Staggering Numbers

A few days ago it seemed pretty astounding that the death toll from last week's tsunami could reach 40,000. The official number of confirmed dead is now 138,631. That doesn't include all the nameless fishermen who made their living around the islands of Indonesia - and their families.

I've heard the toll could even go as high as 500,000.

The people of South Asia could use whatever help we can offer. Many relief agencies say what they need most is cash.

I also offer up this prayer: Heavenly Father, I ask you to reach out those who have survived this horrible disaster. Give them their daily bread and a safe place to sleep. Help them get on their feet again. Give them hope in the face of despair. These things I pray in the name of your Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Nativity Scenes - Latest Additions To Our Collection

My wife S has taken to collecting nativity scenes in recent years. I thought I'd show off our newest additions.

This one I believe is a Cabbage Patch nativity scene. The box that stores these figures actually becomes part of the scene. Clever.

This one is very simple (Mary, Joseph, and Jesus) but pretty much gets the point across, spelling out JOY.

And this one is now our favorite, featuring characters from Veggie Tales. Note that all the figures are vegetables - even the cow is two vegetables in a cow costume! And when you press on the star, it sings O Little Town of Bethlehem in a somewhat childlike voice that strains to hit the high notes (not unlike myself trying to sing on Christmas Eve).

Nice Little Mountain Hike

Yesterday I thought it would be nice to take a little hike and sightseeing tour of the White Tank Mountains located on the far west end of the Phoenix metro area. This photo was taken just inside the entrance to White Tank Mountain Regional Park:

Here's another view of the mountains from the north side of the park looking south.

This photo was taken along the Waterfall Trail, looking upstream. Infrequent torrential rains flow off of the steep, serrated mountain peaks, through the canyons, and onto the plain below. Floodwaters, pouring down chutes and dropping off of ledges, have scoured out several depressions, or tanks, in the white granite below, thereby giving the White Tank Mountains their name. If you look carefully in this photo, you can see how the canyon narrows significantly. At the end of this canyon lies one of these white tanks. The waterfall forming it is just out of the picture to the right of the end of the canyon.

This is the white tank at the end of the canyon.

And this is the waterfall feeding it from above:

The White Tank Mountains also have plenty of these petroglyphs left by the ancient Hohokam Indians.

Earthquake

You will hear of wars and rumors of wars, but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places. Matthew 24:6, 7

Despite the rumblings of mankind, God always seems to make His presence known. Such was the case yesterday, when a 9.0 earthquake struck deep under the Indian Ocean. The quake itself probably hurt no one. But the massive tsunami created by this massive temblor will perhaps be regarded the most devastating natural disaster in recent history. Somewhere between one-third and one-half of the victims are children.

New estimates predict the death toll could reach as high as 45,000. An estimated one million have been displaced. And to make matters worse, the UN has just issued an epidemic warning for the region.

Numerous relief agencies are already mobilized to deal with the crisis. As for me, I've already designated the offering from my last paycheck towards UMCOR. I hope that you, through whatever organization [more links] you choose, would consider the same.

Amazingly Refreshed

Well it's back to work today and tomorrow. In some ways it didn't seem like a holiday - just a really jam-packed weekend. But evidently I've gotten enough sleep and gotten over my cold enough that I actually feel rested. Work is still a little stressful, but we've got more people working our stuff this week. So it's not too bad. I still look forward to some time off at the end of this week though. Then I can do some serious relaxation!

It Is A Wonderful Life

Merry Christmas to all of you. And I must say that this was an enjoyable day indeed. As usual I didn't ask much for Christmas - I just distributed a wish list to various family members and I got several things off of that list plus a few well-appreciated surprises.

This morning as I was getting ready to head out to our girls' apartment I got a phone call from my four-year old grandson proclaiming that Santa had visited there. Cute.

I arrived with more presents, and after breakfast, the air was filled with the sound of ripping paper and sounds of gratitude. Little J even stopped to look at the new clothes he got. Toys were assembled, and there was much rejoicing. Then J's dad came by to pick him up and it got noticeably quieter. Ah, kids.

Late this afternoon we had my folks and my brother over for dinner and more gift exchanges. It was a pretty simple but well-put-together dinner. My dad brought over a honey-baked ham and we made the fixings (including green bean casserole cooked in S's brand-new Campbell's Soup Green Bean Casserole Dish!) Meanwhile the dog kept us entertained by looking pretty and circling several times before plopping down into her doggie bed.

Perhaps the most poignant moment came after we left the girls' apartment and dropped in on S's brother and his family. There was a bit of a falling out with S's brother this past year because of some issues he was having (which really weren't his fault). Nonetheless, some feelings had been hurt and damage done. But S decided to make a bold move toward reconciliation. Earlier in the fall, she had been making scrapbooks (with family photos and stories) for the girls. S took it further and made one for her brother J (which he picked up on his last visit from California). By then she was inspired to make one for her other brother J (who lives just over a mile from us).

Dropping by J's house with this gift was the awesome experience I hoped it would be. Whatever walls had been built between S and J came tumbling down in an instant. Of course there were hugs all around. It was good to see J and his wife again. It was also good to see my nephew, two nieces, and my grand-niece again. We had gotten there as they were in the middle of opening presents; it was a lot of fun to watch that going on. But it was especially touching to see S and J sitting together as J looked at each page and told S all the family stories he remember from the photos. That's what Christmas is about, isn't it?

It really is a wonderful life!

Wrapping Presents - A New Tradition

I don't know about you but I hate wrapping presents. It's just a dreary job that takes too long. And that was the task that I had to look forward to coming home from work yesterday.

There was something else I desperately wanted to do, something to make my Christmas season more complete - watch It's A Wonderful Life. I just love that movie.

So I popped in our DVD of It's A Wonderful Life and had it playing while I wrapped the presents.

I think I've found a new holiday tradition!

Terrible Week to Have a Cold

There's never a good time to catch a cold and have to deal with it. But this was definitely not a good week.

I've heard it said that a cold generally lasts a week if you do nothing, but if you do the rest and fluids and take all the drugs to relieve your symptoms it takes seven days. Do the math. And this was definitely not a good week.

Did I mention this was not a good week to have a cold? Well, it wasn't.

First of all, I had just gotten over bronchitis (a bacterial infection) a week before. But this was a virus. Probably the same one my wife was hosting while my anti-bacterial meds were whipping my last bout of bronchitis. I thought I was home free as far as being able to sing Christmas Eve. The prickly feeling in the back of my throat a week ago said otherwise.

I immediately attacked with some Zicam which is supposed to lessen the severity and perhaps shorten the duration of your cold. Well, my symptoms were less severe. However, I still had a bit of trouble with my vocal cords after last Sunday. By Tuesday I was pretty hoarse (although I didn't quite sound like Barry White as I have in the past).

Thankfully, I had the bulk of my Christmas shopping done, so the stress of holiday shopping was not a factor. I just had some gift certificates and a CD to buy, and that was a piece of cake.

Most of the stress came from work. We had a rather high volume come in and only half of our usual crew to get it done. We had to be creative to get it all done, and didn't quite finish (but we did quite well anyway).

Thursday night's rehearsal found me with not much workable singing voice and not much help to the rest of the tenor section. But it was a rehearsal I couldn't very well skip as Christmas Eve was the next night, and our music needed some serious work. At least I could listen. Also, as choir chaplain, I had a very inspirational devotion to share with the choir.

Ah, Christmas Eve day. I was starting to feel almost human. Since Fridays are half-days for me, I was able to come home for a short nap. All that was really left for Christmas was to wrap presents, take shower, and head out to the church.

I still wasn't in full voice when the evening began. Singing at the 7:00 service was a little challenging, but it went okay. By 9:00, I actually felt that my voice was stronger. We had done some switching around in the tenor section and I sang next to one of the stronger voices (at his request!). It was a little better.

It was nice not having to sing the 11:00 service this year. At least I could get home sooner and get to bed sooner.

Then I get home and there's a message from my wife S. As planned, she was spending the night at our daughter's/grandson's apartment so she could get a head start on breakfast and we'd open presents in plenty of time. But what wasn't planned was that when she took her bedtime insulin, she injected the wrong insulin, essentially overdosing on the long-term insulin. The doctor told her not to go to sleep for another four hours and to eat all the sugar she could get her hands on. It worked - she's fine now.

I'm feeling much better today. Who knows? Perhaps I'll have a pretty decent singing voice tomorrow! Anyway, terrible week to have a cold.

Uh-Oh, There Goes That Temple Mount Wall Again

Haaretz is reporting the immenent collapse of an embankment at the Western Wall of the Temple Mount.

Jihad

You know there's a lot of debate going on over our involvement in the Middle East, particularly our military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan.

I'm not really crazy on the whole idea of going to war. I know a couple of young men in Iraq, and I know quite a few people who have sons or daughters who have been there, are there now, or in all likelihood will end up there. I pray for them daily.

Our President has stated that we are not targeting Islam. And he is correct. But that seems to have created a lot of confusion amongst the public because, after all, the ones we're going after are Muslims. But much of the public does not realize what kind of enemy we are up against.

First, let me remind you that we did not start this war. If you have forgotten that, perhaps you need to take a look at this picture again:

(source: www.knoxstudio.com/SIEGE/slideshow/wtc)

The image you see here is when the jihad came to America. Islamic terrorists have had America in their sights for quite some time and they mean it.

Muslims claim The Five Pillars of Islam in the practice of their faith: Creed, Prayer, Fasting, Almsgiving, and Pilgrimage. Some Muslims claim a sixth pillar of faith: Jihad, or Holy War, which entails physical battle and strict discipline. This violence is even sanctioned in the Qu'ran:

So when the sacred months have passed away, then slay the idolaters wherever you find them, and take them captives and besiege them and lie in wait for them in every ambush, then if they repent and keep up prayer and pay the poor-rate, leave their way free to them; surely Allah is Forgiving,
Merciful. [Surah 9:5]

Fight those who do not believe in Allah, nor in the latter day, nor do they prohibit what Allah and His Apostle have prohibited, nor follow the religion of truth, out of those who have been given the Book, until they pay the tax in acknowledgment of superiority and they are in a state of subjection.
[Surah 9:29]

There are many who say that Islam is a peaceful religion (given the Five Pillars of Faith by themselves, it is). So what of these violent extremists? And then there's those troubling passages advocating violence against non-Muslims. So what of those many millions of peaceful Muslims? Do you not see the contradiction?

I suppose I could get a better viewpoint by reading the Qu'ran. But I don't see the point in doing that. George Carlin once said (and I paraphrase): "Do you ever look for something and then say, 'It was in the last place I looked!' Well of course it was in the last place you looked! You don't find something and then keep looking for it!" I don't desire to read the Qu'ran because I have already found that Jesus is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one comes to God except through him. [John 14:6, paraphrased] Period.

Now I'm not saying that Christians are perfect. Far from it. In fact, I can best show you a count of all the perfect Christians I know by hiding my hands behind my back. But through the grace and love of God (which Islam doesn't even mention) played out in the death of Jesus, we are redeemed.

Jesus taught that conversion was act of faith, not forced upon. History has shown that in the lands conquered by Muslims, those who did not convert were enslaved or killed. In a Muslim society, there is only one way to be politically correct - there is no alternative. In that kind of faith, where is the devotion?

There are some evil people out there who very much want to take their jihad to America. The last time they tried, 3000 innocent people were killed. How many will it be next time? That's the reason why we're in Iraq and Afghanistan - so that there will be no next time. But if we let ourselves withdraw without eliminating the threat, there definitely will be a next time. How many will die then? Who will it be? Will it be you? Your children? You wanna take that chance?

There may come a time when others try to force their beliefs on us. Ain't gonna happen to me. Granted another person can kill my body, but they can't kill my soul - it belongs to Jesus now. Jihad? Bring it on.

I've read the Book. I've read the Ending. We won. As far as I'm concerned, I'm already on the winning side.

Excavation at Cana

There's a favorite Scripture passage (John 2:1-11) that is read in some Christian weddings today (including my own). It describes a wedding in the village of Cana that Jesus, his disciples, and his mother attended. Then when the wine had run out, Jesus performed (at the behest of his mother) his first miracle, changing the water in six stone jar into wine.

The Associate Press is reporting today that American archaeologists excavating a site near what has been thought to have been Cana have "found pieces of stone jars from the time of Jesus, and believe they have found biblical Cana."

Now stone jars were fairly common, and there is little or no chance of proving if these were THE stone jars. But the evidence is certainly intriguing. Shards from these vessels are "large enough to be the same type of jars described in the Gospel of John."

Further excavations are needed, but there seems to be no doubt that this new site will become a destination of many pilgrimages.

Christmas Spirit

For the first time in years, I feel like I really have the Christmas spirit in full force. I can't really put my finger on why, except to say that perhaps I've learned to pace myself.

Granted this is a very busy time of year. So many demands are made on our time and our money. It seems that the more I've said "Bah, humbug," the more down I get. But if I take the lead of George Bailey in It's A Wonderful Life and just say "Merry Christmas!" no matter how pressured I feel, the better I feel.

It was last year I decided to pace myself more, and just work into the season gradually. Boy, what a difference that made!

This year has been no exception; in fact I've made it more of a point to get with it and stop fighting it. I started with a little bit of Christmas shopping a few weeks ago. I finished the bulk of it yesterday (I used to pride myself on doing all of my Christmas shopping on Christmas Eve - my record is two hours and fifteen minutes). Now that the shopping is about done, however, I feel much more relaxed.

Our plans for Christmas dinner are pretty much set (just need to confirm the time, that's all). We all know where we're going and who's bringing what for dinner. Nice.

It was this morning that I fully realized the joy of the season. We had a wonderful contemporary worship service this morning, with the contemporary choir singing, with lessons and carols. The youth that took part did an awesome job as well. My wife S was singing in the choir while I sat with our daughters and grandson in the congregation. The service was put together completely by our worship leader. It was amazing, uplifting, and very worshipful.

Although I got over bronchitis a week ago, I seem to be catching a cold. I've got the sore throat and everything. I'm wondering how well I'll be able to sing for the Christmas Eve services. Yet I'm looking forward to how this week will play out. As chaplain of the Sanctuary Choir, I have a really wonderful devotion planned for Thursday's rehearsal, based on a story I saw on TV last night (I will share that with you all later). So I really hope to be in good health just for that. I am optimistic. I feel that with today's infusion of joy, I am being sustained - even healed (my sore throat is better, and it feels as if my cold is actually going away rather than progressing).

Ah, but I ramble on. I think you get my drift. I'm feelin' it!

God's Message Unveiled

This message from God was revealed after Hurricane Charlie ripped through Orlando. [source truthorfiction.com]

War For Oil

Osama bin Laden continues to hurl tapes at us. Now he's saying that oil should be $100 a barrel. Actually I favor that as well. If nothing else, that may finally force the industrialized world into developing alternative sources of energy. It will also backfire on the nations of the Middle East who have little to offer in terms of resources.

Now some have said that our current war in Iraq is over oil, as was the first Gulf War that liberated Kuwait. I agree. And believe me, if the world's oil supply was as truly threatened as bin Laden would like it to, there would be a lot more nations involved in cleaning up the mess in Iraq than there are now.

Those who would disdain war over oil need to take note that this is not as recent occurrence in history as they would like. In fact, we can trace that as far back as World War II. As Japan was hungrily building their empire in China and the Pacific, the U.S. stepped in and denied Japan access to key resources - with oil amongst the most important. The Japanese knew that in order to sustain their conquests, they had to eliminate the United States as a threat. And even then, they knew the respite would only be temporary. That's when they planned and carried out their attack on Pearl Harbor.

What's really disturbing, though, about wars for oil is that it's only going to get worse - much worse. Experts are now saying that the world oil supply will last only 40 more years. Conservative estimates say it will only last 30 years. Do the math. The world oil supply will disappear in our children's lifetimes, if not our own.

It's not going to run out all at once either. Some places will run out before others. It could run out in, for example, in Venezuela first. Then the North Sea. Then Russia, etc., etc, etc.

The point here is that as oil runs out in one place, the real estate where the oil remains becomes that much more valuable - and hotly contested. Oil wars will break out well before the 30 or 40 years runs out (and war tends to drain oil even faster). Imagine a war in 2030 on our own soil over the oil fields in Texas, Oklahoma, and the Gulf of Mexico!

For more reading here's another article on the subject.

So are we fighting a war for oil? You betcha. But just wait.

Why Poodles Need Grooming

The scruff-muffin before...

...and four hours later. Ah, much better. Now we don't mind scritching her head.

A Few Changes To This Blog

I'm going to make a few more changes to this blog, so please bear with me. I'm going to eliminate the Religion and Politics page altogether and fold all of those posts into the main page.

Why? Just to make editing and posting somewhat easier for me, of course. If you've visited here before you may have noticed that I like to play around with the look of the pages. I usually do that on a blog set up just for experimentation and editing, then I copy and paste to the rest of the pages. It's a little time consuming (but fun, nonetheless) to do it that way. I also figure that the Pancreatitis and the Travelogue pages should have their own look (maybe a map for a background on the Travelogue and - I don't know - little pancreases for the Pancreatitis page?)

I also figured that in some cases, the editorial content between Religion and Politics and the main page is in somewhat of a gray area. Sure, some of it is purely religious, some purely political, and some purely nonesense. Some may say it's all nonsense!

Anywho, that's what's going on here. It may or may not take a while to get 35 posts from Religion and Politics reposted over here, but what the heck? I hope you enjoy what I have planned.

Is Russia Flexing Its Muscles?

In one of my previous posts (Israel in Prophecy - Part 3) I mentioned the role of Russia in end-time prophecy. Now Russia certainly has had it challenges since the fall of the Soviet Union in 1991. It may be only a matter of time before Russia has a change in fortune. The fact that Russia desires a bigger part on the world's stage is no secret.

Perhaps the most bizarre story of this year may the the political crisis in the Ukraine. This year's presidential election was more hotly contested than the one here in the U.S. The two major candidates were Viktor Yushchenko, (who favors stronger ties with the West) and the Prime Minister, Viktor Yanukovych (who has the support of outgoing president Leonid Kuchma - and Russian president Vladimir Putin).

Election results seemed to indicate that Yanukovych received 49.46% of the vote while Yushchenko received 46.61%. But something didn't seem to be right, and supporters of Yushchenko, donning orange scarves and waving orange banners, flocked to Kiev's Independence Square. It seems that there may have been widespread election fraud, including where, "In one region," [Yushchenko] said, "turnout increased by a half-million voters after polls closed."

As demonstrations broke out and troops were called in, it looked as though the Cold War had broken out again. It was even rumored that Russian Special Forces units, posing as Ukrainian troops, had been called in. The US, EU, and other western nations questioned the election results. Russian President Putin then issued a stern warning stating basically to "butt out of it." Nonetheless, authorities in the Ukraine have since bowed to pressure, both within and without. A new runoff election is scheduled to be held on December 26.

Meanwhile, the story has taken on an even more bizarre twist. It appears that the opposition candidate Yushchenko has been deliberately poisoned, perhaps last September while campaigning. All indications seem to show that this was an assassination attempt from the outside. Hmmmmm.

As the December 26 election approaches, Yushchenko is leading in the polls. This may resolve itself peacefully, but there seems to be a lot of anxiety from Moscow. Is Russia indeed flexing its muscles?

I'm Back!

It was sure nice to have a decent singing voice again today. That makes the whole choir experience pleasant for everybody. I'm not quite 100% yet, but it's close enough. At least I didn't have to cough much. Ah, the healing power of antibiotics!

Another Pastor Search Begins

I'm starting to wonder if our church is getting to be known as one that chews up pastors and spits them out. Pastor D, who came to our church last year, has announced his upcoming retirement effective June 30, 2005, which will mark the end of a 35-year career.

This will mean we will have had four senior pastors in a timeframe of five years. I hope our church can sustain another major change like this.

Diabetics Who Love Chocolate

I had a nice visit with my doctor today. The results from my thyroid show that it's normal. That's good news. However the results from my hemoglobin-A show that my blood sugar is still a bit too high, and higher than the last time. I'm going to watch my diet better and get more exercise. I go back in a month to see how I'm doing. In fact I did a little yardwork today - that's usually pretty decent exercise. Boy, it's tough being a diabetic who loves chocolate, especially this time of year when it's so plentiful around the office.

Fortunately my bronchitis is much better. I still have a bit of a cough, though, and it was tough singing in choir practice last night. But I still have my upper range. Provided my throat doesn't tickle, I think I'll be okay on Sunday.

My blood pressure was a little high (as it was last week). Dr. R was about to prescribe something for that; then it occurred to him and he asked if I had been taking decongestants. Boy, have I! So he suggested some other over-the-counter remedy. We'll see how the blood pressure is next month.

Boy, it sure sucks getting old.

I Love You More!

It is said that love is contagious. About a month or so ago, our four-year-old grandson has added a new phrase to his repertoire. Often when we exchange I love you's, he quickly adds, "I love you more!"

Now when my wife and I leave for work in the morning, or one of us goes to the store or something, we'll exchange I love you's with an extra, "I love you more!"

No Wonder We Can't Understand Each Other

I was reading another blog where they had used Babelfish.com to translate a previous post into Spanish, then back to English. It was rather funny. So I thought I'd try the same thing and see what I could come up with. I translated a statement into various languages, then back to English. Here are my results:

Original text in English: My cat thinks I am weird; the feeling is mutual, I assure you.

Chinese: My cat thought I am strange; The feeling is mutual, I guarantee you.

Dutch: My cat thinks I bizar is; the feeling is reciprocal, insures I you. The Dutch word bizar did not translate back to English, but I think it's pretty obvious.

French: My cat thinks that I am strange; the feeling is mutual, I ensure you. This is the most normal of the bunch. See, the French can do some things right.

German: My cat thinks that I am strange; the feeling is, I insures you mutually.

Greek: My ga'ta thinks that I am strange the sentiment he is reciprocal, to you I certify.

Japanese: My cat thinks of that I am incomprehensible; Mutual, me you guarantee feeling, is. Sounds kinda like Yoda, if you ask me.

Korean: It goes out and the thing which is weird my cat thinks; The sense believes firmly the trade name, or. Huh??????????

Portuguese: My cat thinks that I am I find odd; the feeling is mutual, me assures it. I like this one.

Russian: My tomcat thinks 4 weird; feeling is mutual, 4 convince you. Now how did they know we have a male cat? Is that old KGB still out there?

Spanish: My cat thinks that I am strange; the sensation is mutual, I assures to him.

And here's my personal favorite -

Italian: My cat thinks that it is bizzarro; the sensibility is mutual, I assures them. I just like the word bizzarro. Heck, I've even used it in a sentence or two.

I think this clearly demonstrates how easily things get lost in translation.

By the way, any resemblance of the above statement to me and my cat is purely coincidental.

Why You Should Put Up Christmas Lights

When I was a little boy, my dad never put Christmas lights on the house (he still doesn't). But that was okay because there were other houses I could look at in marvel and wonder.

Now that I'm all growed up, I put Christmas lights on my house. I do it for all the little kids and all the big kids (like me) who like to look at Christmas lights.

My affirmation of that came on Tuesday after I picked up our grandson from daycare and brought him home for his mother to pick up after work. As we pulled up to the house, the lights were already on, and J exclaimed his wonder. I said, "I did that for you."

"Thank you!" he said, and then, "That's the best grampa!!!"

And that's why you should put up Christmas lights on your house.

Down, But Not Out

Looks I've got bronchitis now...lovely. I went to the doctor's office and was seen by the physician's assistant (nice name for nurse practitioner) which was fine with me as long as she can prescribe antibiotics (which she did). So for now I'm on plenty of fluids and rest and hopefully soon the drugs will kick in. I skipped choir practice last night - it's hard to sing when you have to cough after every third breath. I sound pretty froggy today, too. Maybe by Sunday I can sing, but I was told not to plan on it.

We killed two birds with one stone...I see my doc next Friday anyway to check up on my diabetes (okay, I'm overdue, but I think I'm doing alright anyway). I mentioned that I suspected maybe a low thyroid (I've had an unexplained, sudden weight gain and I'm more fatigued lately). So we had some blood drawn to check my hemoglobin-A and my thyroid. Besides, if my bronchitis isn't getting better by then, we can deal with it then.

Bush and Kerry In the Boardroom With Donald Trump

This recording comes courtesy of KDKB radio in Phoenix - it's a clever recording of Bush and Kerry in the boardroom with Donald Trump. They're both getting raked over the coals by Trump, then Trump fires Kerry!

Pray For the Ukraine

I'm requesting that we be in prayer for the Ukraine, especially as the crisis deepens over the disputed presidential election. A lot of people stand to lose their newly-found freedoms if the Russian-backed candidate wins. I've even heard stories (including this one and this one) that Russian Special Forces troops are already in Kiev posing as Ukrainian troops. Lord, lift the veil of deceit that lays upon the Ukraine. May truth and justice prevail. Amen.

A Most Humbling Event

Let me first say that with S's medical problems of the last couple of years, money has been tighter than we like. Currently we still have an appeal going on with our health insurance company regarding S's procedure back in April. S has also been docked some of her pay because she is out of sick time (an adjustment was made to her last paycheck in fact). But we have been able to manage (I think) pretty well. Not even our giving to the church has suffered.

Well today S and I had a rather humbling experience. Our pastor pulled both of us aside today. It seems that a good samaritan in our church has taken S's plight to heart, and we were handed an envelope. When S opened it, we were shocked. There was a considerable amount of cash inside. We didn't know what to say. We don't know who to thank - except for God himself. Yeah, money has been a little tight, and perhaps God upon hearing my concern, put it upon someone's heart to help us out some.

I am still numb from what happened to us today. The money is just about what we need - no more, no less. That in itself is amazing and awesome.

Dear Lord, we are so thankful - and humbled - by the blessing that we have received today. It is so generous. I ask you to abundantly bless those who gave from their heart. Amen.

It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas

Today was spent going up into the attic and pulling down all (okay, most of) the Christmas stuff, and then putting the lights up on the house. It doesn't look like we're going to put up the tree, though, since were going to celebrate Christmas morning at the girls' apartment.

Here's proof that I got the Christmas lights up today (these digital cameras can do a spiffy job at night, too)

David vs. Goliath = Israel vs. the World

I had one of those “ah-hah!” moments last night while watching David, the television movie about King David based on 1st and 2nd Samuel. It came during the scene depicting the well-known story of David and Goliath [1 Samuel 17].

This story is not just a struggle between two people, but a winner-takes-all battle between two peoples. It also symbolizes how Israel always has – and always will – prevail when God is on his side.

There are other Biblical references to how Israel has prevailed (and will prevail) in what appears to start off as a hopeless battle:

• Gideon defeats the Midianites [Judges 7]
  
• The fall of Jericho [Joshua 6]
  
• Israel defeats the Amalekites [Exodus 17:8-16]
  
• Israel’s enemies to be annhilated [Ezekiel 39]
  

Modern history also bears out God’s protection over Israel:

• Israeli War for Independence (1948-49)
  
• Sinai (Suez) War (1956)
  
• Six-Day War (1967)
  
• Yom Kippur War (1973)
  
• Raid on Iraq’s Osirik nuclear reactor (1981)
  
• Persian Gulf War (1991)
  
• Intifada (1988-92)
  
• Al-Aqsa Intifada (2000-present)

Time after time, Israel’s neighbors have tried to wipe them off the map, drive them into the sea, or whatever rhetoric they choose to use at the time, and yet they have failed every time. It’s not only hard to beat God – it’s impossible.

I believe the struggle between David and Goliath not only represents the battle between Israel and the Philistines, but the ongoing epic battle between Israel and the world that we are witnessing today. It doesn’t take much to notice that God is the God of Israel. Are we listening?

Happy Thanksgiving

Today my wife's family gathered at J&M's house for Thanksgiving dinner, where we had plenty of family...

...plenty of food...

...plenty of fun (by the way, that's my grandson next to his grandma on the right and looking up at his Aunt D)...

...plenty of cute little kids...

...and an awesome Arizona sunset.

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

To Boldly Go Where I Haven't Gone Before

I've certainly learned quite a bit this weekend about HTML (HyperText Mark-up Language) thanks to Dr. Joe Burns and the folks at the HTML Goodies website.

As a result, I've spiced up this site somewhat, especially in changing the background (compliments of ARG). Pretty sharp, huh? And I was able to use HTML to alter the description on a couple of my web pages, although Blogger says I shouldn't use HTML there.

So nonetheless, I'm feeling pretty smug, if I do say so myself.

My Trumpet Has Arrived

Well, tonight the trumpet I wrote about earlier arrived, somewhat battered as advertised. And as I was told before, it was not playable - at least initially.

I must have spent a good fifteen to twenty minutes inspecting it. You can tell it was probably dropped and repairs attempted by someone who didn't know how to repair a musical instrument. It's a little bent and dented, and the crossbraces were shabbily re-soldered, but the bell of the horn looks good. The valve action was still good on the first valve, not so good on the third valve, and the second valve was stuck altogether. The slides were in good shape. The finish is bad.

When I played it, it sounded like something was stuck in it. Then just for fun, I took out and inspected the valves one at a time. They looked fine. Then I remembered something my junior high band teacher said 32 years ago - never take all the valves out at once because you might put them back in wrong. But I also remembered that the valve number was usually stamped into the metal (which is why I got away with taking all the valves out at once). So once again, I took out the third valve - it was stamped with the number 2. So I pulled the second valve and sure enough, it was stamped with the number 3. No wonder the trumpet wasn't playable (I haven't played in years, but come on, I couldn't have gotten that bad). Anyhow, I switched the valves and voila - it played fine, much to the chagrin of my wife and dog.

Some the solder joints are coming loose. The trumpet could definitely use some rehab, but with a good cleaning, some vaseline for the slides, and some valve oil, this instrument will be quite playable. Praise God!

El Gato

Here's a picture of Snoopy taken with my new digital camera - he's trying to figure out what Dad is doing (Dad is trying to figure out what Dad is doing. Dad will be spending considerable time figuring out how to use his new toy, and he will be subjecting his blog readers to plenty of inane photos I'm sure).

Memorial Service For A Saint

Last week, the wife of a former pastor at our church passed away quite suddenly and unexpectedly. Today was her memorial service at our church; our choir had the honor of singing for the service.

I don't intend to sound morbid, but I love Christian funerals and memorial services. There's just something about the moment that makes me feel that much closer to God; I believe our spiritual plane is more in line with Jesus'.

I also love to see how full the church is at a memorial service. That typically is a testimony to that person's faith. Today was no exception - the church was packed.

Being that K's husband was a pastor, a district superintendent, and was (with K's help, of course) instrumental in bringing the Walk to Emmaus movement to Arizona, there were lots of people I knew.

Most of the ministers were decked out in their robes, looking quite fine. Our district superintendent was also there, as well as a former bishop to our conference. I must have known at least half of the clergy there.

I really didn't know K - she and Pastor L had already moved on to another church before I started attending CUMC. But I had heard plenty about them, and I knew who they were. Nonetheless, I was quite touched at her memorial service today, as if I knew her all my life.

The music was beautiful. C sang His Eye Is On the Sparrow and the Lord's Prayer. The choir sang The Lord Is My Shepherd by John Rutter (which is part of the Requiem we just sang a couple of weeks ago) and also John Rutter's The Lord Bless You And Keep You. That one chokes me up anyway, let alone what it did to me today.

Despite the circumstances, it was a joyous occasion. I talked to a lot of friends (including ministers) that I hadn't seen for a while. Even the minister that married S and I was there.

One thing is certain - K was very much loved, and now she's in a far better place, walking with Jesus.

A Soldier Is Home On Leave

I mentioned in a previous post about a soldier I was concerned about. Well, he's home for the moment, spending a couple of weeks with his family.

When his dad came to choir practice last night, M made a surprise visit. But I'm sure M was even more surprised at the cheers, applause, and standing ovation we all gave him - and the thank you's.

It certainly was good to see him again. Army life appears to have been good to him.

One More Semester

Our daughter E gave us (her dad and stepmom, her mom and me) the heads-up on her tuition coming due for the spring semester. I'm just glad we're splitting it.

And you know what? She graduates in May. WOOHOO!!!!!

Roundabout Way to Get A Promotion

Our daughter J arrived at work on Monday to find out that her department was being downsized, and guess what? She was part of the downsizing.

She was going to have to go back to her old department which she hated. There was another department she had wanted to go to but passed it up before. J was either going to try to get into that new department, or quit her job. So she went to the new department's manager and asked how many openings she had there. There was one left, and if she was interested, J could go to an interview at 7:30 on Wednesday.

J starts her job in the new department on December 1 - with a raise to boot!

Putting Politics Aside

While some folks are still bickering about the blue states and the red states, it's nice to know that the guys who have led our country for the past 28 years can put their differences aside and color the country purple as it were. That's why I entered this post on this page and not on the Religion/Politics page.

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These photos were taken at the dedication of Bill Clinton's presidential library yesterday:

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I always think it's cool to see a bunch of Presidents together (and notice that Carter and Bush, Sr. - the guys who have been retired the longest - are smiling. Of course, they've had the most fun.)
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I love this shot of Chelsea and her dad. I think this precious moment between a father and a daughter puts a very human face on Clinton, who until four years ago was the most powerful man in the free world. I predict this will be one of the Photos of the Year in many publications. Heck, I'd give it the Pulitzer.

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I don't think this will be a Photo of the Year (although you never know) but it is pretty cute. Hey, I think W was going to let Chelsea get rained on! Again, it puts a human face on a President.

Days Like Today Make it Hard to Act Christlike

Margaret Hassan

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The picture above is of Margaret Hassan, chief of the relief organization CARE. She is now presumed dead, murdered by those who thought of her line of work as a threat.

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That's the kind of people we're having to deal with in Iraq. Yes, they're targeting soldiers and managing to inflict casualities. But more disgusting, they're targeting those who are trying to get the electricity on, trying to get clean water flowing, trying to rebuild homes, trying to bring in food, trying to comfort a helpless child. They target the weak to compensate for their own weakness.

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Our boys (and girls) are over there getting shot at so they can open doors for the decent citizens of Iraq (which is most of the population). Unfortunately, the pigs that are doing this aren't interested in opening the doors of opportunity; they're more interested in opening the gates of Hell. Given their desire to murder women and children, I think our soldiers are justified in helping these pigs into their journey to Hell.

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It amazes me that slobs like the "documentary" filmmaker Michael Moore just don't get it. What the insurgents are doing is purely evil, plain and simple. If you can't see that, then you have truly been blinded and deceived by Satan.

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Forgive me, Lord. My anger burns hot. It's days like today that make it hard to be Christlike. Please lift the veil of evil that hangs like a shroud over Iraq. Amen.

A Rather Spiritual Evening

Tonight I was out at the ASU School of Music where our church organist, a doctoral candidate there, was performing his recital. There were four of us, myself included, who sang some Gregorian chant in one of the pieces.

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The recital was well-attended. There were quite a few folks from our church, as well as many of H's music students. It was quite a delightful recital.

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It was while I sat listening, sometimes in prayer, sometimes in meditation, that I really felt the Holy Spirit upon me. I could feel that God was pulling me in closer, as if I was holding on to some kind of "cosmic string." It felt good.

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Sometimes we make a leap of faith because we feel a nudge or a push. I've felt that before. Tonight felt different. I'm being pulled in. To what, I do not know. But what I do know is that all I have to do is hang on. It will be revealed to me in God's time. I feel peaceful. Thank you, Lord. Amen.

Long Weekend

I don't know what Dr. C did to me on Friday, but it got my body's natural defenses going. I had a pretty decent fever and headache going into Friday night. But after sleeping in on Saturday I was feeling pretty good again. Got the ol' checking account balanced and pretty much took it easy the rest of the day.

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Sunday was real busy. I was liturgist for both the 8:00 and 11:00 church services. I thought it went fairly smoothly considering I was doing "double duty" by singing with the choir during the anthem. All in a day's work.

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Bad news, though. I'll be singing with the choir on Friday at a memorial service for the wife of a former pastor of ours. She passed away quite suddenly and unexpectedly early Friday morning. Pastor L must be quite devastated.

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Well, back to work. Gonna be a busy week.

Netherlands the Latest Religious Battleground

It appears now that the Netherlands is the latest battleground in a religious war between Islam and the rest of the world. This latest battle started with the November 2nd murder of filmmaker Theo van Gogh, great grandson of the famous painter. Van Gogh made a film that was critical of Islam, so naturally he was murdered.

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This has touched off a number of incidents between Moslems and Christians across the Netherlands, and various law enforcement involvements as well, including a raid on a Kurdish training ground.

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When will it end? How far will it spread?

A Terrorist Is Laid to Rest

I saw a little bit of Arafat's funeral/burial ceremony today on the news. I haven't heard of any death toll but up to 120 were injured; but remarkably it appears that only four were injured by gunshots or shrapnel. Pretty amazing when you consider how much ordnance was being fired into the air. Even Saeb Erekat seemed to be fearing for his own life as he opened the door of the helicopter.

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There is a lot of hope for peace now that Arafat is gone. After all, it was Arafat himself who rejected a very generous offer made by the Israelis a couple of years ago.

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But I'm not so optimistic, given what I saw on TV today and comments made by Hamas. The Palestinians have had a strong leader for so long, and despite otherwise peaceful efforts made by other lofty officials of the PA, Arafat was the true leader. Now the Palestinians are in effect, leaderless. There may be anarchy there like we've never seen. Israel may have to resort to more forceful measures if things get out of hand. Just another chess piece in the whole complicated Middle East situation.

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What really concerns me is that Arafat died a rather peaceful death considering his violent legacy. This may embolden other leading terrorists.

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Many admired Arafat, even heads of state. But don't let that fool you. Today, a terrorist was laid to rest.

Feeling Yucky

I think I'm coming down with a cold or something -- I've been feeling pretty yucky today. I was supposed to go a Lay Speakers training class tonight and tomorrow but since I had a bit of a fever I thought it best I stay home, especially with it being cold and (at least earlier it was) rainy. A few hours ago I took a couple of aspirin, not for the fever but for the headache -- which actually got worse before it got better. I'm actually feeling kinda okay now.

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We had a nice storm come through late this afternoon. The wind really kicked up and the leaves from the trees lining our street were falling like snow. Then the thunder and lightning and rain came, dropping the temperature by fifteen degrees. Sweet.

Turn the Page - A New Chapter Begins

The news has just broken - Arafat is dead. Now we'll wait and see what happens.

Generalissimo Arafat Is Still Alive - For Now

Boy, listening to the news of the ongoing life struggle of Yasser Arafat is like listening to an old Saturday Night Live sketch.

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A few days ago, I was of the belief that Arafat was being kept alive on life support until they could figure where to bury him. Once that was settled, the plug would have been pulled. Well now it seems to be settled that he will be buried in his compound in Ramallah and that will become some sort of shrine. And Arafat lives.

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Here's a man, leader of many, and considered by many to still be a terrorist. After decades of bitter struggle, his life is not ending in a blaze of glory, but in the haze of frailty - a purgatory of sorts between life and death.

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Perhaps the one I pity the most is his wife, Suha. While some try feverishly to seek an audience with their fallen leader, she is simply trying to make the best of whatever time she has left with him. Perhaps she is trying her best to hold on and not let him go.

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What of the Palestinian people? The world holds its collective breath as they await Arafat's final breath. Will Palestine fall into anarchy? Whether peaceful or not, Arafat seems the only one truly capable of holding his people together. Or will peace become more reachable? I tend to believe the former. This could be a defining moment in God's Timetable. Only time will tell. Perhaps even the next 24 hours.

A Burst of Busy-ness

Well, it sure got busy the last few days.
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You already read about my Saturday. I still have a pretty nice sunburn from sitting in my lawnchair during band practice (ain't Arizona great this time of year?).

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Sunday started with a little bit of preparation for a Stephen Ministry workshop scheduled for the afternoon. Then came the church service in which the choir sang John Rutter's Requiem. During rehearsal before the service, I took it upon myself as choir chaplain to give the choir one last little pep talk. I repeated something said before by Bob Moody, Director of the Phoenix Symphony Chorus. I told them that the piece we were singing says a lot about our faith and that we needed to sing it as if we truly believed in what we were singing - or at least put on a real good act. I added that I knew this choir better - that they did believe in what they were singing - and to sing what they believed. The service was beautiful - and I believe the Holy Spirit truly filled us and those who heard us.

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After church was a luncheon and then I continued to set up my part of the workshop which got underway in earnest at about 1:30. I didn't stay for the entire workshop, though; I had another performance of the Requiem to do.

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Late afternoon found us at St. Francis Xavier Catholic Church where we sang the Rutter Requiem as part of the celebration of their Mass. Again, another beautiful service.

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It was raining as I drove home from the concert, and I realized that despite being part of two communion services that day, I had not actually received communion. Ah, the sacrifices we sometimes make as musicians (although understandably it was not our place to receive communion at the Catholic church).

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Monday was back to work, but the evening was busy once again. My brother-in-law was back in town on business and had arranged to have a mini-family reunion at a local ice cream parlor.

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So tonight was the first time I really had a good block of quality time in which to sit down and blog.

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Tonight, I do need to share a burden that's been on my heart for a few days. I have a friend in the choir whose son is an Army soldier in Iraq. He is due to be home on leave next week. However, he is stationed just outside of Falluja, very close to where the fighting is. I just pray for his safety while he's still there, and for his safe return home. I'm really looking forward to seeing M again and listen to what he has to say about what's going on there.

The Red Shift

OK, it wasn't a landslide. But it was a message. George W. Bush received not only a majority of the electoral, but a majority of the popular vote as well.

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As I stated in my very first post on this page, I'm not a big fan of debating politics. I'm content to listen to what others have to say, even if I don't necessarily agree (who knows, maybe they're right!). I do, however, love the historical ramifications of politics, and how it shapes society and policy (whether I agree with it or not).

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This year is no exception. What we witnessed last week can be called the Red Shift, a term I learned on Jesse's blog. We saw what was a very, very close election in 2000 conspicuously tip over into the Republican's (the red states) favor in 2004.

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There were a couple of factors in this Red Shift this year. The first came from the 2000 Census (which had not yet taken effect in the 2000 election) resulting in a shift in population and EVs (electoral votes) which favored the Republicans. If the states had gone last week exactly as they did in 2000, Bush would have gained 7 EVs just from the net shift in EVs, and he would have won with 278 EVs as opposed to the 271 EVs in 2000.

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But we know that population was not the only factor in the Red Shift. There were three states which "switched sides" in this election. New Hampshire was the only one of the three, however, that made a Blue Shift which took 4 EVs away from President Bush.

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Perhaps the most dramatic switches came from Iowa and New Mexico, two states that traditionally go Blue. This time they made the Red Shift, giving Bush an additional 12 EVs and making his victory more decisive.

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One of the interesting "what if" questions is, "What if there was no Red Shift in population/EVs, and New Mexico and Iowa did not shift to the red, but New Hampshire did shift to the blue? Our news would be filled with stories about possible cabinet appointments in the Kerry administration.

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But in every other scenario with or without a population shift, with any one, or two, or all three of the above states going red would still have resulted in a Bush win.

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It is my opinion that the Red Shift will only intensify in the next two decades at least unless there are dramatic changes within one or both major political parties. The red states are generally growing in population. While a few red states lost EVs, some states had tremendous

growth (Arizona, Georgia, Texas, and Florida each gained 2 EVs). Conversely, the blue states are generally losing population (New York and Pennsylvania each lost 2 EVs). California is the only state that actually gained.

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As the Red Shift intensifies, it essentially erodes the effectiveness in the blue states. This will make it increasingly more difficult for liberal Democrats to get elected president unless they can be exceedingly charming (like Bill Clinton) and/or the Republican candidate is exceedingly lackluster (like Bob Dole).

A New (Used) Trumpet For Me?

My wife, S, was talking to a neighbor today and mentioned I was over at ASU meeting up with the alumni band. She asked what instrument I played and S her I used to play the trumpet. Well it turns out this lady has an old trumpet that one of her music students used to use. It looks like crap and is probably not even playable. She was just going to get rid of it, but couldn't bring herself to do it.

As I was listening to this, I was surprised to find myself thinking how wonderful it would be to have a trumpet again. I haven't felt that in a long time (and usually only when I was checking out a "school horn" when I played in the alumni band). Imagine my delight when S went on to say she would like to give it to someone else instead of just get rid of it - and would I be interested? I said yes. I don't care what it looks like, and with a little refurbishing, perhaps we could get it playing again.

Reunion Time

Here's a little something from my past: during my college years I was a trumpet player in the Sun Devil Marching Band at Arizona State University. What a fun experience that was!

Today was Homecoming. I went over to ASU and watched the alumni band practice and ran into a few old friends. I was somewhat disappointed that more from "my generation" weren't there, but I understand (I've not been able to attend as often as I'd have liked). Nonetheless, I was happy to see those I did, and to share the old stories.

Walking around the campus was interesting. Most of the old familiar places were still there. Some had been transformed over the years (amazing what a difference 25 years can make). Still other things and places were new, and seemed a little out place compared to my memory. It's amazing how they can construct new buildings in some of the tightest places.

I didn't join in with the alumni band as far as playing. My obligations this weekend (two performances of John Rutter's Requiem tomorrow and a Stephen Ministry convention at church as well) are just too much and I need to save myself. But it was fun to watch the rehearsal and talk with some of my old friends. It was also pretty cool to turn the TV on to tonight's game between ASU and Stanford just in time to see a couple of seconds of the tail end of the alumni band's pregame show, and say to my wife, "I watched them rehearse that!" All in all, a wonderful day.

OK, It's Final

Yep, Bush wins Iowa and New Mexico.

Final Results - Maybe

286*** George W. Bush (R)
252*** John F. Kerry (D)
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Well, wasn't that fun?

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I'm seeing indications that Iowa and New Mexico completed their tallying and projecting that both have been won by President Bush.

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I wasn't too far off - only 14 EV short of my final prediction. New Hampshire (4 EV) switched sides this time, and neither Minnesota or Wisconsin at 10 EV apiece (I was actually counting more on Wisconsin) didn't switch as some had predicted

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I was actually pretty impressed both with Senator Kerry's concession speech and President Bush's victory speech. After a long, hard, dirty campaign, they both showed a lot of class today. Perhaps this country can get healing in a hurry.

Well Thank God That's Over

I don't know about you but I'm thankful the election is over. Now we can concentrate on more important and mundane things. I have to admit it was fun staying up late and keeping track of the results. I opened the websites from all five TV networks plus realclearpolitics.com and checked off each state when there was a concensus of who won. Hats off to FOX NEWS for being the first to call Ohio. That kind of surprised me, though, as I believe they were the last to call Florida. Anyhow, the votes continue to be counted, but it's all mathematical at this point. Congratulations, Mr. President.

Nice Turnout

I showed up to the polling station at about five to six this morning. Quite a crowd - it reminded me of Walmart during Christmas season! It is good to see such high interest in this election. I'm kinda dragging today, but at least work is half over. I pick up the wingnut after work and head home after that. Could be an interesting night.

Election Eve Projection

300*** George W. Bush (R)
238*** John F. Kerry (D)
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All this hinges on Bush taking Ohio and Florida. I am also predicting a surprise in that predominately Democratic Hawaii will go to Bush (not sure why, but I'll take it). When the electoral college meets, don't be surprised to see one electoral vote from Maine going to Bush.

My Electoral College Projection for Today

305*** George W. Bush (R)
233*** John F. Kerry (D)

Fresh Affirmation

I was going to my weekly small group this morning. At first J and I thought it was just us but then we met up with a man who J invited to join us and he had invited two others (who were already there but we didn't know them - yet). These guys just got off of the last men's Walk to Emmaus a few weeks ago. And I must say that I was very much delighted to meet these three men whose hearts so burned with the Holy Spirit.

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This morning's meeting reminded me why I don't understand how people think they can stay close to God without going to church. God puts certain people in our lives to minister to us and for us to minister to. And in order to do that, Christians have to go out and be in contact with other Christians. There's no two ways about it.

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As the Body of Christ, we need to feed off of each other. We need each other in order to share, to keep one another accountable, and to grow. I know for fact that I would not be where I am today - spiritually or otherwise - without my small group.

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God, I thank you for the men you brought into fellowship with J and me today. Do with what you intend with our new friendships. Amen.

Arizona Ballot Initiatives

Here is a comprehensive look [sources: KTAR radio, Arizona Republic] at our ballot propositions and my position on each:

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PROP 100 would allow swapping state trust land for public land. It would help protect our military bases from encroachment from development. YES.

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PROP 101 would require future petition initiatives from citizens to include a funding source to pay for it (but the state’s general fund). YES.

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PROP 102 (Tech Transfer Initiative) would allow the State of Arizona to license or transfer interests in technology or intellectual property created or acquired by one of the three state universities (ASU, U of A, NAU) or the Arizona Board of Regents. In exchange, the state would receive ownership interests or securities in a company. YES.

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PROP 103 would allow people appointed as temporary justices of the peace to have the same qualifications as elected justices of the peace and also allow the temporary justices to live outside the area they are appointed to serve. YES.

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PROP 104 is in regards to ballot propositions and would allow petitions to be circulated for signatures up to 27 months before a general election and also requires the petitions to be filed with the Secretary of State's office at least seven months before the election. NO.

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This only adds an additional three months to the current process. It is sufficient.

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PROP 105 would make changes to the State Board of Education. It would expand the board from 8 to 10 members. One of the new members would be either a charter school owner or administrator. The other would be a member of the public. It would also replace a member of the Junior College Board with a Community College District President. YES.

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PROP 200 (Protect Arizona Now) - NO – see my previous post

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PROP 300 would raise state lawmakers salaries from $24,000 annually to $36,000 annually.

NO. Our legislature does not deserve it and frankly I’d like to see them forfeit their salary until they get the state budget out of the red.

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PROP 400 (Maricopa County only) – YES – see my previous post

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PROP 401 (Maricopa County only) – essentially a bond issue which would allow expansion and improvement of the community college system. YES.

Let's Free Ourselves From Dependence on Oil

Osama bin Laden also says in his latest video tape that the United States should change its policy. Actually, there's something I think we should do.

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So here's what I propose: Let's really work on finding an alternative fuel/power source that's practical and inexpensive. Let's do it in - oh, say - five years. Kind of like a new Manhattan Project. Let's make it so we could easily trade in our old cars and get a really nice credit for one of the newer cars. Then we wouldn't have to be dependent on our own oil, much less anyone else's oil, and our planet would get cleaner in a hurry. Wow, sounds pretty liberal! But we're eventually going to have to do it - there's only 30-40 years left in the world oil supply - why not now?

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These Middle Eastern countries, whose false religion doesn't normally allow them to do business with infidels, yet allows them to sell out and compromise their own values so they can screw the infidels, will find themselves screwed. Other than oil, they have little to offer the rest of the world. They will have to get with the program if they want to continue to play with the rest of the world. They will have to dig themselves out of their Middle Ages mentality. And perhaps then, numbnuts like Osama bin Laden will be no more.

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So let's change our policy and get the heck out of the Middle East!

October Surprise #2 - Bin Laden Speaks

That cowardly old pig, Osama bin Laden, has spoken again - although by video tape (since he's too much of a coward to actually appear publicly in any civilized place).

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He's come out and said that he doesn't like George Bush. Duh. Like we didn't know that. He also doesn't like John Kerry. I've got news for you. He doesn't like Americans, period.

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He also claims that he "told" Bush about 9/11 a month before it happened. A little strange when you consider that he didn't claim responsibility for 9/11 until some time after.

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I think it's Osama's subtle way of telling you to vote for Kerry. Perhaps he's really trapped. Perhaps he feels that when he gets caught, Kerry will deal with him more sensitively.

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Look, I think Osama is just trying to intimidate us. But Franklin Roosevelt once said that (and I paraphrase - sorry) the only one who can take away an American's right to vote is another American. The easiest way to do that is to simply not vote.

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So get out and vote and show those pigs how we do things in America.

October Surprise #1 - Did the Russians Move Explosives Out of Iraq?

This past week it was revealed that hundreds of tons of explosives were missing from an Iraqi weapons facility. Then it was reported by the Washington Post that these explosives may have been moved out of Iraq with Russia’s help. All this stuff was supposedly shipped off to Syria, Lebanon, and maybe even Iran. It is possible that these materials were removed prior to the US invasion in March 2003. UN weapons inspectors confirmed their presence in January 2003, and were at the site on March 15, just five days before the war broke out. Removing the material would have required dozens of heavy trucks, and that would have been nearly impossible during the weeks before and weeks after the site was captured by US forces as the roads and highways in the area were constantly occupied by US military vehicles. And by the way, some of the missing stuff is used in the manufacture of nuclear weapons. Well isn’t that special?
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Supposing this is all true, me thinks this poses even more questions. What did the Russians know and when did they know it? What else is missing in Iraq? Where is it now? It is believed that Russia provided Iraq with the bulk of its military hardware between the two wars, and they needed to get in and wipe out any trace that they had any arms deal with Iraq.
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This looks real fishy to me, and it only underscores that the primary reason for going to war against Iraq – because they possessed WMD (weapons of mass destruction) – was justified. Many – including those who oppose the war now – believed then that there were WMD in Iraq. Those who dismiss the reports of WMD now have yet to give a plausible explanation as to why all of a sudden Iraq didn’t have WMD. Just because we haven’t found them in massive quantities doesn’t mean they’re not there. If a deliberate effort was made to conceal them prior to the US invasion, they could be anywhere – even out of the country. All we need is a smoking gun. Perhaps we’ve found one.

Potential October Surprises

Well, it looks like this week’s news has revealed some potential October Surprises just before next week’s Presidential Election. Of course at this time we still need history to play out before we know the full ramifications of these stories. But you know me – I just feel I need to comment on some of the stuff going on here. So read on to my next posts…

Good Church and the Wingnut

When S and I were attending a different church, there was another tenor in the choir who was fond of saying, "Good church," whenever the sermon and the music was good.

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I got to church during the contemporary service just in time to see and hear the new contemporary choir perform. They did a nice job, and I made sure I let the director, S, know.

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Today in the traditional service the choir sang Franz Schubert's The Lord Is My Shepherd - this was probably the best we've ever sung it, and probably the best anthem we've sung all season. Pastor D had a pretty good sermon today, too, bringing up some of the issues brought up in Dan Brown's The DaVinci Code and reminding us that we can trust the four Gospels as the gospel truth. Good church.

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Oh, by the way, at our Wednesday evening service we started a three-part series on The DaVinci Code. Our guest speaker, Dr. O, presented some interesting material. We had an excellent turnout that night - 105 people showed up according to Pastor D (which was right around my guestimate of just over 100)

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We had our grandson J (I call him the wingnut) overnight last night. He was a little rambuncious (normal for a 4-year-old) but otherwise pretty good. We a fun time playing with him. After his bathtime and getting him in his jammies, Grandma put in a Disney movie and he was fast asleep within a half-hour.

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I kept myself busy yesterday scanning photos of my USSR/Poland trip in 1990 - look for those to show up as links on my travelogue page.

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Overall, a pretty good weekend.

My Electoral College Prediction for Today

299 *** George W. Bush (R)
239 *** John F. Kerry (D)

Boycott Shamrock Foods

Do like the idea of light rail? Do you support Proposition 400? If not, do nothing.

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But if you do, I have an idea - a grassroots effort to send a message to Shamrock Foods, a corporate sponsor of the campaign opposing Proposition 400. We don't just have to vote at the polls on this one - we can vote with our wallets, too. I propose a boycott of Shamrock Foods, and to contact the Arizona Diamondbacks organization to drop Shamrock Foods as a sponsor. You can e-mail Shamrock Foods at: mailto:emailazinfo@shamrockfoods.com and the Arizona Diamondbacks at this link. I've even provided a letter you can just cut and paste in your message.

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We, the responsible citizens of Arizona and Maricopa County, support Proposition 400 in its efforts to continue developing a comprehensive transportation system for Maricopa County. It is no secret that as our state continues to grow, a good transportation system is needed. This includes freeways, freeway improvements, expanded and improved bus transit system, street and signal improvements. 86 percent of the sales tax revenue raised by passage of Proposition 400 will go to these projects. We also recognize that there are some who oppose light rail already approved by the citizens of Phoenix, Tempe, and Mesa and under construction. Only 14 percent of the sales tax revenue would go to funding expansion of the light rail system already under construction, therefore making the light rail system even more effective. Opponents would deprive the citizens of Maricopa County of a comprehensive and effective transportation system. We feel it is irresponsible of Shamrock Foods, as a corporation, to be aligned with such effort. We therefore believe it is in our best interest to impose a boycott of all products sold by Shamrock Foods and to contact the Arizona Diamondbacks baseball club to drop Shamrock Foods as a corporate sponsor of the Diamondbacks. Thank you.

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I don't know if this will actually work, but it may raise some eyebrows.

Problems for Prop 200 and Prop 400

Well, it seems there are some legal challenges already to a couple of our ballot propositions.

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Regarding Proposition 200, The Arizona Republic reports that, "nearly 90 percent (13,482 of 15,059) of the initiatives circulated with the petitions said the measure would require proof of citizenship for 'public welfare benefits.' The ballot language officially states 'public benefits,' a broader term that has caused intense debate over exactly what benefits would be affected." Hmm...I just said something like that in my last post.

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There is also legal challenge involving Proposition 400, according to another article in the Arizona Republic, although it sounds like there is no real basis to this one other than dirty politics. But you know what, I have an idea...check out my next post.

Proposition 400 (Maricopa County)

Here's another hot potato. Propostition 400 (in Maricopa County only) would extend the half-cent sales tax passed in 1985 to improve our transporation systems for another 20 years. It's estimated that it will raise some $8.98 billion dollars in revenue.

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Most of the revenue (56.2%) generated by the sales tax will go into freeway/highway projects, including four new freeways, added general-purpose lanes and HOV lanes on existing freeways, new interchanges, maintenence (especially litter pickup and landscaping), freeway management system to improve traffic flow, and walls and rubberized asphalt to reduce noise.

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Another 19.9% of this revenue would go into expanding and enhancing the bus system, increase vanpool and dial-a-ride service, and improve transit security. There would be more bus stops and more bus pullouts (boy, nothing messes up traffic more than a bus just sitting in the street).

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Improvements to arterial streets, including "smart signals" that sense traffic conditions at key intersections, would receive 10.2% of this revenue.

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What's gotten some people really keyed up about Prop 400 is the 14.4% of revenue that would go to Phoenix's light rail currently under construction. It's no secret that there are some that are opposed to light rail, and although it's already been approved and is already under construction, these people won't let it go. It is said that no matter how many times you run over a dead cat, it's still dead.

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When we first moved here in 1961, Phoenix was the 29th largest city in the nation; Arizona had four electoral votes. Now Phoenix is the fifth largest city in the US; at nearly 1.4 million people, Phoenix (not even including the surrounding communities which add another 1.9 million) is bigger than what the entire population of Arizona was in 1960. Arizona now has 10 electoral votes, making it worth a few more stops by candidates running for President. To say that Phoenix and Arizona have grown considerably in my lifetime is an understatement.

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There used to be a considerable small-town mentality in Phoenix (it's still there in Tucson to some extent). Farsighted planners back in the 60's saw the need for a new freeway in Phoenix. But the small-town mentality kept that delayed nearly 20 years. By 1985, we not only needed the new freeway, we needed several. The half-cent sales tax was approved, and a lot of freeways got built.

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There's still more to go on the freeways, but we're getting there. Actually, I like the fact that I was able to get S to her appointment at the Mayo Clinic Hospital in 30 minutes. 20 years ago, the same drive would have taken at least an hour, and with a greater risk of getting in a traffic accident.

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But, alas, the small-town mentality still thrives here. Perhaps they don't realize that a 20-mile light rail system will be even more effective, but only if you expand it. Perhaps they don't mind paying $2.13 per gallon of gasoline (and that's cheap). Perhaps they've already forgotten last year's gasoline shortage - when the smaller of two gasoline pipelines connected to Phoenix ruptured (boy, the bus ridership sure shot up that month - what would happen if the bigger pipeline was shut down?).

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The San Francisco Bay Area has a wonderful regional transit system. Whenever I've been there, I never needed to drive. Without a comprehensive transportation system, that area would not be a very pleasant place to live.

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Phoenix is a great place - that's why over 2 million people have moved here since my family first arrived. But if you're going to make this a bigger city and use up my water and pollute my air, then you have to pay the price. There's no getting around it. That includes includes mass transit. You can miss the boat and choke in traffic. Or you can be brave and embrace the possibilities and flexiblity of a comprehensive transportation system. I'm voting YES on 400.