OK, here's the scoop: Having been underemployed for almost 9 months, I have decided that my "traditional" job choices are going to be largely beyond my reach. So, I've been putting my old noggin to work on how to "reinvent" myself so that I don't have to deliver papers until I die. Next month, there will be a business expo here in town. Along with the expo will be a job fair where you can turn in your resume. So, here's where I'm going with this. Over 13 years' involvement in politics,...
OK, here's the backstory. In our quest towards eventually living off our 1/4 acre lot, I have been experimenting with various agricultural methods I have learned about through the years. One of those methods is a favorite among survivalists; the idea is, you plant potatoes inside a tire, then add dirt and tires to the potato plant as it grows upward. When the plant has fully grown, according to what I have heard, you will be able to pull off each tire, knock the dirt out, and have potatoes al...
I've always hated pseudo intellectuals. You know the type, the guys who pull our their "word of the day" dictionaries and use the words awkwardly throughout the day (use it three times and its yours, right?), or who look through the thesaurus to come up with a good "stumper" word. I've always looked for a lighthearted way to deal with their inanity, and as such, I've discovered the joy of adjectives. Adjectives are, quite simply, the easiest part of speech to "manufacture" words without detec...
OK, we're to blame for everything else, why not hold the disappearance of a Russian lake. Just goes to show we cannot hope to appease a world that has a lifetime of conditioning to hate us: MOSCOW (Reuters) - A Russian village was left baffled Thursday after its lake disappeared overnight. ADVERTISEMENT NTV television showed pictures of a giant muddy hole bathed in summer sun, while fishermen from the village of Bolotnikovo looked on disconsolately. "It is very dange...
OK, I've written enough blogs about what evangelical tools DON'T work, now I'm going to hit the flip side (mason, this is where I was headed, I just realize that blogging is a "short attention span" medium). This article is about what DOES work. In my opinion and experience, there really is only one effective tool for evangelism. Talk is cheap, and we have all seen enough deceptive individuals to know that almost any position can be argued persuasively and eloquently, even if it is patently u...
One of the common mistakes that evangelists make is in using the bible as proof of its own authority. While this is acceptable when the common ground of faith has been established, it is not acceptable in outreach. When you are debating a person, the first thing you should do is ascertain which sources are considered credible by the person you are debating. Much of the Old Testament would be acceptable in discussion with a Jew or Muslim, but the New Testament is not common ground (it would he...
Don't get me wrong, I am not an "open borders" advocate in the traditional sense. Frankly, our borders ARE open, all we ask is that you obey US law to get here. But I do have compassion for illegal aliens who have crossed the border from Mexico, as long as they're here for honest purposes. After all, these are men and women trying to provide the best opportunity they can for their family. Most know what they are doing and assume the risks; when they are casualties of those risks, they don't ...
One of the most superficially compelling arguments of Christian apologists revolves around the violent, torturous deaths of many of the apostles. The argument protests that these people would not have died for a lie. While this argument plays upon emotions, it does not play upon reason. For, you see, if we want to see proof that people CAN and DO die for a lie, we need look no further back than September 11, 2001, when 19 evil men boarded 4 planes to go out and die for what most rationa...
The Democrats are relying on the stupidity of the American public to sell their excuses why Bush's Sociali Security plan will fail. The problem is, they're not relying on reality. I am willing to make a bet right here and now: As the Democrats are telling you that Social Security will fail if it is privatized, I would be willing to wager a fair sum that you cannot find me ONE US Congressman or Senator who does NOT have a portion of their savings invested in the same stock market they're telli...
This article is the first in a series designed to show the flaws of certain arguments of apologetics. My reasons for doing so can be seen in my previous article. One favorite story of mine is an apocryphal story that vets of many wars will swear was true of at least one man in their unit. The man wears a star of david, a crescent, a yin/yang symbol and every symbol of faith he can find. He goes to worship of every faith he can find. His rationalization is that, in the event he is killed in ba...
As most of my readers know, I am a Christian. In fact, in the literal definition, I am an "evangelical" Christian (but I don't like the term, as it has been grossly misappropriated and misrepresented...but I digress). That being said, I tend to dislike many of the methods of traditional evangelicals, most notably the idea of apologetics. This article is the introduction to a series of articles that will underscore the weaknesses of several arguments of those who practice apologetics. It's not do...
I have been working as hard as I can to get back into shape. Because I tend to overwork myself when I exercise, I've been doing it in small steps. This has resulted in slow progress, but what I'm looking for is a pattern I can stay with long after I've achieved my desired results. My knee has been day to day. Some days I can barely walk on it, other days it feels fine. I was fortunate that yesterday it felt fine. So, I decided to do the unthinkable, and climbed off the couch and onto the ...
Now, I'm going to ruffle a few feathers here, but hear me out. It is my contention that an absolute position of atheism is poor science and that a scientist who holds it is operating from a preconceived bias that taints his research. Science is, in essence, the quest for knowledge. We attempt to discover more and more about our universe through a series of observations, hypotheses, and tests. And, through the course of history, we have discovered much. But each breakthrough discovery was t...
MasonM wrote an excellent piece on the RealID legislation submitted in the most recent defense appropriations bill. While his argument was sound, it addressed the concern that we would soon have to show our papers just to travel in the country. The sad truth is, this is already the case. 17 years ago I learned this truth in Tacoma, Washington. In most municipalities, if you are wandering the streets, you can be pulled over and asked for ID. If you don't provide it, you can be detained unti...
A recent blog article plus some particular events of the last several months have led me to evaluate what is truly important in a friendship. When everything's taken into consideration, honesty trumps them all. Don't get me wrong; I don't hate someone who is deceitful. Frankly, I don't hate ANYONE as a person in general. But when their actions show them to be other than the person they presented, there's a credibility gap there that can't easily be fixed. You see, lying to a "friend" is th...