100 Days, 100 Ooops

Our Illustrious Socialist has been President for 100 days now. I came across this list of 100 Mistakes, Misstatements and Missteps in his First 100 Days.

Some don't bother me... most do. It's not pretty...

************

Undermining Our Values

1. Calling for the repeal of the Defense of Marriage Act on the White House website.
2. Calling on the White House website for the expansion of federal hate crimes to include homosexual behavior.
3. Calling on the White House website for policies like the “Fairness Doctrine” that could silence conservative and Christian talk radio.
4. Repealing limitations on taxpayer-funding of human embryonic stem cell research.
5. Repealing limitations on taxpayer-funding of abortions overseas.
6. Pledging $50 million to the United Nation’s Population Fund, which supports China’s draconian one-child policy.
7. Proposing new rules to gut conscience clause protections for pro-life doctors and other medical personnel who don’t want to be forced to perform abortions or other procedures that violate their values.
8. Proposing increased funding for the nation’s largest abortion provider, Planned Parenthood.
9. Calling on the White House website for “a goal that all middle and high school students do 50 hours of community service a year,” (mandatory volunteerism).
10. Inviting homosexual families to the White House Easter Egg Roll.
11. Allowing his attorney general to call for the reinstatement of Clinton-era restrictions on the Second Amendment.
12. Breaking his promise not to appoint lobbyists to his administration. He hired 17 in his first two weeks.
13. Breaking his promise to sign legislation only after a five-day period of public comments.
14. Asking that the monogram for Jesus Christ be covered up during a televised speech at a Catholic university in which Obama quotes the Sermon on the Mount.

Undermining Our National Security

15. Apologizing for America in Europe and Latin America.
16. Bowing before the Muslim king of Saudi Arabia.
17. Pledging to base America’s foreign policy toward Iran on “mutual respect” in a video to the Iranian people and Iran’s Holocaust-denying dictator.
18. Returning the bust of Winston Churchill given to George Bush after 9/11 by our British allies.
19. Giving British Prime Minister Gordon Brown, the leader of America’s most loyal ally, a box of DVDs that don’t work in British DVD players.
20. Ordering Guantanamo Bay closed without any idea of where to send the terrorist suspects held there.
21. Suggesting that some of those terrorists now at GITMO may kill again, but may also be released onto U.S. soil and set up with welfare benefits.
22. Caving to communist Cuba by relaxing travel restrictions and remittances for Cuban Americans before any Cuban political prisoners have been released.
23. Shaking hands with Venezuelan dictator Hugo Chavez.
24. Sitting silently though a 50-minute anti-American diatribe by Nicaragua’s communist president, Daniel Ortega.
25. Releasing Abd al-Rahim al-Nashiri, the suspected of masterminding the 2000 suicide bombing of the U.S.S. Cole.
26. Releasing classified CIA memos outlining our interrogation techniques.
27. Telling our CIA agents not to be discouraged when he acknowledges their “mistakes.”
28. Declaring a new openness to “truth commissions” and prosecuting intelligence officials involved in enhanced interrogations of terrorists.
29. Proposing to send a $900 million foreign aid package to Palestinians in Gaza.
30. Asking Congress to relax the law so that some of that money could go to the terrorist organization Hamas.
31. Calling for the U.S. to eliminate its nuclear weapons.
32. Telling Russian President Demitri Medvedev that America’s commitment to missile defense is negotiable.
33. Dropping the term “enemy combatants” for GITMO detainees.
34. Dropping the term “terrorism” for “man-made disaster.”
35. Dropping the term “Global War on Terror” for “overseas contingency operations.”
36. Giving his first interview as president to the Arab language network Al-Arabiya.
37. Telling the Muslim world that his “job” was to communicate “that the Americans are not your enemy,” when it’s Muslim extremists who have declared war on us.
38. Proposing that military veterans use private insurance for the cost of a service-related injury before they would be eligible for coverage through the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

Undermining Free Enterprise

39. Signing the trillion-dollar plus so-called “stimulus” bill, which the Congressional Budget Office said would actually hurt long-term economic growth.
40. Saying Caterpillar wouldn’t lay off workers if his trillion-dollar stimulus bill passed Congress. Obama signed the bill on Feb. 17th. On March 17th, Caterpillar laid off nearly 2,500 workers.
41. Hosting a “Fiscal Responsibility Summit” one week after signing the trillion-dollar “stimulus” bill.
42. Railing against “outrageous recklessness and greed” of AIG bonuses that were legally protected in the so-called “stimulus” bill he signed four days after it passed, not five as he promised.
43. Breaking his promise on earmark reform by signing the $410 billion “omnibus” spending bill with billions in earmarks.
44. Proposing a $3.6 trillion budget that doubles the national debt in five years and triples it in ten years.
45. Proposing a “carbon cap and trade” scheme that will raise energy taxes by hundreds of billions, even trillions, of dollars.
46. Burning more than 9,000 gallons of jet fuel to fly to Iowa for Earth Day to promote “wind power.”
47. Proposing $634 billion in higher taxes for socialized health care.
48. Proposing to raise taxes on small business owners.
49. Saying the White House is open to the idea of taxing employer-sponsored health care benefits as income.
50. Signing a massive expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, calling it “a down payment on my commitment to cover every single American.”
51. Establishing the Federal Coordinating Council for Comparative Effectiveness Research to give bureaucrats the power to ration health care and tell your doctors what care you can and cannot have.
52. Signing the 2009 Omnibus Public Land Management Act, which the Sierra Club praised specifically because it “will safeguard millions of acres … from oil and gas leasing.”
53. Suggesting he has found $1.5 trillion in bogus “savings” by not spending money in Iraq that we were not planning to spend years from now.
54. Ordering his Cabinet to “cut” $100 million in spending in 90 days, after proposing nearly $5 trillion in spending in his first 90 days.
55. Proposing to limit tax deductions for home mortgage interest.
56. Proposing to limit tax deductions for charitable donations.
57. Refusing to allow banks to repay TARP money.
58. Bailing out AMTRAK with a 10% increase in its taxpayer subsidies.
59. Bailing out the United Auto Workers Union with billions of taxpayer dollars to GM and Chrysler.
60. Bailing out the United Auto Workers by giving it a majority ownership stake in Chrysler. Yes, the union will own the company.
61. Bailing out Big Labor by issuing an executive order mandating that infrastructure projects paid for with “stimulus” funds must use union labor, guaranteeing higher costs for the taxpayer.
62. Bailing out Big Labor again by repealing regulations requiring the disclosure of how union dues are spent. So much for “transparency.”
63. Saying, “The United States government has no interest in running GM,” then vowing that the government will back auto warranties.
64. Saying, “The United States government has no interest in running GM,” then firing the CEO of General Motors.
65. Allowing states to set their own fuel efficiency and emissions standards, making it harder for struggling auto makers to compete.

Personnel Is Policy

66. Nominating Timothy “The Turbo Tax Evader” Geithner as Treasury Secretary to oversee the IRS.
67. Nominating as attorney general Eric Holder, who urged Bill Clinton to pardon tax evader Marc Rich and 8 FALN terrorists.
68. Nominating David Ogden, a prominent attorney for the pornography industry, to be Deputy Attorney General.
69. Nominating Tom Daschle, who owed more than $140,000 in back taxes, as Health and Human Services Secretary.
70. Nominating Kathleen Sebelius, who is ardently pro-abortion and owed $8,000 in back taxes, to be HHS Secretary.
71. Nominating Janet Napolitano, who said, “crossing the border is not a crime per se,” as Homeland Security Secretary.
72. Nominating Steven Chu as Energy Secretary. Last September, Chu said, “Somehow, we have to figure out how to boost the price of gasoline to the levels in Europe,” which at that time were roughly $8.00 a gallon.
73. Nominating Ron Kirk, who owed more than $6,000 in back taxes, as Trade Representative.
74. Nominating Bill Richardson, who was embroiled in an ethics scandal, as Secretary of Commerce.
75. Nominating Nancy Killefer, who also owed back taxes, to be the government’s “Efficiency Czar.”
76. Nominating Rosa Brooks, a leftwing acolyte of George Soros, as an advisor to the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy.
77. Nominating Harold Koh, an ardent supporter of using international law in the interpretation of our Constitution, to be the top legal advisor to the State Department.
78. Nominating Carol Browner, who was a member of the Socialist International, to be “Climate and Energy Czar.”
79. Nominating John Holdren, an environmental extremist and advocate of population control, as the White House Science Advisor.
80. Nominating Dawn Johnsen, who is so pro-abortion she once compared pregnancy to slavery, to to direct the Office of Legal Counsel at the Justice Department.
81. Nominating Charles Freeman, an anti-Israel, pro-Arab apologist, to be head of the National Intelligence Council.
82. Nominating Tony West, who represented American Taliban John Walker Lindh and exposed the Bush Administration’s terrorist surveillance program, to the Justice Department’s Civil Division.
83. Nominating Annette Nazareth to be Deputy Treasury Secretary, who withdrew after a month-long probe into her taxes.
84. Trying to nominate pro-abortion Catholics to be ambassador to the Vatican, a move even John Kerry opposed.
85. Appointing Ellen Moran of the pro-abortion group Emily’s List as his White House communications director.
86. Appointing Melody Barnes, a board member of Emily’s List and Planned Parenthood, as his director of the Domestic Policy Council.
87. Appointing Harry Knox of the Human Rights Campaign (the largest homosexual rights lobbying group) to the White House’s Faith Based Advisory Council.
88. Appointing Adolfo Carrion as Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs, even though he is under investigation for kickbacks in a scandal nearly identical to one that cost GOP Senator Ted Stevens his election.
89. Nominating David Hamilton as his first appointment to a federal appeals court. Judge Hamilton has issued a number of controversial rulings, including prohibiting the Indiana House of Representatives from opening sessions with prayers in the name of Jesus.

Other Obama Outrages

90. Telling congressional Republicans to stop listening to Rush Limbaugh.
91. Coordinating attacks on Rush Limbaugh, Rick Santelli and Jim Cramer out of the White House.
92. Hosting weekly parties at the White House, serving up $100-a-pound Waygu beef during what Obama called, “the worst financial crisis since the Great Depression.”
93. Laughing it up on 60 Minutes as the country is mired in a recession.
94. Allowing Air Force One to buzz the Statue of Liberty and lower Manhattan, creating panic in New York City.
95. Disparaging Special Olympians on the Tonight Show.
96. Allowing his Department of Homeland Security to issue a report accusing pro-life, smaller government conservatives and returning Iraq/Afghanistan veterans of being “rightwing extremists.”
97. Promising to push for comprehensive immigration reform, i.e., amnesty.
98. Killing the school voucher program in the District of Columbia, while sending his two daughters to an elite private school, rather than D.C.’s public schools.
99. Moving the Census out of the Department of Commerce and into the White House.
100. Relying too much on his teleprompter.

Swine Flu Map

Wanna see where all of the cases of Swine Flu have been reported around the world? Click on the Google Map below to find out.

Stay healthy!

Gabe Finished Little League Regular Season

The regular season of Gabe's last year in Little League Majors has come to an end. He finished very strong. Here are the numbers...

• Batting Average: .510 (26-51) with 24 RBIs, 3 Ks and 2 HRs.
• Pitching Stats: 25 2/3 innings with 51 Ks and 12 BBs.

I'm very proud of my young man.

Next up, the End of Season tournaments and, if he's lucky, All-Stars.

UK Reporter Asks Why President "Pantywaist" Hates America So Much?

Interesting article, for sure. Asks some very good questions...

You can READ IT HERE...

What is "the free exercise thereof?"

I'm reading this great book about the principles our founding fathers used when creating the Constitution of the United States called The 5000 Year Leap... it's an amazing book. I strongly recommend everyone get a copy. It's got me thinking...

The First Amendment of the Constitution starts with the following:

Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof;

What does the phrase "the free exercise thereof" really mean? Is it limited merely to worship or is it greater than that?

I'm asking because there is a growing pressure by the politicians and special interest groups today to abolish the citizen's "right of conscience."

This right means that a doctor, morally opposed to abortion, can choose not to provide for abortions because it conflicts with their conscience. Take that away and the doctor would be forced to comply, despite the fact that they may consider it a sin or an offense to their beliefs. It would be unlawful for them to live their faith.

Isn't that an infringement on the First Amendment? Doesn't "the free exercise thereof" protect our ability to live our faith? After all, it protects our ability to worship and religion is not limited to Sunday services. Religion, faith, is how we behave, the choices we make, the paths we choose to follow.

Worship does not end as you exit the church doors, it begins.

In my opinion, if you abolish a citizen's "right of conscience" you are infringing on the First Amendment and a believers ability to live their faith, to freely exercise their religion.

Unfortunately, I'm sure this will end up in the courts... the equivalent of playing social Russian roulette.

God help us... again.

Where's the Tolerance????

Miss California states she believes marriage should be between a man and a woman and she's getting hammered by the pro-gay marriage media, especially someone called Perez Hilton.

Perez "Mr. Intolerant" Hilton
Seriously, we're looking to this guy
for social guidance?
Are you kidding me?

Where's the tolerance, Perez? Would you be okay with another judge publicly debasing and punishing another contestant if they said they were for gay marriage? You'd be all for it?

I doubt it. I ask again, extreme left wingers... where's the tolerance?

Isn't that what political correctness is all about? Aren't we supposed to tolerate those people with which we oppose?

Wouldn't penalizing someone for their political beliefs be bigotry and discrimination?

Where's the outrage? Where's the cry for the poor disenfranchised traditionalists?

Marriage, as we understand it and as we've been participating in it for 200 years in this country is based on the way God defined marriage in the Bible. You don't have to like it, but it's true.

It was in the Bible, both Old and New Testaments that God, and later Jesus, reiterated that marriage, as we understand it, was between a man and a woman.

Carrie Prejean, raised with this Biblical understanding, when asked HER OPINION about gay marriage, offers it and is punished for it.

Can you say "hypocrisy?"

And this is the person we should
look at as "intolerant?" Are
we suddenly in an
alternate universe????
Is Mr. Spock sporting a goatee?

So, this is where we're heading, huh? Instead of debating the issue, you attack the messenger.

Instead of allowing free expression of opposing ideas, you punish those who disagree with you.

That type of society sounds so familiar... I just can't place it... wait a minute, it's coming to me... right, fascism.

I'm not saying we're fascists. I'm saying we're allowing fascists acts to be accepted as normal. You do that long enough you become fascists. It's inevitable.

Time for the average American to get their lazy butts off the couch and start standing up for what they believe in.

In America, you're allowed to believe in traditional marriage and gay marriage. You're allowed to discuss it, disagree or compromise.

What you are NOT allowed to do is punish free thought, free speech and opposing ideas.

We need to demand more from our country. Immediately.

Name That Tune - "My God, My God, Why Have You Forsaken Me..."

So, here we are... Jesus has been nailed to a cross after having been unmercifully scourged. He's weak, bloodied, tired and dying. His life and, more importantly, his Passion has been an example of selflessness, of miracles, of redemption. And then Jesus says this...

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me..."

Most people don't get that sentence. I recently listened to a "Christian scholar" on television talk about it being a comment of fear and loneliness.

WRONG!

Jesus' weakest moment during the Passion happened in the Garden, not on the Cross. Once Jesus asked that God's will be done over his own, he stayed the course.

Here's the deal. Jews sang songs. We call them Psalms. Songs written by David. Like any other song you sing a lot, it sticks in your head. Take "I Ran" by A Flock of Seagulls, for example. If you know that song you're humming it right now.

God designed us to remember songs. They stick with us for the rest of our lives.

Psalm 22 is one such song. Really catchy. All about the sufferings of the Messiah. You know what the first line of the song is???

"My God, my God, why have you forsaken me..."

On the Cross, Jesus wasn't lamenting his suffering. He wasn't lost. He wasn't suddenly abandoned. He didn't speak that line, he sang that line... a song about himself.

As one article I read so wonderfully stated... think of all of the Sanhedrin standing there, mocking Jesus while the Roman guards threw dice to see who gets Jesus' fancy-shmancy cloak. Then, Jesus sings the first line of the song. And what happens?

Those members of the Sanhedrin, who had probably sung Psalm 22 hundreds of times, suddenly find themselves singing along with him. In their minds, the song continues...

But I am a worm, hardly human, scorned by everyone, despised by the people.

All who see me mock me; they curl their lips and jeer; they shake their heads at me

"You relied on the LORD--let him deliver you; if he loves you, let him rescue you."

And it continues...

They stare at me and gloat; they divide my garments among them; for my clothing they cast lots.

Think of what must have been running through the minds of the Jewish leaders. Singing this Psalm in their heads and realizing it was happening right before their eyes. A song about the sufferings of the Messiah.

But the song doesn't end there, in despair. It continues...

For God has not spurned or disdained the misery of this poor wretch,

Did not turn away from me, but heard me when I cried out.

I will offer praise in the great assembly; my vows I will fulfill before those who fear him.

The poor will eat their fill; those who seek the LORD will offer praise. May your hearts enjoy life forever!"

All the ends of the earth will worship and turn to the LORD; All the families of nations will bow low before you.

For kingship belongs to the LORD, the ruler over the nations.

All who sleep in the earth will bow low before God; All who have gone down into the dust will kneel in homage.

And so on...

So, fellow Christians and ignorant "scholars" remember what a Psalm is... understand the difference between an original thought and quoting from a song.

And lastly, finally recognize that on the Cross, singing that Psalm, Jesus was in his ultimate glory, paying our price for our sins, building a bridge back to God that was broken by Adam... Jesus was suffering, yes, but willingly, not alone, not afraid.

He was offering the greatest sacrifice ever recorded.

Does God Kiss Us On The Cheek When We're Sleeping?

Just a thought... I was going to bed one night and went in to check on my kids. They were both asleep and I kissed them on their cheek, full of love for them.

I wondered, as I walked back to my bedroom, if God does that with us... like the loving parent He is... to kiss us on the cheek when we're sleeping. To tuck us in. To whisper "I love you" in our ears.

I sure hope so.

Faceless Book

If you remember, last year I figured with the advent of Facebook and other social networking sites, that the traffic to this blog would trickle to a stop. I was willing, therefore, to dispense with this blog and stick to family connections via Facebook. However, there was a large hue and cry from my small, but loyal, family fan base to keep this blog alive.

So I did.

But, I continued to visit Facebook quite a bit. Kept track of people and friends I had not communicated with in quite some time. It was fun. I'd look at their posted family pictures, their videos recorded on their phones, their small updates about liking mashed potatoes... important stuff.

Then I gave up Facebook for Lent and an interesting thing happened... I didn't miss it. At all.

Sure, for the first day or so I did, but after a week I felt a certain sense of relief. For, previously, I had found myself having to live up to some sort of self-imposed Facebook etiquette... if I respond to one person's reply to my status and not another person's reply... am I offending the second person? When I looked at family pictures from friends and relatives, I felt obligated to leave a note somewhere so they'd know I stopped by. If someone doesn't reply to my postings, do I have to reply to theirs?

And the volume... the amount of people on Facebook was becoming unwieldy.

First, people don't edit themselves. People uploaded every picture they took, even the duplicate out of focus ones. Why? I don't know. They don't have to. But, there they are!

Second, the reality is that I don't have the time to check out everyone's picture of every event in their lives. I don't have time to update and comment and send pokes and flair and surveys and notes and God knows whatever else I could virtually send to my fellow Facebookians.

Prior to Lent Facebook had become some sort of weird family obligation. So, giving it up for Lent forced a break and a re-evaluation.

By the end of Lent I hadn't missed Facebook at all. Sure, I missed chatting with some of my family and friends, but the evolving invasive entity known as Facebook had lost its priority in my life.

Instead, I read the Bible. Yeah, go figure! Me... reading... the Bible! We, as a family, spent more time actually conversing with each other instead of spending time on various computers within the same household virtually connecting with other people in cyberspace. I know, so retro!

During Lent we were even without the internet for a week! Yup, bad router or what have you. If it weren't for online banking, I found that not having the option of surfing the internet made life much easier, simpler and less busy. Instead, we watched Christian movies, played baseball and started the P90X exercise program.

So, now that Lent is over, sure, I'll login to Facebook on occasion. But, it will be far less often. Instead, I'll stay here in the blogosphere, chatting to myself and the diminishing number of family/fans who come to visit... happily Faceless.

The Second Chance (2006)

The Second Chance follows the spiritual journeys of two pastors, Ethan Jenkins (Michael W. Smith) and Jake Sanders (Jeff Obafemi Carr) who are from opposite ends of the social and political spectrum. These two pastors find themselves learning about true acts of Christianity while growing to understand their own flaws as Christian leaders.

The story encompasses the relationship between sister churches... one in the affluent suburbs and the other in the inner-city. We follow Pastor Jenkins from the affluent suburban who initially directs his Christianity via his checkbook instead of his heart.

As he spends a number of weeks in the depths of the challenges at the inner-city church with Pastor Sanders, Jenkins comes to learn that a hands off approach to Christianity doesn't work in the rougher parts of town. You have to get involved with the people on a personal level, to make a commitment to them and to helping them overcome their problems.

Michael W. Smith, known for his numerous Christian singles, makes his acting debut in this film. Overall, his performance is good, but there were a few moments where his presence was lacking a bit.

Carr, however, as the fiery and unapologetic inner-city Pastor Sanders, is a solid performer as his character struggles between indignant self-righteousness and trying to love one's enemies. These polar opposites, both in personalities and in obvious visual differences, makes for an enjoyable, albeit, harmless film experience.

The Second Chance is pleasantly un-preachy and is a nice Christian film that neither covers new ground nor seems stale. It would fit into a movie-of-the-week style category. It has a few thoughtful and touching moments, but is lacking a freshness of story.

A good quality Christian flick.

Saving God (2008)

I remember a theater director once telling me that 80% of directing is casting the right people. Saving God, starring Ving Rhames, Dean McDermott and Dwain Murphy is a film that validates my theater directors assessment.

Produced by Cloud Ten Pictures, which created the Left Behind trilogy, Saving God has the tough and powerful Rhames portray the equally intimidating convict-turned-pastor, Armstrong Cane. Cane, fresh out of prison, returns to his local, run-down church, determined to reach out to the inner city he once loved as a child.

As Cane makes his presence quickly known to the local hoods, including drug dealer Blaze, played with surprising creepiness by McDermott, people start to show renewed interest in the success of the small church.

The bulk of the story takes the macrocosm of life on the streets and boils it down to the touching story of Norris Johnson, played by the charming Murphy, who finds faith and renewed self esteem, leading him to try and change his life and move out from under the dangerous and watchful eye of the evil Blaze. The relationship between Johnson and Cane is wonderful and keeps you actively involved in the story.

But it's the performance of Rhames that keeps your eyes locked to the screen. His massive stature, short-fused temper and commitment to Jesus Christ is a great combination of contradictions. You really don't know what he might do next when push comes to shove. Will he revert to his youthful rage or rely on the soothing source of the Word of God?

The production value of this film is top notch and the performances are stellar. This film would easily be broadcast on television stations across the country if it weren't for the blatant acceptance of Jesus Christ as a requirement for salvation.

Saving God is making the festival rounds now and we can only hope it will garner enough positive feedback to get it distributed as widely as possible.

A Midnight Clear (2006)

One Christmas Eve we find that random acts of kindness can change everything... one person at a time. That's the basic premise of A Midnight Clear, a very good Christian film that leaves the preaching for the pulpit and leaves the dense storyline to the cinema.

The film follows the lives of many people who intertwine throughout the night. There's Lefty, played by Stephen Baldwin, who's just lost his job and is on the verge of losing his family. There's Eva, played by K Callan, who struggles with loneliness and a fragile existence and ponders about taking her own life. And Kirk, played by Kirk B.R. Woller, who runs his own gas station on the outskirts of town. And, finally, Mary, the wife of a brain damaged husband recovering from a car accident a year earlier who, on Christmas Eve, finds herself stuck at the gas station with her car broken down and her nerves near the breaking point.

Each of these people are broken, lonely and feel as if they are helpless to overcome their current situations. Over the course of the story we find their simple acts of kindness toward each other propel them forward toward self realization, responsibility and healing.

The story is quite strong and the performances rock solid. The film was originally a 20 minute short that was extended and re-shot into this touching feature film. Fortunately, this is not one of those low-budget Christian flicks that bashes you over the head with Bible verses and dire warnings. This is a human drama of faith filled people struggling within themselves. Writer Wes Halua and director Dallas Jenkins weave a fine and moving tale. The production quality lives up to Hollywood standards and film will stay with you after its over.

One fine flick.

Through a Mother's Eyes

The one thing I love about the way God created us are the vast and definite differences between men and women. I've read studies that have shown that mothers teach children how to act within a home and fathers teach children how to act outside of the home. That's why, if fathers do not go to church regularly, the children will usually follow suit, no matter how devout the mother may be.

Mothers are also greatly protective of there children. Nothing amuses me more than to see "Mama Bear Claws" come out when someone criticizes a mother's child. Mothers usually assume the best of their children, building them up, holding them in the highest regard. Fathers usually try to push the children forward, to make them face challenges, to test their ability to overcome obstacles, even if that includes failure.

This difference in approach could not be more visible than this past weekends baseball tournament. My son was pitching a good game, but gave up a home run. My wife, in her ever protective Mama Bear mode, offers "Well, they couldn't hit a home run if Gabe didn't throw such a beautiful pitch!"

Only a mother can turn a child's failure into a moment of success.

I love that about mothers. They are the safety net we all need. When all else fails, we know our mothers will be there, no matter what we've done or what we've failed to do and will look at us through their loving eyes, seeing us at our best, even when we are at our worst.

Mothers are very lucky... their uncompromising love of their children is a gift from God, an insight into how our Creator looks at us... through loving eyes, focusing on what we are capable of doing instead of what we have not done well.

SoulWow!

Very funny take off of the ShamWow commercials, this one is called SoulWow! and was done by a parish in Brooklyn to get people to come to confession.

Very well done. Take a look...

Gabe Hits Another Dinger

I gotta tell ya, Gabe's faith journey through baseball has been a great learning experience for me too.

After hitting his first home run, Gabe's on field performance began to slip in a BIG way. Since the tourney Gabe had only a few weak hits and, defensively, had committed eight errors in two games! Brutal!

On the drive home following the second bad game in a row he and I had a little talk. I asked him what he thought was his problem? Through gritted teeth he angrily responded "I don't know!"

I asked him, "What's your goal now?"

"What?" he questioned.

I replied, "Well, now that you've hit a home run, something you've been wanting since t-ball, what's your new goal?"

"I... I don't have one" he chimed.

"That's the problem" I said.

So, we talked about how he needed to set new goals. Just because God gave him a gift of a home run doesn't mean He is done with him. You have to seek out the next goal.

With that in mind, we mapped out a few important things to focus on the remaining regular games... no errors, solid hits, better focus, push to be better... all with a single goal in mind, to give Safety Harbor it's first District 12 Championship.

Gabe's next game he played well. Nothing extraordinary, but a solid game. Our team came back to win in extra innings, 9-7.

Last night Gabe finally put it all together. Facing one of the best pitchers in the league, Gabe went 4-4 with a home run, a double and two singles. He hit in three runs and played exceptional defense, helping lead the team to a 9-6 win.

More important than what is happening on the field is what Gabe, and I, am learning off the field. We're learning about God's grace, about His expectations, about how He dreams bigger than we do and how we need to continually re-evaluate what God wants from us next.

This entire journey so far has had me thinking a lot about my goals, my faith and my role in God's plan.

Astronomical Budget

I heard today that there are 400 billion stars in the Milky Way.

Our national budget is over $3.5 trillion.

If you took a star for every dollar the U.S. Budget Galaxy would be almost four times as large as the Milky Way.

That's not soothing.

Life, Liberty and the... I'm sorry, what was the first part?

My daughter and I were discussing our country and the idea of Life, Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness.

It's no fluke that Life is the first on the list... the most important, the most fundamental to our existence. Granted, when the country was founded there was some question as to the Liberty part... women could not vote, slavery was common place. But Life... well, that was a given right to all.

Or is it?

Fortunately, over the centuries our country has dealt with the unfulfilled aspects of national Liberty. Women were given the right to vote and work. Minorities were allowed to have equal civil rights and slavery was abolished. These growing pains of our nation were not easy, but necessary.

And, as it turns out, the growth in Liberty appears to have destroyed the first and third parts of the equation for others. When you look at the overall evolution of this country, only one segment of society has lost their three rights.

The unborn.

It seems odd that by rightfully expanded the role of ALL people in our society that it has, in turn, taken away the most first fundamental right to us all, Life, from the most vulnerable within our society.

Must our society be so?

Is that the cost of Life and Liberty and the Pursuit of Happiness? Does that mean I am allowed to dismiss those three rights from others in order to achieve them myself?

If my Life and my Liberty and my Pursuit of Happiness means I kill a child in the womb and destroy their Life, their Liberty and their Pursuit of Happiness... is that okay?

Is that what the founders intended? I'm sure it's not.

It seems that Liberty is a two-edged sword, with the sharp blade held at the throats in the womb of the most innocent and helpless of our society. How did a country that so obviously recognized the evil of slavery embrace what is so obviously a more horrendous evil in abortion?

When did the second part of the equation erase the first and negate the third?

SLP Padres

Here are some pics of the Padres uniform we sponsored at Sonlight Pictures. We picked Padres because it means Priests.

Go Padres!

Happy God Children Day!

About four years ago, I think, I started my own tradition of starting a Novena for my God Children on the Feast of St. Joseph for what I call God Children Day.

If Hallmark can manufacture Boss Appreciation Day and Administrative Assistant Day, I can create God Children Day.

So, my God Children (Matthew, Jonathan, Aislinn, Laura, Sarah, Chaz, Mark), I have started a Novena, praying for you!

Happy God Children Day!

DC Gets Into College

Dorothea has qualified and been accepted into SPC starting next year in a unique program where high-school sophomores with high grades can by-pass their junior and senior years in high-school and, instead, complete their 1st and 2nd year in college.

In two years she will receive a high-school diploma AND an AA degree. This is not dual enrollment, it's straight-up college. And it's free.

WooHoo!

We're very proud of our girl. She's extremely excited to get a jump start on her college career.

We'll have more info on it later.

Gabe Hits His First Home Run! - Updated

After offering up his baseball performance to God, Gabe has done very well this season, batting over .500. This weekend in a District 12 tournament, our team went 3-0 in the opening weekend, including coming back from two runs in extra innings to win our final game.

Our 3-0 recorded gave us the fourth seed out of 20 or so teams and the opportunity to go head-to-head against the Palm Harbor Rays in the Quarter Finals. We ended up losing to the Rays 5-3, but the overall weekend was a great success.

The greatest part about our tourney was that everyone of the players came up big over the course of the weekend, either at bat or in the field. It was a nice time.

On a personal level, in our second game I was thrilled to see Gabe hit his first home-run over the center field fence. We were up 8-4 and Gabe had a 3-0 count. Usually I would give him the "take" sign, but I let him hit away. He hadn't had enough at-bats from the left side of the plate, so I figured the more pitches he faces, the better. Fortunately he lifted the next pitch, a high strike, out of the park. As he trotted around the bases, his face beamed with a combination of ecstasy and disbelief.

Below is a video compilation of Gabe's hits and pitches on the travel team (in light blue shirts and orange uniforms) and our Little League Team (in the dark blue shirts and also gold jerseys).

I saved the home run as the last highlight. If you watch closely, our player running home before Gabe never touches the base. Caught up in the excitement, he drops his helmet, turns around and greets Gabe.

Ahhh, Little League.

Enjoy.

Updated PS - I've been playing around with some editing SW and came up with a high-def output. I shortened it A LOT (only just over 1 minute now) and you can see it in HIGH DEF HERE or Standard Def below.




Gabe's HR Reel - Short Version on Vimeo.


For the original extended SD version, click here.

Club God Gets Festive

We’re happy to announce that Club God has been accepted into the Faith Film Festival in New York. The films will be aired on cable television in the New York area and showcased on the festival’s website.

Congrats to the Club God cast and crew for their success.

Praise God!

The $tate of the Union - Uncle Scam

I cannot find ANYONE who thinks this "Stimulus Package" is the right thing to do. Not ONE PERSON, Republican or Democrat.

Politicians... they're all crooks!


They all seem to have forgotten that they work FOR US! Lets vote EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM OUT OF OFFICE and start over!

If there was ever a time for a third party, this would be it.

Baseball Busy

I know I haven't blogged much lately. I've been swamped with Little League baseball. Fortunately our season has started off really well. We are currently 3-0. You can see our stats and progress on our team website located here:

Safety Harbor Padres

Since I've been managing I haven't been able to shoot video, but Dea has agreed to come to all of the games and video tape for me. I'll add some video highlights soon.

Sonlight Pictures - Little League

In an effort to support our Little League during these tough economic times, we've decided to have Sonlight Pictures sponsor Gabe's Little League team. Along with a name on the back of the jersey, we also get a large banner that gets hung on one of the fields.

Below is the pic of the Sonlight Pictures banner. We hope to use the banner after the season is over at whatever public events in which we participate.


We picked the Padres as our team, but it appears no one picks them, so the uniforms are late. We hope to have our jerseys soon.

We'll add pics of Gabe in full jersey as soon as they come in.

Go Padres!

Fireproof (2008)

The leaders of Sherwood Baptist Church in Albany, Georgia continue to lead the way for independent Christian films. Starting small with the wonderful, yet ultra-low budget flick called Flywheel and then following that up with the popular Facing the Giants, Alex and Stephen Kendrick have made another sweet, effective movie in Fireproof.

The Sherwood formula is this... pray, write, get volunteers and do the best you can with what the Lord has provided you. Every film for them is a testament to their faith.

In Fireproof, Kirk Cameron volunteered his efforts as the lead character, fire chief Caleb Holt, who finds himself in a disintegrating marriage with his wife, Catherine, played by Erin Bethea. With prayers and support from his father, Caleb engages in the 40 day Love Dare to try to repair his damaged relationship and save his marriage.

The pros and cons of Fireproof are the same as all of the other Sherwood Baptist efforts. The message is wonderful, the production earnest and the effect, overwhelmingly positive in spite of inconsistent acting performances.

The most frustrating aspect of watching new talent on screen is the inconsistency of their performances. Like in The Genius Club, the new actors can hit an emotional moment one scene and not hit a similar pinnacle the next. Unfortunately, each one of these misses pulls you from the total impact the film could have on you.

Thankfully, Cameron is able to nail his performance as Holt. This is the first Sherwood Pictures film that writer/director Alex Kendrick has not also donned the role of lead actor. Kendrick, who is so wonderfully sincere in his performances in Flywheel and Facing the Giants, stays behind the camera and gives the lead reigns to the capable Cameron.

The challenge going forward for Sherwood is that, with each success, the expectations rise. I think it would be wise for them to look to pay for quality actors in lead roles in the future as this would greatly improve the overall delivery of their divine messages.

But, who am I to criticize? Sherwood Pictures has proven nothing is impossible with the Lord. Their $25,000 Flywheel, intended to be a film for church members only, has become a critical and financial success. Facing the Giants, made for $100,000 has already taken in over $10 million and Fireproof, costing $500,000 has almost $35 million in box office revenue.

Their formula works.

My personal preference is that they would remake Flywheel. The script is magical and, with a little bit of funding, could be their best, most complete film yet. The current low-budget version works in spite of serious production issues that come with such a small budget. I'd love to see $500,000 thrown at that script.

In any event, if you liked Sherwood Pictures previous efforts, you'll get more of the same with Fireproof. And that's a good thing!

These guys have tapped into something special and uniquely their own. The ripple effect of their work with audiences and fellow filmmakers will be felt for decades to come.

Very Funny Christian Mockumentary

Over at Christianity Today I came across an article about an upcoming release of a mockumentary called Jesus People. It's made by evangelical Christians working in Hollywood making fun of themselves. You'll recognize a lot of the people. The story is about four people who start a kids dance Christian band. A Christian Spinal Tap so to speak.

The project first started out as a web series and apparently will be turned into a feature film. The web series is so very funny.

Please check it out. It's funny, funny stuff.

Below is Episode 1.

God Dreams Big

One of the things I think we most struggle with is trusting in God with those areas of our life that matter the most. A job interview, a relationship or our personal aspirations are just a few examples. We just can't seem to let go of our Free Will when it comes to the most important things in our lives. We think we have the perfect answer, the best solution, the most prepared outcome.

And we are wrong. For example...

My son has been involved in baseball since he was under two years of age. He's a gifted kid. He's an exceptional baseball player.

He would sit in my lap as a toddler and watch a three hour baseball game without fidgeting. He would ask questions about the rules and about the players. When teams scored runs I used that to help him learn how to add and we used the names of the teams to help him learn how to read.

He taught himself the basics of throwing and taught himself how to switch hit. He's turned into quite the ball player. He's been blessed to have had a great amount of success on the baseball diamond. Last year he once struck out 15 of 18 batters as a pitcher. He's been on three all-star teams and almost won a championship.

This year, between Little League Fall Ball and Spring Ball, a couple of coaches got together and formed a travel team which would play in tournaments against other advanced players. This is not Little League. This is much more difficult. The fields are bigger, all of the rules in baseball are in play (lead offs, steals, pitching from the stretch, etc.) and the competition is much harder.

My son, like the rest of the team, struggled in the beginning. The pitchers threw harder and threw curve balls. The bases were farther apart and the throws harder to make. As a pitcher there was so much more to think about... it was real baseball and it was tough.

After a few months my son's pitching adapted, but he struggled a lot at the plate.

My son's biggest problem is fear. When hitting he has always struggled with remaining relaxed and focused. He puts the pressure of the current situation and his past failings on his shoulders before ever stepping into the batters box. A recipe for failure.

But why does he struggle? Because in the batters box he's reacting, not dictating. He's having to adjust quickly instead of following his plan.

He's not in control.

Over the course of the season he's moved lower and lower in the batting order as his performance at the plate continued to slide. During a double-header last Saturday he continued to struggle, going only 1 - 4 on a misplayed fly ball. None of his hits were solid.

He had no confidence and we were running out of ways to approach correcting it.

After the second game was over we headed over to the Little League fields for our Little League team practice. For this last weekend, our travel team and our Little League schedules overlapped. Yes, my son was completely exhausted, but I told him he needed to be a leader on our team and show the new Little League players about commitment. He showed up and worked as hard as he could.

As we approached the end of practice each of the kids took some swings at the plate. A tired Gabe surprised us all by smacking the ball around the field from both sides of the plate with amazing consistency and power. At one point he almost hit a home run.

On the drive home I asked him what the difference was between our morning double-header and our Little League practice. He said at practice he was so tired he couldn't think. He just hit.

That inspired me. And we came up with a new plan.

I told him that he needs to offer his at-bats up to God. He has to let the Lord's will be done instead of trying to succeed on his own. He needed to let the Lord guide him. I told him to rely on the gifts God had given him and let his faith replace his fear.

Sunday morning the travel team started playing in the finals of the tourney. Two wins and our team would win the championship for our level.

The first at-bat, my son hit the ball really hard, but directly to the third baseman and was thrown out at first base. I was happy, though. It was the best contact he had made in months. Afterwards he smiled from the dugout and gave me a thumbs up.

His second at-bat he stepped into the batters box with men on second and third. The pressure was on.

In one of Saturday's games he had stepped up to the plate with bases loaded and struck out. I was afraid he would take the pressure of that and previous other failures and allow it to overwhelm him again.

Fortunately, God had bigger plans.

Before entering the batters box I could see him close his eyes and take a deep breath. He relaxed and focused on the pitcher. A few moments later the pitcher threw an inside fastball and my son quickly swung. The ball exploded off the bat. All of the parents in the stands reacted with immediate hoops and hollers. The left fielder quickly turned and chased after the ball as it hit the ground and bounced against the fence. Two runs scored and Gabe raced into third base for a triple.

The third base coach patted him on the helmet and my son's face beamed with a smile that spread from ear-to-ear. In between innings he motioned for me to come over to the dugout. He said "I was so relaxed! I just asked the Lord to let his Will be done and just focused on the ball!"

And focus he did.

In those two games on Sunday my son batted 4 - 6 with two triples, a double and a single with three RBIs. And, best of all, his travel team won the championship.

In God's usual sense of humor, I didn't get a chance to video tape any of the hits. I had to keep the scorebook instead. After video taping four months of failures I couldn't capture his success on video. God can be funny that way.

After the game the team headed up to a local restaurant to celebrate. We were all so proud of our players for their efforts and improvements. The manager of the team thought that my son, for his age and weight, could not have hit that ball to left field any farther.

I knew that we were playing on very large fields... fields substantially larger than our Little League fields. I asked them how far they thought he hit the ball. They guessed at somewhere between 250 - 275 feet. To put that in perspective, our Little League fields are 200 ft.

He had hit a monster shot.

On the drive home my son and I discussed the day. He talked about praying, relying on the Lord's Will and trusting in him.

I asked my son, "what did you hope would have been the best thing you could have done today in the batters box?" He thought about it for a minute and replied, "One really good hit. That's all. A single. Just not striking out." "Me too," I agreed.

I smiled and realized that if we had relied on the narrow focus of our Will, the most we had hoped for was a single. When we put our goals in God's hands, with his Will, my son was able to achieve things far greater than we could have imagined.

It was a good lesson for my son. A reaffirmation of his faith.

God's dreams for us will take us places far more gratifying and rewarding than anything we could ever imagine on our own.

And that's a good lesson for us all.

Five Years Ago... The Box Premieres

Five years ago this week we held the premiere of our DV feature The Box at the Clearwater Cinema Cafe. The place was packed and my nerves were frayed. From shooting to editing and re-editing I had seen the end product over 100 times... but this was the first time so many people, important people in my life, were going to partake of our little cinematic experiment.

I could scarcely watch.

It was a big event for me. I had finally completed a feature film... something I had set as a goal a decade earlier. The film definitely has the scars of being an ultra low-budget flick, but it was competent and entertaining, within its own limitations. It got very positive reviews, festival play and allowed me to feel like I was finally achieving dreams I had imagined as a child.

It took a lot of people to make The Box a reality. First, I was very fortunate to have Kyme help out as Producer and single-handedly will the project to completion. She had more contacts in more places than anyone I've ever known. She was indispensable.

One of the best parts of the experience was getting to work with a the very talented cast. Samantha Grahn (Lou), John Hill (JJ), Mike Rembis (Steve) and Dan Doyle (Dante). Plus, I got to work with Brian Shea and John Snell for the first time, both of whom ended up in Club God.

I also believe it was this film that sparked the acting bug in my daughter, who has since starred in Purgatory, USA and is attending a performing arts high school. She will be far more talented than I could ever conceive being. She is a natural. I am so proud of her work.

The premiere was also the event that started the Tompkin brothers quoting lines from the film back to me every time I see them. Over and over and over again. Even to this day they greet me with the line "every drop." Funny how something conjured up in my head over a year before the premiere would make such an impact and last to this day.

I can hardly believe five years has passed already. Part of me thinks that I should have accomplished more by now and the other part of me is amazed we've been able to create Sonlight Pictures and complete Club God and Purgatory, USA within the first year of existence.

The premiere night of The Box was a special night for so many professional and personal reasons. The best of which is that I got to spend that night with my family... brothers, sisters, wife, children and my parents. There is nothing more important to me than my family.

So many things have changed since then. All for the better.

I can't imagine what the next five years will bring.

Does Obama Realize He's President?

Obama knows he won the Presidential Election. He even said so last week. "I won."

He knows he took the oath of office... twice (because they misspoke the first time).

He knows he's moved into a nice, spiffy new house painted white.

But, does he realize that he's no longer on the campaign trail and that he's actually President of the United States?

I don't think so.

Obama's reaction to the aversion of his vision of a stimulus/socialist package is a prime example of someone who doesn't know what it means to be President.

A President does not consider inviting opposing party members to a meeting equates to bipartisan support. As one Fox News analyst put it, since all of the House Republicans and 11 Democrats voted in opposition to the proposal, the only thing bipartisan is a vote AGAINST the stimulus package.

A President does not publicly call out a citizen of the country (Rush Limbaugh) and vocal critic and tell all Republicans to stop listening to him. He should be above that. He's actually intimidated by Rush Limbaugh? The President is intimidated by a talk show host? Really??? Apparently so, because now the Dems want to push the Fairness Doctrine... I'll get into that in a later entry.

A President isn't supposed to tell the American people that if you don't do what he wants it may cause us to fall into a hole we can never pull ourselves out from. How egocentric!

Look man, you're supposed to first voice your vision, then engage in a little politics, gather support from the people and then make your case.We elected you, Hussein, you should know we're willing to listen to your ideas.

But if they stink, we'll tell you it reeks. That's called Freedom of Speech. You can look it up!

Obama's reaction since ascending to the pinnacle of his very short-lived political career smacks of one thing... arrogance.

Let me give you a word of advice from one of these citizens of which you are to represent... humble yourself. You're not the smartest man on the planet. Or the country. Or in my own circle of friends.

You have a VERY important job that takes many great ideas, not just the ones you sketched out on a cafe napkin while on the campaign trail. There are a LOT of great ideas in this country that are founded on the basic freedoms of this country, including the free market.

Obama's arrogance assumes that we will do what he says and that he has the right to control what we do.

Here's a bulletin for you, Mr. President... YOU WORK FOR ME!

I, along with 300 million average citizens out here, have some ideas about your mighty government. Most of us think it's bloated, self-important, vacuous of truly new ideas and NOT representing the people of this nation. Making that pile of stench in Washington, DC even larger is not a solution!

The fact that you said that the government is the only way we can get out of this scares me a bit. When has the government (other than nation defense and infrastructure) actually solved ANYthing????

Look, Mr. O, I hope you succeed. I really do! You're my President!

But for God's sake, can you start acting like one? It's embarrassing.

America the Lost

There was a time in our country, about two generations ago, where there was a universal understanding that it was our responsibility to sacrifice, if necessary, so that the next generation would have a better life than our own.

For years I've been bemoaning on this blog about the increasing lack of understanding for the need of sacrifice. We've lost that. We've moved from "short term pain for long term gain" to a sense of entitlement.

We have lost our soul as a country. We have lost our identity.

Once, we were the hardest workers. The smartest minds. The land of great and real opportunity. The place where we were promised life, liberty and the PURSUIT of happiness.

We have now turned into the land of outsources workers, imported minds and a land of growing and expected entitlement. We have twisted the pursuit of happiness into a guaranteed, albeit lower, quality of life.

Worst of all, we, for the first time, have turned into a country where we are willing to sacrifice the quality of the future generations for the comforts of our own.

Case and point, the ominous "stimulus package."

First, you could easily argue that it's 1% stimulus and 99% other government spending, but be that as it may, the reality is this. To spend $900 billion, we have to do two things... we need to print more money and we need people to loan us the money.

Problem 1: The primary countries providing our loans are China and Russia.

Read that again. China and Russia.

China, the communist country which has mandated a family has one child and has one of the worst human rights records in the world. Russia, which is quickly returning to its Stalinist past with fewer freedoms and growing governmental control over their people. They are not democracies. They do not share our values. For the past century they have been our enemies.

Now, however, thanks to our own selfishness, these two countries, figuratively and literally, OWN US!

Problem 2: In these rough economic times, if China and Russia stop buying our money, then we'll have to borrow against ourselves. Which will raise inflation and/or interest rates. Which means, in very quick order a $900 billion debt turns into a $2 trillion debt.

We are basically taking out a massive national loan with a variable interest rate. That's the SAME approach that got us in the economic mess IN THE FIRST PLACE!

Sadly, these two problems are not the biggest issue at hand. No, the worst of it is this... we have become so selfish, so adverse to sacrifice, that we are willing to borrow our children, grand children and great-grand children's future. We are willing take out of their mouths, their wallets, and their quality of life to prop up our own padded lifestyle.

America the Great is quickly turning into America the Lost.

What will America look like when Russia and China demand we pay them back? What influence will that afford them in our policies, in our trade agreements, in our ability to defend ourselves?

What will America look like when our government is unable to provide quality anything to our great grandchildren because they're still paying down the debt we gave them so we could keep our two cars, our large homes, our 400 channels of cable, our broadband internet, our meals out, etc.?

Fortunately, I will not be around to see it.

When America falls or is morphed into something unrecognizable, it will not be by some great military attack. Instead, like the Grand Canyon, it will be because of the slow and steady erosion of morals and principles to the bedrock of this nation.

America will die from within because our generation, soon to be known as the Selfish Generation, was the first to think of themselves before their children.

PUSA - Ep 5 Almost Done

After a break recovering from burnout, we're back into finishing up PUSA Episode 5. We've added some screenshots over at the Sonlight Pictures Blog.

Old Pics

Thanks to Lise Staley, one of my many relatives, she posted some pics from my grandparents 50th Wedding Anniversary from back in 1971.

You can see all of the pics here, but here are some of the highlights...


It's nice to have a few more pics of me from my childhood... there are so few.

Thanks Lise!

An Inconvenient Debt

This is a little disturbing.

The Commercial NBC Doesn't Want You To See

NBC would not allow this following pro-life commercial made by CatholicVote.com to be seen during the Superbowl. It's not offensive, it's uplifting.

Oh, wait, it's pro-life.

What has this country come to when something promoting life becomes a bad thing? The world is officially upside down.

Here's the commercial. Check it out.

SISS Vol 3 Available

For those collectors of all books rare, pick up your limited copy of Surviving in Safety Harbor, Volume 3 which covers from June to December of 2006.

Mom, I'll have your copy when you return on Monday.

I Thought We Were Passed This...

No matter what your political affiliation, the election of Barack Obama was a massively historic event. It showed the racial maturity of our nation.

A nation that had once enslaved blacks and denied them their constitutional rights for 100 years has, within just over 40 years of Martin Luther King, Jr., elected a black man as President of the United States.

And it's about time.

Perhaps such an event would allow the long term racial healing process to come to a conclusion. Perhaps we could now move beyond race as a divider and, instead, look at it as secondary to our role as common citizens of this wonderful country.

Such a wonderful opportunity for healing, for unity, for growth as a country.

Then why o' why would Obama's economic adviser Robert Reich state that funds of the government should exclude "white construction workers?"

Why make such a statement? Why bring race back into the conversation?

Why????

Aren't white construction workers taxpayers? Aren't they ponying up their portion of the Democratic socialist "stimulus" package?

Are you saying, Mr. Reich, that some American taxpayers are unworthy of government assistance purely because of their race?

Really?

And you work for who?

Reverse discrimination is still discrimination. Reverse disenfranchismentment is still disenfranchisement. Reverse bigotry is still bigotry. Reverse racism is still racism.

Perhaps our nation hasn't matured, but simply changed the direction of its ignorance.

The Power of Editing

A recent scientific study has proven that artful film editing can have a potent effect on your brain. In a study by NYU neuroscientists, they studied the effect of different editing styles on your brain through MRI, fMRI and ISC analysis.

The subjects were shown various editing styles (Hitchcock Presents Bang! You're Dead, The Good The Bad and the Ugly, Curb Your Enthusiasm and unstructured reality footage).

It turns out Hitchcock's cinematic editing style had, by far, the most impact on the brain, effecting 65% of the neocortex.

It just goes to show you that good editing really does work.

In reaction to the study, a filmmaker recut Toy Story 2 to match the Dark Knight editing style and made a brilliant alternate version of the Toy Story 2 film.

Check it out. Regular def below. High def here.

Faith as Culture

American Christians have gotten lazy. Lazy about their faith.

This country was founded on Judeo-Christian beliefs and generations of Christians have followed suit. The problem now is that we've allowed our faith to become our culture.

Why is this a problem?

Cultures change. Faith should not.

An American bishop recently said Catholics should stop treating their faith as a family tradition and, instead, treat it as a belief system. The same could be said for all of the other Christian denominations.

The cultural revolution in the 60's is a prime example of how quickly our societal beliefs can change. The sexual revolution has led to a dramatic increase in unwanted pregnancies, divorce, single parenthood, broken homes, birth control, sexually transmitted diseases and a massive influx of fatherless prisoners in our penal system.

Our faith's beliefs should remain solid, etched in hard stone, immovable, at the core of our very being.

When we allow Christianity to become our culture, it is up for grabs, to be pulled and pushed and swayed and redefined by whoever is in power.

Our faith should remain founded on eternal truths defined by the Creator that never change, no matter the political party, the economic situation or whatever perverse cravings whet the appetites of the day.

We need to reclaim Christianity as our faith and leave the cultural changes where they belong, in the public square and out of our churches.

I'm tired...

I'm tired of arrogance fueled by ignorance.

I'm tired of self-righteousness stoked by insecurity.

I'm tired of the self-serving masquerading as the self-less.

I'm tired of the ill-informed demanding changes from the well-informed.

I'm tired of hypocrisy and stupidity and lunacy.

I'm tired... of being tired.