It's the Afghanistan, Stupid!

I remember not that long ago the presidential campaign was all about Iraq. Afghanistan scarcely got a mention. Obama made it clear time and time again that he thought Iraq was, is, and will be a bad idea. I don't recall him ever saying it was a bad idea because we should be focusing on Afghanistan.

Now Afghanistan is all the rage. The war in Iraq is taking resources away from the war in Afghanistan. No really, I've been saying this all along!

Yeah, right. What's he been saying?

- Iraq was a bad idea. It's not made us safer.
- We need to bring our troops home
- The Surge would not work, and hasn't really worked. It's the political changes that have brought about the progress in Iraq.
- We need to fight Al Qaeda in Afghanistan and Pakistan
- We need The Surge in Afghanistan

So let me get this straight. We need to bring our troops home--but not until after we've sent them to Afghanistan to defeat Al Qaeda there, even though it's the Taliban in Afghanistan, not Al Qaeda. If Al Qaeda is in Afghanistan, it's because they've fled from Iraq to there. So if we hadn't gone to war in Iraq we'd have to go there to get to Al Qaeda. But that would have been Obama's choice, so it would be okay.

Furthermore, we need a Surge in Afghanistan, even though The Surge hasn't produced the success we're seeing. It's the political progress that's produced results. So why are we moving troops to Afghanistan? Just implement that political solution that works so dang well? And by the way, we do not have Pakistan's permission to operate within their country. Are we planning to invade them to get at Al Qaeda? Isn't that the same reason we went into Iraq?

So vote for Obama! He'll move our troops somewhere else to fight a war that won't do any good pursuing people who are not there, but are hiding in a separate country we'd have to invade. But a political solution would do the job better anyway.

Pardon me, but that seems like his plan is screwier than he accuses Bush's plan of being.

The good news is, though, that if he's elected Susan Sarandon will not move to Italy.

Speed Reading

I've finished Michael Crichton's "Next". It was an odd book. It was over rather quickly, and a lot of characters seemed like throw-aways. I wasn't even sure why they were in the book, really. A lot of plot lines were left hanging.

And then I realized that I'd only listened to half the book. The second half. The books I download come in two parts, and for some reason I got Part 2 instead of Part 1. The really weird thing is that, the way Crichton writes, I couldn't tell. He always writes as if he's starting in the middle of things, and even half-way through the book he still repeats enough detail about characters that for all you know it could be the first time. It was only at the very end of the book that I even began to suspect that I'd missed something.

Well, now that I know, I don't think I'll bother going back. It wasn't that exciting a book. I'm kinda glad I managed to get through it in half the time.

Now I'm re-listening to David McCullough's "John Adams". I could do with a little inspiration.

Snark-o-Lepsy

Thought for the day:

I've been to Europe four times now, for a combined duration of about three months.

I have more "Foreign Policy Experience" than Barak Obama, even after he completes his "Foreign Policy Tour" vacation. I need to write a book and run for president.

Moral High Ground

Peter Schweizer has a new book out looking at tendencies between liberals and conservatives. Right Wing News (hat tip Dr. Helen) has an interview with Schweizer to discuss some of the points in the book. One more telling quote:

I think that modern liberalism, since the 1960s in particular, has been all about outsourcing your responsibilities -- meaning that the government is supposed to take care of you and other people -- so I think this encourages that sort of mindset. They (feel) that they gave at the office, they voted for the right political candidate, they believe in the right political causes -- so they've done their bit for poverty and they'll leave it to government to spend money on people that have needs.

Read the whole thing.

Michael Totten in Kosovo

“We are more pro-American than you are,” one young Kosovar told me.

“Thank you,” I said. “We appreciate that. Some people don’t like us.”

“Bad people,” he said.

Boy, if that doesn't say a lot; both about Kosovo and the US.

Read the whole thing.

It's A Birthday...It's A Birthday!

We've lived in this area for nine years now. In all that time we've never been to the reservoir just up the river from town. After our trip to Finland when it was never warm enough or stopped raining long enough to take the kids to the beaches there, we decided we should make up for it and visit our local reservoir.

What's taken us so long? It's actually three separate areas, two of which are state parks. Above the dam is where all the boating happens. Below the dam is a man-made beach area where no motorized boats are allowed. Further down river is a more natural park area where dogs are allowed and kayakers and canoers can launch into the river.

We didn't know any of this, of course, because we'd never been before. We chose the area below the dam. They've built a large picnic area on a point of land with the water wrapping around it on three sides. Water is fed into the "lagoon" via a pipe that sprays a big cloud of spray about 50 fee in the air. I imagine it's nice to stand under it on a hot day.

We chose the beach around the back side where there weren't many people. In fact there were hardly any people there all morning, even though the other side was getting fairly busy. Not that we minded.

The kids had a great time splashing in the water, making sand castles, dredging out the moats made by previous visitors, wading after the minnows, and generally playing. It was an unusual experience for Terhi and I. The kids entertained themselves and left us mostly alone. We weren't prepared for it. We usually have to keep them entertained. We weren't prepared to entertain ourselves. Not a bad problem to have, though.

We wrapped it up around noon and had a picnic before heading back home. On the way back out we stopped at the ranger station to see about paying, as no one had been around when we arrived. It turns out we picked the state park system's birthday to come. Entrance was free for the day. Boy, what timing!

We did come away with some brochures. I've lived in this state all my life, but there's a lot I didn't know about our state park system. There's a lot of cool parks in the state. Since the summer is rapidly coming to a close we're going to visit another one this next weekend. It's even closer to our house in the opposite direction.

Either one is perfect. We can have a fun morning before it gets too hot or too busy, and still be home in time to get some things done around the house in the afternoon. What a country!

What's Next?

I've begun listening to Michael Crichton's "Next". I'm not sure why I've been putting it off, but I wouldn't be listening to it now if I hadn't forgotten to download "John Adams" and I had to load something before I headed out the door this morning.

In other news, I went jogging again last night. I hope to go three times per week, and perhaps if I make myself answerable here I'll stick with it better?

The Sound of Summer Running

I bought my own pair of Cream-sponge Para Lightfoots the other night. Okay, they're actually $70 Asics, but dang if they don't feel good. My feet actually felt lighter with them on. Good enough to make me go jog once around the cemetary that very night.

I need to get in better shape. I suspect that if I did my allergies and asthma would at least diminish, perhaps significantly. I'm sure I'd be less tired (eventually). I've decided it's worth half an hour every other day.

If I stick with it the shoes will be a bargain.

Antelopes. Gazelles.

They Don't All Hate Us

Here's some unusually strong praise for Bush...from England!

I Could Sharpen Knives With His Teeth

James Lileks skewers Garrison Keillor again today. I don't read Keillor's columns. I'm not even sure where to find them. So I don't know if the pieces Lileks criticizes are indicative of the majority of his pieces. But considering the topic, and how it's addressed, I rather suspect so.

Keillor is in Massachussetts, and goes for a walk in a picturesque town. He stops to watch a baseball game and gets to talking with a parent of one of the players. This all leads Keillor, of course, to contemplate how terrible the future is for that girl, thanks to our current administration.

Everything makes Keillor think of the current administration and how loathesome it is. I suspect he could make an Anti-Bush column out of tripping over the sidewalk:

"I was walking, as I am prone to do, down main street the other day, contemplating the vagaries of life on the northern prairie and noting how the incessant sunshine draws us somehow closer to one another, as we sweat our summers away in our separate houses, gathered around our air conditioners the way folks early in the last century used to gather around the radio. It's our new shared experience. Suddenly I found my body propelled forward at an alarming rate. I caught myself, but not before experiencing that primal surge of blood and adrenaline so strong you can smell it that usually accompanies unexpected hurtlings of the body.

Looking back to ascertain the cause of my narrowly-avoided plummeting toward Mother Earth I espied that a section of sidewalk had been pushed up, like a great tectonic plate, above the pedestrial plane. As I considered this offensive block of concrete I couldn't help but compare it with the Current Occupant, who has in his infinite blundering managed to force eight years of our National Experience out of alignment with the otherwise smooth plane of American History, and I thought of all the others besides myself who had stubbed their toes there, wondering if any of them had required medical attention and been unable to afford it because of the Current Occupant's utter failure to provide health care for those below the line of undue affluence and power."

You know, I wish I could make Keillor's salary to write the same column over and over. Perhaps it's just a mental exercise for him, to see how many different ways he can say "I hate Bush" without actually saying it or repeating himself.

I hope we never see the day when it becomes obvious that Bush was right. I hope Keillor never has to write a column someday about how sad he is that the little girl he once watched play baseball on a boys' team now isn't even allowed out of the house, let alone play sports of any kind on any team, because Sharia law forbids it. But if he does, I suspect he'll find a way to blame that on Bush, too.

Because of course it's never Keillor's fault. He's just a Passive Observer, doing nothing more than reporting on the world he sees around him. Each column is an impartial sounding of the depths for all to hear: "Life still sucks! Bush is still in office! Tune in again next week!"

I have no use for such people. If, as his columns seem to indicate, everything he experiences reminds him of how aweful Bush is, then he has developed a psychosis. He is not alone in this. I know people on both sides of the political fence (or is it barricade, these days?) who are pretty much the same way. They can't pull their heads out of the political quicksand long enough to notice that the world is still going on around them. They can't do something as simple as watch a baseball game without getting into a stew over politics.

I can't live that way. I refuse to live that way. This morning there was a light mist (or perhaps smoke) in the foothills above town that caught the morning sun and transformed the scene into an impressionistic painting. Oddly enough, I found myself enjoying that brief glimpse for what it was, and managed quite easily not to draw any comparisions to Bush, Obama, McCain, Pelosi, Putin, Sarkozy, or Mugabe, et al.

I'm just arrogant enough to believe that mine was the proper way to enjoy it.

Is Mass Transit The Answer?

After reading this article on TownHall.com, I'd have to say no. Just another corner we've painted ourselves into.

Ecuador to the Rescue!

At last some perspective! Frank J at IMAO provides some in his warning against asteroids. He even solves the two problems (election, economy) distracting everyone from the real danger!

Funny stuff, which we could all use right now, I think.
(Hat-tip: Instapundit)

Volcanos and Polar Bears

At least one study is suggesting that undersea volcanos may be melting the arctic ice.

The earth is a vast, complex, poorly-understood place. I'm just sayin'.

Worms. Why Did It Have To Be Worms...

While very interesting, I'm not currently encouraged by this latest development in allergy relief:

Using hookworms to protect against allergies

Just ten worms can significantly reduce symptoms while not producing any noticeable problems. Well, I still think I'll pass for now.

Bring The Troops Home NOW!

We need them here to do for us what they've done for Iraq!

Recent polls, as reported by Next Big Figure, show that 17% of Americans believe our country is on the right track. Meanwhile 43% of Iraqis believe things are going well in Iraq.

Thoughts on Violence

While on vacation I went on a tour of the local museum with my father-in-law. They had an exhibit on the Battle of Tampere, which was a significant engagement during the Finnish Civil War. Much of the information was, of course, in Finnish, so after I got home I looked it up on Wikipedia. Pretty stark stuff, made all the more powerful by the revelation that my wife's grandfather fought in the war when he was 13 years old.

Then yesterday I read one of Michael Totten's reports on Bosnia. It occurred to me that Americans--indeed, most of the Western nations--are very lucky. We've lived a life of such relative security that it's almost impossible for us to comprehend that one's government or way of life could ever fall apart. It's difficult for many to understand that while all conflicts can be resolved, some are not worth the cost. It's almost inconceivable for many that someone could feel the "right-ness" of their viewpoint--or the "wrong-ness" of yours--so strongly that they would feel the only proper response is violence.

The reality is that governments can and do fall apart, and not everyone has the same idea of how things should be put together again. People do fear the idea of a rival viewpoint carrying the day that they are willing to kill others to advance their own viewpoint or defend against someone else's. And when someone is trying to kill you, it doesn't really matter if their viewpoint makes sense or has valid points. You don't want them to kill you, so you must be prepared to kill them. And once the killing starts it is extremely difficult to stop it and figure out how to work together again.

It happened in Finland. It happened in Yugoslavia. It's happening in Lebanon and Sudan, and could be about to happen in Zimbabwe. But we in the West sit back and think "Oh well, those were different times, or that's a different culture. We're better than that. We can work out our differences."

And we can, right up until the point when we can't. Your right to swing your fist ends where my nose begins. We don't have civil war in America because we still believe in the authority of our government. We still believe that no matter how extreme some political ideas may be, the reality will always fall more or less in the middle. We still believe that violent conflict between groups is futile because our government will put a stop to it.

If that ever changes then America could become as deadly a place--if not more so--as Yugoslavia ever was. We could see civil warfare as violent, destructive, and inhumane as anything in Darfur or Finland. Because when someone else starts reaching for their gun to back up their viewpoint you'll want to make sure you've got one, too.

It's all the more amazing to me now to realize that we have a government that has allowed as much freedom as it has while remaining viable and strong as it has for as long as it has. Not many nations can say that, really. We may be one of the younger nations in the world, but when it comes to continual, static forms of government, we're one of the oldest.

It's not come without a cost. I wonder if we are still willing to pay the cost. If we're not, then our government will lose its viability. And if that ever happens you can bet people will be reaching for their guns.

Completely Finnished

...as in wiped out. And back from vacation in Finland. We just spent 2.5 weeks in one of the most beautiful places in the world (perhaps I'm biased). It rained nearly every day it was there, but I didn't mind that much. It's a green country, and they've needed the rain.

But it was a bit of a shock to return to our desert home. Fortunately only from the general environment here, not from the condition of our yard and garden. Both were left in, it seems, quite capable hands. The place looks great, and 2.5 weeks of growth are sure noticeable.

It's good to be home. Here and there both.

Still Here...Sort Of

There's a good reason why posting has been light (okay, nonexistant). Honest there is. Ask me again in a few days.

The Superpower of Imagination

J.K. Rowling gave the commencement address at Harvard. Interesting and thought-provoking stuff. It kinda undoes some of the negative stuff she's done lately.

Caught In Passing

From an MSNBC newsblog:

Mr. Bush is on the final day of his Western swing, where he has two events: a meeting with the head of the Mormon Church in Salt Lake City and a fundraiser for a Republican House challenger in Kansas, both closed to coverage.

It's probably nothing exciting--a thank-you visit for our humanitarian efforts, most likely--but interesting, nonetheless. Since we never hear about this, it makes one wonder how often this happens.

Things Always Go Boom Eventually....

I don't know if that's an exact "Ivonova Quote", but it works.

O.S. Card has a new essay out. This time he's skewering Obama about how he should have handled Bush's "appeasement" speech. Or at least he starts out that way.

What he has to say there isn't anything major. My thoughts, pretty much, only more eloquently (and lengthily) put. But then he segues into what Obama's response means for the future: Obama really IS a believer in appeasement, and that spells trouble.

He then dives into a little bit of political history on the election between Abraham Lincoln and George McClellan during the Civil War:

Lincoln, facing probably defeat in the election, called together his cabinet and handed them a sealed memorandum, which he directed that they should sign as witnesses, so that when, after the election, the document was opened, they would know that this was what Lincoln had written at that time.

Here's what was in that memo:

"This morning, as for some days past, it seems exceedingly probably [sic] that this Administration will not be re-elected. Then it will be my duty to so cooperate with the Government President elect, as to save the Union between the Election and the inauguration; as he will have secured his election on such ground that he cannot possibly save it afterwards."

Lincoln's point was plain: McClellan had so bound himself to the promise to declare defeat by negotiating an end to the war that Lincoln had to make sure that between the election and the inauguration the war was won so there would be nothing for his successor to negotiate.

Furthermore, it is an obvious historical fact, supported by evidence from the South, that because McClellan was running with the pledge to let the South have its victory in the Civil War after all, the Confederacy based all its hopes on prolonging the war long enough for McClellan to become president.

In short, Card is suggesting that Bush is preparing to make a decisive blow against Iran in case Obama or Hillary get elected and mess everything up. And if he's not planning that, he should.

Meanwhile, Obama, by his own admission, is precisely the kind of candidate who makes the writing of such a memo necessary.

That's scary stuff. Especially in light of a buildup of forces in the region. It could be nothing. It could be a big something. It could be...

[music cue]...the end of the world as we know it! [/music cue]

Okay, that said, I don't know whether to hope Card is right or wrong on this one. I do find myself hoping that Obama won't win so we don't have to find out right away.

Warning: No Puns Were Spared In This Post

Q: What do you call a nun in a tower?
A: Nun of the above

Q: What do you call a nun who can run an entire marathon without getting tired?
A: Nun too healthy

Q: What do you call a nun who earns at least a C grade in all her courses?
A: Nun shall pass

Q: What do you call a nun who works for you?
A: Nun of your business

Q: What do you call the end of this post?
A: Nun too soon!

In Offensive

Joseph Lieberman has written an editorial in the Wall Street Journal outlining his thoughts on national security and the Democractic Party. I can't speak for his domestic record, but when it comes to foreign policy, Joe's got it right:

A great Democratic secretary of state, Dean Acheson, once warned "no people in history have ever survived, who thought they could protect their freedom by making themselves inoffensive to their enemies." This is a lesson that today's Democratic Party leaders need to relearn.

Appeasement and Obama - My Take

As if it matters what I think. ;-)

Obama had every chance to ignore Bush's remarks in Israel. It's clear that Obama is not the only one calling for talks with enemy powers. Lots of people in many countries are saying the same thing. He could have claimed the comments weren't directed at him because "appeasement" is not his intention.

But no, he pleads guilty in rising to what may not even have been bait. By objecting he's essentially said that "Yeah, I guess what I want to do could be called appeasement, so you were talking about me!"

McCain, meanwhile, probably should have just kept his mouth shut and let Obama hang himself. But his response of "Obama favors talking with these people. I just want to know what he plans to say" is immensely valid, and for Obama to pretend it's not means he's got something to hide. The American public deserves a chance to vote for the person they think would have the best things to say to our enemies.

Why not answer McCain's question? What if the things he would say are all the right things? Wouldn't that HELP his candidacy? Wouldn't that PROVE he's got the foreign policy chops to get the job done? Why isn't he welcoming the chance instead of throwing up an smokescreen and dodging the issue...again?

Instead he's falling back on his standard response to any criticism: "How dare you bring that up! That's off limits! I won't even validate such criticism with a response! And that goes for both of you, even though McCain was saying something entirely different!"

Meanwhile, he's also mixing in his own brand of misinformation. Bush has not, as he and Hillary claim, been going it alone on Iran. Iran is one place he HAS been working with other nations. There have been times when the other nations have actually talked tougher on Iran than we have. The "Cowboy Diplomacy" they accuse Bush of is exactly what he's NOT been doing with Iran.

So what Obama is really telling us here is that Bush's multi-national approach is not working, and that HE will solve the problem ALL BY HIMSELF by talking to our enemies. This particular quote by Obama is interesting:

"Instead of tough talk and no action, we need to do what (Presidents) Kennedy, Nixon and Reagan did and use all elements of American power — including tough, principled, and direct diplomacy — to pressure countries like Iran and Syria."

This leaves me more confused. He initially claimed we need to talk to these nations. Now he's saying that talk isn't enough--we need to act. So what exactly is he proposing? Why not lay it out for us so we can see how his approach is so different--and better--than Bush's?

I heard no mention of working with other world powers on this. So after so many years of criticizing Bush for "going it alone" that's exactly what HE wants to do! And if we're going to go it alone to back up his talk, just what exactly does he plan to say?! McCain has it right! I want to know!

But he won't say. He does everything in his power, including sulking like my five year old whenever anyone says anything that could be taken as criticism of him. Why on earth would we want this to be our face to the world for the next four years?

Here We Go Again...

I've got another article from Orson Scott Card to foist upon you! This week he tackles science, Darwinism, Creationism, and Intelligent Design. I have a hard time finding anything wrong with his assertions.

To be honest, I have to wonder now if he is really putting into words the things I've already believed but never worked through, or if he's just outright convincing me of what he believes. Perhaps I should read his work more critically.

But he writes so well it's really hard for me to argue.

Space Monkey Mafia

more cat pictures

This one just strikes me funny for some reason...and perhaps I can relate a little. To the monkey? To the victim? Short answer...yes.

Gore is So 2004

It seems Gore doesn't bother to keep current on climate research. According to an article in Investor's Business Daily Gore has blamed the cyclone and resulting deaths in Myanmar on Global Warming:

There's a "trend toward more Category 5 storms," Gore claimed, and this trend "appears to be linked to global warming and specifically to the impact of global warming on higher ocean temperatures in the top couple of hundred feet in the ocean, which drives convection energy and moisture into these storms and makes them more powerful."

He's wrong on two points. First of all, recent science has indicated that Global Warming results in fewer, less-powerful hurricanes. Second, research has indicated that ocean temperature has been on the decline for the last five years.

Furthermore, Global Warming enthusiasts are always quick to point out that any weather that doesn't match up with the idea of increasing temperatures is a statistical anomaly, or more colloquially, "weather is local, climate is global". So if I can't claim that the US experiencing one of the coldest winters in some time is a sign against Global Warming, then Gore can't claim that one nasty cyclone is proof positive. You can't have it both ways.

The article goes on to claim that Gore is purposely making these misleading statements in order to keep the public excited about green technologies, which he has invested heavily in as of late. I don't know about that. One man's market manipulation is another man's "putting his money where his mouth is". I'll give him a pass on that.

But not on ignoring two of the most important climate research studies in recent months. For someone of his prominence who claims authority on the issue, ignorance is inexcusable.

Time Travel Trolls

(hat-tip Instapundit)

This is too good! Someone has written a time travel story as a comments forum.

It's good for a chuckle, anyway.

Organized Crime

I've been trying a new organization method to help make me more effective. I have to admit that all it seems to be accomplishing at the moment is making me tired just thinking about all that I have to do. I had an entire evening to work on stuff tonight and what did I do? I transferred all the peripherals that I've been attaching to my computer via the ports on the front to the ports on the back so it looks a little nicer and has fewer cords sticking out all over.

I guess that's something. And I was able to listen to our local congressman's town hall phone conference while I worked, thus justifying the outlay for the speaker phone last week. Yay! Other than that, I feel tired and overwhelmed. I just want to go to bed.

I guess if I look back over my list of tasks and see all that I've crossed off since last week I've done quite a bit. It just seems like there's always more to do, and all I'm accomplishing are the "low-hanging fruit" while I avoid the big stuff.

Fiddle-dee-dee, Ashley. I'll think about that tomorrow.

I Have Only Come Here Seeking Knowledge

Michael Totten is going to the Balkans. I find myself glad to hear the news. That's another part of the world that I know far too little about. I know he'll get the story and get it right.

I find myself wishing I could do what he is doing. I can't, so it's a good thing he can.

Oh Senator Reid...with mind so small...

Further evidence that Sen. Harry Reid, (D) Nevada, is either stupid or dishonest--or both:

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid noted after Gates’ announcement that any war commander must be committed to “implementing major changes in strategy” if directed to do so by a new president.

“The Senate will carefully examine these nominations, and I will be looking for credible assurances of a strong commitment to implementing a more effective national security strategy,” said Reid, D-Nev.

The President--any president--outranks anyone in the military. If the President gives an order--even a stupid one--they will obey.

Or does Harry Reid really think that the military is just waiting for an excuse to stage a coup?

As for implementing a more effective national security strategy, that is their job! That's what they live and breathe. Unlike Harry Reid, who lives and breathes getting his name in the paper and blindly adhering to his failed strategy of pushing for defeat in Iraq.

Of course what he really means is that he's looking for assurances of commitment to implementing Harry Reid's idiotic strategy of defeatism and isolationism. We HAVE an effective national security strategy. What evidence does he have that we don't?! Exactly what criteria is he using for defining an "effective strategy"?

General Petraeus will do what he is ordered to do, which is why I have very definite ideas about who I want giving him orders. What I hope is that whomever that is also has the brains to listen to good advice in return.

It's quite obvious to me that one should not look for good advice from Harry Reid.

Father-n-Son at the Mortuary

My five-year-old got a remote control truck for his birthday. When fully charged it goes really fast--too fast for adequate control in our living room. It's more a matter of how many items can it bounce off in less than a minute.

So for our "date" last night I thought it would be fun to take it someplace with a bit more room. There's a funeral home nearby with a fairly large and usually empty parking lot. That would do nicely.

So we drove his truck around the parking lot until the battery ran down. His favorite part? Sitting on top of the van. The lot is big, and he's...well, five. I figured he'd be able to see better from up there. He wasn't too sure about it at first, but evidently it grew on him.

It was a beautiful Spring evening. And, knowing how kids' minds work, a good memory for both of us for some time to come.

We're Having An Ice Age...a Tropical Ice Age!

Are all the Global Warming fanatics screaming up the wrong tree? Should we be more concerned--or at least a little concerned about Global Cooling?

From Phil Chapman of the Australian:

All four agencies that track Earth's temperature (the Hadley Climate Research Unit in Britain, the NASA Goddard Institute for Space Studies in New York, the Christy group at the University of Alabama, and Remote Sensing Systems Inc in California) report that it cooled by about 0.7C in 2007. This is the fastest temperature change in the instrumental record and it puts us back where we were in 1930. If the temperature does not soon recover, we will have to conclude that global warming is over.

The proposed culprit? The Sun:

This is where SOHO comes in. The sunspot number follows a cycle of somewhat variable length, averaging 11 years. The most recent minimum was in March last year. The new cycle, No.24, was supposed to start soon after that, with a gradual build-up in sunspot numbers.

It didn't happen. The first sunspot appeared in January this year and lasted only two days. A tiny spot appeared last Monday but vanished within 24 hours. Another little spot appeared this Monday. Pray that there will be many more, and soon.

The reason this matters is that there is a close correlation between variations in the sunspot cycle and Earth's climate. The previous time a cycle was delayed like this was in the Dalton Minimum, an especially cold period that lasted several decades from 1790.

Of course unlike some, Chapman is willing to admit he may be wrong:

That the rapid temperature decline in 2007 coincided with the failure of cycle No.24 to begin on schedule is not proof of a causal connection but it is cause for concern.

If he then goes on to paint a rather alarming picture he can be forgiven. Global Warming advocates have been doing that for years. It's hard to put a happy face on the notion of a prolonged cold period. Plants do better in warm weather with lots of carbon dioxide. They don't do so well in cold weather. If you think the food shortages now are causing problems, just wait until the US and Canada--the breadbasket of the world--gets hit with cold weather for several years.

The Global Warming advocates claim we should dedicate resources to planning a response to increasing temperatures. I think it's only fair that, given the mounting evidence, we ask that resources be applied to planning for the opposite. To quote Chapman quoting Oliver Cromwell, "I beseech you, in the bowels of Christ, think it possible you may be mistaken."

Birthday Bash

Just for the record let me state that throwing a birthday party for five-year-old boys is not the same as a birthday party for five-year-old girls. It's like the difference between a 4.0 scale earthquake and a 6.0 scale earthquake.

We threw a party for our middle boy yesterday, and invited four friends. We've had several of these boys over before, but never at the same time. Seemingly mild-mannered kids suddenly become loud, energetic, and lose all attention spans. Fortunately it was only an hour and a half. We managed.

Special thanks goes to my sister who sent us a "Here Comes A..." series DVD a few years ago for Christmas. We had a firefighter theme for the party, so "Here Comes A Firetruck" was perfect. About half an hour before the end of the party things were quickly spiraling toward a five-way tantrum, so we pulled out the DVD as our ace in the hole.

Worked like a charm. They sat still and quiet for twenty minutes. It was great! Saved our sanity and possibly the party. Thanks, Sis!

Do As I Say, Not As I Do

In a campaign season rife with hypocrisy I still have to call Obama on this one:

“So the problem that we have in our politics, which is fairly typical, is that you take one person’s statement, if it’s not properly phrased, and you just beat it to death,” he said. “And that’s what Senator Clinton’s been doing over the last four days.”

Four words, Senator: McCain-Iraq-100-Years

If you're not part of the cure, you're the problem. Or is purposely misrepresenting someone's words somehow excused?

Worthwhile Films

We watched "Why Did I Get Married?" for our date night this weekend. I chose it primarily because Orson Scott Card highly recommended it. Since I've come to value his opinion on many things (as you've no doubt noticed) I decided to take a chance that I also agree with him on entertainment.

We do on this one, at least. Though the movie is a little gritty and frank at times, it is everything a movie should be. It comes labeled as "Black Entertainment", but that's largely irrelevant. Perhaps I don't get all the black subtext, but so what? I'm pretty sure I got what the move was about, what I was meant to get from it. And perhaps I got to understand a bit how the black community is different. I don't think that's a bad thing, either.

Because for one thing, the black community is a faith-based community, and that's a good thing. This movie openly and unashamedly talks about religion and God and living the way you're supposed to. Characters are allowed to give lengthy declarations of faith, and give God the credit for the good things that come from that faith. It's refreshing, and it's about time.

It's a movie with good people trying to do the right thing--and those who are not are not shunned, but not given any comfort in their sins either. One character is almost unredeemably selfish and mean, and though his friends stick with him, they don't have any problem letting him know that they do not approve. An amazing example of hate the sin, love the sinner I wish I could emulate.

Anyway, it's a good movie; funny in spots, sad in spots, uncomfortable in spots, happy in spots--it's a lot like life, and it covers some broad, important ground truthfully. It's worth renting.

Great Name For A Blog

I found this out on I Can Has Cheezburger today:

Cream of Angry Soup

I'm tempted to go lock down "Cream of Angry Soup" as a blog name, but then I can't imagine what sort of stuff I'd post there.

It's All Relative

From National Review Online:
Go see the comparison chart, but in 1996 the Democrats were calling the economy the healthiest it's been in three decades. Today they're calling it the worst jobs record since Herbert Hoover.

The actual facts show a different picture. Not that we can be bothered by those. We have an election to win.

Fun With English

While watching General Conference yesterday one speaker told a story from his Vietnam War experiences, which included loading the wounded soldiers into choppers. My daughter leaned over and asked, "Daddy, why are they putting the soldiers into the chopper?"

It took me a moment to realize that the problem was with the word "chopper". So far in her short life her only experience with a "chopper" has been when the tree trimmer came to chop up the willow tree that blew over on our house. He put all the branches into his chopper.

She was quite relieved to find out that they were loading them into helicopters to take to the hospital rather than running them through a chipper.

Bush Listened, People...uh...Glistened?

I, too, am tired of hearing the old meme "Bush Lied, People Died!". It's not true, but let's never let the truth get in the way of soundbites. That sounds so much better than "Bush Listened To People Who Were Later Proven Wrong!"

But since I don't have a national column, I'll leave the refutation to the professionals (Norm Podhoretz in the Wall Stree Journal).

It used to be that the history is written by the victors. Now-days they're not even waiting to see who won before they try to rewrite it.

Life Imitates Art, Mass Panic Ensues

I know I'm not the first person to note the surreal quality of musical theater: people are having a normal conversation when all of a sudden music plays from nowhere and everyone starts singing and dancing. It's okay, because everyone on the stage is in on it, so we don't really notice.

But what happens when the part of the "townsfolk" is played by actual townsfolk? Behold the Food Court Musical! (Hat tip: Orson Scott Card)

It's not the greatest performance around, but it's a hoot! And the townspeople turn in some Oscar-worthy performances!

--

O.S.C. also posts an interesting essay on Barak Obama and Rev. Wright, and on Hillary vs. Michelle Obama through their senior theses. I don't know if he's changed my mind any, but he's added some perspective. That's not a bad achievement, either.

Fun With Spam!

I check my spam box now and then just to make sure nothing important got stuck there. This morning I realized I'd missed out on the opportunity of a lifetime.

From: Job Openings
Re: DEVIL, great pay!

Tempting (no pun intended), but no. It may be a fun job, but as I understand it, the long-term outlook is not good. Besides, this is definitely one job where I would want to know, "Why is this position open?"

Signs of the Seasons

It's becoming obvious that you can tell what season it is by how many trips I make to Home Depot in a month. I'm pretty sure that pattern analysis would indicate that I make very few trips during Winter months, an enormous surge in Spring, then tapering off through Summer into Fall.

It must be Spring.

I made another trip last night to get some more composter materials to finish the production run. And we need a new hose. We hooked the old one up on Saturday to water the strawberry transplants and found out we've sprung a serious leak.

So I found myself driving home last night in a rainstorm, watching the lightning illuminate the western half of the sky, and listening to NPR, who was doing a show with the soundtrack to the new Battlestar Galactica series and the composer's explanations of why he used the instrumentation he did (taiko drums and ancient instruments as much as possible). I've never seen the new series. I find myself wanting to.

It was a somewhat surreal moment, and I felt strangely alive.

Date Nights and Genocide

Both my wife and I have said before that we should watch "Hotel Rwanda". This weekend we finally did. If you're looking for a "feel good movie," this isn't it. But it's an important movie, and I say that without any sarcasm. Many movies act important. This one is.

The movie is an eye-opener on so many levels. The characters and situations display the whole spectrum of humanity from its foulest depths to its most noble heights. We in the West really have no clue. We have a hard time believing the world could be that way because we live such insulated lives.

It's so easy to believe it can't happen here. Don't bet your life on it.

It was not a movie one can watch and forget. One aspect of it or another has been gnawing on my mind ever since. I've been questioning who I am, what I would be willing to do, and what I'm capable of. Hard enough questions in the context of my current, cushy life. Much, much harder in the context of the movie. Even more difficult in the context of the movie and my religion.

The movie is meant to make us think, and it's certainly done that.

It's Only A Trash Can

I've got the supplies to make my composters. Now I just need the time and the space. We've been getting a fair bit of rain lately, which makes working outside difficult. Working inside could be a bit noisy and messy--and subject to close supervision by cats and kids. Perhaps tonight I'll get a chance to give it a try. I think everyone at the store thought I was crazy, but they at least gave me good advice on the practical details. I hope.

Spring officially starts today. At least I think that's what the Google logo was trying to tell us today. I'm ready. Bring on a little bit warmer and drier weather and I'm so there.

I know, before long it'll be too hot and too dry, so enjoy it while I can.

Attack of the Replechauns

My two-year-old was telling us all about the "replechauns" over breakfast today. I found it rather cute. My oldest has gone hog-wild over St. Patrick's Day. She spent much of the day yesterday, with her brothers' help, making little paper shamrocks, pots of gold, and leprechaun hats that they'd sneak around the house and attempt to "surprise" their mother and me with. She even set up a treasure hunt.

Her reach exceeded her grasp, however, and before she went to bed she had to delegate some of her plans to her mother and I. To me she bequeathed the "making of the sign." She'd drawn letters for a sign, and I was supposed to cut out the letters and attach them individually to a string to hang up across the top of our stairwell. I colored and cut them out, but instead pasted them to cardstock, drew some extra thematic elements and hung it. It seems to have passed muster.

In other news, though, I seem to have contracted Khan Syndrome; as in "You've managed to kill off nearly everyone else, but like a poor marksman you keep missing the target!"

No, I haven't killed anyone. In my case I've managed to buy just about everything else, but I keep missing the compost bin. You see, my clever design to build composters into each of my planter beds didn't turn out as well as I'd have liked. We're going to remove that feature to secure some more garden space.

Instead we need to find some compost bins that will work. The way our yard is arranged there's really no place to build a big one like we had at the old house, so I've got to come up with something smaller and/or portable.

The other night I took the boys with me and went to Home Depot to see what they have. They don't. But I bought some solar yard lights and a bulk pack of canvas yard gloves. Then we went to a local garden/pet store chain. They had two models, both as expensive as all get-out, with not much capacity.

Saturday I took my older boy and we set out again. We went to a larger farm/ranch/home chain. They don't have anything...yet. We can't wait. I've got to get the compost out of the way so my wife can start planting things. So we went to a local nursery. They don't have anything. We finally ended up at Lowe's. They don't have anything, either, but by that point I was hatching plans to make my own.

I had hoped to pick up the materials I needed. Instead I ran out of time. But as we were leaving I noticed a chipper/shredder. It was electric. It was inexpensive. It was on clearance. It was the only one left in the store. I bought. I took it home. I demo'd it for the kids. It's nice. It's very nice.

And it's not THAT unnecessary a purchase. It will help with yard waste and making our composting efforts more successful. But still, I've spent over $200 in my pursuit of a composter so far and we don't yet have a composter.

Upping the Awwww Factor

They say Congress' approval rating is the lowest it's ever been. I can believe it, after their Daylight Savings in Early March maneuver. Curse them!

In related new, this morning our two boys slept in, and it was starting to look like they wouldn't even be up before I left for work. I was brushing my teeth before heading out the door when two sleepy-headed boys in flannel pajamas padded up to the bathroom door, wanting a hug and kiss before I left.

I was only too happy to comply. My boys give good hugs, though the two-year-old's are sometimes in short supply. He must have been especially sleepy this morning. It was quite a long hug.

The Ghost of Service

A few weeks ago we upgraded our DSL connection from 256 kbps to 1.5 mbps. Or at least we thought we did. Call it the placebo effect--at first I thought it was indeed faster, though I was a little disappointed, expecting it to be markedly faster. Over time, though, I'd come to the conclusion that it there really was no difference from before. Yet both my ISP and the phone company were charging me to price for the faster service.

Last night I had some time to sit on tech support lines. I called the ISP first--not because I suspect the problem was on their end. Quite the opposite, really. I have high confidence in my ISP. I don't think they've ever told me wrong. In fact I was counting on them to tell me correctly so I'd know what was going on. They ran a few quick tests and decided it was the phone company that was the problem.

So I called the phone company. Sure enough, they'd updated my billing, but had not actually adjusted my connection speed. They did so while I was on the phone. Yay! Hooray! I can watch YouTube videos without interruption!

The motto of our phone company is "The Spirit of Service". If by "spirit" they mean "something insubstantial, even mythological" then I suppose they're correct.

My ISP, on the other hand, rocks. When I called in to find out what was wrong with my connection previously (my modem kept freezing up) they not only diagnosed the problem correctly and helped me resolve it (bad modem from aforementioned phone company-who denied having a problem), they actually refused to sell me a new modem. They'd tested their latest batch from the manufacturer and found them to have unexpected problems. They advised me to call back in a few days when they hoped to have a new, good batch.

In short, they refused to sell me something that would not ultimately satisfy me. They apologized for being unable to meet my needs immediately, but I was far from upset. I was all the more determined to buy from them, because I knew I could count on whatever I did buy to work.

And then they proceeded to inform me that I could upgrade my connection speed by six times for less money than I was currently paying. They were restructuring their rates, and if I was willing to move up to the next level it would save me money (and cost me more from the phone company, but it's nearly a wash). Gee, let me think about this a moment....

I don't think I've ever had a company voluntarily offer to charge me less for more. They could have left me on my old service paying the higher prices for years before I might have noticed. They didn't.

I can't recommend Fiberpipe Internet enough. I don't have to call them very often, and when I do I can honestly say I come away "delighted" by their service.

Some other company needs to undertake a Qwest to improve their service, but I'm not naming names.

So What's Up?

The weather outside is exhibiting extreme Spring-iness. My cabin fever is nearing terminal.

I'm still listening to Missy Higgins on her website while I wait for her CD (autographed, no less) comes in the mail.

I'm still working my way through "Young Bucks" and liking what I'm reading so far. Many of the ideas sound fun for me to do--forget the kids!

I've resumed watching Babylon 5 after a involuntary hiatus. Last night I hit the episode where the fourth season really starts to heat up. Good stuff.

Waiting for my tax refund so I can pay what I owe on state tax.

We've got our tickets booked for a great family vacation this summer--I think. We used an agent this time, as she promised she could save us money. Perhaps she has, but when I can't be entirely sure I actually have tickets I'm starting to sour on the deal.

My middle child has his kindergarten orientation today in preparation for this Fall. It won't be that long before my wife is all alone during the days--well, except for the two cats and the dog.

My gaming group meets tonight, and another weekend is upon us. Yay!

Bob, Bush, and Personal Portaits

Time magazine online is running an interesting article by Bob Geldorf on his travels in and discussions on Africa with Pres. Bush. I think they both come out of it looking fairly good.

Wonder from Downunder

There's a site I visit that plugs a new artist/group each day. I almost never pay attention. Today's album thumbnail made the singer look like Laura Bush. I admire Laura Bush. I was curious.

She's not Laura Bush. She's 23 and writes some interesting music. It doesn't grab you by the throat and make you listen (well, at least one song does for me). It's just there, waiting for you to invest a bit of yourself and listen. It rewards you if you do.

Her style is an interesting mash of country, blues, folk, and pop. It's all acoustic, and the elegantly simple arrangement supports a pleasant, mature, evocative voice. It's easy on the ears and it's seductive, and I am so tempted to buy her album.

May I recommend Missy Higgins, of Melbourne, Australia.

"Steer" grabs me. At least listen to that one. The video that goes with it is pretty good, too. I can relate to the concept of a human crash-test dummy.

Favorite line: "You've been playing at a game called remembering your name / And you stuffed it up."

Remember Your Place!

Conversation with my youngest this morning:

Me: You and I are having a date today. Where would you like to go?
Son: With Mommy.

My Next Reading Project

I listened to the latest Glenn and Helen Show where they talk to Troy Dunn, author of "Young Bucks: How to Raise a Future Millionaire". It focuses on how to turn your children's passions into businesses so they learn to make money for themselves instead of relying on you.

One example that jumped out: A mother complained to the author that her daughter just wanted to sit and hang out on MySpace all the time. The author worked with the daughter a bit and helped her set up a business where she maintains MySpace pages for various businesses that have pages, but don't known how to maintain them. She charges them $100 a month, and currently has 11 clients. Suddenly the mom is thrilled that all her daughter does is hang out on MySpace all the time.

I don't have the book yet, but I intend to get it. I have to wonder if there isn't some not-so-hidden messages for adults as well. Also interesting is that the author has seven kids, and drops the code-phrase "No other success can compensate for failure in the home".

Hear, Hear!!

Orson Scott Card has done it again, this time bemoaning the two-party system that requires a person to either conceal their true beliefs or turn off their brains in order to adopt the full raft of party policy. He contests that no one can be intellectually honest and an idealogically pure liberal or conservative. And I agree.

I have leanings, to be sure, but I think both parties are so full of crap and themselves that no sensible person could ever side with them completely. I'm a moderate, as Card describes it, and there is just no place for moderates in today's politics.

I'm reminded of this frequently by a friend of mine. If I remember correctly, he would rather vote for Hillary or Obama than McCain, even though by his own admission, McCain would do less damage to the country than the democratic candidates. Why? Because McCain has dared to vote with the other side. He has failed to live up to the party line. Better to vote for someone who will cripple the country than someone who has disappointed him, lest he reward that kind of behavior.

So instead he rewards completely unrepentant, assinine behavior. Straining at gnats and swallowing camels, in my view.

Such is the legacy of our two party system. I'd much rather be a moderate. Thanks to Card's description of what a moderate is and is not, I can begin to say that with pride.

Bawling to Barber

I listened to the local classical station on the way in to work this morning. Just as I got to work they played Samuel Barber's "Adagio For Strings". It's one of my favorite pieces, so I decided to be a little late and listen.

I wasn't prepared for it this morning. It reached right in and ripped my heart out, and left be bawling behind the wheel in the parking lot.

I would have to agree with the announcer, that that is one of the most perfect pieces ever written. It does its job mercilessly well. The climax is nearly unbearable, and makes the resolution all the more poignant, even cathartic.

Still, I think this morning's encounter speaks as much to my current emotional state as to Barber's inspiration.

I "Club" You

I was driving around the other day and saw a bumper sticker that caught my attention: "I "Heart" Scotties", or something like that. It stuck out not because of the specifics, but for another reason.

You don't see many bumper stickers that simply declare what the driver likes/loves anymore. The vast majority of bumper stickers today are all about hate. We no longer define ourselves by what we enjoy, but what we despise. We are what we are against, not what we are for.

The main trouble is that either choice requires effort and energy. Even if what we hate is something worth hating, if we're not careful we don't leave ourselves anything for what we enjoy or should support.

And heaven forbid we should ever allow ourselves to hear the other side of something. Heaven forbid we should ever look for alternatives that might get us what we want--or at least closer--while not making the other guy give up everything. It's not enough that we win, but the other guy has to lose LOSE LOSE!!!!!!!!!!!

I don't think I like the world we are building for ourselves. Probably because I know there are already people out there who hate me generally. I only have to read the comments thread to an article about the new prophet of our church to see that there are people whose mission in life is to hate me generally. It's only a matter of time before they start to hate me specifically.

Once people become emboldened to no longer hide behind the anonymity of their blog/car/pen-name and are willing to look the other guy in the face and still hate them it's a short step to persecution, violence, bloodshed, and death--all in the name of tolerance, of course.

Vox Politico

I would have voted for Fred Thompson. He dropped out. I would have voted for Mitt Romney, and now he's dropped out. I am a curse, it would seem.

But what is most interesting is the footing Romney left on. He essentially said that he is resigning to increase his party's chance of winning the election. In other words, he's doing it for the good of the party--and of course for America, but that's actually somewhat irrelevant at the moment. I don't think his timing and his explanation are about what is immediately best for America, even if it's true.

I think he's putting pressure on John McCain to move more toward the party line. He's saying to "Maverick", "Hey, I'm willing to do what is best for the party. Your turn."

And in so doing, I think he is doing what is best for America, too. There are a lot of things about McCain I don't like. There are some things about Romney I don't like. I've long given up hoping for the perfect candidate. But I believe that a president's impact on domestic policy is minimal compared to what they can do for foreign policy. And that is where this next election is so critical.

We don't need a president who is going to apologize to the world for having freedom and democracy, tuck our tail between our legs, and hide at home waiting for Islam to come take that freedom and democracy away from us. Whatever else he may do, John McCain won't do that. If any of the Democratic candidates win that IS what they will do.

So maybe, just maybe, Romney's pressure will help push McCain a little more to the right on the domestic issues. Or maybe it will set him up as a potential running mate, which could put him in a position to influence those areas where he is stronger than McCain. The two of them together may add up to a decent presidency.

Romney's move in this direction at this time opens the door for that. The continued Hill-bama brawl pretty much guarantees neither of them will get the nod for vice president--too much bad blood in the water. Any independents who supported the loser may have little choice but to jump to the Right side of the fence, whereas there's a good chance that most of the independents currently on the Right would stay there with a McCain-Romney ticket.

Just my thoughts. Only time will tell if I know anything. I'm predicting I don't.

Politicians...I Hate Those Guys

Okay, perhaps my feelings are not that strong, but I've never been and am still not fond of politics. I'd rather not follow it. The older I get, however, the less I can ignore it. Even when I really have very little impact, living in a state that matters about as little as any state in the Union can.

So for me to come out and make a endorsement in the primaries means something. I'm very worried about the way things are looking. I really wish I could call for a new shuffle, but that's not in the cards (yuk yuk yuk!).

Forget about the Democratic candidates. Hillary is farther left than Bill, and not nearly so genial. This is not someone who will even give lip-service to being a uniter. He philosophy seems to be "Things need changing, so sit down, shut up, and stay out of my way." It's not a terribly great domestic policy, and a guaranteed disastrous foreign policy.

Obama could be better. I don't know. What DOES he stand for, really? His campaign seems to be centered around "I'm not Hillary. And by the way, I'm black."

I've got nothing against a woman president. I have nothing against a black president. That really doesn't matter to me. What they stand for matters completely. I don't like what they stand for.

Then there are the Republicans. McCain is....well, McCain. I've seen more harm come from McCain-Feingold than good. He's got many of the same problems as Hillary--You can say anything, anytime as a senator and no one takes you all that seriously. But as President you can't do that, and I'm not sure they'll be able to shut up if elected. He happened to be right on Iraq, which is a point in his favor. But that's all I can find to like him for.

Romney? His being Mormon has nothing to do with anything to me. Harry Reid is a Mormon, too, and he's about as scary, vile, and nasty a person as I could ever hope to not meet. Religion is not a litmus test for me. His business success is a strong point. His ability to somehow get things done in Massachussetts is a plus. Unlike some, I don't view the ability to change one's position as a intrensic negative. As president you need to be able to compromise and look at other options.

So why don't I like Romney? I don't know. It could be that he's a light-weight on foreign affairs. And if the Congress has proven anything in the last eight years, it's that presidents don't have much impact on domestic issues. Congress sees to that. It's foreign affairs where presidents can really make a difference.

I think he could learn. I think he's not necessarily headed on the wrong track. And, perhaps too importantly, he's not John McCain, Hillary Clinton, or Barack Obama.

Throw my hat in the ring for Romney. If it's not too late.

But dang, I wish Fred Thompson had been able to do better.

News From the Heart-Land

It looks like my heart hasn't gotten any worse, and in at least one area it's looking better. With my current condition I may need to get one valve replaced when I'm 50 or 60, perhaps, but certainly nothing soon.

This is a relief. The past two years at least one indicator had grown worse. Now it's dropped back to near-normal. It's hard to say why, but no one is complaining by any means.

It's a big relief, really. I know heart surgery is becoming fairly routine these days, but I'm in no hurry to undergo it. I've only had one minor surgery other than a tonsillectomy, and that, quite frankly, was scary enough. I don't like the idea of general anesthesia. I didn't like it last time. I liked it even less when I passed out last year.

Oh, I'm sure if I had to I could tough it out. I'm just glad to postpone facing down that particular demon for as long as possible.

In Memorium

Gordon B. Hinckley, prophet and president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, died last night. That's my church. That's my prophet.

He served in that capacity for over a third of my life. A more upbeat and genial man would be hard to find. He was not afraid to laugh, not afraid to help others laugh, and not afraid to laugh at himself.

He was not afraid to point out our shortcomings, clearly and without apology. But at the same time his message was always one of hope: "I know it's hard, but you can do it. You can be your best selves."

There was no hypocrisy in him. He lived the life he would have for all of us. He lived quietly, simply, and humbly. He felt the weight of his calling greatly, even while making it look effortless.

His life embodied the advice his father once gave him: "Forget yourself and go to work." He kept a travel schedule that would have killed most people. He was literally sustained by faith. He was determined to do all that he could for as long as he could. We were blessed that he was able to do so much for so long.

I loved that man. I'll miss him. I'm glad we had him for as long as we did.

Thank You, Gentlemen

The city of San Francisco denied them permission to film there for this ad. Let me go on the record, too: The U.S. Marines (and every other branch) are always welcome on my blog. I, for one, appreciate their service and sacrifice. God bless the US Military and their families.

Thank you.



I can't watch this without getting choked up. And I'm just fine with that.

From The Depths of My Heart

Lest you think that all I think about these days is snarky socio-political commentary I thought I'd wax ponderous about my yearly reminder of mortality.

Yup, it's time for my echocardiogram again. Once a year I go in to see how far my heart has progressed toward blowing a gasket. Since last year my cardiologist has switched partnerships and tied himself more closely to the hospital next door. Part of what this means, evidently, is that the sonographer who used to do my yearly echo is no longer around. I had to go to the hospital's cardiology department and have them run the tests.

You wouldn't think that it matters who does your exam. It actually does. The technician wasn't familiar with the machine and needed a supervisor or vendor rep next to her to help. The bed I was on didn't have the nifty drop-away panel they use to get easier access to your chest. And she kept having me exhale and hold it, and either take forever getting the image or forget to tell me to breathe again.

The former technician would give me pillows to support my back during the odd positions they'd have me lay in.

See! I dropped the socio-political stuff, I just can't get rid of the snarky part. I realize if the low point of my day is discomfort during a 45-minute exam I really need a change of perspective. I'm just saying it makes a difference who does your exam, something I'd never considered before.

Anyway, the other down-side to this is that I'll need to wait until next week before I can get with my doctor and see what the prognosis is. Last year I edged closer to needing valve replacement surgery. It would be nice to know right away, like I used to. Oh well. Life goes on.

Will You Put Me In the Zoo?

My homeowners association committee meeting went a little far afield last night, and I found myself in a political discussion. I mostly kept my mouth shut. I learn more that way, even if I don't agree with what I learn.

For example, I learned homosexuality should be acceptable because 98% of all animals are bisexual. (Disclaimer: I believe homosexuality is as natural and wrong as fornication and adultery--and just as voluntary).

First of all, I highly doubt the validity of that statistic, as fish make up a large percentage of species. I also question the relevance.

You see, liberals want to have their cake and eat it too when it comes to animal behavior. They want us all to believe that we are animals and it is okay to act like animals. But they like to be selective when they invoke that excuse. Whenever animal behavior does not support an idea they champion they suddenly respond with "We are are rational, intelligent, thinking beings, not animals." So which is it?

If we are, as they argue, just animals doing animal things, then what does this suggest for political policy?:

- Very, very few species copulate for pleasure
- If an animal becomes pregnant they are committed to see it through, even if it costs them their life
- In many mammalian (and many other) species one parent cares for the children while the other obtains food.
- In most species the weakest are still allowed to languish and die
- In nearly all social species the animal most adept at obtaining food is rewarded and gets the greatest share
- Most species do not form social groupings - it's every animal for themself
- Even animals who form social groupings for protection will not make any effort to rescue those singled out by predators
- Many animals are territorial. If you threaten them or their territory you can expect to get attacked
- Very few species cooperate/negotiate with other species
- The prey does not attempt to "understand" the predator. The prey will defeat the predator any way they can
- The vast majority of animals spend each day in providing for themselves and their offspring rather than in the pursuit of pleasure

Just a few examples. It think it's safe to say that animals are not liberals. If the liberals continue to look to the animal kingdom to justify a few ideals, they should be willing to examine all their beliefs in the same light. I don't see that happening.

I don't believe we should emulate animals--at least not simply because they are animals. We are humans. We can reason. One of the main points of civilization is our ability to voluntarily give up some of our rights/options for the good of society. Just because we can do something doesn't mean we should do it. We have the ability to think things through and voluntarily behave contrary to our natural tendencies.

And that is why I just can't bring myself to be a liberal. In some areas they may have the right idea--if the wrong approach--but they are continually undermined by their constant reliance on "if it feels good, do it." They like to claim their mantra is really "if it feels good and doesn't hurt anybody, do it", but the reality is they aren't willing to do their research first to make sure it really doesn't hurt anyone before they push for its wholesale adoption. There is ample proof that some of their ideals do hurt society, but they prefer to ignore it.

They claim that it's not natural to deny themselves of sex before marriage, outside marriage, within their gender, etc.--but the reality is that they just don't want to. It has nothing to do with what is best for society and everything to do with lack of self discipline and self sacrifice. It's about letting someone else take responsibility--and then punishing them for being responsible.

They don't want to have to tell a poor, unwed, drug-addicted mother that she needs to take responsibility for herself. That might lead some to believe that those who advocate sexual responsibility are right, which might lead to people making them feel guilty for things they don't want to feel guilty for.

Instead, they turn to someone who has shown at least enough talent, self-control, and focus to make more money than they immediately need and take their money away from them and give it to the mother, with no strings attached. They punish the person who has overcome their animal tendencies and reward the one who succumbs to them. What incentive does that mother have to rise above being an animal? How will she ever learn that there is even another way?

Fortunately there are still enough people who resist their animal natures that they can even take that approach (though I'll admit that the pursuit of ridiculous wealth is animalistic/hedonistic in its own right). If enough wealthy people start to say "Oh, bag it! I'm going on government money, too!" then soon we have a society of animals with no one to save them from their beastly natures.

In a truly animalistic world, those who rely on others to save them would be completely unprepared to compete. They would not be rewarded for this--they would die.

Liberals want a world where everyone can freely indulge their animal natures while someone else takes care of them and keeps them from hurting each other.

We have a word for that. It's called a zoo.

Which, interestingly enough, many liberals are against.

Us Against Them?

Perhaps I'm just over-reacting, but it really does seem like the world is doing its utmost best to drive wedges between everyone. First off all, there's a column in USAToday about how in filing for Social Security early, men may likely reduce the amount of benefits their spouse receives after he dies.

In the surface, this column is good information. Not everyone knows that when one spouse dies the other gets to choose between their own social security benefit or their deceased spouse's. If both are recieving benefits then the death of one means the loss of income, period.

But one would certainly hope the couple would calculate before the man retires early whether she can live on his reduced benefits when he dies. It's just common sense, and any responsible male should check this out first.

The problem is how the article pitches this advice:

Here's some advice for married men who will turn 62 this year: If you want to make up for all the times you came home with beer on your breath, left your socks on the bathroom floor or gave your wife a DustBuster for Valentine's Day, hold off on filing for your Social Security benefits.

So according to USAToday we should put off retirement, but NOT because we've run the numbers and realized it may not go well for our spouse if we do. We should keep working longer because we owe it to her! Why? Because she's had to put up with our being dorks for most of her life.

Pardon me if I grouse a little at this biased characterization.

Then there was this lovely (actually, there wasn't much love in it) ad for soy milk in a magazine my wife received yesterday. A woman is being teased by her husband about why she drinks the stuff (I've tried that brand before, by the way, and it tastes like liquid Rice Krispy Treats--and that's not a good thing). She responds that she drinks it because "I plan to date a lot when he's gone."

Let me start by saying that if my wife wants to date after I die, that's fine with me. But the insinuation in this ad is that this woman almost can't wait for her husband to drop dead and free her to go find out what she's been missing. You can almost hear the female chorus of hoots and "You GO, Grrrrl!" the ad is trying to evoke.

Put these two items together and what do we have? Women who want their husbands to spend less of their remaining years having fun so that they can have more money to go out and live it up once the ol' kill-joy croaks.

Now I'm willing to bet that most women are not that mercenary. At most they want to make sure they and their husbands have sufficient money and health to enjoy together in their retired years. They'd prefer to be with their spouses, but won't have any compunction against seeking whatever makes them happy if/when he dies first. That may include dating.

It used to be the joke among men that wives were "balls and chains" who "think we're made of money". Now it seems to be the women who have decided the men are the "ball and chain", that they're indeed made "made of money", and that the only reason to stay married is to get as much of that money as they can. I hope it's a joke. I really do.

Contrast that with my wife. We work together to manage the finances so that we hopefully won't even need to rely on Social Security in the first place. I believe if we ever reach the point where I can afford to retire she'll be the first one encouraging me to do so. And while we haven't discussed retirement plans much yet, I'm fairly sure her plans include me.

On the other hand, I don't come home with beer on my breath (garlic from business lunches is another story) and I don't leave my clothes on the floor in the first place. I have been known to give her small appliances or cookware as gifts, but most of the time they're on her list of suggestions.

So maybe USAToday and 8th Continent really know what they're talking about, and I'm just an anomaly. At any rate, I'm not going to let them turn me against my wife, thank you very much.

Deviant Behavior

I just found this over at "The Onion":

Area Eccentric Reads Entire Book

Sad, funny, and nearly true.

All Quiet

Today is a company holiday--at least in our area. I'm still working, though, in exchange for more vacation time this summer when we have an extended trip planned. I think there are maybe 7 people in the entire building, which usually houses several hundred. Even the contractors are off. It's rather quiet, and I rather like it.

It was a fairly good weekend, really. Saturday I introduced the older two kids to the joy of stop-motion animation. After seeing a few examples on YouTube I decided we could try doing some ourselves. We spent the better part of the next five hours recreating parts of Pixar's "Cars". The kids got bored from time to time, but generally stuck with it.

At the end of the day we had four minutes of film. Silent film, mind you. We have an analog camcorder and no means of even getting it onto our computer, let alone editing it. I'd love to be able to do that, but it's not in the budget anytime soon.

I imagine the project was popular enough that I'll be doing some more next weekend.

Yesterday we were able to visit with my brother and his family. They live here in town, but it seems like we still never see each other. This year our church schedules coincide well enough that we are able to get together more often. It was a nice evening. Our kids and their youngest go off to the play room while the older set sit and catch up on things. It was easy to stay out longer than we'd planned.

It was foggy when we finally left for home. If I hadn't been driving in it and expecting it to create black ice at any second it would have been fun. The kids certainly liked it, declaring every traffic light to be monster eyes. No one fell asleep in the car on the way home, so we didn't mind too much.

A Nine-Year-Old Miracle

Nine years ago I received an email. I had no way of knowing then, but that email completely changed the direction of my life. I'm 100% certain that the life I am living today is very different from the life I might have had.

To quote a Tom Hanks character, "You've got mail...powerful words!"

Most everyone who frequents here (besides needing serious help) knows that I met my wife through email. Today is our "anniversary" of sorts, marking the day she sent the very first email to me. The day of our engagement a month and a half later is also a notable date, but we still view it as a lesser event compared with the miracle that we even connected at all.

It wasn't like we had a class together in college like my parents. It wasn't like we were members of the same church congregation like my sister and her husband. I posted an ad on a semi-obscure website. A few weeks later, before my ad had sunk too far enough down the listings, a Finnish girl looking to practice her English happened to see it. For some reason it stood out.

This same Finnish girl, usually rather shy about approaching strangers, wrote me a rather non-shy letter (she wasn't forward or anything, she just wrote a lot for a first letter). Yes, I did my part by writing back an even longer letter, but it was mostly her doing that got us started. That first letter caught my attention.

Things progressed more or less logically from there, but when we think of all the ways that things could have not happened, it's quite amazing. It's like two people bumping into each other on a crowded subway platform. It's like an asteroid striking the earth. Two unrelated things just happen to be in the same place at the same brief instant.

In six weeks we were engaged. In eight months to the day we were married. Nine years later we have three kids, two cats, a dog, 4 bedrooms on .2 acres, an upright grand piano, a vegetarian lifestyle, and a subscription to National Geographic. We're on our second house, our third and fourth cars, our second television, third computer, and our first dining table set.

In short, our lives have become so connected it's difficult to remember life before we met. We have our struggles, but what we have together is so much better than anything we might have had separately.

To say I love her is a profound understatement.

When I was a kid we went to a lake one afternoon. I picked up a rock and threw it into the lake. I happened to hit a fish--stunned the poor thing. I wasn't trying to hit a fish. It just happened.

Nine years ago I wrote an ad looking for a penpal. One of the people it "hit" was a Finnish university student 4900 miles away. She took that one paragraph and wrote a letter of several pages. That letter connected on an unusually deep level. It set the stage perfectly for what was to come. I wasn't looking for a wife. It just happened.

Please note I'm not in any way advocating getting engaged to someone you've never met, based on emails and chats. It worked in our case, primarily because we're essentially honest, open people. We connected in a way that made us feel safe taking risks and sharing very personal feelings and thoughts. And each time we did we either made another connection or at least treated in a way that we still felt safe. We reached into personal spaces within the first week that can takes months for other people to reach.

Within a month we had explored to our foundation and found it solid. We started to build. That foundation has supported everything we've built together since then.

It all started with a letter, by someone writing in English as a second language.

If I see no other miracles in my life, this one will be enough.

Thank you, dear!

-----------------------

I was just reviewing my blog entries from a year ago. It was a bit strange to note that last January someone burned down a landmark in Finland that was familiar to me. Strange, because last week someone burned down the church we attend while in Finland. It makes me wonder what is going to burn next January.

They're rebuilding the Haralanharju Nakatorni. I imagine they'll rebuild the church. Still... what is it with some people?

Wonder Winterland

I swear we've received more snow in the last two weeks than we've seen in the last two years. And except for driving on it, I have to admit I kinda like it. Okay, the driving's not too bad, either. So far I haven't encountered any serious idiots.

Last night I was out walking the dog, watching her bound (as much as an arthritic nine-year-old dog can bound) through the drifts and make her mark on the world (don't eat yellow snow!), I realized that there were aspects to winter that I miss. It makes even the ugliest of landscapes new and beautiful--like the weed-infested berms of fill-dirt at the cemetary backlot near our house.

Of course last night it was still and just above freezing. This morning walking the the mechanic's shop it was below freezing and windy. I didn't romanticize nearly so much. But then I wasn't taking my time. I had to get my car and get to work.

My starter has been a bit glitchy lately. This morning it nearly didn't start. When I did get it started I drove it directly to our mechanic, who fortunately lives three blocks away. And I have to admit, I don't mind visiting this place, even though it can get expensive.

First of all, the owner is friendly, remembers my name, and is more than willing to chat while I'm waiting for my car. He's a local guy just hoping to make a go of it, and since he treats me well, he qualifies on my list of "local guys to support".

Best of all, however, is Rooster, the owner's two-year-old golden retriever for which the shop is named. She's (yes, I know, a rooster is a "he", but her original name was "Kangaroo", which morphed to "'Roo-ster", and then "Rooster", okay?) the shop's goodwill ambassador, and anyone who knows me can attest I'm a sucker for friendly dogs.

When I took my car in for an oil change near Christmas she kept me busy the entire time playing tug-of-war with a rapidly disintigrating santa toy. This time she just insisted that I pet her. I was quite happy to comply, especially when she kept giving me that "I will love you forever--keep doing that" look that you just don't get from cats.

The owner knows I live nearby, and today he offered to take me home while I waited for them to install a new starter. I accepted. Even better, I got to ride in the "Rooster Mobile", his custom-painted truck that serves as a rolling billboard for the shop.

Best of all, all the neighborhood kids (including my daughter) were waiting at the bus stop across from my house, and got to see me pull up in the Rooster Mobile. Instant...Celebrity. The only way it might have been better is if Rooster had been along for the ride (we left her behind at the shop). Oh well. It'll take years before I'll be able to top that entrance.

As much as I'd rather avoid having to go to the mechanic, it does have its up-sides.

Swordlessness

If you're interested in military history, military current events, and how one is shaping the other, try this article: Forty Second Boyd and the Big Picture from "Eject! Eject! Eject!"

Very interesting article to me. Complete with fun German words, like fingerspitzengefuhl.

Seriously though, this article discusses at length how the military as learned since Vietnam, even if our politicians haven't. Also makes a strong case for one man making a difference, even in a bureacracy. Here's to John Boyd, one of the most influential men you've never heard of.

Christmas Means Carnage!

(Yes, I DID watch "Babe" this last week. How did you know?)

Okay, it wasn't on Christmas, but during my vacation last week. We have several bird and squirrel feeders in our back yard, and we're getting quite a variety of birds dropping by, including a small hawk or kestrel or something like that. Usually it just sits on the fence and behaves itself.

Last week it dropped by and sat a little closer to the house on one of our rock planter beds. We got out the binoculars and took advantage of the closer look. Then I noticed it had brought along some food. It took me a little while to figure out what it was. It didn't look much like what it once was anymore.

That turned my wife off immediately, and she scared it off. Fortunately it took its dinner with it. (Oh now look, Zazu! You made me lose my lunch!)

I went out later to clean up the area a bit, thinking the feathers would be a gruesome reminder my wife could do without when she went outside later to refill the feeders. There were a lot of feathers, and a few other surprising bits that I won't mention. Let's just say that today's title is apt enough, and I no longer disagree with my wife's declaration that it can do its feeding somewhere else. My "Respect For Nature" does not include turning my planter bed into a sacrificial alter.

It was a very striking, handsome bird, nonetheless. We'd be more than happy to admire it any time it wants to drop by. Just eat before you come, eh?

Fun Without Glasses!

What the bottle of shampoo said:
New! Richer lather!

What I (mis)read:
New! Richer father!

Partridge In A Big Pear Tree

It's got great harmonies! It's got great parodies! It's got good comedy(s)! It's Straight No Chaser doing "The Twelve Days of Christmas!"

Good stuff!

Christmas Vacation

As soon as I'm done with work today I'm on vacation for a week. I'd like to say I won't be back until next year, but I'll be back on New Year's Eve. That week counts as part of 2008 from the company's perspective, so if I take that monday off it'll come out of next year's vacation time. I'm trying to save up my time so we can take an extended vacation next year, so every day counts.

Today also happens to be my name day. Well, Tuomas' day, so it's close enough. Being the only one if the family without a Finnish name, we have to take what we can get. And what did I get? A nice, warm hat for my dancing, dining, and dog-walking pleasure. And with the winds we get around her sometimes, trust me, it'll be a pleasure. I don't care for cold ears.

We finally got some decent snow up on the mountains. It's still bare and brown down here in the valley, though. Since I won't have to go to work in it, I'd love nothing better than a good snowstorm sometime next week. Chances aren't particularly good, though. That's the trouble with living here. If this were California then you'd know not to expect snow. But here, there's always a chance. It could snow, and it could stick long enough to be worth something.

In fact my very first Christmas here it snowed six inches. It was beautiful! We've had nothing close to that ever since, and certainly not for Christmas. Oh well. On the bright side I shovel walks maybe twice a year. And considering that our house has sidewalks on two sides, plus a triple-size driveway, that's not a small bonus.

Anyway, in case I don't see you, good afternoon, good evening, and good night!

Wait, no--Happy Holiday! Enjoy whatever time off you get!

More Fun With Headlines

On MSNBC.com:

"Nickelodeon considers teen pregnancy special"

Yes, I'm sure being a pregnant teen is special. Not desirable, probably, but special!

All-American Girl

My oldest son to his (blue-eyed) sister over breakfast this morning:
"Your eyes are red, white, and blue!"

Watching What You Eat

I don't usually get involved in animal testing issues. I'm not completely sure we can do without it in critical situations. But I have no problem denouncing the animal testing conducted by M&M/Mars. They're not doing it to ensure public safety. They're not doing it to meet government requirements. They're doing it...just to see what claims they can make about chocolate. Like people need more reasons to buy chocolate. I can easily live without M&Ms and Snickers, thanks.

Hershey's has already banned animal testing, by the way. Which is fortunate, because I really love Reese's and Kit Kat. Go Hersheys!

In other news, I'm reading "The DaVinci Code". Yes, at long last. I'm probably the last person in America.

I'm mixed. The story is interesting enough. I mainly just get irritated with the way the author tells the story. Any sense of suspense is created by telling you that one of the characters knows something important--and then not just failing to tell you what it is, but bending over backward not to tell you what it is.

It's the adult literary version of that annoying girl in the third grade who would come up to you and say, "I've got a secret and I'm not tellin'! Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!"

Not a single bit of suspense comes from the plot itself. At no time are we all that concerned with what will happen. We are made to only care about what has already happened that we're just not being told. And the writer goes to great lengths to set these little "gems" up.

For example, at one point we're given a flashback episode between the hero and his editor as they discuss the draft of his latest book. The editor goes on and on about how controversial "this" is, yet manages to never come out and define "this." The scene comes off awkwardly, as any normal person would have have come right out and said it rather than the strained dance we get.

A little bit of this is fine. A lot of this is annoying. An entire third of a book (and no signs of slowing) of this is insulting--to both the reader AND the author. It's as if he doesn't trust in his plot enough to treat us as equals and lay it all out for us and trust us to come along willingly. "If you knew what I knew you'd stop reading, therefore I won't tell you."

Indeed, the plot itself seems contrived. When I last stopped the heroes had just escaped the police with the help of someone who would normally have no reason to help them, but just happened to be an old friend of one of them's father. He's willing to jeopardize his career and his life to defy the French equivalent of the FBI because...well, the girl said she was innocent.

I get the idea that the writer is either telling the wrong story or just doesn't know how to tell one at all. The back plot is more interesting than the main plot. His characters can be incredibly bright one moment and incredibly stupid the next. Not that I care at all for his characters, either. They're flat. The only one with any hope for depth is the murderous albino monk.

I'm only a third of the way in, so perhaps things will get better. But this constant diet of dangling and withholding is getting old. I'm listening to this in the car on the way to work, so it's not like I have something better to do with the time. I'm sure I'll finish it regardless, but I probably won't pick up another Dan Brown novel any time soon.

Don't Look, Marion! Don't Look!

I'm not familiar with Jennifer Love Hewitt or her work. I can't say if I find her attractive or not. But I can say this much: Good for her. Who says, assuming she's even fat at all and not just victim of a bad picture or has wide hips, that she's obligated to be skinny for the cameras? Who says she has to be subjected to ridicule if she's put on weight?

Obviously the real story is that people think she should be skinny and she's not. Pardon me if I fail to get excited. She hasn't punched anyway, swindled anyone, done drugs, called anyone a bad name, driven drunk...she's gained some weight (if she's even done that!).

Until that's a crime, shut up already.

They say that men are keeping women down. It's not men reading these magazines, ladies. You're doing it to yourselves.

Attack of the LOLCats

There are various sites out there for amusing pictures of cats and other animals. This is one of them:

moar funny pictures from I Can Has Cheezburger.com

Or this...

moar funny pictures

That's What It's All About

Actually, I don't know what it's all about. But I suspect carrying a tooth in a tissue in your suitcoat pocket all through church because your daughter lost it during Sacrament Meeting is included in there somewhere.

I'm also betting the Hokey-Pokey isn't even mentioned.