weblog worth writing

Guess Who's Human?

2012-01-27T17:22:00.000-08:00

I know Pres. Obama is getting a full dose of blame for having a "thin skin" these days, but what about Romney and Gingrich? Are they made of sterner stuff? The fact is, they are all human beings with egos about the size of football stadia. We Americans tend to put our Presidents on a pedestal, only to knock them off when times get rough. Only a perfect person could live up to the expectations of a modern-day President, and we all know there are none of those out there. Let's look at some Presidential blunders just to remind ourselves how human they all are.

First, the Republicans:

Gerald Ford getting off an airplane and stumbling

George W Bush saying the word "nucular."

And some Democrats:

Bill Clinton failing to put a medal on

And finally, President Obama dealing with a lectern that won't quite work right.

What Pres. Obama Should Say Tomorrow Night

2012-01-23T11:55:00.000-08:00

Pres.Obama embodied abstract ideas like hope and change when he was elected in 2008. Political analysts were talking about a "post-partisan," "post-racial" future. For the first time, candidate Obama's black identity did not disqualify him for the Presidency, and when he was elected, the country patted itself on the back for electing a non-white person President for the first time in history. There was even some talk about a permanent Democratic majority and a "rump" Republican party consisting mainly of white Southerners.

A little more than three years later, the positive messages and bold predictions of Pres. Obama's campaign and his Presidency seem forgotten as the country moves toward conservative politics. By "politics," I mean the tactics used to win elections, and by "conservative," I mean politics that points toward the past. "Conservative," after all, comes from the word "conserve," which means to protect something from change. In 2009, about twice as many Americans defined themselves as "conservative" or "very conservative" as those who defined themselves as "liberal" or "very liberal." This ratio probably hasn't changed much in the past two years -- if anything, the country has probably gotten more conservative. According to more recent polls, trust in the federal government is at an all-time low, and that only benefits conservative politics.

It's tempting to say that this turn of events means that Americans don't want any more "hope" and "change." In fact, the country could use more hope and more change. Middle-income families have been falling behind since the 1980s. Great concentrations of wealth in the upper 10% account for almost two-thirds of the national wealth. Average hourly earnings are essentially the same now as they were in the 1960s, when measured in inflation-adjusted dollars. On measures of economic equality, we rank only slightly higher than Greece, Chile, Turkey, and Mexico. These are all economic measures, but they begin to threaten the American dream, in which everyone is supposed to have a chance at a better life -- if not for themselves, then for their kids. Hope is an essential part of that American dream, whether economic circumstances warrant it or not.

Pres. Obama still needs to talk about hope and to help make it more of a reality for more people. He is fighting against stiff political winds. When Republicans talk about the economy or jobs, they are trying to win the election by blaming the President for everything that has gone wrong over the past 30 years. When Pres. Obama talks about the economy, he needs to talk about real people and how the inequality we are living with hurts us. Just telling people that Republicans are to blame and pinning them down on a tax on million-dollar-a-year earners won't be enough, even if it's true. We need a new vision of the role of government. We need to be honest about our strengths and weaknesses as a country, and write a new "Square Deal" with the American people. The American people need to know not just that the federal government cares about them but also that the country has a way to escape its current predicament.

If I were one of the President's strategists, I would be writing this narrative now -- laying the groundwork for an argument that long-term inequality is the problem, not the short-term problem of "jobs." Republicans are using "jobs" as a pivot point to argue against regulations, for example, even though only 0.3% of layoffs came as a direct result of regulations in 2010, and Pres. Obama's administration has been less regulatory than Pres. George W. Bush's by some measures. Similarly, Pres. Obama should pivot from jobs to inequality. For example, he could say that the reason many people don't have jobs is that a few people such as his friend Warren Buffett or his likely opponent Mitt Romney have gotten very, very rich without really creating that many jobs. In fact, Romney is the perfect example of a "job creator" whose career was essentially built on "turning around" troubled companies -- that is, taking them over and laying people off or dismantling them so that the companies can become "profitable" again. Such leveraged buyout income is not an option for most middle income workers, who have been squeezed to the point of breaking by the recession. It's reserved for a privileged few.

At What Price the Presidency?

2012-01-17T20:27:00.000-08:00

The Presidency can be bought, but at what price? Does it cost hundreds of millions of dollars, a few more gray hairs, and enough blame for an entire country? Or does it cost more than that? Does winning the Presidency require one to sell one's soul to the devil? To compromise one's integrity in the pursuit of power? Pres. Obama has taken on the mantle of the Presidency, with both good and bad impacts on himself, politics, and the country. Mitt Romney seems likely to win the Republican nomination now, but he is in for a rude awakening as he prepares for the general election or, for that matter, the Presidency. I know, I know, I wanted to keep things simple this year, but look at this hand-generated list (with links!) of problems confronting the U.S.:

Structural problems:

1. Dependence on foreign oil and the resulting entanglement in the Middle East
2. The trade deficit and dependence on foreign creditors, especially with China
3. A ballooning federal budget deficit and national debt of over $15 trillion

4. Long-term inequality and strains on the middle class

Economic problems:
5. Real estate markets that are severely underwater in several cities and the resulting loss of construction jobs
6. Outsourcing of jobs by US companies to foreign countries
7. Long-term unemployment, underemployment, and a lack of good-paying jobs with benefits
8. Government sector employees being laid off, especially at the state and local levels

International problems:
9. Supporting Israel against Arab opposition
10. Terror threats and bellicose rhetoric from Iran

11. Maintaining an effective military presence in Asia
12. Eurozone instability creating uncertainty for US investors and multinational corporations

Domestic problems:
13. Defending against terrorism at home

14. A fraying social safety net -- social security, Medicare, and Medicaid all face substantial problems

15. More difficult choices for families with rising food and gas prices
16. Waste in government contracts, inefficiency in the federal government's bureaucracy, and some strange decisions about how best to spend the people's money.

Political problems:
17. The inability of people to agree on a direction and accomplish things generally and politically
18. The influence of campaign contributions on politics
19. The influence of lobbyists on policy, in which corporations and Congressional "fat cats" get better treatment than the average citizen

20. A general sense of American decline, in which the country begins to believe that the dream of a better life is out of reach and that our position relative to the rest of the world is slipping

And the list could go on even further. Anyone who wants to take on these challenges is either a) delusional (as in delusions of grandeur) or b) unaware of just what a mess he's getting himself or herself into. More on this topic later. Phew!

(sorry if any of the links in this post are outdated)

One Word and One Verse 2012

2012-01-01T13:14:00.000-08:00

My one word for the year last year was "wisdom," and my verse was related --Proverbs 2:6 "For the Lord gives wisdom, and from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." I don't think I did such a good job of gaining wisdom from the Lord last year, but I hope I gained some.

This year, my thoughts are drifting in a new direction: my word for the year is "simple," as in "keep it simple, stupid," or "Simple = good." My verse is relatively simple -- Psalm 1:6: "For the Lord watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked will perish." Earlier in the Psalm, the Psalmist defines the "way of the righteous" in some ways as meditating on the law of the Lord, which I intend to do more of this year. So, my goal for this year is simplicity, and to accomplish this, I hope to do more thinking about the Lord.

Desperate Wonder

2011-12-30T10:51:00.000-08:00

Terry Gross of NPR interviewed Maurice Sendak this year, and it got the most email responses of any interview she did in 2011. It's not hard to see why if you listen to the audio on this link:

http://www.npr.org/player/v2/mediaPlayer.html?action=1&t=1&islist=false&id=144077273&m=144381898

Mr. Sendak wrote Where the Wild Things Are, and he recently published a book called Bumble-ardy. Both books are, I'm sure, masterpieces, though I haven't been able to get my hands on Bumble-ardy yet. More importantly, Mr. Sendak is getting older, and his responses to Ms. Gross's questions display his desperate wonder at the process of aging and losing those close to him, while also continuing to live and produce art. The interview is poignant and insightful. Highly recommended.

An Inspiring Book with an Awful Title

2011-12-27T20:44:00.000-08:00

So far, reading James Gleick's new book has been wonderful -- pictured at left, he is one of my favorite writers, for his clarity and thoughtfulness in explaining scientific topics. However, the title of the book is horrible, and doesn't begin to explain his purpose -- The Information: A History, A Theory, A Flood. Gleick has set out to chronicle how information came to be the dominant cultural force of our times, beginning from the beginning and ending with today. I have only read the first three chapters and the prologue, but those chapters are starting to change my thinking about reading and writing in this digital age. The idea that talking drums in sub-Saharan Africa could convey messages in much the same way that the telegraph did, or that Mesopotamian cuneiform tablets (such as the one pictured at right) could contain algorithms for mathematical principles, and that these drums and forms have a connection to the bits and bytes that we exchange daily now, had honestly never occurred to me, and would never have occurred to me without reading this book. The prologue explains that 1948 was a pivotal year, not just because the transistor was invented and named by Bell Labs, but also because the term "bit" was defined, by a Bell Lab mathematician/engineer named Claude Shannon. Such nuggets are only beginning to form a picture of how information came to be a cultural currency, but I am enjoying the puzzle-piecing immensely.

Vaclav Havel

2011-12-18T13:05:00.000-08:00

I once had a chance to sit in on a news conference with Vaclav Havel. I had listened to his speech at Stanford and was assigned to write an article on it for the student newspaper. I was overawed by the occasion, though, and didn't actually ask any questions at the news conference. I remember him being personally pretty unassuming, and that his speech was about democratic ideals. I think the questions the other reporters asked intimidated me more than Mr. Havel did. I wrote my story around the speech. I wish I could find a copy of it, but the Daily doesn't keep its archives online. Probably for the better. Here's an obituary from the LA Times instead: Vaclav Havel, Czech leader of '89 'Velvet Revolution,' dead at 75.

Online charter schools -- not such a good idea

2011-12-13T11:16:00.000-08:00

A New York Times report reveals damaging evidence that online charter schools, while earning profits for Wall Street companies, are actually failing students. Here's the link: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/12/13/education/online-schools-score-better-on-wall-street-than-in-classrooms.html. My two cents? It's pretty obvious that classroom instruction is important to most learning. Weaving in online education with classroom education is important, but going all-online is a bad idea. Virtual learning may be the wave of the future, but classroom education is not going away because it's difficult to reach kids in an online environment.

Google+

2011-12-13T11:02:00.000-08:00

I've been using Google+ for a little while now and have been waiting for them to merge blogger with Google+. Well, that day has started to arrive, and I will now be posting to Google+ when I post blog posts. Feel free to join the conversation at Google+ or on blogger. Please let me know if you have any thoughts on this conversion. My blog format and web address will not change (yet?), it's just that I may be sharing with more people as I post. Thank you!

Mitt Romney: Nuanced Positions, or Flip Flops?

2011-12-03T15:27:00.000-08:00

The independent website Factcheck.org looked at the Democratic National Committee's ad on Mitt Romney, and found of 15 claims, 9 were untrue, 5 were true, and one was half-true:

Flipping Through DNC Playbook on Romney. The fact-checking article cites several examples of nuanced positions that Romney has adopted that could easily be considered muddled, but probably not flip flops. One wonders if the DNC did their homework on this ad or is just flinging everything at the wall and hoping something sticks. The playbook from Pres. George W. Bush's campaign in 2004 appears to be on display -- labeling a potential opponent a flip flopper early and often was enough for Pres. Bush to win re-election despite his own personal unpopularity, so maybe it will work for Pres. Obama, too. We shall see if this "character" (ad hominem) approach works or not.

Insider Compares Obamacare to "Moon Shot"

2011-12-03T14:28:00.001-08:00

In a kind of exit interview with the New York Times, outgoing Medicare/Medicaid regulator Dr. Donald Berwick expresses some frustration with the way Republicans have gone after Obamacare politically. Still, he defended the policy with an analogy to the "moon shot" of the 1960s. I hope people take his stance seriously and look at some of the problems he identifies in his quotes. Let me know what you think!

Sausage-making: it ain't pretty

2011-12-01T07:05:00.001-08:00

The appropriate metaphor for Congress these days is sausage-making -- many hands going into a big vat of pork in order to make for "tasty" meat. According to this report from the Capitol Hill newspaper Roll Call, Republicans are relying on Democratic votes in order to fund nine separate parts of the government for the coming year. That means some Democratic priorities may make it in to the bill, called an omnibus appropriations bill or "megabus," although I'm not holding my breath. The health care law passed by the Democratic Congress and signed by Pres. Obama before the 2010 elections may get funded after all, despite Republican leaders' objections to the law. That would be a legislative victory for the President, but I doubt the Republicans will allow it to get much play. The inner workings of Congress certainly aren't pretty these days, but if Republican leaders can't even get votes from their own party in order to pass any appropriations bill, it appears that we have a non-functioning "rogue" wing of the Republican party who won't take responsibility for any hard decisions. The whole process is pretty gross, in my humble opinion.

Brave New 1984 World

2011-11-26T13:14:00.001-08:00

For all you readers out there, here's an interesting infographic on links between George Orwell's 1984, Aldous Huxley's Brave New World, and modern society. Interestingly, most of the Orwellian links come from dictatorships in the Middle East, while Huxley's links are based in the U.S. I like the infographic itself for its clarity and usefulness as a teaching tool. I found this link today through Andrew Sullivan of the Daily Beast.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-22T15:34:00.001-08:00

In all things give thanks. From the BibleGateway site, here is the text of Paul's exhortation to the church in Thessalonika (1 Thessalonians 5: 12-24):

¹² Now we ask you, brothers and sisters, to acknowledge those who work hard among you, who care for you in the Lord and who admonish you. ¹³ Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. ¹⁴ And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone. ¹⁵ Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always strive to do what is good for each other and for everyone else.
¹⁶ Rejoice always, ¹⁷ pray continually, ¹⁸ give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.
¹⁹ Do not quench the Spirit. ²⁰ Do not treat prophecies with contempt ²¹ but test them all; hold on to what is good, ²² reject every kind of evil.
²³ May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through. May your whole spirit, soul and body be kept blameless at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ The one who calls you is faithful, and he will do it.

Supercommittee? Really?

2011-11-17T20:11:00.001-08:00

From the New York Times article published today on the underwhelming negotiations over the federal debt on the Congressional "supercommittee," I found this nugget about a spending bill that did manage to make it past both houses of Congress:

The spending bill approved by Congress on Thursday increases the maximum size of mortgages that can be guaranteed by the Federal Housing Administration. It eliminates grants to public transit agencies for projects that reduce greenhouse gases and does not include money for high-speed rail service, but does include numerous provisions that protect gun owners’ rights.

Ridiculous. Democratic priorities sacrificed, Republicans appeased. When will John Boehner's posturing begin to stop? Probably never. Tom Toles gets it exactly right. Democrats have been willing to compromise. Republicans are not. They are overplaying their hand again, doing real damage to the economy in the process.

Seven Sunday Quick Takes

2011-11-06T16:59:00.000-08:00

1. I'm rooting for the New Orleans Saints this year in football. Green Bay looks pretty near unstoppable, but I think the Saints might have a chance to make the playoffs in the NFC and make it tough on them. I'd like to see the Saints win the whole thing again just to prove it wasn't a fluke.

2. I've only been rooting for the Saints since the year they won the Super Bowl (2009-10). I did root for them that whole year, not just after the Super Bowl, so I'm not sure if that makes me a fair weather fan. Growing up, my favorite team was the Lions, and they're actually pretty good this year, but I'm rooting for the Saints anyway. It's funny how things change over time. The Lions have been on TV every Thanksgiving for as long as I can remember, so maybe that's how I picked them as my favorite team. It may also have had something to do with the design on their helmets. I think I grew out of the Lions over years and years of not seeing them and not seeing them do well, so now I'm a Saints fan.

3. I feel bad for Peyton Manning -- he had a shot at a Super Bowl title the year the Saints won, I believe. He is a great quarterback, and it's amazing how his team has fallen apart without him. Still, he only has one Super Bowl ring. I hope his neck injury isn't career ending.

4. Football players have gotten bigger over time -- when I look at the films of the 1970s football players, they all look smaller than the players today. I don't think it's just a trick of the camera, either. I'm not sure, but steroids could play a role, along with better training and higher physical standards in college and high school. I never played organized football. I don't regret it -- it allowed me to get into debate and find other niches in high school. Still, it is the dominant sport in the U.S., and football players still have a status that other sports and activities don't get. I think the NFL has its pick of athletes in the U.S., and they just pick the biggest, strongest, fastest players they can at every position. Football isn't rocket science, so they don't have to be the smartest guys on the planet. That's why they strut and prance on the field, and they act like idiots off the field, generally speaking.

5. I know this is a lot of football talk, so I'll stop here on the football. I listened to Aretha Franklin sing the song Amazing Grace today on iTunes. She stretched it out for 16 minutes, and only got through one verse. Still, that woman can sing. It was almost a revival feel on the album. It was a recording session at a church with a live audience in 1972, so it wasn't a normal church service. Still, I think God was glorified.

6. Speaking of glorifying God, please pray for M's family as they continue to grieve Jason Barfield's death. The memorial service in 29 Palms for Jason is this coming Sunday at M's dad's church, and the family is gathering to support Joyanna and give glory to God, in light of Jason's passing. It's a tough emotional time for the whole family.

7. Apparently there's a book on Aretha's Amazing Grace album. I'll link to the blog where I heard about it here. The book is part of a series on historic and important albums called 33 1/3, put out by Continuum. Interesting idea for a book.

A new monopoly in the Bible publishing world?

2011-11-05T21:30:00.000-07:00

This small news item in Nashville caught my eye. Rupert Murdoch's Newscorp, which owns HarperCollins Publishers, the publishing giant, and Fox, Fox News and 20th Century Fox, recently purchased Thomas Nelson Inc. It means that Rupert Murdoch's company now controls the two dominant Bible publishers in the U.S. -- Zondervan (which publishes the NIV) and Thomas Nelson (which publishes the New King James Version). While no one wants to admit it, religious publishing is an industry like many others. This takeover, while it was friendly, cannot be good news for the Bible publishing industry. I expect the price of Bibles in the US will go up, and translation efforts for unreached people groups will continue to be the work of missionaries, not employees of Mr. Murdoch. CNN put it this way:

HarperCollins is a subsidiary of News Corporation, a multinational media company headed by Rupert Murdoch, the media magnate who earlier this year was plagued by hacking and phone-tapping allegations at some of his publications in the United Kingdom.

I hope the Bible publishing industry does not become just another feather in Mr. Murdoch's cap.

Please note, the accuracy of the image attached to this story has not been authenticated. DirecTV is not part of News Corp, as is evidenced by their recent feud, so some of the other banners below News Corp may not be, either. I included the image anyway as it gives the gist of what News Corp owns.

Romney on Cutting Spending

2011-11-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Here, in Mitt Romney's own words, is his plan to reduce government spending. It involves what sounds like very reasonable reforms to rein in spending, and as long as you believe that government waste is the problem and don't mind cutting support for the arts, commuters, seniors, and poor people around the country, seems to solve some of the deficit issue. The problems I see with the approach:

1. it assumes 4% growth for each of the next four years to achieve a goal of $500 billion in savings by 2016. It doesn't really begin to solve the deficit, which is really caused by spending on Medicare and Social Security.

2. Mr. Romney's reforms to Medicare and Social Security sound very reasonable, but they probably won't be enough. We do need to attack entitlement reform along the lines of what Mr. Romney is proposing, but it will be hard to do. Mr. Romney will have to work with Democrats to get some of this passed, and his reforms will have to be balanced and offset with some Democratic priorities in order to achieve any savings. Privatizing Medicare is a non-starter for Democrats.

3. It would be interesting to see if Pres. Obama proposed the same thing, what Republicans would say. They would probably see it as a "fundamental reshaping of society" and "government meddling" somehow. In fact, Mr. Obama has proposed eliminating waste in much the same way as Mr. Romney. Mr. Romney goes out of his way to attack funding for Democratic priorities: Title X funding for Planned Parenthood, the NEA, the CPB, Amtrak, etc. etc. So I don't see this getting through Congress unchanged. We'll see what happens when Mr. Romney gets elected and actually has to govern this unruly country.

All in all, the plan sounds reasonable, but there are some holes in the plan, and it does reduce government support for a social net that is already fraying.

Instant news

2011-11-03T12:07:00.000-07:00

Here's a glimpse at what passes for news in the 24-hour news cycle today. At this time of day, here are the "Top Stories" from Google news:

Amy Winehouse

Death of Michael Jackson

Gamma ray

Breaking Dawn

Silvio Berlusconi

Notice how almost every one of these is a celebrity issue? There are three politicians on the list (Rick Perry, Detroit Mayor Dave Bing, and Silvio Berlusconi -- the Italian Prime Minister who was a celebrity first), one journalist (Soledad O'Brien), and one sports team (Oregon Football). There is also one science story. So it's a mixed bag. Still, I challenge you to click on the links to see if any of these stories are relevant to your life or give you any "news you can use."

I'm just saying, we could have better news options in this country.

Inequality in the U.S. vs the World

2011-10-29T18:01:00.000-07:00

I saw some statistics on the New York Times website today that gave me some reason to think about the US's standing in the world. First, the good news: the US remains one of the richest countries in the world in terms of Gross Domestic Product per capita. Here are the top 5 countries in the OECD in terms of GDP per capita in 2010, according to the OECD website:

1. Luxembourg
2. Norway
3. Switzerland
4. United States
5. Netherlands

Of those 5, the US is by far the biggest economy, meaning that we produce and consume more goods and services than anyone else in the world.

The bad news? Here is the chart on measures of social justice in the US and other countries -- based on the overall poverty rate, child poverty rate, senior citizen poverty rate, income inequality, pre-primary education expenditures, and an "overall poverty prevention" rating and a "health" rating. The US ranks 5th from the bottom, just above Greece, Chile, Mexico, and Turkey.

Seven Quick Takes

2011-10-27T21:21:00.000-07:00

1. These quick takes sometimes aren't that quick. I've been trying to write quick takes for the past three weeks or so, and I haven't come up with much so far. We'll see what tonight holds.

2. PF Chang's was a good choice for dinner tonight. We ordered more food than we needed, but it was good food with good service and a chance to unwind after a long week.

3. Nevada Day is a blessing and a curse. A blessing because most people in the country don't get a holiday this time of year, when it seems desperately needed. And a curse because it's so close to Halloween that people tend to get carried away. With that said, I'm looking forward to a relaxing day tomorrow after a long 4-day week.

4. Still grieving a little bit with M's family over Jason Barfield's death (see previous post).

5. Here's something that cheered me up from a friend via Facebook: the Lorax trailer. I watched it without sound, so I'm not sure I caught everything in it, but it looks cool.

6. I'm not sure the holiday movie season will be any good. Sherlock Holmes 2 looks interesting, maybe, but I'm already bored with Twilight and I'm not sure what else is dropping that time of year.

7. Hey, I made it to 7! These takes really were quick. And I didn't mention politics once! OK, well here's something interesting I saw on The Daily Beast tonight. Enjoy!

Jason Barfield

2011-10-25T09:45:00.000-07:00

Jason Barfield, a Marine serving in Afghanistan, was reported killed yesterday. I knew him through M. Her niece Joyanna was dating him, and he stayed in our home on one of his final weekends in the States. It's really terrible news, and brings the cost of the war home in a very real way. Jason was a sweet kid with a commitment to family and his country. He was 22 when he was killed. I only knew him for a little bit, but he did have a kindness to him that carried over into meeting with virtual strangers. He also seemed innocent, and like most twenty-somethings was still figuring out what kind of person he was going to be. He was polite to a fault, respectful, and willing to serve -- it was his "job," he said, to go to Afghanistan. He didn't seem to want to make a fuss about it. It was a privilege to know him, and my heart is more than a little heavy since hearing the news. He was a Christian, so we have that assurance that he is in a better place. Pray especially for Jason's family and for M's family, who were close to him in many ways.

Steve Jobs' Closing Thoughts

2011-10-08T19:26:00.000-07:00

This image is referenced in Steve Jobs' closing thoughts as he spoke at Stanford's commencement in 2005. I thought I'd share it and the commencement speech text here. As mottoes go, it's a good one, and a fitting tribute to Mr. Jobs.

Moneyball

2011-09-30T16:28:00.000-07:00

This movie, which we saw last weekend in a packed theater filled with all ages of adults, tells an unconventional baseball story well. At first, I didn't think I could accept Brad Pitt as Billy Beane, the general manager of the Oakland A's, because I had pictured Billy so differently in the book. But the actor really does inhabit this character well, and by the end of the movie, I'd forgotten about the differences between the real-life Billy Beane and Brad Pitt. One of the lines that Brad Pitt delivers well is that he "hates to lose, even more than he wants to win." That's straight out of the book, and it reminded me of why I liked the book so much. First, the book captures the power of an idea to change the game of baseball -- finding undervalued players and using them to build a winning team. Second, the book features characters like Scott Hatteberg, who gets one shining moment to redeem a career. The movie captures these elements of the book, and provides many comedic moments, as well. The movie is entertaining and understated, and though it aims to find inspiration in the game, it doesn't oversell itself as an inspirational movie.

"Reality-Based Community" Suffers from Irony

2011-08-30T18:23:00.000-07:00

I love the following correction to outgoing executive editor Bill Keller's argumentative take on candidates' faith offered on the New York Times' website: "Because of an editing error, an essay on Page 11 this weekend, about the religious beliefs of Republican presidential candidates, misstates the proportion of Americans who believe that extraterrestrials live among us. It is about a third, not a majority. The essay also erroneously includes Rick Santorum among politicians affiliated with evangelical Christianity. Mr. Santorum is Catholic."

In writing an essay about faith in public life, Mr. Keller overstates his case and misidentifies one candidate's faith completely. I find it ironic, at least, that Mr. Keller would miss some facts while arguing that he is part of the "reality-based community."

NYT Scoop -- "Apathy" is now a Frontrunner in Nevada

2011-08-29T11:58:00.000-07:00

I love the headline on this article:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/08/29/us/29nevada.html

It is too true. I don't follow local politics much, but I haven't heard all that much about Congressional District 2 race, either. I think Republicans are counting this one as a win. I love the quotes at the end from Republicans who are frustrated with the economy. A little more in-depth coverage would have been nice -- what is causing the unemployment rate to continue to be so high, after all? Instead, it's more "horse race" and less substance. Still, I like the fact that the reporter has an angle, and the headline says it all.

Will they know Dr. King from his memorial in Washington DC?

2011-08-25T11:27:00.000-07:00

This review from the New York Times of the new Martin Luther King Jr. memorial reads it primarily as a failure to capture the spirit of Dr. King and his legacy. The reviewer writes several insightful things, but, without having seen the sculpture in person, I can't say for sure whether I agree totally. One thing the memorial does capture is the fact that the struggle embodied by Dr. King is not over. However, the monument could have been more dynamic, and the pose of Dr. King with crossed arms and a stern look on his face seems more defensive and disappointed than active and affirmative. If you really want to know what the civil rights struggle was like, I recommend reading the three-volume history of the movement by Taylor Branch, which I reviewed on my book blog. The photos from the movement and video that played nationwide during the struggle probably make a more fitting monument to Dr. King than this static sculpture ever could.

Prediction for Monday - Panic!

2011-08-06T17:16:00.000-07:00

Think Chicken Run -- "We mustn't panic...we mustn't panic...AHHHHHHHH!"

The most predictable of all disasters is coming on Monday, with the S&P rating agency downgrading US government debt on Friday night.

I don't blame S&P, because they are right, after all, about the fundamental inability of the US government to live within its means. Still, the timing could have been better, coming on the heels of the "deal" to cut government spending and raise the debt ceiling. Republicans angered me throughout the debate by insisting that revenues should not be part of the equation. That posturing looks even more short-sighted now, with the threatened downgrade the government was hoping to avoid happening anyway. If revenues are not included in the equation, there is no way to get to $4 trillion in deficit reduction over 10 years, as S&P has essentially demanded. At least one commentator I read agrees that financial brinksmanship is not the way to go, and that politics are the reason for the downgrade, not economics.

Still, one wonders if there will be a sell-off in stocks -- after all, if investors start selling US stocks, where will they put their money? Traditionally, when stocks go down, the price of US bonds goes up, as people look for "safe havens" that can protect their money. If US government bonds are no longer the safe haven, what is? Gold is already pretty darn expensive. Does China, which sharply criticized the US government and the American people in an official news service article, have the economic clout to become the world's safe haven? They have had spectacular growth over the past few years, but do they have the stability and trustworthiness the world economy expects? After all, much of their economic growth has depended on selling to the US market, along with "pegging" their currency to match the dollar to keep exports from China to the US artificially cheap. That trade factor may be changing, with China developing its own internal markets, but there are still about $300 billion a year worth of exports to the US in goods alone built into the Chinese economy. I'm certainly no expert on the world economy, but that seems like a pretty big number to me.

So, I'm predicting a panic of a more political kind on Monday -- panic that elected officials of all kinds will be held to account for the economy in 2012. Let's hope they all are, but let's be real -- elected officials are panicking all the time about their prospects for re-election. So this is one prediction that almost has to come true.

Laughing to Stop the Rage

2011-08-01T21:20:00.000-07:00

As I watched the debt ceiling debacle unfold from my living room, I found some solace in Tom Toles' political cartoons on the debt, available at the Washington Post's website. As anger boils over at Washington's general incompetence, we might as well laugh at the whole thing a little bit, too. My favorite cartoon is the one where Pres. Obama and House Speaker John Boehner are falling out of the sky, along with airplane parts. The President says, "We're going to have to hurry to rebuild this airplane," and Boehner replies, "Helicopter." That about sums up the whole boondoggle, I'd say.

There are so many things to say about this whole debate, but I'll limit myself to seven:

1. Pres. Obama deserves some blame for scaring people about their social security checks not coming.
2. This thing is definitely taking our eyes off the ball -- what about jobs?
3. The long-term problems with our economy and the deficit will never get solved this way.
4. The Republicans have been negotiating, but they aren't compromising on spending cuts or taxes. The President came a long way toward their position, but they barely moved. They are defending the wealthy and corporations that pay a lower tax rate than most middle class Americans in the name of "growing the economy." I don't think the middle class has been helped in any way by the Republicans' negotiations.
5. The House is filling its Constitutional function controlling the "purse strings" of the government. I guess no one expected them to pull quite this hard on those strings.
6. The political fallout is still being felt, but this deal means we will see more of this posturing at Thanksgiving and Christmas -- I guess that's one way to ruin the holidays.
7. In the end, I don't think this debt ceiling debate accomplished very much. The whole thing was created by Republicans' self-imposed restrictions. A 10-year budget is essentially meaningless anyway, as the budget gets rewritten almost every year.

Psalm 103

2011-07-26T11:27:00.000-07:00

This psalm provided a lot of encouragement yesterday. I'll link to it here: BibleGateway.com. It offers praise to the Lord for forgiveness of sins, and speaks to me about God's grace. I love its simple way of offering praise, referencing the soul. Some of us have forgotten that we have a soul. Some of us have forgotten who God is, and what that means for us. Some of the most amazing phrases in the Bible are in this psalm -- "slow to anger, abounding in love," "as far as the east is from the west." It's best read in its entirety, but my favorite line is "Praise the Lord, O my soul." It begins and ends the Psalm. It offers a straightforward command to God's people, and reminds me that my soul is the one that should be doing the praising. Praise the Lord, O my soul.

Public service

2011-07-25T18:15:00.000-07:00

Whatever happened to this concept? Public servants are people who put the interests of others ahead of self-interest. Specifically, they put the needs of the people they represent or provide a service to ahead of their own needs. For example, my wife. She continually puts the students she helps and her team members ahead of herself, often sacrificing for the good of the students or the team at her own expense. If she lived in a perfect world, she would be at home raising kids, not providing 18- to 25-year-olds (or older) with the documents they need to graduate. She performs this essential function despite being verbally beat up on or generally unappreciated by students and sometimes colleagues, despite earning about 10% less than she was three years ago, and despite a drop in benefits that drains our resources even further while exacerbating the burdens placed on people who are sick. Politicians of all levels could learn a few things from my wife -- that real sacrifice requires persistence and dedication, not just lip service; that taxes are sometimes used to help people who need it, rather than going into some ideological black hole; that people are more important than policy positions. The federal debt ceiling level may seem like an abstract issue far removed from my wife or this concept of public service, but it's really not. Government workers, otherwise known as the public service sector, make decisions that are in the best interest of the community every day. Where would we be without state colleges in this country? How would your children get a degree? Not at a private school -- they are out of reach of most people, even with student loans backed up by the federal government. Without student aid, I wouldn't have been able to afford my education. Without public servants, I wouldn't have roads to drive on or energy for my home or a thousand other things we rely on every day. If the federal government shoots itself in the foot with this debt ceiling thing, it not only affects the economy, it further degrades the idea of public service. Our politicians need to rise to the occasion and serve the interests of the community, not themselves.

Something Beautiful / NeedtoBreathe - "The Garden"

2011-07-19T20:27:00.000-07:00

I recently purchased an album with a song titled "Something Beautiful" on it, which seems appropriate to my quest for something beautiful to add to this blog. However, the song that spoke to me the most on that album is called "The Garden":
Won't you take this cup from me
'Cause fear has stolen all my sleep
If tomorrow means my death
I pray you'll save their souls with it.

Let the songs I sing
Bring joy to you
Let the words I say profess my love
Let the notes I choose
Be your favorite tune
Father let my heart be after you.

In this hour of doubt I see
But who I am is not just me
So give me strength to die myself
So love can live to tell the tale

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2

2011-07-16T07:42:00.000-07:00

M and I went to see the last Harry Potter film last night, and we really enjoyed it. The plot grips viewers, right from the beginning, as Harry and his friends face death many times over. The film encompasses maybe two days and nights, rather than the usual long span of time for these films, and it includes the major events of the last few chapters of the book. My comment at the end of the film was that they finally got one right, meaning that the filmmakers were largely true to the book and told a compelling story of their own. Daniel Radcliffe, in my eyes the luckiest young man in the world, does a commendable job of conveying the fear, desperation, and bravery of Harry Potter as he faces a fearsome enemy directly. The acting has a few forgettable moments, when Radcliffe fails to convey the intensity of Harry's emotions, but for the most part Radcliffe takes Harry's emotions to a further extent than in any previous film. As Voldemort's own desperation grows, Harry connects with the Dark Lord in a more direct way and begins to feel his pain and fear as well. One of my favorite aspects of the film is the way this movie and this novel tie in aspects from previous novels and films. The folding together of the plot is exquisite, and the touches in the film reminding us of different characters and going back to the beginning make for a fun movie experience. Lines like "the wand chooses the wizard" and "help will be given at Hogwarts..." take on new meaning in this film. I wouldn't say this film is appropriate for young children, who are likely to be confused or scared by the dark overtones and music, but it is a fun movie for Harry Potter fans and those who have yet to discover the wizarding world.

Super 8

2011-06-19T17:04:00.000-07:00

Movies don't have a very long shelf life these days, but this one deserves a long run. It's an adventure told through the eyes of a loveable group of kids making a film in a small industrial town. That description may make the movie sound a little like Goonies, but it's not quite accurate. Think Goonies meets Invasion of the Body Snatchers, and you're a lot closer to this movie. In fact, the movie self-consciously gives away some of the secrets of those movies through the kids' dialogue about the movie they are making, which also provides some light comedy throughout the movie. There is an element of parody in the kids' movie about zombies, but there's also an element of innocence that has largely been lost in this era of big budget entertainment. The whole film is set in the early 1980s or late 1970s, which is a perfect time for it, because it's before the world was totally transformed by the success of movies like Star Wars, Close Encounters of the Third Kind, and ET. If you go see the movie, and I highly recommend that you do, look for the way the filmmaker weaves together disparate elements. I know Steven Spielberg produced it and JJ Abrams directed it, so comparisons to ET and Star Trek are probably inevitable, but this film really aims to get past some of the Hollywood sci fi stuff and tell a story about coming of age, grief, loss, and love. It encapsulates the story in a monster movie that riffs on the alien mythology we've all become accustomed to. There's no reason these two stories can't coexist in the same movie, and the script does a fantastic job of combining the elements. There are also some startling acting performances from some young actors, none of whom I've ever heard anything about before.

Here's Something Beautiful -- A Found Poem

2011-06-19T00:07:00.000-07:00

Well, if I can't make something beautiful (see my last post), I can at least find something beautiful. Here it is, the Beaufort Wind Scale, in poetic form:

0 - smoke rises vertically
1 - smoke drifts slowly in the direction of the wind
2 - leaves rustle, flags stir, wind is felt on the face
3 - leaves move constantly, light flags unfurl
4 - twigs move, flags flap, dust and loose papers blow about
5 - small trees sway, flags ripple, small waves appear on lakes
6 - large branches move, flags beat, umbrellas turn inside out
7 - whole trees move, flags are extended, it becomes difficult to walk into the wind
8 - twigs break off trees, it becomes very difficult to walk
9 - shingles blown off roofs
10 - trees are uprooted, houses receive much damage
11 - violent storm, widespread damage
12 - devastation

I once read a whole book on this subject, Defining the Wind, reviewed here. The book didn't capture my imagination the way this presentation of the scale does. Strange how I can't seem to find this exact rendition anywhere on the Internet. I hope you like it.

Make something beautiful

2011-06-18T07:56:00.000-07:00

For a long time, I've used this blog to express opinions and share my thoughts on the news or other events. I've decided I also need to use it for a different purpose -- to make something beautiful. There are many, many critics out there. The easiest thing to do when I sit down at my computer is to be critical and opinionated and try to carve out some special meaning out of events that will stand out among the billions of blog pages out there. Instead, I am challenging myself right now to create something that will stand the test of time -- something people will actually want to read. It's difficult for me to get out of the critical, ego-driven mode of blogging and into some other mode, especially since my audience right now is pretty much a few friends and family, plus some random people who find this blog through a search and spammers. I had hoped to have a wider audience, but it seems that's not something that just happens -- one has to work for something like that.

So, I'm definitely open to suggestion as far as what to do with this blog next, but here's a start -- something beautiful in my estimation.

"You Are Beautiful"

The photo above may be part of a larger art project, I'm not sure, but it is interesting to note that it is all about the message. The words have been damaged by vandalism and graffiti, but they are still an important message that people ought to hear. The artist or whoever installed these words under a freeway overpass intended them to speak to everyone, and it raises some interesting questions: can everyone truly be beautiful? are the ugly aspects of the world more powerful than beauty? does saying something like this make it true? what does God think about all this?

To speak highly of someone is difficult sometimes -- we all have faults, and we all have insecurities that keep us focused on the negative aspects of ourselves and other people. I think God would say that we are all beautiful -- we are all His creatures, and we are all His children. We distort ourselves and make ourselves proud, though, if we don't acknowledge that God is the source of this beauty. Artists sometimes point us toward God and sometimes take on God's creative role and try to out-do God in making something beautiful. They can end up making provocative art or reassuring art or anything in between, but God made us to be creative people -- that's something that makes us like God, unique among his creatures -- our creative ability.

So, I don't have a problem with this type of art installation. I love the message, and the gritty surroundings only make that message more important. I wonder, though, if everyone who reads that sign will ultimately be drawn closer to God, or if they will go more on their own way. I'm not intending this blog post to be critical, though, so I should probably stop here. I'm not really an art critic, and I've lapsed back into a critical mode here. I wanted to share something unique that I found on the Internet, and I've ended up interpreting it critically. Maybe I'll have something more beautiful to share next time.

"We May Be Slow, But We Aren't Stupid"

2011-06-09T20:57:00.000-07:00

I love the headline to this post, which is the last quote in the New York Times column by Thomas Friedman linked to here, about global growth and the need to reinvent the world economy to be more sustainable. I know in my personal life, it is hard to imagine how I have accumulated so much stuff. After reading the column, I realize I need to think more about how I use resources, and to take personal responsibility for some of my choices. If the whole country took resources into consideration, I'm sure we could do a better job of conservation and recycling, as well as making improvements in quality of life, as the expert quoted in the article suggests. I threw away so much plastic today just in making a sandwich -- plastic on the produce, plastic on the cheese, plastic on the meat, and two sets of plastic on the bread -- that I actually felt bad about it, even before I read the article. Plastic is made from oil refinery byproducts, and it is part of the lifeblood of our economy. But it is a wasteful use of oil and one that we could live without quite so much of. Still, is it really better to buy a cloth reusable bag made by someone in Indonesia or China, then forget that I have it, than to simply use the plastic bag at the cash register? With the rash of tornadoes and multiple heat waves back East, it may be time to acknowledge that global warming poses a real threat to the country and the world. I'm going to start by avoiding plastic bags wherever possible. Things like Earth Day and Earth Hour seem to make sense to raise awareness of environmental issues, but it really comes down to day-to-day decisions -- how willing are we to drive less, make real changes in our routines, etc. to help benefit the Earth?

Nevada legislature adjourned - anybody paying attention?

2011-06-08T11:47:00.000-07:00

The Nevada legislature adjourned officially at 1:20 a.m. on June 7. Was anybody paying attention to what's been done to Nevadans over the next two years? The Republicans in the legislature got to vote for cuts to funding for adult mental illness programs, cuts to children with autism programs, cuts to education funding generally, collective bargaining "reforms" that will mean fewer benefits for government workers across the board, actual cuts to government benefits, and a host of other measures that benefit few if any Nevadans.

I want to know -- do any of my Nevada readers know what just happened? Was it a fluke, or was it part of a bigger picture to de-fund government and make life more difficult for Nevadans all around? Will people getting pink slips really help the economy?

I'm all for sensible reforms, but I think Republicans got just about everything they wanted from this legislative session, and it's time for them to reap the repercussions.

The Other Side

2011-06-05T17:36:00.000-07:00

I read George W. Bush's memoir recently, on M's recommendation that I read something from the "other side." I found the book really interesting, although I can't say I agree with everything Pres. Bush writes. My full review is available at my book blog. That reading has got me thinking about what else I don't know, so I may broaden my reading a little bit this summer. So, any recommendations for me out there? What should I read that will force me to re-think my preconceptions?

Sunday Quick Takes

2011-05-22T18:55:00.000-07:00

1. I was once warned by a pastor that "there's no such thing as harmless entertainment." He labeled it one of the great lies of the 21st century. I don't know that I agree 100% with that statement, but the truth is, most entertainment has a point behind it, and most of the time, that point does not fit in a Christian worldview. I think back to the days of the Romans sometimes, when "bread and circuses" were sometimes viewed as the main needs of the masses -- entertain the masses and distract them from the costs of empire building, was the thinking behind that phrase, I believe. We certainly enjoy our "circuses" these days, whether it be reality TV or movies or technology-based games. The Christian worldview asks that we see past these entertainments to the things that really matter, and it does get hard to do that sometimes.

2. I saw a good sermon online today about putting family first and modeling our marriages on the instructions in the Bible from Genesis and Jesus in Matthew -- "leaving" one set of family (mom and dad), "cleaving" together, and "weaving" a new family from that union. This process is an important act -- building a Christian family takes "exercise," he said, and one of those exercises is learning the love language of your mate. So, M and I might go through the "love languages" book that we have and try to learn more about each other. I'm not really capturing the details of the sermon, but the whole thing is available online at the following link: http://www.gvchristian.com

3. All this talk about pastors reminds me that Sunday is supposed to be a day of rest. We don't do a very good job of that in this country.

4. I watched Meet the Press this morning, and I couldn't believe how David Gregory was pressing Paul Ryan about Newt Gingrich, trying desperately to "make news" instead of letting Congressman Ryan speak for himself. I found myself wishing for Tim Russert's more likeable approach.

Pirates 4: On Stranger Tides

2011-05-21T14:08:00.000-07:00

I liked Pirates of the Caribbean: On Stranger Tides. As one critic points out, it isn't absurdist art, but it is entertaining, ridiculous fun, that makes this summer movie something to look forward to.

Having surveyed some reliable critics who didn't like the movie (Roger Ebert, A.O. Scott, Peter Travers), and one new critic to me who really didn't like it (the SF Chronicle's Mick Lasalle), I feel the urge to defend this action movie from the critical onslaught.

First, the movie's plot and sub-plots fit nicely into the two-hour timeframe. The sub-plots include a doe-eyed love story between a mermaid and a missionary and a tangled relationship that involves betrayals of all kinds between Capt. Jack and his would-be impostor, would-be lover Angelica. The usurpation of king and crown by pirates of all kinds also enlivens the movie. The movie attempts to have something for everybody, and it mostly succeeds at that impossible feat.

Second, the movie balances the familiar, Johny Depp's antic pirate, with the new, in bringing in acting performances by Penelope Cruz and Ian McShane that even Mr. Lasalle above credits with almost saving the movie. McShane plays a steely, bracing evil pirate (Blackbeard) attempting to cheat death, and Penelope Cruz plays Angelica, who owes a debt to Blackbeard and attempts to fulfill it by imposing her will on Capt. Jack.

Finally, the movie has useful humor and maintains the spirit of cavalier freedom that propelled the first movie into the national psyche. There is some serious criticism that the film deserves for having too many explosions, too many horrible deaths, and too little sympathy shown for characters that are killed nonchalantly. But that criticism forgets that there is a release in this idea of adventure that many people look for in the movies -- not some drawn out character study of grief and mourning, but rather an escapist reality that does cost lives and does involve some risk to the main characters, but in which the freedom of the main characters to be and do exactly what they want is in the forefront and the real-life consequences of those actions are more muted.

Escapism in the defense of liberty is no vice. Onward, Captain Jack! Go see the movie.

Death, Taxes, Justice, and the American Way

2011-05-06T11:56:00.000-07:00

After a few days of attention on the killing of Osama bin Laden by US Navy Seals, I may have some perspective on the event. First, I've heard some people complain that Pres. Obama is trying to take political advantage of the military victory. This complaint is off base for many reasons -- first of all, someone had to make the gutsy decision to order the operation to be carried out. Victory in this operation was not a foregone conclusion, as the President's national security aides have pointed out. Second, the President's job is to take victories like the one our military and intelligence community just had and use them to the US's advantage in foreign and domestic arenas. A full court press in domestic and international media is necessary at this time, with the anniversary of September 11 certain to dominate press coverage in the months ahead, and with Al Qaeda finally dealt a substantial blow. It's not only appropriate but also good strategy to go on offense, as opposed to simply playing defense, after something like this happens. Now, the President doesn't want to overplay his hand, which is another reason why NOT releasing the photos of a dead Osama bin Laden was a good decision. But I think he's playing this with his trademark calm, and it's important that he appear in control of the situation at this time.

It's good to see Osama bin Laden brought to justice. With that said, the Lord says, "Vengeance is mine." Let's not get carried away with the swell of patriotism and forget that the Lord counsels restraint in times of turmoil. The Lord certainly had a hand in bringing Osama bin Laden to justice, but he doesn't really take sides in war. He knew September 11 was going to happen when he was hanging on the cross, and he allowed it to happen, along with a thousand other daily atrocities around the world. God is the ultimate source of justice in this world and the next, and we all fall short of God's glory. So, give praise where it is due, but remember, God is in control.

National Day of Prayer's Military Ministry

2011-05-05T12:10:00.000-07:00

Today is the National Day of Prayer. It's also the day before Military Spouse's Day, as I was reminded on the radio this morning. Here's a link that combines the two -- a ministry to the military through the National Day of Prayer. Please remember military families in your prayers today. Thanks!

Happy Easter morning!

2011-04-24T07:14:00.000-07:00

John 20:10-18 --

Then the disciples went back to their homes, but Mary stood outside the tomb crying. As she wept, she bent over and saw two angels in white, seated where Jesus' body had been, one at the head and the other at the foot. They asked her, "Woman, why are you crying?"

"They have taken my Lord away," she said, "and I don't know where they have put him." At this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, but she did not realize it was Jesus.

"Woman," he said, "why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?"

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, "Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him."

Jesus said to her, "Mary."

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, "Rabboni!" (which means teacher).

Jesus said, "Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet returned to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them 'I am returning to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.'"

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: "I have seen the Lord!" And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Good Friday

2011-04-22T06:38:00.000-07:00

After this google search left me wondering if the news media will ever understand Good Friday, I decided to try to write my own account of the importance of this holiday. So, here goes:
Good Friday is the day Christians remember the crucifixion of Jesus on the cross. It is called Good Friday because God did his best work in history on this day -- best in the sense of "good," not in the sense of "earning approval." In fact, God was rejected on this day, and it was a terrible day for humanity, in that we put the God of the Universe to death. But God saw through his commitment and solved the problem of sin once and for all on Good Friday, so it is ultimately a good day. The crucifixion was a gruesome punishment, and Jesus suffered immensely on the day we remember today. He suffered not only pain and humiliation but also separation from the Father, something he had never experienced before. His statements on the cross all have significance, but the cry, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" is the most powerful to me -- it is a quote from the Psalms that indicates that Jesus did indeed suffer the punishment of sin, which is separation from God. Since Jesus never sinned, he did not deserve this punishment, but he took it upon himself as an atoning sacrifice -- something God demanded of his people for a long time before Jesus. Jesus alone was capable of taking on this burden -- he was a unique person, being fully human and fully God, and he was able to take on the sins of the world while on the cross. He not only survived this crushing burden, he ultimately triumphed over it three days later when he rose from the dead. That is what we remember on Easter. But, for today, we remember the sacrifice and suffering of Jesus -- not an easy concept to explain, nor one that looks right to those who don't know Christ, but that's what today's really about to me.

Maundy Thursday

2011-04-21T06:54:00.000-07:00

A few scripture verses for this Maundy Thursday, the day we remember the Last Supper.

1 Corinthians 11:23-26: For I received from the Lord what I also passed on to you: The Lord Jesus, on the night he was betrayed, took bread, and when he had given thanks, he broke it and said, "This is my body, which is for you; do this in remembrance of me." In the same way, after supper he took the cup, saying, "This cup is the new covenant in my blood; do this, whenever you drink it, in remembrance of me." For whenever you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord's death until he comes.

Romans 8: 13-17: For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live, because those who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God. For you did not receive a spirit that makes you a slave again to fear, but you received the Spirit of sonship. And by him we cry, "Abba," Father. The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God's children. Now if we are children, then we are heirs -- heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory.

John 13:2-9: The evening meal was being served, and the devil had already prompted Judas Iscariot, son of Simon, to betray Jesus. Jesus knew that the Father had put all things under his power, and that he had come from God and was returning to God; so he got up from the meal, took off his outer clothing, and wrapped a towel around his waist. After that, he poured water into a basin and began to wash his disciples' feet, drying them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, "Lord, are you going to wash my feet?" Jesus replied, "You do not realize now what I am doing, but later you will understand." "No," said Peter, "you shall never wash my feet." Jesus answered, "Unless I wash you, you have no part with me." "Then, Lord," Simon Peter replied, "not just my feet but my hands and my head as well!"

Lord, may we live up to your example of humility, may we learn to suffer in a way that glorifies you and demonstrates your Spirit in us, may we always remember your sacrifice on the cross for our sins.

Will anyone go to jail for the financial crisis?

2011-04-19T06:26:00.000-07:00

Bloomberg BusinessWeek had this quote at the end of a longish story on Goldman Sachs:

In a filing on March 1, Goldman Sachs estimated its “reasonably possible” losses from legal claims could reach $3.4 billion as the firm faces suits related to its activities before, during and after the financial crisis.
Last week, Senator Carl M. Levin, the Michigan Democrat who leads the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, issued a report based on two years of investigation into the financial crisis and accused Goldman Sachs of misleading clients and Congress. Goldman Sachs has denied that it misled anyone.

There could be Senate hearings on the issue, but unlikely anyone will go to jail. We shall see.

Since My Life is an Open Book...

2011-04-18T12:50:00.000-07:00

I thought I'd quote from what I'm reading today:

Psalm 84:10-12 -- Better is one day in your courts than a thousand elsewhere; I would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of my God than dwell in the tents of the wicked. For the Lord God is a sun and shield; the Lord bestows favor and honor; no good thing does he withhold from thsoe whose walk is blameless. O Lord Almighty, blessed is the man who trusts in you.

And just for fun, The Princess Bride, 30th anniversary edition, p. xiv:

"But did I go? Did not. Never went to Florin, never thought much about it. No, not true, I did think about it but I didn't visit for one reason: I was afraid the place would disappoint me."

This is William Goldman, writing as William Goldman, instead of as S. Morgenstern, the author of the history of Florin on which the Princess Bride is based. Too bad none of that made it into the movie.

Song lyrics

2011-04-17T07:31:00.000-07:00

Stealing an idea from Garden Gal, here are some lyrics I find inspiring. It's a little philosophical, but I like that about the song. It also expresses hope and desire, which are essential in a good rock song. I tried to correct the lyrics I found online, but there were some errors, and I may have missed some.

"Crossfire" by Brandon Flowers

There’s a still in the street outside your window
You’re keepin’ secrets on your pillow
Let me inside, no cause for alarm
I promise tonight not to do no harm
I promise you baby, I won't do you no harm

And we're caught up in the crossfire
Of heaven and hell
And we're searching for shelter
Lay your body down...

Watching you dress as you turn down the light
I forget all about the storm outside
Dark clouds roll their way over town
Heartache and pain came pouring down like
Chaos in the rain, yeah
They're handing it out

And we're caught up in the crossfire
Of heaven and hell
And were searching for shelter
Lay your body down...

Tell the devil that he can go back from where he came
His fiery arrows drew their bead in vain.
And when the hardest part is over we'll be here
And our dreams will break the boundaries of our fears
Boundaries of our fears

Lay your body down(6x)

Next to mine....

September, 2010

2011-04-16T06:20:00.000-07:00

In September, 2010, we were in Hawaii. We visited Volcano National Park on the Big Island. It was a wonderful vacation, and I don't remember seeing a single news story on the anniversary of September 11 that year. This year will be different, though, with it being 10 years and all. I hope the media does a good job of covering that anniversary -- meaning that they don't just cover the fact that it's been 10 years -- we all know that! Rather, they should cover a few angles that I think are worthwhile -- the effects on real people. The heroism of firefighters and cops on an every day basis. The deficit and other problems that resulted from 2 wars launched to defend us from terrorists. We owe our veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan so much, and yet they've committed atrocities in our names. Those facts should be part of the coverage. And, of course, the causes of the attack -- not so much demonizing bin Laden as explaining why he would think killing so many innocent people was just. Our enemies continue to try to attack America. It's a good thing that there hasn't been a repeat of the attack -- we have been lucky, but we've also been good. It's time to recognize those people who have kept us safe for so long, and say thanks, but not to rest on our laurels, either. Thank God for the overall safety of the USA. Thank God there hasn't been another attack. Thank God for everyday victories. I know I'm probably jumping the gun here a little bit, but I feel safer now than I did ten years ago. It's thanks to people who look out for us, the military, the police, the feds, and the other first responders that we are safe. God has some things to say about keeping us safe, too. I believe he wants to bless this anniversary date and every day with good things for his people. It's all in how you define your neighbor, though, that makes the difference to God. God wants his people to care for each other, too. Probably too much rambling too early in the morning, but hey, it's my blog.

Getting personal

2011-04-14T20:54:00.000-07:00

1. Our taxes are done. Yay! I like e-filing, but I'm not sure it's 100% secure. Who knows what the future holds?

2. Security of personal information is virtually impossible to maintain. We may think we have control, but we really don't. If someone wants to know where I live, for example, I think they can find it. Not that I'm particularly hoping that someone will take up the challenge. Also, I'm careful what I post on the Internet, but I'm not sure it really matters. Remember that commercial where the guy published his social security number on the sides of buses and such? It may still be on. I wonder whatever happened to that guy. He's probably rich.

3. Speaking of taxes and the rich, did you catch Pres. Obama's speech on Wednesday? I thought it was pretty persuasive, and I said so on twitter and facebook. Didn't get much response, really. He proposed taxing the rich to keep our commitments to the American community. He also proposed spending cuts, and a few other things, but I'm forgetting the details. The big number is $4 trillion, I believe, over 12 years. The big question is whether a speech can move hearts and minds in this day and age.

4. I got off track - I meant this to be personal, not political. I do have a political bent, though, don't I? Anyway, I watched the end of a National Geographic special tonight on the "edge of the universe" that would have done Stanley Kubrick proud with the graphics. It really was like 2001: A Space Odyssey with less creepy sound effects.

5. M deserves a mention today. She did really well getting through some difficult emotions with a health issue we're investigating. I think she'll be posting more details on her (private) blog soon.

6. Keep praying for our friends who are dealing with cancer. They're on my mind tonight, too.

7. I'm getting tired so I'll stop here. Good night, faithful reader(s)!

7 Quick Takes

2011-04-12T20:44:00.000-07:00

1. Praising God for good weather and a thoughtful comment on the radio that made me want to give Him more of my time. "Thy word is a lamp unto my feet" kept going through my head this evening, but I'm not sure what the chapter and verse are.

2. Work has been pretty stressful this week, with the main event scheduled for tomorrow. Not as stressful as other things could be, but about as stressful as my job gets. I can't really explain fully here, but it's been a busy week, and I'm tired already.

3. My April schedule has gone from not very full to very full. "April is the cruelest month..." (that's a line from TS Eliot, I think).

4. Friends and family (my dad) have gotten some serious news about health. Pray for patience and strength. I don't want to be too vague, but I also don't want to disclose too much either. Just know that Dad is facing some issues with work due to health concerns, and our friends have received really bad news and will know more soon about how to deal with "the C-word."

5. Check out the new link on my blog! It's to the right under the photo, if you're interested.

6. I'm wondering if buying Adobe's Creative Suite on an installment plan is worth it. It may have the tools I need to accomplish some goals at home, but it's really expensive. It also could lead to a new career path, if I can learn it and show some skill with it on a freelance basis. It's really just an idea, but it could be kind of fun.

7. De-stressing and venting help.

Seven Quick Takes

2011-04-09T17:54:00.000-07:00

1. Facebook has lost some of its charm for me -- many people I know have either quit using it or use it more sparingly -- but it still is an effective means of communication. I haven't added a friend for a long time,but I was able to connect with a friend who's coming to town soon on it. That's pretty cool.

2. Rooting for Tiger Woods in golf is like rooting for the Yankees in baseball. Still, I'm kinda rooting for the "old guy" to make a run on Sunday and make the young guys work for their victory in the Masters.

3. Twitter is becoming more interesting to me. I used it last night, and I was reminded to watch a pretty informative PBS show called "Nevada Week in Review" that probably gets low ratings, but really was interesting.

4. Blogging is becoming old-fashioned, with competition from twitter and facebook. Still, I like it.

5. Social media generally makes us less connected rather than more connected, I'm thinking. It favors the superficial over the truly intimate experience of being together.

6. Global warming can indeed cause cooler weather in certain places -- people tend to confuse climate for weather.

7. Use less gas! It's past time.

If UNLV were a business...

2011-04-07T20:11:00.000-07:00

From an interview with UNLV's president, featured here:
"Let’s talk about UNLV as a business. It employs 3,000 people. It has a billion-dollar-a-year economic impact.
It brings into this state from outside the state more than $300 million a year.
The return on the state’s $175 million investment is enormous.
Where do we get those dollars? From nonresidential students, and two-thirds of them pay full freight nonresidential tuition at $18,500 per year — that’s just the tuition.
Of course those students don’t just bring their tuition dollars. They buy cars, gas, groceries. The direct impact of that is $140 million per year — that’s raw dollars, not economic impact. That’s a pretty good business.
We also run a major entertainment venue, the Thomas & Mack Center. It’s the top-grossing college arena in the country. It’s perennially in the top 10 of all arenas in the country.
We bring about $100 million a year in federal funds — grants and contracts. Those dollars have the biggest economic multiplier you can ever imagine."

Paul Ryan's budget plan -- painful predictions, but are they true?

2011-04-05T21:12:00.000-07:00

David Brooks has gone over the top in praising Paul Ryan's budget plan, out today. He calls it "amazing" that the Chairman of the House Budget Committee would consider taxes in his budget plan, while failing to mention that the plan lowers tax rates for the top earners in the country -- in other words, the rich. I find Mr. Ryan's plan to be mostly political posturing by a Republican who may have Presidential ambitions, but Mr. Brooks finds it to be a "moment of truth." After looking through the plan for about an hour, I have to admit it sets out some serious issues with the budget that people really ought to know. However, it relies on outsized projections to arrive at its most serious claims -- meaning that the website is flashy, and the statistics are scary, but even Mr. Ryan may have to admit that the statistics are mostly based on trends that no one can really predict. In 10 years, the projections may have flip-flopped, as they did from 2000, when the federal government was running a surplus, to today.

A direct quote from one official budget document dated 2000 states: "The 2000 Budget forecasts surplus for decades to come, if we maintain the policy of fiscal discipline and strategic investments in the American people." -- sorry I can't link to the actual document, but it's in a government database, so it's difficult to link to

So, I hope people take this plan with a HUGE grain of salt, especially since the Republicans in Congress seem to be looking to shut down government again.

Good Local and National Editorials; Good Reporting on the CIA and the Legislature

2011-03-31T03:35:00.000-07:00

Despite the paywall, the New York Times still has me hooked. I read this article on the CIA's involvement in Libya earlier this evening, along with this editorial that brought into focus the misplaced priorities of the Fed in regulating banks. I'm probably going to hit the 20-article threshold pretty soon at this rate, meaning I will have to pay to access their content online. As I said before, I'm not thrilled at the prospect of paying for online content, but I probably will.

The reason I keep going to the Times is that they really do have stories no one else does, and they offer perspective in their editorials and columns that helps shape my opinions primarily through reasoned arguments and facts, rather than a strict adherence to some liberal ideology. One of the columns I read most frequently is David Brooks', and he is a moderate conservative, not a liberal.

Not that being a liberal is a bad thing. Here's an editorial by an unabashed liberal on the state of things in Nevada that ought to wake people up to what's really going on in our state. It really is incredible that education is about to get kicked in the teeth in this state, in the middle of a down economy that ought to be a wake-up call in which the state learns to invest in growing the economy from within, all because of a "no new taxes" mantra that's going on 9 years old and shows no sign of weakening. The editorial explains that Nevada's legislators need to be scared into doing the right thing, because they aren't showing the will to lead us in the right direction. It makes me want to write my legislator an email or do something to end the massive problems with our politics.

On the bright side, I did see this article a few days back about a protest in Carson City that brought record numbers of students to the state capitol building. I hope this really is the beginning of a movement, not just a one-time deal, as one of the organizers says at the end.

Late-Night Quick Takes

2011-03-25T04:23:00.000-07:00

Seven quick takes during a late-night blog session:

1. Reading one's own writing can often lead the author to question his or her own intelligence. Case in point, see "Time Waits for Snowman" below. I actually still like the post a little bit, but to me it seems quite random and off-the-cuff. Maybe I've matured as a blogger, maybe I'm just wincing at how I seem to have written whatever popped into my head at the moment. Who knows what I'll think of this post in 5 years?

2. I cannot believe it is already almost April 2011. If you were born one third of the way through 1990, you'd be turning 21 right about now. I feel like time is slipping through my hands faster and faster. I've heard 20-somethings complain about how fast time is going by, and all I can think is, wait until you're older. I imagine this phenomenon gets worse over time. To put this in perspective, today's high school seniors have only known Pres. Clinton, Pres. George W. Bush, and Pres. Obama as the U.S. Presidents for THEIR ENTIRE LIVES. Pres. Clinton is a vague memory from when they were no more than 4 years old. When I look back on what I thought I knew in high school, I realize now that it wasn't that much.

3. Speaking of not knowing much, I learned tonight that the Clovis people have been considered the oldest group of American people, dating back more than 13,000 years from the present by radiocarbon dating. They are named because of a certain shape of arrowhead that was found in Clovis, New Mexico in the 1930s. I had never heard of them until I stumbled on a New York Times headline. I decided not to read the article because of the Times' new pricing model, but I did find the information I wanted on Wikipedia. Ain't the Internet grand?

4. That new pricing model has led to a dilemma of sorts for me -- thanks to their tracking cookie, I discovered that I read about 40 articles last month from the Times, which means I should be signing up for their online subscription soon (if you read more than 20 articles a month, they ask you to pay a fee). I feel like this is a reasonable pricing scheme, plus I would like to have access to the Times on my wife's iPad if I feel like it, so I may go for the full online subscription. However, I don't like paying for content on the Internet. I know that the Times Co. needs to make money somehow, and I don't like the more and more intrusive ads they have come up with recently, so I'd probably be willing to pay for "premium" Internet content. Still, I think the Internet should be free. That's what we've all come to expect, isn't it?

5. These quick takes are not so quick. I've taken at least a half-hour to write this, I think.

6. To be brief, I think 2012 is going to be a doozy of an election cycle. Smears from all sides, especially in Nevada.

7. Thanks to the Las Vegas Gleaner for giving me entertaining, thoughtful, funny analysis from a liberal perspective on local, national, and international politics. I'm glad he's still free...for now.

Historical Note - 25 years ago this week, Microsoft went public

2011-03-18T03:54:00.000-07:00

I found this article while browsing late tonight. It's interesting to note how much has changed in 25 years, both because of and in spite of Microsoft, and how much hasn't. It's also interesting to see how Microsoft came to be so admired and respected -- it wasn't out of greed, necessarily, that Gates took Microsoft public, but rather, because it was demanded of the company in order to attract and keep "excellence."

I like the cover art, too - very 1980s to focus on the dollar signs.

Anyway, if you're interested, check it out!

State of the Union

2011-01-26T19:09:00.000-08:00

For the most part, I thought the President's message last night was on target. He didn't reach for oratorical heights, but rather laid out an agenda for government that is practical and aimed at solving problems, especially in key areas like research, education, and infrastructure. He didn't offer a lot of specifics, though, and I wonder whether he plans to elaborate further or leave the tougher decisions to others. For example, he said the tax code should be simplified for business and individuals, but didn't come out and say he favored getting rid of the tax credit for interest on home loans, as some have suggested. He also left foreign policy to the last third of the speech. While he did praise "heroic" troops and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, I was surprised that he waited that long to bring up the wars. Overall, the speech wasn't a game-changer, but it did seem reasonable and balanced, which is the impression I think the President was aiming for.

Sunday Quick Takes

2011-01-23T15:18:00.000-08:00

Seven quick takes this Sunday:

1. I took a nap yesterday for the first time in forever. It felt really good to spend part of an afternoon just sleeping. I don't know why I was so tired; it just kind of happened. I think M watching the Food Network beside me had something to do with it -- she says it's calming.

2. I've been eating well for the past couple of weeks. M watching the Food Network has offered some good ideas for meals -- home-made old-fashioned pancakes and frittatas for breakfast, pasta for lunch, salmon with orange dressing and fennel salad for dinner. Yummy, healthy food made from fresh ingredients is hard to beat!

3. M goes back to work on Monday, but she's not quite sure how it will go. She's still in some pain, with physical therapy prescribed and continuing for a few more weeks. She has worked it out to have a little more flexible schedule to allow for the PT, but it may mean some long days with school and everything else. I have a couple evening meetings next week, so we both will be working longer than a typical 40-hour work week this coming week.

4. I'm reading a good book, which has really given me a fuller picture of the civil rights movement -- it's the third of a series of very detailed books by Taylor Branch, all of which have Biblical references in the title. This one is called At Canaan's Edge, and it's about the last three years of Martin Luther King, Jr's life. The word that keeps coming to mind as I'm reading is "struggle" -- it really was a struggle to earn the rights that we more or less take for granted now, and the movement is full of complex internal struggles, as well as the external opposition that continually surprises me with its level of animosity and violence. The fact that the US elected a black President less than 50 years after the civil rights movement shows that we've come a long way. We still have a long way to go when it comes to race, but it's interesting to see how difficult the first steps have been.

5. The book I'm reading reveals that J. Edgar Hoover was a horrible figure in the history of the civil rights movement. As director of the FBI, he not only opposed any federal protection for the people involved in the struggle, leading at times to those people's deaths, he also actively interfered with the movement, wiretapped many hours of phone calls among King and his advisers, and thought of King as someone who was deeply influenced by Communists, based on very flimsy evidence. He ran the FBI almost like a secret police agency, and conducted domestic spying outside his legal authority on a routine basis.

6. Congrats to Green Bay for winning this afternoon's football game.

7. I'm not really excited about Pittsburgh vs. the Jets, but if I had to pick a team, I guess I'll go with Pittsburgh.

Mr. Hafen, Tear Down These Walls

2011-01-20T20:40:00.000-08:00

So I was driving around town today, and got to thinking about the miles and miles of privacy walls in the city. The amount of cinder block and stucco that was pouring into or being made in this city during the boom must have been astronomical. Just think about it -- just about every residential parcel in town is surrounded by 6-foot-tall, solid walls. I remember when I moved here, I was disappointed with the block walls because it wouldn't allow kids to play in neighbor's back yards. In upstate New York, it made sense to play hide-and-seek in the back yards because they all ran together, except for a couple that were enclosed with chain link fence. It gave me a sense of freedom as a kid that I will never really forget.

So, I have a modest proposal for the city government (Mayor Hafen, are you listening?) -- what if we started banning privacy walls in a few years? That way, new development would have to come up with a new way to screen back yards -- either natural barriers like plants and trees or perhaps a lower wall, or even leaving some open space for people to share, even if the parcels aren't clearly distinguished from another. It might eventually force the developers who have stripped this town down to smaller and smaller parcels to start thinking about what that does to a community.

That suggestion does assume that the growth we've experienced over the past 20 years comes back in any real way. I'm not sure it will, but now might be a chance to improve on the model of the past.

One word, one verse for 2011

2011-01-02T19:10:00.000-08:00

Last year, I chose the word "refuge" as my word for the year and Nahum 1:7 as a verse. It worked out pretty well. I'm surprised the year 2010 went by so fast, but the Lord was definitely a refuge last year. This year, I have chosen the word "wisdom" as my word for 2011. Lord knows I need it. The verse I chose is Proverbs 2:6: "For the LORD gives wisdom; from his mouth come knowledge and understanding." Wisdom is of the highest value in the Old Testament, especially in Proverbs, so I expect to be referring to Proverbs more often in 2011. It's important to remember that God is the source of all wisdom, not me. I have tried to explain things in my own way on this blog, but I need to "lean not on my own understanding" quite so much.

Limits of Science

2010-12-31T09:33:00.000-08:00

Thanks to David Brooks of the New York Times for pointing me to this article -- a discussion of how the results in many scientific studies seem to be declining over time. This finding is a problem with replication of results that goes beyond "regression to the mean," according to the article. ("Regression to the mean" is a statistical rule that if enough results are compiled, results that are either strongly above or below the mean will be outweighed by the more common results.) I have been thinking about science a little bit and how it defines terms for us in this modern age. It's difficult to imagine a world that is not mediated by technology any more -- we have become so saturated with cars, planes, televisions, computers, smartphones, etc. that it's hard to imagine life without them. Science and engineering have allowed the possibility of these inventions, and beyond that transformation, science has become a standard of truth for many people. It's good to know that science's effort to define the world through empiricism has limits, as the article concludes. That's important to note, not just because my Christian beliefs offer alternative explanations for certain things and competes with science for an explanation of big things like the origin of people, but also because our technology-saturated culture tends to forget that all of science's findings are supposed to be tentative and subject to change.

7 Quick Takes

2010-12-18T11:46:00.000-08:00

To get restarted blogging after Fry's restored my computer from a hard drive meltdown (thank God we decided to get the extended warranty), I decided to steal this idea from Conversion Diary: 7 quick takes. They do it on Friday, but I'll have to do the Saturday version.

1. Nothing is harder for me than carving out space to write seriously while working full time and sharing other responsibilities. I attempted to write something, anything, on Thursday night, while I was "multi-tasking" on the computer and watching TV. It was a complete failure. I got one paragraph in and gave up. Perhaps ironically, the subject I chose to start with was why I had difficulty writing.

2. Personally, this week has been stressful, with M's surgery. It happened pretty quickly for those who don't know, but M required surgery to remove the sources of some pain that she's been dealing with for about 4 years. It was a stressful day on Tuesday, with both sets of parents visiting at the hospital and trying to help. Since then, we've had a few visits from friends and flowers delivered, plus my parents came and sat with Mariellen for most of the day Friday. I had to work Wednesday and Friday, but Mariellen's parents were with her on Wednesday. The overall effect of these visits and gifts have been good, but I've had to be more social than usual, and it's hard for an extreme introvert like me.

3. The holidays have snuck up on me again. I can't believe it's only a week until Christmas! I'm trying to convince M that her big gift has already been bought, but I still need to get some little things for her and my parents. We're going to be in California for Christmas Day, if M is feeling up to traveling. Our gifts for her family were delivered early as part of an advent calendar thing, but it feels weird to go empty-handed to Christmas, so we'll probably do some shopping soon. My parents aren't sure where they'll be because Dad may be flying, so we'll have to do Christmas with them on a different day.

4. It seems to be getting harder to focus on what really matters, not easier, as I get older. There are just so many distractions. I've been worrying about all the wrong things -- work, the news, the past, the future, money. Things that don't really matter at all. I can't change the past, nor can I control the future. The news is bad all the time.

5. Speaking of news, I miss the days of the nightly news broadcast, as opposed to 24-hour news cycles. I still watch NBC Nightly News on occasion, and I find that bulletin version of the news more interesting than the hours and hours of news on CNN or Fox News. Not that I can stand to watch Fox for more than a few seconds, but still.

6. Is blogging creative? I'm not sure on that one. It does occupy some of the creative energy I have to come up with this stuff, but I'm not sure it's an effective creative outlet. There's very little audience for my writing these days, as far as I can tell, even though it's being broadcast to the whole world.

7. God is good, all the time. I'm thankful for a successful surgery, for the relative comfort of our lives, for having a job that allows us to pay the bills in such a down economy. I'm looking forward to a new year, in which God will continue to be a refuge.

Why do I care about these minor prophets, anyway?

2010-12-03T07:34:00.000-08:00

I've been reading the minor prophets lately -- see posts labeled "Reading Joel," "The prophetic turn" (Micah), "Zephaniah," and "Nahum" below -- so my loyal reader(s) might be asking, why does this reading matter to me? The short answer is that I began reading them because I had never really read them, and I felt my Biblical knowledge was lacking. Instead of knowledge, though, I have discovered in these books so far the fierceness of God's love. Nahum begins by stressing that God is a jealous God, and all of the prophets I have read so far demonstrate that fact -- not that God is swayed by the emotion of human jealousy, but that he fiercely loves his people and desires to keep them from other gods and idols that only add to human misery and keep them away from him. Does human nature change? Probably -- over time we have become less attuned to God than we were in the past. We have idols still, and those idols hold more sway than ever before. However, God does not change. The Old Testament God who fiercely desires his people to turn to him is the same God who sent Jesus to us at Christmas, and the same God who Jesus preached loves his people like a shepherd loves his flock. I believe it is as true as true can be that God loves his people and desires to save them from themselves and their enemies. This truth is expressed in the prophets as much as anywhere else in the Bible -- the gloom and doom of the prophecy comes from that love. God has a righteous anger toward his enemies -- those who deny his truth and seek out something other than him to satisfy their deepest needs. That anger, again, is not a human emotion but a reflection of God's fierce love. So that's what I'm learning in reading these prophets for the first time. I'm sure I will learn more as I go through them.

Nahum

2010-12-01T07:26:00.000-08:00

Continuing my reading of the minor prophets, I came across Nahum, which announces God's judgment against the city of Nineveh, a major city in the Assyrian Empire, which flourished between 875 BC and 627 BC, if the Bible maps I'm using are accurate. Nahum was writing between 658 and 615 BC, according to those same Bible maps, so it was written around the time that the Babylonian Empire conquered or absorbed the Assyrian area that includes Nineveh, I think. Apparently, God is against Nineveh. He pronounced through Nahum a judgment that does not change over time -- in the NIV, he says directly "I am against you" twice, and in one passage he makes clear his intentions toward Nineveh:

You will have no descendants to bear your name. I will destroy the carved images and cast idols that are in the temple of your gods. I will prepare your grave, for you are vile. (1:14)

Nahum does not contain as much of the prophetic turn toward God as the other minor prophets I have read. It does promise "good news" to the people of Judah -- this was written during the time of the divided kingdom in Israel -- but not to the Ninevites. When Jonah visited Nineveh in 781 BC, he brought a warning from God to the city, and the city repented. However, this time God has apparently had enough of Nineveh. The verse that struck me most is this one (1:7-8):

The Lord is good, a refuge in times of trouble. He cares for those who trust in him, but with an overwhelming flood he will make an end of Nineveh; he will pursue his foes into darkness.

In one breath the prophet takes us from God's goodness to his wrath against Nineveh, and uses contrasting imagery to the light imagery used of God in the Psalms -- in Nahum, he pursues his foes into darkness.

It's interesting that I made the first part of this verse my verse for the year in January, but didn't really put the verse into context with the judgment against Nineveh. The entire book of Nahum is filled with descriptions of God's wrath. In verse 3:1, Nineveh is particularly singled out as:

the city of blood, full of lies, full of plunder, never without victims!

and then in verse 3:4 as:

a harlot, alluring, the mistress of sorceries, who enslaved nations by her prostitution and peoples by her witchcraft

There is plenty of relevance for this Bible verse today, but I guess it depends on whether you think Nineveh represents all places that are not godly, or whether it is strictly a judgment against that particular place. We, like Nineveh, tend to be proud of our status as a world leader here in the U.S. Nineveh was not unlike some cities in the U.S. today, I imagine -- wealthy, ignorant of God's leading, sexually transgressive, and poised for a fall. However, the actual city of Nineveh is near modern-day Mosul in Iraq. The Babylonians superceded the Assyrians shortly after this prophecy was written, I believe, so many of Nahum's prophecies of judgment may have come true then. One can't help but wonder, though, if God's judgment against Nineveh is an everlasting judgment that carries over to today, literally, in Iraq. I don't think Nineveh has been rebuilt as a great city since the time of the Babylonians, and it doesn't appear likely that it will rise from the ashes any time soon.

I hope that my loyal readers and I will be the recipients of good news, not the bad news that awaits God's enemies, and that we can claim the promises made to Judah in Nahum for our own. We shouldn't confuse the nation with God's people, though. God's people are defined by faith in God, not by the nation-state in which they reside. The U.S. can be represented by Nineveh just as much as Iraq, if we are arrogant and disregard God's call. The warning in Zephaniah was against the "city of oppressors"; the warning in Nahum is against the "city of blood." There is something to be said for not putting too much faith in military might -- even the strongest armies can be defeated by God. That's a pretty political interpretation of the text, but it is implied in the literal reading.

Zephaniah

2010-11-26T20:23:00.000-08:00

Continuing with my reading of minor prophets, I picked up Zephaniah today. It's interesting after enjoying such a bountiful feast yesterday to see the woes that are described for the whole world in the prophecy. Zephaniah says, in verse 1:18:

Neither their silver nor their gold will be able to save them on the day of the Lord's wrath. In the fire of his jealousy the whole world will be consumed, for he will make a sudden end of all who live on the earth.

Zephaniah goes on for a while about the destruction of the world, nations, and "the city of oppressors" by God, but it does contain the prophetic turn toward God at the end, and promises of salvation for God's people. The comfort of modern America is a stark contrast to the severe physical conditions of Biblical time, but I think Zephaniah has it right when he says there is no room to be "haughty" on God's holy hill. Our temptation is to be haughty because of our relative wealth. The U.S. is still the richest country on Earth, I think -- definitely the biggest economy, and per capita GDP is probably pretty close to #1. Anyway, my point is, do we see ourselves as God's people, or do we put too much trust in things? I know American culture is definitely too much of a consumer culture. Even our current economic woes haven't changed the pattern of encouraging more and more consumption -- bigger and bigger restaurant plates, bigger and bigger combo meals, bigger and bigger televisions -- more and more. Look at Black Friday and what it's become, after all. We are the "city of oppressors" to some people around the world, and who's to say that Gods' wrath can't be aimed at our love of wealth? Most Americans are decent people, but we take so much for granted, and we do live with comforts that Biblical prophets wouldn't even comprehend. On a day like today, the day after Thanksgiving, I am still grateful that I live in the U.S. because of the freedoms and privileges that come with being an American. But I can't help but wonder, are we less prepared than we think we are for what's to come?

Getting the Puritans Right for Thanksgiving

2010-11-24T14:25:00.000-08:00

This short op-ed in the New York Times (where else?) celebrates the good things the Puritans brought with them to the New World, including the beginnings of separation of church and state. I found it interesting and full of new insights.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 1

2010-11-20T07:04:00.000-08:00

This movie is an unsparing version of the first half of the book. My first thought when I heard they were splitting the last book into two movies was, how are they going to end the first one? While I don't want to give away the ending, suffice to say that this movie ends at a pretty low moment for Harry and his friends. The downward trend persists from the opening music, which is very subdued, through to the end, with only a few breaks of lightness or comedy in between. One of my favorite parts of the book is Ron Weasley's heroic effort to save Harry and "kill" a horcrux using Godric Gryffindor's sword. This part of the movie is dramatic, and spiced up a bit for the cameras with a kiss scene between Harry and Hermione -- part of the spell protecting the horcrux is apparently an apparition that expresses Ron's worst fears. Instead of falling to the temptation to jealousy, Ron banishes his fears by putting the sword through the horcrux. Typically, though, Ron undercuts his moment of heroism by saying, "Just think, there are three more of them." I liked this part of the movie, too, but not as much as the book version. The story of the deathly hallows themselves is told entirely through animation, which doesn't match the style of the rest of the movies, but it does allow the creators of the film some creative fun, I guess. There isn't a lot of fun in the movie overall, but Harry, Hermione and Ron's humanity contrasts throughout the movie with Voldemort's quest to become a god. There is a touching parallel at the end that I can't explain without giving too much away, but these light touches aren't enough to really give an uplift to the movie. Overall, I recommend the movie, but don't expect a light Harry Potter feel or for kids to enjoy this movie at all.

Blaming God

2010-11-17T07:12:00.000-08:00

The question was asked in Bible study -- why do we praise God for the good things in our lives, but not blame him for the bad stuff? I fumbled for an answer to this relatively simple question, but as I've thought more about it, I feel I've arrived at more of an answer. God is good all the time -- he is on the side of good, and he wants the best for his people. He allows us free will, though, to make decisions that result in terrible consequences. He is allowing the world he created to consistently act in opposition to his will, because he wants to save a remnant of his people -- he would like to save everyone, but he gives us choices that allow us to wander from his will. The example of Job was brought up in Bible study -- Job loses everything, including his family, his health, and his wealth, and he beseeches God for pages and pages, demanding to know why he is being handed these terrible blows. God's answer to Job is basically, who are you to question me?
He also says that Job is righteous, though, and chastises the friends who try to explain away Job's circumstances by saying he must have sinned to cause such terrible destruction in his life. The real answer in Job, I think, is not to allow our faith to be shaped by circumstances, good or bad. God's justice will be meted out at the end of time, not before. Whatever circumstances we face now, good or bad, are temporary, and the eternal question is, do we trust God with everything? Do we go to him when just when we're in trouble, and we feel we need him, or just when we're feeling good about the world and desire to praise him for it? No, we have to go to God all the time. Faith demands that we trust God, regardless of where we sit in life or what we see on the news. Our praises to God and our prayer requests are often so self-focused, when we should be praising God every day just for who he is. It is difficult at times to see the good in our circumstances or in terrible events like the earthquake in Haiti, which seem to be God-ordained. God does allow these terrible things to happen, though, because all of creation is in birth pangs to bring about the salvation of God's people. Terrible things that happen are not a judgment on specific people, I don't think, but rather a consequence of the fallen creation, which is allowed to run its course by God. God isn't singling out Haitians for destruction. It's a consequence of our fallen world that people die at all. The eternal question is, how is it possible for God to love us through these disasters? How is it possible for God to allow the suffering of the world to continue for even a second longer? What is he waiting for? For just a few more people to turn his way? It seems that God is willing to allow us a little more time in this world in order to save those who see the terrible things that happen, along with the good, and are willing to give God the praise he deserves. God is good, and he works to bring good out of bad situations for those who believe. For those who don't believe, their circumstances can also turn around in this world, but they don't have the eternal reassurance of God's grace, offered through the person of Jesus Christ. Thank God that he gives us some relief from the bad things in our life, not by altering our circumstances for the good, but by offering himself as a friend, fellow-sufferer, and ultimately, as a savior. He has made clear his intentions to save us by dying on a cross for our sins.

Thinking through things

2010-11-09T11:42:00.000-08:00

I've been trying to think my way through some emotional stuff this week -- my wife and I got some bad news that's pretty heavy. (If my loyal reader(s) need more details, I'd be happy to provide them in an email.) I've been trying to go to God with the problems and work through them, and my post yesterday was one way in which I've been trying to analyze and work through the problems. My post was probably a tad too academic, though, to really offer much uplift in the way of emotions. I tend to approach faith intellectually first and emotionally second, but I think it's both, and this week, the emotions are taking center stage. My wife especially is aching with a heart-ache because of this news, but my heart aches too, especially for her but also a little bit for myself. I don't want to fall into self-pity, but I do want to be more open about how I'm feeling. This doesn't mean that I'm not reassured by the knowledge that God is good or that he is light that overcomes darkness, because I still believe those things to be true. It's hard to find "delight" in those things right now, but I know there is joy in them, because joy does not depend upon circumstances. I can "delight" in those truths later. Right now, I need to remind myself of the joy of God's salvation and his promises to his people. Right now, God's word truly is a solace, not a triumphant shout. The intellectual part of me wants to find a scripture to fit my circumstances, but maybe the only way to think through these things is to allow myself to feel them, and then think about the theology of it later.

Asking God why

2010-11-08T11:41:00.000-08:00

The Bible records many anguished cries for God's help. Some of these cries are cries of the heart, like this one from Psalm 13:1-2 --

How long, O Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? How long must I wrestle with my thoughts and every day have sorrow in my heart? How long will my enemy triumph over me?

But this short psalm concludes (v. 5-6):

But I trust in your unfailing love; my heart rejoices in your salvation. I will sing to the Lord, for he has been good to me.

Surely the middle of this psalm must contain some clue as to how to handle the adverse situations we find ourselves in -- no matter the circumstance, the author of the psalm says that he will trust the Lord. Let's look closely, then, at the middle two verses:

Look on me and answer, O Lord my God. Give light to my eyes, or I will sleep in death; my enemy will say, "I have overcome him," and my foes will rejoice when I fail.

It sounds like the author of the psalm (David) knew some things about God that we tend to forget. First, God is on the side of good. He wants good to triumph over evil. The "enemy" of the psalm is the same enemy that makes us turn from God today -- the devil, who is really working hard to bring about the destruction of God's people, even as God is trying to save us. Second, God desires to save us from ourselves. David seems to be reminding God that God has something at stake here, too -- his name will be tarnished if those who trust in him are put to shame. God doesn't really need this reminder, though -- he's always intervening on the side of good. David is expressing his desire to have God notice him, to "answer" him, and God is always already answering. His answers don't always take the form we expect, but he is aware of our troubles and wants the good for us. Finally, God will always overcome evil with good. That's why David asks God for light, because light overcomes darkness every time.

So working through this psalm to the center, I find reassurance that God is light, and light has come into the world in the form of Jesus, to ultimately bring us out of the darkness.

The Presbyterian "We"

2010-11-06T15:56:00.000-07:00

Growing up in the Presbyterian Church, I got used to saying the prayer of confession as part of services. This was a prayer prayed in unison and printed in the bulletin that acknowledged our need for Christ because of sin every week. The sins in the prayer of confession were often very general, and I remember thinking as I was growing up, "this one doesn't really apply to me," or something along those lines, as we were praying this printed prayer. And, as my wife pointed out when we were dating, how can whoever writes these things possibly know whether I have committed a particular sin or not? The prayer of confession is written in the first person plural, though -- "we," not "I." Which brings me to this point -- the "we" of the prayer of confession is something I have come to value more as I got older. It ingrained in me a sense of shared responsibility that goes beyond guilt -- acknowledging every week that we need Jesus because we have sinned not only reminds us that we all fall short of the mark in following Jesus' example but also that we have a share of the responsibility for reaching the lost and saving ourselves from our own sins. It is something that I sometimes slip into in my own writing, without even thinking about it -- see the last two posts for examples. I believe that we as human beings all have a responsibility to one another that is rooted in our need for Christ. It's something I'd like to keep foremost in my mind.

The prophetic turn

2010-11-04T12:19:00.000-07:00

I read another minor prophet this morning, Micah, and began to realize there is a pattern to the prophetic writings. There is a turn from warning of God's wrath to reminding God's people of his love and salvation. The question was asked in Bible study two weeks ago -- what do we need saving from? The answer, in one way or another, is God's wrath. The Christian God is a jealous God, and he doesn't change from the Old Testament to the New. He wants us to fear him, even as he shows love to us and asks us to love one another as he loves us. The New Testament states that perfect love drives out fear, but that doesn't mean that love and fear can't co-exist in our relationship with God. God is perfect love, and when we have God in us, it does drive out fear in us; however, fear of God is a natural response to knowing who God really is. Here's Micah on the subject of fearing God: (Micah 6:9)

"Listen! The LORD is calling to the city— and to fear your name is wisdom — 'Heed the rod and the One who appointed it....'"

The Lord goes on to cite examples of his people's corruption and to promise to punish those who do wrong. Still, there is the prophetic turn from wrath to mercy: (Micah 7:18-20)

"Who is a God like you, who pardons sin and forgives the transgression of the remnant of his inheritance? You do not stay angry forever but delight to show mercy. You will again have compassion on us; you will tread our sins underfoot and hurl all our iniquities into the depths of the sea. You will be faithful to Jacob, and show love to Abraham, as you pledged on oath to our ancestors in days long ago."

Which means that, even as we are guilty of sin and deserve punishment for missing the mark, God is merciful and allows his mercy to rule over his just nature. God's wrath will only be carried out after the end of time, when punishment will be handed out to those who refuse God's gift of salvation. God's gift of salvation does not free us from the consequences of sin in this life -- murder and lying still result in painful burdens that we will carry for our entire earthly lives. But he can save a remnant of his people from the consequences of sin -- if they trust him to save them. God's gift of salvation is free, but it takes a lifetime to truly escape the consequences of sin -- we sin so often and so willingly that it becomes a test of wills over a lifetime to begin to live a Godly life. That's why the prayer to strengthen my will in accord with God's will is important. That's why the prophetic turn matters -- because God's wrath and his mercy are aspects of his character that give us many, many reasons to trust him. We have been forgiven much. It's time that God's wrath became something we wrestle with, as opposed to something we just ignore.

Reading Joel

2010-11-03T11:28:00.000-07:00

So I picked up the Bible yesterday morning and decided to read one of the minor prophets, Joel. After about one page of reading, I fell asleep, so I picked it back up today. Here's what I read:

"Hear this, you elders; listen, all who live in this land. Has anything like this ever happened in your days or in the days of your forefathers? Tell it to your children, and let your children tell it to their children, and their children to the next generation....A nation has invaded my land, powerful and without number; it has the teeth of a lion, the fangs of a lioness. It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees. It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white....all the trees of the field -- are dried up. Surely the joy of mankind is withered away...To you, O Lord, I call, for fire has devoured the open pastures and flames have burned up all the trees of the field....

It's interesting in this scripture to see the multiple ways that the invading nation is portrayed -- as a devourer, as a flame. It's tempting to view these invaders as agents of the Lord's wrath. But there is a turn later on in the book of Joel, and God speaks. He declares,

"'Even now,' he declares, 'return to me with all your heart, with fasting and weeping and mourning.' Rend your heart and not your garments. Return to the Lord your God, for he is gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love, and he relents from sending calamity....

The book goes on to make several statements about God's character and promises to the people of Judah, and speaks to God's people being scattered among the nations. His last promise is to pardon his people at the end of time. It is a powerful promise and one that we should not take lightly. So as I read this, it helped me put the events of our time into perspective -- similar things to what happens today have happened before, and the answer to those calamities is to turn to God for salvation. God is good, and he is on the side of good. This is all just something to keep in mind in times of turmoil and stress of any kind. It's the kind of thing that builds my faith, regardless of circumstances.

Something else to keep in mind...

2010-11-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

There are many, many races for governorships around the country that will be decided tomorrow -- right now, the New York Times predicts that 12 of the 24 "in play" races are toss-ups. Meaning that governorships could be decided by very narrow margins tomorrow. To me, that's a reason to vote. So, if you haven't voted already, get out there and vote! State governors play a key role in many states in the election districting process. After the 2010 census, there will be some redistricting state by state. Partisan politics will be in the fore of the redistricting process; I will be keeping an eye on the redistricting as much as possible over the next year. I think it could be a stepping stone to a Republican win in 2012 --watch out, Democrats!

Humble pie

2010-10-31T23:11:00.000-07:00

After reading some old posts from July 2009, I think a little humility might be in order -- way back then, I raised the possibility of the Democrats picking UP seats in 2010 -- a laughable prediction right now. Just something for me and my loyal reader(s) to keep in mind.

Also, I attended Central Christian Church's online campus today, and discovered a few reminders of just who's in charge here -- not me, thank God, but rather the person of Jesus Christ. The advice of the pastor today had nothing to do with politics (another blessed relief) but more to do with living at peace with each other as much as possible. I know I can be more peaceful in my posts. I know my opinions are sometimes on the strong side, so please forgive a little ranting and venting. I have anger that needs to be released, some of which gets expressed here and some of which stays bottled up. More later, perhaps...

Moderates unite!

2010-10-30T22:23:00.000-07:00

While I predict that Democrats will maintain control of the Senate in this election cycle by one vote, the biggest shift in the Senate will still be from moderate to conservative.

There are 37 seats up for election this year out of 100 total seats in the Senate. Of those 37 seats, 19 belong to Democrats and 18 belong to Republicans. However, many Republican seats are considered "safe," while Democrats are in danger of losing 10 or 11 seats. I predict they will lose 9. Here are the Democratic seats I think Republicans will win this year, in alphabetical order by sitting Senator:

Evan Bayh's seat (D-Indiana) goes to Dan Coats (R)
Michael Bennet's seat (D-Colorado) goes to Ken Buck (R)
Ronald Burris's seat (D-Illinois) goes to Mark Steven Kirk (R)
Chris Dodd's seat (D-Connecticut) goes to Linda McMahon (R)
Byron Dorgan's seat (D-North Dakota) goes to John Hoeven (R)
Russ Feingold's seat (D-Wisconsin) goes to Ron Johnson (R)
Blanche Lincoln's seat (D-Arkansas) goes to John Boozman (R)
Harry Reid's seat (D-Nevada) goes to Sharron Angle (R)
Arlen Specter's seat (D-Pennsylvania) goes to Pat Toomey (R)

In addition to those 9 seats, there are 3 seats currently held by Republicans who will probably be replaced by more conservative Senators:

Robert Bennett's seat (R-Utah) goes to Mike Lee (R)
Judd Gregg's seat (R-New Hampshire) goes to Kelly Ayotte (R)
Lisa Murkowski's seat (R-Alaska) goes to Joe Miller (R)

I predict only two moderates will be re-elected this year:

Patrick Leahy (D-Vermont)
John McCain (R-Arizona)

And I can list only three Republican moderates (judging mostly by geography) who will not face election this year :

Scott Brown (R-Massachusetts)
Susan Collins (R-Maine)
Olympia Snowe (R-Maine)

Again judging mostly by geography, I can find about 14 moderate Democrats and 1 possible new Republican moderate, Mark Steven Kirk of Illinois. That brings the total number of moderates in the new Senate to about 20, or one-fifth of the entire Senate. Previously, they were about one-third of the Senate, if you can trust my estimations.

This analysis is bad news for the country. The ideological divide is likely to widen over the next two years, not decrease. Moderates will be increasingly marginalized, except for the few "swing votes" on critical issues, whose role in the decision-making is probably overblown by the media.

Of course, my analysis is not air-tight. I'm guessing in my descriptions of moderates based primarily on geography, so I could be way off base. We'll see, come election day, whether any of my predictions come true, and hopefully, the next two years won't be as bad as I expect they might be.

And now for a little perspective

2010-10-29T22:00:00.000-07:00

"Behave as if you are veterans, and today's political disputes will recede to their proper size." This clincher, from this article by eminently sober political analyst David Broder, puts some of the debates this week into perspective. Veterans know the cost of war. Veterans know there are real enemies in the world, and that Americans are relatively decent by comparison to the bad guys out there. I'm hoping more veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan emerge as leaders in our political process. Right now, it appears that the process has gone haywire -- people of character and decency are fleeing the system, and the political pollsters and hacks have the upper hand. I do see some potential for the President to work with a Republican Congress, but after a bruising fight for control of both houses, there will be some wounds that need triage. I know I have been pretty liberal about my viewpoints in this election, but I hope my gentle reader(s) will forgive a little partisanship and understand that I do want the best for the country, not just blind obedience to the President or knee-jerk reactions to outlandish claims from the other side. My personal politics are pretty liberal, and I am trying to understand the other side. I hope the other side can be reasonable, too, and begin to put this election behind us and begin to plan for a government that works.

Blaming President Obama

2010-10-29T08:22:00.000-07:00

David Brooks' Friday column is much more reasonable than his Tuesday one (see below under "Wishful thinking"). His prescriptions for Pres. Obama are exactly what you'd expect from a moderate Republican -- he wants him to shift to the right, but not too much. He wants him to "cut and replace," meaning not just destroy government, as some on the right would like, but build a smarter government. I can agree with these prescriptions for the most part, but again, Mr. Brooks is blaming the President for problems that are not of his own making. It is the Republicans who have framed this debate in such angry terms. Most independent voters are siding with Republicans this year, and that is partly Pres. Obama's fault. Perhaps he has not addressed conservative values the way Mr. Brooks describes. He has also been smeared and lied about, which creates a sentiment out there that Pres. Obama is un-American, and to blame for many, many things. As Mr. Brooks states, the President is not all-powerful. Some people seem to have voted for Pres. Obama expecting him to work miracles, and have been disappointed that he has not single-handedly delivered jobs to them. They also seem willing to forget that Republicans have obstructed the President from the beginning on, and have stymied many good ideas from the left. Here's Mitch McConnell in a recent interview with the National Journal: "The single most important thing we want to achieve is for President Obama to be a one-term president." Now, if that's not obstructionism, I don't know what is. The future Sen. Majority Leader (if Republicans win 10 seats in the Senate, as I predict they will) is saying his top priority is to make the President look bad so that he doesn't get reelected. Then he'll attack him for not being bipartisan enough. He says the first thing on his plate is "I believe we should extend all of the Bush tax cuts." His goal is to make the President bow to his wishes, and to protect the wealth of the top 5% of taxpayers. It just doesn't make sense to me that saving money for the rich is what the electorate seems to want most this year -- because that is what they will get if Republicans take control.

Wishful thinking

2010-10-26T19:57:00.000-07:00

I would consider myself an idealist when it comes to politics. I tend to believe that government is about more than protecting those in power. With that said, I understand the opposite view that cynics and conservatives embrace, which is that government is inherently flawed and acts only to protect itself, rather than serving the people. The election next week will help determine whether idealism or cynicism dominates our political discussion for the next two years. It will help determine whether my beliefs are wishful thinking, or a reality we can believe in.

David Brooks' column this week takes a few potshots at Democratic officials whom he accuses of engaging in wishful thinking. He argues that they are to blame for their own problems, rather than the other side. While it is true that the Democrats probably underestimated the extent of Americans' real fears and anger, I don't think they're quite as naive as Mr. Brooks portrays them. In fact, I think they were more calculating than they should have been, more fearful than overreaching, more concerned with protecting their own power than with really making things better. If we had a perfectly progressive Congress -- with more than 60 votes in the Senate 100% behind health care reform, for example -- the Democrats would not have looked quite as bad as they did in the summer of 2009. The torturous legislative process and the real fear and anger expressed at town halls last year, coupled with a campaign to stoke fears and exaggerate the dangers of change, have produced our current electorate. I do think that many people are misinformed on a variety of issues, but maybe Mr. Brooks is right, and the conservative vote is more thoughtful and well-informed than they have been portrayed as being. After all, rational people can reach opposite conclusions from the same set of facts. Still, I wonder if the Republican vote this year is more emotional than rational. It may be Mr. Brooks who is doing the wishful thinking.

How Republicans Avoid Substantive Discussion of the Real Choices This Election

2010-10-25T12:26:00.000-07:00

The fact is, Republicans are going to win a lot of seats in the House and Senate this year. November 2 will not be an easy day for Democrats. However, the day after election day might be. The reason for this is that all the electioneering will be done, and the business of governing this madcap society will begin. Governing is the opposite of running for election. It means making hard decisions as to what is in the best interest of the state, country, county, or whomever elected one to that position. I heard a discussion with three Democrats running for State Senate on NPR this morning that was focused on governance (the Republicans opted not to participate, despite being invited). The host of the show did a pretty good job of representing Republican viewpoints in the absence of actual Republicans. It was a balanced discussion, but one in which the options before the state of Nevada became clear: with a budget deficit looming of between 1/4 and 1/2 of the entire state budget for the next two years ($1.5 billion to $3 billion), the options are either to cut back spending or raise revenue or do both. The state's options for raising revenue are limited by political and economic reality, but none of the candidates went on record as being in favor of higher taxes. Instead, they talked about the need to find efficiencies, combine departments, and study the issue to really get a handle on what the numbers will be. All of this sounded pretty fair and reasonable, but the candidates wouldn't come out and say they will raise taxes. The Republicans by their absence indicate that they are okay with letting the Democrats make all the tough decisions while they sit back and carp and complain that taxes are too high. The fact is, taxes are too low right now to fund the state's basic governmental services, like education. Education makes up most of the state's budget, and personnel make up the bulk of the education budget. So in other words, Democrats don't want to say they will raise taxes, but they do believe in funding public education, unlike the Republicans. The Republicans would want us to believe that they can solve our budget problems by cutting back, but the magic bullet would be lower teacher pay, lower state employee pay, perhaps even shutting down UNLV. I don't mean to be alarmist, but if 1/4 to 1/2 of your total state budget is missing, you will have to make some pretty severe cuts to make it work without additional revenue.

Is it possible to watch Meet the Press without getting mad?

2010-10-24T09:45:00.000-07:00

Richard Steele was on the show this morning, and as I watched, my blood pressure slowly rose and rose. Eventually, I turned the fast forward button on -- my only defense against anger. I knew Mr. Steele would make me angry, but I chose to watch the show anyway. Why do I do this to myself? Because I care about national politics in a way that most people probably don't. I imagine that what is said in Washington, D.C., actually matters to people like me. My training as a journalist (such as it was) taught me to look at issues as if they affect real people, because they do. The real story behind the issues is that people depend on the government for so much more than they are willing to admit. The real story is that some rich people are actively trying to buy the election, and Richard Steele has no problem with that. Democrats are also spending money like water, but Republicans seem to have an edge when it comes to outside groups trying to influence elections and self-funding of campaigns. Yes, the idea that the federal government is too big is a valid idea. However, it is not supported by facts. The federal government has an important role to play in all of our lives, and it's time we admitted that fact. It's also time that Republicans stopped hiding behind conservative rhetoric and stopped favoring the rich in their policies and politics.

WikiLeaks founder on the run

2010-10-23T11:46:00.000-07:00

This is just a quick re-post of a revealing New York Times article on the founder of WikiLeaks and his style of operating. It's an interesting story, regardless of how you feel about the recent leak of Iraq war documents.

Me and public radio part 2

2010-10-22T12:04:00.000-07:00

Having been persuaded to donate to public radio after all, I now find myself rushing to its defense in the controversy du jour in conservative circles at least, Juan Williams' firing. Williams, it seems, was fired from NPR due to comments he made on Fox News. He is considered a liberal by some, but his mere appearance on Fox News indicates that he is more conservative than some liberals. Fox News and the conservative right are trying to make this issue about free speech. But please note, this is not some government edict, nor is it an abridgment of Juan Williams' right to say whatever he wants. He has a $2 million contract with Fox News to do just that. The issue is whether Mr. Williams should be free from consequences for remarks that were made on air on another network. Free speech does not mean that people in the U.S. are completely free to say whatever they want without consequences. Mr. Williams may feel justifiably angry for being fired for something like this, but it simply is not a free speech issue. The war on public radio that is now being launched from the right is not justified by any free speech mantra that they may spew out. It is an attempt by one media organization to influence a news organization in a competitive marketplace. Public radio does not have the same audience numbers as Fox News, and Fox News knows it. They are trying to squeeze out the competition on the "left," so to speak. As I said before, NPR may lean left due to its focus on issues, but this structural bias is NOT THE SAME as Fox News' INTENTIONAL, IDEOLOGICAL bias. Let's look at Mr. Williams' firing from a less ideological standpoint -- it doesn't even matter what Mr. Williams said that got him fired. If you focus on the substance of his remarks, they do reflect a bias against Muslims. But those remarks may have just been the final straw. NPR is fully within its rights as a news organization to fire Mr. Williams, whose opinions may be biased but who also contributes to a competitor in the media marketplace.

University Regent Election - Why I Might Vote for Kevin Page

2010-10-18T12:13:00.000-07:00

Judging whom to vote for by looking at campaign websites can be dangerous, but I think I've found something revealing in Kevin Page's website -- he's one of the candidates for University Regent that I might have the opportunity to vote for. His opponent has a better layout on his website, but the content on Kevin Page's website tells you a little more about who he really is. I found this article posted there, and I think it's a sign that he is capable of being candid with a student reporter, and respectful enough of the article and the student newspaper to post it on his campaign website. We need more candid discussions of issues in politics, don't you think? I have a heart for student journalists, due to my own experience as a student journalist in California's crazy electoral process. The student who asked these questions and wrote up the article did a good job of getting the candidate to talk, and the fact that the candidate didn't shy away from the questions is a good sign. The fact that he posted it on his own campaign website to me means that he is respectful of the importance of student journalism and isn't afraid to let everyone know his real views.

Me and public radio

2010-10-16T16:02:00.000-07:00

My blog has been focused on politics and things that interest me, rather than my personal life, mostly by design. I didn't want to be one of those bloggers who focused on their shoe size or some other irrelevant detail that no one else really cares about, so I have avoided personal topics on purpose. So, as a result, I have focused on things that no one else really cares about, but not personal ones. It's honestly hard for me to write about my personal life because I'm not sure what I should share to the whole world, or even to a loyal reader. But I will be trying to be more personal on my blog in the future, because talking to myself about issues only I care about only goes so far. I need that personal connection to an audience out there.

So, here goes...

On an average day, I probably spend 2-3 hours online looking at things. I come home for lunch and log on to facebook, and at night I'll have the computer on my lap while watching TV. I don't know exactly what I'm looking for, but I usually bounce around among a few news sites, facebook, and my blog. I re-read my blog to get a sense for what I've said that I've forgotten and also to look for comments or other evidence that someone else is reading what I'm writing. I recently discovered a thread of comments on an old post that was entirely ads -- spam. It was really depressing to know that virtually the only visitors on my blog are people who are trying to scam others, usually with very poor grammar and sometimes even in another language.

I also rely on our local public radio station for news. I listen to them frequently, but right now they are in the middle of a fund-raising campaign, so I turn to them less frequently than at other times of the year. I do feel a little guilty for listening without donating, but then I haven't donated to a dozen worthy causes already so far this fall. I'm not sure if I should donate to public radio yet, but last year I did, so I should probably renew my membership this year. I just don't like the guilt trip over the airwaves. I will probably donate online after the membership drive ends, just so that I can say I wasn't influenced by guilt. Does anyone else out there feel the same way or resist the pull of public radio this way? I do enjoy getting news while driving around town (I drive fairly often for my job), but I don't want to feel like a heel every six months just because I haven't donated to something that they give away for free most of the time. If it's mostly free, why not make it all the way free? The other station I listen to without donating to is the Christian radio. I know I'm probably the only person in town who has those two radio stations as their primary pre-sets in the car, but there you are. I'm a little weird that way. I can't stand the news on the Christian radio, though -- I literally turn off the station every time their little jingle for news comes on. It is so slanted I can't stand it. And, for those of you who haven't been reading this blog for very long, there is a difference in the DEGREE of bias on things like Christian radio and Fox news and legitimate, responsible news sources. So, yes, public radio has a liberal slant, if only because it focuses on issues as opposed to ideologically-driven stories. But there is a difference between structural bias like that and out and out PURPOSEFUL bias in Christian radio and Fox news. So I'm torn between two worlds when it comes to my radio habits. But I enjoy the music on Christian radio. To put an end to this long post, just let me say that I appreciate any comments at all on these thoughts, and I wish you all good night and good news!

Mandelbrot set

2010-10-16T11:01:00.000-07:00

This obituary in the New York Times has inspired me to write about a subject I don't write about very often: math. My second-most profound moment in MrV's calculus class as a senior in high school was my discovery of the Mandelbrot set, which inspired me to cut and paste (literally, not on a computer) copies of pictures from a book I was reading on strange attractors and artificial intelligence, which I really didn't understand, and present it to MrV. He explained the Mandelbrot set to the class and passed out the page I had created to the students. It was a pretty cool moment. The Mandelbrot set is proof of something I discovered in college -- that math can be as beautiful as art, as profound as nature. Here are some similar pictures to what I presented so long ago in calculus class.

Ballot Day!

2010-10-13T12:17:00.000-07:00

Today is the day. Ballots for the election have arrived. Today is the day I decide to exercise my democratic rights diligently and with due respect for the process. I can only hope my fellow citizens in this democracy will do the same. After all, we may be defendants before some of these judges someday (doh!), and we may even have to defend our jobs or our pensions if the democratically-elected decision-makers make a decision someday in the near future (Nevada's budget deficit is so desperate that they are already asking my dear wife's workplace to cut back dramatically in 2011). So the day is here -- do I dare do what is demanded of me by my desire for democracy to flourish? Do I dare disturb the powers that be? To answer that question, I ask myself, would a decent human being only check D on the designated spot in the ballot? I can answer yes, or more to the point, definitely! (Unless, of course, I happen to disagree.)

Reflections on September 11

2010-09-11T14:26:00.000-07:00

My parents were supposed to fly on September 11, 2001, and my wife's parents flew over the burning buildings on their way to Boston that day. They landed at Logan Airport, where two of the planes had taken off from, and saw first-hand a small portion of the chaos that day touched off. My parents ended up driving home from Colorado, and were safe at home soon, but the eerie silence of no planes in the sky is one haunting memory from that day. I also remember being on top of the World Trade Center not that long before -- 1996 or so -- and thinking the building served like an urban park. I want to remember some of these things because they are gone now, and politics have become the focus on a day that is still raw with emotion for many people. People who haven't lost anyone in particular seem more political than the actual victims' families, although the families too are politicized in their fight to keep the memory of the victims alive. It seems there's no avoiding divisive ideas like book-burning and cultural centers near hallowed ground, but those fights seem trivial compared to the loss of life and collective innocence on that day. My own memories are shaped by personal and political views, but I know that September 11 ought to be remembered as a day when many people lost their lives at the hands of a murderous few. The courage of those who fought back and rushed to the aid of victims should also be remembered. Slogans like, "Never forget," remind me of the destruction of European Jews under the Nazis -- Holocaust survivors' slogan is "never again" -- and seem designed to promote a certain view of patriotism. There is little value in comparing tragedies in terms of number or impact on world events, but September 11 will be remembered as a turning point in world history, not only because of the wars that were launched as a result of the attacks but also because of the collective blow to the U.S's sense of security. The end of the 20th Century is somewhat euphoric in comparison to our current fears and concerns -- there was talk of "the end of history" as I was going through my college years. The idea was that the spread of democracy around the world had made the world so safe that history as we knew it would gradually cease to exist. We now know that prediction did not come true.

The Constitutional Question

2010-09-11T08:43:00.000-07:00

Republicans are eagerly anticipating victory in November. It may come to pass, but at no small cost to the country. The Republican party would like to turn back the clock -- maybe not very far, maybe all the way to 1787, when a small group of relatively wealthy landowners and slaveholders made some important decisions for the direction of the country by meeting in secret in Philadelphia. Some people claim that they have a vision of Constitutional government in the U.S. that doesn't include things like the Department of Education, or presumably, any other function of government not explicitly stated in that hallowed document. The problem is that if you read the document itself, it actually does allow some flexibility in the enumeration of powers of the Congress and the President. Here are some quotes from the Constitution that might make some Republicans pause in their quest for "Constitutional" government or "strict construction."

"[Article I, Section 8] The Congress shall have Power To lay and collect Taxes... to pay the Debts and provide for the common Defence and general Welfare of the United States;...To regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States,...And to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof."

Some may claim that the 10th Amendment, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people," is more important than the phrases "general welfare" or the interstate commerce clause. But that is a question for the courts to decide, not politicians. When politicians get involved in these types of questions, we end up with things like the Civil War. (Not that it will get to that extreme in these modern times -- surely we are more reasonable now than then, right?) A reasonable argument can be made that the Constitutional questions raised by the Tea Party are based on a misunderstanding of the original document -- that it was designed to be flexible and to allow for growth and change over centuries, rather than a sacrosanct tablet of stone onto which we can project our modern frustrations with the direction of the country in general.

After reading the Constitution in its entirety today, I think it does intend for a less "imperial" Presidency than the current state of affairs. However, the current President is not to blame for the nature of foreign and domestic pressures that make the President the focus of our attention, nor the extraordinary security measures now taken to protect the President, which tend to make the US leader feel like an emperor. More on that later, perhaps.

Similar Headlines, Opposite Points

2010-09-03T21:51:00.000-07:00

These two columns from David Brooks and Paul Krugman were published within days in the same publication (I'll give you one guess which publication that is). They have similar headlines: "The Alternate History" and "The Real Story." Krugman argues the stimulus was too small, while Brooks argues that the Obama administration miscalculated politically over the past year or so. Krugman deals with economic issues primarily, leaving politics aside, while Brooks focuses on the reaction to Pres. Obama's perceived overreaching. Both arguments could be correct, but I dislike the implication of Brooks's column -- that if only Pres. Obama had made the right decisions, we wouldn't be in this mess. I think Congressional Republicans in their thirst for power should bear more of the blame than Pres. Obama. The "small government" Republicans have missed no opportunity to state their case, and many Americans have been hoodwinked into believing patent falsehoods about the economy, the President, and the political situation.

Why I Like the NY Times more than Fox News

2010-08-30T12:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a column on lies and the lying liars who lie from the New York Times website. Before anyone goes accusing me of being liberal (heavens to Betsy!), here's what I like about the column -- at the end, it has the following:

Note: In an earlier version of this piece, a statistic for the percentage of Republicans who believe the president is Muslim was given wrong; it has been corrected.

This is, again, responsible journalism. Try to get Fox News to edit its work or even correct a misstatement. Good luck.

Headline: NYT shows Fox News what "Fair and Balanced" Means

2010-08-28T15:17:00.000-07:00

In a startling turn of events, Glenn Beck has been accurately reported to have said various things at a rally. Not merely insinuated, but actually said. Here's the news story from the New York Times. Apparently, he's on a mission from God. But aside from that, I don't know that there was much substance to the rally. What are they protesting? What rights have been taken away from them? None.

Harry Reid vs. Sharron Angle

2010-08-28T08:02:00.000-07:00

A quick survey of the headlines this morning on the Harry Reid-Sharron Angle race for U.S. Senate leads to some perhaps unsurprising results:
1. The media is focused on the "horse race"-- who's ahead, who's poll numbers are better and for what reason...
2. The real issues are buried beneath an avalanche of misleading ads on both sides -- the "uniform flap" of a Tonopah football team seems more important than the state's real problems because that's where the candidate is focusing. These real problems include a public education system that is struggling to cope with less money all around and slash-and-burn budgeting at the state level -- problems that federal officials ought to take into account.
3. "Likely" voters are understandably turning to "None of These" as a viable alternative.
So, I would definitely lean toward Harry Reid for a number of reasons in this race, but I'm not enthusiastic. Harry Reid needs to present a positive message to buttress his attacks on Sharron Angle. He can't be the opposition candidate this year -- he is the establishment. So go on the offensive, defend your record, but also tell us how you're going to help get us out of this mess. I'm looking for something more than "vision" or federal spending figures. How will Nevada re-orient itself in a new economy? How will federal land ownership help Nevada instead of hurting it? Can't we get some real leadership on energy policy from the Senate Majority Leader? Just some thoughts...maybe more later.

Eat Pray Love

2010-08-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

I saw this movie on opening night, having few expectations due to the fact that I have not read the book and only saw limited promotional material on the movie. The movie theater was filled with women, mostly older, and maybe a handful of men. The movie isn't a classical chick flick, which I define as a movie whose male characters are there only to be perfect foils to the female characters (see Steel Magnolias), but it definitely seems to have little appeal to men. I think the book probably would do a better job of describing the transformation that the author goes through than the movie did, but I can't be sure. The movie traces a woman's personal journey beginning with a divorce, through a love affair with a younger man, then onto a year-long journey from Italy to India to Bali. The woman, who begins the story as a travel writer, delves into divorce for reasons that are not all that well explained. The man she married seems to love her, although she feels "dead" in the marriage, and he does ignore a potential trip to Aruba that she brings up in the car while he is trying to explain that he wants to go back to school, maybe to be a teacher. Julia Roberts carries the emotional weight of the movie, beginning with an acknowledgment that "I'm in real trouble here," when praying for direction with her marriage. She then becomes involved with a younger man, who introduces her to Sanskrit worship based on the teachings of a guru. This relationship is casual but intense, and Roberts does a good job of "disappearing" into the relationship with the younger man, David. When she breaks off this relationship, she decides to spend a year finding herself on a year-long journey. The story does revolve around three simple ideas -- she learns to eat and enjoy life in Italy, to pray and forgive herself in India, and to love in Bali. There is an uplifting message of personal healing in the movie, but the hard work of immersion in so many foreign cultures is glossed over. Also, the personal journey the heroine embarks on comes at the expense of a conventional marriage, which probably deserves to be defended instead of walked away from. Most people do not have the luxury of spending a year finding themselves, but even those that do often find themselves returning to things that matter, like family and faith, in more conventional ways. That's what makes this story interesting, I suppose, but it also makes it a little hard to swallow.

Hypocrisy on Tax-and-Spend

2010-08-09T12:51:00.000-07:00

Hypocrisy in politics is like sand at the beach -- it's so plentiful and expected that we don't even notice it, until we start trying to walk on the beach and the sand burns our toes. Let's take the example of the right-wing anti-government mantra that is propelling the Tea Party movement to national prominence (again), spurred on by right-wing media. After reading this column in the New York Times, from an admittedly liberal economist who is writing in a liberal media outlet, I am convinced that this anti-government agenda is not only bad for the U.S. but hypocritical as well. I was watching Meet the Press a little bit on Sunday, and I watched as a Republican Congressman parried questions from David Gregory about whether extending the Bush-era tax cuts on wealthy Americans matched with Republicans' stated goal to reduce the deficit. Here's a link to the program and the transcript of the exchange:

"MR. GREGORY: Let's talk about it. It's interesting, you talk about the importance of cutting the debt, the importance of cutting government spending, and you worry about the Democrats raising taxes. The Bush--the Obama administration wants to extend the Bush tax cuts only for those who make less than $250,000, and he wants to let them expire for those wealthy Americans making more than that. You're opposed to that. You want to extend the tax cuts, and the Republican leadership does. But Alan Greenspan, who was on this program last week, chairman of the Federal Reserve, said that's the wrong idea. Here's what he said. (Videotape, last Sunday)
DR. ALAN GREENSPAN: Look, I'm very much in favor of tax cuts, but not with borrowed money. And the problem that we've gotten into in recent years is spending programs with borrowed money, tax cuts with borrowed money, and at the end of the day that proves disastrous. And my view is I don't think we can play subtle policy here.
MR. GREGORY: You don't agree with Republican leaders who say tax cuts pay for themselves.
DR. GREENSPAN: They do not.
(End videotape)
MR. GREGORY: Leader Boehner, he puts it right to you.
REP. BOEHNER: The only way we're going to get our economy going again and solve our budget problems is to get the economy moving, get more people back to work where they can care for their own families and begin to expand the tax rolls to bring more revenue to the federal government. And what we have to do is we have to get our arms around the spending spree that's going on in Washington, D.C.
MR. GREGORY: But Leader Boehner...
REP. BOEHNER: That's the only way we solve the budget problems.
MR. GREGORY: ...I'm sorry, you're--that--you're not, you're not being responsive to a specific point, which is how can you be for cutting the deficit and also cutting taxes, as well, when they're not paid for?
REP. BOEHNER: Listen, you can't raise taxes in the middle of a weak economy without risking the double-dip in this recession. President Obama's favorite Republican economist, Mark Zandi, came out several weeks ago and made it clear that raising taxes at this point in, in the economy is a very bad idea.
MR. GREGORY: But do you agree that tax cuts cannot be paid for...
REP. BOEHNER: You cannot balance the budget without a...
MR. GREGORY: But tax cuts are not paid for, is that correct?
REP. BOEHNER: I am not for raising taxes on the American people in a soft economy.
MR. GREGORY: That's not the question, Leader Boehner. The question...
REP. BOEHNER: And the people that the president wants to tax...
MR. GREGORY: ...is, are tax cuts paid for or not?
REP. BOEHNER: Listen, what you're trying to do is get into this Washington game and their funny accounting over there. You cannot get the economy going again by raising taxes on those people who we expect to create jobs in America and to get the economy going again. If we want to solve the budget problem, we've got to have a healthy economy and we have to get our arms around the runaway spending that's going on in Washington, D.C.
MR. GREGORY: I just want to clarify this. I mean, if you--I'm relying on what Chairman Greenspan said. Maybe--if you're accusing him of funny Washington games. He says that tax cuts that aren't paid for are not--they are not cutting the deficit, that they are not actually paid for, it's borrowed money. And so do you believe tax cuts pay for themselves or not?
REP. BOEHNER: I do believe that we've got to get more money in the hands of small businesses and American families to get our economy going again, and the only way to get that economy going again is to do that and to get our arms around the spending.
MR. GREGORY: All right. One of the ways you talk about getting your arms around the spending was something you suggested back in June, and that is that Social Security, the retirement age, ought to be raised to the age of 70. Is that something that the GOP will campaign on in the fall?
REP. BOEHNER: David, I think it's time for the American people to have an adult conversation about the problems that we face. These entitlement programs serve tens of millions of Americans, and they're critically important. But we also know that these programs are, are unsustainable in their current form. And I really do think it's time that we sit down and we talk to the American people together about how we solve them. And I think we need to bring Democrats and Republicans together in order to solve this problem.
MR. GREGORY: And so you favor raising the retirement age?
REP. BOEHNER: David, there are a lot of options about how you solve this, but I don't want to get the cart before the horse. I think it's important to have this conversation. It's going to be a difficult conversation, but it's time to have it and it's time to come up with some solutions that are done in a bipartisan way to help address these problems."

I know this is a long post, but I'm interested in the way this Republican refused to answer direct questions about how to reduce the deficit. He would rather carp about the problems than propose real solutions, and he knows the tax cuts won't reduce the deficit. But he hides behind small businesses, argues that they are holding back due to the President's agenda as opposed to real economic conditions, and tries to play the Washington game of pinning blame for problems on the administration while dodging specific questions about solutions. It's tactical maneuvering at best and hypocrisy at worst. It's cynical posturing that misleads Americans into believing the government is too big. As Paul Krugman points out, when state and local governments are factored in, government may be too small right now to solve our national problems.

The Other Guys

2010-08-09T11:00:00.000-07:00

This movie says it is dedicated to the "grinders," people who work hard, grind it out, so to speak, in the current economic climate, and the end credits dismantle some of the excesses of the economic meltdown. With that said, it's really not a political movie -- it's a broad comedy with some funny ideas hodgepodged together to make us laugh in spite of ourselves. It breaks some movie taboos, but sticks with some others -- the black characters are still the first to die (a movie rule from most horror flicks) -- and it is generally based on the "dumb and dumber" format. I enjoyed the movie overall, mostly because of Will Ferrell's goofy improvisational style and some genuinely funny ideas -- he insists his wife is plain, for example, but when his partner, played by Mark Wahlberg, comes over for dinner, he is stunned and keeps asking, "Seriously, who is that?" because "she's so hot." The plainness of the wife becomes a running gag, but there are additional wrinkles that make that gag funnier than it sounds right now. The plot is inconsequential to the laughs, so I wasn't too concerned about how it was all going to end -- which is good for a comedy, right? Anyway, it's a B/B+ movie with some very funny moments and an impossible-to-deny good vibe.

Not-so Ancient History

2010-08-07T19:16:00.000-07:00

Elena Kagan's swearing-in as a Supreme Court justice makes history this weekend. The confirmation process has been pretty partisan, but not as partisan as the fight over Robert Bork's nomination in 1987. Bork's nomination was not confirmed on a party-line vote in the Senate, with 6 Republicans voting "no" and 2 Democrats voting "yes" to confirm -- the rest of the Senators voted along party lines, and Democrats were in the majority, so Bork's nomination was denied. It would be interesting to see what would happen if the Republicans took control of the Senate and a conservative justice retired. The seat that Bork was appointed for eventually went to Anthony Kennedy, who is now seen as somewhat of a swing vote on an ideologically divided Supreme Court. Elena Kagan will join a liberal group of justices that includes two other women, Ruth Bader Ginsburg and Sonia Sotomayor. The other liberal on the court, Stephen Breyer, was appointed by Bill Clinton. So, in order of their first day on the court we have:

1986 -- Antonin Scalia -- appointed by Ronald Reagan (R)
1988 -- Anthony Kennedy -- appointed by Ronald Reagan (R)
1991 -- Clarence Thomas -- appointed by George H.W. Bush (R)
1993 -- Ruth Bader Ginsburg -- appointed by Bill Clinton (D)
1994 -- Stephen Breyer -- appointed by Bill Clinton (D)
2005 -- John Roberts (Chief Justice) -- appointed by George W. Bush (R)
2006 -- Samuel Alito -- appointed by George W. Bush (R)
2009 -- Sonia Sotomayor -- appointed by Barack Obama (D)
2010 -- Elena Kagan -- appointed by Barack Obama (D)

The ideological divide seems to match the party affiliation of the Presidents who nominate the justices. The next nominee will be the big fight, I predict.

Can someone save us from $200 textbooks?

2010-08-01T16:29:00.000-07:00

The headline on this article puts it bluntly -- "$200 textbook vs. free. You do the math." The idea is that open-source material can someday replace textbooks as the main source of information in K-12 education and beyond. With all the politics involved in textbook marketing -- Texas and California are the biggest K-12 textbook buyers and hence set the tone for textbooks around the country, and the Texas textbook board has taken a strong right-wing turn lately -- it may be time to think about using the Internet and tools like the iPad to their full capacity to transform education. My only issue with using the open-source model to replace traditional textbooks is that textbooks only have space for so much material, whereas there is no limit on the Internet, so the best learning material may get lost in the sea of other information that is out there. It is essential that we teach students how to read critically, and that we use the Internet as a tool of the trade in education, but we can't expect teenagers and younger students to be expert readers who will automatically understand the nuances of an open-source model. We have to train them in how to read this material, just as we train them to read textbooks.