The Rowdy One

Finally, a superstar with something worthwhile to say

2008-02-02T12:39:00.000-07:00

More often than not, when rock or film stars yap about social issues they are either offensive to me, ill-informed, or generally both. This, however, I found quite different.

Here is footage from a compelling speech by Bono at the National Prayer Breakfast held exactly two years ago today.

Two points in particular struck me: 1. The Bible speaks of poverty and helping those in need 2,177 times (he references Lev. 25:35-38, among others). 2. Where you live should not determine whether you live.

It is sad to me that, as with other sanctity of human life issues, that poverty has somehow become so politicized that we as Christians often feel we can't get engaged in certain spaces because of who we might encounter alongside us. Yet, God's call to be engaged is certainly no less clear on the issue of poverty than it is on other human life issues such as abortion, orphan care and euthanasia.

The complete text of this speech can be found at: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speeches/bononationalprayerbreakfast.htm

Why is The Golden Compass more dangerous than the Da Vinci Code?

2007-11-10T07:49:00.000-07:00

A question was recently posed to me why Christians were so willing to engage culture with the motion picture release of the DaVinci Code – a film with a message Christians deny – but are now decrying The Golden Compass – a soon-to-be-released movie with a message Christians absolutely deny.

The Golden Compass, which releases December 7 in the U.S., is based on Northern Lights, the first of three books in a series from atheist Philip Pullman. Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy of children's books follows the adventures of a streetwise girl who travels through multiple worlds to defeat the oppressive forces of a senile God.

For me, there are three key differences that make Compass far more dangerous than the DaVinci Code.

The agenda of the series' atheist author. Pullman boldly proclaims that he hates the Chronicles of Narnia, he hates God – who he kills in his third book – and he has written a series of compelling stories in the hopes of engaging others to embrace his atheist, humanistic beliefs.
The Golden Compass expressly targets children. The most important distinction from Da Vinci, in my view, is that Pullman is targeting kids with his God-hating message with the express purpose of shaping how kids see the world. Clearly, C.S. Lewis's Narnia allegories were intended to – at least in part – positively shape a child's worldview from a Christian perspective. Pullman, who loathes Narnia and Lewis, has set out to do the exact opposite.
The evil behind the message. Da Vinci author Dan Brown was clearly highly misguided, but he never claimed to be anti-Christian (in fact, Brown claimed the opposite; whether you believe him or not is besides the point). Phillip Pullman hates God. That is a level of evil, in my view, Brown did not approach.

You can try and put a happy, cartoonish, Carnegie-Medal-winning face on it, but let's be sure to identify this series for what it is. When a man who hates God sets out to tear Him down with tales that celebrate man's power over God ... that's pure evil. Does it create an evangelism opportunity? Yes. But so do most things in our culture. I think there are literally limitless ways to reach people for Christ without intentionally seeking out the evil in this film or book series.

It is true Christians are called to be "in the world, not of the world." We are called to live, serve and witness in the world – not escape from it. But we are also to avoid being contaminated by the world. The author's stated mission of the series this film is taken from is to contaminate people – and, more specifically, children.

In short, what makes this film and book series far more insidious than the DaVinci Code is: the agenda behind it ... who it targets ... and the evil of the message and the messenger.

The definition of a classic high school prank

2007-09-01T08:48:00.001-06:00

High school pranks. Every class seems interested in achieving The Big One. But few do. Or, if they do, the prank ends up destructive or harmful in some way.

However, last week, Ohio high school student Kyle Garchar executed a prank that is -- simply put -- a classic. His class will talk about it for moons. And rightfully so.

His principal suspended him, and his two accomplices, for three days. But I think Kyle will forever say it was well worth it. And, after you watch the video, I think you'll agree.

Local Columbus, Ohio, news coverage: http://www.wcpo.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=72b74be7-c55f-450f-a344-410342cb1b85

Tab: What a beautiful drink

2007-08-20T22:18:00.000-06:00

Remember Tab? Tab Cola? What a beautiful drink.

Back in the early 80s, you couldn't escape commercials for the original no calorie beverage in the pretty, tantalizing pink can. A few years ago, I made a passing wisecrack involving Tab to a co-worker, who promptly claimed he was sure the grocery store in his neighborhood still carried Tab.

"INCONCEIVABLE!" I exclaimed in Princess Bride like fashion. "I'll buy you lunch -- and pay you back for the 6-pack -- if you can produce a half dozen cans of Tab."

Sure enough, the next day, he came trotting in with a six-pack of the nasty stuff. Several years later, I still keep one of those full cans here on a shelf in my home office as a funny reminder.

So, how much will you give me to drink it? You think it was bad then ...

For beautiful people, my eye.

I can feel the earth getting warmer at this very minute!

2007-07-07T07:57:00.000-06:00

If you step outside RIGHT NOW, on which ever of our seven continents you happen to be on, you can actually feel the planet GETTING WARMER. Why? From all the hot air being spewed in connection with The Concerts for a Climate in Crisis.

Crisis: n. - an unstable situation of extreme danger or difficulty. Pul-leeze. I don't think anyone but Al Gore would say there is extreme danger at stake.

MSN is among those that has jumped aboard as a sponsor for the faux-crisis event. Their site offers a tool that can help you estimate your "carbon footprint". According to this, I am about 30% over average at 10.2 tons per year (the average is purported to be 7.5). Driving my footprint higher is the fact that I have taken 5 or 6 airplane flights in the last year.

Hmmm. You'd think the 150 musical artists participating in this event all walked there. But, in fact, they're flying an extraordinary 222,624 miles between them to get to the various concerts - nearly nine times the circumference of the world.

Perhaps most ridiculous of all, is the 7-point pledge penned by Gore that they are asking concert attendees and listeners to "join Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid" and take. Included are:

+ To demand that my country join an international treaty within the next 2 years that cuts global warming pollution; "You mean the effectiveness bankrupt Kyoto Protocol? The one that would would reduce temperatures by 0.04 degrees Celsius in the year 2100?"

+ To take personal action to help solve the climate crisis by reducing my own CO2 pollution as much as I can and offsetting the rest to become “carbon neutral; "I've done my part now. I took the quiz."

+ To buy from businesses and support leaders who share my commitment to solving the climate crisis and building a sustainable, just, and prosperous world for the 21st century; "So, since Snoop Dogg is participating in this event, I guess I should go buy his CD that tells me, "I can make 'em say, Woof! m*th*f****r, Woof! m*th*f****r. Bow-wow-wow-yippie-yo-yippie-yay."

Despite the wisdom of guys like Snoop, the modern theory of global warming is terribly flawed, at best. A prior post here has some interesting facts to ponder.

The radical agenda of California schools heads east

2007-05-22T23:15:00.000-06:00

In recent years, with the infamous, far-left 9th circuit court leading the way, California has become home to some truly bizarre and surreal practices in its public schools. In fact, just this week, the state's lawmakers are considering a bill that would not only promote homosexuality, it would ban anything from public schools that could be perceived as "reflecting adversely" on the homosexual lifestyle choice. That means the Bible, even as a piece of literature, would almost certainly be targeted for total removal.

But lest you think complete and total school insanity is limited to California, I give you Colorado -- specifically that bastion of liberal bizarreness, Boulder.

At a school-sponsored conference on world affairs, Boulder High School students were encouraged to engage freely in sexual activity and to use drugs.

Joel Becker, a clinical psychologist from Los Angeles (California, but of course) said this as he opened his presentation, "I'm going to encourage you to have sex, and I'm going to encourage you to use drugs appropriately. And why I am going to take that position is because you're going to do it anyway."

Further, the students were given graphic details of the sex lives of the other panelists. They were told to experiment with various forms of sex and sex partners. Becker even suggested to the students that if he had some of the drug Ecstasy right then, he would use it.

Later, when parent Priscilla White attempted to read the transcript of the conference in front of a Boulder Valley school board meeting, she was told to stop because of the graphic nature of the content. Apparently, it's OK for the kids, but offensive to the sensibilities of their parents.

It appears the radical California school agenda is heading east ... perhaps to a school near you.

Becoming Illegal: Letter from an Iowa resident to his Senator

2007-04-24T07:12:00.000-06:00

Honorable Tom Harkin

731 Hart Senate Building

Washington DC 20510

Dear Senator Harkin:

As a native Iowan and excellent customer of the Internal Revenue Service, I am writing to ask for your assistance. I have contactedthe Department of Homeland Security in an effort to determine the process for becoming an illegal alien and they referred me to you.

My primary reason for wishing to change my status from U.S. Citizen to illegal alien stems from the bill which was recently passed by the Senate and for which you voted. If my understanding of this bill's provisions is accurate, as an illegal alien who has been in the United States for five years, all I need to do to become a citizen is to pay a $2,000 fine and income taxes for three of the last five years.

I know a good deal when I see one and I am anxious to get the process started before everyone figures it out. Simply put, those of us who have been here legally have had to pay taxes every year so I'm excited about the prospect of avoiding two years of taxes in return for paying a $2,000 fine. Is there any way that I can apply to be illegal retroactively? This would yield an excellent result for me and my family because we paid heavy taxes in 2004 and 2005.

Additionally, as an illegal alien I could begin using the local emergency room as my primary health care provider. Once I have stopped paying premiums for medical insurance, my accountant figures I could save almost $10,000 a year.

Another benefit in gaining illegal status would be that my daughter would receive preferential treatment relative to her law school applications, as well as "in-state" tuition rates for many colleges throughout the United States for my son.

Lastly, I understand that illegal status would relieve me of the burden of renewing my driver's license and making those burdensome car insurance premiums. This is very important to me given that I still have college age children driving my car. If you would provide me with an outline of the process to become illegal (retroactively if possible) and copies of the necessary forms, I would be most appreciative. Thank you for your assistance.

Your Loyal Constituent,

Donald Ruppert

Burlington, IA

Jeff Burton ... brought to you by a company that doesn't exist

2007-02-25T07:10:00.000-07:00

I always have to chuckle when through corporate mergers or scandals a city is faced with having a stadium named after a company that no longer exists. For example, in 1999 the Houston Astros signed a 30-year agreement with Enron to name their stadium Enron Field, only to arrive at a legal settlement 3 years later to undo it.

I find the practice of re-naming a stadium after a corporation -- instead of a local leader or icon for that franchise -- a bit distasteful to begin with. So, it amuses me when these sponsorships go awry.

My favorite latest example of corporate sponsorship gone wrong involves one of NASCAR's top driver's Jeff Burton.

A month or so ago, AT&T inexplicably announced that after investing more than 2 Billion dollars over the last few years to build the Cingular brand, it decided to revert back to the name of your grandfather's phone company -- AT&T.

That fact, coupled with the merger of Sprint and Nextel into SprintNextel many months ago, has left Burton driving a car with a lead sponsor that is a wireless phone company that no longer exists -- racing in a circuit named after a wireless phone company that doesn't exist (at least, not the way it did).

Maybe next year he can drive for Worldcom.

Those supporting life are actually pro-choice ...

2007-01-21T16:37:00.000-07:00

... as this compelling and amazing video reminds us.

"It is a poverty to decide that a child must die so that you may live as you wish." -- Mother Teresa

TCF Bank: The worst bank on Earth

2007-01-20T12:12:00.000-07:00

OK, I haven't been to every bank on the planet, so it is at least possible (thought not likely) that there are one or two that may be worse. But based MY experiences, I believe there can't possibly be a worse financial institution than TCF Bank. (That is, unless there is one that simply auto deletes your money as it is deposited.)

First, the great irony. TCF is supposed to stand for: The Customer First.

So, how did the bank chain that operates in Minnesota, Illinois, Michigan, Wisconsin, Colorado, and Indiana -- and soon, I've learned, Arizona -- "put me first" in the near two years I banked with them?

When we signed up, it was because they were close to our home -- AND they had the most aggressive savings rates in the area. Ah, but now the catch. TCF sucks you in with a great rate. But after two or three months, the bank would drop the rate on our savings account to a mere fraction of a percent (at one point, we were dropped to 0.1%).

So, I would pay a visit to the bank, upon which time they would inform me of a "new" savings account I could move into that had a better rate. But guess what would happen would I would move our money there? If just a few short months, it'd happen again.

The password is: Weasels.

The last straw was when I went in to withdraw a few hundred dollars, and I was informed I would have to pay a $4 cashier's check fee to do so.

When I went to close my account a couple weeks later, the branch manager -- who like the majority of the bank's employees, was, incredibly nice -- expressed his own frustrations with his bank's slimy practices. Another former TCF employee, who now works at our new bank, told me, "It usually takes about two years, but eventually people figure out the games they play."

This former employee also shared that the bank's fee-raising, interest-lowering practices in Colorado were an effort to fund its new locations in Arizona. Very nice.

Arizonans, here's my advise. TCF more accurately stands for: The Crooked Financiers. Run far. Run fast. But most of all, run away from TCF.

Happy New Year and Soy to the World

2007-01-01T12:36:00.000-07:00

It's a new year, and like many I have resolved improvement in several areas for 2007, including eating less junk food, drinking less soda, and exercising better "portion control".

But one thing I am NOT doing is eliminating soy products from my diet because I'm worried they are making me gay.

Irrational as this sounds, a news commentator for World Net Daily is attempting to link soy products to an increased likelihood of becoming homosexual. "Soy is feminizing, and commonly leads to a decrease in the size of the penis, sexual confusion and homosexuality," the article asserts. "That's why most of the medical blame for today's rise in homosexuality must fall upon the rise in soy formula and other soy products."

What's sad is that radical, out-there hypothesis like these get lumped in with reasonable and credible ones and then they all get catagozied, and dismissed, by some as being from the "right wing extreme."

Well, you can count me as one who chooses not to partake of soy products ... not because I'm worried they are making us all gay -- but, because they typically taste down right nasty. And my kids agree.

A couple years ago when it was determined that one of our kids had a very mild dairy allergy, we briefly switched to soy-based milk. Yikes. Milk intake plummeted to almost zero until we switched back to the real deal. Therefore ... oy, no soy. At least, not in our house.

2006-12-20T14:26:00.000-07:00

Why 36% of Americans believe the government was behind 9/11

I think I now know why more than one-third of Americans have gone a little crack pot on us and believe that the U.S. government was involved in 9/11.

After repeatedly hearing about how good the show "24" is (even our pastor referenced it in a sermon), I finally caved and decided to give it a try. I started with season two; the plotline includes a whacked faction of inteligence within the government that permits a nuclear bomb to enter into the U.S. Take that plotline, and mix in the whacky websites touting U.S. government involvment, and you have a recipe for ... conspiracy theory.

So, the next logical question, of course, is ... what does TV's Danny Partridge think of this conspiracy theory? Well, wonder no more. Check out this on-the-spot interview hosted by a kook named John Conner, one of the smarmy dudes who is among those that believe the government was behind 9/11.

Censorship of Veggies being curbed at NBC

2006-12-19T06:57:00.000-07:00

VeggieTales creator Phil Vischer reported through the media recently that NBC has cut back on its editing God out of VeggieTales episodes. And, oddly, with no explanation back to Phil. This is probably a good thing since their initial explanation on why the cuts took place in the first place was a lie.

As of now, the last 5 episodes submitted will air in 2007 the way they were originally written. For you Veggie fans, that will include classics such as Madame Blueberry and King George and the Ducky.

Word has it NBC received more than half-a-million emails about the VeggieTales edits.

This shift by NBC comes on the heels of choosing not to air a mock-crucifixion during a Madonna music special, after multiple Christian groups flooded NBC and its affiliates with calls and emails. It's a shame there aren't people in NBC leadership that don't "get it" on their very own.

The perfect gift for the your liberal nut friend's children

2006-12-16T15:24:00.000-07:00

I thought for sure it was a joke when I first saw this book referenced on another site. But Why Mommy Is A Democrat is, sadly, oh so very real.

The book's website says the book intends to "bring to life the core values of the Democratic party in ways that young children will easily understand ... using plain and non-judgmental language." The 28-page paperback is fully illustrated, using "whimsical squirrels" (I'm not joking) to accompany the text.

The book's pearls of wisdom include:

Democrats make sure we share all our toys, just like Mommy does.

So do Communists. And in the very same way when it comes to managing the country's budget.

Democrats make sure we are always safe, just like Mommy does.

You mean by slashing all weapons and war expenses, repealing the Patriot Act, and stopping recruiting for the military on college campuses? Right on.

Democrats make sure children can go to school, just like Mommy does.

I guess a page saying: Democrats don't want Mommies and Daddies to have a choice in where they send their kids to school didn't sound as appealing.

The website only lists those three pages, but I'm sure they are all equally forthright and "non-judgmental" (which, when used here, must mean "lacking in truth").

Conspicuous by their absence from Why Mommy Is A Democrat were such pages as:

Democrats believe the people on the news because they're on TV, just like mommy does.
Democrats like spending other people's money, just like mommy does.
Democrats born into a low-income, government-run squirrel nest believe "the man" is always keeping them down, just like mommy does.
Democrats use schools to indoctrinate children in a collectivist mentality so it's easier to control them later, just like mommy does.
Democrats confuse a foreign policy of appeasement with that of safety, just like mommy does.
Democrats believe saving the earth is more important than saving babies, just like mommy does.
Democrats play politics with other people's safety, just like mommy does.
Democrats don't believe you should be allowed to take your religious beliefs to school with you, just like mommy doesn't.

Stand by for excerpts from the forthcoming sequel, "Why BOTH Your Mommies Are Democrats."

Source: Concepts for some of the "missing pages" were excerpted from: http://wizbangblog.com/2005/12/03/why-is-mommy-a-democrat.php

Nancy Pelosi now two bullets away from the Presidency

2006-11-09T19:48:00.000-07:00

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

She may be taking kissy face PR photos with the President today, but earlier this year on 60 Minutes Rep. Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif, called Bush 'an incompetent leader,' and then corrected herself ... 'In fact, he's not a leader. He's a person who has no judgment.'

This from someone who says one of her goals is to make our country safer than it is today. How has she demonstrated this "commitment to safety?" By voting to:

deny wartime appropriations,
stop research and development on advanced weapons,
repeal provisions of the Patriot Act, and
cease military recruitment on college campuses.

So, we shouldn't spend money on the war, should stop R&D on weapons, need to repeal the Patriot Act, and can't recruit on college campuses? Hmmm. What's the plan then, Nanc? I guess, now, we'll find out if there IS a plan -- beyond bashing those in place.

She claims she wants to protect our ports and secure our borders. Yet, she voted against a bill that would have prevented alerting illegal immigrants from Mexico about the Minuteman Project. She voted against reporting illegal aliens who receive hospital treatment. And she voted in favor of extended immigrant residency rules and more immigrant visas. Make no mistake, Nancy Pelosi intends to open our borders, not protect them.

Meanwhile, on social issues, she made it clear before the election that if the Democrats get the majority in Congress, she plans to immediately resurrect the embryonic stem-cell research bill vetoed by the President last September. The bill, championed by Rep. Diana DeGette, D-Colo., seeks to lift restrictions on federal funding of embryonic stem-cell research put in place by the President in August 2001.

And the rest of her social record is a train wreck for those who value life:

ABORTING BABIES

Voted NO on restricting interstate transport of minors to get abortions. (Apr 2005)
Voted NO on making it a crime to harm a fetus during another crime. (Feb 2004)
Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortion except to save mother's life. (Oct 2003)
Voted NO on funding for health providers who don't provide abortion info. (Sep 2002)
Voted NO on banning Family Planning funding in US aid abroad. (May 2001)
Voted NO on federal crime to harm fetus while committing other crimes. (Apr 2001)
Voted NO on banning partial-birth abortions. (Apr 2000)
... all of this nets her a perfect 100% rating by NARAL Pro-Choice America. (Dec 2003)

CLONING HUMANS

Voted NO on forbidding human cloning for reproduction & medical research. (Feb 2003)

Her party has convinced her to stay largely silent on these issues publicly, but now that Pelosi is about to become Speaker, she almost certainly will have to more openly show her true liberal colors.

NBC: Madonna mocking Christians OK, Bob the Tomato saying "God loves you" NOT

2006-09-23T13:27:00.000-06:00

I just want to make sure I have this straight. NBC is okay with airing a program where Madonna mocks Christians by stretching herself across a tacky, flashing cross covered with light bulbs while wearing a crown of thorns.

But, its stringent programming standards demand that any references to God be removed within the children's show VeggieTales, which NBC now airs every Saturday.

Kevin Reilly, an executive at NBC, told reporters that NBC did not see Madonna's mock crucifixion as "inappropriate." That very same week, NBC spokeswoman Rebecca Marks told the media that VeggieTales had to be edited "to comply with the network's broadcast standards."

So, the same standards that permit an individual faith to be flagrantly mocked, prohibit that same faith from being presented positively in any way. The network even insisted that the VeggieTales signature sign-off, "Remember kids, God made you special and he loves you very much," be edited out.

Just to recap, Madonna on tacky, glitzy cross OK. Cartoon vegetable telling kids "God loves you" not OK. On Monday of this same week, NBC debuted its new program "60 On The Sunset Strip" where the first plotline was built around a sketch called "Crazy Christians." All this, of course, from the network that brought the public it's short-lived, but wildly offensive "The Book of Daniel," a show that's whole premise mocked Christianity.

Call these just the latest signs that our culture -- and most certainly Hollywood -- is ever increasingly hostile to Christianity.

NBC has yet to air the Madonna program. Click here for info from the AFA on how you can tell NBC what you think of these nonsensical programming decisions. Or, drop Mr. Reilly a line at kevin.reilly@nbcuni.com, by phone (818) 840-6046, or by fax at (818) 840-6630.

KU's family-unfriendly policy requires ticket even for babies

2006-09-23T12:29:00.000-06:00

University of Kansas football has joined the big time. The program is alongside perennial top football programs such as Nebraska, Oklahoma, and Texas ... sadly for KU fans like me, it's only on par with the Big 12's football elite in that it charges for babies to attend its football games.

See that KU clad baby to the right? If he wants to attend a KU football game, it'll cost his parents an extra $35.

The absurd policy isn't new (it's 3-4 years old), only the publicity is. A front page story in Lawrence's local paper spawned an Associated Press piece that was then picked up by media outlets across the country, including ESPN's home page.

KU's athletic department says it's all the baby gear -- the diapers, bottles, toys, etc. -- that can take up extra seats that led to the policy. Now, in a packed house in Norman, Okla., or Lincoln, Neb., that is almost a legitimate excuse. But for a university that only has visions of a packed house, it seems to be offering just one more excuse to stay away.

It's professional team up the road, the Kansas City Chiefs, pack its 78,000+ house every regular season game. Yet, somehow, that franchise finds a way to permit fans under three to attend at no cost.

Years ago before the policy was enacted, my wife and I brought our then 15-month old boy to a KU football game for free in one of those back-breaking, baby-strapped-to-your-body devices. If the ticket office had asked me to pay for a seat for a child that wasn't going to use one, I think I would have taken a pass on attending. Not a great outcome for a university that could use all the fans it can gather.

On the Lawrence Journal World's opinion page, one clever KU fan suggests tongue-in-cheek that perhaps KU should begin charging pregnant women -- and perhaps all women -- extra to drive added revenue.

"We are all too aware of how much space pregnant women require to move about and, obviously, they could conceivably block the view of our most treasured Jayhawk game," he writes. "In fact, perhaps we should just charge all women double for the price of a football ticket, as many of them may be unaware of their current pregnancy status."

For the record, fans under 2 can get in free to see Big 12 Conference rivals Missouri Tigers or Kansas State Wildcats. Letting KU's top rivals best it in family-friendliness should be enough by itself to overturn such a lame policy.

The Best of Billy Joel? I can't take it anymore ...

2006-09-04T17:39:00.000-06:00

"Rock and roller cola wars ... I can't take it anymore."

In 1989, Billy Joel dramatically closed the hit song "We Didn't Start the Fire" with this bold cry. I have a passionate plea of my own: "Billy Joel greatest hits albums ... I can't take them any more."

With the release of "12 Gardens" -- a two-disc live greatest hits set -- Joel has now released 20 discs worth of "best of" material in either live or studio form in the U.S. since 1981.

Now, I like Billy Joel. I have all of his studio releases on CD, and I've seen him in concert 3 or 4 times over the years. But, geesh. 20 discs? If someone purchased them all -- plus the original studio version -- they'd own "Only The Good Die Young" eight times. It's a good song. But once.

I believe Joel now has topped Chicago's rabid penchant for releasing "hits" albums; Chicago must have at least 10 CDs with the jazzy little ditty "25 Or 6 To 4" on it. Whatever that song means. But I digress.

Two of Joel's 20 discs are a two-CD set titled "The Essential Billy Joel," released in 2001. I guess that makes the other 18 of 'em non-essential. That's good to know.

Billy, seriously. You haven't released a new studio disc in 13 years, and all but four of those 20 discs have flooded the shelves in that span. I'm voting with my pocketbook by steering clear of most of them, but what's next? One of those miserable discs where other artists mangle your best songs on a "greatest hits" -- a la the Led Zeppelin tribute "Enconium." It almost never happens that someone's cover of a song is better than the original. Just say no, Billy.

This greatest hits blitzkrieg brings another song from Billy Joel's 1989 "Stormfront" album to mind -- Shameless.

Who is even more tiresome than Bill Maher?

2006-08-29T07:01:00.000-06:00

That would be his audience of drones, who sit in his studio each week and wait for the "clap now for liberalism" sign to light.

Given that, I am always surprised when anyone right of James Carville is willing to go on Maher's program. But Christopher Hitchens, author of Thomas Jefferson Author of America and writer for Vanity Fair, was not afraid. He not only went on Maher's show last weekend, but did something others who've had the misfortune of seeing parts of Maher's show have been wanting to do for years -- give his lefty loonies a single finger salute.

It also left Maher in a rarely seen position: speechless. Albeit only for a moment.

Colorado Highway Patrol cracks down on left lane drivers

2006-08-06T14:22:00.000-06:00

A family friend recently found out first hand that Colorado has a law prohibiting motorists from driving for extended periods of time in the left-hand, or passing, lane.

"The Left Lane Law" actually hit the books in July 2004, but as the officer who pulled over our friend noted, "I'm not going to give you a ticket today because we are still educating the public about this."

The law states: “A person shall not drive a motor vehicle in the passing lane of a highway if the speed limit is 65 miles per hour or more unless such person is passing other motor vehicles that are in a nonpassing lane or turning left, or unless the volume of traffic does not permit the motor vehicle to safely merge into a nonpassing lane.”

By the way, the black and white photo above, circa the 1960s, comes courtesy of the state's Left Hand Lane Law brochure. Perhaps the highway patrol held onto this photo for more than four decades just waiting for the legislature to act on this critical issue.

On one hand, I am always annoyed when someone is putt-putting along in the passing lane on the highway, but, wow ... did we really need a law? I'm picturing that Colorado's legislature just got bored one afternoon while trying to solve a real traffic issue -- like the ludicrously long weekend highway lines to the ski areas -- and decide to tackle something easy, like keeping people out of the left lane.

By the way, violations carry a $41 fine and 3 points against your license. So, move it on over, bub!

This just in: 36% of Americans are complete, total whack jobs

2006-08-03T18:38:00.000-06:00

More than one third of the people in the U.S. believe that the government assisted in the terrorist attacks on 9/11 or took no action to stop them so the U.S. could go to war in the Middle East, according to a Scripps Howard/Ohio University poll.

That is just barely lower than the 38% of Americans who think that the U.S. is withholding proof of the existence of intelligent life on other planets.

Do you know what this means? It means that about 1 in every 3 people you pass on the street are completely out of their gourd! We live amidst millions of people who are in need of more than just confidence in their government. They are in need of their meds.

Given that, serious consideration needs to be given to "adjusting off" this portion of the population when relaying other major polling data. For example, let's say 48% of people report that they believe that America is worse off today than we were five years ago. If we assume that the "36% whack job" contingent would all state that they were worse off, well then, that's really only like 1 in 6 legitimate folks who think that America is worse off now than half a decade ago.

Just think at the unbridled common sense and optimism that would reign if we could make such an adjustment.

The survey also revealed that people who regularly use the Internet, but do not frequent "mainstream" media, are significantly more likely to believe in 9/11 conspiracies. These same folks are probably the ones still waiting for their $1,000 check from Bill Gates while watching "Deal or No Deal."

Gosh, by recently starting this blog have I suddenly become part of the problem?

Washington high court elects not to legislate from bench, upholds Marriage Act

2006-07-26T10:37:00.000-06:00

In 5-4 decision, the Washington state Supreme Court chose to uphold the Defense of Marriage Act, which defines marriage as being between one man and one woman.

The liberal court in Washington took more than a year before handing down today's decision. A thin majority of the judges, however, ultimately realized that the people -- through their elected representatives -- make the laws, not the courts.

This victory, along with a recent similar victory in New York's highest court, is a severe setback to the nationwide gay activist movement that has been seeking to rewrite the definition of marriage.

The USPS is a MESS: The Post Office Sucks Pondwater

2006-07-25T20:16:00.000-06:00

If the United States Postal Service was a real business, operating under real, non-government-subsidized conditions, it would have had to close its doors eons ago.

Several times a year, we get a disturbing clear bag placed in our mailbox containing only the cover of the one of the magazines we receive. Printed on the outside of the bag is text that says something to the effect of: "We're sorry but our automated processing system ravaged your mail beyond recognition. Now, all that's left of your magazine is its cover. Uh, sorry and stuff."

Yet somehow, the endless stream of credit card offers and pleas to borrow tens of thousands against my mortgage always seem to make it in tact.

May it never happen that you need to actually go into the post office and speak to A LIVE HUMAN BEING. At our post office, while at least 10 postal employees are milling around at all times, there are only 2-3 that are actually capable of helping anyone do anything. The best, and perhaps only, USPS advancement in its history is the automated stamp machine. Oh, and maybe the self-adhesive stamp.

And if you are there near closing time, peace be with you. I once arrived at 5:55 p.m. and at 6:05 p.m., while still in line, I was told I'd have to come back tomorrow. Then the last remaining teller pulled the Metal Screen of Death to the floor, locked up, and left.

Just tonight, I got in line at 5:40 and waited until 6:20 to ship a package. The guy two people behind me was wearing a FedEx employee badge.

"You should know better than to come here," I remarked after about 20 minutes of waiting in a line of discouraging faces that would have made the line at the DMV look like Times Square on New Years' Eve.

"Yeah, unfortunately I have to pick up a package," said the guy, still managing a smile. "These guys could learn a lot of best practices from us."

Indeed. At 5:55 tonight, one of the three open windows closed, despite a line of 12 frustrated customers negatively committed to their USPS package. Then, one of the two other window attendants announced, "I can only take debit cards here." I was waiting for the person at the last remaining open window to announce, "And I can only help people under 4 foot 11."

Our USPS branch can't correctly manage a "hold mail" order ... we are still regularly getting mail for people who lived in our house moons ago ... and to top it all off, we now get our mail delivered in a centralized postal box a block away, instead of at our door.

As a proud American, I don't think that the USPS should be allowed to carry the name Unites States anymore. It doesn't deserve it. Maybe that's why most people now simply call it by its acronym. But that's not enough. Let's change the name to the United Arab Emirates Postal Service ... or something more descriptive like: Delivery Of Packages Entirely Suspect. Then, I'd be cool with it going by its acronym.

Do Colorado dogs really moo?

2006-07-23T12:28:00.000-06:00

The pro-gay organization Born Different (BD) recently launched a campaign of billboards and TV spots that assert that 3% of the population is "born gay." The campaign is built around a mooing dog named Norman, who is different because, well, he moos ... and that is supposed to be analogous to those who are "born different" and are gay.

I don't know about anyone else, but the next mooing dog I see will be the first. It seems to me, that if you want to build a campaign around an icon such as a "mooing dog" that you'd actually want it to reinforce your message. But since mooing dogs don't exist, the effort actually counters the very point the BD folks are seeking to make.

Speaking of which, the site No Moo Lies offers a humorous counterpoint the nonsensical mooing dog effort. In this campaign, Sherman the dog reminds us that dogs, in actuality, only bark. The site also humorously counters other Born Different icons, such as two purportedly gay penguins that are put forth as further "born gay" evidence.

"Meet Roy and Silo ... two penguins living in Manhattan's Central Park Zoo. A few years back, they started spending a lot of time together — and became celebrities as Manhattan's 'most famous gay penguin couple.'

"Then something happened that messed it all up: Silo met Scrappy, a female penguin from California. Silo ditched Roy and built a nest with Scrappy. They've even started trying to have kids. It just goes to show: Penguins can change."

Be on the look out for the next phase in the BD campaign: Unicorns That Bark.

So-called evolution evidence of Darwin's Galapagos Island finches

2006-07-20T20:24:00.000-06:00

In a nationally syndicated Associated Press story last week, science writer Randolph Schmid boldly announced that "finches on the Galapagos Islands that inspired Charles Darwin to develop the concept of evolution are now helping confirm it by evolving."

The one-sided story is based on report, and news release, by Peter Grant of Princeton University, which asserts that a species of "Darwin's finch" has evolved a smaller beak to take advantage of different seeds two decades after the arrival of a larger rival for its original food source. The altered beak size is alleged to show that species competing for food can undergo evolutionary change.

There is a special scientific word for this bold, new confirmation of evolutionary theory. Hooey.

The AP article regurgitates this news release as if it were some sort of news flash. In fact, many science journalists and scientists have been writing about this same finding for more than a decade. The article was also devoid of any balance from scientists who believe this finding to simply be an example of what's termed a cyclic variation.

"The changes are temporary," says Jonathan Wells, PhD molecular & cell biology, Univ. of California-Berkeley. Wells says the beak size oscillatess back and forth as the weather and seasons change.

"As evidence of Darwin's theory, Darwin's finches really don't work," says Wells. But since that perspective didn't make the press release that Schmid ripped and wrote from, it didn't get reported in the AP story -- or the numerous other TV and print stories it spawned.

David Berlinski, post-doc in biology at Columbia University, also believes the evidence is exaggerated to appear to support Darwin's theory. "What we are really seeing is one species oscillating back and forth, with no real change," says Berlinski.

"We may be seeing the development of a entire new species. The Galapagos finch starts off as a finch and in 100,000,000 years you have a Galapagos elephant," adds Berlinski with tongue firmly planted in cheek. "But we need a whole lot more evidence ... if this is to be serious science."

The one hint of balance that Schmid's article offers is mistakenly masked as further "proof." Robert C. Fleischer, a geneticist at the Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History and National Zoo, is quoted as saying, "this was certainly a documented case of microevolution."

Ah, but even if this were an example of microevolution, that does not mean that this in any way represents evidence of macro evolution. Which means it offers no real proof of Darwin's sweeping evolutionary theory -- or hypothesis -- if you prefer.

Sweet Home Colorado: It's Where You Want To Be

2006-07-18T00:13:00.000-06:00

According to Money magazine's latest critique of best places to live in the U.S., Colorado is just a crazy great place to live.

Fort Collins, Colorado, topped the Best Places to Live list, while Colorado Springs, topped the list of Best Big Cities (though at a population of 369,000 it barely qualifies as a true, big city). Rounding out the Big City Top 5 were: Austin, TX, Mesa, AZ, Raleigh, NC and San Diego, CA. Interestingly, New York City placed a respectable 10th.

Completing the Best Places to Live Top 5 were: Naperville, IL, Sugar Land, TX, Columbia/Ellicott City, MD, and Cary, NC. Our former hometown, Overland Park, Kansas, placed sixth on the Best Places to Live list.

Money evaluated all cities 50,000 or greater in population (745) based on criteria, which included: purchasing power, housing costs, education options, quality of life/crime, leisure and culture opportunities, and weather.

The tooth is out ... and so is an old toothy myth

2006-07-14T23:53:00.000-06:00

My son lost his first tooth Wednesday night while brushing his teeth. It came within an inch of tumbling down the sink, a near monumental crisis that, thankfully, was averted.

This milestone tooth has been quite the table topic in our house all week. Along the way, our discussion included talk of George Washington and his wooden teeth. My son learned this story this past year in kindergarten, and I also remember learning it in grade school.

At one point, we began speculating what kind of wood our first President's teeth may have been made of. We decided cherry seemed as likely as any, but later I decided to do a little research. To my surprise, it appears that the whole wooden teeth thing is the biggest SHAM this side of "Bill Gates is going to send you $1000 for forwarding this email to 1,000 people ... I am not kidding!"

According to George Washington's Mount Vernon estate, while our first president had false teeth, they were not made of wood. In turns out, the materials used in his false teeth were even less desirable than that. One set of his teeth included a cow's tooth, one of his actual teeth, hippopotamus ivory, metal and springs.

The estate's website says, "They fit poorly and distorted the shape of his mouth." Yeah, I bet. Between this, and the fact that Washington ultimately bled to death by the misguided practice of "blood letting," I think it's safe to say that most of us enjoy better health care than the man on our $1 bill.

So, the tale of our first president's wooden teeth becomes yet another example of the phenomena of a story being repeated so many times that, eventually, it becomes institutionalized as fact. Sort of like, say, the Constitution's supposed declaration of 'separation of church and state' ... how about some other good examples?

NOTE: The penny pictured above next to my son's tooth is for size contrast purposes ... which is to say, I understand that George Washington is not pictured on the penny ... ;-)

Which U.S. university stands for "Truth for Christ and the Church?"

2006-07-12T16:50:00.000-06:00

It must be one of the top seminaries ... Dallas Theological Seminary or perhaps Moody Bible Institute.

Would you believe Harvard University? At least, that's the motto it was founded on when the school began in 1636. That remained as the guiding principle for the now liberal, "free thinking" university until the later half of the 19th century, when then president Charles W. Eliot began the process of stripping away Harvard's moral foundation rooted in Christianity.

Today, the original Latin "Veritas pro Christo et Ecclesia" (Truth for Christ and Church) has been tightened to simply ... Veritas, or Truth. What that truth is based on? Well ... who knows.

In a recent book titled "Excellence Without a Soul," University of Massachusetts instructor Harry Lewis asserts that universities have "lost, indeed willingly surrendered, its moral authority to shape the souls of its students." He goes on to say: "Harvard articulates no ideals of what it means to be a good person."

For Harvard's first 250 years, its biblical basis would have made it clear what its moral foundation was. But now that that's gone, it shouldn't be surprising that the university is floundering when it comes to helping shape the character of its students.

As a part of its foundational mission today, the university states it, "must provide a broad introduction to the knowledge needed in an increasingly global and connected, yet simultaneously diverse and fragmented world." Huh?

Lewis' book, which was recently profiled in the Wall Street Journal, notes that the school never actually says what kind of knowledge is needed.

One can't help but wonder if hearkening back to the core principles the university was founded on might be a good start. By the way, the photo at the top is of a statue of John Harvard, who has his hand upon ... the bible.

RoboFlop: Coloradans rudely awakened with a Hazy Shade of Winter

2006-07-09T23:25:00.000-06:00

If a candidate for political office in your area called you at, say, 4 in the morning asking for your vote, would you give it to him come election time?

Democratic congressional candidate Bill Winter will find out later this year after 6,000 Coloradans received a rude awaking from robo-calling gone wrong from his office. In fact, Winter himself received his own robo-call at 1:17 a.m.

But the fun doesn't stop there.

Democratic candidate Bill Ritter, which sounds more than a little like Winter -- especially at 4 a.m. -- caught heat as well, as dozens of people called his office to complain. Making matters worse, his misguided staffers referring angry callers to Trailhead Group, a Republican political committee. Ritter's drones assumed that the calls were designed to discredit their gubernatorial candidate.

I'm not sure who the bigger goof is ... the candidate whose right-hand folks can't figure out how to make calls to potential constituents while they are awake, or the similarly named governor-wannabe's staff of frat boy pranksters who immediately rerouted complaint calls to their opponent.

For what it's worth, the Denver Post reports that Winter has vowed that he would not use automated calling again in his campaign.

Growing up

2006-07-08T12:11:00.000-06:00

My son just turned 7. For many parents, the life-changing milestones of their children can bring about a period of brief melancholy: "My daughter is starting kindergarten ... she's growing up right before my eyes." Or ... "my son just learned to ride a bike without training wheels ... he'll be driving a car before we know it."

But milestones like these I have welcomed with brazen enthusiasm. Another rite of childhood passage down for my boy. Check.

That is until this morning when he burst into my wife and I's bedroom and boldly announced: "I have a loose tooth!" Most children by 7 have already lost several teeth, but my son's precious baby teeth had all remained in tact. 22 pearly whites joining together to create a perfect little toothy smile. Until now.

My little boy is growing up.

The greenhouse effect is a big hoax?

2006-07-05T22:02:00.001-06:00

OK, so I am a little slow on the uptake, but I just recently completed reading Michael Crichton's book from about a year-and-a-half ago titled State of Fear. Like previous Crichton books such as Jurassic Park or The Andromeda Strain, the book is a clever blend of a compelling fictional story (in this case, an eco-terrorist group wrecks stunning havoc all in the name of protecting the environment) with actual scientific data and analysis.

Now, perhaps you are starting to sound mental alarms that are blaring, "blending fact and faction ... sounds like the DaVinci Code." However, the element this book has that Dan Brown's novel was totally devoid of is an extensive bibliography at the end of scientific papers, books, websites, magazines and journals reinforcing the novel's assertions that the modern theory of global warming is terribly flawed. These include:

most of the warming in the past century occurred before 1940, before CO2 emissions could have been a major factor (p. 84);
temperatures fell between 1940 and 1970 even as CO2 levels increased (p. 86);
temperature readings from reporting stations outside the U.S. are poorly maintained and staffed and probably inaccurate; those in the U.S., which are probably more accurate, show little or no warming trend (pp. 88-89);
full professors from MIT, Harvard, Columbia, Duke, Virginia, and other prestigious schools ... the former president of the National Academy of Sciences ... argue that global warming is at best unproven, and at worst pure fantasy (p. 90);
temperature sensors on satellites report much less warming in the upper atmosphere (which the theory of global warming predicts should warm first) than is reported by temperature sensors on the ground (p. 99);
dire predictions of global warming during a 1988 Congressional committee hearing, which launched the global warming scare, were wrong by 300 percent (.35 degrees Celsius over the next decade vs. an actual .11 degree increase);
there has been no increase in extreme weather events (e.g., floods, tornadoes, drought) over the past century or in the past 15 years (p. 362);
temperature data are suspect because they have been adjusted and manipulated by scientists who expect to find a warming trend (p. 385-386);
sufficient data exist to measure changes in mass for only 79 of the 160,000 glaciers in the world (p. 423);
sea levels have been rising at the rate of 10 to 20 centimeters (four to eight inches) per hundred years for the past 6,000 years (p. 424);
the Kyoto Protocol, still unsigned by the U.S., would reduce temperatures by only 0.04 degrees Celsius in the year 2100 (p. 478);
computer simulations are not real-world data and cannot be relied on to produce reliable forecasts (p. 566).

Again, all of the above are backed up by independent research, or competing theories based on data, noted in Crichton's bibliography. Crichton asserts that the reasons that the above are given so little attention in the media is a combination of this scientific minority getting shouted down by those unwilling to consider other theoretical alternatives ... desire by the environmental establishment to preserve its status quo ... and the potential damage alternatives pose as scientists seek grants.

The book also asserts, both within the novel and in the epilogue, that the scientific community ignores all of the above because it conflicts with a "Theory" that most have bought into as a "Truth."

Hmmm ... sounds a little like evolutionary theory.

Predictably, NPR bashed the book and its author, while the nonprofit Heartland Institute reinforces the assertions made by Crichton.