soberside

2007-07-30T19:53:00.001-07:00

2007-07-29T23:33:00.000-07:00

"Everywhere I go I'm asked if I think universities stifle writers. I think they don't stifle enought of them. The kind of writing that can be taught is the kind you then have to teach people not to read."

-Flannery O'Connor

Meanwhile, in Guinea

2007-07-22T23:36:00.000-07:00

students flood to the airport, the only place that has light to study by after dark

(from USAToday)

2007-07-10T22:35:00.001-07:00

"It's a bit patronizing for us 21-year-olds to try to start to change the world. Especially when we're using enough power for 10 houses just for lighting. It'd be a bit hypocritical."

- Arctic Monkeys drummer Matt Helders

The Danger of Never Maturing:

2007-06-07T00:45:00.001-07:00

"The truly dangerous period in life is the time when the child has learned the limits of his parents' control, and how to circumvent their control, but has not yet understood or accepted the underlying reasons for doing and not doing things."

- Thomas Sowell

C&F on the spot again.

2007-04-09T19:05:00.001-07:00

Cox & Forkum Cartoon:

2007-04-02T19:17:00.001-07:00

2007-02-15T18:17:00.000-08:00

"The political left's favorite argument is that there is no argument."
-Thomas Sowell

2007-01-24T18:03:00.000-08:00

"Everyone is ignorant, only on different subjects"
-Will Rogers

2006-12-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

From a speech by U.N. Ambassador Jeanne Kirkpatrick (1926-2006) at the August 20, 1984, Republican Convention

They said that saving Grenada from terror and totalitarianism was the wrong thing to do - they didn't blame Cuba or the communists for threatening American students and murdering Grenadians - they blamed the United States instead.

But then, somehow, they always blame America first.

When our Marines, sent to Lebanon on a multinational peacekeeping mission with the consent of the United States Congress, were murdered in their sleep, the "blame America first crowd" didn't blame the terrorists who murdered the Marines, they blamed the United States.

But then, they always blame America first.

When the Soviet Union walked out of arms control negotiations, and refused even to discuss the issues, the San Francisco Democrats didn't blame Soviet intransigence. They blamed the United States.

But then, they always blame America first.

When Marxist dictators shoot their way to power in Central America, the San Francisco Democrats don't blame the guerrillas and their Soviet allies, they blame United States policies of 100 years ago.

But then, they always blame America first.

The American people know better.

2006-11-29T13:06:00.000-08:00

Really.

2006-09-20T20:03:00.000-07:00

Muslims burn Pope Benedict in effigy to protest his calling them violent. Huh.

John Stossel Column

2006-08-15T21:54:00.000-07:00

I really like John Stossel - I can't even phathom why they let him host 20/20 (I would think they'd have run him out of town years ago). He also writes columns regularly for Townhall.com and I'd like to share his latest with you here. It's a 3 minute read and pretty representative of his normal column. Enjoy.

Bad Sign for the Next Generation

2006-08-14T23:00:00.000-07:00

Maybe the US could use a flag update. Using the Hezbollah flag below as inspiration, maybe we could redesign our flag a little to better communicate "USA will be the victor" vibe. I don't know... maybe Uncle Sam popping out of the field of blue stars clutching an M-16. Just an idea.

Nothing New?

2006-07-05T21:42:00.000-07:00

Funny.

2006-06-19T14:58:00.000-07:00

"In declaring his love for a beaver dam (erected by beavers for beavers' purposes) and his hatred for dams erected by men (for the purposes of men) the 'Naturist' reveals his hatred for his own race - i.e., his own self-hatred."

-Robert A. Heinlein

2006-06-12T22:00:00.000-07:00

"At least half of the popular fallacies about economics come from assuming that economic activity is a zero-sum game, in which what is gained by someone is lost by someone else. But transactions would not continue unless both sides gained, whether in international trade, employment, or renting an apartment."

-Thomas Sowell

Vision

2006-06-03T15:16:00.000-07:00

It occurs to me that a great many churches in America, even evangelical churches, could have this simple vision statement: "We Exist"

The Mother of a Thousand Blessings

2006-04-27T21:56:00.000-07:00

"The potency of prayer hath subdued the strength of fire, it hath bridled the rage of lions, hushed anarchy to rest; extinguished wars, appeased the elements, expelled demons, burst the chains of death, expanded the gates of heaven, assuaged diseases, repelled frauds, rescued citied from destruction, stayed the sun in its course, and arrested the progress of the thunderbolt. Prayer is an all-sufficient panoply, a treasure undiminished, a mine which is never exhausted, a sky unobscured by the clouds, a heaven unruffled by the storm. It is the root, the fountain, the mother of a thousand blessings."

-John Chrysostom

Banging Drum #1 - Meltdown

2006-04-16T20:53:00.000-07:00

I've long held to the "banging drum" theory - that if you hear something enough times (like a banging drum) it gets to you, and you believe it with or without it's own merits. I believe that some people, like the media, use the banging drum to get us to believe something that advances their ideals. I don't even think they always do it intentionally, but it's there. Take global warming - over the last few years we've been pounded over the head with the "fact" that our children will be up to their ankles in glacial melt-off and any "so-called" scientist to questions this must be a whore to the fossil fuel industry.

George Will's recent column in the Washington Post referred to the glut of articles with titles like this one from Time on Aug. 27, 1974: "'Warning: Earth's Climate is Changing Faster Than Even Experts Expect'". Something we might expect to see today - 30 years later - except this article refers to the ever impending catastrophe of global cooling. We were all headed for the next Ice Age and couldn't do much about it. Now everyone is convinced the whole planet is going the way of a Spinal Tap drummer any day now. The moral: I'm not buying it.
Read it here.

2006-03-20T21:42:00.000-08:00

"Brother, you can believe in stones, as long as you don't throw them at me."

Wafa Sultan, an Arab-American Psychologist, in an interview with Al-Jazeera TV on February 21

the Pearl

2006-03-20T21:30:00.000-08:00

Sometimes I feel like a merchant of fine pearls, who upon finding one pearl of great value, sold everything he had, and bought it... and has been trying to slowly reacquire everything he sold ever since.

Meanwhile, In Paris

2006-03-18T19:11:00.000-08:00

Yahoo! News: French Police Subdue Riots Over Jobs Law

2006-03-10T19:28:00.000-08:00

He is not silent. The reason we have the answer is because the infinite-personal God, the full Trinitarian God, has not been silent. He has told us who He is. Couch your concept of inspiration and revelation in these terms, and you will see how it cuts down into the warp and woof of modern thinking. He is not silent. That is the reason we know. It is because He has spoken. What has He told us? Has He told us only about other things? No, He has told us truth about Himself -- and because He has told us truth about Himself -- that He is the infinite-personal, triune God -- we have the answer to existence.

-Francis A. Schaeffer, He Is There and He Is Not Silent

In Defense of Bonds(?)

2006-03-08T18:26:00.000-08:00

It was brought to my attention today (via sports radio) that a few months ago some French journalists wrote with "conclusive proof" that Lance Armstrong used steroids to help him capture his seven Tour de France wins. Most Americans (including the sober one) found this report incredulous. Bitter French who hate Armstrong, who is a sports hero.
Now two San Francisco Cronicle reporters have produced "proof" that Barry Bonds was juiced while he pursued both Mark McGwire's single season record and Hank Aaron's career record of home runs. Is it fair to assume Bonds is guilty based on hearsay when Armstrong was given the benefit of the doubt? No. So, I will no longer refer to Bonds as a juiced jerk. Instead I will simply think of him as a jerk who probably did but may not have done steroids. He deserves that much.

Thomas Sowell on Education

2006-02-21T07:36:00.000-08:00

"It certainly wasn't fair...for the schools I attended as a child to require me to take the same tests as children from families with more than twice as much education and several times as much income.

What would have happened if the schools had been "fair" to me in that sense? I would have learned less, had a much easier time in school -- and would have gone out into the world not even knowing enough to realize how little I knew.

By now, I might have been on welfare or in prison. But my teachers would have felt good about themselves for giving a poor boy from the ghetto a break."

From today's column

Flimflammable

2006-02-19T22:01:00.000-08:00

Cox and Forkum regularly hit the nail on the head:

Meanwhile, In Egypt

2006-02-03T18:49:00.000-08:00

From AP:Most of 1,400 on Doomed Ferry Feared Lost - Yahoo! News

A Yen to Censor pt. 2

2006-02-01T18:43:00.000-08:00

In case you didn't follow the link on the cartoon below; the attached page includes an astounding example of the Chinese verison of Google. Compare:

Standard Google Image Search for "tiananmen"
with
China Google Image Search for "tiananmen"

A Yen to Censor

2006-01-30T21:00:00.001-08:00

from coxandforkum.com

Who Says You Can't Go Home Again?

2006-01-30T21:00:00.000-08:00

The front door to Jerome Bettis' childhood home in Detroit.

Meanwhile, In Iran (Pt. 2)

2006-01-10T19:01:00.000-08:00

From the Associated Press: Iran Unseals Nuclear Enrichment Facility
From Thomas Sowell: Serious or suicidal?

2006-01-06T20:19:00.000-08:00

"If you're not a liberal when you're 25, you have no heart. If you're not a conservative by the time you're 35, you have no brain."

-(attributed to) Winston Churchill

pastors

2006-01-03T08:00:00.000-08:00

The theme for this year’s Bethlehem Conference for Pastors is "How Must a Pastor Die?"

Beautiful. Kinda gives you an idea what you're in for by attending, doesn't it?

Heros

2005-12-20T00:00:00.000-08:00

I've never been able to name any heros in my life. When asked "who is your hero?" I'd usually answer my father, or Mark McGwire if it seemed more appropriate. I've just never identified with anyone in that way. If you ask me people I respect - I could give you a list a mile long. People I admire - the same. Hero? That's difficult. Lately I find it easier to imagine men that I admire so much that I might call them heros. Here is a list of potential heros: (I left out men from Scripture - though men like Peter and David and Jeremiah and so many others are heroic and worthy of their own list)

1. George Washington (maybe the one man that I would call "hero" without reservation)
2. Thomas Sowell (his clarity of though combined with his background is admirable)
3. John Piper (blesses me with almost everything he says or writes)
4. John Calvin

Meanwhile, In Dongzhou, China

2005-12-11T22:00:00.000-08:00

Intellectual Honesty and the Battle For Christmas

2005-12-10T00:00:00.000-08:00

There had been a few salvos in the past couple of weeks in the Battle of Christmas. House Speaker Dennis Hastert restored the moniker "Capitol Christmas Tree" after a decade of being relegated the "Capitol Holiday Tree". President Bush came under fire for omitting the word "Christmas" from the White House Christmas Card. Groups have organized boycotts of retailers such at Target for having Holiday sales and celebrations sans any reference to Christ or Christmas.

There is a difference between acknowledging that more than one holiday occurs in December and pretending that Christmas is just one obscure date in a month chalk full of reasons to shop and decorate. The President's Christmas card was, I think, appropriately inclusive - of Americans that celebrate Christmas and Chanukah, even Ramadan and Kwanzaa. In fact, It was a decidedly Christian greeting to those groups. As for retailers, they may feel that that some inclusive approach is appropriate. Whether motivated by a sense of political correctness or not (I think yes), and whether the best business decision or not (I think probably not), capitalism and freedom go hand and hand.

The intellectual dishonesty shows itself, not in being inclusive, that is to all religions, but in being exclusive to all things Christian. "Christmas Trees" become "Holiday Trees" (I even heard an atheist on the radio explain that her family celebrates the Winter Solstice with a Solstice Tree). "Christmas Parties" become "Holiday Parties" and "Christmas Break" is almost universally now "Winter Break". To be sure, some offices want to have a party that is inclusive, but to then have Christmas (err...Holiday) decorations, a gift exchange, egg nog and red and green sweaters, mistletoe and a guy in a Santa suit, all while Nat King Cole croons in the background is a little disingenuous. Is it a coincidence that "Winter Break" always falls so accommodatingly to Christmas revelers? Of course it isn't - this country is overwhelmingly Christian (in the cultural sense) and overwhelmingly celebrates Christmas. So why the demands of exclusion - of the Nativity Scene on the City Hall lawn, of the Christmas Carol in the school production, even the banning of red and green sweaters? I'll tell you why...PC stupidity. What's wrong with this statement: "This is America - you can't put that nativity there". Sacrificing our freedoms for the sake of the most immature, self-righteous minority of our country is foolish.

You know, we've done such a job of sanitizing Christmas of Christ in America, it's ironic that for some, the presence of the name "Christ" alone is beyond acceptability. For the millions who do wish to honor the true Reason for the Season - we should fight for these things - they're important.

"The trouble about trying to make yourself stupider than you really are is that you very often succeed." - C.S. Lewis [The Magicians Nephew]

intellectual honesty and the border

George Washington's 1789 Thanksgiving Day Proclamation

2005-11-23T11:19:00.000-08:00

WHEREAS it is the duty of all nations to acknowledge the providence of Almighty God, to obey His will, to be grateful for His benefits, and humbly to implore His protection and favour; and Whereas both Houses of Congress have, by their joint committee, requested me "to recommend to the people of the United States a DAY OF PUBLICK THANSGIVING and PRAYER, to be observed by acknowledging with grateful hearts the many and signal favors of Almighty God, especially by affording them an opportunity peaceably to establish a form of government for their safety and happiness:"

NOW THEREFORE, I do recommend and assign THURSDAY, the TWENTY-SIXTH DAY of NOVEMBER next, to be devoted by the people of these States to the service of that great and glorious Being who is the beneficent author of all the good that was, that is, or that will be; that we may then all unite in rendering unto Him our sincere and humble thanks for His kind care and protection of the people of this country previous to their becoming a nation; for the signal and manifold mercies and the favorable interpositions of His providence in the course and conclusion of the late war; for the great degree of tranquility, union, and plenty which we have since enjoyed;-- for the peaceable and rational manner in which we have been enable to establish Constitutions of government for our sasety and happiness, and particularly the national one now lately instituted;-- for the civil and religious liberty with which we are blessed, and the means we have of acquiring and diffusing useful knowledge;-- and, in general, for all the great and various favours which He has been pleased to confer upon us.

And also, that we may then unite in most humbly offering our prayers and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of Nations and beseech Him to pardon our national and other transgressions;-- to enable us all, whether in publick or private stations, to perform our several and relative duties properly and punctually; to render our National Government a blessing to all the people by constantly being a Government of wise, just, and constitutional laws, discreetly and faithfully executed and obeyed; to protect and guide all sovereigns and nations (especially such as have shewn kindness unto us); and to bless them with good governments, peace, and concord; to promote the knowledge and practice of true religion and virtue, and the increase of science among them and us; and, generally to grant unto all mankind such a degree of temporal prosperity as he alone knows to be best.

GIVEN under my hand, at the city of New-York, the third day of October, in the year of our Lord, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-nine.

(signed) G. Washington

2005-11-17T17:23:00.000-08:00

"The evidence that those who surrender the doctrine of inerrancy inevitably move away from orthodoxy is indisputable"

-Harold J. Ockenga

2005-11-10T22:31:00.000-08:00

the opposite of legalism is licentiousness

Intellectual Honesty and the Border

2005-11-10T22:00:00.000-08:00

There has been a lot of talk about the border with Mexico lately in political circles. Our President Bush, Senators Kyl and McCain, and Congressman Hayworth among many others have come forth with plans to shore it up. There even a lot of talk of building a wall (or more likely a fence or fences) along the entire border. I have no beef with these plans and am not even convinced that a wall is beyond the fray, but I do object to some of the rationale given lately.

Since 9/11 a large focus has been put on the border due to the possibility of Islamist terrorists using it to gain access to U.S. soil. Now, I recognize that possibility and obviously believe that we should take strides to limit the possibility. But many have glommed onto the possibility in order to advance the agenda of border security when the real goal is to protect America not from terrorists, but from Mexicans. Now, here too I don't deny the right the U.S. has to control it's own immigration, but I think to use terrorism to persuade support for immigration reform is a scare tactic and is wrong.

According to the Border Patrol, in the three years following 9/11, some 946 people from seven Muslim countries (Afghanistan, Indonesia, Iran, Lebanon, Pakistan, Sudan and Syria) were apprehended trying to enter the country illegally. Of those only 320 of those were caught at the Mexican border, 472 were apprehended at the Canadian border, and 154 were apprehended in the Miami, New Orleans and Puerto Rico regions of the Border Patrol. If we decide to build a wall to protect ourselves from terrorism then we must recognize that doing so will only deter, not eclipse the likelihood that happening.

I don't oppose border control. I don't oppose protecting ourselves from terrorism. But I do think we need to avoid intellectual dishonesty when advocating, or opposing, either.

Meanwhile, In Jordan

2005-11-09T23:32:00.000-08:00

forfeiting rights, pt. 1

2005-11-05T15:01:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it:
The venerable San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals agreed with a lower court's ruling that parents had no right to object to questions posed to their children on a "psychological survey". "Schools cannot be expected to accommodate the personal, moral or religious concerns of every parent," Judge Stephen Reinhardt wrote for the panel. "Such an obligation would not only contravene the educational mission of the public schools, but also would be impossible to satisfy"

The following questions were on the survey, and added only after the questionnaire had been sent to parents beforehand. The parents of students as young as seven years old, had no prior knowledge that these questions were going to be asked:
students were to rate the following activities as to how often they think about them (often, rarely, etc.)
8. Touching my private parts too much
17. Thinking about having sex
22. Thinking about touching other people’s private parts
23. Thinking about sex when I don’t want to
26. Washing myself because I feel dirty on the inside
34. Not trusting people because they might want sex
40. Getting scared or upset when I think about sex
44. Having sex feelings in my body
47. Can’t stop thinking about sex
54. Getting upset when people talk about sex

As the parent of a soon-to-be seven year old, the idea that my daughter (who would be unable to answer most of the questions above due to naivety) would be confronted with this subject without my foreknowledge is outrageous and maddening. As maddening though is the courts opinion, which includes;

"In summary, we hold that there is no free-standing fundamental right of parents 'to control the upbringing of their children by introducing them to matters of and relating to sex in accordance with their personal and religious values and beliefs' and that the asserted right is not encompassed by any other fundamental right. In doing so, we do not quarrel with the parents’ right to inform and advise their children about the subject of sex as they see fit. We conclude only that the parents are possessed of no constitutional right to prevent the public schools from providing information on that subject to their students in any forum or manner they select."

They are worried about contravening the educational mission of the schools? So am I. So am I.

Meanwhile, In France

2005-11-03T18:26:00.000-08:00

Echoing Prayer Request

2005-10-30T16:28:00.000-08:00

As posted on Dave's blog - pray for University Baptist Church in Waco. Follow the links for info.

Every once in a while you hear about something so terrible that you can't even imagine going through it. This is one of those.

Meanwhile, In Iran

2005-10-28T20:48:00.000-07:00

2005-10-25T23:02:00.000-07:00

"Neither the depth of despondency nor the height of euphoria tells you how long either will last."

-Thomas Sowell

vivid

2005-10-25T00:00:00.000-07:00

I saw a man hit by a bus today. More precisely: I saw a man who was hit by a bus today. I didn't see it happen, but not more than a minute or two could have passed between the time it happened and the time I passed by. Time enough for about 5 people to get out to help the man. Time enough for one to reach into his trunk and start to light flares…and put them in the road.

I could not have predicted the way this would effect me.

I stopped at the red light, in the front of the only open lane. I could see the bus, a school bus, stopped just past halfway into the intersection. I hoped there were no kids on it…there weren't. It was turning northbound onto Cave Creek, from a side street just north of Cactus - it hit a man who was crossing in the crosswalk.

I could see the man laying in front of the bus. I hoped it wasn't a child, and it wasn't. I hoped it wasn't a woman, someone's daughter, and it wasn't. The five Samaritans were gathered over him, looking the way I felt: helpless, hopeless. I could see him laying on his side, his head laying on the ground in a pool of blood as red and as bright as the stoplight which held me there. I looked up the road, I looked behind me. I was looking for an ambulance…an EMT truck…a police car…anyone. There was none…I wished there was.

I considered stopping, to get out out and stand over him, helplessly, hopelessly. I didn't. I wished I was EMT trained…something. I'm not. I didn't stop. Two or three more Samaritans approached the scene - looking the way I felt.

The blood. That was the most vivid part. He was dead…I thought. I still don't know.

As I drove up Cave Creek I cried, sobbed really. I couldn't stop thinking about him. That he had a family, that he had friends, that he just wanted to cross Cave Creek (in a crosswalk). I thought about the bus driver and my heart broke for him. He also just wanted to cross Cave Creek. I wanted desperately for the man to be okay. I prayed.

I don't know why I cared so much about him - seeing him like that I guess. I called my wife - just to hear her voice, and I was glad I did. I realized that people sometimes get hit by busses.

I spend a lot of time thinking about things like baseball and my family and politics and Theology and the air pressure in my tires and how much Coke is in the fridge and where do I belong in the Church and in the world and I forget. I prayed some more.

welcome to the soberside

2005-10-24T00:00:00.000-07:00

I have considered starting another blog for a couple of weeks now - a place for more serious fare. Something doesn't seem right about putting a sincere post on Dr. Funke's 100% Natural Good Time Family Based Blog. Now, I'm not often compelled to post something serious, but it does happen - and this is where it will happen. I hope to start more blogs in the future, and eventually franchise them (I'm working through revenue sharing and intellectual property issues currently), but more on that later.

I told you I've thought about this for some time; the above post is what inspired me to actually start one…