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Monday, August 29, 2005
Work
Lifted from Marc Blauer's blog:
The people I love the best
jump into work head first
without dallying in the shallows
and swim off with sure strokes almost out of sight.
They seem to become natives of that element,
the black sleek heads of seals
bouncing like half submerged balls.
I love people who harness themselves, an ox to a heavy cart,
who pull like water buffalo, with massive patience,
who strain in the mud and the muck to move things forward,
who do what has to be done, again and again.
I want to be with people who submerge
in the task, who go into the fields to harvest
and work in a row and pass the bags along,
who stand in the line and haul in their places,
who are not parlor generals and field deserters
but move in a common rhythm
when the food must come in or the fire be put out.
The work of the world is common as mud.
Botched, it smears the hands, crumbles to dust.
But the thing worth doing well done
has a shape that satisfies, clean and evident.
Greek amphoras for wine or oil,
Hopi vases that held corn, are put in museums
but you know they were made to be used.
The pitcher cries for water to carry
and a person for work that is real.
-By Marge Piercy
8/29/2005 08:15:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Thursday, August 25, 2005
The Hobbit
I'd sure love to see it. But am I really a postcard mailing kind of guy?
8/25/2005 09:55:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Peter (Chronicles of Narnia)
8/25/2005 09:49:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Drunk With Power, Spending Like Drunken Sailors
Thursday, August 25, 2005
By Radley Balko
The Washington Post reports that in 1987, President Ronald Reagan vetoed a transportation bill passed by Congress because it had 157 "earmarks" - money set aside for Congress members' pet projects that would ostensibly be considered too wasteful to pass as laws on their own merit.
Reagan made a show of his veto. It was a symbolic stroke against government waste, against the Democrats' tradition of, for example, diverting every federal highway through West Virginia, then naming it after Sen. Robert Byrd.
Fast-forward to 2005. Republicans control the White House and both houses of Congress. Early on a Saturday morning in August - the day of the week, and the month of the year, least likely to attract media attention - President Bush signed into law a highway bill passed by his own party with more than 6,000 earmarked projects.
Bush signed the bill after sternly telling his party he'd veto any highway bill that spent more than $256 billion. He promptly "adjusted" that figure to $284 billion after complaints from party leaders. The bill Bush ultimately signed came at a price of $286 billion, $295 billion if you count a few provisions disguised to make the bill look cheaper than it actually is. Not exactly holding the line.
The Republican Party's wholesale abandonment of limited government principles has been on display since President Bush took office. Government spending under the GOP's reign has soared to historic highs, any way you want to measure it. And in stark contrast to President Reagan - or even the president's own father-President Bush refuses to rein in spending. He hasn't used his veto a single time since taking office - the longest such streak in U.S. history.
What continues to amaze, however, is the sheer arrogance and hubris with which the Republicans have chosen to govern. As Congressman Jeff Flake - one of the few principled Republicans in Washington - told the Washington Post, "Republicans don't even pretend anymore."
Consider that highway bill. The bill calls for nearly half a billion dollars to build two bridges in Alaska. One will connect the Alaskan mainland with a tiny island called Gravina (population: 50). It will cost U.S. taxpayers $230 million. In fact, when it comes to pork barrel politics, Alaska is the new West Virginia. That's because one of the state's senators - Don Young - chairs the transportation committee. The transportation bill is named after Young's wife. The second bridge the bill appropriates money for - another $230 million - will be called "Don Young Way."
Robert Byrd would be proud.
You'd think that a Republican like Young would at least be embarrassed about all of this. He isn't. He's shameless. Upon hearing that only one other lawmaker in the entire Congress had outdone him in securing pork barrel projects, Young told the New York Times, "I'd like to be a little oinker, myself. If he's the chief porker, I'm upset."
Consider the case of Sen. Tom Coburn, another of the few in Congress willing to stand up to unrestrained spending. After a six-year career fighting waste in the House, Coburn won election to the Senate, and began putting administrative holds on his colleagues' wasteful projects. That didn't sit well with his fellow Republicans. Coburn's own party soon filed an ethics complaint against him.
His transgression? Coburn continues his medical practice in Oklahoma in addition to his duties as a U.S. senator. That apparently, is a violation of Senate ethics. Diverting millions of taxpayer dollars to pet projects that bear one's name and help one get reelected is not an ethical violation, but practicing medicine is. The chairman of the Senate Ethics Committee who will hear Coburn's complaint is Mississippi Sen. Trent Lott. Lott recently told Roll Call that after 30 years as a U.S. senator, he has learned how to work around pesky do-gooders like Coburn. "I fold [pork projects] into bills where you can't find them," Lott boasted. "I've been around here long enough to know how to bury it."
But perhaps the single member of Congress most afflicted with arrogance-of-power syndrome is Virginia Rep. Tom Davis. Davis headed up the GOP's campaign to retain control of the House in 2004, and today chairs the House Government Reform Committee. Earlier this spring, it was Davis' committee that began investigating the use of steroids in Major League Baseball. Of course, Congress has no constitutional authority to tell a private organization what its rules ought to be. No matter. When MLB asked Davis what jurisdiction he had to hold hearings, Davis sent a letter in reply asserting that his committee has jurisdiction "at any time, over any matter." Any time, any matter. So much for limited government. And this from the chair of the committee in charge of keeping government in check!
Davis later threatened sanctions against MLB if it allowed an ownership group, in which billionaire leftist George Soros held a minority stake, to purchase the Washington Nationals - a stunning, possibly illegal threat to impose legal sanctions against a private organization for doing business with someone Davis opposes politically. Just last month, Davis stuck a provision into a funding bill that would prohibit development of a housing complex in his home district. The congressman told Washington Post columnist Marc Fisher he feared "urban kind of people" moving into his district. This is exactly the kind of federal government edict over local affairs Republicans are supposed to oppose.
Local officials told Fisher that Davis has said privately he fears too much development in his district will attract too many Democrats, which could one day imperil his reelection.
Republicans swept into office in 1994 on a radical platform promising to dramatically scale back the federal government, bring accountability to Capitol Hill, and put a check on the power and arrogance that runs rampant in Washington. Today, they embody that power and arrogance.
If you'll remember, it was Hillary Clinton's plan for universal health care that inspired much of the backlash that put the Republicans in power. Today, the leader of the Republican revolution - Newt Gingrich - has publicly aligned himself with Hillary Clinton to call for a larger government role in health care. That's about as apt a metaphor for what's happened to the "Republican Revolution" as any.
8/25/2005 08:28:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Interesting...
Salty dogma
Bono gives an explicit confession of being saved by Grace, not Karma | by Gene Edward Veith
Is Bono, the lead singer and songwriter for the rock group U2, a Christian? He says he is and writes about Christianity in his lyrics. Yet many people question whether Bono is "really" a Christian, due to his notoriously bad language, liberal politics, and rock star antics (though he has been faithfully married for 23 years). But in a new book of interviews, Bono in Conversation by Michka Assayas, Bono, though using some salty language, makes an explicit confession of faith.
The interviewer, Mr. Assayas, begins by asking Bono, Doesn't he think "appalling things" happen when people become religious? Bono counters, "It's a mind-blowing concept that the God who created the Universe might be looking for company, a real relationship with people, but the thing that keeps me on my knees is the difference between Grace and Karma."
The interviewer asks, What's that? "At the center of all religions is the idea of Karma. You know, what you put out comes back to you: an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, or in physics—in physical laws—every action is met by an equal or an opposite one," explains Bono. "And yet, along comes this idea called Grace to upend all that. . . . Love interrupts, if you like, the consequences of your actions, which in my case is very good news indeed, because I've done a lot of stupid stuff."
The interviewer asks, Like what? "That's between me and God. But I'd be in big trouble if Karma was going to finally be my judge," says Bono. "It doesn't excuse my mistakes, but I'm holding out for Grace. I'm holding out that Jesus took my sins onto the Cross, because I know who I am, and I hope I don't have to depend on my own religiosity."
Then the interviewer marvels, "The Son of God who takes away the sins of the world. I wish I could believe in that."
"The point of the death of Christ is that Christ took on the sins of the world, so that what we put out did not come back to us, and that our sinful nature does not reap the obvious death," replies Bono. "It's not our own good works that get us through the gates of Heaven."
The interviewer marvels some more: "That's a great idea, no denying it. Such great hope is wonderful, even though it's close to lunacy, in my view. Christ has His rank among the world's great thinkers. But Son of God, isn't that farfetched?"
Bono comes back, "Look, the secular response to the Christ story always goes like this: He was a great prophet, obviously a very interesting guy, had a lot to say along the lines of other great prophets, be they Elijah, Muhammad, Buddha, or Confucius. But actually Christ doesn't allow you that. He doesn't let you off that hook. Christ says, No. I'm not saying I'm a teacher, don't call me teacher. I'm not saying I'm a prophet. I'm saying: 'I'm the Messiah.' I'm saying: 'I am God incarnate.' . . . So what you're left with is either Christ was who He said He was—the Messiah—or a complete nutcase. . . . The idea that the entire course of civilization for over half of the globe could have its fate changed and turned upside-down by a nutcase, for me that's farfetched."
What is most interesting in this exchange is the reaction of the interviewer, to whom Bono is, in effect, witnessing. This hip rock journalist starts by scorning what he thinks is Christianity. But it is as if he had never heard of grace, the atonement, the deity of Christ, the gospel. And he probably hadn't. But when he hears what Christianity is actually all about, he is amazed.
8/23/2005 08:11:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Thursday, August 18, 2005
In case you need to send some provider info
You can fill this out.
8/18/2005 07:59:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Narnia soundtrack
The Narnia Inspired soundtrack hits stores on September 27th!
1. Waiting For The World To Fall - Jars Of Clay
2. Remembering You - Steven Curtis Chapman
3. Open Your Eyes - Jeremy Camp
4. Hero - Bethany Dillon
5. Stronger - Delirious?
6. Lion - Rebecca St. James
7. New World - tobyMac
8. I Will Believe - Nichole Nordeman
9. Turkish Delight - David Crowder*Band
10. More Than It Seems - Kutless
11. You're The One - Chris Tomlin
8/16/2005 04:01:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Think "Every Man's Battle" series is important?
An ex-congressman who had sex with a subordinate won clemency from a president who had sex with a subordinate, then was hired by a clergyman who had sex with a subordinate.
8/16/2005 02:26:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Chronicles of Narnia quotes I loved:
"Noble death is a treasure which noone is too poor to buy." - Far Sight the Eagle
"Peace Eustace. Do not scold..." "No warrior scolds. Courteous words or else hard knocks are his only language." - King Tirian
"In our world too, a stable once had something inside it that was bigger than our whole world." - Jill (or Lucy?)
"You see, they will not let us help them. They have chosen cunning instead of belief. Their prison is only in their minds - yet they are in that prison and so afraid of being taken in, that they cannot be taken out." - Aslan regarding the dwarves who refuse to see
"...and this is the marvel of marvels: that He called me beloved; me, who am but as a dog." - Emeth the Calormene
LONGTERM SPOILER
"...all of you are, as you used to call it in the Shadowlands, ________. The term is over! The holidays have begun! The dream is ended! This is the morning!" - Aslan
8/10/2005 03:17:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Friday, August 05, 2005
Crackdown
Atta' boy TB!
8/05/2005 07:56:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Thursday, August 04, 2005
Peter
Just finished this audio book  by Michael Card on the life of Peter. I enjoyed it very much. I've always viewed Paul as the mac-daddy of the early church, but this book helped me realize how powerful a contribution Peter made. I never really acknowledged or pictured just how personal a relationship Jesus had with Peter, and the book points this out very well. Often when rebuking or speaking to the disciples, Jesus addresses only Peter, which makes it clear that Peter was the leader.
The author is no catholic, but he makes some interesting points about the verse where Jesus states "and upon this Rock I will build my church." Catholics of course indicate this means Jesus was dubbing Peter the first Pope. (Please note that Peter was married!) The author points out that Jesus WAS in fact referring to Peter and not himself. Peter was obviously used mightily by God in leading the disciples, preaching the gospel, and growing the new church.
Another thing I had never realized, that the author indicates is true, is that Paul and Peter were both killed around the same time. Paul, beheaded, since he was a Roman citizen, and Peter, crucified, upside-down, as he indicated he was not worthy to be killed in the same manner as Jesus.
8/04/2005 10:45:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Too much ozone?
We bought one of these for our ferrets.
It was nowhere near $450 like that one Jason's blog warns us about, so it must be safe.
8/02/2005 03:56:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Boundaries book update...
Good book. Recommend it. Found out at the end of the audio book that this is the abridged version. Wonder if the library has the unabridged.
Couple of lines of note:
"To the extent that you allow someone to do something you resent, you are part of the problem."
Lev 19:17 - "Do not hate your brother in your heart, rebuke your neighbor frankly so that you will not share in his guilt."
The most profound fruit that comes from confrontation is "the fruit of spiritual growth. When we make the truth our friend, God uses those conversations, both those we initiate and those to which we respond, to mature us. As the bible indicates, speaking the truth in love we will in all things grow up into him who is the head, that is Christ - Ephesians 4."
So, I'm ready to accept the truth spoken to me (in love.) Don't currently have any boundary conversations in which I'm chomping at the bit to engage.
8/02/2005 03:44:00 PM by Todd Bacon
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Crazy Pet Lady
Reepicheep (with Emily) is laid back and seems to almost enjoy being held. He's greedy when food treats are offered and will bark, yelp, bite the other two if they encroach on his food. He chews everything except people.
Bree (with Isaac) is so far the best escape artist. She isn't satisfied with just hanging out in the ENTIRE toy room when we close it off for them to play, she tries to get out so she can get under the refrigerator or into the laundry room.
It's difficult at first to tell the difference between the sisters. But Bree has black feet, while Shasta's are white.
Shasta (with Jacob) seems to have the most energy and is the smallest of the three so far. She'll lick and "give kisses" if you are a weirdo and like that kind of thing. She's also the most likely to playfully nip at your sensitive skin. She'll be the first one I kill.
8/02/2005 08:20:00 AM by Todd Bacon
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