My Corner

"Pro-choice"

2009-05-12T07:42:00.000-07:00

One of the things that really gets my blood boiling is the entire concept of abortion being a "reproductive choice". There are a host of so-called reasonings to justify keeping abortion-on-demand legal, but if just a smidgen of logic is applied to replace some of the women's rights hysterics, these arguments fall apart. Observe.

"We don't know when life begins."
Children in elementary school are taught that every new organism (higher forms, anyway, not bacteria and such) come into being when a sperm and an egg combine to form a zygote. This is when the organism's unique DNA is created, and the zygote begins to reproduce until it becomes an embryo-fetus-screaming infant. The zygote is human, it is alive, and it will continue to reproduce until it becomes a human adult. Human life begins at conception, according to science and logic.

"The fetus is part of the woman's body."
The fetus is within the woman's body, but it is not part OF her body. It has a separate genetic signature and its own bodily functions and systems. It is not part of the woman's body.

"An embryo is a blob of tissue the size of a period at the end of a sentence. It is not a human being."
An adult is a blob of tissue the size of a human adult. But if all human embryos were killed from now on, how many people would there be in 120 years? We were all there once. Case closed.

"An embryo or fetus is just potential life."
An embryo or fetus is already here. There is nothing potential about that. A baby can die from SIDS, does that mean it's only a potential? I'll answer that - no.

"Why not say that human life begins with a sperm and an egg?
Human beings have 46 chromosomes. Sperm and eggs have 23 chromosomes. A sperm or egg is not a human life.

"An embryo or fetus should not be granted personhood. It is unaware, it cannot think. If we consider them people, we should give death certificates every time someone miscarries."
If awareness was the criteria for personhood, it should be legal to kill someone as long as they are asleep. If it is their future awareness that makes it murder, if the fetus was left alone, it would be as aware one day, too! And if someone decided not to give me a death certificate when I die, does that mean I wasn't human? Legal documents don't decide personhood - reality does.

"Human life begins at viability."
Viability is the ability for the baby to survive outside the woman's body. It's used as an imaginary boundary to promote abortion, but in reality it has nothing to do with whether or not something is human. After all, once born, the baby is completely dependent upon adult intervention or it will die. Toddlers are completely dependent upon adult intervention or they will die. Does that lack of actual viability make them legal to kill? Also, viability is largely dependent upon medical technology. If technology advances to the point that we can sustain life all the way back to conception outside the woman's body, I guess that would do away with abortion, huh? And what if viability is defined at a certain week of development - a fetus one day away from reaching that imaginary milestone isn't human, but a fetus one day older is? Ridiculous.

"Life begins at birth."
So what is that creature within a woman's womb that is completely identical to the baby that magically appears when an umbilical cord is cut?

"The government can't tell a woman what to do with her body."
It can tell her what to do with her offspring's body, if it would grow a spine and defend human life. And it's not like the government made her have sex and get pregnant to begin with.

"Reproductive freedom is a basic right."
That's correct. Don't want children? Don't have sex. Wow, what a Sherlock-ian deduction!

"Abortion is between a woman and her doctor."
Two people can't simply decide to terminate the life of a third human. If a woman wants to commit suicide via medical assistance, that's between her and her doctor.

"Young people should not be forced to carry through with a pregnancy, it will ruin their lives."
Play with fire, get burned. That's true for everyone from the youngest child to the oldest adult. It sounds heartless, but one person's poor decision-making does not justify taking the life of another. Truth isn't always easy.

"There are lots of children who are unwanted, it would be better to not bring them into the world."
I would rather be alive and unwanted than be unable to ever experience life. And maybe the authorities should lower the cost of adoption. Who knows, maybe more people would adopt?

"Stop trying to impose your religious beliefs onto me!"
How many times have I quoted scripture so far? Read to the end of this post, and then tally up how many times I have by then.

"If abortion was illegal, women would go to back-alleys to get them, resulting in serious injuries and death."
Suicide is not justification for confiscating all firearms, just like women who use coat hangers on themselves do not justify legalized abortion. If people make poor choices, THEY WILL GET BURNED. You can't legislate sense. All you can do is educate.

"A woman whose life is in danger should be allowed to have an abortion."
That's right. As sad as it is, we all have the right to self-defense. Although it isn't the baby's fault, if there is no other way, the woman has the right to protect herself.

"A woman whose health is in danger should be allowed to have an abortion."
Depending on what the health hazard is, this could be true, as well. But if the hazard is purely psychological, how about counseling?

"Abortion should be allowed if the baby is deformed."
If the baby has its heart growing inside its skull, that's understandable. But for such things as Down's syndrome, there is absolutely no justification for taking that life. We don't have the right to decide which lives are worth living. That's purely selfishness on the part of the parents.

"Abortion should be allowed in cases of rape or incest."
If I found out my father was actually a man who raped my mother, or my uncle, I wouldn't run off and kill myself. What we could do, however, is make the penalty for rape so profoundly hideous that no one in their right mind would even fantasize about doing it. It's horrible for the mother to get pregnant from rape, but set the emotion aside and we realize the offspring is just as human as any other.

"Pro-life people are hateful to women. They want them back in the Stone Age, barefoot, pregnant, and in the kitchen."
We also want to hit them over the head with giant stone clubs and drag them into caves, as well as donating them to UFO's for alien experimentation. Honestly, if you believe this, you don't belong in the sphere of intellectual discourse. Go play with your Wii.

"If pro-life people cared about children, they would care for all these unwanted children."
So now it's up to pro-life people to not only fight to keep bad parents from killing their children pre-natally, but also adopt whenever these same bad parents don't want their own babies? It must be nice to have no personal accountability.

"Abortion is not a man's business."
If it's my child on the line, you just try it and see what happens. Decide if it's my business after that. From an impersonal standpoint, if a woman has the right to abort, a man has the right to cause a miscarriage without being penalized for the fetus dying.

"Pro-life people bomb abortion clinics and kill abortion doctors!"
While crying how killing people is wrong, pro-choice people kill millions of human lives every year. Be quiet.

What it all boils down to is, since human life always begins at conception, the pro-choice position actually is about giving authority to determine which human lives have value and which don't. Using all the rationales behind keeping abortion-on-demand legal (and at least 95% of all abortions are just for birth control and not for exception cases like rape), who could the government make legal to kill? Anyone who is unconscious or asleep, a man who is having sex with a woman (within her body), any homeless person, any child too young to fend for itself or any elderly person unable to care for themselves, anyone who is handicapped, and anyone who is alive due to rape or incest. These people meet the same criteria that has deemed it legal to de-humanize and kill the unborn. But I don't see many pro-choice people acknowledging the complete lack of reasoning behind their position.

"Logic is the beginning of wisdom, not the end." - Leonard Nimoy

Wound-Up Cat

2009-04-07T19:35:00.000-07:00

Charin thinks I'm disgusting for blogging about this, but as we know, although the Bible says that husband and wife are one flesh, and should be of like mind, it says nothing about having the same taste. :D

So long story short, Katie pulled all the tape out of a cassette, and Socker ate about two feet of it. How do I know it was about two feet? Because it had to be manually pulled out once it passed through her digestive system! I'm not sure who was the unhappiest in the ordeal, but we've all learned our lesson. Katie does not get cassette tapes anymore!

Amused Colin

2009-04-06T14:32:00.000-07:00

Colin laughed for the first time today. He was lying in Charin's lap, looking up at her, and started laughing. I think he really adores her. It was rather reminiscent of Katie's first laugh, when she looked up at me and started laughing. Unlike Colin, however, her laughter wasn't out of delight, but mockery. Which proves that, indeed, infants experience contempt for their inferiors just like the rest of us. :P

Colin Wayne

2009-03-19T07:53:00.000-07:00

Little Colin Wayne. 8 lbs. 6 oz. 20 1/2 in. 100% perfect. It's impossible to describe the feeling for a father who gets to witness his child come into the world. Probably much to Charin's irritation (just kidding), I don't think the phrase "love at first sight" has ever applied to a man and a woman. It definitely applies to a father and his child. Thank you, Charin. :)

Wise Man

2009-01-15T18:23:00.001-08:00

I really enjoyed this quote:

“For the scientist who has lived by his faith in the power of reason, the story ends like a bad dream. He has scaled the mountains of ignorance; he is about to conquer the highest peak; as he pulls himself over the final rock, he is greeted by a band of theologians who have been sitting there for centuries.” - Robert Jastrow

Katie is Two

2009-01-10T18:17:00.000-08:00

It's a few days late, but my little Katie turned 2 on the 4th. :) She's been such a huge blessing to Charin and me. It's so amazing (and cute) how she learns and figures stuff out as she gets older. She just keeps getting more and more fun. :)

I hope to get some pictures of her parties posted later. She's already an expert at opening gifts. They learn that really quickly, don't they? :)

Brrrrr

2008-12-22T06:19:00.001-08:00

It's freezing! Where's the accelerated global warming we've been promised???

Katie's First Fib

2008-12-09T18:32:00.000-08:00

Katie officially told her first lie. She'd spilled some water onto the living room floor, which I discovered when I stepped in it. I said, "Katie, did you make a mess?"

She said, "No," pointed to Charin, and said, "Mama mess."

Charin said, "Mama didn't make the mess, you did!"

So Katie pointed at me and said, "Daddy mess." I told her I didn't do it, so she pointed to both of us simultaneously and said, "Mama Daddy mess."

And so it begins...;)

Mighty Colin

2008-12-04T21:40:00.000-08:00

I've officially been kicked in the head by my son for the first time. :) I had my ear pressed up against Charin's stomach to see if I could hear his heartbeat, and WHAM!

Katie seemed to be more constantly in motion than Colin, but whenever he gets going, he really gets fired up! I hope the lengthier periods of calm mean that he'll be a sleeper when he's born, because Katie has yet to consistently sleep through the night, and her naps during the day are only an hour or so.

I watch her stomach shake, rattle, and roll as Colin does whatever it is he's doing in there, and I can feel as he's apparently training for a career in kickboxing. I don't know how women can stand the sensation of having a little person moving around in their gut. I think I'd go insane. :D As an English bank customer of Charin's once told her, "If men were in charge of having babies, babies would be all but not."

Obama and Clinton

2008-12-02T06:46:00.000-08:00

http://www.cnsnews.com/public/content/article.aspx?RsrcID=40095

For anyone who may have thought that Barack Obama was a "different" kind of politician (and I'm not talking about his groundbreaking accomplishment at being the first half-black president), this little ditty from CNSNews is an amusing read. Barack "Say Anything to Get Elected" Obama.

"President-elect Barack Obama designated Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.) to be his next secretary of state Monday, despite having spent much of the previous two years questioning her foreign-policy credentials.

During the campaign for the Democratic nomination, Obama mocked Clinton’s primary claim that she possessed the necessary foreign policy experience to be president.

“What exactly is this foreign policy expertise?” Obama said to reporters in March, while flying from a campaign event in Texas. “Was she negotiating treaties? Was she handling crises? The answer is no.”

In spite of these doubts, Obama praised Clinton’s credentials Monday, saying she would be able to advance America’s interests due to her knowledge of world affairs and familiarity with world leaders.

“She is an American of tremendous stature who will have my complete confidence, who knows many of the world's leaders, who will command respect in every capital, and who will clearly have the ability to advance our interests around the world,” he said.

Obama said that his new foreign policy team, which will be led by Clinton, would change America’s foreign policy for the better.

“I am confident that this is the team that we need to make a new beginning for American national security,” he told reporters at the announcement.

However, Obama had expressed exactly the opposite view of Clinton during the primary campaign.

“It’s what’s wrong with politics today. Hillary Clinton will say anything to get elected,” Obama said in a January radio ad. “Hillary Clinton. She’ll say anything and change nothing.”

Obama also said Monday that he picked Clinton for her intelligence, toughness and work ethic, noting that his new team would need to pursue a new strategy around the globe.

“She possesses an extraordinary intelligence and toughness, and a remarkable work ethic,” the president-elect said of Clinton.

He added that his new team must “pursue a new strategy that skillfully uses, balances, and integrates all elements of American power: our military and diplomacy, our intelligence and law enforcement, our economy and the power of our moral example.”

But last year, Obama’s campaign specifically said that the candidate didn’t need the advice of someone like Clinton, “someone whose ideas were more in line with those of President George W. Bush” than with Obama’s.

“Barack Obama doesn’t need lectures in political courage from someone who followed George Bush to war in Iraq,” the campaign said in a December 2007 statement.

A few months later, Obama reinforced the sentiments of his campaign, saying that Hillary Clinton’s foreign policy wasn’t the change Americans wanted.

“Real change isn’t voting for George Bush’s war in Iraq and then telling the American people it was actually voting for more diplomacy,” he said in March.

In his introduction of Clinton on Monday, however, Obama also seemed to contradict the prior statements of two of his top incoming advisors; both of whom said that Clinton had never been involved in foreign policy issues before.

Greg Craig, incoming chief counsel, said of Clinton in a March conference call: “There’s no evidence that she participated or asserted herself in any of the crises that took place during the eight years of the Clinton presidency. White House records show that she was consistently absent when critical decisions were being made and that her trips abroad were largely ceremonial.”

Susan Rice, Obama’s choice to become U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, meanwhile, said that a First Lady doesn’t deal with international issues.

“There is no crisis to be dealt with or managed when you are First Lady,” Rice said in March. “You don't get that kind of experience by being married to a commander-in-chief.”

In the most hotly debated dust-up of the primary season – over Clinton’s famous “3 a.m.” ad asking which candidate would better handle a crisis call at three in the morning -- Obama himself said Clinton had already failed the foreign policy test.

“The question is, what kind of judgment will you exercise when you pick up that phone,” Obama said. “In fact, we’ve had a red-phone moment. It was the decision to invade Iraq. Sen. Clinton gave the wrong answer.”

On Monday, meanwhile, Obama called Clinton “a friend, a colleague, a source of counsel.”"

Tee hee.

Pregnancy "Whoa!"'s

2008-10-23T15:36:00.000-07:00

Thankfully, Charin has pretty well gotten over the morning sickness...so long as she takes her medicine faithfully. But she seems to be entering the stage of sore backs, insurmountable hurdles with getting up off the floor, and uncanny precision at knowing exactly what foods and drinks she wants, and in what quantities. :)

I've gotten off lucky this pregnancy. Last time around you'd have thought I was the pregnant one - bad heartburn, sickness, food cravings, expanding stomach, etc. This time I've had a couple weeks' worth of hearburn, but that's gone away now.

One of Katie's nicknames is "the wago" because that was one of her first babble words. And as Charin has wisely stated, "Building a wago is hard work!"

Colin and Daddy

2008-10-21T07:53:00.000-07:00

In my first official interaction with Colin, I felt him kick last night. :) Before this it was just me reading him Katie's favorite in-womb story, Dr. Seuss' "Green Eggs and Ham". But now I've gotten some feedback, and the baby-code seems to be saying, "Yo, Pops. I be my own man. Read me something different, and not that sissy book of Sissy's."

Alas, as the father, I override his objections and will likely continue reading him Green Eggs and Ham. One day, he will thank me. :)

Jafar

2008-10-18T10:38:00.001-07:00

Jafar's arrogance cracks me up.

Elmer Fudd vs. the Ants

2008-10-18T10:14:00.001-07:00

More Trinity Clips

2008-10-18T09:05:00.000-07:00

My Banjo and Me

2008-10-17T13:48:00.000-07:00

While waiting for my mandolin to fall in my lap, I borrowed my parents' banjo to goof around on. At first I thought it was a rather funny instrument, but mostly because I keep hearing Beverly Hillbilies and countless back-country police chases. Once I started playing around and finding chords and little tricks, I actually began to appreciate it. Intead of just messing around, I've decided to learn to play it.
Right now I play it in the same basic style that I play bass in, but I found lessons on Youtube and have started taking them. I'm learning in the frailing style, which uses your fingernails as picks instead of wearing finger picks, if that's even what they're called. I'm not comfortable using a pick, and if I wasn't too lazy to learn I'd probably know how to play guitar. I've got enough bass behind me to be comfortable using what God gave me.
I don't know if I'll ever bother learning bluegrass. That's not really my style of music, although I have nothing but respect for how good those guys can be. I've never encountered the banjo outside of a bluegrass or country setting, but if I can utilize it successfully in my style of music, I'll feel like I've accomplished something.
YEEEHHAAAWWW!!!!!!

A Fun Post

2008-09-26T07:08:00.000-07:00

Just thought I'd post some pics. :)

An early look at little Colin. :)

Shangala and Charin's Siamese-Calico mix Tasha. Shanga would get jealous of Tasha being in the bed and would crawl in with her. We miss Tasha.

Nite-nite time. :)

I let Katie play in the rain. I'll let you decide if she enjoyed it.

We're going to have another one of these before too long. I loved her little toothless smile. :)

Music in My Life

2008-09-11T17:21:00.001-07:00

I'm in a band. It's a one-man gig, but that counts, doesn't it?

My interest in music started in 5th grade, when the school brought a bunch of music vendors to show different instruments to the students. Virtually every boy was over at the drums, so I steered clear of the percussion (although being a drummer would have served me well later on). I finally settled on an alto saxophone, because it looked complicated with all of its keys. I played it for eight years, achieving first chair and getting to perform all sorts of solos in concert and jazz band, as well as getting to play with the All-Region band. I detested marching band, but that went with the program.

My horizons expanded when a couple guys I knew decided to start playing together. One of them played guitar, the other played guitar and drums. They looked at me and said, "Hey, he can play music." So they convinced me to go buy a bass guitar. I picked up a four-string Fender at a pawn shop and found a dinky little amp that could barely achieve speaking volume, but even with this sub-par rig I instantly fell in love. I could play music and breathe at the same time! The three of us played a couple times in a garage - my very first song ever played was Nirvana's Incesticide version of Polly (Nirvana is a new guitar player's best friend). Even sitting right in front of my amp, I couldn't hear it over the drums and guitar, but I knew I was playing the right notes. It was a lot of fun.

I was then introduced to some other people who wanted to play, and I was given an audible amp to play through. During this time I bought an acoustic four-string Dean and a Peavy six-string, both of which allowed me to discover that I really am at home playing chords, such as the intros to Alice in Chains' "Rotten Apple" and Metallica's "My Friend of Misery". We covered Metallica, the Red Hot Chili Peppers, Alice in Chains, Nirvana, the Stone Temple Pilots, Staind, and other odds and ends, but we also wrote original stuff. Two of our guys wrote our songs, and they were really good at it. I would place it in the same genre as Chains and STP, with some Metallica-isms perhaps, but overall it was a unique sound. We began recording, but alas, just as our songs were reaching epic greatness, the band went POOF!! and fragmented.

In a fit of musical despair (not really, but I do miss the original music we played), I sold my Dean and Peavy. The Fender's pickups are exceptionally bright on high notes, so I can't chord through it. I bought a Michael Kelly five-string fretless, and that's a whole different animal than a fretted. It's impossible (for me, anyway) to bend my fingers sufficiently to play some arpeggiated stuff, but it also allows for some interesting slides during chording.

I'm wanting to get an Ibanez five-string with a high-C instead of the low-B. I think that would be my perfect bass. A similar acoustic would be great, too, but that's not a priority. I'm also wanting to get a mandolin to try out for something different. I keep telling myself I'm going to learn guitar and piano, but every time I start I get bored. Why I want to chord on bass and mandolin, but not play guitar, I don't know.

So I'm writing my own music for my own amusement now. It's hard when you're not a vocalist per se, but I think I can bull my way into an album's worth of songs. Indeed, I am a one man band with a one woman audience. Thanks for listening without laughing, Charin. :)

Dora a Bad Influence?

2008-09-08T08:10:00.000-07:00

My daughter loves watching Dora the Explorer, a Spanish-speaking child who runs around the country-side with a monkey named Boots who, ironically, wears boots. I must wonder, though, about the moral and socialogical implications that Dora conveys to young children.

Dora is a fairly young child, by all evidences. She is delighted when she receives a big slide as a gift from her parents, and usually it's younger children who enjoy slides and swings. But, her parents are incredibly lax when it comes to the activities their daughter engages in, as well as the company she keeps. Just from my incidental observation, Dora and her primate pal have been nearly swept up in several avalanches, chased by crocodiles, poisonous snakes, and huge flesh-eating ants, explored pyramids, filled with Mario-esque moving platforms and bottomless pits, that are ruled by evil AI entities, engaged in major construction jobs with heavy machinery, climbed tall mountains - even the tallest mountain - , ridden river rapids, and even entered magical alternate dimensions where fairy tales come to life, and where they launched themselves into space on the back of a cow without any sort of protective equipment. Each of these incidents could have cost Dora her life, and it is only the timely shouting of Spanish phrases by chance observers that helps her avoid these dangers.

And what of her companions? With the exception of Diego, her older cousin who is at least as reckless as Dora herself and is possibly the initial bad influence that led the misguided child into her dangerous lifestyle, none of her friends are even human. There is Boots, who goes along with Dora on her dangerous journeys and thus has no regard for his own life, let alone hers. There is the Map, a living piece of paper who somehow knows where everything is. What is his agenda? Why would he assist Dora in her quests? How do we know the moral references that a map would use to assist in his decisions? Equally mysterious is Backpack, a living bag that Dora carries with her at all times. Backpack apparently has access to micro-sizing technology or perhaps some omnicient alternate dimension, because no matter what situation Dora finds herself in, Backpack seems to have what she needs, regardless of the size ratio difficulties with some of the items Backpack has been seen to carry. Who developed the technologies seen with Backpack and the pyramid? Such questions go unanswered.

Then there are a bunch of stars flying around that seem eager to be captured and placed into a special pouch in Backpack. Perhaps it is the stars themselves that first developed the powerful technologies seen in Dora the Explorer episodes, and perhaps they are residents of the alternate dimension sometimes witnessed.

There are many mysteries about Dora's home and "friends", but what is plainly evident is that Dora's parents should at the very least be questioned by authorities. Once Katie is old enough to understand, I will have to explain to her that the things Dora does should not be emulated. After all, if your friends jumped off a bridge, would your also jump and count on your backpack having a magic umbrella to save you?

My Son...I Think

2008-09-07T18:45:00.000-07:00

This has been a much rougher pregnancy for Charin than her last one. We've already had more ultrasounds done in the first trimester than we did for Katie's entire residence in the womb. Between Charin's terrible morning sickness and the frequency that her doctor is unable to clearly detect the baby's heartbeat for whatever reason, we've gotten several looks at our unborn child.

Charin was in a car wreck - she's fine, but she might point to the cartoonish lump on her head and tell you otherwise ;) - and she got another ultrasound to check on the baby. And...it's a boy! The technician gave it about a 90 percent probability on that, since we're still a bit early for clear identification, but there was definitely something there. :)

So little Colin has joined us in this world. I'll owe him an apology for being born in a Barack Obama administration, but hopefully things won't be too screwed up for Katie and Colin to enjoy being red-blooded Americans.

Katie's Little Sibling

2008-08-05T11:53:00.000-07:00

Charin has been really sick during this pregnancy, so she had an ultrasound done to

A.) check to make sure the baby was fine, and
B.) see how many little critters were swimming around in there, as her doctor worded it.

Turns out there aren't twins in there. It's just a single, carefree little guy or gal sitting in there chillin'. And like any child, (s)he simultaneously makes Mama feel really good and really bad at the same time. ;)

Top name choices so far are Isabella (don't know if that's the right spelling) for a girl and Colin for a boy. I suggested Illidan for a boy and Sylvanas for a girl, but those didn't sit well with Charin. I suspect it's merely payback for my rejection of Lance and Nicholas, because I know that in reality she'd love to have children named after World of Warcraft characters. :)

Our Next Government

2008-07-29T09:25:00.001-07:00

I traditionally tear down liberal politicians and their policies, because I believe in the general superiority of other political philosophies such as libertarianism and conservatism.

The Bush administration, of neo-conservative orientation, has just revealed that George W. Bush walked into office with something like the largest budget surplus in history, and he's leaving office with the largest budget deficit in history. This has been 75% under complete Republican control, and 25% with Democrats largely unable to implement any change as their Congressional majority is very small. True, I disagree with most of the changes they want to implement, but the sad fact is that Republicans have been utter failures. This is what happens with unchecked power.

So now we're set to go into 2009 with President Barack Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid. While the prospects of this are frightening enough to make me wonder whether I should hole up in the woods somewhere or simply wet my pants repeatedly, I understand why most of the country is fed up with Republicans enough to vote Democrat. I just believe that they're crawling blindly into nuclear waste to find a cure for Republican cancer.

I generally find much in common with libertarians, and will vote for Bob Barr if he is on the ballet in Arkansas. But for some reason, even though both liberals and conservatives could possibly find a middle ground in libertarians (they are generally social liberals and fiscal conservatives, and strong supporters of the Second Amendment), libertarians have never gained traction. So what's the next best thing? Certainly not having an entirely Republican or Democratic administration and Congress.

The most successful economic boom of my time, if not any time in America's history, occurred with Bill Clinton as President, and Trent Lott and Newt Gingrich as Congressional leaders. All three of these men had major issues, to be sure, especially with Lott and Gingrich wasting the government's time with the Lewinski scandal and Clinton being an adulterous scumbag, but there can be no denying that with a Democratic president and a Republican Congress, the nation was very prosperous. Of course, the dot.com revolution occurred during the nineties, but even so, the government seemed to function.

What if we had Barack Obama as president, and a Republican Congress to balance? It worked before. Unchecked power leads to abuse and corruption, and this nation cannot afford another terrible administration like we've had for the past eight years. Unfortunately, we're about to see what an all-Democrat government can screw up.

New Baby :) :)

2008-07-08T09:29:00.000-07:00

Charin and I just found out yesterday that we're having another baby! Unlike last time, when I paced the house and nearly pulled all my hair out upon finding out, this time around I know that a baby is a wonderful thing and I'm really happy. :) Let's hope that Katie thinks being a sister is a wonderful thing, too!

The Best Sitcom

2008-06-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Sucks to Be the Brady Campaign

2008-06-26T08:22:00.000-07:00

Thank God for conservatives.

Today, in a joyous ruling that was too long in coming, the Supreme Court decided, in the case of Heller vs. D.C., that the District’s total ban on handguns (on all guns, really) was unconstitutional. In its 5-4 ruling, the Court affirmed that the Second Amendment is equal to every other right in the Bill of Rights – average people like you and I have a constitutional right to own firearms for hunting and, most importantly, self-defense.

In the District of Columbia, all possession of handguns was banned, leaving only criminals holding the most viable weapon for self-defense. D.C. also required that rifles and shotguns be either disassembled or unloaded and locked. In other words, D.C. apparently desired its civilians to be completely helpless.

The case was propelled by Dick Heller, a federal guard who carried a firearm to protect himself in the course of his job. When he went home for the day, however, the D.C. gun ban prevented him from protecting himself there. This situation was utterly illogical, as well as dangerous. The Supreme Court agreed. At least, the conservatives did. In the decision, the Court noted:

“The handgun ban and the trigger-lock requirement (as applied to self-defense) violate the Second Amendment. The District’s total ban on handgun possession in the home amounts to a prohibition on an entire class of “arms” that Americans overwhelmingly choose for the lawful purpose of self-defense. Under any of the standards of scrutiny the Court has applied to enumerated constitutional rights, this prohibition—in the place where the importance of the lawful defense of self, family, and property is most acute—would fail constitutional muster.
Similarly, the requirement that any lawful firearm in the home be disassembled or bound by a trigger lock makes it impossible for citizens to use arms for the core lawful purpose of self-defense and is hence unconstitutional."

This is why our presidential picks are so important. The policies they advocate are nice and pretty-sounding, but half the time they fail to deliver, and they can be voted out. Supreme Court decisions aren’t nice and pretty-sounding. They actually carry weight, and we are stuck with the justices that presidents appoint. Imagine if Al Gore or John Kerry had picked the last two justices instead of Bush, a man greatly deplored for his policies but who should be highly praised for tilting the Court away from the left's view of limited self-defense and its "government has all the power" interpretation of the Second Amendment. Many Democrats opposed the appointments of Samuel Alito and John Roberts to the Court, and this monumental victory for the Second Amendment and self-defense rights displays the cause of their disapproval.

Where would this case have gone if Gore, Kerry, or Obama had picked the last two justices? What would a Barack Obama – Harry Reid – Nancy Pelosi government be like if we had people like Ruth Ginsburg and Stephen Breyer dominating the Supreme Court, justices who look to international law as a factor in determining our own Constitution? In case you didn’t read my Barack Obama post, Obama does not want law-abiding citizens to have the right to protect themselves and their families with concealed handguns, and if a good, decent person used a firearm in self-defense in violation of a gun ban, Obama would consider that a crime. I fear that a nightmare scenario like this will happen in the not-too-distant future, and then the only question will be whether or not precedence and "litmus tests" means as much to liberals in Heller vs. D.C. as it does in Roe vs. Wade.

What about you?

2008-06-15T13:04:00.001-07:00

Dog in Deep Doo Doo

2008-06-04T07:59:00.000-07:00

I took Emma into the backyard and took her off her leash for the first time so she could run around. She was bouncing around and running back and forth, having a gay old time. After a few minutes of this, she felt the call of nature and proceeded to initiate the defecation process.

On our back porch is a box in which a neighborhood cat decided to have a litter of kittens. She's a good, caring mama. Her philosophy: STAY AWAY FROM MY BABIES, ESPECIALLY IF YOU'RE A LITTLE WHITE DOG-LIKE CREATURE.

So exactly midway through Emma's relieving of herself (as in it's still coming out), mama cat spots Emma and comes running to defend her kittens - despite the undeniable logic that Emma is facing away from the kittens, she is at least thirty feet away from the porch, and there has never been a dog on this planet who would be interested in running up steps to attack kittens while taking a huge dump. However, mama cat did not care to consider these factors in her decision to attack.

Now I've got a bushy-tailed cat chasing my dog all over the yard while she's still trying to shake it out, resulting in some of the most hilarious running contortions that I've ever seen. To top it off, my daughter was with me, and she was laughing and pointing and saying "Puppy! Puppy! Anga langa langa langa!" (To the uninformed, which is probably most everybody: My cat is named Shangala, and she says it like "anga langa langa". All cats are angalanga's.)
I figure Emma wasn't too thrilled, but I dare say that I was very pleased with getting a good laugh at her expense. ;)

Emma the Maltese

2008-05-28T07:58:00.001-07:00

Well, here is the newest addition to the family. As the post title indicates to some measure, her given name is Emma. I would have named her something like "Betaki" or "Gishfrip", since it's always been my personal philosophy to not give human names to animals, instead calling them some nonsensical "word" or something that has no associative bearing. Thimble and Swippy the hamsters, Shangala the cat, and Moonie the dog we never got, could tell you that.

So Emma is a Maltese, which according to the unquestionable Wikipedia was once part of a two-tier guard-dog system of security. A Maltese would yip and yap to sound the alarm, and the now-alerted Rottweiler would rip the intruders apart. Usually the Maltese would also perish.

Focusing back on Emma, she's a really friendly, snuggly dog who has especially taken to her new "mama". She shivers for no apparent reason (possibly a genetic memory of Rottweilers), which leads to many dog-snuggled-in-a-blanket-like-an-infant moments. She doesn't bark very often, which is good for her well-being, and she never begs for my food - something that for a dog would be akin to a person trying to steal my car and I catch them at it with a shotgun in my hand. For a dog, such a decided lack of begging is unheard of, and very welcome.

I'm too tired to care about anything new these days, but I've gone from uncertainty (and a bit of resentment for complicating things with the cats) to acceptance, which for me is a good sign. Once I get sleep, I think I'll actually like the little critter called Emma.

Charlie Brown Music

2008-05-24T07:25:00.000-07:00

The Peanuts always have good music. This one is like an orchestra piece condensed to four Peanuts singing about Peter Rabbit.

NBC Jawdropper (not really)

2008-05-13T08:06:00.000-07:00

Shocker of all shockers, NBC Nightly News anchor Brian Williams tried to pull an Al Gore/John Kerry and blame this years bad tornado season on global warming. He must not have known what NBC meteorologist Bill Karins was going to say when Williams asked him (and I paraphrase), "What's going on? What are we doing to our planet?"

Karins responded, "Uh, it's not global warming. It's cooler oceans."

It would be interesting if the media would be honest about this issue instead of pounding the alarmist drum.

Two More Weeks!

2008-05-13T07:48:00.000-07:00

Two more weeks until I get to move to my new shift! I'm going to get so much more sleep, and I'll be able to actually focus on the important things in life instead of constantly scheming on how to get an extra 43 seconds of sleep before I have to get up.

Countdown!

Definition of a Dog

2008-05-08T09:14:00.001-07:00

Charin and I are discussing getting a dog soon. When I think of a dog, I think of this:

which makes me say, "I need to buy a 4x4 Silverado for this dog to ride beside me in."

Or I may think of this: which makes me say, "I own a mighty beast of war, and it obeys my every command."

But when Charin thinks of a dog, she thinks of this:

which makes me say, "Aww, you sho cute, you'sh a wittle puppy wuppy!"

I think I know which one we're going for. :)

New York Times Stupidity

2008-05-07T12:03:00.000-07:00

I suppose they might not have meant what they actually wrote, but the gut-wrenchingly liberal New York Times wrote the following in an editorial:

"Mr. McCain predictably criticized liberal judges, vowed strict adherence to the Founders’ views and promised to appoint more judges in the mold of Chief Justice John Roberts and Justice Samuel Alito. That is just what the country does not need."

They are correct. Strict adherence to the Founders' views are not what this country needs.

Why do we let these people talk? If we're going to ignore the Constitution, why can't we nullify these clowns' First Amendment rights?

New Job

2008-05-01T10:07:00.000-07:00

I've got a new job!! Instead of working five nights (currently six to seven nights, with overtime) a week, I'll only work three nights and whatever other days I might volunteer. My sleep is going to approach that of a human being!! And Charin will finally have a functioning husband, and Katie will have a non-zombified daddy!

More Global Warming Nonsense

2008-04-24T08:20:00.001-07:00

I read that the UK is going to start taxing vehicles (very heavily) based on the amount of greenhouse gases emitted per kilometer, in order to "provide an incentive to drive more environmentally friendly vehicles". That would mean that a rich playboy who drives a hundred thousand-dollar (or pound, whatever) vehicle that emits a small amount of greenhouse gases will pay less than a working family that requires a larger vehicle to transport themselves and their necessities. The kicker? If the family drives one day a year, and the playboy drives non-stop every day of the year, the family will STILL pay a much heftier tax because their vehicle emits more GHG's per kilometer, regardless of how much was actually produced. The other kicker? Projections indicate that the government revenues collected by this nonsensical tax will be something like 3 or 4 billion pounds, but the estimated reduction in GHG's will be something like 1%. In other words, geniuses that they are, the British authorities are going to rob their citizens of a huge amount of money for nothing.

I would say that the British are absolute idiots if they allow their government to do this, but I can tell that we aren't far behind here.

My Family

2008-04-20T06:07:00.000-07:00

Charin Kellie

Beautiful, sassy, intelligent, creative. Loves God, her baby, scrapbooking, photography, singing, and girly movies.

Katie Shae

Adorable, silly, smart, fun. Loves her mamadee (her word for mama), playing outside, Charlie Brown cartoons, her dollhouse toys, playing on mama and daddy's bed, and riding a bicycle with her daddy. :)

Socker

Quirky, vocal, agile, tender. Loves running through the house, ambushing Shanga, expressing herself to get her way, looking out the window at birds and barking at them, hiding in dark places, having her chin scratched, and bathing everyone else in the house. Eww.

Shangala

Patient, considerate, motherly, nite (We know what that one means!). Loves boxes and bags, bonking heads, anything on a string, watching me change her litter box or take the trash out (who knows?), and lying on warm towels.

The Circus

2008-04-20T05:51:00.000-07:00

Charin and I took Katie to her first circus, the Kelly Miller circus. The acts that stood out to me were a guy that could juggle fifty of anything at once without a single mistake, a girl that could spin about fifteen hula hoops at once on her body, her neck, and every limb, a guy that balanced on four cylindrical barrels at once (did I mention the barrels were on their sides?), and a big honkin' machine that looked like two giant hamster wheels connected in the middle, and the guys inside would actually climb out of this thing and be playing jump-rope on top of the wheel about forty feet in the air. All of us really enjoyed it.

Watching those people, I wonder why people make such a big deal of professional sports players or the Olympics. Good circus performers should all be multi-millionaires.

Proof of Evolution

2008-04-18T07:02:00.001-07:00

There are a variety of viewpoints in all aspects of life, and these viewpoints are often championed by truly wise and great men and women. There are wise Democrats and wise Republicans, wise liberals and wise conservatives, wise atheists (from a fleshly perspective) and wise theists, wise alarmists and wise skeptics (climate scientists). Many issues are far too complicated to be broken down into black and white, yes and no, right or wrong, or good and evil.

But often the wise are drowned out by the loud extremists that exist in all of the groups I listed. These are the people who divide, who consider themselves and their cause right and good, and the other side wrong and evil. These are the ones who will not allow any solidarity or cooperation. They are the ones who cannot and will not work together while acknowledging their differences. But can either the Democrats or Republicans honestly claim that all of their policies are superior to the other party's? Can liberals or conservatives pronounce blanket statements of destructive harm that results from the others' positions on social issues? Can not atheists make many good, valid points against organized religion, and vice a versa? Shouldn't climate alarmists and skeptics back off from their over-polarized views on a massive, extremely complicated system that both sides admit they know little about?

Just some suggestions off the top of my head and channeled through my weak fingers (those side-loading washing machines are HEAVY), maybe Democrats and Republicans could stop giving positions of power and prominence to the far left and far right candidates. Maybe liberals and conservatives could discover what they agree on instead of what they disagree on. Maybe atheists and theists could agree that actions, not thoughts, should be condemned, and then strive to make the world a little better place to live. Maybe alarmists and skeptics could agree that, regardless of whether CO2 or natural forces are driving climate change, that the reduction of fossil fuels and a transition into a superior, cheaper fuel are worthy goals that would satisfy both groups.

Right, like that will happen. If there is any proof of evolution, it is that we as homo sapiens are too stupid to cast off the extremists instead of rewarding their recklessness with positions of power and prestige.

Laughing Babies

2008-04-12T07:56:00.000-07:00

There's nothing better than an overjoyed baby. :) :) Try hitting play on all three videos at once. :)

A Beautiful Life

2008-04-02T08:27:00.000-07:00

Go check out my wife's photography blog! She's got a great gift for capturing a moment at its best. :)

Sniper Attack

2008-03-26T10:24:00.000-07:00

After driving home from work today, I was getting out of my car, when suddenly a hidden sniper opened fire with a high-powered rifle. Ducking behind my car, which was the only cover around, I frantically searched for some means of escape. Attempting to climb back into the car was out of the question, as the thin metal of the driver's door would not stop these heavy bullets being flung at me. I was beginning to lose hope when I saw a UPS van nearing my house. As soon as the slow-moving mail truck was between me and the sniper, I dashed into the house and obtained my own rifle. Sneaking out the back door, I crept to the opposite corner of the house, where he didn't expect to see me. Sure enough, I spotted the sniper crouched behind some bushes in the neighbor's yard across the street. Sighting in, I fired a well-aimed shot and ended the sniper's terrible menace.

Oh wait, that didn't happen. What actually happened was that I got out of my car, walked to the front door, and used my house key to unlock the door and enter the house. Huh. Guess the mind can play tricks on you when you try to recall events in your life. I feel your pain, Hillary.

The Halo Marines

2008-03-22T23:26:00.000-07:00

Ah, the UNSC Marines of the Halo games...I share a special bond with these fictional electronic characters, a description that accurately matches most of my friends. Many times while playing through missions in which I have a fine Marine escort, I'll restart back to the last checkpoint I reached if I lose a man when I feel I shouldn't have. This is a video I spliced together of a Marine squad storming a beach and kicking some Covenant butt to Star Wars music. Nothing better than watching Marines opening up with assault rifles!

Katie's First Easter

2008-03-22T23:14:00.000-07:00

Well, it was really her second Easter, but it was her first to actually participate. This is what she decided to do with the egg she "found". :) I love her so much. Excellent photo by Charin Kellie!

Birthday Boy

2008-03-21T10:32:00.000-07:00

'Tis the 26th anniversary of the day my umbilical cord was cut (against my will, mind you) in the metropolis of Yellville, AR, home of the Turkey Trot festival. I find myself caring little about my birthdays now, but I'm surrounded by people (like the fair Lady Charin) who won't let me forget! :)

DC vs. Heller

2008-03-18T11:37:00.001-07:00

Today the Supreme Court is hearing the case of DC vs Heller, regarding the constitutionality of the city's handgun ban (given the requirement for shotguns and rifles to be locked or disassembled and stored separate from ammo, D.C. effectively has a total gun ban). I'm hoping the high court will acknowledge the 2nd Amendment as being equal and similar in intent to the 1st Amendment - an individual right, to be enjoyed by individuals and subject to only common-sense regulation that does not include protecting citizens by stripping them of their only viable means of self-defense. The final ruling (June) will be a victory for self-defense and individual rights, or it will be a devastating blow against the Constitution. Either way, it will make history.

Career Choice

2008-03-12T14:04:00.001-07:00

There were three career paths I wanted to pursue as a teenager - paleontologist, park ranger, and storm chaser. All involved being outdoors and beholding the majesty of nature.

I currently work third shift, operating and repairing robotics equipment in a manufacturing facility.

I guess I went the other way with that one...

My Talented Wife

2008-03-05T14:58:00.001-08:00

My wife entered this picture into a photography contest our local university threw, and she won first prize in the landscape division. :) This is one of the best sky pictures I've ever seen.

Mr. Deeds

2008-02-16T06:06:00.001-08:00

Sorry to keep posting silly videos...actually, no I'm not!

Pink Panther

2008-02-10T07:13:00.000-08:00

Here's another awesome comedy scene from the Pink Panther movies with Peter Sellers.

Louis L'Amour Books

2008-02-07T15:46:00.000-08:00

Louis L'Amour has got to be the best author ever. Although most of his books are essentially the same story with different names for the hero and villian, they each somehow manage to stand alone. "The Walking Drum", although not a western like most of his works, is in my opinion his best novel. Next to that, you've gotta love those Sacketts!

Tornado Destruction

2008-02-07T15:29:00.001-08:00

It's so weird to see the town I grew up in get wiped out by a tornado. It doesn't seem real.

Jedi Master Me

2008-02-04T13:33:00.000-08:00

So what's a supposedly grown man doing taking pictures like this? Please don't ask, because I ain't narry the foggiest!

I Say You Been Cheatin'.

2008-02-04T13:30:00.001-08:00

"They Call Me Trinity" and "Trinity Is Still My Name" are two of the best comedies ever made. Here's one of the more famous scenes (at least within my family!).

New Lightsaber Technique

2008-01-30T09:09:00.001-08:00

My new lightsaber blade-making technique. Does it take up too much of my time? Yes. Is it a waste of time? Yes. Do I care? No!

No Pain, No Gain

2008-01-30T08:13:00.000-08:00

As one of the majority of Americans who are overweight, I have taken it upon myself to endure Sgt. Blanks' bootcamp. My wife and I bought the 2-disc set, which has the basic workout and the ultimate workout. I haven't bought the bands yet, but I don't think I'm anywhere near ready to use them anyway. I can get through the basic workout, but I only got through about twelve minutes of the ultimate. As much as I despise exercise (I didn't mean to rhyme, but I do it every time), this is by far the best thing I've come across as far as actually getting me to do it.

Now, if I could just triple my sleep (which would bring me to about even with an insomniac), I'd have the energy to do it every day! "Change your will, change your mind!"

My Pastor

2008-01-17T08:22:00.000-08:00

The most important thing in life is one's relationship with the Lord. My pastor, Bro. Jerry Sanders, has been my Bible teacher since I was five, and I can't describe how special he is to my wife and me. Little Katie Shae is the fourth generation of my family that Bro. Jerry has taught. :) Here's his website: http://gracebiblestudy.com/

Lightsaber Fight

2008-01-14T07:45:00.000-08:00

Can you tell I like Star Wars? This is the coolest fan fight I've seen so far. These guys are awesome!

Jedi Katie

2008-01-13T13:28:00.000-08:00

This was my first attempt at using Photoshop Elements 5 to make a lightsaber. I knew the Jedi took them young, but wow!

Here I am, I guess!

2008-01-13T13:24:00.000-08:00

Well, here I am, I guess! Charin always wonders what things by me would be like - scrapbook pages, blogs, etc. So I'm going to show her that a blog by me would be the most boring thing in the known galaxy!