Freaky

Have you ever seen something just at a glance and it looked like something else?

I just saw Obama/Biden at a glance and it looked like Osama Bin Laden.

Yikes!

Quote Of The Day

The days are long, but the years are short.

- Deborah @ Thoughts Along The Way

Want Some Salt With That Crow, Dr. D?

Dr. Dobson has finally come to his senses. About a year ago he said in no uncertain terms that he would rather stay home than vote for John McCain. He has changed his mind. You may recall that I showed the folly of his statement and predicted that this day would come. Well, it has.

In an interview with Dennis Prager, Dobson said:

Well, you know I did a radio program about a month ago with Dr. Albert Mohler, and we talked about what was at stake in this election and our concerns about the policies that Barack Obama would implement. The more I hear the more I learn, the more concerned I am, and so on that program Dr. Mohler and I talked about the fact that John McCain is not the perfect candidate. He’s certainly would not be my choice and, for over a year, I did not feel that I could vote for him. But I said in that radio program that “I can’t say it now”—which was then, because I didn’t know who his vice presidential choice would be, and he if would come up with Lieberman or Tom Ridge or somebody like that, we’d be back in a hole again. But I said for the first time “I might, I might.” And some people call that a flip-flop. If they do, so be it. Campaigns are long. You get information. You find out what the choices are. So I’ve been moving in John McCain’s direction....

...I can tell you that if I had to go into the studio, I mean the voting booth today, I would pull that lever....

...You know, Dennis, the things that concern me about John McCain are still there. I made those comments not just based on emotions, but based on his record and some of the things that took place—embryonic stem cell research, and other things, the campaign finance, and other things. Those are still there. So, there’s still concerns. But I tell you, when I look at the choices that are ahead and what the implications are for this country, and now especially with this selection, with just an outstanding V.P. candidate as a running mate, I tell you what I am relieved and very excited.

So there you have it: Dr. James Dobson has all but endorsed the McCain/Palin ticket for President.

Perhaps Dr. Dobson should leave the emotions completely out of his commenting. That way he wouldn't have to eat his words. It simply wasn't logical or wise to make the statements that he did earlier, knowing who was running on the Democratic side. Even Rudy Giuliani (as liberal as he is) would have been a better choice than either Hillary Clinton or Barack Obama. I hope that he will exercise more wisdom in the future.

John McCain Is A Genius

OK. I'm convinced. John McCain is a genius.

I'll admit that I was a little concerned about his maverick streak when he was picking his running mate. I thought that he may pick someone like Lieberman or Ridge. But when he promised that he was going to hold true to the convictions that he has about the right to life and the protection of the unborn I began to feel much better about things.

I guess that is the problem with a maverick. They aren't status quo. They do things that don't always make the most sense politically. When you don't know the person and their character it can make things a bit nerve-wracking. My fear about John McCain came from my underestimation of his political savvy and intelligence. I couldn't have been more wrong to fear.

John McCain's selection of Governor Sarah Palin as his running mate shows that he has effectively sized up his competition, identified its weaknesses, and recognized the strengths and weaknesses of his own campaign. Sarah Palin is a great answer to all of these things.

Is John McCain too old? Sarah Palin is young. Is McCain eloquent? Not so much, but I think that you will agree that Sarah is. Does Obama have a record of reform? No, but Governor Palin does; something that compliments McCain's platform to bring reform to the government in Washington. And she has as much experience in government as Obama - actually more executive experience.

Obama is weak militarily. Palin has a son getting ready to deploy to Iraq. Obama has a bunch of shady characters in his path to the Presidential nomination, whereas Palin has stood up to shady characters. Obama doesn't want the nation to avail itself of domestic energy resources. Sarah Palin's government in Alaska has already taken steps to help make it easier to utilize those resources.

Also consider the demographics that she covers. She's pro-life, and to her it is more than words. When faced with the knowledge that one of her children had a birth defect, she decided to keep the child no matter what. In fact, there wasn't even a question. She gives the women disappointed with the outcome of the Clinton campaign a choice. Her parents were educators, so she has an insider's perspective on the problems in the education system. And both she and her husband have been union members. She hunts and fishes. She's a member of the NRA. I wonder if she has a sister?

I don't know what John McCain's grade was when he got out of the Navy, but he would have made a fine Admiral. He has completely flanked the Obama campaign and delivered a broadside that has made this a race worth watching. Hopefully the Republican convention this week will provide a Midway style decimation for the Obama camp that will prove the handwriting on the wall for the Democrats as surely as that battle did for the Japanese in World War II.

Obama says McCain doesn't know who he is messing with? No, Barack, I think John McCain knows EXACTLY who he is dealing with, and I think that your hubris has caused you to underestimate your opponent, hopefully resulting in your defeat in November.

Another Favorite Place

Do you know where this is? It is another one of my favorite places.

Perhaps this one will help?

Or this one?

How about now?

Last one.
You can barely see all of the previous ones in this picture.

Kudos to anyone who can get the city right.
Extras to anyone who can name each of the landmarks!
(Those who are clever will find a very easy way to cheat!)

Cool Space Stuff

There's some cool stuff up in space. Way cool.

An Excellent Article About the War Against Abortion

Protecting The Unborn: A Step-By-Step Approach
By Nathan Tabor

A very informative and well-written article on a strategy to protect the unborn.

On The Money

Democrats have worked hard to bring more religious voters into their fold. As part of their strategy they have promoted a dubious and debatable doctrine that big government should be doing the work of God on Earth. But Democrats want to pick and choose what they like about God and what they don't (Republicans sometimes do this as well in such matters as wealth and materialism).

While government has a role in addressing certain issues that can be considered biblically-based (such as justice and poverty), Democrats see no role for government in helping to restrict sinful man when he wishes to kill the unborn, or allow - even promote - any and every relationship but traditional marriage.

It is in its failure to address these premier moral issues that the Democratic Party has unmasked itself as a party that cares less for God's agenda and more for its own, as it pursues the White House.

- Cal Thomas (excerpt from 'Losing Faith Voters')

Cal is so right on this one. The big problem is that the Democrats don't understand Evangelical Christians. They think that if they try to pretend to be more religious that Evangelicals will buy in and vote for the Obamessiah.

The problem is that Evangelicals cannot support the positions that the Democratic party has taken on life and moral issues. Evangelicals are overwhelmingly pro-life, and this is a make or break issue with most of them. Evangelicals are also overwhelmingly in support of the defense of a biblical definition of marriage - also a make or break issue.

In its stance on both of these issues the Democratic party has shown its true colors in regards to its so-called deep religious conviction. The conviction may be religious, but it isn't Christian, and Evangelicals know the difference.

(If you would like to see who ought to be "doing the work of God on Earth" check out this new post over at Conspiracy of Kindness.)

A Presidential Quote

For every generation, there is a destiny. For some, history decides. For this generation, the choice must be our own.

... The next man to stand here will look out on a scene different from our own, because ours is a time of change-- rapid and fantastic change bearing the secrets of nature, multiplying the nations, placing in uncertain hands new weapons for mastery and destruction, shaking old values, and uprooting old ways.

Our destiny in the midst of change will rest on the unchanged character of our people, and on their faith....

If we fail now then we will have forgotten in abundance what we learned in hardship: that democracy rests on faith, that freedom asks more than it gives, and the judgment of God is harshest on those who are most favored.

If we succeed it will not be because of what we have, but it will be because of what we are; not because of what we own, but rather because of what we believe.

- President Lyndon B. Johnson (from his inaugural address, January 20, 1965)

When you read the entire speech it is not clear if President Johnson was speaking more of faith in God or faith in the American people and their ability. There is no doubt though that he was right about that being a time of "shaking old values" and "uprooting old ways." America hasn't been the same since, and it has been for the worse. Today we are in a similar season. How will we respond? Will we, like the foolish woman spoken of in the Proverb continue to tear down our house with our own hands? I pray that not be the case.

Perhaps The Truth Hurts?

I can certainly understand why Barack Obama doesn't want this ad to air. I am staggered though that he would dare to try to use the legal system to illegally go after one of the donors that helped to sponsor the ad. I guess it is a good thing that he doesn't have control of a gulag.

In the meantime what does this say about Obama's attitude towards the rule of law and the provisions of the US Constitution? What does it say about his attitude towards frivolous lawsuits?

Also what does it say about Obama's toughness? Did he honestly think that his weaknesses would not be brought to light in a national presidential campaign? Can he not take a little heat? Would he be able to weather the blistering attack that has been leveled against President Bush? I seriously doubt it if he is whining about this ad.

Finally, what does this ad (in conjunction with his former association with the Reverend Jeremiah Wright) say about Obama's ability to judge character and choose friends?

These are all very serious questions that should be raised again and again.

Well Said, Peggy!

As to the question when human life begins, the answer to which is above Mr. Obama's pay grade, oh, let's go on a little tear. You know why they call it birth control? Because it's meant to stop a birth from happening nine months later. We know when life begins. Everyone who ever bought a pack of condoms knows when life begins.

- Peggy Noonan

BRAVO! Couldn't have said it any better myself.

Peggy went on to write this about John McCain:

I still think a one-term pledge could win it for him, because it would allow America to punt. It would make the 2008 choice seem less fateful. People don't mind the chance to defer a choice when they're not at all sure about the product. It would give bitter Democrats a chance to regroup, and it would give those who like Obama but consider him a little half-baked to vote against him guiltlessly while he becomes fully baked. (Imagine the Q&A when Sen. Obama announces his second presidential run in 2011: "Well, Brian, I think, looking back, there is something to be said for the idea that I will be a better president now than frankly I would have been four years ago. Experience, if you allow it, is still the best of all teachers.") More, it would allow Mr. McCain to say he means to face the tough problems ahead with a uniquely bipartisan attitude and without having to care a fig for re-election. That itself would give him a new power, one that would make up for the lost juice of lame duckdom. It would also serve to separate him from the hyperpolitical operating styles of the Clinton-Bush years, from the constant campaign.

And Mr. McCain would still have what he always wanted, the presidency, perhaps a serious and respectable one that accrued special respect because it involved some sacrifice on his part.

A move that would help him win doubtful voters, win disaffected Democrats, allow some Republicans to not have to get drunk to vote for him, and that could possibly yield real results for his country. This seems to me such a potentially electrifying idea that he'd likely walk out of his convention as the future president.

I think she may be on to something there. It's unorthodox. It's maverick. It's genius.

One Of My Favorite Places In The Whole World

Do you know where this is?

Work Was Accomplished

Well, in spite of my procrastination for a good chunk of the day work was accomplished. I managed to mow the parts of my yard that really needed it, conversed with several friends, surveyed my new planting with Dad to figure out where we needed to put the soaker hoses and to figure out how many needed patching, picked the tomatoes, picked the bell peppers, picked the lima beans, picked a handful of purplehulls that got missed last night, shelled them, shelled and washed the lima beans, vacuum sealed some frozen okra, canned some purplehulls and some green beans, and watched the Panthers whup up on the Redskins. (We'll see if it was a fluke when they play in Pittsburgh Thursday night.) I did get some help with the shelling and canning from Mom and Dad for which I am most grateful. All in all in spite of a slow start it was a pretty productive day.

Me And Bob

Bob the Tomato stopped in to visit me. I didn't want to get an autograph because I thought, "Why do I need an autograph? I know the guy!" Here's the proof! Besides, he hasn't got any hands.

In The Ground

I managed to get everything planted yesterday. I planted collard greens, curly leaf mustard greens, purple top turnips, rutabagas, spinach, late flat dutch cabbage, stonehead cabbage, savoy cabbage, and sugar pumpkins.

It was a pretty busy day. In addition to buying my plants and seed, I prepared the bed for the greens and rutabagas, tilled a section of the garden, sorted through some rocks, and picked my purplehull peas.

I got my supplies at Goodman Farm Supply here in China Grove. I love that place. It smells and looks like an old timey farm store. It reminds me of O. O. Rufty's in Salisbury before they sold to Okey Dokey except they don't have the old fashioned drink coolers and they don't have as much assorted junk as Rufty's had. The best thing is that they guys who run the store are farmers, and they can give you great advice. I went in there a couple years ago to buy some stuff for my lawn, and the owner kept me from buying and putting the wrong thing out. He told me how to take care of the lawn and his advice really worked. I'm sure I wouldn't have gotten that kind of service or advice from Lowe's or Wal-Mart. They would have sold me what I asked for, and I would have wasted money destroying my lawn.

The store didn't have any onions yet. He had carried some last year, but his customers didn't have good results. He thinks that they may have gotten them in a little too early last year. He is working with his plant supplier to figure out the best time for the onion plants to be set out for the fall.

I have a good bit to do in the garden today. I need to pick my lima beans and I need to get the irrigation system fixed. I also have green beans and okra that need to be processed. I also need to mow at least part of my yard.

So why am I writing a blog post? Because I am procrastinating. I'm not proud of it, but it is what it is.

This coming week I will be processing tomatoes. I plan to make salsa! Should be fun. I'll keep you up-to-date.

Your Tax Dollars At Work

Oh the wonders of our government at work!

The demise of touch-screen voting has produced a graveyard of expensive corpses: Warehouses stacked with thousands of carefully wrapped voting machines that have been shelved because of doubts about vanishing votes and vulnerability to hackers.

...It wasn't supposed to be this way. After the disputed 2000 presidential recount, Congress provided more than $3 billion to replace punch card and lever-operated machines. State officials across the country said the new systems would eliminate human error and political tampering.

But problems with the machines soon followed: vanishing votes, breakdowns, malfunctions and increasing evidence that the devices were vulnerable to hackers.

If you would like to know some of the other nuances of this issue you should read the article.

Why is it that nobody ever thinks a thing through? You are never going to eliminate voter error, because you can't make something foolproof. Fools are FAR too creative (and numerous) for that! And you are never going to eliminate voter fraud through static means. Cheaters are also terribly creative.

Quote Of The Day

"Washington is full of talented talkers. The bottom line is that Sen. Obama's words, for all their eloquence and passion, don't mean all that much."
- Senator John McCain

A Good Day

I had a fine day yesterday. I got to drive a tractor - in my garden. I disked up the area where my corn, peas, and squash were to get it ready for new planting which I hope to do tomorrow.

Let me just tell you it is a fine day when you get to drive a tractor. It is TONS more fun than sitting at a boring old computer all day!

Georgian Update

From an article today:

A draft ceasefire (UN) Security Council resolution circulated by France on Tuesday was almost immediately dismissed by Russian ambassador Vitaly Churkin. Churkin's dismissal and veto threat sent Council diplomats back to the drawing board while Moscow continued to solidify its hold on the occupied regions of Abkhazia and South Ossetia.

The latest Russian troop movements also come as an emergency meeting of NATO in Brussels on Tuesday produced no substantive course of action. Russian television reported from Brussels that the Atlantic alliance had become deeply divided on how to handle the Georgian standoff.

What has to be decided is whether the world is willing to cede all of the former Soviet states back to Russia or not. This situation will not be solved with talk. While everyone is talking Russian tanks keep wreaking havoc throughout Georgia.

Mark my words: if no military action (or serious threat of action) is taken against Russia's invasion of Georgia this will happen again. The window of opportunity to stop Russia is growing smaller by the day.

In a perfect world there would be no war. In case you haven't noticed though - this isn't a perfect world.

Iranian Concern

In a news article that I just read I discovered that Iran is claiming to be able to launch satellites into space for its friendly muslim neighbors.

Iran said on Monday it was ready to help fellow Muslim states launch satellites into orbit after it successfully put a dummy satellite into orbit -- a move that may increase Western suspicions over its atomic ambitions.

Iran said on Sunday it had put the home-grown dummy satellite into orbit on a domestically made rocket for the first time. The long-range ballistic technology used to put satellites into space can also be used for launching weapons.

No need to worry, though. Iran has no intention of doing that. Nooooooooo.

Now I wonder where a backwards-thinking country like Iran managed to get such technology? The list of possibilities is pretty short.

Western experts say Iran rarely provides enough details for them to determine the extent of its technological advances, but that much Iranian technology consists of modifications of equipment supplied by China, North Korea and other countries.

I am so hoping that I don't have a reason to say, "I told you so."

UPDATE: August 20, 2008

Apparently the Iranian launch was more of a lurch.

Russia Is Lost

It would seem that Russia has lost its way back out of Georgia. In spite of announcements that they were withdrawing today, Georgia can't seem to find any evidence that it is taking place.

That is most likely because it isn't.

US Secretary of State, Condoleezza Rice has ratcheted up the rhetoric to a pretty shrill level, but so far it doesn't seem to be having any effect at all.

Here's something that might work.

First send in a squadron of these:



Once they have established air superiority and control send in a squadron of these:



My guess is that the Russians will quickly remember the way back out of Georgia. Condi wouldn't even have to raise her voice. And of course after the Warthogs show up she might casually mention that if there is not a complete withdrawal of the vehicles and troops that can still move within 24 hours that there will be a division of these put on the ground:



But I doubt that it would ever get that far.

Amazing Miracle!

In Galilee an infant born prematurely was declared dead and placed in the morgue. Five hours later the mother asked to see her baby one more time and was shocked to find that the child was alive and breathing! According to the article:

"When we unwrapped the baby to see her, she realized it was moving. I began screaming and ran with it toward the doctors," he (the father) said.

She was then rushed to the neonatal intensive care unit,
where doctors are fighting for her life.

"I was in shock," the mother told Channel 2 last night. "I thought I wasn't hearing it right when they said she was still alive."

Dr. Moshe Daniel, the hospital's deputy director, said that in his 35 years as a physician, he had "never heard of such a case. It was like a medical miracle."

Like a medical miracle? Moshe! Come one, man. Get a little faith! For crying out loud, you are named after Moses! Let's not qualify, OK? Number one it isn't like a medical miracle. It IS a miracle. And two, there is no need to qualify it as a "medical miracle." Medicine had nothing to do with it. Even if there was gross negligence on the attending physician's part, a baby that was mostly dead isn't likely to have survived 5 hours in a morgue refrigerator.

Chalk this one up to God.

Garden FYI

I got to do a little work in the garden this afternoon. I picked the okra and tomatoes and also sprayed and fertilized everything.

Sadly the garden doesn't look as pretty as it did about a month and a half ago. The section where the peas were has grown up and needs to be re-tilled. The squash is looking pretty awful, and the corn is cut down. Tomorrow I hope to have time to get the corn stalks up and mow the weeds down in the unused section and till it up in preparation for re-planting.

I'm still not sure what I will be planting. I am pretty sure that I'd like to do rutabagas, turnips, collards, and mustard greens. I'd also like to do cabbage, onions, and pumpkins. I think that I need to try to target getting everything planted by Thursday to take advantage of the potential rain from tropical storm Fay.

Tonight it was just the guys in the kitchen. Dad and I canned seven Classico ® jars of tomatoes and three Classico ® jars of tomato juice. (Classico ® jars only hold 28 oz. as opposed to a quart at 32 oz.) The tomatoes have really started to come on strong here towards the end of the season.

I spared one of the tomatoes from the can. It was the biggest one I have gotten so far and it was just too nice to put in a jar. It is easily big enough to make a tomato sandwich with just one slice of tomato. I will try to get a picture of it and post it here soon. I think that it will probably be the biggest that we will get this year, but who knows? With the fertilizer and the (hopefully) coming tropical storm it is very possible that we'll get a couple other whoppers before everything is said and done.

I'm not sure about picking the purplehulls. There are a few that need it, but I may hold off until Wednesday before I pick them again. They seem to be slowing down some. I don't see as many blooms on the plants as I was seeing.

The okra has slowed down a little bit too, but I think that it will pick back up with the fertilizer that I put out today. My okra is so tall. As you saw in the "Welcome To The Jungle" post most of it is at least as tall as I am. Actually, most of it is taller than I am. I have one stalk that is about 12 feet tall. I had no idea okra could even get that tall.

Sadly, the cantaloupe is also slowing down too. Hopefully the fertilizer that I put out will inspire a few more to grow to their potential. I am also looking to see if the bell peppers will continue to grow.

Dad got one of those pull-behind (the lawn tractor) sprayers. Man, that beats using one of those old-fashioned Hudson sprayers. Not only do you not have to lug around 3 gallons of pesticide, you also don't have to pump it up or refill. This tank can hold 40 gallons of solution. MUCH easier and MUCH faster.

Well, I suppose that is all for now. I'd better get some sleep if I am going to get half of what I need to done tomorrow.

Quotes Of The Day

Go back to the day when Michelle (Obama) first told him (Barack) that she was pregnant with their first daughter. Was his daughter alive? If someone had desired to injure his baby girl while developing in his wife's body would he have "misunderstood" as to whether it would have been morally wrong? How deep would his anger have been if someone had robbed him of the relationship with his little girl?

And yet this flail speaks to his fundamental misunderstanding of morality and whether or not his moral judgment could be trusted as the most powerful man on earth.

- Kevin McCullough

Republicans have spent the last few weeks pleasantly surprised at the closeness of the presidential race. But they have generally chalked this up to Obama's weakness, not McCain's strength. After Saturday night, even Republicans most skeptical of McCain must conclude: "Perhaps we aren't doomed after all."

Of such small hopes are large upsets made.

- Michael Gerson

Anyone Catch The Perseid Meteor Shower?

So, did you catch the Perseid Meteor Shower last week? I stayed out from about 12 midnight to about 1:15, and I was pretty unimpressed. (Especially compared to the Leonid Meteor Shower that I watched a few years ago.) I think that at the "peak" I saw two simultaneous meteors streak across the sky and probably didn't see more than a dozen in the entire time I was watching. In fact, I doubt I saw that many. I think my eyes were playing tricks on me, but I'll give them the benefit of the doubt and say that perhaps the meteors were so small that they were hard to see...

At least it was a very pleasant night to be out - unlike the Leonid shower that I watched when the temperature early that morning was somewhere between brass bra and well-digger's butt cold.

I know. Gripe, gripe, gripe!

Cutsie Answers Are Not Befitting A Presidential Candidate

The weasel of the day award goes to Barack Obama. (I know you are terribly surprised.)

In today's Q & A session with Rick Warren the presumptive Democratic presidential nominee "side-stepped a pointed query about abortion on Saturday by 'mega-pastor' Rick Warren during a televised forum.

Asked at what point a baby gets 'human rights,' Obama, who strongly supports abortion rights, said: '… whether you’re looking at it from a theological perspective or a scientific perspective, answering that question with specificity … is above my pay grade.'"

'Above my pay grade?' What kind of cutsie answer is that? Are we supposed to think that Barack is appealing to a higher authority in this case? Which higher authority? Obviously he isn't referring to God or he would already know that what he went on to say was way outside of the bounds.

"He went on to reiterate his view that it was important to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies."

Really? Says whom? Which authority has ordained that it is important to reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies?

You can't have it both ways. You can't decide that there are too many unwanted babies and not know when those babies deserve human rights. Apparently Obama doesn't think that the decision that there are too many unwanted babies is 'above his pay grade.' What a jerk. (I'm working really hard to keep this rated G.)

Too bad he didn't answer the question in the way that his voting record would answer it for him. But of course he couldn't without looking like a complete monster. Not only does Barack Obama not believe that human rights begin for a baby in the womb, he also doesn't believe that they extend to babies born alive in botched abortions. He prevented the passage of the Born Alive Infants Protection Bill in the Indiana Senate. Perhaps he wanted to avoid this issue in general by supporting partial-birth abortions too?

I guess he is pretty lucky that his momma wanted him enough to keep him. But wait, she didn't have a choice - Roe versus Wade hadn't been inflicted upon the unborn in our nation when this "great moral champion" was born. Lucky him. There are over 45 million babies who didn't get that chance.

I love what Jill Stanek had to say about Obama's attitude toward abortion:

Obama stated pro-life proposals must be "amenable to reason."

OK, Sen. Obama, let's reason. Explain why you support abortion for whatever rationale, at whatever gestation, by whatever means. Explain why you support infanticide, if banning it might interfere with abortion.

Then, since you brought it up, explain how, despite all that, you think Jesus should vote for you, either now or in the hereafter, particularly given His statement, "It would be better to be thrown into the sea with a large millstone tied around the neck than to face the punishment in store for harming one of these little ones."

In the classic words from Bill Cosby's Noah routine, "How long can you tread water?"

The foil to this 'comic' man who would be king that we have in Obama is found in his opponent John McCain.

When he was posed the same question he didn't pussyfoot around.

"He said a baby’s human rights began 'at the moment of conception … I have a 25-year pro-life record.'" You don't need a higher pay grade to answer the question. It has already been answered. You just need to read the manual. (Perhaps if Obama did read the manual a little more often he also wouldn't have such heretical universalist notions about salvation?)

Oddly, I see a pattern developing. When asked a question of vital national importance, Obama likes to dance around giving "nuanced" answers that hide his true agenda, while McCain gives a concrete answer that lets you know exactly where he is coming from. When faced with a global situation that affects US security, Obama gives a politically correct admonition for both sides to be nice while McCain cuts to the chase and denounces the aggressor and talks about the possible consequences that these actions will bring upon the aggressor.

Obama is playing President. We need someone who can be President. In the classic words from my state's motto, "esse quam videri", 'To be and not to seem.' Our world is too dangerous for people playing a game - and Obama's cute answer today just shows that he doesn't get it.

I Love It!

According to an article I just read:

Sen. John McCain has so much spare cash on hand -- he collected a record $27 million in July -- that the Republican candidate plans to run campaign ads during the networks' coverage of the Democratic National Convention later this month.

I love it!

Russia Is Making This Easy

Sorry to inundate you with Russia posts today but it is looming pretty heavily in the news right now.

Another news article today contained the following:

Moscow lashed out at Washington and Warsaw on Friday, saying the plan to site a US anti-missile defence shield in Poland would undermine the global balance of power and put Poland at risk of nuclear attack.

...The US claims the shield in Poland, as well as a radar tracking base to be located in the Czech Republic, is designed to defend against “rogue states” such as Iran.

The timing of this week’s agreement, as relations between Russia and the US deteriorated over the Georgia crisis, has strengthened Moscow’s conviction that the move is anti-Russian.

We have a saying around here that the hit dog is the one that yelps. If Russia didn't have plans for aggression then why would Poland be put at risk of nuclear attack? Not a very heavily veiled threat on the Kremlin's part.

Russia has been scared about this missile shield since President Reagan brought it up over 20 years ago. Good! As long as they are a little afraid then it will make a fine lever to use against them.

A Contrast

Regarding the situation in Georgia:

John McCain has taken a strong stand from the start. His statement, "We are all Georgians," echoes John F. Kennedy's "Ich bin ein Berliner." Barack Obama, after a weak opening statement, has also condemned the Russian actions. But his own speech before the Prussian Victory Column in Berlin showed an incomplete appreciation of history.
- Michael Barone

I have been writing today about the great danger that faces our nation. Which would you rather have: someone who can't make up his mind about what he should do or someone who can make a quick, decisive statement and stick by it? Ask Vlad how far niceness and political correctness will get you.

As weird as it is to admit it, Hillary Clinton would have handled this situation better than Barack Obama did.

Another Good Quote On The Georgia Situation

In another very good article on the subject of the Russian invasion of Georgia Rich Tucker wrote:

Instead of answering force with force, Germany’s leader responded to Russia’s attack with meetings and words. “We very much want the six-point plan to be implemented very promptly so that Russian troops are no longer in Georgia, outside Abkhazia and South Ossetia,” Chancellor Angela Merkel announced after meeting the Russian president.

All well and good. But that’s not what the Russians want, and they’re the ones driving tanks and holding guns.

The West is going to learn a difficult lesson in the years ahead: People with hard power don’t respect soft power.

...Soft power is a smokescreen that countries with no power deploy. Russia’s military has created a gentle breeze that’s blowing the smokescreen away. It’s not too late for America’s NATO allies to wake up and rearm. But they need to wake up and move quickly.

-Rich Tucker

I sure hope we wake up. The doves won't win the day. I'm afraid that it is the season of the hawk.

More On Putin

Bill O'Reilly wrote the following in a recent editorial:

Realizing that the Bush administration cannot handle another armed conflict right now, Putin decided to show the world that he could punish America's friend, Georgia, without a meaningful response. He has succeeded in doing that.

Down the road, either John McCain or Barack Obama will have to deal with Vlad the Assailer. This dour, brutal man senses weakness in both America and Europe, weakness that will drive him to become bolder. The only thing a guy like Vlad understands is the stick.

But how to wield it is the question. As with Iran, diplomacy is not likely to deter Putin because Europe needs Russia's natural gas and oil and is not likely to challenge Russia by supporting sanctions. So it will come down to the United States vs. Russia, mano a mano.

Putin is one tough customer. It will be interesting to see whether the United States will elect a leader who can effectively neutralize him. If that does not happen, old Vlad, like Dracula, will commit scourge on the countryside.

- Bill O'Reilly

Back in October 2007 I wrote a post that talked about what I see as a growing threat to American security. It highlighted apparent ties between China, Venezuela, Russia, Cuba, North Korea, and Iran. I thoroughly believe that the action that we see in Georgia right now is the beginning of the unfolding of the dreadful scenario that I laid out in that post.

Vladamir Putin has grown bolder and bolder since he took office. He has established Naziesque Russian youth organizations. He has now begun the process of imperial expansion to regain the countries of the former Soviet bloc.

Putin has taken a calculated risk with his invasion of Georgia. He believed that the US would not, indeed could not, retaliate or help because we could not risk an all-out war with Russia. I fear our response - or the weakness of that response will bear much bad fruit.

China likewise has a similar "Hitler Youth" type of program. It has also been doing much saber rattling in its region - especially towards Taiwan. I believe that the response of the US in the Georgian invasion will invite a similar invasion of Taiwan.

Here is the way I think that things will play themselves out. If the US does nothing then we will see additional 'Anschlusses.' If the US responds militarily to any of these attacks, I believe that we will see simultaneous attacks on territory by Russia, China, Iran, Venezuela, and North Korea.

I think that it would be possible for the US to make a limited stand against Russia right now. China is in the middle of the Olympics and doesn't want global favor turned away. That would make a response much safer, but I fear that we are quickly finding ourselves in a Catch-22.

Our window of opportunity is extremely small. The longer we wait to curb Putin, the less we will be able to do so. Great Britain had an opportunity to stop Hitler early on, but they missed their chance, and thousands upon thousands paid for that mistake with their lives.

The US had best develop some very strong allies quickly.

When I was a kid in the middle of the Cold War, our greatest fear was mutually-assured nuclear annihilation. In our current world, the stakes are just as high. We risk military defeat like we never have since the war of 1812. It's a dangerous world we live in. I pray to God that our next President has the grit to lead our country in such a perilous time.

God Is Patient

Each year I attempt to read through the Bible using the One Year Bible. I generally switch translation from year to year to get a different flavor and perhaps increase my understanding of the scripture by reading it from a different translator's perspective.

This year I have been using the New Living Translation, and while I have found it to be very readable, I have also noticed in a number of places that the translators took quite a bit of license with the text. This has soured me somewhat on the translation, but there are still moments where I find that the translation was quite well turned.

One example came up recently as I have been reading through Romans. I really like the way that they rendered verse 4 of chapter 2.

Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?
Romans 2:4 NLT

As I read this familiar verse in this translation, I began to see why it is that the wicked often seem to go unpunished in this life. God is being kind, tolerant, and patient with them to give them the chance to repent.

Back shortly after I got out of college, I had a debate with a friend over a statement from another friend that I had repeated. I had quoted my friend to say "God is patient with our sin."

My other friend took exception to this and a great debate raged for several weeks over the statement. I wish that I could remember the finer points of his argument now - that has been more years ago than I care to admit - but I come back to my original position after reading this verse.

(As I continue to ponder our debate, as so often is the case in these arguments, our position was basically the same but the argument was over semantics.)

So, I declare that God is patient with our sin. But what does this really mean? Am I saying that it is OK for us to sin because God is patient? As the King James version would say, "God forbid!" That is not what I am saying at all. Am I saying that we shouldn't be concerned about our sin because God is patient? Once again, God forbid!

God is patient with our sin to give us the time to turn from it. His heart's desire is that we repent - make a 180° turn from our sin towards Him. When we do that we receive His forgiveness and the sin is wiped away.

Why would God be patient with our sin? Why would He tolerate it? I believe that one answer to that question is that God knows how dreadful His wrath and judgment are. Anyone who hasn't gotten a grip on what God's judgment would be like would do well to read Jonathan Edwards' "Sinners In The Hands Of An Angry God." As Hebrews 10:31 says, "It is a terrifying thing to fall into the hands of the living God."

Consider the physical punishment that Jesus endured for our salvation, and then make it eternal. From what I have read and heard even that doesn't come close to the torment that those in hell suffer. God doesn't want anyone to be thrown into hell. That is why Jesus came, and that is why He suffered as greatly as He did. However, the scriptures clearly teach that while His offer of salvation is available to all, all will not receive salvation. Many will stubbornly continue in their rebellion against God and will receive hell as their reward.

If you read the writings of the prophets in the Bible, you will see God's patience displayed over and over again. God sent Jeremiah to the people of Judah repeatedly - right up to their destruction by Babylon - urging them to repent, knowing that they never would. The message that He gave them was that if they would repent He would forgive - even though their sins were as numerous as the grains of sand on the seashore. Such mercy is astounding to me.

(Please notice, however, that there came a time when that patience was exceeded, and judgment came.)

Many go on blithely sinning, saying, "God doesn't care" or "God doesn't see." They think that because He hasn't acted in His wrath and because He hasn't judged them as the scriptures say that He will that they are OK and that God doesn't have a problem with what they are doing. They couldn't be more wrong. The very next verse in Romans says that they are "storing up wrath for themselves."

Some, whose conscience hasn't been completely seared attempt to justify their sin through partial obedience. I am reminded of the kingdom of Israel after they rebelled against David's dynasty. King Jeroboam built two idols and declared that the people would worship before them instead of returning to Jerusalem to worship at the temple.

In spite of their idolatry the people retained many elements of the law. They still tithed, they still had the festivals, they still did sacrifice. In their minds they were still following the Law, but God saw it quite differently. Their partial obedience did not bring them any favor with God, it merely set into motion the day in which He would execute vengeance on the country.

I believe for many the issue of homosexual marriage is an attempt to do the same thing. They think that if they obey the law on one hand it makes it OK to break it on the other. This is a grievous error - one, I fear, that will bring great judgment.

For those who are Christians, I believe God's patience takes a little different flavor. God knows us so well. He knows exactly why we sin the way we do. He understands the woundings of our soul that cause us to act the way we do, and He will stop at nothing to heal us. God works to heal our wounds and deliver us from our bondage to sin.

What is the correct response to our sin during this time? I think Romans 7:24-25 gives us a pretty good idea. We are to recognize our wretched state and cry out in faith to God for deliverance and mercy.

Are we to make peace with our sin? Never! We are to loathe that which is not holy in us and we should wrestle against it with every ounce of our being until the Lord delivers us from it. Easier said than done, I know. But God never said that it would be easy.

So, in the meantime, I am grateful for God's patience as I struggle with my fears, anger, and perversions, longing for the day when I will finally be healed and set free. And I am grateful for His grace that gives me victory over my flesh. I hope that you will allow God's kindness to lead you to repentance.

Evident Glory

Even when blocked by the moon, the glory of the sun cannot be completely hidden. As Christians our lives should be the same. Even in our darkest days the Lord's glory should still be evident in our lives.

Regarding Russia's Blitzkrieg In Georgia

I just read a very astute summation of the current Russian invasion of Georgia:

Want a straightforward indication of what the Russians intend? Putin's code-name for this operation is Chistoye Polye. Literally translated, that means "clean field." In military parlance, it means "scorched earth."

The empire of the czars hasn't produced such a frightening genius since Stalin.

You should read the rest of the article by Ralph Peters. I think that he hits the nail right on the head as opposed to Patrick Buchanan, who clearly did not have any background to the events leading up to Russia's invasion. Those who are surprised by this action by Russia will no doubt be surprised when China does something similar in Taiwan.

Georgia may have given Putin the excuse he needed, but the invasion was going to happen one way or the other. President Bush grossly misjudged Putin, and it would seem that Putin did not return the favor.

Quote Of The Day

...when we need desperately to take advantage of the vast stores of oil that lie beneath our feet and off our shores waiting to be exploited, we allow the Democrats to place all that petroleum off-limits as they have since the Clinton administration all but banned drilling.

They scoff at the vast majority of Americans who are demanding that we drill and drill now, using the lame excuse that it will take years before the oil here can be brought to the surface and refined and supplied to the nation’s gas pumps.

Instead they dream of presently unavailable alternative sources of energy that may never become realities, and in any case are years in the future.

Realists don’t dream. They recognize that if we start to drill now, sometime in the not too distant future -- two, three five or even ten years from now -- America will have all the oil we’ll ever need and we won’t have to worry about what Vladimir Putin or Iran’s President Ahmadinejad are doing to threaten our oil supplies.

If we listen to the dreamers ten years from now we’ll still be waiting for the promised age of alternative energy to get off the ground -- and we’ll still be dependent on foreign oil at only God knows how much per gallon.

- Michael Reagan

Sleepless In China Grove

I just hate it when I can't sleep.

For some reason I just haven't been able to fall asleep tonight. I made it to bed a little after midnight and laid there and laid there. My mind is too busy. There are too many things bothering me for sleep to rescue me I suppose. Now here it is just a little while before sunrise, and I am wide awake.

Of course the cruel part is that once the sun is up and I could be working on my massive to do list I will find that I suddenly can't keep my eyes open at all. Bloody annoying.

This is a season of great frustration for me. I won't go into too many details because I simply don't feel like being that transparent at the moment, but those who know me well are aware of many of the situations that I am facing. At the moment I just don't feel like I am handling them very well.

I guess it would be one thing if the adversity that I was experiencing right now were leading to more obvious spiritual fruit. How much more tolerable this would be if I could take joy in a great spiritual harvest of personal holiness or closeness to God! However, that does not seem to be the case. No, on the contrary I feel as if I am quite stagnant.

It would also be much better if I felt like I was gaining ground. But, alas, that also doesn't seem to be the case. I feel as if I am sliding backwards.

I could even take solace in the assurance that I have done absolutely everything humanly possible to change my situation. But an honest assessment would have to acknowledge that there is much room for improvement there too.

In short, I feel like Mike Tyson in the 11th round of his first fight with Evander Holyfield.


The gloves are coming down, and I just don't have the strength or the sense or the zeal to fight anymore. The whole world seems like it is going to hell, and I can't do a thing about it.

I know this is a dark post for me. I generally try to be a bit more optimistic. Can you imagine how bad it would have been if I had been more transparent?!

I guess most of this is the insomnia talking. I know God is still on the throne. I know He still loves me. I know that He will all eventually work it all out in the end. I am just tired of waiting to see Him move. I'm about out of juice.

Why Would Anyone Want To Be President?

As I have been watching this Presidential race unfold (albeit from a distance - I haven't had the stomach for much political nonsense this year) I have wondered aloud more than once why anyone in their right mind would want to be President right now.

Our country is deeply divided and seems likely to remain that way. We are still in the middle of a war that cannot be safely walked away from. The economy is in a very tenuous state with the dollar falling and oil soaring. Russia is trying to restart the cold war. China is flexing its muscles and seems to have an appetite for expansion. Iran is working to develop nuclear weapons. Venezuela is stirring up trouble in Central and South America and the Caribbean too.

Add to that Congress' partisan impotence, daily corruption scandals at all levels of government, utter moral decay in the culture, and a whole host of other domestic issues and you have the makings of Excedrin headache numbers 2009-2012.

The world the next President of the United States will face won't be one for wimps. I hope we choose wisely or it's gonna be a long four years.

Beauty

A lovely purplehull pea blossom.

Busted

Someone asked me the other day what I thought about the whole John Edwards situation. I can say that I am absolutely not surprised. And I'd bet you a dollar to a doughnut that he's still lying. You can't cover up character flaws. The flaws that were blatantly obvious to me since he took office as a NC Senator have merely been shown to the world.

In all of the hoopla surrounding this story the only candid thing that he has said that I believe is that he didn't believe that he would get caught. I guess he figured that the rules don't apply to him because he is so pretty and because he was slick enough to dupe several juries (and quite a few of the American public) into believing his various assorted loads of bull.

I personally hope that this removes his name forever from consideration for any public office.

The problem is that he isn't the only one - and I'm not just talking about Democrats either. The level of corruption in our society has reached such a level that it just nauseates me to think about it. It seems like fewer and fewer people have any notion of what holiness is and even fewer care if they are pursuing it. I am so tired of the constant disappointment when people all around me continue to fall, and when I hear time and time again of people who claim to be Christian who openly assent to the fact that they are going to do what they want to do even if it flies in the face of scripture.

I have been praying for quite some time now that God would expose those in our government who are cheating, stealing and living immoral lives. It would seem that He is answering my prayer.

Welcome To The Jungle

The things in my garden have grown so tall it is like being in a jungle. Here is a brief photo essay on my personal jungle.


Having never been stupid enough to watch horror movies about people getting killed in the cornfield I think it is pretty neat hanging out between the rows of corn.


Some of my okra is over eight feet tall now. I can easily hide in the midst of it. Except for the fact that it makes you itch like crazy, it is pretty cool being inside this natural cathedral.


And just as in a man-made cathedral there are many adornments, my cathedral has some beautiful details as well. There are beautiful flowers,


Stained glass windows,


And peaceful prayer rooms...

The garden has bee a great place for me to work and watch God at work. It has given me a sense of being connected to nature and spending time in my jungle has given me great joy even in the midst of the significant work that has been required. It is a very secure place to spend my time. Even if it has brought out my weird side a little bit!

How Did It Get To Be The Middle Of August?

Do you ever wonder how time passes so quickly? How did it get to be August? I mean it was just May! Autumn is looming ever closer. Not that I mind that. It is just distressing at how fast time goes by. Like the amount of time since my last post. I really have meant to do better, but for some reason lately I just haven't been much in the mood. I hope that hasn't caused anyone any sadness.

A quick update on the garden:

Things are changing in the garden. Last Saturday we harvested the last of the corn and I cut down the stalks. That was kind of sad. It really changed the look of the garden. I will need to get them up sometime this week.

The green peas are long gone and I am afraid that the summer squash is finished too. Still it has been a very blessed year.

Our corn harvest blew away my wildest imagination. We got over 33 dozen ears of Silver Queen corn. Some of the ears were a foot long. Just beautiful. After the first picking we canned 78 pints of corn. We also froze between 2 and 3 dozen ears. I am honestly not sure how many pints we canned/froze on the second picking. And I am also not sure how many ears of Ruby Queen corn we got. One thing that is for sure is that the harvest was bountiful.

I am picking okra regularly now. I get about a gallon (picked into a strawberry basket) of okra every other day. I am freezing most of it, but have toyed with the idea of making some pickled okra too.

We got about 14 quarts of canned summer squash. It looks like they have succumbed to some disease or bug, and I am pretty sure that is the end of that. You wouldn't believe how much squash it takes to can a quart.

We are getting cantaloupe too. They are very sweet - quite delicious. I lost a few because of the big rain we got a couple weeks ago and because I didn't know how quickly they would ripen once they started to turn.

The tomatoes are doing well too. I picked one a couple days ago that was bigger than a softball. We have canned about eight quarts of tomatoes too. My statement about squash holds true for tomatoes as well. It takes an unbelievable amount of tomatoes to make one quart.

I'm starting to get Fordhook Lima Beans too. Last week I picked a half a bushel and we got about 10 pints out of that. They are still doing very well and I hope that they will continue to produce until the frost. They are my favorite thing out of the garden.

The Purplehull Peas are also doing well. They seem to be the most prolific things in the garden. I could probably pick them every day. Even if I pick them very close, there are generally more ready within 2 days.

It is time to plant the fall crops if I am going to do it. That means getting up the corn stalks and tilling up the ground where the spent crops are. I don't know what I will plant. I am thinking about rutabagas, onions, and various greens. I'd like to do pumpkins too, but I don't know if I have the time. I'd also like to do broccoli if possible. I'll just have to see what happens.

Garden work is good exercise. I have certainly found that out! I'm far from in shape, but I handle the work a whole lot better than I did back in May when I was getting started. It has been good.

I don't feel like coming up with a clever way to conclude this post. I'm in a bit of a mood tonight and I have some other things that I want to write about so I'll just bring this to a close. Thanks for reading!

Biblical Worldview

The other day I posted a quote by Chuck Colson about biblical worldview.

Moral restraint, you see, requires a set of morals—beliefs that some things are right, and some things wrong. To put it more simply, moral restraint requires a biblical worldview.
- Chuck Colson

I have been thinking about this subject quite a lot lately and decided that I should probably write more about it. Today I want to discuss biblical worldview.

So what is a biblical worldview? Perhaps the best place to start to answer that question is to define what a worldview is. A worldview is the "decoder ring" that one uses to interpret the world that he encounters and to guide him in responding to that world. It is a filter through which he forces his experiences to pass to make sense of each experience. It is a person's philosophy of life.

A worldview can be formed by many things. Indeed, most people cobble their worldview together from whatever they find that sounds or feels good. In the United States for many generations the predominant flavor of that view was Judeo-Christian. However, in the years since the 1960s the cultural norms of this country have been diluted by the influx of and the growth of the influence of other religions. The rise in the popularity of Eastern religions, paganism, Islam, humanism, and even atheism have created quite a bazaar (though perhaps 'bizarre' would be a better word) of religious notions that people can latch onto to form their worldview.

In fact, many people who consider themselves Christian also subscribe to notions gleaned from many other religious worldviews. Television, movies, books, and educators often assist in the process of developing people's worldview.

This brings us back to the question of what makes a definitively biblical worldview. A biblical worldview uses the teachings of the Bible as the filter to understand experience and as the guide to direct an individual's response to each experience. In this view, the most important anchor is the mental assent that the Bible is historically and scientifically accurate and that it conveys God's message to mankind without error.

The Bible's claims about itself make this view a reasonable one. Here are three examples of how the Bible claims to be a reliable guide:

When Moses finished reciting all these words to all Israel, he said to them, "Take to heart all the words I have solemnly declared to you this day, so that you may command your children to obey carefully all the words of this law. They are not just idle words for you—they are your life. By them you will live long in the land you are crossing the Jordan to possess." Deuteronomy 32:45-47

In fact, everyone who wants to live a godly life in Christ Jesus will be persecuted, while evil men and impostors will go from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived. But as for you, continue in what you have learned and have become convinced of, because you know those from whom you learned it, and how from infancy you have known the holy Scriptures, which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus. All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work. 2 Timothy 3:12-17

So we have the prophetic word made more sure, to which you do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star arises in your hearts. But know this first of all, that no prophecy of Scripture is a matter of one's own interpretation, for no prophecy was ever made by an act of human will, but men moved by the Holy Spirit spoke from God. 2 Peter 1:19-21

If a person believes the claims that the Bible makes about itself, it is then possible for that individual to confidently trust that the Bible contains the final word about the things that are most important to his life. This is very beneficial because, as anyone who has studied logic can tell you, if you base an argument on a flawed premise you will achieve an incorrect conclusion.

It is this principle that makes a biblical worldview superior to all others. All other views are greatly flawed.

While it may be asymptotic for us to reach perfection in our development of a worldview that is informed by the Bible, the closer that an individual comes to a true knowledge of and acquiescence to the veracity of the Bible the more firm his foundation will be. And a person whose worldview is accurately built upon the Bible can stand firm in that belief even if the entire world should disagree with him. As Paul wrote, "let God be found true, though every man be found a liar..."

It is on this rock that I stand.

OK, Just One!

Alright! Since you looked so pitiful, here is one picture to tide you over until tomorrow. It is an okra blossom. Very lovely, don't you think?

Corn Huskin' Time In Nebraska

I dated a girl briefly in college who used to sing a song called "When It's Corn Huskin' Time In Nebraska." In fact, once, on a Spring Break mission trip to Atlanta, she sang this song at the top of her lungs on a city bus. Needless to say, our little ray of sunshine attracted quite a few odd looks. And one rather odd-looking man left the bus in great haste at the next stop.

Oh well, enough of that. I don't know if it is corn huskin' time in Nebraska or not, but it sure is corn pickin', huskin', silkin', and cannin' time in my garden. Tomorrow we will be picking the Silver Queen corn, shucking it, silking it, cutting it off the cob, and canning it.

Dad wants to start at 7:30 AM, which it turns out is in the morning.

This means that I won't be able to go on and on about what is happening in the garden tonight. Perhaps I can regale you tomorrow. I have some interesting photos to share with you, and I may work on getting some others taken as well. ¡Hasta mañana!