In Depreciation of Your Efforts

   

‘Surely vexation kills the fool, and jealousy slays the simple.’ ~ Job 5:2  

 

• ‘A California congregation plans to meet this Sunday to discuss leaving the Presbyterian Church (USA) over moves by the denomination to allow homosexuals to be ordained.’

 

 

 

• I once ate a 4 ½ pound steak and a Super Monster burrito from Freebird’s on dares. The first challenge took three hours and the second nearly killed me. I have since sworn off all challenges involving food. Sadly, it is too late for this guy.

 

 

 

• Regardless of how you feel about the Bailout Bill that failed (THANKFULLY) in Congress yesterday, it should be pointed out how duplicitous and dishonest our representatives can be. The bill that has been touted as a critical rescue plan to prevent our economy from imploding (but would actually accomplish the opposite) was entitled thus:  ‘To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide earnings assistance and tax relief to members of the uniformed services, volunteer firefighters, and Peace Corps volunteers, and for other purposes.’  I’m speechless. Are you mad yet?

 

 

 

• ‘From 1813 to 1907, the U.S. dollar appreciated in value. What cost one dollar in 1813 cost only 48 cents in 1907. In 1913, the Federal Reserve was formed, ostensibly to provide financial stability and “fight inflation.” Since then, the value of a dollar has all but vanished, as what cost one dollar in 1913 cost $20.73 in 2007; the dollar has lost 95.2 percent of its value under management of the Fed.’

 

 

 

• ‘When Taysir Saada served as a trained assassin for Yasser Arafat’s Fatah organization in the late 1960s, he admits he hated Christians. If he found a home belonging to followers of Jesus, he would sometimes throw a grenade inside and shoot it up with bursts of machine-gun fire. Today a non-uniformed Saada, now known as Tass, patrols the dangerous Hamas-dominated streets of the Gaza Strip – no longer hunting down Christians or bearing arms; the Palestinian-American has traded in his automatic weapons and grenades for the Bible, humanitarian service and apologies to Arab Christians he once persecuted.’

• It’s a bird! It’s a plane! It’s … Metal Mass!—‘ In Finland, heavy metal music is already part of mainstream culture.  But it seems its growing popularity knows no bounds. One metal band has taken to touring the country’s churches, giving concerts during services. And the pastors are loving it, as more and more young people are flocking to churches.’

 

 

 

• Here is a short synopsis of how the Federal government’s Community Reinvestment Act is the primary contributor to the current credit crisis.

 

 

 

• ‘New research has added three more victims to the previous count of 133 people who are said to have lost their lives at the cold war boundary that once divided [Berlin] into four sectors that were controlled by the American, French, British and Russians respectively.’

 

 

 

Friedrich Hayek’s words about the failed economic policies which led to and exacerbated the Great Depression in 1932 are just as relevant to-day:

‘Instead of furthering the inevitable liquidation of the maladjustments brought about by the boom during the last three years, all conceivable means have been used to prevent that readjustment from taking place; and one of these means, which has been repeatedly tried though without success, from the earliest to the most recent stages of depression, has been this deliberate policy of credit expansion. … To combat the depression by a forced credit expansion is to attempt to cure the evil by the very means which brought it about…’ 

 

 

 

• “The results of this study suggest that the installation of the RLC [red light cameras] at these sites did not provide any reduction in accidents, rather there has been increases in rear end and adjacent approaches accidents on a before and after basis and also by comparison with the changes in accidents at intersection signals.”

 

 

 

• One of the more prominent ‘Lesser of Two Evils’ arguments used for voting for (bad) Republicans is the emphasis on Supreme Court judge nominations. However, the historical evidence shows that some (most?) of the worst judges on the court were appointed by Republicans.

 

To-day’s 1980’s Moment is brought to you by: Simple Minds

  

It’s Debatable

 

After watching the debates last night–do you still think there is a difference between the two major candidates/ parties?

Don’t Flip Your Whig

  

‘When Peter saw this, he said to them: “Men of Israel, why does this surprise you?’ ~ Acts 3:12a

 

• According to conservative columnist Kathleen Parker, it appears that the bloom is off the Palin Rose: ‘Palin’s recent interviews with Charles Gibson, Sean Hannity, and now Katie Couric have all revealed an attractive, earnest, confident candidate. Who is clearly out of her league.’

 

Case in point: This is what I have labelled the Moose-in-the-Headlights Interview.

(It’s just plain painful to watch.)

 

 

 

‘This [Federal Reserve Act] establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the president [Woodrow Wilson] signs this bill, the invisible government of the monetary power will be legalised… [T]he worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking and currency bill… From now on, depressions will be scientifically created.’ ~ Congressman Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr. (1913)

 

 

 

• What do steak tartar and white running backs have in common? They’re very rare.

 

 

‘[Economic conquest] … takes place when nations are placed under “tribute” without the use of visible force or coercion, so that the victims do not realize they have been conquered. “Tribute” is collected from them in the form of “legal” debts and taxes, and they believe they are paying it for their own good, for the good of others, or to protect all from some enemy. Their captors become their “benefactors” and “protectors”… The government will own nothing, the people will own nothing, and the banks will own everything.’

 

 

• I almost fell out from underneath my tinfoil hat this morning when I read the following headline: ‘China Fakes Report from Space.’ Wait a minute! I thought that kind of talk was just conspiracy theory gobbledy-gook?!

 

 

 

• Remind me again why homeschooling is bad?

 

 

 

• “The world no longer has the capacity to absorb fake U.S. dollars.’  ~  Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad

 

 

I think NFL Hall of Fame quarterback John Elway and Tom Petty were twins who were separated at birth.

 

John Elway

 

Tom Petty

 

See what I mean?!

 

Don or Dawn? Pt. 2

 

 ‘A woman shall not wear a man’s garment, nor shall a man put on a woman’s cloak, for whoever does these things is an abomination to the LORD your God.’  ~ Deuteronomy 22:5

 

Per my previous post (which was unintentionally cryptic), here are some images that have brought the topic of the culture’s rampant androgyny to mind of late.  There are, of course, numerous others, but they should suffice.

 

 Rachel Maddow, MSNBC Hostess

 

Nick Lachey (The Former Mr Jessica Simpson)

 

Samantha Ronson (Left)

 

 

Sanjaya (Famous for Fifteen Minutes)

 

David Cassidy

 

Poison (Of 1980’s Hair Band fame.  And, yes–they’re all men.)

 

Joan Jett (Of ‘I Love Rock ‘n Roll fame)

 

The pictures above are but a small sample to illustrate my point of the tacit–and often overt–approval of androgyny in our culture.  In addition, we live in a time when Christianity is ofen spoken of almost explicity in internal terms–‘it is only what is in your heart that matters’.  I happen to think that externals are important in the life of a Christian, as well; they are certainly not equally important to internals, but certainly very important nonetheless.

So, I would ask again: If we desire to live biblically, what role do outward appearances play and what are some examples of distinctive Christian externals?

 

 

It’s Pat!  (What’s a guy/gal to do?)

Don or Dawn?

  

‘Haven’t you read,’ [Jesus] replied, ‘that at the beginning the Creator “made them male and female[?] …”‘  ~ Matthew 19:4

 

Question: If the entire world were to be converted to Christianity to-morrow and everyone sought to live their lives in accordance with biblical principles (both morally and practically)–how would we be able to recognise the difference between men and women?

In other words, if everyone were living a biblical/ Christian life, how would you recognise a man from a women on the street? 

I look forward to your thoughts…