Today is October 31st, special for at least 3 reasons.
First, it is Reformation Day, celebrating the anniversary of Martin Luther nailing the 95 Theses of unhappiness with the Roman Catholic system for discussion in 1517. People of the Protestant ilk, and most of western civilization needs to bow to your sensei.
Secondly, it is the birthday of one Robert Van Winkle.
So, I share with you some lyrics from each.
Martin Luther:
A mighty fortress is our God, a bulwark never failing;
Our helper He amid the flood of mortal ills prevailing.
For still our ancient foe doth seek to work us woe
His craft and power are great and armed with cruel hate,
On earth is not his equal.
Ein’ feste Burg ist unser Gott, ein gute Wehr und Waffen;
Er hilft uns frei aus aller Not, Die uns jetzt hat betroffen.
Der alt’ böse Feind, Mit Ernst er’s jetzt meint,
Gross’ Macht und viel List Sein’ grausam’ Ruestung ist,
Auf Erd’ ist nicht seingleichen.
Robert Van Winkle:
Third, Ligonier Ministries is practically giving away genuine leather ESV Reformation Study Bibles for any donation until November 2.
Friday, October 31, 2008
Wednesday, October 29, 2008
If the good Lord had intended us to walk he wouldn't have invented roller-skates.
The Tampa Bay Rays last year were called the Tampa Bay Devil Rays. As Oilcan observed, they exorcised the devil and find themselves in the World Series in their 11th season in franchise history.That was a good enough reason for me to root for them to win the AL, but I have to root against them in the World Series for the following 2 reasons:
1. They are an expansion team that is still pretty young. It just seems unstable for me to have a team win a World Series after only an 11 year wait when other teams have been waiting decades, perhaps even a century. Even the Cardinals win in 2006 was after a 24 year wait, after several "almosts."
2. They are an American League team. As any true baseball fan knows, the AL utilizes the "designated hitter," which means the pitcher doesn't have to bat. I've written about the instability of that foolishness before, so I'll spare you anything beyond the MLB's lunacy of having 2 different policies for the different leagues.
So, well done Rays, but I hope your ride ends tonight.
Saturday, October 25, 2008
A man's got to know his limitations.
Recently, I was called out for being male and being pro-life.
"... did i mention how creepy i find it when MEN are over-zealous pro'life' campaigners/preachers."
The implication was/is that a male had no business voicing anything with regard to abortion, since it's an issue (only) affecting women.
But ...
- I don't think you have to have children to be against child abuse.
- I don't think you have to have a pet to be concerned about the treatment of animals.
- I don't think you have to have a wife to be against spouse abuse.
Friday, October 24, 2008
I'm not about love; I'm about showin' you the money!
I couldn't help but pass this on, the best explanation of the complexities of the tax system. (HT Rick Ballard)
Tax Cuts: A Simple Lesson in Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
I guess the bartender ate the remaining dollar but it is not really germane to the outcome
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20 declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money among all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
Attributed to
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Georgia
Tax Cuts: A Simple Lesson in Economics
Suppose that every day, ten men go out for beer and the bill for all ten comes to $100. If they paid their bill the way we pay our taxes, it would go something like this:
The first four men (the poorest) would pay nothing.
The fifth would pay $1.
The sixth would pay $3.
The seventh would pay $7.
The eighth would pay $12.
The ninth would pay $18.
The tenth man (the richest) would pay $59.
So, that's what they decided to do.
The ten men drank in the bar every day and seemed quite happy with the arrangement, until one day, the owner threw them a curve.
'Since you are all such good customers,' he said, 'I'm going to reduce the cost of your daily beer by $20.' Drinks for the ten now cost just $80.
The group still wanted to pay their bill the way we pay our taxes so the first four men were unaffected. They would still drink for free. But what about the other six men - the paying customers? How could they divide the $20 windfall so that everyone would get his 'fair share?'
They realized that $20 divided by six is $3.33. But if they subtracted that from everybody's share, then the fifth man and the sixth man would each end up being paid to drink his beer. So, the bar owner suggested that it would be fair to reduce each man's bill by roughly the same amount, and he proceeded to work out the amounts each should pay.
And so:
The fifth man, like the first four, now paid nothing (100% savings).
The sixth now paid $2 instead of $3 (33% savings).
The seventh now pay $5 instead of $7 (28% savings).
The eighth now paid $9 instead of $12 (25% savings).
The ninth now paid $14 instead of $18 (22% savings).
The tenth now paid $49 instead of $59 (16% savings).
I guess the bartender ate the remaining dollar but it is not really germane to the outcome
Each of the six was better off than before. And the first four continued to drink for free. But once outside the restaurant, the men began to compare their savings.
'I only got a dollar out of the $20 declared the sixth man. He pointed to the tenth man, 'but he got $10!'
'Yeah, that's right,' exclaimed the fifth man. 'I only saved a dollar, too. It's unfair that he got ten times more than I!'
'That's true!!' shouted the seventh man. 'Why should he get $10 back when I got only two? The wealthy get all the breaks!'
'Wait a minute,' yelled the first four men in unison. 'We didn't get anything at all. The system exploits the poor!'
The nine men surrounded the tenth and beat him up. The next night the tenth man didn't show up for drinks, so the nine sat down and had beers without him. But when it came time to pay the bill, they discovered something important. They didn't have enough money among all of them for even half of the bill!
And that, ladies and gentlemen, journalists and college professors, is how our tax system works. The people who pay the highest taxes get the most benefit from a tax reduction. Tax them too much, attack them for being wealthy, and they just may not show up anymore. In fact, they might start drinking overseas where the atmosphere is somewhat friendlier.
For those who understand, no explanation is needed. For those who do not understand, no explanation is possible.
Attributed to
David R. Kamerschen, Ph.D.
Professor of Economics
University of Georgia
Monday, October 20, 2008
Sounds like somebody's got a case of the Mondays.
These guys are awesome. I want them to broadcast the news in Dallas!
Read this great piece about "collective shame" and a comparison between Nazi Germany and our potential future, by Uwe Siemon-Netto. (HT Jade)
Read about the Nigerian father who took his son to court for idleness.
Read about 12 Greek words you should know.
Read about Britain's release of secret UFO files.
Learn the difference between Purgatory & Limbo.
Learn 6 steps for learning difficult subjects quickly.
Watch the video of Sarah Palin dropping in on Saturday Night Live. (HT Jade)
Watch the video of Sarah Palin's rap on SNL's Weekend Update. (HT Jade)
Read about the return of a lost wallet ... 6 decades later.
Read about VP candidate Joe Biden's prediction that Obama's inexperience will lead to an international crisis on the scale of the Cuban missile crisis.
Read about the repentant burglar who apologized with flowers.
Read Mark Driscoll's list of great books on the cross.
Read about the man suing the strip club because of damages due to a stripper's flying shoe. Just in case you needed another reason to abstain from such houses of ill-repute.
Read about continued persecution of Christians in China.
Read about grave markers that secretly were used for a Michigan walkway.
Read 10 ways to frugal up your finances in a hurry.
Read about the South Korean financial analyst fired for saying greed is bad.
Read about the Eiffel Tower cutting blinking time to reduce energy cots.
Read about grooves being carved into the asphalt to make the sounds to William Tell's overture when motorist drive across it.
Read about the man who moved an ambulance on an emergency call because it was blocking his exit.
Read Politics, Activism, and the Gospel by John MacArthur.
Read about the UN Security Council voting country that mistook Australia for Austria. G'day, mate!
Check out John Piper's Q&A list regarding the book of Job.
Read Randy Alcorn's post entitled,"Not Cool: Obama's Pro-abortion Stance, and Christians enabling him." (HT Jeff Wright)
Read James Galyon's post on the topic of Calvin as dictator (including Servetus slooge), contradicting preconceived notions. This is the post I've been meaning to write for years, but won't have to now.
Watch to see how political discussions should occur.
Read about Brian McLaren's declaration of support for Barack Hussein Obama.
Read Jared Nelson's compelling post that demonstrates media bias in favor of Obama.
Read Denny Burk's exposure of the bogus line of reasoning, "Against abortion? Don't have one."
Read Al Mohler's thoughts on why there is no compromise on such a divisive issue as abortion in "The Abortion Question and the Future."
Read Leland Ryken's overview of reading the Bible as literature.
Read Tim Challies' review of the ESV Study Bible.
Check out Joe Biden's attempts to out Dan Quayle the original Dan Quayle, by a mile.
Read Can a Christian Vote for Barack Obama? (An open letter to self-professing Christians and Catholics who also support Obama for President.)
Comment of the Week:
"The abortionists' assertion that the issue of abortion is about privacy rights and not rights to life, is just as morally wicked and indefensible a position as pre-Civil War slaveowners asserting that the issue of slavery was about property rights." (Oilcan)Listen to yesterday's sermon at Providence Church on Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 "Right Priorities"
"God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages."
-Jacques Deval
Read this great piece about "collective shame" and a comparison between Nazi Germany and our potential future, by Uwe Siemon-Netto. (HT Jade)
Read about the Nigerian father who took his son to court for idleness.
Read about 12 Greek words you should know.
Read about Britain's release of secret UFO files.
Learn the difference between Purgatory & Limbo.
Learn 6 steps for learning difficult subjects quickly.
Watch the video of Sarah Palin dropping in on Saturday Night Live. (HT Jade)
Watch the video of Sarah Palin's rap on SNL's Weekend Update. (HT Jade)
Read about the return of a lost wallet ... 6 decades later.
Read about VP candidate Joe Biden's prediction that Obama's inexperience will lead to an international crisis on the scale of the Cuban missile crisis.
Read about the repentant burglar who apologized with flowers.
Read Mark Driscoll's list of great books on the cross.
Read about the man suing the strip club because of damages due to a stripper's flying shoe. Just in case you needed another reason to abstain from such houses of ill-repute.
Read about continued persecution of Christians in China.
Read about grave markers that secretly were used for a Michigan walkway.
Read 10 ways to frugal up your finances in a hurry.
Read about the South Korean financial analyst fired for saying greed is bad.
Read about the Eiffel Tower cutting blinking time to reduce energy cots.
Read about grooves being carved into the asphalt to make the sounds to William Tell's overture when motorist drive across it.
Read about the man who moved an ambulance on an emergency call because it was blocking his exit.
Read Politics, Activism, and the Gospel by John MacArthur.
Read about the UN Security Council voting country that mistook Australia for Austria. G'day, mate!
Check out John Piper's Q&A list regarding the book of Job.
Read Randy Alcorn's post entitled,"Not Cool: Obama's Pro-abortion Stance, and Christians enabling him." (HT Jeff Wright)
Read James Galyon's post on the topic of Calvin as dictator (including Servetus slooge), contradicting preconceived notions. This is the post I've been meaning to write for years, but won't have to now.
Watch to see how political discussions should occur.
Read about Brian McLaren's declaration of support for Barack Hussein Obama.
Read Jared Nelson's compelling post that demonstrates media bias in favor of Obama.
Read Denny Burk's exposure of the bogus line of reasoning, "Against abortion? Don't have one."
Read Al Mohler's thoughts on why there is no compromise on such a divisive issue as abortion in "The Abortion Question and the Future."
Read Leland Ryken's overview of reading the Bible as literature.
Read Tim Challies' review of the ESV Study Bible.
Check out Joe Biden's attempts to out Dan Quayle the original Dan Quayle, by a mile.
Read Can a Christian Vote for Barack Obama? (An open letter to self-professing Christians and Catholics who also support Obama for President.)
Comment of the Week:
"The abortionists' assertion that the issue of abortion is about privacy rights and not rights to life, is just as morally wicked and indefensible a position as pre-Civil War slaveowners asserting that the issue of slavery was about property rights." (Oilcan)Listen to yesterday's sermon at Providence Church on Ecclesiastes 5:8-20 "Right Priorities"
"God loved the birds and invented trees. Man loved the birds and invented cages."
-Jacques Deval
Wednesday, October 15, 2008
The good does not always triumph. Sometimes the dark side overcomes what Lincoln called the better angels of our nature.
Many may not aware of the Born Alive Protection Act and all that implies where Obama is concerned.
In a comment, Kasey wrote:
Gianna Jessen survived a botched abortion, but the issue is whether or not those infants born alive should receive medical assistance or be left to die or have their lives terminated. Here's a clip with Gianna on Hannity & Colmes (9/15/2008).
Kasey also recommends these 2 clips of Gianna's testimony found at
Radical Womanhood: Because being a biblical woman in a modern world is a radical act.
I encourage you to read the whole article, Abortion: The Strong Define the Rights of the Weak.
(See also BornAliveTruth.org, Barack Obama's record against the IL Born Alive Infants Protection Act.)
In a comment, Kasey wrote:
"I had planned to vote for Obama... until I saw a video of Gianna Jessen speaking about the Born Alive Infants Act. I had no idea that some infants who were to be aborted were actually born alive, and then thrown away to die. (See bornalivetruth.org.) Obama voted against Born Alive 4 times. My conscience won't allow me to vote for someone who thinks that's ok."
Gianna Jessen survived a botched abortion, but the issue is whether or not those infants born alive should receive medical assistance or be left to die or have their lives terminated. Here's a clip with Gianna on Hannity & Colmes (9/15/2008).
Kasey also recommends these 2 clips of Gianna's testimony found at
Radical Womanhood: Because being a biblical woman in a modern world is a radical act.
I encourage you to read the whole article, Abortion: The Strong Define the Rights of the Weak.
(See also BornAliveTruth.org, Barack Obama's record against the IL Born Alive Infants Protection Act.)
Tuesday, October 14, 2008
I am not an animal! I am a human being.
I am unashamedly a one-issue voter. To clarify, there are MANY issues that I find of interest and/or importance, but all those issues are not created equal.
That one issue for me is the stance toward the rights on the unborn, either by a party or a candidate. On Oprah today is Lisa Ling talking about how we treat the animals we eat.
I wonder if Oprah would have someone on her show to talk about how human babies are treated. To further explore the different approaches toward animals or humans, I share John Piper's experience with animals that led him to be a one issue voter.
“…When we bought our dog at the Humane Society, I picked up a brochure on the laws of Minnesota concerning animals. Statute 343.2, subdivision 1 says, ‘No person shall . . . unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate or kill any animal.’ Subdivision 7 says, ‘No person shall willfully instigate or in any way further any act of cruelty to any animal.’ The penalty: ‘A person who fails to comply with any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.’
Now this set me to pondering the rights of the unborn. An eight-week-old human fetus has a beating heart, an EKG, brain waves, thumb-sucking, pain sensitivity, finger-grasping, and genetic humanity, but under our present laws is not a human person with rights under the 14th Amendment, which says that ‘no state shall deprive any person of life . . . without due process of law.’ Well, I wondered, if the unborn do not qualify as persons, it seems that they could at least qualify as animals, say a dog, or at least a cat. Could we not at least charge abortion clinics with cruelty to animals under Statute 343.2, subdivision 7? Why is it legal to ’maim, mutilate and kill’ a pain-sensitive unborn human being but not an animal?
These reflections have confirmed my conviction never to vote for a person who endorses such an evil—even if he could balance the budget tomorrow and end all taxation.”
Read the rest of the article, One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society by John Piper (1995).
How looks 2008?
Princeton professor Dr. Robert George:
“Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. He is the most extreme pro-abortion member of the United States Senate. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress…” (HT Justin Taylor)
Read the rest of the essay, Obama's Abortion Extremism by Robert George (10/14/2008).
I think you can do the math on this one. I must oppose Barack Obama, for this issue alone is enough to disqualify him.
That one issue for me is the stance toward the rights on the unborn, either by a party or a candidate. On Oprah today is Lisa Ling talking about how we treat the animals we eat.
I wonder if Oprah would have someone on her show to talk about how human babies are treated. To further explore the different approaches toward animals or humans, I share John Piper's experience with animals that led him to be a one issue voter.
“…When we bought our dog at the Humane Society, I picked up a brochure on the laws of Minnesota concerning animals. Statute 343.2, subdivision 1 says, ‘No person shall . . . unjustifiably injure, maim, mutilate or kill any animal.’ Subdivision 7 says, ‘No person shall willfully instigate or in any way further any act of cruelty to any animal.’ The penalty: ‘A person who fails to comply with any provision of this section is guilty of a misdemeanor.’
Now this set me to pondering the rights of the unborn. An eight-week-old human fetus has a beating heart, an EKG, brain waves, thumb-sucking, pain sensitivity, finger-grasping, and genetic humanity, but under our present laws is not a human person with rights under the 14th Amendment, which says that ‘no state shall deprive any person of life . . . without due process of law.’ Well, I wondered, if the unborn do not qualify as persons, it seems that they could at least qualify as animals, say a dog, or at least a cat. Could we not at least charge abortion clinics with cruelty to animals under Statute 343.2, subdivision 7? Why is it legal to ’maim, mutilate and kill’ a pain-sensitive unborn human being but not an animal?
These reflections have confirmed my conviction never to vote for a person who endorses such an evil—even if he could balance the budget tomorrow and end all taxation.”
Read the rest of the article, One-Issue Politics, One-Issue Marriage, and the Humane Society by John Piper (1995).
How looks 2008?Princeton professor Dr. Robert George:
“Barack Obama is the most extreme pro-abortion candidate ever to seek the office of President of the United States. He is the most extreme pro-abortion member of the United States Senate. Indeed, he is the most extreme pro-abortion legislator ever to serve in either house of the United States Congress…” (HT Justin Taylor)
Read the rest of the essay, Obama's Abortion Extremism by Robert George (10/14/2008).
I think you can do the math on this one. I must oppose Barack Obama, for this issue alone is enough to disqualify him.
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