Bucket Lists

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There's a really good reason why I have a bucket list. No, I did not see the film of same name, but I realized about a year ago that I had accomplished almost everything I wanted to do with my life in 30 years. When I made it ten years ago, I had no idea that I would be single and childless and able to go and do whatever I pleased whenever I felt it appropriate, and so many of the things on it are things where I never thought I'd have time, motive or opportunity if my life had turned out the way I originally planned.

I enjoy a new birth of freedom with the end of the month of July. Sure, it was an EXTREMELY rough month, but many of the things that hung like a shadow over everything I have built are now completely gone. So, I'm back to planning my trips to Israel and Japan, to Alaska and Lincoln Nebraska, because I can.

A former Facebook friend of mine has this as his favorite quotation, and in general I agree with the sentiment:
Life is short, break the rules, forgive quickly, kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile. Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things you didn't do than by the ones you did. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.
-Mark Twain

The premise is to go out and experience and enjoy life. I believe that God created this world for our use and enjoyment, with things to catch the eye and gladden the heart. That's why I often go out stargazing or sit in the driveway and watch the sun set. There are so many amazing things to see that do not come via URL.

My life may not be where I imagined it to be, but I remain the master of my experiences and choices. The life I choose is not just my choice, so I took control of the things where the choice is entirely up to me. If and when the time comes for me to be what I choose above all else, I will be uniquely educated, experienced, and endowed to be the best father I can be because while I waited I didn't just burn time, I invested it.

Make a bucket list, and then go do some of the things on it this year. Your life will never be the same.

GOBNet Poisons the Well

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One of the greatest things for me growing up was that every few years because my father would be transferred by the military, we got to start over fresh. New people, new strategy, and new environment were all possible without anyone there to poison the well against us. It was both bane and boon, as I will attempt to describe, because wherever you go, there are 'natives' and 'transplants', and the natives, who form the Good-Old-Boy-Network (GOBNet) are responsible for damage wherever you go.

All growing up, I wished I could have lived in one place. I don't have old friends, but I also don't have old enemies. As I've lived in this town for three years now, I see that it can be very clannish and snobish, that those who have been here all their lives or for generations (Vegas is less than 100 years old, so they aren't THAT native) snub those who came here new. They naturally and rightly so prefer the company of people with whom they share a common bond built of experience and circumstance. When I have a problem is when they exclude you because you're not one of them and include others because they read the 'right' books, date the 'right' people, attend the 'right' venues, and live in the 'right' parts of town.

Even more egregious is when they actively undermine you. When you come into a new place, they don't have any dirt on you (except via Facebook now which is a veritable mine of data people can garner about you without having to actually speak to you), so they can't poison the well against those who are already here. They can however poison the well against you with any other transplants who come in your wake. After all, the GOBNet knows because they've been here for a long time and they've known you longer, allbeit a week longer in some cases.

Most of the relationships in which I've ever been (romantic and benign) were undermined because stupid people poisoned the well. Friends or family have told girls towards whom I had affection that it was a waste of time or that I wasn't what they wanted. They either told half truths or whole lies, both of which are typical GOBNet tactics to assault character when they cannot argue substantively. Others have undermined vocational, educational, intellectual, and social relationships because I was 'too patriotic', 'too frugal', 'too smart', 'too awkward', 'too dour', 'too bearded', 'too Mormon', etc., in order for any interaction to bear fruit.

Why do they do this? You and I ask this question a lot. First off, I find that people who are uncomfortable with me are uncomfortable at the core with themselves. Everyone wants to be accepted for who they really are without having to return the favor, and most people don't know who they are or maintain multiple true but seperate personas in order to ingratiate themselves in different social circles. I am myself all the time, and people can't handle that. Secondly, the GOBNet poisons the well because they are jealous. Most of them want friends or dates who won't expect much from them. They can't stand that you accomplished something more than they did and without their help or permission! They don't like themselves, and so they don't like that you are better than they are. Maybe you're not better in every way, but if you are better in the ones that throw stark contrast on what they have not yet accomplished, well, the GOBNet can't have that.

Almost all of societal ills come from selfishness. The GOBNet wants to accomplish but does not want others to accomplish anything more than they do or without their help. They know what they want, and they want it now. Unfortunately, when innocent people drink from the poisoned well, it also colors their perception of us. The other day, a friend of mine lamented this trend:

It is very disappointing that the mistakes of others and the baggage they leave us with shapes other peoples opinions for years to come. --Wil Dixon 28 Jul 10

If you want to know about me, ask me. Then when you are convinced of what I am, hold onto it through all the gales and mighty winds that come upon you to break that opinion apart. If you doubt my faith in Christ, my patriotism, or my moral fortitude, then you do not know me very well. Come watch me worship, read what I write, look at what I hang on my wall and watch how I treat women, and if you still believe what you believed when they fed you kool-aid, then nothing can convince you. I am an ordinary man, but I am a man, and I really am what I purport myself to be.

And when you find a poisoned well, cure it.

Be Slow to Judge

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I wish there was a better way to do this, but I wanted to share this video with you. It's a poignant reminder to us to be slow to judge and ask more questions.

View the video here:
http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=125696274123574

This video is suitable for all audiences as far as I know.

Pull the Plug on the Volt

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The news today tells you only part of the story. According to the talking heads, Nissan and GM are in a 'price war' with their new electric cars. Why, if it's such a good idea and so many people clamour for it, should they get into a price war? Price wars ensue when companies have to compete for business. They are good for consumers, no matter what Obama says about how bad it is to have so many business entities. If we demand it, more companies will produce it, which will create competition for our patronage. There's more to it however than that.

Reality is, there is not much demand for these cars. I don't know about you, but I'm not in a hurry to go out and spend $41,000 to buy a sedan. Maybe if I wanted to buy a Suburban, but not for a status symbol like this. It amazes me how much you have to pay now just to show you care about "saving the planet".

Chevy Volts have a lot of problems. First off, they run on batteries which are a very inefficient storage medium and very heavy and expensive to replace both fiduciarily and environmentally. These batteries are so bad that the car goes only 40 miles on a charge, which means I would have to charge it while at work just to drive home. Backup gas tank gets 375 miles, and the fact that they have one is basically a tantamount admission that most peopel rely on gas to get where they are going. Do you want to charge the car for three or four hours every time you drive somewhere? You have a 20 mile maximum radius on batteries. This car is the most expensive Chevy on the road. Our administration announced that it comes with a $7500tax credit, which is tantamount to an admission that nobody wants one.

Obama touts this as a major effort while he ramps up his effort to ban coal. How will we get the electricity with which to charge the car if they ban coal? Las Vegas generates a large portion of its energy via coal burning power plants about 10 miles north of town at Apex and 50 miles further at Hidden Valley. Wait until you see the electric bill skyrocket from plugging in your electric car! How will we get that extra energy? From more coal burned out at those power plants. Moreover, if you have to run your Air Conditioner in our 108-115F temperatures right now, that is sure to impact the maximum range. There is still a long way to go and some real tough questions to ask about how to do this right before electric can take hold.

Furthermore, who's to say that something better than an electric car will not come along in the meantime? That’s why I haven’t bought into BluRay. I am not convinced that something else won't come along before they stop making DVDs that is better, cheaper, and more to my taste, and so I'm in no hurry. Knee jerk reactions almost always lead to mistakes. Pull the plug on the volt. Nobody wants one.

To Them Ascribed be Honor and Majesty...

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Lindsay Lohan, 24, gets her name and face all over the news because she finally went to jail. There are some other names we ought to remember instead.
Justin Allen, 23
Brett Linley, 29
Matthew Weikert, 29
Justus Bartett, 27
Dave Santos, 21
Chase Stanley, 21
Jesse Reed, 26
Matthew Johnson, 21
Zachary Fisher, 24
Brandon King, 23
Christopher Goeke, 23
Sheldon Tate, 27
are all Marines that gave their lives for you this week. Honor THEM by reposting this..

In August, 2009, I mentioned a few more I know, living and dead, who gave their lives, or at least part of them, to fight for you.

Joe P E-4 USA (KIA-Iraq) Armor
Carole S E-3 USA (WIA-Iraq) MP
Blake S E-3 USMC Infantry
Blaine D E-5 USMC Infantry
Kristina R E-8 USN Engine Room Control
Brian G 0-3E USAF(WIA-Columbia) Intel
Paul W 0-5 USAF WSO
Matthew A E-2 USMC Communications
John W 0-1 USA Infantry
Matthew H 0-3 USAF ABM
Casey B WO-2 USA Helicopter Pilot
Russell G E-7 USN Seal
Arthur S E-9 USMC (WIA-Vietnam) Infantry
Peter K E-4 USA(WIA-Afghanistan) MP
and others too numerous to mention...

Updated 22 February, 2010

Jay Q 0-1E USA Sniper/Medic (WIA-Panama)
"Tex" S 0-6 USAAC Pilot (WIA-Korea)
William D E-3 USN Submariner
Tasha J E-5 USN Communications
Michelle S E-5 USA Mechanic
Jay A E-3 USMC Infantry

Hey Soul Sister

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I don't know exactly why, but this song makes me feel happy. The beat is simple, the lyrics aren't really important, because all I need to hear are the first few notes before he starts to sing and my mood immediately lifts. Anyone who tells you that music doesn't affect us deceives himself.

Here it is for your listening pleasure:

If You Want to Know, Ask Me

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There's a lot of gossip and hearsay in the world. There are also a lot of people who depend on other people to deliver them information. Whether they rely on news or actually delegate people to go out and find details, the more stops between the source and yourself, the more the data is likely to be skewed. Remember the old telephone game made recently famous by the Oreo Cakester ad where the boy ends up with the message "Billy has his first chest hair" instead of "Billy has an oreo cakester".

Recent events in my life have been 'exciting'. People have wanted to know details about them. Some of those people ask people who know me instead of asking me themselves. A few weeks ago when someone asked my father about me, I told him they should ask me. Since then, he has deferred them to me.

For the past several months, I have argued a lot with people who like Glenn Beck. I am glad he has inspired them to read, but his books are filtered access to information from first sources. Most of the people I know who have read Beck's books (I haven't read anything he wrote) have decided they don't need to actually read first source material. They rely on Beck's interpretation. Last week, a friend of mine asked me where I got the "Rebellion to Tyrants is Obedience to God" seal on my blog because Beck is using it for his online university. I told him that it was Franklin's suggestion for the Great Seal of the United States. So far as I know, Beck uses it without attribution.

If you want to know something, ask the source. We got in the bad habit in school on tests when questions asked us to read a passage and then tell the testator what the author was thinking. I always thought it was more relevant to ask the author than to ask me. I didn't after all write the passages. If you want to know something, ask the first source. They have all the details, in context, with supporting material. Some of them may lie, but at least then the news reaches you without a bunch of filters through other people. If you want to know something about me, ask me. Don't ask my relatives, my friends, my coworkers, my enemies or people who have never met me. To me it makes more sense to ask me.

What Really Matters

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For years, I have known the following poem. It is one of my grandfather's favorites, recited for the first time about a dozen years ago at a family reunion.

My Mother Says
My Mother says she doesn't care
About the color of my hair
Or if my eyes are blue or brown
Or if my nose turns up or down
My Mother says these things don't matter.

My Mother says she doesn't care,
If I'm, dark or if I'm, fair
If I'm thin or if I'm fat
She doesn't' fret o'er things like that
She says these things don't really matter.

But if I cheat or tell a lie
Or do mean things to make folks cry,
Or if I'm rude or impolite,
And these things really matter.

It isn't looks that make one great
It's character that seals our fate.
It's what's within our hearts you see
That makes or mars our destiny

And that's what really matters.

For years, I have made it a veritable crusade to do only what matters. There is however concurrently a campaign in my life to convince me to do things that don't really matter. I am everything women say they choose except 'rich' and 'hot', both of which are illusions. They often ignore the good things I do to focus on the beard or on the type of car I drive.

Well-meaning friends lecture me about a change in packaging. If I drove a different car or wore different clothes, I would attract girls, but not necessarily the kind of girls I want to attract. My friends think I need to sacrifice my values to get a woman so I can sacrifice more of what i want to keep her happy and then give up everything else for children.

Friday when I spoke to a close friend, he told me I was easy to sell. Unlike some people who have to 'clothe themselves in odd old ends stolen forth from holy writ' (Richard III), I actually have things to back up what I am and what others think me to be. If my hair or clothes don't really matter, why do people harp on it? I am a man of great character. I never claim to be perfect, but I do my best with what I have.

Eventually, people choose to be with people who really offer the things that matter. When all the partying and games are over, men and women choose the best person they think they can find. I chose a long time ago an honorable life over one that is financially successful or full of fame. That's what really matters to me.

What matters to you? If you haven't thought it out yet, I recommend it.

Firemen Nextdoor

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I awoke this morning to a strange combination of sirens and dog barks. From the upstairs window, I could see firetrucks, paramedics, and the police in the street adjacent to where I live. One house over and two houses down (like a Knight moves in Chess), a home had caught fire somehow, and emergency personnel had responded.

Things calmed down for me fairly quickly. Once the dogs were out of their kennels, they were fine and just sat on a mound of dirt and rocks while they took it in. Neighbors looked on from balconies (the streets were all blocked off by police), and the firemen got to work, even though smoke was still billowing from the home when I left for work two hours later.

I go by this house all the time. The people moved in a few months ago when they bought it as a foreclosure, and they seemed nice albeit quiet and withdrawn. If it had been one of their adjacent neighbors, I might have been more excited because one of them worked for my parents on their house and the other is an elderly retired policeman with whom I have frequent interactions as he and I cycle the same route at nearly the same time among other things.

I was impressed with the response. True, I live in a relatively quiet part of town, but we did have a really bad T-bone collission a few weeks back at a bad corner and a murder a few blocks away last week, so the emergency personnel were probably bored, but they were there and they were about their business calmly and promptly. Glad as I was that it was not a fire where I lived, I felt good to know that so many people might respond that quickly.

My experiences with emergency personnel have not exactly been glowing. The fire station where I worked the polls in 2006 was full of condescending men with attitudes. I've never actually met a cop I liked. Last time I needed emergency medical care, the British paramedics didn't notice I had a dislocated jaw that healed improperly. However, when you need help, it's nice to have someone there.

I hope those people are ok.

Housing Still Stalled

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Despite what my realtor asserts, Housing has stalled again, just as I expected it would and predicted. Thanks to the Wall Street Journal, there is evidence of that. Even as realtors here keep homes from me and try to incite bidding wars, they don't seem interested in actually selling a house even as there continue to be supplies on the market.

Why does the Las Vegas housing market suck? This article mentions a variety of reasons. According to a figure in the article, we have 63 months supply of homes that have lost 22.4% value in the last quarter alone in a city with 14.2% unemployment and almost 23% of home loans in arrears. There is no reason for people to move here. We have nothing for them to do. Our governor has opposed extension of unemployment benefits. The jobs Harry Reid claims to have saved are all gone. The president tells people not to come here and spend money when our economy rests largely on tourism. Vegas is dying.

Beyond that, there are government programs that cause problems. The housing credit expired, and we saw in the wake of that a decline in home demand, which revealed the increased demand was driven by the tax credit and not as a sign of recovering economic conditions.

I have seen what I believe to be unethical behavior as well. I have seen homes disappear off the market when I was the one pestering the listing agent for a key. I have had realtors try to engage me in bidding wars. I have seen homes mysteriously disappear from the market after a day, just as I was enroute to see it. I am almost fed up. Add to that, sellers have hiked 5-15% onto the previous prices to reflect a 'recovery', and I'm not buying it. I like some of these homes, but not enough to pay that much extra, which is part of why I turned a short sale I really liked back over to Chase last week, because they wanted $16,000 more than I offered. Really?

Honestly, I am buying a home because it will cost me about the same to own one as it does to rent. The advantages are that the house would be mine and that I could own it for about what it cost brand new. I like my privacy, I like my dogs, and I like to have a garden, which just aren't likely in an apartment. Also, all of these homes are a better deal than the one I bought in 2003 and sold in 2005. I don't need a lot, because I am single, but I would like to have something that is my own.

What Men Really Want

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Men sometimes get a bad rap. Sure, there are lots of idiotic fops and misogynists out there, but there are also real men. You don't have to be like me to be a man, but I see a lot of girls pick guys who are not men and then complain on Facebook that they can't find men. Well, girls, you don't find men in the places you are looking.

Contrary to popular belief, most men want a family. Sometimes it's for the benefits they have socially, vocationally, or spiritually, but we are hard wired to seek after that. It really is bad for man to be alone. Even a survey done by AskMen.com today agrees, that over successful or visible careers, men rank 'having a family' as their number 1 priority for status.

Girls complain to me when I don't date them. I only date women that I can see as being my wife. You might be cute or fun or 'have a great personality', but I look forward to what makes a Home, and if you don't have any of those things or even enough, then "it was nice to meet you and have a nice day".

I am pretty old fashioned. I get the doors, get the check, pick the girl up, buy her flowers, meet the parents and save certain things for after the "I do". I set the bar pretty high. It's kind of disappointing, because lots of girls I know talk about how much they want a great guy or wish they could find someone like me and then fail to pick me. I am the company you keep.

Men know, even if only subconsciously, that their success lies in their lineage. What do men really want? A help meet, not just someone who hopes to meet their help. We don't need any more female friends; we seek something more. So, girls, if you push us away for dates, don't be surprised if we move on. You proved you're not capable of being our wife, and that's what we really want.

China's Oil Spill: WORSE

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While our president, the media, and a few hand-picked individuals bemoan the disaster of the BP oil spill in the gulf almost three months ago, they ignore China. The pictures are phenomenal, which is why I stole this one offline because I want you to be able to see it once Yahoo takes it down.

None of the crude 'oozing' or 'spewing' from the well BP lost looks this bad.

We're having trouble finding oil at see. The tar balls are sporadic. BP dropped a chemical to dispurse much of it. Ships from skimming operations are being redeployed because there isn't much oil near the leak. They cannot find it in the Gulf if they look. They aren't even looking at China.

In America, we lost jobs. In China, they lose people. Chinese workers are out there with straw and chopsticks as they face oil that is already hardening. Their efforts are inefficient, and yet they hope to have it cleaned up in five days. How come they can do that in five days and it took Obama almost three months? If we were allowed to drill closer to land, it would be easier to stop the damage.

China, however, will escape all kinds of protests, fees, etc. while our president bans oil exploration here. China will move on, even at the expense of men who drown like the man in that photo and tell their people it's tough. China destroys the planet and ignores the EPA and Greenpeace and other organizations. We cripple ourselves while other nations exacerbate the 'problem' domestic enemies of oil and gas allege. If China ignores them, what good are their efforts? They just hurt America, rendering her noncompetitive and impotent. Brilliant.

Angle Can Win

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Polls show that Reid has passed up Angle in the Senate race in Nevada. Well, I find it odd that people believe that when everything else the Las Vegas Review-Journal writes averages tripe. The truth, however, is something else.

The media tells us who they fear by whom they attack. If Angle were irrelevant, they would ignore her or minimize the relevance of her campaign. The fact of the matter is that they attack her, ruthlessly, because she just might beat him, and they can't have that. Some of you get dispirited because you wanted someone else or because you believe the reports that the media print and aren't sure you'll vote for Angle over Reid. What happened to the "anybody but Harry" banners? I can see at least two in the track I jog thrice weekly. Six more years of Reid would be sooooooooooooooooo much better? Please.

The best advice I can give you is to stop listening to the news- Fox, CNN, ABC, all of it. If there is something about which you wish to know, get on Yahoo (not Google) and do your own search. Anyone who reports to you has an agenda; even I have an agenda that filters what I pass on. Only if you do the search yourself can you filter to whom you decide to hearken, and if you list to obey and believe one side, then you own the outcome. however, if you don't like what you read, you can continue to search for opposition claims and build your own case. The media feeds you what it wants you to hear. They want you to be dispirited and despondent and dejected and feel freedom fall away from you. Educate yourself. Render the news impotent. You'll also have more peaceful evenings and feel more excited about that which you read.

Most of the media echoes the same message: Angle is a kook, Angle is losing, and Angle isn't great. Well, they must be afraid of her. Why do bad things happen to good people? Simple: Pests are not attracted to things that are already spoiled.

If Angle were out, they would move on and attack someone or something else. If they ignore you, you're sunk.

Random Thought

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Girls:

You may not be his first, his last, or his only. He loved before, he may love again. But if he loves you what else matters? He's not perfect-you aren't either, and the two of you may never be perfect together but if he can make you laugh, cause you to think twice, and admit to being human and making mistakes, hold on to him and give him the most you can. He may not be thinking bout you every second of the day, but he will give you a part of his that he knows you can break-his heart. So don't hurt him, don't change him, don't analyze him and don't expect more than he can give.
-Jon Almovada

Best Gifts

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I have more 'stuff' than I really care to admit. Although I am proud of my collection of books and think it will one day make a very impressive library, i have plenty for my needs. When I finally buy a home, I look forward to a "throwing away party" at which to dispose of certain items.

My friend Jay says that at every turning point in life, it helps to get rid of things you own that hold you back and hold you down. Last night, I started to accumulate items into boxes for semi-permanent storage. Many items found their way into the garbage or donation receptacles, but a few things I just cannot throw away.

For me, the best gifts are the things other people make for you or at least make personal. Sure, some people have personalized things in only the most remote sense of the word. However, back in High School, I wrote everyone a personal poem instead of the common sobriquet normally scribbled into those memories.

Very few of my friends have ever made things for me that matter. The ones who have, where I know it came from their hearts, I kept. Where not enshrined in a place of honor, they remain entombed in perpetuity because I value them as I valued those friendships.

If you ever made me something or personalized it, I probably still have it. If not, I am sorry. I may have lost it in a move. I am eternally grateful that you spent a portion of your life on me.

Brethren, adieu.

Harry Reid: Presidential Puppet

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I caught a brief glimpse of Obama's speech at UNLV during the transition from Reid's remarks to his own. Aside from being a farcical circus, Reid was equally embarassing. He basically drooled over the President and then blushed as the President said Harry was the best thing that happened to Nevada since God created it. While the President praised him, Reid awkwardly fumbled for his seat with his posterior facing the audience. How embarassing.

Then he sat there in a visible but inappropriate position of honor. Why did Harry remain on the stage during the President's remarks in the only chair on stage? It wasn't even a good chair- one of those hard plastic ones we use in classrooms everywhere. When the camera was correctly positioned, he was like a page number in the footing of the frame, just to the president's lower left. He grinned like a small child. It was embarassing.

Obama in Vegas: Boon or Bane?

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After fragging Las Vegas, the President has condescended to pay us a visit today. Well, he will be here, but he will not be here to visit the people. He might be afraid. We have really high foreclosures and unemployment, and we got the least amount of stimulus money from the bills he signed. He tells people to avoid coming here. I am honestly surprised he has any fans left in this town.

Obama is here to stump for Harry Reid. He will head first to Aria at City Center, a project for which Reid has taken credit as a boon for jobs. Nevermind all the jobs Harry saved are now gone since construction is over. Then there's an invitation only rally and fundraiser for Harry's campaign. Tomorrow he will speak at UNLV, our local public university, but it will not be open to the public. None of his visit will.

To add insult to injury, Obama's visit will be a pain for the city. In addition to road closures and such, I have no idea at what cost in taxpayer money he comes here. On top of that, it's not for the people. It's for Harry Reid and other Democrat candidates. It's a campaign visit.

My consolation in this is that Obama seems to sink whatever he supports. Candidates for whom he campaigned all lost, and sports games or teams he attended or backed were losers (the World Cup game he watched was the one the US lost). Maybe this bodes poorly for Reid. I can only hope.

It gets on my nerves that Obama comes here and does nothing open to the public. I can't face him, see him, sneer at him, inquire of him, or even fawn over him (assuming I wanted to) unless I happen to be on the street when he drives by. Although I was on the corner in Washington when George W Bush drove by one night, that was only because we couldn't decide where to eat and he passed us as we debated. Vegas is not a town where you spend time on the street during the summer.

You decide. Will Obama's visit be good for Vegas? I guess that really depends on your point of view. Unlike his events, this blog is open to the public.

Life Lesson #2: Get Over Yourself

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I know a lot of people who have Center of the Universe Syndrome. They think that everything revolves around them. You know them- they turn every conversation into something about themselves and brag or try to One-up you on everything you have to say. These people complain incessantly but claim to be the biggest charitable hearts you know. Nobody is more caring about others than they are.

Although both of the following statements are often rude, we as a species do need to hear them from time to time: "It's not about you" and "Get over yourself". In the bottom line, we are completely insignificant. Sometimes we lose track of this because in our small environ we appear to be powerful or important, but on an Astronomical scale, everything we do and say and have is completely irrelevant. just ask an astronaut who has seen the earth from orbit how big you appear to the rest of the universe.

I wonder if God allowed us to explore space just so we could begin to comprehend how impotent and irrelevant we are. True, we are important to him, but even to our own planet, some plastic bags or flattulence or a campfire can't upset the earth too much. Even if we tried, I doubt people could destroy the earth, and we are equally powerless to save it.

You may have money or power or popularity; those things are all temporary. Eventually, we all die, and then our power and money and popularity die with us. People don't usually gather at the mosoleum of a leader millenia dead and worship his power and influence. We are just people. What we are is not important; what we do defines us.

Get over yourself and go out and do something worth doing.

Life Lesson #1: Control

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The department secretary asked me this morning how I am. I told her that everything I control is under control. My problem is that most things are not under my control at all!

We have this great delusion as a species that we have power to change things. When things don't go our way, we wonder what we could have done differently. The problem is that usually we're not the only people whose decisions went into play, and so even if we did right, if everyone else did wrong, we can't usually negate all of their activity by ourselves.

You have to get rid of your illusions of control. When you have choices to make and work to do, take control of the parts you control and do them well. If things go badly after that, take control of the products of the event over which you have control and make something of them. You may be familiar with the serenity prayer. There are things we simply cannot change. Time moves forward, gravity holds us down, and beauty is always fleeting or fake.

Basically, you control what raw materials you put in and what you do with the results of your efforts. If you put good materials in, you can get better products out, but only if the machinations that modify the materials add value. What comes out of the machine isn't under your control unless you made the machine. All you can do is make the best of what results.

Everything in my life that I control is under control. I also realize that most of life is far beyond my poor power to add or detract. When things happen beyond my control, I trust in a higher power to make something of it and look for the next opportunity to make something of my life.

Freedom for Body and Soul

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As we celebrate our nation's freedom, there are a few coincidences to consider today. True freedom, that espoused by and fought for by the Founders of Liberty, consists in freedom of body and soul. If that were not so, Jefferson's monument would have different inscriptions. If that were not so, then people would not be so willing to fight just to go through the motions.

Soldiers and statesmen fight for the freedom of the body and mind to act. Their selfless sacrifice is something we indeed treasure. Many of them lost their lives. Many of them lost their fortunes.

There is another freedom fighter we often forget. In this land and on this day, I think it behooves us to think of Jesus Christ. He also laid down his life in the cause of Freedom. By his sacrifice, we are free from the consequences of sin and death. It is indeed fitting that the Fourth falls on a Sunday.

As you remember your fathers, brothers, and sons, remember also that Other Son, in whom we trust.

God Bless America, and Happy Birthday. I hope I look as good when I'm 234 years old ;).

I Like Hikers

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I have come to find that I like almost everyone I encounter when I hike. With few exceptions, they are people who enjoy the outdoors for more than that which they can take from it. On my hike today, we found only two pieces of discarded refuse. The people were all cheerful. Many of them were helpful. Several of them treated us like old friends.

It felt like you belonged to a club. There are no dues, no regular meetings, and only one rule: leave the wilderness as you found it. Our shared interest made us instantly close unlike most people I encounter in the real world. Like me, they came to the mountain (10,200 feet above sea level) to escape most people and their incessant quest for things of little worth.

Now, there are exceptions. I have taken people hiking who came because they had an agenda. I have taken people hiking who were forced to go. Those people don't come again. The mountain is not a place for those who take the path of least resistance.

Atop the peak we climbed today is a very ancient tree. All of those we saw under its branches treated it with the reverance one has for their own elders. It stood up to the buffetings of the elements. It, like the people who came to see it, seeks strength.

Why do I climb mountains? I love the beauty of God's creations. Even the humans I encounter on the mountain are full of felicitations and fascinations, and we know there that we are brothers. It is a glorious place to be.

Problems with Environmentalist Victory

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Imagine my surprise to read an article this morning that there might be problems if the environment actually recovers. For years, the Envirostatists have made a big hullabaloo about how our activities have destroyed the ozone layer and how that could lead to an end of all life on earth. Now, it seems that in repairing it, we stand to suffer as well. Statism is a no-win scenario for most people, and this is proof positive.

Without the shield, we would burn up. With its recovery, we now run the risk of being choked by smog.

What they will actually do is use this as a reason to reduce our ability to drive our own cars. Obviously, we must curtail ALL human activity because even when we fix one part, it exacerbates another one. Yet, the volcano in Iceland a few months back put out more CO2 into the atmosphere during its eruption than man has in all the years since the industrial revolution began COMBINED. It's about restricting freedom.

The more victories they win, the more they must win, or else it wasn't worth it to begin with. Why don't we try just leaving well enough alone for a change and see what the earth does? Obviously, the earth wasn't concerned about CO2 when the volcano in Iceland erupted. If it were a big problem, the earth would do something about it.

I believe that it is the highest arrogance to believe that we puny humans can affect anything on the planet. In astronomical terms, we are completely and utterly irrelevant. For all we know scientifically, we are the only planet in the universe with intelligent life, and so we are an anomaly, a plague. I love this satire by George Carlin:

WARNING: Contains some profanity. Listener assumes all liability for exposure to these words.

When the earth is finished with us, if there is no God, it will do away with us. Since there is a God, he will make sure things get buffered before we go to far. We don't need people to tell us that. in their godless world and on astronomical terms, they quite frankly don't matter, and neither does anything else we do.

Don't Be Sorry; Be Better

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I have often been asked to forgive things people do to me, purposed or accidental. Being sorry however doesn’t make it better. It just makes you feel better because you have assuaged your own guilt, but the fact that you are sorry changes nothing for me. How would it make it better for me that you feel better about having not done right by me? We spend too little effort on one facet of repentance: making things right.

For your benefit, I present the steps of repentance for your edification. I wish I knew from whence I drew them, but here they are:

Recognize
Remorse
Recount
Recant
Restitution
Repent
Rinse
Repeat

I will explain them all briefly.

Recognize: In order to fix a problem, you first have to know you have one and why and what you should have done. This is the only passive step, but it is often one of the hardest. Very few people take criticism well, even when they ask for it, because most people believe they are doing the best with what they have. What we really mean when we offer them advice is that we hope they will be better.

Remorse: This couples well with recognize, and is a constraint because many people think they did right. With different beliefs, values, norms, and environs, it is difficult to explain sometimes that an action is wrong. Nobody will act on the other steps until he decides to feel bad for what he did, and in order to do that, he must know what he should do.

Recount: Most of the time, you can simply recount your mistakes to God. He knows anyway, but he has impressed upon us the importance of actual verbal admission. In some cases, he asks us to recount it to someone who can absolve us on his behalf. This is designed to help make sure our repentance is complete and our conscience emerges clear. In the recounting, you specify exactly for what you realized you feel remorse and then can customize your own plan to make it right.

Recant: In order to move on, we must swear not to repeat the mistake. This is tricky, because we are prone to repeat things when we have long-entrenched habits. However, it is part of an earnest and honest effort to make things right to recant and deny ourselves opportunity to repeat the offense.

Restitution: Perhaps the most abused and overlooked step, full repentance requires that me make things right. Return what you steal, endeavor to repair reputation, etc. Some things cannot be restored. In that case, the person to whom we recount the error can give guidance on how to make it right in the eyes of the lord. Most people who are sorry make no effort to make it right. They expect me to just forgive them that they wronged me. God requires that things be set right as best they can.

Repent: You go before the Lord and ask him to forgive you. We often skip to this part. If you meet the requirements, he has promised that it will be done. You explain what you did to make it right, to make yourself better, and ask him to cover your sins through the merit of his son.

Rinse: As a first-time repenter, you get baptized by immersion as Christ for the remission of sins. Subsequently, we partake in the sacrament as at Passover in remembrance of Christ and ask him to take away the new blemishes with which our garments are stained. This is often skipped as well.

Repeat: Whenever you repeat a sin or begin a new one, as you inevitably will because you are imperfect as long as you live, it is a commandment to repent again. Christ promised that he will forgive his people as often as they repent. It is important to continually cleanse ourselves.

Be a better person. That's the real purpose of Christ's sacrifice- to give us the opportunity to overcome our shortcomings and become better people every day, people with whom God can be pleased and fellowship. The atonement of Christ, one man said, serves to make bad men good and good men better.

Don't be sorry. Be better.

*if I have offended you in any way, please let me know, and as much as lies in my power, I will endeavor to make it right.