thrilled with it. It is heart-warming and makes you feel incredibly blessed as a parent. I am sure this will become a fairly regular activity for our family over the coming months and years.
Planning and Competiton
“Both competition and central direction become poor and inefficient tools if they are incomplete; they are alternative principles used to solve the same problem, and a mixture of the two means that neither will really work and that the result will be worse than if either system had been consistently relied upon. Or, to express it differently, planning and competition can be combined only by planning for competition but not by planning against competition."
- p.48 The Road to Serfdom
Drink This or Eat That
#3: Worst Drive-Thru Shake
McDonald’s Triple Thick Chocolate Shake (large, 32 fl oz)
1,160 calories
27 g fat (16 g saturated, 2 g trans)
168 g sugars
Sugar Equivalent: 13 McDonald’s Baked Hot Apple Pies
There are very few milk shakes in America worthy of your hard-earned calories, but few will punish you as thoroughly as this Mickey D’s drive-thru disaster. Not only does it have more than half your day’s caloric and saturated fat allotment and more sugar than you’d find in Willy Wonka’s candy lab, but Ronald even finds a way to sneak in a full day of cholesterol-spiking trans fat. The scariest part about this drink is that it’s most likely America’s most popular milk shake.
(HT: World of Mysteries)
Socialism Destroys Freedom
“While to many who have watched the transition from socialism to fascism at close quarters the connection between the two systems has become increasingly obvious, in the democracies the majority of the people still believe that socialism and freedom can be combined. There can be no doubt that most socialists here still believe profoundly in the liberal ideal of freedom and that they would recoil if they became convinced that the realization of their program would mean the destruction of freedom."
...
"That democratic socialism, the great utopia of the last few generations, is not only unachievable, but that to strive for it produces something so utterly different that few of those who now wish it would be prepared to accept the consequences, many will not believe until the connection has been laid bare in all its aspects."
- p.35-36 The Road to Serfdom
Impatience
God has been impressing on me lately that I am incredibly impatient.
In the past week there have been numerous times that I have become keenly aware of that impatience and have been reminded of the fact that God is still patient with me, after all that I have said and done.
This post from Jon Acuff struck home today. This pretty much sums up where I am at right now:
This song is stuck in my head:
"Patience (Herbert the Snail)" - Music Machine
(Wiki)
In the past week there have been numerous times that I have become keenly aware of that impatience and have been reminded of the fact that God is still patient with me, after all that I have said and done.
This post from Jon Acuff struck home today. This pretty much sums up where I am at right now:
"Have you ever felt that way? That maybe God is not aware that the reason your friends appear to be lapping you in life is that he’s driving very, very slowly? Has there ever been something that made you feel wildly alive but you’re stuck sitting in a cubicle that is so close to the break room that at the end of the day you smell like whatever people heated up? Have you ever wanted to punch the guy who burned the popcorn in the face and take the gas pedal back? (Seriously, we’ve been microwaving popcorn since 1983, how are people still burning it?)And his conclusion is the challenge that I am facing:
It’s possible you’re not impatient like me, having prayed to receive patience, which is the most dangerous thing you can ask for. But if you are, if you’ve ever felt that way, there’s hope for us all."
"Today, I’m going to give God the steering wheel and the gas pedal. Today I’m not going to lean over the seat and try to force the car faster."Lord have mercy. And take the wheel and the gas pedal.
This song is stuck in my head:
"Patience (Herbert the Snail)" - Music Machine
(Wiki)
Democracy Versus Socialism
"Democracy extends the sphere of individual freedom; socialism restricts it. Democracy attaches a possible value to each man; socialism makes each man a mere agent, a mere number. Democracy and socialism have nothing in common but one word: equality. But notice the difference: while democracy seeks equality in liberty, socialism seeks equality in restraint and servitude." – Alexis de Tocqueville
- p.29 The Road to Serfdom
Socialism Means Slavery
"We have progressively abandoned that freedom in economic affairs without which personal and political freedom has never existed in the past. Although we had been warned by some of the greatest political thinkers of the nineteenth century, by De Tocqueville and Lord Acton, that socialism means slavery, we have steadily moved in the direction of socialism."
- p.16 The Road to Serfdom
Everything He Needs
"Whether Barack Obama is simply incompetent as President or has some hidden agenda to undermine this country, at home and abroad, he has nearly everything he needs to ruin America, including a fool for a Vice President." - Thomas Sowell
My Hope Is You - TuesdayTunes
Lyrics for "My Hope Is You
" by Third Day:To you, O Lord, I lift my soul
In you, O God, I place my trust
Do not let me be put to shame
Nor let my enemies triumph over me
My hope is in you
Show me your ways
Guide me in Truth
In all my days
My hope is in you
I am, O Lord, filled with your love
You are, O God, my salvation
Guard my life and rescue me
My broken spirit shouts
My mended heart cries out...
Prediction of the 2011 Economy
Arthur Laffer attempts to see into the economic future of the United States of America in this Wall Street Journal article:
I'm sure that by this time next year, we will be able to see if Mr. Laffer's predictions have proven correct. It's hard for me not to think it is not only plausible but likely.
(HT: Justin Taylor)
On or about Jan. 1, 2011, federal, state and local tax rates are scheduled to rise quite sharply. President George W. Bush's tax cuts expire on that date, meaning that the highest federal personal income tax rate will go 39.6% from 35%, the highest federal dividend tax rate pops up to 39.6% from 15%, the capital gains tax rate to 20% from 15%, and the estate tax rate to 55% from zero. Lots and lots of other changes will also occur as a result of the sunset provision in the Bush tax cuts.And his conclusion:
Tax rates have been and will be raised on income earned from off-shore investments. Payroll taxes are already scheduled to rise in 2013 and the Alternative Minimum Tax (AMT) will be digging deeper and deeper into middle-income taxpayers. And there's always the celebrated tax increase on Cadillac health care plans. State and local tax rates are also going up in 2011 as they did in 2010. Tax rate increases next year are everywhere.
The result will be a crash in tax receipts once the surge is past. If you thought deficits and unemployment have been bad lately, you ain't seen nothing yet.
I'm sure that by this time next year, we will be able to see if Mr. Laffer's predictions have proven correct. It's hard for me not to think it is not only plausible but likely.
(HT: Justin Taylor)
Where Will This Movement Lead Us?
"The main question is where this movement will lead us. Is it not possible that if the people whose convictions now give it an irresistible momentum began to see what only few apprehend, they would recoil in horror and abandon the quest which for half a century has engaged so many people of good will? Where these common beliefs of our generation will lead us is a problem not for one party but for every one of us - a problem of the most momentous significance. Is there a greater tragedy imaginable than that, in our endeavor consciously to shape our future in accordance with high ideals, we should in fact unwittingly produce the very opposite of what we have been striving for?"
- p.7 The Road to Serfdom
What is Public Service?
Thomas Sowell writes to college students who want to change the world and tells them what real public service looks like:
You want to see more people have better housing? Build it! Become a builder or developer -- if you can stand the sneers and disdain of your classmates and professors who regard the very words as repulsive.
Would you like to see more things become more affordable to more people? Then figure out more efficient ways of producing things or more efficient ways of getting those things from the producers to the consumers at a lower cost.
...
Those who have helped the poor the most have not been those who have gone around loudly expressing "compassion" for the poor, but those who found ways to make industry more productive and distribution more efficient, so that the poor of today can afford things that the affluent of yesterday could only dream about.
An Emotional Hell
"I was shocked the other day to read at the current rate, one in three American women will have at least one abortion by the time they reach age 45. Interestingly, 78% of these women report having a religious affiliation.(HT: Pete Wilson)
Anyway you spin the stats here’s the reality, our churches are full of women who are carrying a tremendous amount of guilt regarding an abortion they’ve had."
Warning! Economics Ahead!
As stated previously, my interest in economics has been aroused and I wanted to capitalize on that interest (pun) by reading a little on the subject. After reading several articles and listening to and watching several speeches and interviews, I found that I preferred the views of Frederich Hayek over those of John Maynard Keynes. However, other than the random quote here and there by one of the two, I had never truly read anything written by either of them. So, in pursuit of learning more of what the man I was agreeing with had actually written and said, I have spent the better part of the last month slowly working my way through "The Road to Serfdom
" by F.A. Hayek.
Without having read anything by Keynes, it is fairly safe for me to say that I agree with Hayek on his views of socialism, totalitarianism, collectivism and progressivism, as well as those on economics. Over the next 3 weeks, I will be presenting one quote every weekday from the book that I found interesting, intriguing or thought-provoking. I have not provided any commentary along with the quote so that the reader might digest the thought without any bias from me getting in the way. You will be able to find the entire collection here (Hayek quotes) after they have been posted.
Also, I found this video entertaining and informative and thought you might as well:
" by F.A. Hayek. Without having read anything by Keynes, it is fairly safe for me to say that I agree with Hayek on his views of socialism, totalitarianism, collectivism and progressivism, as well as those on economics. Over the next 3 weeks, I will be presenting one quote every weekday from the book that I found interesting, intriguing or thought-provoking. I have not provided any commentary along with the quote so that the reader might digest the thought without any bias from me getting in the way. You will be able to find the entire collection here (Hayek quotes) after they have been posted.
Also, I found this video entertaining and informative and thought you might as well:
Beautiful Lord - TuesdayTunes
Lyrics for "Beautiful Lord
" by Leeland:When the storm is raging all around me
You are the peace that calms
My troubled sea
And when the cares of this world
Darken my day
You are the light that shines
And shows me the way
Oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me!
Beautiful Lord
Awesome and mighty
I'm captured by this love I see
Beautiful Lord
Tender and holy
Your mercy brings me to my knees
It's Your mercy that has made me free
Beautiful Lord
When my sin is all that I can see
Your grace remains the shelter that I seek
And when my weakness is all I can give
Your gentle Spirit gives me strength again
And oh, the beauty of Your majesty
On the cross You showed Your love for me
And I am lifted by Your love to sing!
It's Your mercy that has made me free!
You're beautiful, my Lord
You're beautiful, my Lord
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)