Vetting the First Dog

Next to Secretary of State this one might be his most important appointment :)

The Advent Guilt Conspiracy

As I travel around BlogWorld these days I have come across several posts labeled "The Advent Conspiracy" and usually showcase a video from their website. The central message of the video is that we Americans spend too much on Christmas and how we need to give more. Here are a few of their main points:

[Spend Less]
Before you think we’re getting all Scrooge on you, let us explain what we mean. We like gifts. Our kids really like gifts. But consider this: America spends an average of $450 billion a year every Christmas. How often have you spent money on Christmas presents for no other reason than obligation? How many times have you received a gift out of that same obligation? Thanks, but no thanks, right? We’re asking people to consider buying ONE LESS GIFT this Christmas. Just one.  Sounds insignificant, yet many who have taken this small sacrifice have experienced something nothing less than a miracle: They have been more available to celebrate Christ during the advent season.

[Give More]
God’s gift to us was a relationship built on love. So it’s no wonder why we’re drawn to the idea that Christmas should be a time to love our friends and family in the most memorable ways possible. Time is the real gift Christmas offers us, and no matter how hard we look, it can’t be found at the mall. Time to make a gift that turns into the next family heirloom. Time to write mom a letter. Time to take the kids sledding. Time to bake really good cookies and sing really bad Christmas carols. Time to make love visible through relational giving. Sounds a lot better than getting a sweater two sizes too big, right? Need a few ideas? Just click here and see what others have done to give more during the advent season.

I think that I am about to make a very politically incorrect statement so hold on and hear me out. I am tired of organizations trying to guilt me into behavioral change. I am weary of folks that use manipulative images in an attempt to shame me into action. Why not just say what you mean and not cloak it in all this conspiracy language? Maybe the real conspiracy is more about them than us?

Why is it that the assumption is that people are stingy and materialistic? Why do they believe that change should be inflicted from the outside? Why can't they just speak to the heart of the issue.. namely that religious folks live out of their guilty consciences more than any of us like to admit and we are often persuaded when someone comes along and guilts us into action.

Our church has an annual Christmas donation that will be taken next week and will go to help families in need over the holidays. It is simply advertised beforehand and there is no impassioned appeals for giving. Our church leaders just believe the best about the people who will give and I am always amazed at how generous people are. The same is true for our monthly food pantry donations.

Maybe people would respond with generosity if we just started believing the best about them instead of trying to guilt them into action? I mean really.. aren't televangelists enough.. do we need somebody else talking down to us about money?

Gumpisms

Hello. I'm Forrest, Forrest Gump.

Mama always had a way of explaining things so I could understand them.

Stupid is as stupid does.

My momma always said, "Life was like a box of chocolates. You never know what you're gonna get."

It happens.

Mama always said, dying was a part of life.

Sometimes, I guess there's just not enough rocks.

My Mama always said you've got to put the past behind you before you can move on.

When I got tired, I slept. When I got hungry, I ate. When I had to go, you know, I went.

My momma always said you can tell a lot about a person by their shoes, where the go, where they've been.

That's all I have to say about that.

Worst Film and TV Turkeys of the Year

Wired.com offers a listing of the 20 Worst Film and TV Turkeys of the Year. Here are a few of their Turkeys:

18. Heroes: When even die-hard fans say a TV show is struggling, you know your superheroes have super problems. But even if it runs out of ideas, a series needs to do whatever it can to reach that 100-episode mark so it make a little scratch off syndication.

10. Cloverfield: C'mon! The plot was basically, "Walk here. Die there." And the lauded monster looked like it was assembled by evolution after losing a bet.

8. X-Files: I Want to Believe: I wanted to leave. This sluggish, self-important tribute to clinical depression managed to kill the franchise.

6. The Mummy: Tomb of the Dragon Emperor: This desperately unnecessary sequel was so bad it's hard to believe Stephen Sommers didn't direct it.

4. The Love Guru: Mike Myers was determined to prove that midget jokes and toilet humor could entertain an audience for a couple hours. He pulled that off -- if you substitute "bore and disgust" for "entertain."

3. Brit TV remakes: Stop remaking good British TV shows. The Office worked. Life on Mars doesn't steam like the pile it could have been. But, remakes like My Own Worst Enemy (Jekyll) was euthanized, and Eleventh Hour isn't far behind. It will soon join the recreations of Cracker and Touching Evil.

2. Knight Rider: It's not like the bar was set very high by David Hasselhoff in the original series, but NBC's new Knight ended up tripping over it, falling on it and somehow swallowing it.

I tend to agree with these Turkeys with the exception of Heroes.. I am still hooked.. maybe I am just hopelessly addicted.

Check out all 20 Turkeys and let me know if you agree or disagree.

The Yoga Debate

I watched this 6 minute video clip at Alex's place and came away from it wondering why Christian's do the full yoga experience. I understand the exercise part but don't quite get the other parts. Maybe someone can help me out.

Seven Random/Weird KB Facts

Karen at TSSO suggested that her readers share seven random or weird facts about themselves at their blog site. I have posted stuff like this before but here are some new boring KB "facts":

1. I am a New York City pizza bigot.. anything else is
   not really pizza.
2. I have seen most of my dreams come true.
3. I used to design software architectures.
4. I love the Statue of Liberty.
5. My grandkids give me a lot of joy.
6. I have had a meal with my promise keeper buddy Jim almost every week for the past 16 years.
7. I like to take long car trips.

If you'd like to share something similar then just post seven random/weird facts about yourself in a post on your blog site and let me know about it.

Reluctant Shopper

According to this What Kind of Shopper Are You? quiz :

You Are a Reluctant Shopper

You really don't enjoy shopping. For you, it's just another chore. You approach shopping systematically. You research what you're going to buy and come prepared with a list.

Of all the types, you are the most likely to not buy things you don't need. You try to de-emphasize stuff in your life. You find shopping and buying things to be a rather empty experience.

Hmmm.. I think that this is an accurate picture of my grocery shopping escapades at Walmart.. but I'm not sure it would be representative of my other shopping experiences.. not that I buy very much :)

Let me know if you take the quiz and what kind of shopper you are.

The Chumps and The Stooges

The Chumps really stunk up the day last Sunday losing to the Bills 54-31. KC Star sports columnist Jason Whitlock is comparing the management and coaching team to the three stooges. Here is an few excerpt from his column:

There’s no reason to blame Tyler Thigpen, Glenn Dorsey, Tamba Hali or any of the nameless, faceless jerseys masquerading as starting NFL linebackers. It’s not their fault. They didn’t assemble this team.

Carl “Moe” Peterson, Herm “Larry” Edwards and Bill “Curly” Kuharich put together the worst team in Chiefs history, a squad with a two-year, 19-of-20 losing stretch.

I tend to agree with Jason. Of course.. even my friend Brian now thinks that the Bungles are better than the Chumps.. maybe a great draft pick will change everything.. oh wait.. they don't draft new ownership or management.. sigh.

Just to Get You in the Mood

..and it is just 90 seconds :)

Happy Thanksgiving

Give thanks with a grateful heart

Give thanks unto the Holy One

Give thanks because He's given Jesus Christ, His Son

And now let the weak say, 'I am strong'

Let the poor say, 'I am rich'

Because of what the Lord has done for us

Give thanks

Catch the Video with author/singer Don Moen here.

Briefcase Drill Team

Saw them this morning in the Macy's parade..
hard to believe anyone really wants to see this act :)

Lost in Space

Have you heard about the lost astronaut's tool bag?

The astronaut who lost her tool bag on a spacewalk admitted Wednesday that she made a mistake by not checking to see if the sack was tied down, and said she's still smarting over the whole thing. Heidemarie Stefanyshyn-Piper said in an interview with The Associated Press that it was "very disheartening" to lose her bag full of tools. She was trying to clean up grease that had oozed out of a grease gun in the backpack-size bag, when the tote and everything in it floated away Tuesday. The bag was one of the largest items ever lost by a spacewalking astronaut. NASA put the price tag of the tool bag at $100,000.

You can track the orbit of the tool bag at this satellite tracking site.

$350,000 Bentley Azure T

What Financial Crisis? Click on the photo for more pics and info.

Second Blogoversary

Teena in Toronto reminded me in a comment that two years ago yesterday I started blogging here at Kansas Bob. Before that I had been blogging about my faith journey for almost two years at An Eye for Redemption (my other blog).

I started this blog "to consolidate my rantings and musings on life, politics, entertainment and trivia into one stewpot of rhetoric and monkey business". Looking back I had no idea about the new online friends I would make or how much I would be posting about the presidential election.

I greatly enjoy the time I spend sharing my thoughts and my heart here.. and more than that I love reading the many great thoughts and insights that my online friends share with me and each other.. Viva la BlogFriends!

WWW: Stealing Yard Signs

This edition of Weird World Wednesday is a bit embarrassing because it is one from my proverbial county backyard. This Kansas City Star article reports:

Another Johnson County political operative has been charged with stealing a political sign during last month’s election campaigns.

Richard Downing, campaign manager for state Sen. Julia Lynn, an Olathe Republican, appeared Thursday in Olathe Municipal Court charged with misdemeanor theft.
...
The alleged incident occurred just before Johnson County Commissioner John Toplikar received a similar ticket for taking a sign belonging to his opponent, Calvin Hayden.

Toplikar was videotaped taking Hayden’s sign.

Is this weird or what? I remember being stunned when I saw this video report about Commissioner Toplikar stealing a yard sign on the evening news.

Do you have these types of problems in your neck of the woods?

Religious Clichés

From my email inbox.. dedicated to my friend Jim who loves speaking Christianary..
I just love this crazy stuff:

God wants spiritual fruit, not religious nuts.

Dear God, I have a problem, it's Me.

Growing old is inevitable ... growing UP is optional.

There is no key to happiness. The door is always open.

Silence is often misinterpreted but never misquoted.

Do the math...count your blessings.

Faith is the ability to not panic.

Laugh every day, it's like inner jogging.

If you worry, you don't pray. If you pray, don't worry.

As a child of God, prayer is kind of like calling home everyday.

Blessed are the flexible for they shall not be bent out of shape.

The most important things in your house are the people.

When we get tangled up in our problems, be still. God wants us to be still so He can untangle the knot.

A grudge is a heavy thing to carry.

He who dies with the most toys is still dead. The toys don't go with you.

World's Largest Zeppelin

To be called the Eureka, the 246-feet long zeppelin is the pride and joy of a company called Airship Ventures, which will offer the public rides, as well as help NASA do scientific research. Click on image for more info and photos.

Quotable Comment

I simply loved this comment about Vampire Movies from my friend Scott:

It is the idea of immortality on an earth that people are familiar with. It is about being above the law and society. It is about living a totally hedonistic lifestyle with no consequences. It is sin without death. It is the lie of satan to entice young people into this fictitious world while denying Christ's path to eternity.

Immortality.. lawlessness.. hedonism.. sin.. enticement.. and denial. Well said brother!

Camaçari Ford Plant

My wife told me about this video. In just three minutes you are hit with the real reasons why a Big 3 Auto Maker bailout is simply not a good idea. What do you think?

Strange Movie Titles

The Hartford Courant recently posted their list of Movie Monikers Best Forgotten. The piece starts out this way:

We thought no James Bond movie could have a worse title than "Octopussy." We were wrong. The movie with the worst title in the franchise's history opened late last night: "Quantum of Solace."

They go on to say that this makes them nostalgic for these other movies with horrible tags:

• "Ballistic: Ecks vs. Sever"


• "The Human Stain"


• "The Rats Are Coming! The Werewolves Are Here!"


• "Gigli"


• "Mother, May I Sleep With Danger?"


• "Krakatoa, East of Java"


• "Phffft"


• "Hells Angels On Wheels"


• "Feeling Minnesota"


• "Free Willy"


• "Oh Dad, Poor Dad, Mama's Hung You in the Closet and I'm Feeling So Sad"


• "Can Hieronymus Merkin Ever Forget Mercy Humppe and Find True Happiness?"  

My wife thinks that "The Attack of the Killer Tomatoes" should be added to the list. I'd add "James and the Giant Peach".



What titles would you add?

Lame Duck Special

LOL! HT: Huffington Post

Fairness, Obama and El Rushbo

KC Star columnist Aaron Barnhart recently opined about The Fairness Doctrine in his column. Here are a few excerpts from his column:

The Fairness Doctrine is coming back! Rush said so!



Well, Rush Limbaugh is not an idiot, contrary to what Al Franken wrote. He’s dead wrong, but he’s not an idiot, because he knows when there’s an issue that he can use to turn the spotlight once more on El Rushbo.



First and foremost, Rush is all about Rush — especially now that he has a bloated new radio contract to justify. That is why he adamantly will not allow the facts to stand in the way of his assertion that Barack Obama is bringing back the Fairness Doctrine, the old government rule that required broadcasters to present all sides of controversial issues.



As the respected trade publication Broadcasting and Cable reported in June, President-elect Barack Obama does not support the return of the Fairness Doctrine, which was abolished in 1987. Just to be sure, B&C re-quizzed the campaign just before Election Day and was told that Obama thinks trying to regulate the airwaves would be a “distraction” from more important national business.

Of course time will tell if El Rushbo is prophetic or just plain pathetic :)

The Wild Man of the Universe

Here is an excerpt from the latest post from my faith blog:

Many of us don't like the idea that the scripture says that God hardened Pharaoh's heart (and other hearts for that matter) because it goes against our idea of what God looks like. We want God on our own terms.. we want to define Him as a tame God ...

Check the rest out here.

Clueless in Detroit

The recent appearance of the Chief Executives of the Big Three auto makers before US Senators caused me to add a new "CEO" tag to my blog. I saw one senator from Georgia interviewed and he said that he could not believe how arrogant these three CEO's were to fly to DC in three separate private planes and come begging for a bailout as if they were paupers. Simply unbelievable!

On the flipside.. CEO's like this give me plenty to post about :)

Mini E - Electric Car

Click the picture for more info and pictures!

Great American Smokeout Today

Do you know anyone who quit?

Taxing America Quiz

I read through a brief summary of the History of the Income Tax in the United States and thought that I would administer a simple quiz on US Taxes:

1. What war caused the US to first enact taxes at a federal level?


• War of 1812
• Civil War
• World War I
  
  
2. When was the first income tax levied against US workers?
   
   
   • 1812
   • 1862
   • 1913
     
     
3. When was a US withholding tax on wages first levied?
   
   
   • 1862
   • 1913
   • 1943

Check out your answers here and let me know how you did.

Instant Messaging

At my last gig in Corporate America I began to appreciate the benefits of Instant Messaging. Similar to the cartoon many of IM'ed each other as we sat in on video conference calls.. often commenting on the content of the call but also just chit-chatted.

My second experience involved IM conversations with my son when he was in Iraq.. we even included video on one occasion.These sessions were so meaningful to me as it brought the two of us close in times of intense struggle for him.

Have you ever IM'ed? Any experiences you'd like to share?

Religious Meltdown

The news feeds abound these days of how the recent financial meltdown is impacting churches and ministries. I caught The Hour of Power recently and Schuller seemed even more desperate than usual when he pleaded for money. I also have been reading about how other ministries like Focus on the Family and Oral Roberts University have been forced to enact large staff layoffs.

So I was intrigued when I read Lee Grady's article titled Preparing for a Charismatic Meltdown. In his article he reported on three churches:

In Tampa, Florida, Without Walls International Church is facing foreclosure. The megachurch, which once attracted 23,000 worshipers and was heralded as one of the nation’s fastest-growing congregations, shrunk drastically after co-pastors Randy and Paula White announced in 2007 that they were divorcing. On Nov. 4 their bank filed foreclosure proceedings and demanded immediate repayment of a $12 million loan on the property.

In Duluth, Georgia—northeast of Atlanta—sheriff’s deputies arrived at Global Destiny Ministries and ordered Bishop Thomas Weeks II to leave the property. According to documents filed in state court, Weeks—who divorced popular preacher Juanita Bynum in June—owed more than $511,000 in back rent to the building’s owners. He was escorted out of the building on Nov. 14 while a church service was in progress.

In another part of the Atlanta area, leaders of the Cathedral at Chapel Hill announced that their church is officially for sale. The massive Gothic building—which at one time housed one of the nation’s most celebrated charismatic churches, with a membership of 10,000—has slipped into disrepair after lurid sex scandals triggered a mass exodus. The church’s founder, Bishop Earl Paulk, has turned the 6,000-seat church (valued at $24.5 million) over to his son, Donnie Earl, who in recent years has abandoned orthodox Christian doctrines and embraced universalism.

I found this statement to be one of the most interesting sentences in the article:

"The wrecking ball of heaven is swinging. It has come to demolish any work that has not been built on the integrity of His Word."

This graphic image presents a somewhat black and white image of God and the way that He interacts with His people. Unfortunately, IMO, it is not all that simple. Firstly, just because God allows religious leaders to make unwise financial decisions that lead to bankruptcy does not mean that He is the cause for the failure (i.e. demolishing) of those ministries.. God should not be blamed with some sort of wrecking ball imagery.

A second and very important element of these breakdowns is the unhealthy focus on very charismatic ministers. When these folks failed (through divorce or in some other way) or when the ministers changed (as was the case with Schuller and his son) things went downhill fast.

Recently I received an email message that contained two letters from very prominent Charismatic leaders that preached gloom and doom for America because their candidate was not elected president. One of their letters began this way:

"I feel certain that many in my stream of the Church want a statement from me concerning Tuesday's presidential election."

Did you catch the self-importance in that statement? It is further evidence of this unhealthy focus we have on ministers.. charismatic or otherwise. Maybe the wrecking ball is set in motion by these unhealthy focuses?

Most importantly, I think that, while God is not the author of these meltdowns, these crises offer many of us an opportunity to reflect on the stewardship of our own lives and how we handle the resources that we are entrusted with.. including where our charitable donations go.

I think that many of us have set that financial wrecking ball in motion by the ways that we live and spend. The financial crisis of these days is affecting everyone.. but I think that only the wise will come out of it wiser.. everyone else will remain in a financial stupor.

Words and the Heart

"Occasionally in life there are those moments of unutterable fulfillment which cannot be completely explained by those symbols called words. Their meanings can only be articulated by the inaudible language of the heart." -Martin Luther King Jr.

"One of the hardest things in life is having words in your heart that you can't utter." -James Earl Jones

"In prayer it is better to have a heart without words than words without a heart." -John Bunyan

"Among my most prized possessions are words that I have never spoken." -Orson Scott Card

"They can be like the sun, words. They can do for the heart what light can for a field." -St. John of the Cross

"Sometimes there aren't words. The silence between us is flung wide as an ocean. But I manage to reach across it, to wrap my arms around him." -Jodi Picoult

"What is uttered from the heart alone, Will win the hearts of others to your own." -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe quotes

The Freedom of Choice Act

Therese responded to my last post titled Abortion and the States saying:

I'm sure a number of states would try to outlaw all abortion, but what's really grim is that every limitation you mention, limitations voted on by the people of the states, every last one will be GONE if Pres Obama signs his "Freedom" of "Choice" Act.

Got me to wondering.. I found this summary at WashingtonWatch.com:

"Freedom of Choice Act - Declares that it is the policy of the United States that every woman has the fundamental right to choose to: (1) bear a child; (2) terminate a pregnancy prior to fetal viability; or (3) terminate a pregnancy after fetal viability when necessary to protect her life or her health.

Prohibits a federal, state, or local governmental entity from: (1) denying or interfering with a woman's right to exercise such choices; or (2) discriminating against the exercise of those rights in the regulation or provision of benefits, facilities, services, or information. Provides that such prohibition shall apply retroactively.

Authorizes an individual aggrieved by a violation of this Act to obtain appropriate relief, including relief against a governmental entity, in a civil action.

A few thoughts:

1. It seems that this bill would not invalidate all state restrictions on abortion as fetal viability is involved.. also doesn't address other points such as parental notification.
   
   
2. The bill has never gotten out of committee.. it will be interesting to see if it does and if it is filibuster proof.
   
   
3. I suspect that if it actually does come to a vote it will look differently then the one that didn't get out of committee.
   
   
4. It will really be interesting to see who actually votes for the bill.. at least we will have an idea who the pro-choice folks (especially the Republican ones) really are.. and how much outrage (read that filibustering) is expressed by the so-called pro-lifers.
   
   
5. If passed and signed the bill will probably and ultimately be contested and decided by the supreme court.

I will be surprised and saddened if it is actually passed and signed.. alas.. I have been surprised before.

Abortion and the States

From a recent report by the Guttmacher Institute:

Since the Supreme Court handed down its 1973 decisions in Roe v. Wade and Doe v. Bolton, states have constructed a lattice work of abortion law, codifying, regulating and limiting whether, when and under what circumstances a woman may obtain an abortion. The following highlights the major provisions of these state laws.

• Physician and Hospital Requirements: 38 states require an abortion to be performed by a licensed physician. 19 states require an abortion to be performed in a hospital after a specified point in the pregnancy, and 18 states require the involvement of a second physician after a specified point.
• Gestational Limits: 36 states prohibit abortions, generally except when necessary to protect the woman’s life or health, after a specified point in pregnancy, most often fetal viability.
• “Partial-Birth” Abortion: 14 states have laws in effect that prohibit “partial-birth” abortion. 4 of these laws apply only to postviability abortions.
• Public Funding: 17 states use their own funds to pay for all or most medically necessary abortions for Medicaid enrollees in the state. 32 states and the District of Columbia prohibit the use of state funds except in those cases when federal funds are available: where the woman’s life is in danger or the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. In defiance of federal requirements, South Dakota limits funding to cases of life endangerment only.
• Coverage by Private Insurance: 4 states restrict coverage of abortion in private insurance plans to cases in which the woman’s life would be endangered if the pregnancy were carried to term. Additional abortion coverage is permitted only if the woman purchases it at her own expense.
• Refusal: 46 states allow individual health care providers to refuse to participate in an abortion. 43 states allow institutions to refuse to perform abortions, 16 of which limit refusal to private or religious institutions.
• State-Mandated Counseling: 17 states mandate that women be given counseling before an abortion that includes information on at least one of the following: the purported link between abortion and breast cancer (6 states), the ability of a fetus to feel pain (8 states), long-term mental health consequences for the woman (7 states) or information on the availability of ultrasound (6 states).
• Waiting Periods: 24 states require a woman seeking an abortion to wait a specified period of time, usually 24 hours, between when she receives counseling and the procedure is performed. 6 of these states have laws that effectively require the woman make two separate trips to the clinic to obtain the procedure.
• Parental Involvement: 35 states require some type of parental involvement in a minor’s decision to have an abortion. 22 states require one or both parents to consent to the procedure, while 11 require that one or both parents be notified and 2 states require both parental consent and notification.

You can check out a state-by-state breakdown of these here.

I have to say that I was surprised at the diversity of the abortion related legislation.. especially the first two bullet points.. also interesting how insurance limitations are involved. Any of these laws surprise you?

I do wonder though.. if Roe v. Wade were overturned by the Supreme Court.. how many states would outlaw all abortions and what the penalties would be for those participating in abortions?

Unfiltered at Work

Things You’d Love to Say at Work But Can’t

1. I’ll try being nicer if you try being smarter.
   
   
2. I don’t know what your problem is, but I’ll bet its hard to pronounce.
   
   
3. I’ll pencil that in for never. Does never work for you?
   
   
4. I see you’ve set aside this special time to humiliate yourself in public.
   
   
5. Its sounds like English, but I can’t understand a word you’re saying.
   
   
6. Ahhh ... I see the screw-up fairy has visited us again.
   
   
7. I like you. You remind me of when I was young and stupid.
   
   
8. I have plenty of talent and vision. I just don’t give a rip.
   
   
9. I will always cherish the positive initial misconceptions I had about you.
   
   
10. The fact that no one understands you doesn’t mean you are an artist. 
    
    
11. Any connection between your reality and mine is purely coincidental.
    
    
12. I’m not being rude. You’re just insignificant.
    
    
13. Do I look like a “people person”?
    
    
14. This isn’t an office. It’s Hell with fluorescent lighting.
    
    
15. If I throw a stick, will you leave?
    
    
16. Whatever kind of look you were going for, you missed.
    
    
17. I’m trying to imagine you with a personality.
    
    
18. Too many freaks, not enough circuses.
    
    
19. Nice cologne. Must you marinate in it?
    
    
20. Chaos, panic, and disorder—my work here is done.

What would you like to say, if only you could?

HT: Michael Hyatt

Another Reason to Leave Iraq

From the New York Times:

The government of Prime Minister Nuri Kamal al-Maliki is systematically dismissing oversight officials who were installed to fight corruption in Iraqi ministries by order of the American occupation administration, which had hoped to bring Western standards of accountability to the notoriously opaque and graft-ridden bureaucracy here.

The dismissals, which were confirmed by senior Iraqi and American government officials on Sunday and Monday, come as estimates of official Iraqi corruption soar. One Iraqi former chief investigator recently testified before Congress that $13 billion in reconstruction funds from the United States has been lost to fraud, embezzlement, theft and waste by Iraqi government officials.

I will be glad when we don't have to read about Iraq anymore.. at least in the context that we do now.

40mpg 450hp Hydrogen Scorpion

Click the photo for more info.

C-H-I-E-F-S = L-O-S-E-R-S

I voted with the 32% hoping that KC can best Oakland. Funny how many are hoping that we don't win another game this year.. guess they really want a good draft pick :)

KC Star columnist Jason Whitlock says it well in his column titled Chiefs putting the L in loser.

I think that KC needs to make changes in management and coaching if they want to lose the big "L" moniker.. hope I'm wrong though.. don't think management will be changing any time soon :(

Auto Industry Bailout

I found this excerpt from a NY Times article on how some Republican senators are opposing a bailout of the auto industry:

Senators Richard Shelby of Alabama and Jon Kyl of Arizona said it would be a mistake to use any of the Wall Street rescue money to prop up the automakers. They said an auto bailout would only postpone the industry’s demise.

“Companies fail every day and others take their place. I think this is a road we should not go down,” said Mr. Shelby, the senior Republican on the Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee.

“They’re not building the right products,” he said. “They’ve got good workers, but I don’t believe they’ve got good management. They don’t innovate. They’re a dinosaur in a sense.”

Mr. Kyl, the Senate’s second-ranking Republican, added, “Just giving them $25 billion doesn’t change anything. It just puts off for six months or so the day of reckoning.”

I tend to agree with the senators. How about you?

Living in a Larger Circle

Outwitted

by Edwin Markham

He drew a circle that shut me out —
Heretic, rebel, a thing to flout.
But Love and I had the wit to win:
We drew a circle that took him in!

The Spaminator

Could we have our old Bond back?

Robert Butler, movie critic for the KC Star, recently had a few things to say about the new Bond movie in his column.. here is the way it starts:

Could we have our old Bond back?

“Quantum of Solace” and its immediate predecessor, “Casino Royale,” jettisoned Q and his gimmicky toys. No travelogue-pretty footage of foreign locales. No mindless king-and-country patriotism. Miss Moneypenny is once again AWOL.

Heck, this de-mythologized Bond doesn’t even seem to enjoy sex.

In place of those cheesy but audience-friendly elements, the filmmakers have come up with … nothing. This glum effort, as directed by Marc Forster, plays like a “Bourne” movie with the reels in the wrong order. It’s frantic but never goes anywhere.

In short, “Quantum of Solace” isn’t much fun. In fact, it gets more irritating as it moves along.

Thinking back to my post on Casino Royale I remember being disappointed about the formula change but I thought that the film was pretty good. Maybe, with the success of the Matt Damon spy movies, the producers felt that Bond, James Bond needed to be Bourne, Jason Bourne?

Has anyone seen the movie yet? Do you agree with Butler? More importantly, should I spend the money and watch it now or catch it on video?

Maya Angelou

According to the wiki, Maya Angelou (born Marguerite Ann Johnson in 1928) is an American poet, memoirist, actress and an important figure in the American Civil Rights Movement. She has been called "America's most visible black female autobiographer". Angelou is known for her series of six autobiographies, starting with I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, (1969) which was nominated for a National Book Award. Her volume of poetry, Just Give Me a Cool Drink of Water 'Fore I Diiie (1971) was nominated for the Pulitzer Prize.

Angelou recited her poem, "On the Pulse of Morning" at President Bill Clinton's inauguration in 1993. She has been highly honored for her body of work, including being awarded over 30 honorary degrees. Here are a few things that she has said:

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.

At fifteen life had taught me undeniably that surrender, in its place, was as honorable as resistance, especially if one had no choice.

Nothing will work unless you do.

Courage is the most important of all the virtues, because without courage you can't practice any other virtue consistently. You can practice any virtue erratically, but nothing consistently without courage.

I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.

If we lose love and self respect for each other, this is how we finally die.

401-Keg Accounts

I found this one in my email inbox:

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Delta Airlines one year ago, you will have $49.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in AIG one year ago, you will have $33.00 today.

If you had purchased $1,000 of shares in Lehman Brothers one year ago, you will have $0.00 today.

But, if you had purchased $1,000 worth of beer one year ago, drank all the beer, then turned in the aluminum cans for recycling refund, you will have received $214.00.

Based on the above, the best current investment plan is to drink heavily & recycle. It is called the 401-Keg. A recent study found that the average American walks about 900 miles a year. Another study found that Americans drink, on average, 22 gallons of alcohol a year.

That means that, on average, Americans get about 41 miles to the gallon!

Kinda makes you proud to be an American.

The Timeless Kingdom

Here is an excerpt from the latest post from my faith blog:

Ever think about how time is a part of creation? Ever wonder what existence will look like after we die? Ever think of living in a timeless world? Hard to get your head around isn't it? Could it be that Heaven is a place where time does not exist?.

Check the rest out here.

Dogbert on Evolution

HT: Alex

50 Years Ago in Rock Music

Anyone old enough to remember these golden oldies?
"Don't" -Elvis Presley
"Great Balls of Fire" -Jerry Lee Lewis
"Johnny B. Goode" -Chuck Berry
"Good Golly Miss Molly" -Little Richard
"La Bamba" -Ritchie Valens
"Fever" -Peggy Lee
"Poor Little Fool" -Ricky Nelson
"Rebel Rouser" -Duane Eddy
"All the Way" -Frank Sinatra
"26 Miles (Santa Catalina)" -The Four Preps
"A Wonderful Time Up There" -Pat Boone
"Tequila" -The Champs
"Catch a Falling Star" -Perry Como
"He's Got the Whole World in His Hands" -Laurie London
"Twilight Time" -The Platters
"Witch Doctor" -David Seville
"All I Have to Do Is Dream" -The Everly Brothers
"Purple People Eater" -Sheb Wooley
"Yakety Yak" -The Coasters
"Splish Splash" -Bobby Darin
"Volare (Nel Blu Dipinto Blu)" -Dominico Modugno
"Rockin Robin" -Bobby Day
"Tom Dooley" -The Kingston Trio
"To Know Him Is to Love Him" -Teddy Bears
"The Chipmunk Song" -The Chipmunks/David Seville
"Jingle Bell Rock" -Bobby Helms
True confession time.. I counted 23 that I definitely remember listening to on the radio in 1958. I have vivid memories of watching them do "The Chipmunk Song" on TV around Christmas time.. I thought it was a funny song back then. Also remember Bobby Darin singing "Splish Splash" on TV in a bathtub. And who could forget "Purple People Eater"? Aaah.. those were the days!

Anybody want to confess to listening to the radio in 1958? How many of these do you remember? Any stories to share?

Campy TV Shows

My last Robo-Legs post reminded me of Twiki (shown in this 13 second video).. Buck Rogers' little drone companion on the campy 1980s Buck Rogers SciFi TV series.. hard to believe that I used to watch that. Of course it was not as campy as Batman.. pow!

What is the campiest TV show that you have ever watched?

Robo-Legs

According to Wired.com, the robotics geeks at Honda have developed an exoskeleton that is worn like shoes to support the body and protect the joints, something the automaker says could reduce injuries on assembly lines but also might help the elderly get around more easily.

The device resembles a bicycle seat joined to a pair of shoes and fits suggestively between the legs to help the user walk, crouch and stand without excessive stress on the hips, knees and ankles. Honda is testing the "walking assist device" at a vehicle assembly line in Sayama, Japan, and says robo-legs could help anyone who spends a lot of time on their feet. More than that, it could help the elderly and infirm by making it easier to get around.


I gotta get me some of them legs!

Wally does the Louvre

In this image released by Blair Hayes, a bronze abstract sculpture of a figure of a woman holding a shield created by actor Tony Dow, titled, 'Unarmed Warrior,' is shown. Dow, best known for his role as Wally Cleaver, in the '50s TV series 'Leave It to Beaver,' will have one of his abstract sculptures on display at the Louvre from Dec. 11 to Dec. 14.

change.gov

Has anyone been out to this new website. My son told me about it and said that he was impressed by the amount of information that is out there.. he said you can even submit suggestions. There is even a blog that you can subscribe to.

Let me know if you check it out and what you think about it.

The Perfect Loss

KC Star columnist Jason Whitlock had this to say in his recent column:

In losing 20-19 to San Diego on Sunday, the Kansas City Chiefs played a near-flawless game and gave the strongest testimony to date Herm Edwards might deserve at least one more season to lead the Chiefs.
...
The Chiefs’ single mission this season is improvement. As fans, we should have two missions: 1. Improvement; 2. Securing a draft pick high enough to pluck the best quarterback in the 2009 draft (Ball State’s Nate Davis if we’re lucky).
...
KC’s one-win record and the injuries on defense made Herm’s decision to go for two points a no-brainer. There was no reason to throw Kansas City’s banged-up defense out on the field for overtime.

It was the perfect loss.

I tend to agree with Jason's take on the game and the Chief's strategy. Even though they are losing games KC is looking fairly consistent these days and not making a lot of mistakes. I don't agree with Jason's take on QB Tyler Thigpen.. I guess we have another 7 games to see how is does in the long haul. Maybe we will have a winning record next year?

Breakfast Food

I love Ziggy! Looking at this cartoon makes me think about how I haven't eaten a pop tart in years - have you? I usually nosh on a bagel.. occasionally make a mean Denver omelet.. and love biscuits and gravy. What is your favorite breakfast food?

Living from Our Innermost Being

Here is an excerpt from the latest post from my faith blog:


It has always perplexed me how one can "ask in faith without any doubting".. until I began to better understand the inner life and how trusting God is all about living from my innermost being. Check the rest out here.

Thanking Veterans Today

 

Dedicated to my Iraq War veteran son.

For your education here is a bit of the history of Veteran's Day that came to me via email:

The origin of this day goes back to a U.S. legal holiday to honor Armistice Day - the end of World War I, which officially took place on November 11, 1918. The Legislature in 1938 indicated November 11 as "dedicated to the cause of world peace and to be hereafter celebrated and known as 'Armistice Day.'

In 1954, the 83rd U.S. Congress amended the Act of 1938 by striking out the word "Armistice" and inserting the word "Veterans." With the approval of this legislation November 11 became a day to honor American veterans of all wars.

In 1968, the Uniforms Holiday Bill promoted the celebrating of four national holidays on Mondays: Washington's Birthday, Memorial Day, Veterans Day, and Columbus Day. Under this bill, Veterans Day was moved to the last Monday of October. Many states did not agree with this decision and continued to celebrate the holiday on its original date. The first Veterans Day under the new law was observed with much confusion on October 25, 1971.

President Gerald R. Ford signed a law which formalized the annual observance of Veterans Day to the original date of November 11, beginning in 1978. Since then, the Veterans Day holiday has been observed on November 11.

Chiefs 19, Chargers 20

The Chiefs once again looked pretty good in the first half but not so much after half-time. Quarterback Tyler Thigpen seemed to be clicking early in the game.. the defense also seemed to be able hold the normally high scoring Chargers to field goals instead of touchdowns.. bit a special team flubbed first half PAT eventually killed their chance of a win.

Their performance just seemed lackluster in the second half with the Chiefs not scoring a single point up until their final possession. They did score on that possession but came up short on a two point conversion effort. Looking on the bright side - KC is looking good for a few great draft picks with only one win this year.

Christian Unity

In a recent Christian Broadcasting Network news article titled "Will the Church Grow Under Pres. Obama?" Rebecca Hagelin of the Heritage Foundation is quoted saying:

"Nothing unites Christian conservatives more than a common enemy, and here the enemy is a radical liberal agenda," she said.

Really? Is this what unites us? Is politics the new tie that binds?

Hagelin's words are symptomatic of what divides us - not what unites us. Here is what the apostle writes on the subject:

When one of you says, "I'm on Paul's side," and another says, "I'm for Apollos," aren't you being totally infantile? ... Remember, there is only one foundation, the one already laid: Jesus Christ.(1 Corinthians 3:4,11 MSG)

Christians are not united by a common political enemy.. we are united by Christ.. His love for us, our love for Him and our love for each other.

Why Obama Won :)

A funny one minute explanation compliments of Sarah.

Deep Thoughts by Jack Handey

 

I added a new widget on my sidebar today from the Deep Thoughts by Jack Handy site. Here are a few deep thoughts for your amusement:

"If you ever drop your keys into a river of molten lava, let'em go, because, man, they're gone."

"The first thing was, I learned to forgive myself. Then I told myself, 'Go ahead, do whatever you want, it's ok by me.'"

"I wish I would have a real tragic love affair and get so bummed out that I'd just quit my job and become a bum for a few years, because I was thinking about doing that anyway."

"It takes a big man to cry, but it takes a bigger man to laugh at that man."

"As the light changed from red to green to yellow and back to red again, I sat there thinking about life. Was it nothing more than a bunch of honking and yelling? Sometimes it seemed that way."

"I wish I had a dollar for every time I spent a dollar, because then, Yahoo!, I'd have all my money back."

"I can picture in my mind a world without war, a world without hate. And I can picture us attacking that world, because they'd never expect it."