Oregon Musings

Decoy or Real Deal?

2012-02-17T13:22:00.000-08:00

Israel has covertly moved electronic intelligence ships into the Indian Ocean off the Strait of Hormuz, it is fueling its Jericho II IRBM missiles, and has its F-15E Strike Eagles lined up and ready to go. Any guesses where?

This may very well be a feint to draw Iran's attention, which I believe is futile because the mullahs are not rational people in any conventional sense. It could be preparatory to a real strike. The IRBMs are a new variable, but I still do not think Israel can mount the sustained campaign necessary to take out Iran's nukes. This means that the Israeli strategy may be to hit the Iranians hard enough to make them really angry and have them lash out at us. If that happens, the Israelis are no doubt hoping that we will finish the job. Maybe. I don't trust the guy in the White House very much, though, even though this is something that should have been taken care off some time ago. Time will tell, but I don't like the feel of the breeze blowing this way.

www.wnd.com/2012/02/u-s-military-told-to-prepare-for-iran-ops/

Observation Point

2012-02-17T13:13:00.000-08:00

We have had three dogs now and they shared a common - and extremely annoying - trait. Periodically they would go on a walk-about and most often come back stinking to high heaven for having rolled in manure, fish fertilizer, or some other really odiferous substance. We could always smell them before we saw them. We then had to drag them to the outdoor hose and give them 3 or 4 baths to get as much of el stinko off as possible before letting them in the house. Oyvez!

I think our relationship with God probably bears more than a passing resemblance to this canine behavior. We believers do pretty well for a while and then suddenly, without much explanation, head out to the pucker brush and roll in marvelously stinky sin. We all have our customized dung (sin) piles but when we come home, we all smell pretty much the same to God. Paul even wrote a Bible verse about it. Romans 7:19. Oyvez!

Lord, help me be more like you and less like our dogs who drive me crazy. Amen.

The New Normal

2012-02-15T07:08:00.000-08:00

The annual Federal budget deficit has never exceeded 6% of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) except during the Civil War, WW I and WW II. Thus far it has exceeded that level in every year of the Obama Administration. If he is reelected we can expect that level of spending to continue. This is magical thinking and it cannot continue. We are not at the level of Greece yet, but by the end of a second Obama term we would be. Greece is probably over the falls for a variety of reasons; sad but true. The fallout, though, will hopefully be a cure for this magical thinking because it is going to be ugly. Live and learn.

www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/painful-cost-obama_629745.html

Occupy Athens

2012-02-12T17:03:00.000-08:00

The picture is of Athens burning tonight because the Greek Parliament adopted an austerity budget. Greece is showing every indication that it is going to have to go over the falls before it figures out that economics are not negotiable past a certain point - and they are there.

Take a good look because this will probably also be multiple American cities in a few years when we have to undertake similar measures to keep from totally collapsing our economy. The mindset is exactly the same: you can't take away our benefits! Someone else should pay for my lifestyle! In the case of Greece, they want the Germans to pay for it. In the case of the U.S. the 50% of Americans paying taxes are supposed to pay the tab for the other half and smile. This is madness. There is no free lunch. It is a tragedy that it has to come to Athens (or Chicago, LA, etc.) before people learn.

Do-Nothing Congress Gets One Right

2012-02-12T08:50:00.000-08:00

If you have read this blog, you know that I think the ethanol subsidy has been one of the really awful programs funded by the Feds. Beyond the $6 billion per year subsidy to giant ag firms, it has wrecked lots of engines and fuel tanks, raised food prices for corn (often to those who can least afford it), and wrapped itself in a bogus green mantle to make people think it was environmentally sound when in actuality it used more fossil-based fuels to manufacture than gasoline. But Congress recently did nothing and killed this monstrosity in its tracks. How? By failing to re-authorize the subsidy. Yeah team! May Congress do more such "nothing" in the future! The next step is to repeal the EPA mandate for the stuff in gasoline.

townhall.com/columnists/paulgreenberg/2012/02/11/a_blank_canvas_can_be_a_beautiful_thing

Creative Parent-Child Relations

2012-02-10T12:57:00.000-08:00

This is a father patiently explaining to his daughter why he is doing what he is doing. With his .45. To her laptop.

Energy Crisis?

2012-02-08T17:25:00.001-08:00

(Tip o' the hat to Laurie Way)

Will They or Won't They?

2012-02-07T07:30:00.000-08:00

Israel has been playing a high-stakes game of poker with Iran for some time over the latter's aggressive moves to build a nuclear capability. Such a force would be an existential threat to Israel. With the very short missile flight times over the Middle East, it would be very difficult to avoid one or more hits with even the best anti-missile defense system overhead. I am frankly surprised that the Israelis didn't pull the trigger when President Bush was in office - he was definitely more sympathetic than the current regime. That is water over the dam now, though, and Israel is faced with a situation where projecting power is going to be very difficult with a mildly hostile U.S. and a definitely hostile Syria and Iraq. It isn't without reason that Iran has been moving to build influence in those two countries, which would at least have to look the other way for a massive Israeli airstrike on Iran.The Saudis remain a wild card. The question remains: will the Israelis strike?

I think the answer is "no" because they have waited too long. Iran has had ample time to hide and harden its nuclear facilities and I doubt that Israel has sufficient long range striking power to take all of them out. I am not sure that we have enough power to do it either, but we do have the ability to mount a sustained campaign that makes it more likely to achieve a favorable result. Of course, there is no political will to do so. Russia and China are Iran's protectors, as they both just demonstrated in the UN by vetos of increased sanctions in the face of strong U.S. pressure. They could be expected to bluster and threaten and probably airlift in sophisticated weaponry. Oil talks. The rest of the world doesn't like Israel anyhow and would just as soon that it go away.

What to expect? I think that you will see an increasing number of attacks like the stuxnet virus hobbling Iranian computers and Iranian nuclear scientists taken out by hit teams. I would be delighted to be surprised, but I will not be holding my breath. A nuclear Iran will soon be a reality and then we will see if the mullahs have been bluffing about their willingness to use such a weapon. If the answer is "no" then we can expect a full-scale nuclear exchange and realize that this is the price of equivocation in the face of an implacable foe - a lesson we should have learned from WWII. Cowardice never goes out of style.

news.yahoo.com/just-bluff-fears-grow-israeli-attack-iran-191022654.html

Someone is Doing Their Job

2012-02-06T18:55:00.000-08:00

As a lawyer, it is nice to see courts doing their job, in this case the Federal 6th Circuit Court of Appeals.

Julea Ward was getting her masters in counseling at Eastern Michigan University. She was asked to counsel a gay couple about their relationship and since this involved affirming their gay views, it violated her religious beliefs. She followed her department policy and arranged for another counselor to take the case. For this she was thrown out of school despite having a near perfect record.

The 6th Circuit was not amused. The court asked if a Muslim counselor would be asked to counsel a Jew that his Judaism was the true faith or would an atheist be required to tell a Christian that God was real? Probably not, so what the Sam Hill was EMU thinking here? The best line in the opinion exposes the reality at the heart of this case:

“Tolerance is a two-way street. Otherwise, the rule mandates orthodoxy, not anti-discrimination.”

I couldn't agree more. Rigidly-enforced orthodoxy is exactly what you find in universities and colleges all across this country. It is way past time for this abuse of the First Amendment rights of believers to come to a screeching halt and I commend the 6th Circuit for taking the Constitution seriously.

townhall.com/columnists/mikeadams/2012/02/06/eloquence_in_defense_of_liberty

In Due Course

2012-02-06T18:34:00.000-08:00

I came across a verse the other day while preparing for a mediation that I had never seen before :

The unfolding of your words gives light; it gives understanding to the simple. Psalm 119:130

I was struck by the idea of the understanding of God's will ("light") unfolding and how true it is in describing my experience of God's revelation. It applies in two contexts.

The first is reading the Bible. Some people approach reading the Bible like a dart board: open it to a random page and see if the verse revealed speaks to your situation. This can be a problem if you choose a verse like Matthew 18:9 for example. Reading the Bible is more like mining - you have to work at it for a while and gradually amidst all the tailings you begin to uncover gold that reflects His light into your life and with that light comes understanding. Usually this is more general knowledge like what God does and does not like, His nature, general rules for living etc. Occasionally, though, you even get a specific answer to a dilemma that you are facing, but that is more rare. The more general rule: the more you read; the more you understand.

The second context is regarding God's will for your life. God rarely reveals His will in a big flash, but rather does so in a gradual unfolding. God is in the details. Over time, you begin to discern a pattern in friends' responses to your issue, or you keep finding yourself hitting the same circumstances when you act in a certain way, etc., etc. In other words it gradually dawns on you what the answer is to your problem. If you repeat this process enough, you begin to know where to look, what to listen for, and that's a good thing. Most often, though, we see God's work only in retrospect by noticing His fingerprints all over, and it becomes clear that He was there unfolding His revelation all along but we never were able to put together the pieces until He was done.

Our prayer should be for patience to wait out what God is unfolding in our life and to have eyes to see and ears to hear it. He has all the time in the world and often uses it. Don't be anxious because He who began a good work in you will be faithful to complete it. Philippians 1:6

Interesting Catch

2012-02-05T09:39:00.000-08:00

The oceans cover 80% of the earth's surface. Other than shipping lanes and coastal areas, however, most of the them receive little contact from man. Thus it is logical to believe that there are some interesting things out there that we have not yet seen. Here is one example.

The picture shows an amphipod caught from very deep water off New Zealand. Normally these are about the size of the shrimp you get at your favorite fish place. This one happens to be 13 inches long, which makes you wonder what might be chowing down on these critters at the same black depths. As robot research submarines become more prevalent, some of the answers will start to come in. Whoever thinks, though, that we know everything there is to know about this planet had best think again.

www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/green/wildlife-news/120202/supergiant-amphipod-monster-crustacean-found-new-zealand

Get Real

2012-02-04T19:33:00.000-08:00

Yup - this is our family. This is life.

Return to Sender

2012-02-03T06:01:00.000-08:00

Yup, the U.S. Post Office always delivers through rain, snow, and apparently ^&%$! Unfortunately what the postman left in this yard did not have a return address label. A metaphor for what the Feds really think of us? Special delivery indeed.

www.kgw.com/news/Mail-carrier-returns-to-duty-after-relieving-himself-in-yard-138534659.html

The Human Side of Fracking

2012-01-31T07:12:00.000-08:00

This is an interesting story about horizontal hydraulic fracturing or "fracking" for oil and natural gas. New York prohibits it; Pennsylvania allows it. The focus of the story, though, is that upstate New York, although it has the same geologic formations as eastern Pennsylvania, is losing population and becoming a depressed backwater while eastern Pennsylvania is booming with new high-paying jobs, cities gaining a new tax base, and generally doing much better than the national average economically. (Ed. note - see North Dakota too).

This is a textbook example of how politics can screw up the economy. It is also a microcosm of what the Obama Administration is doing nationally by refusing to let the Keystone XL pipeline project proceed, shutting down drilling in the Gulf of Mexico, etc. Can our economy get going? Sure, but not with the current occupant of the White House or his cronies in Congress.

finance.townhall.com/columnists/maritanoon/2012/01/23/the_human_story_of_hydrofracing

The Falklands - Here We Go Again?

2012-01-30T13:09:00.000-08:00

Margaret Thatcher, 1982, the Falkland Islands off South America. The Argentinians miscalculated by attacking the Falklands, which had been a British protectorate since 1833. They were trying to distract attention from a terrible economy and thought this would be easy pickings. Not so much. Thatcher sent in the Royal Navy and Marines and after a short but sharp series of battles, the Brits prevailed. Of course, Reagan was in office and we provided satellite intelligence, the newest Sidewinder missiles, etc., to our friends the Brits.

Now Argentina is making noise about the Falklands again and for essentially the same reason. The difference, though, is that both Thatcher and Reagan are gone and the relationship between the Brits and Obama is not so good. In fact, the U.S. has already said via the State Department that this is for the two of them to hash out - we want no part of it.

Great way to get these guys into a shooting war again, Mr. President. You may talk peace, but everything you do causes nations to miscalculate and historically, whenever that happens, bad things follow. Stand by for further developments.

www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/new-falklands-war_618882.html

Sad

2012-01-26T07:37:00.000-08:00

I always liked the prayer cards that Alaska Airlines included with their meal trays. The tradition disappeared in coach in 2006 when meals did, but continued in first class. Now it is ending altogether and that's sad.

Supposedly growing discord from its passengers was responsible. That's possible, particularly in Alaska's home base of Seattle. More likely, though, it was a target of the bean counters who are dumping everything that can remotely be considered an extra from flying. I hear one airline is testing military-style web-mesh seats along the sides of the plane to save weight. Kidding, but I hope no airline exec is reading this. seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2017329706_alaska26.html

Higher Ed

2012-01-26T07:17:00.000-08:00

But how does it make you feel?

www.kgw.com/news/national/Misspelled-Shcool-sign-replaced-in-NY-138068213.html

Try It - You'll Like It

2012-01-26T07:08:00.000-08:00

Got an Android phone and lots of people to keep track of? Try the SoulCares app to organize your life. It's a whopping $.99, easy to use, and really does work. Soon to come - SoulCares for iPhone. Try it - you'll like it! (Legal stuff: My son Matt and his friend Brian Smith designed this app. Way to go guys! This one is a keeper!)

DOJ - But What Country?

2012-01-24T13:27:00.000-08:00

I got an e-mail forward recently that I thought it was one of the bogus ones always making the rounds. It said that the U.S. Department of Justice had adopted a new design for its website (red, white and blue to black) and the following words appeared on the masthead:

"The common law is the will of mankind issuing from the life of the people."

I took issue with the statement because that has never been the origin of English or American common law. Could it be? Off to the DOJ website I went and - sonovagun! - it was all true.

The author was purportedly one C. Wilfred Jenks. Here is a little bit more background about Mr. Jenks from the American Spectator:

"... the quote originates from British lawyer, C. Wilfred Jenks, who back in the late 1930s and after World War II was a leading figure in the "international law" movement, which sought to impose a global, common law, and advocated for global workers rights. Jenks was a long-time member of the United Nation's International Labor Organization, and author of a number of globalist tracts, including a set of essays published back in 1958, entitled The Common Law of Mankind.

Most telling: Jenks, as director of the ILO is credited with putting in place the first Soviet senior member of the UN organization, and also with creating an environment that allowed the ILO to give "observer status" to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and to issue anti-Israeli statements, which precipitated efforts by the U.S. Congress to withdraw U.S. membership from the ILO. The U.S. actually did withdraw in the mid-1970s due to the organization's leftist leanings."

That's about par for this Administration, especially Eric Holder. The "will of mankind"? The "people" as in lumpen proletariat ? What are we talking about here Comrade Holder?

spectator.org/archives/2010/07/16/with-liberty-and-global-justic

(Tip o' the hat to Ray Ramsay)

Mr. President, Mr. President!

2012-01-24T07:06:00.000-08:00

Columnist John Hawkins lists 15 questions that the media should be asking President Obama, but of course won't because they are too busy asking Republican candidates questions about contraceptives, affairs, etc. And besides, Obama is just awaiting his coronation.The questions are so good that I have reprinted them below.
townhall.com/columnists/johnhawkins/2012/01/24/15_questions_the_mainstream_media_would_ask_barack_obama_if_he_were_a_republican

1) Numerous Mexican citizens and an American citizen have been killed with weapons knowingly provided to criminals by our own government during Operation Fast and Furious. If Eric Holder was aware that was going on, do you think he should step down as Attorney General? Were you aware that was going on and if so, shouldn’t you resign?

2) In 2010 you said Solyndra, which gave your campaign a lot of money, was "leading the way toward a brighter and more prosperous future." Today, Solyndra is bankrupt and the taxpayers lost $500 million on loans that your administration was well aware might never be paid off when you made them. What do you say to people who say this is evidence of corruption in your administration?

3) Unions invested a lot of time and money in helping to get you elected. In return, they gained majority control of Chrysler, the taxpayers lost 14 billion dollars on General Motors, and General Motors received a special 45 billion dollar tax break. What do you say to people who view this as corruption on a scale never before seen in American history?

4) Through dubious means, you and your allies in Congress managed to push through an incredibly unpopular health care bill that helped lead to the worst election night for the Democratic Party in 50 years. Since the bill has passed, many of your claims about the bill have proven to be untrue. For example, we now know the bill won't lower costs and despite your assurances to the contrary, big companies like McDonald's say they may drop health care because of the health care reform. Since the American people have rejected your health care reform and it doesn't do what you said it would, shouldn't you work with the Republicans to repeal it?

5) When you took office, gas was $1.79 per gallon. Since then, you've demonized the oil industry, dramatically slowed offshore drilling, blocked ANWR, and killed the Keystone Pipeline. Now, gas is $3.34 per gallon. How much higher do you anticipate driving gas prices?

6) Occupy Wall Street has been protesting against Wall Street and the richest 1 percent in America. You are in the top 1 percent of income earners in America and you have collected more cash from Wall Street than any other President in history. So, aren't you exactly the sort of politician that Occupy Wall Street wants to get rid of?

7) How do you decide which foreign leaders to submissively bow towards and why do you think that's appropriate for an American President?

8) If they could, don't you think the Nobel Committee would take back the Nobel Peace Prize that you were awarded?

9) You made bipartisanship one of the central themes of your campaign in 2008. Yet, you've worked to push bills through Congress with almost no Republican support, spent much less time negotiating with Congress than George Bush, and you've said things like, "But, I don’t want the folks who created the mess to do a lot of talking. I want them to get out of the way so we can clean up the mess. I don’t mind cleaning up after them, but don’t do a lot of talking." Why did you decide to break your campaign promise to pursue bipartisanship?

10) America lost its AAA credit rating for the first time under your watch. What do you think you should have done differently to have prevented that historic failure?

11) You cut more than 500 billion dollars out of Medicare to fund your wildly unpopular health care reform bill. Given that Medicare is running in the red already, don't you think it's irresponsible to cut money out of one entitlement program, that millions of seniors depend on -- to put it into a risky new entitlement program?

12) Back in July, you said, "Nobody’s looking to raise taxes right now. We’re talking about potentially 2013 and the out years." Since you plan to raise taxes if you're elected and you've had kind words for a value added tax, shouldn't every American expect a tax increase if you're reelected?

13) Why should the American people reelect you when your 10 year budget saddles America with more debt than all previous Presidents combined?

14) Your stimulus bill cost more in real dollars than the moon landing and the interstate highway system combined. What do we have to show for all of that money spent?

15) Members of your administration promised that the trillion dollar stimulus would keep unemployment under 8 percent. Instead, we've had 35+ months of 8% and above unemployment. Doesn't that mean we wasted a trillion dollars on nothing?

Fleet Admiral

2012-01-23T20:48:00.000-08:00

This is really quite remarkable. 81-year-old Phil Warren from the UK has spent over 65 years building this incredible fleet of 432 ships. All vessels are built entirely of matchsticks & matchstick boxes. They are amazingly detailed. The collection includes nearly 370 American and 60 British ships. It makes me embarrassed to think how I use my spare time.

(Tip o' the hat to Ray Ramsay)

Baby Solyndra

2012-01-23T07:33:00.000-08:00

Solyndra is one of Obama's massive cash raids on the U.S. Treasury that gave over $500 million to politically-connected cronies and their solar power company that is now bankrupt. We have a Baby Solyndra brewing in Oregon.

The nutshell of the story is that the Oregon Energy Department has made bad loans to various "green" businesses that have gone bad and Oregon taxpayers will have to pony up $20 million or so to cover loan guarantees. Sound familiar? The Oregonian reports that:

"The fund loaned $18 million to a Clatskanie ethanol plant that quickly went bankrupt, $12.1 million to a Linn County solar company crippled by plunging global prices, and $1.4 million to a glitzy central Oregon resort plagued by the real estate crash."

The moral of the story is that government is a lousy investor. Venture capitalists have their own money at stake and become adept at vetting good projects from bad or they go broke. They get a premium for assuming this risk. Government, on the other hand, isn't spending its own money and thus often falls for something that looks good on paper but that someone with a little VC expertise could readily see that isn't so hot behind all the bells and whistles. Then, of course, there is political pressure to send money to influential big wigs. Even if a project goes well, government typically only gets repaid at a reduced interest rate. If we want to get a handle on government spending, this is one area that is ripe for change. Quit pushing trendy ideas and let the market decide what works and what doesn't.

www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/oregon_taxpayers_must_bail_out.html

Observation Point

2012-01-20T12:49:00.000-08:00

"We are here on earth to learn and grow, but our prize is heaven. Only a moment of our existence is spent here, and yet most of the time, we look to the things of the world to satisfy our deepest longings. We do not even realize that we are hungering for heaven."

Rebecca Barlow

Happy Birthday Slim!

2012-01-20T06:47:00.000-08:00

Slim Whitman hits 88 today. Famous for classic songs like Una Paloma Blanca (below) and I Remember You, Whitman's music was featured in the 1996 film classic Mars Attacks! Many happy returns Slim!

Note: This is not Will Ferrell mugging.

Heart of Gold

2012-01-18T20:22:00.000-08:00

Warren Buffett is the liberals' favorite capitalist. He begs the President to raise his taxes, never mind that he can pay any amount he wants at any time, but doesn't. No, the liberals need a tame capitalist to exhibit. Here is a quote from a liberal journalist that illustrates the point:

"Buffett doesn't want to hobble capitalism. He just wants to give it a heart."

Yeah, right. I think Rush had it right when he said that Buffett puts on this little dog-and-pony show to stay in liberals' good graces in order to keep from getting taxed. Again Warren, if you really want to pay more, just do it! Otherwise, nice but not convincing acting job.

news.yahoo.com/exclusive-warren-buffett-accepts-gop-tax-challenge-offers-121500308.html

(Tip o' the hat to Mark Samples)

Dummies

2012-01-18T20:10:00.000-08:00

The arrogance of the Ruling Class is astounding. Here is the cover of this week's Newsweek. The magazine sold recently for $1 plus assumption of all their debt. Who are the dummies?

Happy 100th Birthday L.L. Bean!

2012-01-17T07:25:00.000-08:00

Every once in a while you run across a company that just does things right. LL Bean is one of those companies and it is celebrating its 100th birthday. Whether on the phone or at its flagship store in Freeport, Maine, Bean's customer service reps have always been good to work with. Their products are well made and on the rare occasions that I have had a problem with something, they have made it good - no questions asked. That is such a pleasure compared to many companies that I have always come back to Bean's. Happy Birthday Bean's for a job well done!

www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/ll_bean_celebrates_100th_maint.html

Coals to Newcastle

2012-01-16T18:03:00.000-08:00

The Port of Portland is shipping coals to Newcastle - actually 10,000 Fords to South Korea. A drop in the bucket compared to the countless Hyundais and Kias coming into the U.S., but it's nice that Oregon has a small piece of this symbolic gesture.

www.kgw.com/news/Port-of-Portland-to-ship-Fords-to-Korea-137184868.html

Drilling Goes Up; Prices Go Down.

2012-01-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

Oregon consumers and consumers nationally are enjoying the benefit of falling natural gas prices due to more domestic drilling. Imagine - supply goes up and prices go down! Who knew?

And the same thing would happen if the Feds changed policy and really let domestic oil drilling out of the regulatory shackles. We could have a healthy economy, but there isn't the political will in Washington. Remember this on November 6, 2012.

www.kgw.com/news/business/137391963.html

Another Sign of Spring in Egypt

2012-01-16T13:02:00.000-08:00

The religious morality police in Egypt are now being equipped with Tasers. Yes indeed, when they see someone they think is indulging in immoral behavior, which appears to be about everybody but them, the morality police will "help" the miscreant with a little aversion therapy so they straighten up and fly right. Yes sir, paradise on earth these Islamic republics!

www.wnd.com/2012/01/morality-police-getting-tasers/

Genie Out of the Bottle

2012-01-13T13:10:00.000-08:00

You have heard no doubt about the bird flu. Nasty stuff. Fortunately, it is has not been highly contagious. Except that now, scientists in the U.S. and the Netherlands have genetically altered it to be highly contagious. Why? Do these scientists really think the genie won't get out of the bottle? All you have to do is ignore history. Ah yes - science will lead us to the great new world! Too bad it may be off a cliff.

abcnews.go.com/Health/highly-contagious-bird-flu-virus-strain-created-dutch/story?id=15198051#.TxCbzmNSTVc

A "Mistake" x 52 Million

2012-01-12T13:23:00.000-08:00

January 22 is the anniversary date of the infamous 1973 decision in Roe v Wade. In an atrociously reasoned opinion, the Court first stated that no one could determine when life begins and then promptly did just that. Since then some 52,000,000 babies have been killed by abortion in the U.S.

The technology of death has evolved since 1973. Surgical abortions are being phased out and morning-after pills are taking their place. Polling indicates 61% of Americans are now against abortion for almost all reasons, but one wonders if the question is irrelevant. The revised phrasing might be, "Do you agree with taking a pill after having sex to avoid a mistake?" A "mistake"? Really? The One who counts is counting and I am quite sure that He does not view any of them as mistakes.

Choose life.

www.lifematterstv.org/abortioncounters.html

They Got It Right

2012-01-12T07:23:00.000-08:00

Two - count 'em - two local stories on the front page this morning where public bodies did the right thing fiscally! It's not enough to criticize, so here goes with some props:

The Silverton School District not only came in under budget on its new high school, but is refunding the unspent surplus from the bond issue to taxpayers. A spokesperson for the district said they wanted to keep faith with the voters. How refreshing!
www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20120112/NEWS/201120336/Tax-payers-get-800-000-refund-from-Silverton-High-expansion?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

The Oregon Department of Revenue decided not to spend $13M to fund a new computer system because of the crisis in state finances. Good choosing! At some point a new system will be necessary, but thanks for applying some discretion.

An interesting side note to this story is that this decision was made in conjunction with the state's new Chief Operating Officer (COO). All big private corporations have a COO and there are many corporations with more employees than the State of Oregon. In years past, there was no one person in overall charge of reviewing and planning operational decisions from a fiscal perspective. Having a COO could be a very good addition for the state and the taxpayers.
www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20120112/NEWS/201120328/Revenue-dept-postpones-92-million-computer-overhaul?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Home

The Supremes Greatest Hits!

2012-01-11T22:09:00.000-08:00

The Supremes are smokin'! The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a huge religious freedom case today that clearly sets out limits on government interference with churches. Legal observers say it may be the most important religious liberty case in decades.

The 9-0 decision, which is unheard of in this area of jurisprudence, prohibits courts from hearing cases against religious organizations that are founded on statutory discrimination claims - in this case the ADA. Thus, the EEOC and all the other Federal agencies have to keep their mitts off churches and other religious organizations, no doubt to Attorney General Eric Holder's great consternation. Why do I say that?

Richard Garnett, a law professor at Notre Dame, comments:

"... the Supreme Court affirmed what the overwhelming majority of lower federal courts and state courts in the United States have already ruled, and rejected the well-outside-the-mainstream view advanced by the Obama administration’s lawyers. This last point is worth emphasizing: The administration’s lawyers had pressed an extreme view — one that no other court, and few scholars and experts, had embraced — and they convinced no one."

Thank God! But this again points out the importance of the 2012 Presidential election. Any administration that would articulate the position it did in this case does not understand the Constitution at all and is a danger to the country and its people.

www.nationalreview.com/bench-memos/287858/win-religious-freedom-richard-garnett

Here is BIG Government

2012-01-11T20:02:00.000-08:00

Obama says he will stand by the EPA and defend it from scurrilous Republican attacks, blah, blah, blah. Note to POTUS: the EPA deserves the attacks and it ain't just Republicans.

thehill.com/blogs/e2-wire/e2-wire/203383-obama-pledges-to-stand-by-epa

A case was argued in the U.S. Supreme Court this week that left even liberal members of the Court agog. The facts are that a couple bought a subdivision lot in Priest Lake, Idaho that already had sewer and water connections for $23,000. There was a small creek running across the property, so before buying it they checked with the Army Corps of Engineers to see if there was a wetland issue. They were assured there was not, so happily they closed the sale and began to dig out and pour the foundation footings. Then arrived the Man from the EPA!

"You can't do that," he thundered, "it's a wetland!" They tried to tell him that the agency had made a mistake and the Corps (which delineates wetlands in the first place) said there was no wetland. Of course that did not suffice and the EPA went on to order them to tear out the footing and to restore the property to its original condition except for some non-native plants that the agency thought would look nice - all at a cost of $250,000. And, if these miserable serfs waited for 10 years, the EPA might discuss a building permit. Hmmph! So there!

Naturally, the owners thought the agency was being a little, well Nazi-like, so they sought judicial review of the order. The EPA's response was that under the Clean Water Act it had exclusive jurisdiction and thus there was no judicial review. This is an interesting argument to make to a judge, but since it was an argument that would fool only a lawyer, the Federal District Court in Boise and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals of course bought it. Fortunately, the Supremes appear to have seen through the brilliance of the government's argument.

Chief Justice Roberts set the tone when he asked the EPA's lawyer whether he was familiar with the Fifth Amendment to the Constitution which prohibits government from depriving citizens of, among other things, property without due process of law. Perhaps this might trump even the almighty EPA? Then there was the concept of judicial review itself, which has been around since 1803. Clearly the justices were not amused by an agency setting itself up as a kingdom unto itself. Questioning from the other justices was along similar lines, even from liberal Justices Kagan and Breyer. Justice Alioto said that most Americans would not have ever thought that a case like this could happen here. Amen, but all of us would be wrong.

Court observers expect the Supreme Court to reverse the lower courts and send the EPA packing. It cannot come too soon and I hope massive attorney fees are awarded against the agency for its arrogant and un-American actions in the Sackett case.

This case also illustrates what is at stake in the Presidential election. The EPA here is Big Government and what it did is what Big Government always does - it was not an aberration. Big Government manages to be both arrogant and incompetent at the same time. Obama and the Democrats want to take the U.S. down this path - such cases are a small price to pay for the level of centralized control that they want. Heaven help us if they get away with it.

washingtonexaminer.com/opinion/editorials/2012/01/constitutional-right-due-process-stake-epa-case/2078316

Granny the Loady

2012-01-11T19:17:00.000-08:00

Germany is increasingly concerned about drug-using Gramps and Grannies. In some cases, these senior citizens are dealing big time, complete with guns and other dealer accessories. This makes it hard to take care of them in the conventional senior care system.

Can the U.S. be far behind? As the article points out, Willie Nelson is already there. Whatever. I'm not going to worry about it. Hey dude, don't hog the bong!

www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/stoned-seniors-germany-faces-epidemic-of-hippy-pensioners-6283352.html

The Local Bridge to Nowhere?

2012-01-11T13:35:00.000-08:00

This one is probably going to get me in trouble. Oh well. The City of Salem has approved a new pedestrian bridge to Minto Island. It has already agreed to pay the tourist sternwheeler $250,000 not to poke its bow into the slough so the bridge can cross. Quoting from the city's own website on the project:

"Design, permitting, and construction of both Bridge and Trail is expected to cost approximately $8,500,000."
www.cityofsalem.net/mintobridge

Today's paper reported that the same City of Salem is trying to partially shut down a new fire station in West Salem because of budget problems. The city manager reports that the city is $10.5 million in the hole.

Am I missing something? We are building bridges for joggers and hikers and shutting down fire stations? I don't care what the funding source is ("It's Federal money; it's state money...) the problem is that government at all levels is spending too darn much money. I like this project and would no doubt use it if and when it is built, but c'mon - this is exactly the wrong time to do it!

Venture Socialism

2012-01-11T13:03:00.000-08:00

Columnist David Harsanyi has coined a great new name - "venture socialist." I like it. President Obama is one. As Harsanyi notes:

"They enjoy 'investing' your money in exploding electric vehicles, bullet trains and other highly unprofitable but morally satisfying economic misadventures. Venture socialism is certainly empathetic."

Indeed. And the cool part is that they don't have to worry about any "return" on their investment, excepting of course campaign contributions. Solyndra got over $500,000,000 in public funds and I would love to see how much of that came back as campaign contributions. The poor American taxpayers? Let them eat cake.

townhall.com/columnists/davidharsanyi/2012/01/11/the_gops_creative_destruction

Observation Point

2012-01-11T12:41:00.000-08:00

"Mercy is not something that God has but something that God is."
A.W. Tozer

Happy Days are Here Again - Part Deux!

2012-01-11T07:18:00.000-08:00

Despite the economic happy talk I have been reading about the economy, what we have been seeing with clients since last October has now been verified by the U of O Index of Economic Indicators - we're going down. Yup, for the fourth consecutive month the indicators are down significantly for Oregon. In the past, this has usually meant the "R" word - recession. In November alone it was down 2.75%. UO economist Tim Duy said:

"For all the ups and downs, U.S. job growth has been increasing this year while Oregon’s has not,” Duy said. “So either we’re mismeasuring Oregon’s job growth and all this will go away, or there’s something a little bit different here.”

Well OK, after all we do things differently here.

www.oregonlive.com/business/index.ssf/2012/01/oregon_economic_index_falls_fo.html

Speaking of seeing things differently BTW, did you see that Gov. Kitzhaber's vaunted health plan savings will be less than half of what was projected to the Legislature when the budget was being formulated? I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that at the end of the 2-year budget there will not only be no savings, but a deficit to be covered! A donation is already being requested from the Feds, who themselves are awash in money. It's Chinese, but they are awash in it.

The problem with health care "reform" is that politicians want to run the system and "give" care to everybody to buy votes and the system is too big and too complex for them to do so and do it even halfway well. The single biggest cost is personnel and unless doctors and nurses agree to work for peanuts, the numbers will never balance. Ditto for the cost of medicine and medical equipment. Politicians keep running into the truth that there is no free lunch. That doesn't bother most of them. They just keep screwing things up and "giving" us more of what we "want." I wish they would just go home and drink.

www.ktvz.com/news/30178498/detail.html

Why Mitt is Having Trouble with the Base

2012-01-09T07:32:00.000-08:00

I think Mitt Romney is a decent guy. I think he is honest, has good managerial skills per his straightening out of the Salt Lake City Olympics, is solid on foreign policy, but... It is this "but" that kept Republican voters in the Iowa caucuses from voting for him at more than 25%, which means that 75% of Republicans preferred someone else. If this trend continues, and I suspect it will, it does not bode well for him or the party. To beat Obama - and it is imperative to beat him - it will take an enthusiastic Republican electorate that really goes all out for the Republican nominee. What is behind Mitt's tepid support? Well, it is articles like this.

National Review reports that when Romney was governor of Massachusetts, he basically never met a tax increase that he didn't like. In fact, he proposed a huge increase in corporate taxes that the Democratic Legislature scaled back. In Taxachusetts! He also passed a smorgasbord of new fees ($432M) including $10 for a "Certificate of Blindness." This is Mitt's idea of a Republican approach to governing?

The problem we face is government spending, not a dearth of revenues. The Feds have melted down the credit card and are now unwilling to take the tough steps to put our financial house in order. We don't need a continuation of this mindset from a Republican President - people don't want to be snookered. Unfortunately, with his state record on taxes/fees and Romneycare, the precursor of Obamacare, the evidence seems to point to a chameleon in Brooks Brothers clothing. People and even politicians can change. I hope so because the last thing the United States needs now is more of the same, whether from Republicans or Democrats.

www.nationalreview.com/articles/287415/romney-s-tax-hikes-deroy-murdock

Check; Checkmate

2012-01-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

The area in the box on the right side of the map is the Strait of Hormuz. To the south lie all the major oil terminals of Saudi Arabia, the U.A.E., Qatar, Bahrain, Kuwait and Iraq. To the north lies Iran, which has recently threatened to shut the Strait and "disinvited" an American carrier from returning to the Persian Gulf on the west side of the Strait. Normally this would be laughable, except that Iran could potentially do it from a multiplicity of land-based missile positions under the control of the ever unpredictable Ahmadinejad and the Mad Mullahs. The missiles incidentally have been supplied by the Russians, Chinese, and North Koreans. At the very least, the U.S. Navy would take substantial casualties from a missile barrage. What to do?

Did you know that Iran does not refine its own gasoline? True story. If incoming gas and diesel were cut off, it could be tough to get around in this fairly large country. It is also worth noting that oil storage tanks and pipelines are hard to hide and make excellent fixed targets for cruise missiles. Did I mention that just one of our our converted ballistic missile subs in that area has 132 cruise missiles aboard? Finally, cities and nuclear facilities alike need electrical power and power generating stations also make big fat fixed targets. I am sure that there are other targets of interest. Just thinking out loud. It would be most unfortunate if all this came to pass.

Oil and a House Divided

2012-01-03T07:45:00.000-08:00

A lot of U.S. oil comes from the Middle East, particularly the Gulf States and Saudi Arabia. Therefore, it is important to understand something of these countries, particularly Saudi Arabia. In that regard, the key fact to remember is that Saudi Arabia is a house divided and eventually, a house divided falls.

An excellent article in The Weekly Standard sets out the problem: King Saud and the House of Saud are moderate reformers while Crown Prince Nayef and the House of Ibn Abd Al-Wahhab are 5th century types. Note the name of the latter - it is where the word "Wahhabi" comes from, as in Osama bin Laden. These two families have intermarried for centuries and if you thought court intrigue was the sole province of Elizabethan England or Louis XIV, guess again.

King Saud is 87 years old. Recently he issued a decree that allows women to vote for the first time in local elections without a male "guardian." This is not a very big step by our standards, but it is huge in Saudi Arabia and the Wahhabists are not happy. They recently sponsored a conference that makes it clear that if they come into power, they will drag the country back to the "good old days" where women know their place.

The Saudis have managed this balancing act for a long time, but how much longer they can do so is anybody's guess. In any event, remaining dependent on Saudi oil to the extent that we are is foolish. We need to be looking at energy independence for the U.S. and not put ourselves in jeopardy when it is both so predictable and so avoidable.

www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/saudi-king-s-reform-step-vs-crown-prince-s-ambitious-wahhabism_615104.html

A Generous People

2012-01-02T20:21:00.000-08:00

On top of a report that American charitable giving was up 4% in 2011, a new report says that Americans are the most charitable people in the world. The WSJ reports:

"The World Giving Index 2011 measures generosity on three levels: giving money as a percentage of income, giving time, and helping strangers. Only the United States ranked in the top 10 nations of the world in each category. Charities Aid Foundation director Richard Harrison praised American charitable giving: "This research confirms that when we look at giving in a rounded way, including the extent to which we volunteer and help strangers, America is the most generous country in the world. America is the only country that ranks in the top ten globally on each of these three perspectives, and this first place ranking should be seen as source of real pride for people across America."

The article also notes media carping about how "ungenerous" we are because we don't let ourselves be taxed even more to fund government's idea of how our dollars should be spent. Imagine Americans wanting to give their money to churches and schools and the Salvation Army instead of Solyndra, building oil fields for Brazil, or payoffs to Goldman Sachs!

Way to go America! Keep up the good work!

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204464404577116562361487888.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_RIGHTBelowPepperandSalt

Passing Storms

2011-12-31T13:47:00.000-08:00

2011 has been a tough year for a lot of reasons, both societally and personally. There has been good to be sure, but weighed as a whole, the scales have been more down than up. God never promised, though, that life would be easy, but rather that He would be with us in the good times and the bad. And He has been. So here is to more good times for us all in 2012 - and the sure knowledge that even if that doesn't prove true, He will be right here with us. Happy New Year.

Euro Could Become World's Leading Currency

2011-12-31T12:17:00.000-08:00

So says the chief policy maker for the European Central Bank.

news.yahoo.com/euro-could-become-worlds-leading-currency-noyer-191853289.html

Ring Out the Old; Bring in the New; then the Old...

2011-12-29T08:02:00.000-08:00

Solomon said that there is nothing new under the sun. He was right. Victor Davis Hanson gives us a look at the New/Old Europe, which really hasn't changed much over the last several hundred years. The rest of Europe is wooing Germany to pay the bills for the profligacy of its more undisciplined members and hoping that Germany doesn't go off the deep end again.

Perhaps the bigger variable this time is that Europe has let millions of Muslims into their countries. Combined with an abysmal birthrate among its natural born citizens, the future of Europe could be very different indeed. Then again, civilizations rising and falling isn't new under the sun either.

townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2011/12/29/the_new_old_europe

A Big Thumbs Up!

2011-12-29T07:26:00.000-08:00

USA Today reports that charitable giving over Christmas was up 4% over last year. Nice job in tough times America! There is still time before 12/31 if you weren't a part of it.

www.usatoday.com/news/nation/story/2011-12-28/charity-holiday-giving/52253398/1

U.S. Leads Industrial World - In Mule Technology

2011-12-26T17:12:00.000-08:00

I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas. Enough of sugar plums dancing in your heads and let's instead think about industrial policy.

A modern industrial economy needs lots of different minerals and metals to thrive. The more a country depends on other countries to provide these materials, the more it places itself at risk if relations go sour. The U.S. imports a lot of its minerals but we are fortunate to be rich in many, tungsten for example. But that asumes that it can be mined, which as it turns out is a big assumption.

Columnist Marita Noon writes about recent efforts to mine tungsten in Montana. It gives a good idea why the American economy stinks:

"In Montana’s Finley Basin there are known tungsten deposits. An Australian company wanted to bring revenue and jobs to the state by developing the resource. While the property was successfully drilled and recognized by Union Carbide in the seventies, it is now about 200 yards inside a roadless study area. The Forest Service was willing to offer a conditional drilling permit. Among the conditions were these requirements:

The drill sites must be cleared using hand tools,
The drilling equipment and fuel must be transported to the site by a team of pack mules,
The mules must be fed certified weed-free hay, and
Drill site and trail reclamation must be done using hand tools.

The company gave up.

How can America remain competitive in a global marketplace when we are required to use pick axes and mules? How does this help America’s heavy equipment manufacturers like Caterpillar?

No wonder we are in trouble."

You think? Hand tools? Mules? Certified weed-free hay? Amazing. November 6, 2012 is coming.

finance.townhall.com/columnists/maritanoon/2011/12/24/obamaland_american_mules_must_eat_certified_weed-free_hay

Merry Christmas!

2011-12-25T11:12:00.000-08:00

See Ya Pardner

2011-12-22T18:06:00.000-08:00

We are now done in Iraq - the upcoming Presidential election made sure of that. We lost 4,000+ dead and 32,000 wounded. Iraq is free, at least for the moment. Peggy Noonan comments on an interesting interview that she did this year in Iraq:

"In Iraq this year I asked an Iraqi military officer doing joint training at an American base what was the big thing he'd come to believe about Americans in the years they'd been there. He thought.

"You are a better people than your movies say."

He had judged us by our exports. He had seen the low slag heap of our culture and assumed it was a true expression of who we are. And so he'd assumed we were disgusting."

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204552304577115051424219634.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_LEADTop

I'd like to think we are better than our movies. Certainly the men and women who served our country so well in Iraq are first class. Thank you - a lot - for your service. You acquitted yourselves well and history will judge you charitably, in the finest tradition of the American soldier.

Light of the World

2011-12-21T07:43:00.000-08:00

The Shroud of Turin is back in the news. The arguments over whether this really is the burial shroud of Christ have gone back and forth for a long time. A new research team has now concluded that the images are genuine and could only have been created by an extremely short burst of very intense light. The team was able to replicate the images using a very brief burst of UV light, the technology for which was not available at the time the images were created. The scientists cautioned that they cannot, of course, say that this is Christ's burial shroud. Jesus is the light of the world, though, so we can say that these new findings are perfectly consistent. Interesting validation of the Christmas story.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8966422/Italian-study-claims-Turin-Shroud-is-Christs-authentic-burial-robe.html

It Can't Come Too Soon!

2011-12-20T06:37:00.000-08:00

Medical research shows promise that a super-memory pill could soon be on the way. Most excellent! Researchers found that suppressing a brain molecule (PKR) that has a virus early warning function led to increased memory and learning capability. It can't happen too soon for me, as I sit here trying to remember what my wife wants for Christmas.
www.vancouversun.com/health/Discovery+could+lead+memory+enhancing+pill+realm+science+fiction/5873583/story.html

The Christmas Spirit

2011-12-20T05:51:00.000-08:00

Traveling over Christmas can often be an ordeal. We've done it and one of my not fond memories is the Mt. Hood-sized pile of luggage at United's baggage claim area at O"Hare when my tribe arrived on Christmas Eve from Portland. But my purpose today is not to beat up on the airlines, but rather to spread a little Christmas cheer by sending them some love. Yes, Virginia, there are good employees who work at airlines!

My personal story was on a United flight from Denver to Portland. I was transporting a 1-year old from Texas to Oregon who was being adopted. By the time we made it to Denver, he had worn me out. We had the last flight of the day and I crawled down the jetway with baby in tow and me in sad shape. Fortunately, the combination of a kind flight attendant and a light load soon found me napping while the flight attendant (a mom herself) delightedly played with the baby at the back of the plane. When I got back to the office, a letter was soon on its way from my office to United HQ about their terrific employee.

Enjoy these stories and, if you are traveling this Christmas, especially by air or rail, spread a little Christmas cheer by a kind word and a good attitude for the folks who are trying to get you home safely.

www.thestreet.com/story/11350575/1/top-5-airline-service-moments-of-2012.html

Point/Counterpoint

2011-12-18T08:16:00.000-08:00

There is no question that Iran has one of our super secret stealth recon drones. news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-57344032-83/u.s-drone-hijacked-by-gps-hack/?tag=mncol;cnetRiver In fact, this one was so secret that no picture of it had been published until the Iranians showed it to the world. The bigger question is how did this CIA-operated aircraft end up in the hands of the bad guys and how do we prevent his from happening again?

A lot of stories are floating around as to just what went wrong. One is simply operator error. That may be, but there should be an absolutely fail safe destruction circuit built into these things that will blow it up if there is no other recourse. Of course, it may have been as simple as some lieutenant who was flying this thing not wanting to hit the kill switch on one of America's most secret - and expensive - pieces of hardware because his orders were not clear as to when he was authorized to do this. That is a command-and-control problem.

A larger command-and-control problem is why orders were not immediately given to either go in and recover the drone by force, or destroy it on the ground with an air strike. Rumor has it that the President spiked this option. The President did say that we have asked for it back and "we'll see" what the Iranian response is. Right. Five guesses what their response will be. This is a command-and-control problem that can only be solved next November.

The more technical explanation is that the Iranians spoofed the GPS feed and tricked it into landing in Iran. The article below from Wired says that this is possible, but it would be difficult. www.wired.com/dangerroom/2011/12/iran-drone-hack-gps/

My best guess is that this was probably a Chinese or Russian operation that was a field test of new equipment to counter our drones. They got lucky by snatching one of our newest models instead of a Predator or other older drone. Since they now have our best and brightest, they can manufacture their own after reverse-engineering it and work out new countermeasures to bring ours down. Great. Point/counterpoint is the nature of the game and we just got painfully counterpointed in a big way. Wherever the screw-ups occurred here, there is no excuse for not taking the drone out when we knew it was down in Indian Country.

Good Newt/Bad Newt

2011-12-16T17:58:00.000-08:00

For those of you still considering Newt for President, I hope that you will read the attached article from today's WSJ. He has only reluctantly fessed up that he pulled down $1.6 million from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and he defended these colossal failures in the same way as Barney Frank, which he "does not recall at this time."Newt is not particularly conservative and if he is the Republican nominee it is going to be the the old exploding cigar routine and Barack Obama will be re-elected. We can't afford that.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970203699404577046312408153358.html

Parting the Veil

2011-12-16T13:58:00.000-08:00

Christopher Hitchens died yesterday at 62 after a battle with throat cancer. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-16212418 Hitchens was a gifted writer and a fiery polemicist with a real animus toward Christianity. I wonder what he thinks now.

Steve Jobs is an even higher profile figure who recently died. His last words were reputed to be, "Oh wow. Oh wow. Oh wow!" It does make you wonder.

Death has been on my mind of late because of the death of our cat, who died in my wife's arms last Sunday, and because of the imminent deaths of three friends. St. Paul says that now we see through the glass darkly and I believe this is true, if we see at all.

Non-believers either ignore death or deal with it by false bravado - "Do not go gentle into that good night!" in the words of Welsh poet Dylan Thomas. You may not go gently, Mr. Thomas, but most assuredly you will (and did) go.

Christians too often try to ignore death too or paper over it with a glib religious gloss. It is easy to say that God will see us through when it is someone else who is dying. It becomes much more difficult when we are the one who is looking down the long end of the barrel and our own earthly existence is drawing to a close. We all fear what we do not know and we do not know what lies on the other side in the same sense that we know our wife sitting next to us, the smile of our children, or the warmth of the morning sun. But do we, in fact, have some real knowledge even now that we do not realize that is enough to bring us through? The answer, I believe, is "yes."

It starts by acknowledging that Paul says that we see though the glass darkly, not that we don't see at all. That would be the experience of my life. Occasionally we are given "God sightings." Chuck Colson calls them "signposts to God." www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/18420 For most of us they are few and far between. It could be because we are blind and deaf and simply missing them all the time, but more likely it is because He doesn't want to overwhelm us with His presence and so withholds it from us. Being constantly in His immediate presence can breed a blase' attitude - think the Jews and Moses trekking around Mt. Sinai for 40 years. It can also cause fear, but not inspire love, and it is love freely given that God desires from us.

Thinking back over my life, I can count a few occasions where I can say unequivocally that God was with me. They were unmistakeable and have stayed with me ever since. I may see through a glass darkly but for a few moments at least, I did see face-to-face. If He can do that, then I know He can walk with me through the Valley of the Shadow of Death.

So dear friends, know that we on this side, and your family and friends on the other side, are praying for you as you approach the veil. We pray that you know beyond any doubt that He has you in the palm of His hand. I know that some day you will return the favor. Remember the God sightings that you have known in this life - He is the same God who will bring you through. Aloha means "Until we meet again," so Aloha and not goodbye.

The Fourth Reich?

2011-12-15T08:08:00.000-08:00

Yup, at least Victor Davis Hanson thinks so and they got there without resorting to military. Basically, for a long time Germany has played the ant while the rest of Europe did the grasshopper routine. Now that winter has arrived, Germany is sitting fat and happy while the rest of the continent (with a few exceptions like Norway) is out starving in the cold. Europe worries whether Germany will press its advantage into a Pax Germana. Doh! You only have to ignore several hundred years of history to believe they won't. Ve-dy in-te-westing.

townhall.com/columnists/victordavishanson/2011/12/15/the_hundred_years_german_war

Egyptian Stew

2011-12-15T07:24:00.000-08:00

While major U.S. media focus on important stories like Lindsay Lohan, Der Spiegel is actually sending reporters out to interview players in the Egyptian political scene. Where Egypt goes, the rest of the Arab crescent is likely to go and this article, not to mention the recent election, is not particularly encouraging. It appears that between the Muslim Brotherhood and the Salafists there will be a warm embrace of the 5th century in Egypt's future. Any chance we could consider energy independence for the U.S. so we don't have to deal with these folks?

www.spiegel.de/international/world/0,1518,803500,00.html

Hope

2011-12-10T17:34:00.000-08:00

I am melancholy. I don't like the darkness of winter and people I care about are dying. They have run the good race, fought the good fight and heaven awaits, but they will be missed here. The sadness seeps from my soul.

Yet the darkness of the hour makes the Light who came into the world that we celebrate this Christmas season that much brighter:

I am the light of the world. Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life. John 8:12

He who is Light came into this dark place and brought hope. And someday -

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. Revelation 21:4

The substance of things hoped for. May He come soon. Amen.

Newt with Kraut

2011-12-07T18:37:00.000-08:00

Newt Gingrich is rapidly closing on Romney as the GOP front-runner, but their are some serious people who aren't Newt fans. Take Charles Krauthammer for example:

"Gingrich has his own vulnerabilities. The first is often overlooked because it is characterological rather than ideological: his own unreliability. Gingrich has a self-regard so immense that it rivals Obama's — but, unlike Obama's, is untamed by self-discipline.

Take that ad Gingrich did with Nancy Pelosi on global warming advocating urgent government action. He laughs it off today with "that is probably the dumbest single thing I've done in recent years. It is inexplicable."

This will not do. He was obviously thinking something. What was it? Thinking of himself as a grand world-historical figure, attuned to the latest intellectual trend (preferably one with a tinge of futurism and science, like global warming), demonstrating his own incomparable depth and farsightedness."

www.postbulletin.com/news/stories/display.php?id=1477525

Then their is someone not nearly as serious, but usually funny - Ann Coulter. In this piece, though, she is dead serious about serving up deep-fried Newt:

"Before you newly active Republicans commit to Newt Gingrich as your presidential nominee on the basis of the recent debates, here's a bit of Newt history you ought to know. I promise you, it's going to come up if he's the candidate.

The day after the Republicans' historic takeover of the House of Representatives in the 1994 election, Newt was off and running, giving a series of Fidel Castro-style speeches about "the Third Wave information revolution." It had the unmistakable ring of lingo from his new-age gurus, Alvin and Heidi Toffler.

(Newt, who was married at the time, also began dating again.)

A few weeks later, when Newt was elected House speaker by the incoming Republican conference, there was a small elderly couple standing by his side as he gave a one-hour acceptance speech. It soon became clear who they were, when he issued a reading list to the Republican legislators. At the top of the list was a book by the Tofflers.

Hadn't Republicans just won on a platform of smaller government? Instead of a Republican victory, the '94 election seemed to be a victory for the Tofflers' cyber-babble about "social wavefront analysis," "anticipatory democracy," "de-massification," "materialismo," "the Third Wave" and "decision loads."

Then, in his first week as speaker, Gingrich was again promoting the Tofflers around town, introducing them at a technology conference and giving a speech titled "From Virtuality to Reality."

How about a speech on Republican plans to reform entitlement programs? "
www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2817392/posts

It would appear that Newt is a little, well flaky. Maybe he's changed. He says the third time is the charm for getting married, he says he has a new Christian faith, and he's a grandfather now for crying out loud - it's the NEW IMPROVED NEWT. Maybe. We'll see. As you listen and read, however, to the Republican candidates, check them all out carefully. Obama's Chicago Gang plays for keeps and we can't afford to kick the 2012 election with someone who self-destructs for all the world to see.

Never Forget

2011-12-07T16:34:00.000-08:00

The waters of Pearl Harbor are quiet, as are the souls beneath it. There is peace between the United States and Japan and it has lasted for 66 years. The excellent article below by Jeffrey Anderson gives the key reason: the United States was resolute in battle; magnanimous in victory. The same formula worked with Germany.

The world today is no less dangerous, but the United States seems to be forgetting the part about being resolute. We have enemies and they are dangerous, in fact more so than in WW II. If they act against our country, then they must be resolutely and unconditionally defeated. Only then can we afford to be magnanimous. Never forget. Never forget.

www.weeklystandard.com/blogs/70th-anniversary-japanese-attack-pearl-harbor_611662.html

Why Does It Have to be Zombies?

2011-12-04T12:59:00.000-08:00

I must confess that I didn't get vampires and now I am having the same problem with zombies. Everything is about zombies these days - movies, tv shows, even ads. Why? What is it about the walking dead that apparently so intrigues a sizable portion of our population?

Certainly a lot of people just like a good scare and since zombies are the monster du jour, then zombies it is.

I wonder, though, if a certain number of people are sensing their own inner condition from these movies and are at once fascinated and repulsed by what they see. Without Christ, we are indeed the walking dead. Physically we are are alive, but inside we are deader than a doornail and go through live "eating" other people without much thought to what this is doing to others - it's all about us.

C.S. Lewis provides some support for this view when he said that he was sure that in this life we meet no "ordinary" people. He stated that:

"It is a serious thing to live in a society of possible gods and goddesses, to remember that the dullest and most uninteresting person you talk to may one day be a creature which, if you saw it now, you would be strongly tempted to worship, or else a horror and a corruption such as you now meet, if at all, only in a nightmare." The Weight of Glory

Are people transfixed by zombies because they are somehow recognizing their inner nightmare - that they really are what they are seeing on the screen? Perhaps I am reading too much into the zombie craze and it is all just in fun. Perhaps, but I don't get the joke.

No More Mr. Nice Guy!

2011-12-01T13:22:00.000-08:00

Are dogs really man's best friend? Perhaps, but I am definitely going to be keeping a better eye on our dog, Sadie (bin Laden). Why?

A Utah duck hunter put his shotgun down in the boat while he got out to move some decoys and Fido, his faithful and loyal companion, stepped on it causing it to go off and deposit a big load of buckshot in his owner's backside. Humans, you are warned - dog biscuits or your life!

www.kgw.com/news/national/134789438.html

God at Work

2011-11-29T07:34:00.000-08:00

I've been back from the Peacemaker mission in Ecuador for almost a month and have had the time to process to some degree the things that we saw and experienced. The biggest take-away is how big the Church is and how God is working all over the world.

We met some quality people who have hearts for God and put their faith into action. Pastor Domingo, a former FARC guerrilla, who came to faith in Christ and who has a true pastor's heart. Robin, who heads a Christian school and who is doing a good job training up a new generation of believers. Caesar, who owns and personally runs one of the few Christian radio stations on the Amazon side of Ecuador and who does not hesitate to pay out of his own pocket to get people counseling or other needed services. Pedro and Patricia who keep the school clean and cook for the children. These are just a few of the fine people we met and who touched our lives.

There is a lot of bad news out there, but quietly and under the radar, God's people are doing His work and making the world a better place. It was a privilege to work with them. If you have the chance to take a short term mission trip, grab it. You will be amazed at how you are changed.

Brits See End of Euro

2011-11-28T06:48:00.000-08:00

The British Foreign Office is making plans to help ex-pat Brits if the Euro goes down, which is now viewed as a certainty. The British Treasury Ministry confirmed the plans and made an interesting comment:

"The Treasury confirmed earlier this month that contingency planning for a collapse is now under way.

A senior minister has now revealed the extent of the Government’s concern, saying that Britain is now planning on the basis that a euro collapse is now just a matter of time.

' It’s in our interests that they keep playing for time because that gives us more time to prepare,' the minister told the Daily Telegraph." (emphasis added).

The fall of the Euro will have a major effect on this country as well, particularly if our big banks have heavily invested in Eurozone bonds. More importantly, it can happen here too and the probability goes up every day that the Feds do nothing to halt our runaway spending.

www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/8917077/Prepare-for-riots-in-euro-collapse-Foreign-Office-warns.html

Up in Smoke

2011-11-28T06:27:00.000-08:00

Yes, it's the name of a bad Cheech and Chong movie (for the record, they were all bad) but it's also apparently what is happening to Chevy Volts. I am sure that the next thing that the Feds will roll out besides the tax credits for this turkey will be a Federal fire insurance policy. It would seem that whatever you may save on your carbon footprint by driving this thing, you more than lose from the car fire. Go Green!

townhall.com/tipsheet/katiepavlich/2011/11/28/chevy_volt_batteries_catching_on_fire

Up, Up and Away!

2011-11-27T11:46:00.000-08:00

Mark Steyn made an interesting catch that I had not seen in the run up to Thanksgiving. Germany was selling government bonds on Wednesday and didn't get any buyers at the interest rate offered. What does that have to do with us? Consider:

"The advantage the United States enjoys is that, unlike Greece, it can print the currency in which its debt is denominated. But, even so, it still needs someone to buy it. The failure of Germany’s bond auction on Wednesday suggests that the world is running out of buyers for Western sovereign debt at historically low interest rates."

www.nationalreview.com/articles/284111/more-more-more-mark-steyn

Ergo - interest rates will go up. For everything. And where they will stop, no one knows. People and institutions with serious money don't have to buy bonds. They can buy gold, silver, oil, countries - almost anything. If they perceive government bonds as a poor investment they may not buy them at any price and then the EU's and the U.S. government's Disneyland economics will come to a rapid and painful end. Unfortunately, we get to go along for the ride.

Arab Winter

2011-11-27T09:41:00.000-08:00

The American press seems to think that every time there is a mob in the street it is always about "progress" and "peace" regardless of what they are actually doing, Occupy Wall Street for example. In this vein they have reacted ecstatically to the demonstrations in Arab countries in the Middle East as ushering in an "Arab Spring." Michael Youssef, an American born in Egypt who writes very insightful pieces about what is happening in the Islamic world, says guess again. Speaking specifically about Egypt, he reports that:

"The truth about recent events in Egypt reveals that the country has disintegrated into a total anarchy and barbarianism that would make the Vikings blush.

Peaceful Christians are being beheaded in their own homes. Their possessions are being carried off as police either stand helplessly by or, for a portion of the booty, turn a blind eye. And surprise, surprise! Nearly all the victims of beheadings were Christians killed by Muslim fundamentalists."

He lays much of the responsibility at President Obama's feet:

"Indecisive leadership kills innocent people and causes disasters. Take President Jimmy Carter’s vacillating support for the Shah of Iran. In one breath, Carter would support the beleaguered leader, and in the next, he would praise the Iranian Revolution. That indecisiveness led to 52 Americans being taken hostage for 444 days inside the U.S. Embassy in Tehran.

It is precisely the same kind of vacillation and accommodation on the part of Mr. Obama that has emboldened the Islamists around the world. As a result, we have seen jihadist-led bloodbaths from Yemen to Syria and from Libya to Egypt."

I think that this is probably an overstatement. The U.S. can urge moderation and adopt policies to move a country in that direction, but it does not have the ability to dictate events. In Egypt and other Arab countries beset by these mobs, despots have usually done little for their citizens and instead simply focused on keeping the lid on via the secret police. Eventually the pressure builds and the lid comes off - unless an even more brutal government takes its place. By winking at ruthless elements, though, like the Muslim Brotherhood, and recognizing them as legitimate parties, the U.S. can make it easier for such groups to gain power and really clamp down as they take a country back to the 5th century, their view of paradise.

Egypt is getting ugly. I suspect that as the rose-colored glasses come off we will see more and more snow and ice, rather than tulips and daffodils, and we will have to deal with all the consequent foreign policy crises that will go with it. Think President Carter and American hostages in Iran for 444 days. The world situation is getting very interesting.

townhall.com/columnists/michaelyoussef/2011/11/27/arab_winter

Happy Thanksgiving!

2011-11-24T11:44:00.000-08:00

King John the First

2011-11-23T08:17:00.000-08:00

Funny, I didn't realize that Gov. Kitzhaber was the head of the Executive, Judicial and Legislative branches in Oregon; 3-in-1! That's right, acting in his capacity as King of Oregon, Kitzhaber decreed that there will be no more executions of convicted killers on his watch. Never mind that the defendant who precipitated this decree had been adjudged guilty of murder, his conviction and sentence upheld by the appellate courts, and all pursuant to laws duly passed by the Oregon Legislature. Constitution, Smonchtitution - it's such a bother when you have to do what is Right!

I get it - the Donks don't like the death penalty. Just like they don't like Measure 11 (mandatory minimum sentences), most drug laws, and Republicans. Their remedy, of course, is a Constitutional amendment, but that requires a vote of the people which they know would not pass, so roll out the executive fiat! That's right - no messy elections, no separation of powers, etc., etc. because after all, they are the Ruling Class and know what's best for everybody and everything. Basically, it's Obama Lite and involves ruling subjects by decree, not governing on behalf of citizens pursuant to a Constitutional framework, and it is rapidly becoming the Democrats' modus operandi - a very troubling m.o. to people who care about democracy and limited government.

The Statesman Journal in today's editorial also raises the moral issue of Kitzhaber's inconsistent pro-life ethic: Why spare convicted killers when we allow the killing of innocent babies via abortion and authorize assisted suicide? Good question. Kitzhaber couldn't articulate an answer when asked. I would be happy to trade the abolition of capital punishment in return for doing the same with abortion and assisted suicide. Somehow I doubt, though, that trade is on the table. So much for consistency.

Oregon has been becoming a one-party state for some time and power without accountability breeds arrogance and anti-democratic policies. That's what we see here in Kitzhaber's unilateral decree. I grew up outside Chicago and it is what we saw there in the 1960s and still see today with Rahm Emmanuel and his crew. It isn't healthy and it breeds corruption as well. I don't know what happened to Oregon's vaunted independence, but it seems like the electorate is content to be ruled and not governed. Sad.

www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111123/OPINION/111230418/Halting-Oregon-execution-bold-political-move

Everything is Not Okay

2011-11-22T07:47:00.000-08:00

John Mauldin is a financial analyst whose new book Endgame is high on the Amazon bestseller list. He thinks that the developed world is at the end of a debt "super-cycle" and the house of cards is about to fall. Europe will probably be the catalyst of this collapse and here is why:

"If the ECB [European Central Bank] does not backstop the banks and Italian and Spanish debt, the Eurozone will fall into a deflationary debt spiral. The large majority of European banks (even in core countries) are basically insolvent. They simply hold too much sovereign debt of all types, at leverages approaching 40 to 1. They have this debt on their books at face value. Even a write-down of 10% wipes out most of their capital. It would be an unmitigated disaster. Look at Dexia. Only a few weeks before it was nationalized by the French and Belgians, the regulators were telling us the bank was well-financed. And then Bang! In a matter of a few weeks, it had to be taken over by the governments.

Note please that these are the same regulators that said European banks only needed about €3 billion this summer, and recently that has been raised to €100 billion. They have no clue what mark to market means, but the market does. Bank financing dries up quickly and there is a default moment. Maybe the only real purpose of European bank regulators is to make US regulators look conservative and prudent." (emphasis added)

Having seen how U.S. bank regulators missed virtually every major warning sign prior to the crash of 2008 gives you some idea of how bad the situation is in Europe. Essentially Mauldin is saying that the engines of the jet are cutting in and out for lack of fuel but they haven't quit altogether quite yet. When they do, the free fall begins.

Wars, incidentally, have often arisen historically from events like these. Let's say, for example, that Germany demands a European super government where it calls the shots since it's paying the bills. Fourth Reich anyone? Of course we're too civilized for that sort of thing anymore.

There is growing concern that the big banks here may also have been drinking at the same trough as the European banks by buying up government bonds from the likes of Greece and Italy. (I mean they have great yields and surely the Eurozone will back them. Won't they?) If so, the contagion will spread to this country. Then the pressure will again be on the U.S. government to again bail them (and maybe Europe too) out from this dire dilemma of their own making. But wait - the U.S. is broke too and getting "broker" every minute. Yup, let's be more like them Europeans - the ride down is such a rush!

The Real 99% Americans

2011-11-20T09:44:00.000-08:00

I appreciated the piece in today's Statesman Journal by executive editor Bill Church about the so-called 99 percenters. His point is that the real 99 percenters in Salem go to work every day, take care of their families, and give back to this community with their time and money. If something needs fixing, they don't whine about it, they roll up their sleeves and go about finding a solution. Life isn't perfect and never will be, but whining and throwing tantrums about being "oppressed" won't make America great again.

www.statesmanjournal.com/article/20111120/OPINION/111200363/Real-99-percenters-don-t-pitch-tents

It Was Only a Matter of Time

2011-11-19T07:41:00.000-08:00

A public water system in Illinois was shut down by a foreign hacker in the first known (or admitted) incident of foreign cyber-sabotage. This will be a major front in the next war and perhaps a decisive one.

Imagine the Chinese moving on Taiwan and the U.S. dispatching a carrier task force in response. China sinks our carrier with its supersonic cruise missiles and the U.S. goes to war-footing. While we dither about a response, China locks up the U.S. power grid and a majority of the water system and threatens worse. Checkmate? At the very least, it brings a far-away conflict literally into the homeland.

I hope that somebody is working on countermeasures, but this incident doesn't do much to raise my confidence level.

www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=CNG.bb560ae65a071dc80a1c88fdc371ec35.d51&show_article=1

We Don't Need No Stinkin' Oil or Jobs!

2011-11-18T13:36:00.000-08:00

It's about jobs! We've got to get this economy rolling right now! Right now! Thus saith El Presidente in taunting Republicans to spend more Federal money. Unfortunately, when given the chance to actually walk the walk, the Big O took a pass. I'm referring to the Keystone XL pipeline project from Canada down to the Gulf Coast.

The pipeline is designed to supply the U.S. with substantial quantities of oil and gas from a reliable ally, making us less dependent on the likes of Hugo Chavez and the sheiks in the Middle East. It would also employ upwards of 20,000 skilled American workers to build it. Sounds like a winner to me, but as John Belushi would say - BUT NOOOO! The President "delayed" the project until after the 2012 election, which is to say that if he wins, it's a dead letter. Canada is taking the cue and moving to peddle its oil to Asia. Allegedly the President acted because of "environmental concerns." There are already many oil pipelines in the U.S., though, and they seem to be doing just fine. While this argument might be convincing to some 20-year old tree hugger, I doubt that Mr. Obama believes this canard.

At some point, by applying Occam's Razor (the simplest explanation is the most likely) one can only reasonably conclude that Obama and the Democrats want the economy screwed up. The more people become wards of the government, the more often they will vote Democratic to preserve those benefits. What better way to achieve this goal than a crummy economy? Let's not let Boeing open a new plant in South Carolina. Let's not grant permits to drill for oil in the Gulf of Mexico even though Mexico, China, and Cuba are doing so. Let's do nothing about cutting runaway government spending. In short, let's let the economy rot and get as many voters beholden to us as possible and then blame everything, however improbably, on the Republicans. No chance, you say? Did you know that 51% of the population paid no Federal income tax in 2009, the last year for which data is available? Still confident that the public will see through this farce?

townhall.com/columnists/michaelbarone/2011/11/17/obama_has_a_knack_for_ticking_off_americas_friends

I Can't Believe It!!

2011-11-17T19:00:00.000-08:00

"SEIU Announces Its Endorsement of Obama in 2012"--headline, ABCNews.com, Nov. 16

President Newt?

2011-11-17T07:49:00.000-08:00

Newt Gingrich is now getting lots of air time as the new and improved Republican presidential candidate. How should Republicans react? In a word, "No."

Gingrich is a popcorn popper of ideas, which is all well and good, but not necessarily a good quality in a President. Newt sometimes comes across like a fire hose, spraying ideas all over the place. He has a legislative temperament. Remember the Contract with America? Remember him sitting on the couch with Nancy Pelosi and pitching a solution to global warming in an ad sponsored by Al Gore's outfit? President Reagan, in contrast, had firm convictions that guided him in choosing ideas that were in the best interest of the United States, but he was anything but random in his approach to governing.

I am afraid too that Mr. Gingrich will be found to have been out tom-catting with the lobbyists and living the Good Life on their tab, even more than has been disclosed already. That is not something that would be helpful to surface during the general election campaign if he were the Republican nominee. So I hope that Newt enjoys his time in the media sun, but I don't think that he's the one.

Why Bother?

2011-11-16T21:08:00.000-08:00

We got a letter the other day from Rob Cornilles looking for money for his race for Congress as a Republican in the 1st District. This is the seat that was held by David Wu until he began dressing up in kitty costumes and saying some rather strange things. Cornilles seems like a nice enough guy. He has experience in the private sector, he wants to cut spending in D.C. But really, why bother?

Republican Chris Dudley ran about as middle-of-the-road campaign as possible and got beat by a former governor who said that Oregon was ungovernable when he last left office. Republican Scott Bruun ran a good race against a Demo who had served only one term and who voted with Nancy Pelosi 97% of the time. While the rest of the country went overwhelmingly Republican in the 2010 election, Oregon's 2nd District (Salem and Clackamas County) went with the Donk.

Being pragmatic, it doesn't appear to me that a Republican can win statewide or a Congressional seat here in the Willamette Valley. Is it the water out here, too little sun? I don't know, but if you are thinking about political contributions, pick an out-of-state race where a Republican has a chance and make a difference by putting your cash into that race. Sad commentary, but true.

Angel Flight

2011-11-10T13:02:00.000-08:00

When I was in Ecuador a couple of weeks ago and flying from Quito to the Amazon Basin, we taxied past the Mission Aviation Fellowship (MAF) hangar at the Quito airport. MAF is a great organization that operates all over the world flying people and supplies to/from remote missions. It exists to support other Christian missions and many a missionary literally owes their life to a medevac flight by MAF to get them to a major city hospital and medical help.

The picture shows the new Quest Kodiak that was developed with MAF input. Simply put, it is the best light aircraft flying in the world today. It is built like a truck and can haul 3,500 lbs. of cargo. It's 750 hp Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine is designed to be extremely reliable and get heavy loads in and out of small fields. If I were a young pilot today, this is the plane that I would want to fly and the organization that I would want to fly it for.

I have included a link to MAF's website. The end of the year is coming up and if you are going to be making some year end charitable gifts, you might consider MAF. Good folks; great work!

www.maf.org/page.aspx?pid=369

True Colors

2011-11-09T07:10:00.000-08:00

In days of yore, pirate ships would often fly the flags of various nations to lure in their prey and then run up the Jolly Roger at the last minute before boarding their prize. Wait long enough and the true colors of any entity or group will show and Occupy Wall Street (Occupy Anything) has now run up the Jolly Roger.

Reports are coming in from all over the country about criminal behavior by the OWS folks. Best of the Web had a compendium yesterday (link below) with a list from multiple cities of criminal acts of all kinds.Consider:

San Diego. Food vendors attacked when they were no longer able to give free food to OWS protesters.

New York. A bakery has its restroom trashed by OWS types using it for a shower to the tune of $3,000 and is told 10 times to "watch their back" when they protest. A photographer has his nose smacked while taking pictures of the OWS crowd and is told by EMTs that this is the 14th run they have personally made for assault victims of the crowd.

online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052970204554204577026282449099506.html?mod=WSJ_Opinion_MIDDLETopOpinion

You undoubtedly heard about the goings-on in Oakland and even right here in Portland. Mayor Sam Adams has admonished the PDX branch of OWS to behave themselves. Sounds like just a minor case of bad manners, right? Wrong. How about a Molotov cocktail exploding at the World Trade Center, roughing up a KGW camera crew, smashing a police car window, etc.?

www.kgw.com/news/Police-Downtown-Molotov-cocktail-linked-to-Occupy-133527228.html

www.kgw.com/home/Video-shows-KGW-crew-harassed-at-Occupy-Portland-133496118.html

The early mantra of the OWS crowd was that they are the "99% of the rest of the U.S!" My patoot! They flew the American flag to lure a sympathetic audience but now the Jolly Roger is flying proudly from their mast. It's time to respond appropriately and take back our cities from this scurvy mob.

Don Poulson, RIP

2011-11-07T13:00:00.000-08:00

I hope that you don't find these posts to friends who have passed to be tedious. I have always liked the "cloud of witnesses" verse from Hebrews when I think about quality people that I have known and who have died:

Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a huge crowd of witnesses to the life of faith, let us strip off every weight that slows us down, especially the sin that so easily trips us up. And let us run with endurance the race God has set before us. Hebrews 12:1

Like many other friends, Don Poulson was a quiet Christian who went about his business being salt and light on this earth without much fanfare. I had the opportunity to sit on the church board with Don and to deal with him professionally (he was an orthopedic surgeon) as an expert witness for one of my clients. He was a gentleman at all times. I hate to think of a world where all the folks like Don are suddenly removed.

Don ran the good race and now has a place in heaven cheering on those of us still here as we run our own races. Thanks Don for enriching my life and making this world a better place while you were here.

www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesmanjournal/obituary.aspx?n=don-poulson&pid=154459891

Moral Fog

2011-11-04T13:02:00.000-07:00

Good morning, good morning. I am getting back in the saddle after 12 days in Ecuador - an interesting place and definitely worth a visit. Let's get busy, though.

Mona Charen has an interesting article about moral thought - or rather the lack thereof - in young Americans. Her high school sophomore son was reading a text book that basically trashed the white European colonists of the Americas and idealized the native populations, conveniently leaving out facts like the Aztecs ritually sacrificed 20,000 victims per year by cutting out their still-beating hearts, as shown in the movie Apocalypto with all the gory details. He knew he was reading a lot of bunk, but many young people in America today do not.

Charen says that:

"In 'Lost in Transition: The Dark Side of Emerging Adulthood,' Christian Smith and his co-authors recount the results of their decade-long study of a representative sample of Americans aged 18-23. Through in-depth interviews, they examined their subjects' lives and concluded that an alarming percentage of young people are highly materialistic, commitment averse, disengaged from political and civic life, sexually irresponsible, often heavily intoxicated and morally confused. In fact, the authors contend, they lack even the vocabulary to think in moral terms."

Great. I am fortunate to know people in this age group that are possessed of great character and think and speak about moral issues clearly. If a majority of tomorrow's leaders, however, do not even have the vocabulary to think about moral issues, then America is going to be an interesting place to live. In an immoral or amoral culture, the advantage is always to the strong. So much for civility, protection of the weak, or any other mark of a truly civilized society. Rome - as in Nero's time - here we come!

townhall.com/columnists/monacharen/2011/11/04/moral_abdication

Dude - We See Things Differently Here!

2011-10-16T17:32:00.000-07:00

Federal pot raids rankle Oregon lawmakers

Livelihood threatened!

www.kgw.com/news/Federal-pot-raids-rankle-Oregon-lawmakers-131921933.html

Failure and Redemption

2011-10-10T13:20:00.000-07:00

Robert Duvall is one of America's premier actors. He has consistently turned in award-winning performances and now is producing his own movies. Duvall is a Christian. He is not in your face about his faith, but his understanding of the core of Christianity is on display in a number of small films that he has produced like The Apostle and Get Low. His newest is Seven Days in Utopia, which got a nice write up today by Chuck Colson. www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/17998

The basic story line is about a young golf pro who chokes in a major tournament, blows up making a fool of himself, and has his perfectionist dad walk out on him. As he is driving away with his career in tatters, he drives through Utopia, Texas and meets Duvall, an old golf pro himself, who proceeds to straighten out his game and not incidentally, his life.

The film has been out since August and probably will be on Netflix soon, so you might give it a try. You should sample some of his other pictures too. Duvall is making pictures that matter, which is a refreshing change from the usual drek from Hollywood. If people turn out to see them, he can keep making them and if not - another serving of drek, please.

www.sevendaysinutopia.com/video

Are We Next?

2011-10-10T08:04:00.000-07:00

You probably remember the rioting in England last summer when lots of stores were looted and a number of buildings burned to the ground. At that time, my son-in-law sent me a think piece from the London Daily Mail and then asked: are we next? The answer now appears to be "yes" and for the same reasons.

I posted yesterday that the only prevailing ethos of these "protesters" is "Gimme!" The same was true of the English mob, only they went out and simply took for themselves. The article closes with two paragraphs that apply equally well to the American mob in New York and other cities:

"They are an absolute deadweight upon society, because they contribute nothing yet cost the taxpayer billions. Liberal opinion holds they are victims, because society has failed to provide them with opportunities to develop their potential.

Most of us would say this is nonsense. Rather, they are victims of a perverted social ethos, which elevates personal freedom to an absolute, and denies the underclass the discipline — tough love — which alone might enable some of its members to escape from the swamp of dependency in which they live."

England is much further along the road than the U.S. is in becoming the Great Nanny State, but the impulses are definitely on our shores. Not surprisingly, when you spoil children you often get brats. When a lot of brats of whatever age don't get their way, you get a mob. And when you get a mob, there is no telling what you will get next. England had a sobering demonstration of what can happen last summer and there is a good chance that we are next. I am praying for bad weather.

www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-2024284/UK-riots-2011-Liberal-dogma-spawned-generation-brutalised-youths.html#ixzz1aOFM5EM3

(Tip o' the hat to Glenn Geisendorfer)

Alien Rubbish

2011-10-10T07:28:00.000-07:00

Richard Dawkins is a prominent English scientist and atheist who has been trashing Christianity for years. Now he has taken on a new target: Islam.

Recently he visited several Islamic schools and was aghast that it was the Koran uber alles. In his inimitable fashion, he proclaimed after his outing:

"It's just utterly deplorable. These are now British children who are having their minds stuffed with alien rubbish."

I have to give the guy props for consistency, but I am afraid that he is about to find out that Muslims aren't the passive targets that Christians are. I hope he is listening because the more fanatical Muslims have a nasty habit of whacking off the ears (or worse) of people with whom they disagree. Can you hear me now?

www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2046715/Richard-Dawkins-attacks-alien-rubbish-taught-Muslim-faith-schools.html#ixzz1aO8smSyj

Res Ipsa Loquitur

2011-10-09T19:09:00.000-07:00

That's Latin for "The thing speaks for itself." That's right, man - I don't need no stinkin' oil!

(Tip o' the hat to Nate Lyons)

Road Apples

2011-10-09T19:00:00.000-07:00

Horsepucky! The folks "occupying" Wall Street and conducting tribal rituals are no more representative of 99% of this country than George Soros, who for all we know is financing this goat rodeo. The cry of this mob is "Gimme!" as in gimme a job, gimme health care, gimme a house, basically gimme all your money! Americans have always been builders - if something needs doing, they roll up there sleeves and get it done. They do not wait around for anybody - least of all the government - to give them anything. No, the Wall Street occupiers are cry babies who have never grown up. They want someone to take care of them and attend to their every whim. Whine, whine, whine, whine. Grow up and join the other 99% of Americans - you have nothing to lose but your Pampers.

Does Norton do Predators?

2011-10-08T11:50:00.000-07:00

This is not good. The Defense Department admitted that an unknown someone loaded malware on the operating software that controls our drones in Afghanistan. Despite several efforts to remove the bug it keeps popping up.

It doesn't take much imagination to realize what could happen if an unknown person could take control at will of these killer drones. The alternative is to keep them grounded, which threatens the lives of our ground troops and prevents a vigorous prosecution of the war against key Taliban and al Qaeda figures. The military has previously somewhat sheepishly announced that with use a of a $26 piece of equipment the bad guys could - and did - intercept the video feed from the drones because the digital signal isn't encrypted. I don't know who is running the digital warfare show at the Pentagon, but it sounds like it's past time to replace him with some 18-year old hacker who knows what he or she is doing.

www.pcworld.com/article/241507/computers_controlling_military_drones_reportedly_infected_with_virus.html#tk.hp_new

No Crony Capitalism

2011-10-07T08:17:00.000-07:00

Chuck Colson has an interesting commentary today. His friend, Rep. Frank Wolf, whom he admires, has challenged tax breaks for special interests and Colson agrees with him. So do I. General tax rate increases are business killers. Loopholes for particular companies or industries, though, are reprehensible. Take the example of ethanol subsidies.

In my June 11, 2011 post I pointed out that there had been an on-going pork barrel handout to agri-business of $6 billion/year that had badly distorted the corn market and increased food prices. There are also tax breaks associated with this industry. Bunk! If ethanol can't compete without subsidies and tax breaks, it's too darn bad and eliminating them is not a "tax increase."

Cleaning up tax loopholes would eliminate a lot of other similar economic inefficiencies - businesses would either have to compete or perish. The tax bite on the rest of us would also potentially moderate and I suspect there would be no complaints there. So don't be confused when you hear special interests squealing like stuck pigs about "tax increases" and "principles." Closing loopholes for narrow special interests is good public policy.

www.breakpoint.org/bpcommentaries/entry/13/17981

They've Been Working on the Railroad

2011-10-06T07:29:00.000-07:00

For a long time our family has gone to Siltcoos Lake for a week in the summer and enjoyed fishing, water sports, the dunes, and just hanging out. A rail line runs across multiple bridges on the east side of the lake connecting Coos Bay with Eugene. Many a time while we were out fishing we would be surprised by a slow-moving freight train rumbling up the tracks with a long load of lumber cars. The crew would wave and then head up the tracks to the sound of joints rhythmically clacking as the heavy cars thumped over them.

Originally a Southern Pacific line, it became part of the Union Pacific system when those two roads merged. UP doesn't do small and leased the line to Rail America, a short line operator, which operated the branch until 2006, when it abruptly shut down due to several tunnels that were in bad repair and too expensive to fix. Lumber companies on the south coast were forced to use trucks to get their products to market at a cost as much as 30% over rail rates. The Port of Coos Bay, however, came to the rescue.

The Port bought the line in 2009 and through a combination of Federal, state and local funds has refurbished the line. Next week the first train will head to Coos Bay to pick up loads since 2006. The track is rated for a stately 10 mph, so intermodal hotshots blasting through at 70 mph are not in the cards, but it will be nice to have our fishing outings interrupted again by a passing freight and wave to a friendly crew as they haul Oregon commerce to market.

www.registerguard.com/web/newslocalnews/26962523-41/rail-railroad-oregon-bay-coos.html.csp

(photo courtesy of Mark Samples)

An Apple a Day Will Not Keep Android Away

2011-10-04T12:52:00.000-07:00

I can see why Steve Jobs let the new guy handle today's iPhone announcement. If you haven't heard the news, Apple released an iPhone 4S today, not a 5. While it has a new faster processor, a better camera, and a voice assistant (beta), the form factor is the same as the iPhone 4.

Techno junkies and Wall Street both reacted with disappointment. Techies wanted a bigger screen and a non-beta voice assistant. Wall Street apparently was expecting more of a Star Wars phone too because Apple's stock immediately took a hit.

Apple may have been the victim of its own expectations. Rumors ran rampant for months about what Apple would roll out and the company did nothing to dampen expectations. The 4S appears to be a nice phone, but for the first time Apple is playing catch up with the newest Android phones with their bigger screens, faster downloads, and other advanced features. I would never bet against Apple, but this is definitely a new position in which it finds itself. Let the games begin!

It's Not Easy Being Green

2011-10-03T07:21:00.000-07:00

Since the rains have started and lawns are getting green again, it's a perfect time to take a look at how those "green jobs" so beloved of politicians are doing. From President Obama to Governor Kitzhaber, politicians just can't get enough of green jobs that will somehow magically transform the economy and usher in rainbows and unicorns to frolic in our midst. Unfortunately, the actual results from the green sector are pretty dismal, Solyndra being the biggest example with a $535 million implosion.

The article linked below details a number of other busts and empty promises, but perhaps the most interesting part is the link to a 2009 Stanford study on green jobs and its conclusion:

"“analysis…concludes that the advantages of increased jobs from renewable energy are vastly over-stated at costs prevailing today. It will require dramatic break-through in costs if renewable energy is to become a job generator.”

“Green power, however, does not appear to be a game changer on the job front. When job creation is compared to the cost of each power source option, green jobs are sometimes more and sometimes less than conventional energy jobs. More importantly, strategies that subsidize these investments will be shifting the country’s scarce resources from sectors that would create more jobs (as well as economic value). This conclusion applies even for an economy in a deep recession and where policy wants to stimulate employment.”

How 'bout them apples? This report was prophetic and has been borne out by events. No amount of magical thinking is going to transform so-called "green jobs" into something that will be a lifeline for this economy. Maybe downstream, after technological breakthroughs occur, there will be real promise, but for now it is North Dakota and its boom of old-fashioned oil and gas drilling and development that is creating its 3.2% unemployment rate to the envy of the other "green" states like Colorado and Oregon.

finance.townhall.com/columnists/amyoliver/2011/10/03/bursting_the_big_green_bubble

A Quiet Giant

2011-09-28T19:50:00.000-07:00

Another giant of the local church has been promoted to glory, Don Bubna. Don was the senior pastor at Salem Alliance for 23 years and saw the congregation through sustained growth during his tenure and, by picking good people, positioned SAC for further growth after his departure. More importantly, he imparted an ethic at SAC that can be be described as a "culture of grace." He knew that life beats up on lots of people, so a person's background wasn't of much concern to him. No, what he really cared about was dusting them off, getting them back on their feet, and walking with them toward Christ.

Don was a kind man and ever ready to talk. I am not the only one who found him that way. As I have traveled, one of the things that has struck me is the number of people all over the world whose lives he touched, and not just those in his own denomination. Person after person has recounted a Don Bubna story and asked me to send their greetings. Amazing. What a great way to be remembered.

So thank you Don for your service and for the legacy that you left behind. I am sure, though, that you have been told this face-to-face by Someone well over my pay grade.

www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesmanjournal/obituary.aspx?n=donald-bubna&pid=153856729&fhid=8598

In Business to Spend Money

2011-09-27T07:40:00.000-07:00

The Oregonian's Steve Duin posts a telling story today. Some folks in a nice Portland neighborhood wanted to get the alley running through their area paved with an asphalt overlay. The alley was in rough shape and occasionally ate cars that braved running through it. The City of Portland's response? For a mere $525,000 it can be yours! Which brought a look of total incredulity to the neighbors' faces because they had gotten a bid from a private paving contractor to do the work and it had come in at only $54,600. Part of the difference was the $250,000 that the city proposed to spend on "engineering." Right. How much engineering does it take to put on an asphalt overlay? The private contractor summed it up best when he related what a city inspector once told him: "You're in business to make money. We're in business to spend money." Indeed.

www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/steve_duin/index.ssf/2011/09/portland_the_city_that_spares.html

Doubling Down

2011-09-26T07:33:00.000-07:00

This chart is produced by the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). It shows that tax rates would double by 2050 for everybody to cover just the deficits in entitlement spending through income taxes. Remember, this does not include spending for defense, roads, etc. and it is also before the additional burdens of state income taxes, property taxes, sales taxes, government "fees", etc. are added to the pile. The Emperor has no clothes. It's time for the Feds to enter the 12-step program Spender's Anonymous. Now.

Righting a Wrong

2011-09-26T06:49:00.000-07:00

I read Ambrose's Undaunted Courage about Lewis & Clark's expedition to the Pacific Northwest and liked it. I do not recall, though, that it covered the fact that they apparently swiped a canoe from the Clatsop Indians when they left. This was most ungracious since it was the largesse of the Clatsops that kept them alive during the winter in Oregon before they headed home. That wrong has now been made right by the descendants of Lewis & Clark.

A handcrafted replica canoe that was built in Veneta, Oregon was recently presented to the Chinook Nation, a consortium of tribes including the Clatsops. The canoe was paid for by the explorer's heirs and some other donors. The presentation ceremony was held in Long Beach, WA and included tribal members and several of the explorer's descendants. Case closed. It's never too late to say you are sorry.

www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44658752/ns/us_news/#.ToB-0E-SdJJ

Bullets from Space!

2011-09-24T09:49:00.000-07:00

We successfully dodged the remains of NASA's UARS satellite that splashed down in the Pacific last night. My confidence level in NASA's ability wasn't raised by its frequent updates on where and when the thing was going to crash back to earth - which amounted to a tacit admission of "Darned if we know!" and which definitely makes me nervous when we get our next brush with big space debris at the end of October.

That's right, this time a big German satellite will come blasting back in through the atmosphere and land who knows where. It's 2.4 tons of German engineering and we all know that whatever other deficiencies the Germans suffer from, they make great machinery. As much as 532 Kg or about 1170 lbs will hit Mother Earth somewhere, hopefully not in the middle of some local movie theater or McDonald's. Maybe the Germans are better at calculating these things than NASA. If not, I guess we should just start a betting pool as to where (or who) this celestial trash will hit and then duck and cover on the appointed day.

www.newscientist.com/article/dn20955-second-big-satellite-set-to-resist-reentry-burnup.html

Broke and Broker

2011-09-22T18:37:00.000-07:00

Whether it's the WESD sending people to Denver on a $17,000 junket to avoid having to give back money at the end of the fiscal year, $16 muffins at Federal conferences, or a "Sustainability Center" for paltry $62 million, it's clear that government has not gotten the message about the economic morass that this country is in. These boondoggles have long since gone beyond amusing and represent financial blood hemorrhaging from the body politic to the point that the nation's life is in peril. A look at the Sustainability Center for Higher Ed illustrates the problem.

The Oregon Sustainability Center is "... a proposed $62 million showcase for environmental design, construction and technology." Boy, I'm glad that's settled! I have no idea what that means, but it must be a great idea because it's green. The city wants to tap the state for $37 million in bond funding to build it. Of course, today the state found out that it kind of missed in its calculations on the new contract with state employees and has to scrounge up another $42 million for that. Aw, what the hey - it's a green project after all.

In the meantime, Oregon unemployment is up to 9.6%, we have had our fourth consecutive month of declining gross state product, and Gov. Cowboy is gallivanting around Asia begging for dollars. Green should clearly be our highest priority. Right. Green in the form of all the greenbacks the government is burning on projects that while perhaps nice, are anything but necessary at this point in time.

blog.oregonlive.com/portlandcityhall/2011/09/examining_the_cost_to_portland.html

Riffing on a Theme

2011-09-21T19:35:00.000-07:00

Riffing on the theme of taxing the rich, some perspective may be useful. According to the IRS, the 400 richest people averaged $263 million in annual income and collectively had total income in 2006 of $105 billion. We can probably all agree that these folks are rich. The interesting point, though, is that if you taxed them all at 100% - took away all their money - it would pay for less than 10% of this year's $1.3 trillion deficit, never mind each of the next 9 years which are projected to be in the same range. The problem is not income. The problem is spending. It is so much more fun, however, to deflect blame and ignore the cure.

www.forbes.com/2009/01/29/irs-high-income-personal-finance-taxes_0129_wealthy_americans.html