Will we just get it over with?

All this hand-wringing and false starts in the US war on Iraq. The war was supposed to start in November, then in Febuary, and now the latest deadline is Monday. The US and Britain can't allow another day. We have to strike hard and fast.

There is no debate over whether there will be a war. We all know there will be. That's been abundantly clear for a while. With or without the UN we're going Nothing is going to prove Iraq innocent (as they're not). So lets stop the games. As much as one may have problems with the war, if the President thinks we should do it, it's time to start.

Rush was wrong.

You heard me. During Open Line Friday, he had a 19 year-old College Student on-Crystal was her name. Rush made (or came close to making) some good points on the war, but was hindered by the fact that both of them were shouting past each other.

In the course of the segment, Rush managed to insult her intelligence, saying that whatever money taxpayers were spending on her education were most likely being "wasted".

Is Crystal a leftist who doesn't have a firm grasp of the facts nor an understanding of how this nation became great and how it works? Yes. Does this mean Crystal and other young people will forever be that way? No.

Amazing things happen in many cases when you find out that you are the rich. After all, it's the rich who pay the taxes and college-educated people (unless they're majoring in Art History or Philosophy) get paid more than everyone else.

You also begin to respect family and tradition more when you have a family of your own. Studies have shown that over the course of life as people get married and have children they become more Conservative as they begin to deal with the realities of life.

Some of the same students protesting today will be voting Republican by 2020, as many liberals grow up and become conservatives.

However, those that get brow-beaten and treated uncivility may be a little less likely to make the switch. While we hope that people will make their decisions based on logic and reason, human beings are still human beings. How many people do you know who will go into one Target Store and have a negative experience after which they will refuse to go to any one of thousands of Target retail outlets around the country? How many people will have a negative experience with one of several million ministers in the United States and then decide that all ministers are frauds and crooks, and furthermore the church is full of nothing but charlatans and simpletons?

The right tact to take rather than seeking to totally destroy liberal college students, is to recognize them for what they are: products of a Public School propoganda machine that has robbed and victimized them. The public school system of this country has taken children born in the freeest, strongest country in the world: a land of opportunity, a beacon to the oppressed peoples of the world, and made them believe that this country is a fraud and a shame. History is taught to point out all that America's done wrong, ignoring or overlooking what we've done right.

Because of this progranda, high school students leave school with a sense of despair about their country and thus become open to the influence of Globalists and other liberal utopian quacks who inhabit college campuses. This ought not to be! I know this country has its problems, but I see the great principles it was founded on and see something worth standing up for, something worth holding onto.

They are the victims of the propoganda machine which has robbed them of the ability to be a proud American. For that, they deserve our patient prayers, and a gentle hand, not the insulting treatment Rush provided today.

I had a good time at the Lincoln Day Dinner in Flathead County. Governor Judy Martz (R-MT) was supposed to speak at the event but opted against it due to the ongoing state legislative session. As such, we were treated to an evening with officials from the County and Tri-city planning board, as well as Secretary of State Bob Brown.

Now, as boring as that may sound to some people, it really wasn't. Both of the Planning Board folks made their work sound interesting and it is vital to the Flathead Valley's future, though I must say that one guy from the cities managed to be "about finished" for ten minutes.

Bob Brown was a simple but powerful spokesman for the Republican agenda, encouraging us that we are winning because of what the Democratic Party has become and providing a solid and constructive agenda for Republicans to improve our state.

Few men have impressed me more during my time of following Montana politics than Bob Brown. I've spent hours talking with him on the phone (and when I was in Eureka, I ran up quite a phone bill). Since I first met him in 1993, when he was a State Senator from Whitefish he's taken an interest in me and what I was doing in life. Unlike some political leaders, he understands the importance of getting young people involved in politics. Because of that care and interest, I have a lot of respect for Bob Brown.

He asked me and Jesse Mayhew (a current FVCC student) if we were going to speak. I said, "No." believing he was joking but later found that two young Republicans from Missoula had been allowed to. I could have spoken but I had nothing really to say tonight, so silence is better than empty words. After asking us about our lives and what we were doing, Brown put his hands on our shoulders and reminded us that we were the future.

As for the night itself, I was blessed to end up at a talkative table where I was drawn into the conversation and actually managed to contribute something.

Perhaps, the one thing that makes me nervous about my plans to be involved in public service is my tendency to become very shy in public occassions when I don't know my role. It's very easy to be friendly and outgoing at my wedding reception, or even church events. I know who I am and that I have a right to be approaching people. In the case of an event like the Lincoln Day Dinner, who am I and what am I doing are primary questions that fill my mind.

Of course, this might be because I'm an INFJ personality type . The "I" stands for introverted and I've learned that while some of the temperment stuff is inaccurate, that trait is definitely predominate. Those who see me in my comfort zones won't believe it but take me out of those places where I know what I'm supposed to be doing, I'm incredibly shy. How I overcome that, or use that to my advantage, I don't know but God-willing I'll find away.

Heard the President on the radio tonight while driving to the Lincoln Day dinner and later on when going to work to pick up my wife from the Lincoln Day dinner. I hadn't understand what Sean Hannity had meant when they described our President as "magnificient". After listening to the president on the radio, I understand better than I ever have before.

One thing I've noticed is that the President has slowed down. When he speaks, every word sounds well-thought out and well-considered, perhaps because they are. He understands the task that is before him, the risks involved and he's made a decision based on what he believes is right for America. Listening to the president, I trust that whatever decision he makes will be the right one.

I've notcied that the far left has attacked our president for having no respect for the world community. If that were the case, wouldn't Bush have gone to war by now? The Pentagon has been slowly pushing back it's war plan in the face of the UN's unappeasable appetite for appeasement. The UN's patience with Iraq despite lying about its possession of missles in its first report to them.

President Bush will not delay forever, however. President Bush understands the apporance of alliances and of the international community, but the President believes America is more important and will not see havoc reaked on this country because of the cowards at the United Nations.

At Service yesterday, the strangest thing happened (not to say that strange things don't generally happen at our service in general), the topic of Mr. Roger's death came up and the whole fellowship spent about 10-15 minutes talking about this wonderful man who just recently went to receive his reward. Fred Rogers from all accounts was the same person everywhere he went, full of mercy, love, and holiness. He'll truly be missed. On my big future parent to-do list is getting copies of his show for my children when I have them.

The hardest thing to do in these uncertain times is to keep faith. It seems as if our whole country is going crazy, the whole world in fact.

Sometimes, I look out on this world and on my country and wonder why I try to do anything in America's political process. It's all so hopeless messed up, so borken, it's fantastic to believe that America will ever be the Constitutional Republic it once was with limited government and a respect for decency and family.

I love America too much to stop, too much to not try, not to risk getting my brains beat in efforts that are doomed to failure. It's a role I have to play, that all freedom loving Americans have to play but no one says it's easy.

Did actually see "Signs" starring Mel Gibson on DVD and "enjoyed" some of the DVD's features such as the deleted scenes.

I found out why deleted scenes are deleted. There were a total of five such scenes:

1) A badly written piece of dialouge between Mel Gibson and his brother.

2) Two Flashbacks which really didn't further the plot.

3) A scene with a burnt dead bird on the ground which was actually better explained by some dialogue in the movie.

4) A scene where Gibson remembers dislocating his brother's arm. It made sense when he was remembering his children's birth but not this.

Conclusion: Scenes are killed mostly so we don't waste six minutes of our lives watching totally irrelevent things. And if we really want to, we can wait for the DVD.

Some updates. First, I added a poem about Rep. Dennis Kucinich. In addition, I've written several baseball columns and those can be found at the baseball page.

By the way, did you know that the term, "You're close-minded" is now synonymous with "You don't agree with me and that's just evil!"

If you read my guestbook , you'll see the following entry from Jerrod:

I think you need to get a life and allow everyone to watch you and criticize your efforts. Maybe then you will shut up before attacking someone who has done more for hurting people than your critical heart could ever fathom. You don't understand anything so why dont you shutup. People like you hurt men who try and give everything they can and stick there neck out to reach a multiple of differnt types of human beings. Carman teaches biblical truths in every way possible, not to just one close minded I-only-like-things-my-way people like yourself.

First, as to having some criticize my efforts, apparent Jerrod isn't aware that I do indeed have a little brother who knows everything, including the fact that my methods and manner of writing simply doesn't work. I appreciate the efforts of Carman. Indeed, if Jarrod would notice, I put Carman as my top link on the Christian Music page. I'm impressed with his giving free concerts (thought sadly it does appear from what I've seen on his website he has begun to charge again). I also remember seeing him on TBN, and after delivering a wonderful response telling the audience that if his singing blessed them to give God the glory. I think the only other artist I've ever seen do that is Ray Boltz.

My criticism of Carman is he's tried to be too many things to too many people. Should Twila Paris sing Christian Country-style music? Yes. Should Carman with his Eastern Italian accent attempt it? Sorry, Carman, I love you but it just doesn't work. As for Carman rapping? Um, yeah. My problems with rap music aside, he writes such wonderful rap lines as "the son of God pops no jive".

I do have some concerns about some things has done such as "The Champion" (the movie, not the song that I love). I'm sorry but I don't see that movie portraying any biblical truths. It was a remake of Rocky with a little Rambo mixed in. (I'm referring to the drug dealers that got blown up near the end.) Carman's lead character makes out with a woman who he's spent a grand total of 2 hours with in his entire life, while her son sits sleeping in the back seat. This is at best a questionable effort.

Carman has touched hearts and lives. I acknowledge that, but no mere man is above reproach. When I see things going on that I believe to be wrong, I'm obliged to let people know. Carman is a good brother in Christ, but he's not a god. Sadly many commit idolatry by elevating ministers and singers to such heights that any criticism receives a harsh response.

Doubtless, other people will be offended that I included a link to Carman's site at all. Still others will find fault with the fact that I write a baseball column. That's one thing about my site, there's something to offend everyone. :)

Long time, no post. Here are some updates.

1) More columns on the Baseball page

2) I wrote a recent article examining polling on the abortion issue and you can read it here.

3) For those of you following the Don Cyphers story, I do have an update. You can read about it here.

4) I have purchased copies of both the Writers Market 2003 and the Christian Writer's Market 2003. Hopefully, I'll get published somewhere other than Fanstop.com. I love the site, but I need to branch out.

5) I'm currently working on a novel as well as Genesis 2: Dysfunctional Families of the Bible. I'm 12 Chapters into the novel and about half-way through the class. Of course, the former is more fun and I find myself wanting to work on it rather than the class. Of course, for some reason, I feel more morally obligated to finish writing the class. It suffices to say, that once Genesis 2 is finished, that I won't be writing anymore classes for a little while anyway.

Happy New Year!

I also won Employee of the Month at my new job which is cool. :)

December 20th is pay day. I can hardly wait. :)

Okay, the Trent Lott controversey has been great inspiration to me. I wrote a bland ordinary article, and then also wrote a short story and a poem as well.

Also Don Cyphers failure to respond has upped the ante considerably as the state says that as he refused to respond to my complaint, he now owes me more than $3400. Read more here.

Listened to Wow Hits 2002. Big letdown after the Dove hits CD. If not for the handy button that allows me to skip tracks, I would have had to listen to Tobi Mac's Somebody's Watching. There were some good songs in this CD but about as many as you'd expect to find in a collection.

Steven Curtis Chapman's CD "Speechless" was okay. It wasn't as good as some prior CDs such as "Greatest Hits" and "Heaven in the Real World. The first track, "Dive" sounded more like it was made for the music videos it spawned rather than with a real Spirit of praise. The title song is a bit of an oxymoron because Chapman sings a five minute song about he's speechless. His song, "Whatever", "The Change", and "Be Still and Know" stood out as exceptionally awesome.

Posted a commentary on Randall Terry to the politics page, will also post a copy on FreeRepublic.com.

The reason I haven't posted anything in a while is that I have bought a new e-machines PC and have been working on getting it set up since Friday. It's a cool computer, I'm glad we got it. I haven't had 10% of the Fatal error messages I had with my old Windows 98 PC.

Also bought 4 CDs from Sound-And-Spirit last pay period. Below are my reviews of two of them:

Bob Carlisle "Butterfly Kisses" CD is a great collection but didn't he put one out a few years ago? Particularly cool is a track where he, Bebe Winans, and Clay Crosse sang "I Will Follow Christ", "My Testimony", "Abba, Father" and the song I got the CD for in the first place, "You're Beautiful" was wonderful. The only song I didn't like was "The Truth" which was more of a biographical song for Bob Carlisle but didn't work for me.

I realized what the key element of Bob Carlisle's success is. His music is incredibly honest. He doesn't sing too many songs about the greatness of God as an isolated incident but rather in conjuction with his own weakness and failures. We can relate to what he's singing about because we've felt the same way at our failures, yet he always sings of hope and God's grace.

The Dove Hits 2001 was the CD I actually paid for as I actually got the other three free + shipping. I was pleasantly surprised by the CD. In most collections, I find two or three songs that I like, this one I only had one song I didn't like. Shaun Groves and Sarah Groves made a really positive impression on me.

Both of these CDs were awesome and I heartily reccomend them.

Updated The Judgment is Coming page on the Montana Fraud Association . Because Don Cyphers put the wrong new address in the last edition of the Montana News Association that I obtained judgment has been delayed until December 2.

Also updated The Awards Showcase with a new award. The Awards thing has proven to be little more than a slight boost to my ego. I've gotten 4 awards and no linbacks yet from them.

Update on The Montana Fraud Association . Judgment Day is Coming for Don Cyphers. The matter is now before the Montana Wage and Hour Board. Cyphers has eight days now to respond to my complaint or else to pay me the money. If he does neither, judgment will be entered against him and he'll have to pay me a penalty of 110% interest.

I personally hope he just pays me, but if he does insist on contesting this, I pray that he gets the penalty, he's put me through so much trouble just to get the money I earned. I just want to see this resolved quickly at this point. I could use the money that I earned for some vitally necessary expenses.

Church went well yesterday. The sermon was well-received on Hebrews 13. (God is good). Wrote two columns for "All For Christ". The Bible on Sex and The Bible on Grace

Also, I found out at work that I got my Pay for Performance at work. :)