New-Think

Try not to hurt your brain.

2009-08-28T14:28:00.001-05:00

Onuncu Boyutu Anlamak -1- Imagining the Tenth Dimension-1 - Click here for another funny movie.

The Gates of Hell

2009-08-21T12:09:00.005-05:00

Here is a good little essay by Shane Claiborne. I added the photos.

C.S. Lewis understood hell, not as a place where God locks people out of heaven, but as a dungeon that we lock ourselves into and that we as a Church hold the keys. I think that gives us new insight when we look at the parable of Lazarus or hear the brilliant words with which Jesus reassures Peter: “The gates of Hell will not prevail against you.”

As an adolescent, I understood that to mean that the demons and fiery darts of the devil will not hit us. But lately I’ve done a little more thinking and praying, and I have a bit more insight on the idea of “gates.”

Gates are not offensive weapons. Gates are defensive—walls and fences we build to keep people out. God is not saying the gates of hell will not prevail as they come at us. God is saying that we are in the business of storming the gates of hell, and the gates will not prevail as we crash through them with grace.

People sometimes ask if we are scared of the inner city. I say that I am more scared of the suburbs. Our Jesus warns that we can fear those things which can hurt our bodies or we can fear those things which can destroy our souls, and we should be far more fearful of the latter. Those are the subtle demons of suburbia.
As my mother once told me, “Perhaps there is no more dangerous place for a Christian to be than in safety and comfort, detached from the suffering of others.” I’m scared of apathy and complacency, of detaching myself from the suffering. It’s hard to see until our 20/20 hindsight hits us—but every time we lock someone out, we lock ourselves further in.

Just as we are building walls to keep people out of our comfortable, insulated existence, we are trapping ourselves in a hell of isolation, loneliness and fear. We have “gated communities” where rich folks live. We put up picket fences around our suburban homes. We place barbed wire and razer-wire around our buildings and churches. We put bars on our windows in the ghettos of fear. We build up walls to keep immigrants from entering our country. We guard our borders with those walls—Berlin, Jerusalem, Jericho.
And the more walls and gates and fences we have, the closer we are to hell. We, like the rich man, find ourselves locked into our gated homes and far from the tears of Lazarus outside, far from the tears of God.Let us pray that God would give us the strength to storm the gates of hell, and tear down the walls we have created between those whose suffering would disrupt our comfort. May we become familiar with the suffering of the poor outside our gates, know their names, and taste the salt in their tears… then when “the ones God has rescued,” the Lazaruses of our world—the baby refugees, the mentally-ill wanderers, and the homeless outcasts—are seated next to God, we can say, “We’re with them.” Jesus has given them the keys to enter the Kingdom. Maybe they will give us a little boost over the gate.
And in the New Jerusalem, the great City of God, “on no day will its gates ever be shut.” The gates of the Kingdom will forever be open. (Revelation 21:25)

Important Analysis

2009-08-10T14:18:00.003-05:00

If this doesn't scare you....well....what can I say?

Always Talking and Saying Nothing

2009-08-07T15:32:00.004-05:00

First published over at Chris Martenson's site.

And in case you think this is something new....click this.

(1)
"At this juncture . . . the impact on the broader economy and financial markets of the problems in the subprime markets seems likely to be contained,"
Ben Bernanke, March 28, 2007in a statement to Congress’ joint economic committee

(2)
"It is not the responsibility of the Federal Reserve - nor would it be appropriate - to protect lenders and investors from the consequences of their financial decisions.“
Ben Bernanke, October 15th, 2007

(3)
"[The U.S. economy] has a strong labor force, excellent productivity and technology, and a deep and liquid financial market that is in the process of repairing itself.”
Ben Bernanke, January 18, 2008

(4)
“The long-term fundamentals of our economy are strong," but "[w]e believe the economy is going to continue to grow slowly here. This is not an emergency.“
Hank Paulson January 18, 2008

5)
"[The economy] is fundamentally strong, diverse and resilient.“
Hank Paulson, February 14th, 2008

(6)
'The worst is likely to be behind us . . . . ”
Hank Paulson, May 7, 2008

(7)
On Freddie and Fannie: “They will make it through the storm”, "… in no danger of failing.","…adequately capitalized“ (two months later they were nationalized)
Ben Bernanke, July 16th, 2008

(8)
"I think all of our efforts, so far, have produced results. … And I think as those green shoots begin to appear in different markets and as some confidence begins to come back that will begin the positive dynamic that brings our economy back. … I do see green shoots"
Ben Bernanke, March 15, 2009
And:
“What you’re starting to see is glimmers of hope across the economy.”
President Obama, April 10, 2009

(9)
"I think the sense of a ball falling off the table -- which is what the economy has felt like since the middle of last fall -- I think we can be reasonably confident that that's going to end within the next few months and you will no longer have that sense of free-fall,"
Lawrence Summers, April 8, 2009

(10)
“We are hopeful that the very sharp decline we saw beginning last fall through early this year will moderate considerably in the near term and we will see positive growth by the end of the year,"
Ben Bernanke, May 5, 2009to the Joint Economic Committee
and
"The recent data ... suggest that the pace of contraction may be slowing, and they include some tentative signs that final demand, especially demand by households, may be stabilizing,“
Ben Bernanke, May 5, 2009to the Joint Economic Committee

Christianity and Art

2009-08-04T06:00:00.000-05:00

Picasso said, "Painting is a blind man's profession. He paints not what he sees, but what he feels, what he tells himself about what he has seen." If this is true it is really a slam on the state of modern Christian art and even modern "Christianity" in general.

Here is a quote from Franky Schaeffer and some photographic proof to back up his rant.

Today, Christian endeavor in the arts is typified by the contents of your local Christian bookstore-accessories-paraphenalia shop. For the coffee table we have a set of praying hands made out of some sort of pressed muck. Christian posters are ready to adorn your walls with suitable Christian graffiti to sanctify them and make them a justifiable expense. Perhaps a little plastic cube witha mustard seed entombed within to boost your understanding of faith. And as if this were not enough, a toothbrush with a bible verse stamped on its plastic handle. And a comb with a Christian slogan or two impressed on it. On a flimsy rack are stacked a pile of records. You may choose them at random blindfolded, for most of them will be the same idle rehash of acceptable spiritual slogans, endlessly recycled as pablum for the tone-deaf, television-softened brains of our present day Christians.

From this:

To this:

Freedom

2009-07-29T11:43:00.004-05:00

Below are 2 photos of my friend Dennis. Click the link below the photos for his website and his story.

http://www.deliveredfrommeth.com/

History

2009-07-28T06:00:00.000-05:00

A person I love, but who does not trust to even have his name mentioned in the blogosphere, recently taught a class on the historicity of the resurrrection of Jesus. I found a good article by one of the scholars at the forefront of this discussion today. Below is an excerpt and a link if you would like to read further.

'Man,' writes Loren Eisley,'is the Cosmic Orphan.' He is the only creature in the universe who asks, Why? Other animals have instincts to guide them, but man has learned to ask questions.'Who am I?' he asks.'Why am I here? Where am I going?'
Ever since the Enlightenment, when modern man threw off the shackles of religion, he has tried to answer these questions without reference to God. But the answers that came back were not exhilarating, but dark and terrible.'You are an accidental by-product of nature, the result of matter plus time plus chance. There is no reason for your existence. All you face is death. Your life is but a spark in the infinite darkness, a spark that appears, flickers, and dies forever.'
Modern man thought that in divesting himself of God, he had freed himself from all that stifled and repressed him. Instead, he discovered that in killing God, he had also killed himself.
Against this background of the modern predicament, the traditional Christian hope of the resurrection takes on an even greater brightness and significance. It tells man that he is no orphan after all, but the personal image of the Creator God of the universe; nor is his life doomed in death, for through the eschatological resurrection he may live in the presence of God forever.
This is a wonderful hope. But, of course, hope that is not founded in fact is not hope, but mere illusion.

http://bethinking.org/bible-jesus/advanced/contemporary-scholarship-and-the-resurrection-of-jesus.htm

Harry Potter

2009-07-24T12:06:00.004-05:00

I found this great commentary on Harry Potter. It says a lot of things I have been thinking and saying in regard to one of the more embarrassing parts of "church life" I can remember over the past few years. I especially like the commentary about Calvin in the last paragraph (if you read nothing else...scroll down and read it).

Disclaimer: I am not a fan and certainly have not read all of the books...but this is primarily because I am not a huge fan of the fantasy genre. No philosophical or spiritual problems with it, I am just more interested in other genres.

This is and article written by Jerram Barrs at http://www.bethinking.org/.

A. Introduction

The Harry Potter books are an extraordinary success story in the publishing world. Over the past few years they have aroused much interest and excitement not only in the original English language editions, but also around the world as they have been translated into many other languages. Their translation into Chinese was reported to be the biggest publishing event in China’s history. The Harry Potter books strike a chord with both children and adults, and the Harry Potter movies have been released to packed theaters. The fourth book in the series had an initial print run in the U.S. of 3.8 million copies, 40 times as many as an average bestseller.
As well as being extraordinarily popular, the books have encouraged millions of children to start reading for the first time. Many parents are delighted to see their children eagerly reading these stories, and then moving on to read other books as well.

B. Attacks on Harry Potter

There have been passionate attacks on the Harry Potter series by many people and in particular by Christians. This has occurred especially in the United States — much more than in Britain or other places. In the U.S., Christians on the radio, in magazine articles, on television, on web sites, and in a growing number of books, have attacked this series very strongly. There are Christian schools where the books have been banned. I have had several telephone calls from confused parents saying, “My children love these books, I love these books — what is going on?”
Because the books bring readers into an imaginary world of magic and wizards, many Christians say they teach occult practice.
The second criticism leveled is that the books teach a rebellious attitude against authority. Critics cite the way Harry sometimes responds to his uncle and aunt who are raising him as proof of this — though it has to be said that the uncle and aunt treat him very poorly (to say the least, for they are abominably cruel guardians).
Thirdly, there are many Christians who simply say that fantasy is dangerous, and that to present this kind of fantasy world to children is automatically hazardous to them.

C. Positive Remarks Regarding Harry Potter

These books are great fun (just consider a game like Quidditch!)
J.K. Rowling has created a delightful world of the imagination. She has constructed an alternative universe, another dimension (rather like C. S. Lewis’s Narnia or J. R. R. Tolkien’s Middle Earth), but, right within our world.For those who have a problem with the idea of fantasy and alternative universes - we need to recognize that almost all children play imaginative games in their minds starting at a very young age and have no difficulty whatsoever in distinguishing between fantasy and reality.
The books are well written. Try reading them aloud – this is the simplest test of good writing.
The multitude of characters in the books. J.K. Rowling has brought into being an entire portrait gallery of people, adults and also children who are growing up book by book.
Additionally, the Harry Potter books send a strong message about moral behavior.There are beautiful and enjoyable human relationships among the characters, and there is a depth of commitment and service among them.The characteristics celebrated in the relationships are friendship, loyalty, integrity, kindness, and self-sacrifice. Harry Potter himself is prepared to set aside his own success, in order to serve his friends. These are qualities in which we can all delight. There is also a very clear portrayal of the distinction between good and evil — Both the appalling destructiveness of evil to human life And the beneficial fruit of treating people with justice, kindness, mercy, faithfulness, and integrity. It is particularly significant that the books recognize that goodness and faithfulness in relationships have a cost. Virtue is rewarded primarily in terms of character development and the increasing depths of relationships among the characters, rather than through the attainment of popularity or success. J.K. Rowling also has a very deep understanding of the folly of those who turn their eyes blindly towards evil and of evil’s destructive consequences.
Finally, I see the books as valuable because they consistently include the three fundamental themes that can be found as a subtext in almost all good literature: -The beauty of creation -The appalling reality of evil -The universal human longing for redemption — for a better world -These themes touch the way the world truly is, the way God has made it

D. Themes from Harry Potter

As a Christian, I am fascinated by the fact that the stories show how a better life comes primarily through self-sacrifice. This is brought out unmistakably in the fourth book, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire. In this book Harry is prepared to sacrifice himself on behalf of his friends whom he loves and to whom he has a deep loyalty.
At the heart of all four of the books is a reference back to Harry Potter’s mother, who died when he was a baby in order to save his life from a great force of evil. Rowling says the mother’s death on Harry’s behalf is an example of the most powerful act imaginable.
Recognizing that this theme of self-sacrifice is running all through the series, it is extraordinary to me that there has been such a violent and negative response by Christians. I think this negative response is a tragedy for all sorts of reasons.
The Word of God challenges us to be prepared to celebrate anything that is good and true, wherever it is found.
There is a deep misunderstanding and inappropriate suspicion of fantasy present in the negative accusations.
There is a misunderstanding in the response to the magic in the books. The same criticisms have been made of C.S. Lewis’s and Tolkien’s books, even though both of these authors were committed Christians.
It is said that because magic is a part of the Narnia books, they may have the effect of interesting children in the reality of the occult. The same charge is brought against Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings.
However none of these books are encouraging occult practice. The magic is simply a part of the imaginative worlds that Lewis, Tolkien, and Rowling have created. In such an imaginary world, people can become invisible; animals talk; mythical creatures like unicorns and centaurs exist; and rings and spells work wonders.
Watch a little child playing, and you will observe many such magical things. But this does not equal an interest in the occult.
Some people have gone on record as stating that they believe that J.K. Rowling is purposely and explicitly teaching occult and even Satanic practice.
As a Christian, I have to say I am profoundly ashamed of those who have responded with this kind of malicious gossip. Rowling has stated that she does not believe in the occult, and she certainly does not wish to promote it.

E. How are we to react to our culture?

Some 450 years ago John Calvin encouraged people to read books by the great writers from Greece and Rome. He wrote instructions for the teachers in the school system he designed in Geneva, Switzerland, asking that they have the students read the great classics of Greece and Rome that were pagan and non-Christian. And he asked that they not criticize them, but rather encourage the students to celebrate what is good in them, and to learn from the truth that they could find in them. Calvin said on another occasion that it is a blasphemy against the Holy Spirit to deny that pagan writers like Plato wrote many things that are true and helpful. We must be prepared to act similarly in our day when it comes to the Harry Potter series or any other product of our culture.

Stop Now Go

2009-07-22T15:51:00.002-05:00

Things have slowed down a bit so I will commit to at least one post per week for the time being. Even if it is only a repost of a classic (like the one below).

If you don't want to check back every day to see if I have posted, feel free to subscribe at the bottom of the page to receive notification of any new posts. Cheers, and thanks for reading.

Jeff

Movie Discussion: The Invasion

2009-07-22T09:30:00.000-05:00

Movie Discussion: The Invasion
Starring, Nicole Kidman

Okay, let’s get this out of the way. The movie is not a great movie. It is the 3rd remake of Invasion of the Body Snatchers since 1956. Entertaining, perhaps. Brilliant, no.

We are primarily done breaking down the movie now, and ready to get busy examining some of the ideas put forth in it. Leading lady Nicole Kidman plays a psychiatrist who can prescribe a pill to solve any problem. Her son has nightmares…a pill. A patient is having trouble with her husband…a pill. You get the picture, just like a real psychiatrist. She describes herself in a pivotal conversation as a “post-modern feminist”. She also calls upon the father’s of psychology and tries to tie them to evolutionary theory in a weak attempt to explain the pathetic condition of man…war, murder, rape, greed, etc. You can tell she has trouble swallowing her own theory.

When the alien “virus” begins to infect people it becomes clear that it will make mankind into something like selfless zombies. The infected retain something of their former selves, but they act as one emotionless organism, and seek to infect everyone else, while killing those who are immune to the virus. Everyone will be sort of zombie like…that’s the downside. The upside is that wars will cease, crime will be non-existent. It becomes clear that if Nicole Kidman’s son had not been one of the immune, to be killed, she would have probably infected herself on purpose.

One thing I did like about the movie is that it fleshed out some of the primary issues in post-modern feminist thought, and postmodern thought in general. I have known a number of post-modern feminists and almost to the woman, I liked and respected them all. I think this is probably for a few reasons. First, someone who arrives at post-modern conclusions has done some thinking about life and the nature of reality and begun asking questions about how it all fits together. Second, the conclusions of post-modernism (and feminism) are impossible to consistently live out in practice and require great intelligence and determination to even attempt. This movie points that out very well….although I don’t think that was the intention.

Kidman’s character desperately wants to “fix” mankind…one person at a time. She is distraught at news of wars and violence…as we all should be. Unfortunately as an evolutionist and (apparent) atheist she has concluded that societal troubles must be caused by various and widespread psychological anomalies. Her best weapon in this battle for humanity is her prescription pad. I love this. It accurately describes the current state of modern (post-modern) psychological medicine. They have failed to accurately describe the problem, thus, their solutions are at best band-aids on surgical wounds, but typically abject failure.

The fact that a self described post-modern feminist could believably have a battle in her conscience about whether or not being zombified by an alien virus is a good thing really tells us something. She realizes that there is something very wrong with mankind and that only something very radical could be expected to solve the problem. Even in prescribing of pills, we sense her helplessness in the face of the enormous problem. This is the state of post-modernism. A philosophical system has been constructed where moral absolutes have become ambiguous (philosophically) but war is not an ambiguous evil…neither is murder…neither is rape. Like I said earlier…some smart people can pretend not to believe in absolutes (like wrong and right) but try to start a war or rape them and all of a sudden you are doing something “wrong”. When you throw reality into the mix post-modernism falls flat on its face.

As a side note: I realize there are a few obstinate idiots out there who would let me hit them in the face with a tire iron or cut off their mom’s pinky finger and say that it was not necessarily a bad thing…only undesirable from their perspective….just to prove their point….but hear me now, everyone inherently knows you are an obstinate idiot. Just as everyone inherently knows that rape and murder are evil. You are the pretender.

Of course as a Christian I join with my post-modern feminist friends in condemning rape and murder. Only I have a reason to do such a thing (they do not). I have an objective standard by which I can measure good and evil. Christians have a very cohesive and philosophically robust way of understanding how the depraved state of man and human dignity can co-exist. No other philosophy even comes close to the elegance in tying these things together as Christianity. Not even close. Unfortunately, it is often the case, that professing Christians have put much less thought into the philosophy behind their religion than the post-modern feminist has….so when they misguidedly show up at the psychiatrists office for help, they take the prescription down to the pharmacy hoping this pill will be the one that makes it all stop.

Watch this movie next Friday night if you’re bored.

Taking Some Time Off

2009-01-12T15:42:00.001-06:00

As I reevaluated my priorities a few weeks ago...it became obvious that blogging needed to take a back seat for a while. I may start up again in a few months...in the meantime....feel free to browse the archives.

Jeff

The Scribbler

2008-12-28T13:43:00.000-06:00

Try this. It's fun.

The Scribbler

Is God Necessary for Morality

2008-12-26T11:52:00.003-06:00

Obviously you know what I think. If you are interested in seeing the issue debated...well...enjoy.

Sign of the Times

2008-12-22T09:00:00.001-06:00

A recession is when your neighbor loses his job.

A depression is when you lose your job.

This little site is a sign of the times.

Dead Malls

So is this article.

1,000 Apply for 50 Fast-Food Jobs

Remember...take time to enjoy the economic apocalypse.

I Stuck My Finger in the Potty Daddy

2008-12-19T09:00:00.002-06:00

Here is an interaction I had with Millicent last Thursday. It was early evening and I had been home from work for about half an hour. Millicent had been totally naked since I walked in the door. This is not uncommon. I was in my bedroom taking off my shoes when Millicent came into the room, on her way to my bathroom, carrying some clothes and telling me she was going to the bathroom so I wouldn’t see her getting dressed (“don’t see me, Daddy”). Apparently it is okay for me (and everyone else) to see her running around the house naked all day long…but we are not to see her in the act of putting on clothes. She is far too modest for that. She also announced that she needed to go potty but claimed she could handle it herself.

Evidently, this is what happened in the bathroom….she put on her pants then stood beside the toilet and peed in them while sticking her finger in the toilet. I know this because she came out of the bathroom with totally soaked pants, holding up her finger saying, “I put my finger in the potty, Daddy. Look!” So Michelle and I did what all good parents do in a situation like this. We took a picture of it.

Some Cool Photos

2008-12-17T09:30:00.000-06:00

These are not photoshopped.

Wanna see more???

Thanks for the Ride, Doak!

2008-12-15T09:30:00.000-06:00

Once when I was a kid and hitch-hiking through the state of Texas a man by the name of Doak picked me up and gave me a nice tour through nearly 200 miles of the state. I remembered he said he worked with the NFL. So today, with that small bit of info and the power of google...I found a photo of Doak to go along with this small tribute. That's him in the cowboy hat. Thank you Doak Smith!

From Cool to Surreal

2008-12-13T09:30:00.002-06:00

I found the photo below while cruising the internet one day and realized it was a trifecta. There are 3 things in this photo that used to be considered cool (remember I was a kid in the 80's) but are now, frankly, strange and surreal. Can you guess what they are? I will give my answer in a few days if no one guesses correctly.

This Winter....

2008-12-11T11:59:00.001-06:00

Last winter we spent nearly $2000 heating our large and inefficient home. This winter we are on the Jimmy Carter plan. We never turn the heat up above 65 degrees in the day and we crank it down to 55 at night. In the day we wear socks and sweaters and at night we snuggle under numerous blankets. There are some other larger things we are doing to simplify, save money, and reduce our energy consumption. I can’t talk about them yet….but stay tuned…over the next year you will see some BIG changes in our lives. These types of things can be considered drudgery or adventure. We choose to think of them as adventure.

Obama, Oil, and the First Wave

2008-12-09T09:30:00.002-06:00

The Obama administration is almost upon us. I have told friends and relatives for years that I do not envy the person stepping into the oval office in early 2009. Last week president-elect Obama acknowledged what we all know…the economy is bad and it will get worse. While it is nice to see the typical sunshine pumping about the economy that has been pouring out of D.C. for way too long come to an end…it is very apparent that our “leaders” are still a number of steps behind. In fact they are just as behind as they were 4 years ago when oil had never breached $40 a barrel and a number of concerned folks were trying to raise awareness about the danger we would soon find ourselves in with oil topping $100 and the unknown economic catastrophe triggers it could switch. Well, all of that happened.

I admit, while I did clearly see the energy side of the equation, the nature of this first phase of economic hardship was only learned by me as it was happening. So where are we now? This is just the first wave. Things are now happening much too quickly for our big lumbering governmental and political systems to have a prayer of keeping up. We must obviously fend for ourselves. Oil is hovering at $40 a barrel as I type this. Demand is about 86 million barrels per day (mbpd) while supply is about 87 mbpd. Numerous energy projects have been cancelled due to the recent price collapse. A lot of work that was economically viable at $80 a barrel is not even worth considering today.

Thankfully oil demand has been slowed by the economic downturn. When things start looking rosier, keep an eye on those oil prices. Demand can turn up in the blink of an eye. What happens when demand exceeds supply? The price keeps going up until something (something very big and important) breaks. Then the price comes down when demand has sufficiently been destroyed. Does that sound familiar? It should. You have just lived through a very mild cycle of it. It will get more exciting from here on out. It can be frightening or exhilarating…but that depends on how you have prepared. Of course most people won’t connect the dots and will do the easy thing….blame the government or the president or whoever else. Like I said, this is a bad time to be the president. Good day and God bless.

Running

2008-12-06T11:50:00.000-06:00

Running. Have I ever mentioned why I love running. A lot of reasons really. Probably the most important is the spiritual aspect. After a while, on a good run, the body wants to quit. It begs to quit. Then the mind takes over and forces the body to run against its will. After another few miles the mind is exhausted. Then calmness comes and I am running….just running. Past the point of desire. Past the point of self discipline. Running within a will that doesn’t seem to be my own.

By the way…have you seen Chariot’s of Fire? Great movie.

When I Die....

2008-12-04T09:30:00.001-06:00

When I die...no matter how horrible or traumatic it is....please don't do any of these things.

Please take note..someone I know has recently died. Pity me as you drive.

I too know someone who died. Leaving junk I bought at Wal-Mart alongside the road helps ease the pain.

Look, someone left a debit card...how thoughtful and appropriate.

I am sorry your loved one died. But please...roadside memorials and car memorials are stupid. Please cease and desist.

The Crash Course

2008-12-02T11:01:00.003-06:00

A few of you may have noticed that there is a link stuck to the very top of my blog that says "click here now". This is an EXCELLENT course put together by a man named Chris Martenson. It thoroughly breaks down and explains a number of things that New-Think has addressed in a comparably amateur fashion over the past few years. You owe it to yourself to check it out. Many of you will not click on a more important link in the next few years. The entire course is about 3 hours long...but it is broken into bite size chunks. I encourage you to give it about 15 minutes of your time...if, after that, you think it's not relevant then move along...but be sure to save the link, because I believe events over the next few years will change your mind. If you like it, break out the popcorn!

Little Millicent

2008-12-01T09:30:00.000-06:00

Some Engineering Humor (Arguably an Oxymoron)

2008-11-28T08:00:00.000-06:00

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Running with the Kids

2008-11-26T08:05:00.003-06:00

Last Saturday I ran in a race with Kori in Kati in Lawton. It was pretty cool and everyone is excited to hit more races very soon.

Rebellious Children

2008-11-25T12:32:00.002-06:00

I recently read a question on another blog asking a mother what she would do if her children developed views that were not Christ centered. The question was not addressed to me…and I jumped into the conversation prematurely (violating many of the principles set forth in Proverbs chapter 10) and did more to harm the conversation than to move it along. My apologies to you if you were involved in that conversation. It did cause me to think, however, about the underlying question. What is the appropriate parental response in this situation, from a biblical perspective?

Now first, I realize many unbelievers read this blog. I am sensitive to that fact. Regardless of what we call ourselves; Christian, Buddhist, humanist, Hindu, atheist, agnostic….we all have SIGNIFICANT influence in how our children view the world. The bible is sensitive to this fact. In Proverbs 22:6 we are told, “Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it.” As with all other Proverbs…this is a principle set forth by God…NOT a promise. I can raise my children in the fear and admonition of the Lord and they can still rebel and reject His offers of mercy. The principle is, though, that they have a much greater likelihood of repentance and accepting the Lordship of Christ if I “train them up in the way they should go.” I believe this principle holds true for other worldviews as well. A quick look at the world will tell us that much. That is why we see most people raised in western countries claiming to be Christians, just as most people raised in Middle Eastern countries claim to be Muslims. It is easy to see that children raised by people who do not think deeply about these matters…would, in turn, grow to be adults who ignore or do not think deeply about spirituality. This, of course, holds across the spectrum. As a side note…I also believe that most people who claim to be Christians, Muslims, Catholics, agnostics, etc. do not really understand what they are saying and are merely claiming a heritage. While I would love to get into a broader discussion with any proponent of an alternative (to Christianity) philosophy…this post is not doing that. As a Christian I have a high calling to have well thought out reasoning for the things I do…especially fundamental things, like parenting. So the rest of this post will primarily be relevant only to Christians who believe that the Holy Scriptures contain the infallible wisdom of the very real, non-silent, holy, and only living God. If you are an unbeliever I promise you will be offended if you keep reading. God specifically designed Christianity to be a stumbling block to the unbeliever. True Christianity (not typically on display in most American churches) is diametrically opposed to the “natural” thought systems currently prevalent in western culture.

First things first. I became a Father before I became a Christian…an obedient, spirit-filled Christian anyway. Some of you reading this will be much Godlier fathers than I am and I could learn a lot from you. This post is as much about me working out my understanding as it is teaching others. If you have something to add…please chime in. Sometimes when I read what I have written I am struck by how dogmatic I sound. Please accept the following as I wrote it…with a humble spirit.

Childhood is over. It is too late to “train the child up in the way he should go”. Obviously parental love is important. That must continue, and even increase. Obviously, praying for your heathen child will be easy for a Christian parent. Why? What does a Christian believe? All unregenerate souls spend eternity suffering in a very real place called hell. Jesus taught about hell more than nearly any other topic. Any true disciple of Christ cannot ignore this reality. The fact that it is your child who is in rebellion does not change the reality of where he/she (I hate political correctness…from here on it will be “he”) will go when he dies. That is fundamental to following Christ and it is a stumbling block to many people. If that does not drive you to your knees begging the Lord for the salvation of your child…then what does? You cannot “save” your child. You can only do your best to show them the love of Christ. As most of you know…shining the light of Christ on a darkened soul is often very offensive to those living in rebellion. Your unrepentant child will likely not thank you for it. In fact they may be hostile. Just keep loving and praying though. Don’t stop.

Now, for those of us with multiple kids. Older siblings have SIGNIFICANT influence on younger children. It is our job as parents to manage this. If I had an older son, who was a rebellious whore-monger, practicing homosexual, pornographer, rapist, murderer, and drunkard (whore-monger is one of the funniest of all hyphenated words in my opinion….totally irrelevant…sorry) then, once he is out of the house and living on his own, I would do everything in my power to limit his influence on his younger siblings still under my roof. First and foremost would be not just reducing but eliminating any of the time the younger siblings spend alone with the rebellious child. Again, this only seems radical if you deny that the eternal future of your children is hanging in the balance.

As for the sinful practices of the child….I would do what I do now with my smaller children. When my 9 year old says something rude to her big sister…my wife and I do not tell her she is a rude person….we tell her that God calls us to be kind and to lift others up in love. We tell her that her actions were sinful and rude, while maintaining her dignity by not defining her as that. On the other hand we DO also teach (not us but the bible) that we are eventually defined by what we think…what we do…what we live. That is why it is important to learn self control and obedience as a child. I, personally, did not learn those things as a child and spent many years in severe sin…drug abuse, debauchery, leading others astray, and yes…whore-mongering. If my adult child was a practicing homosexual, or was an outspoken atheist, or just someone who didn’t care to think about these things…of course I would still love them. Of course they would still have a welcome place with me. But I would not have the same attitude toward their sinfulness as they have come to expect from modern western culture. I would not condone any portions of their lifestyle that was sinful or allow displays of it in my home or around my minor children. I would not beat around the bush. My position would be clear to them.

In Ephesians 6 we are told: For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly places.

We literally live in a spiritual war zone. We fight against not only demonic activity and the sin of fallen man….but philosophies, and established worldly patterns of thought. Handling a rebellious adult/child must be viewed from this perspective. Love and shine the light of Christ, and do so with a sense of urgency…as if your child is dying. We cannot save our children. We can only show them the one who can.

Thus Believeth New-Think

2008-11-22T13:15:00.000-06:00

Today I will tie together the last 3 posts and tell you what to expect from the future, economically speaking.

How does all of this fit together? Yesterday's series of if-then statements are a useful tool, BUT, it will not be that black and white. Right before oil demand began being destroyed by the tanking economy, demand had been slightly exceeding supply. Customers (mainly very poor ones) were priced out of the oil consumption business and those who could afford to buy what they could not (us) bought it. That is why oil was so expensive. As a consequence of the high prices, though, we were able to fund a LOT of projects to find new oil and get it out of the ground (or sand or shale) as quickly as possible. People like T. Boone Pickens began rolling out multi-billion dollar alternative energy projects like thousands of giant wind-mills. People naturally used less because they could not afford it.

Now people are losing jobs and having trouble getting new credit cards....the cost of oil has drastically decreased. The government has shown it will do whatever it takes (including change the rules in the middle of the game and ignore the constitution) to prop the economy up for as long as it can. Actually, they are surprisingly good at it. It is amazing how, when the money stops flowing, you see who is really loyal to who…that is, if you are paying attention.

Anyway, it appears to New-Think that a full collapse of the U.S. economic system is still a very real possibility within the next year. If you are rolling your eyes at that, please think back and remember how you rolled your eyes when we told you oil was going over $100 and the dow was going below 10,000. Turns out those were very conservative predictions. If a systemic collapse happens, all of the following predictions go out the window.

If, however, the system holds up.....

The price of oil will continue to fall for the very short term and cause numerous project cancellations in the oil and gas industry and it will bring the “alternative” energy industry to a near stand still. Especially after 6 months when everyone forgets what $4 gas was like. The economy might not get much better, but eventually, demand will increase (either from very low prices or a more stable world economy) and we will find ourselves worse off than before because we were still, after all, using millions of barrels or oil every day while cancelling the energy projects we needed to sustain the practice. The price of oil will once again skyrocket…until something else breaks. Then we’ll do it all again. Only every time it will be more painful. Welcome to the long emergency. Don’t borrow any more money. Get out of debt now. Don’t borrow any more money. Get out of debt now.

I mentioned politics in the original post title but didn’t say much about it at all. No, your candidate, whoever he or she is, cannot fix this. They will keep telling you/us they can, though. We’ll hear a lot about a lot of things, and I’ll keep getting e-mails about the stupid things politicians say to win votes…but won’t actually work, asking me if it is true. I won’t say most politicians don’t care BUT I will unequivocally declare that most politicians (especially in the legislative and executive branches of the current administration and the next) do not yet fully understand these issues. If I have to hear about the Bakken formation or Utah oil shale one more time from one of these folks I’m gonna…….It doesn't matter who you voted for in regard to energy and the economic issues.....in these regards democrats and republicans are one large monolithic, idiotic party. By the time the ballot gets to you the choice is primarily an illusion.

Later.

Gas Is Under $2 per Gallon - We're All Saved

2008-11-21T08:58:00.002-06:00

Gas is under $2 a gallon! We’re all saved!

No. Sorry, you are not saved. The finite resource you know as crude oil is still finite. Here is a brief, generalized, and grossly overly simplified line of reasoning of why gas costs under 2 bucks per gallon now. Prior to the “Credit Crunch/Crisis” (that terminology is inaccurate…but if I don’t call it what CNN calls it some people might not know what I’m talking about). Anyway…before this whole economic downturn got going full steam, you’ll recall that oil was about $150 bucks per barrel. Gas was over $4 per gallon. That (among other things) was putting a major strain on most Western consumers. $4 gasoline (and it’s trickle down effect) helped cause the “credit crisis” by being an agitating factor when adjustable rate mortgages began to reset and just causing a strain on consumers in general. I felt it. Didn’t you? It wasn’t just the cost either, was it? It was the concern over when the next shoe would drop. Well the next shoe dropped, and it looked like a “credit crisis”. Unfortunately the shoe was not on a human. It was on a centipede and there are about 98 shoes left to drop. Did we take that analogy too far?

Onto something more interesting. What does the “credit crisis” do to oil..and what will happen in the future. What does it mean?!?!?!?!?!?

The price of gasoline has primarily gone down because demand has gone down. AND because future traders FEAR it will go down more and BELIEVE supply will outpace demand. Perhaps it will. Obviously, when people are doing well, economically speaking, they use more gasoline.

1. IF world economies makes a turn for the prosperous THEN demand will start marching right along again and the price of oil will test even higher prices as demand again knocks on the door of supply capacity.

2. IF the economy stays flat or dives further AND oil supply growth can truly keep up with oil demand THEN prices may go down even further for a time.

3. IF the economy stays flat or dives further AND oil supply growth cannot keep up with oil demand THEN…Katy bar the door….the price of oil will go up until another shoe drops. Ad Infinitum.

The 3 if-then statements, above, cover the most likely scenarios we will see in the next 2-5 years.

Tune in tomorrow when we wrap this up, tie it up with a neat little bow, and tell you what to expect for the next few years.

No One Could Have Seen This Coming

2008-11-20T09:30:00.001-06:00

This is the second post in a multi-post series on macro-economics, oil, politics, and the near future.

No one could have seen this coming (in reference to current economic downturn).

I have heard some very smart people say this. They are wrong. It was very easy to see the crisis coming, and a lot of people did. When people say things like this it tells me they have not formed their worldview (economic worldview anyway) on understanding the facts and then thinking critically about them.

No in-depth analysis is needed. In the main stream media you will hear a lot of technical talk about how we have to free up credit….so people can borrow…so they can keep consuming…so the economy can keep growing. When the economy is truly “fixed” this type of reasoning will be dead. More credit is not the solution. Living within our means, as individuals, as a society, and as a world is the solution. The economy cannot grow infinitely. We can make it grow for a longer period of time if we do stuff like make it easier for people to borrow money (people who shouldn’t), and borrow and steal from the future ($700,000,000,000 bailout ring a bell?) to prop up the present…in the end though, the higher we prop it up…the harder it will fall. It is not hard to predict. It is easy to see the train coming down the tracks right at us.

Some of you may not yet be drinking the kool-aid I am serving, so let me put it another way. If you make $100,000 a year and spend $50,000 a year on your house and $50,000 a year on other stuff and still need $30,000 a year for your 3 cars….would planning to borrow $30,000 a year, every year, be a good solution? If you cut back and rent an apartment you can afford, eat at home a few nights a week, and pay cash for a Chevy Cavalier that would be a disaster. Why? Because if everyone did it what would happen to the mortgage company? How could they increase profits if everyone decided they didn’t need a McMansion? How would the Lexus dealer survive if he didn’t have a bunch of 30 year olds making $80,000 a year taking out six year loans to buy a car?

If that happened organizations like Freddie Mac and Fannie Mae and lots of other mortgage banks would be in serious trouble AND auto company CEOs would have to beg the government for money…because…NO ONE COULD HAVE SEEN THIS COMING. Give me a break.

By the way…if you didn’t get the sarcasm (I hope it was only one or two of you)….a bunch of mortgage firms did fail and auto company CEOs are on capital hill begging for money as I type this.

Tune in tomorrow for more in this mult-post series about the future.

Ash Wednesday-The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

2008-11-19T12:39:00.005-06:00

OK, I have to admit, I waited until the last minute to think about this post. So, needless to say, it will not be the greatest. Currently I am reading the book The Tipping Pointby Malcolm Gladwell. It's possible that it has previously been mentioned in this blog but it deserves a second mentioning. I recommend it to you, definitely. It really gets you thinking. I would love for someone to read it and start a little discussion on it with me. That would be really fun. Just saying.... OK, that's all I have to say this Wednesday. Sorry.

Oh and by the way I love getting comments. Keep 'em coming.

-

Economics, Oil, Politics, and the Future

2008-11-19T09:30:00.007-06:00

Regular New-Think readers know that we enjoy prognostication. Please allow us to clear up a few things for you regarding the next decade or so.

First, let’s get our credentials out of the way. Way back before oil was above $40 per barrel we predicted that oil prices were set to skyrocket on the basic principles of supply and demand. Way back when the Dow was up in the 14,000-15,000 range New-Think told you it would fall below 10,000 (and probably much further) within the next year. Since we are going to spend the next few posts talking about macro-economics and energy (in the most interesting way possible) it is important that you keep these things in mind. We have not been wrong about calling the shots before they happen in the past.

Now, here is a disclaimer. This is NOT investment advice. My only investment advice to you is to get out of debt. The world economic situation has entered a VERY volatile phase and my prognostication is going to be full of “if-then” type statements. New-Think clearly sees the dominoes, set up and ready to fall, but seeing which domino will fall first is a bit of a guessing game at this point.

These posts are written in response to two sentiments I have heard expressed by ordinary citizens (non-New-Thinkers) in the past few weeks.

1. No one could have seen this coming (in reference to current economic downturn).
2. Gas is under $2 a gallon! We’re all saved!

Tune back in daily for the next few days to get a taste of the future.

The Birth of Asa Kayil Johnson

2008-11-18T12:55:00.003-06:00

Our first son, Asa Kayil, was born January 4th of 2008. This is the story of his birth from his father’s perspective.

Millicent was born in January of 2006. She was born in our bedroom with only Michelle and I present. No doctor, no midwife. Just us. After that uplifting and beautiful experience we were convinced that we should never do it any other way. When Michelle became pregnant with Asa we calmly (since we were not longer rookies to unassisted home birth) began preparing for his birth. This means digging out the old birth supplies, getting a new birth pool because that’s how Michelle likes to deliver…in the water, stuff like that.

Toward the end of October I began to notice that Michelle’s face seemed fairly swollen compared to when she had been pregnant with Millicent. After doing some research I began to regularly take her blood pressure and test her urine for protein (a sure sign of preeclampsia). Her blood pressure was very high…so we agreed that she would go on bed rest until it came down. It never came down. The week after Christmas (2007) she began to pass protein in her urine. On the 2nd of January I took a sample and the amount of protein present was so much that it was off the scale of the strips I was using! I was very concerned for the health of Michelle and our unborn baby. Michelle wanted nothing to do with a trip to the doctor, though. Since the conception of Millicent we had done our own “prenatal” type care and felt very confident and self reliant in this area. I promised her that we would just go “consult” with a doctor and I would bring her home, as we suspected they would want to admit her and give her a c-section or some other asinine thing like that. We were correct.

We consulted with the doctor who was, admittedly, as cool as could be expected when present with a preeclampsic woman who is 39 weeks pregnant, had no prenatal care, and is not open to the option of any medical intervention. Anyway, after some discussion, the doc wanted to cut the baby out. I said no (as I had promised Michelle). We did agree to come back the next day however, so Michelle could be induced.

As a side note, I told the doctor a number of things about Michelle’s condition including gestation, amount of protein in her urine, even her exact dilation and amount of effacement (I don’t usually check much, but sometimes toward the end we get curious). I think we scored some points, when the hospital tests confirmed us correct on every prognosis.

In order to get Michelle and I to agree to inducement we had the doc and nurses agree to a long list of requests (more like demands).

1. Minimal “internal” exams.
2. Amount of inducement drug (pitocen) will be controlled by us. We wanted to slowly increase the amount to “kick-start” labor and then back it off, so Michelle’s body could do the work and not the drugs. Typical practice is to overwhelm the mother’s body with the drug and get the birth done quickly.
3. Absolutely no c-section.
4. Absolutely no breaking Michelle’s water.
5. Keep all medical personnel and machines as far away from us as possible.
6. As much privacy as possible.
7. Leave baby attached to placenta until the umbilical cord “dies”. Common hospital practice is to cut it very soon after the baby is born.

There are more…but you get the picture. We had envisioned how we wanted Asa’s birth to go down. Obviously, being in the hospital was a huge blow to that, and we were doing all we could to keep the rest “our way”.

I have said all of this, but I have not expressed how much of a bummer going to the hospital was for Michelle. I mean, I wasn’t happy about it. But, Michelle, it was a really big deal to her. When we drove into the hospital on the morning of January 4th, it was a very sad thing.

Most of the morning was spent with Michelle hooked up to a pitocen drip to get labor started. Since we insisted on going slowly it took a few hours for much to happen. My parents hung out with us for much of the morning and helped take care of Millicent. Ashlea also was with us and that was a huge blessing. Kori and Kati were out of town visiting relatives, but were able to make it to the hospital that evening. My sister, Carol, and her 3 children spent a few hours with us in around lunch time. By the time Asa arrived the lobby was full of our loving family…both our blood family and our brothers and sisters in Christ. Asa had a huge welcome party…but more about that later.

Everyone is Waiting to Meet the Baby

In the late afternoon Michelle’s contractions became more intense. I ran her a bath and she had a bath…then got back into bed…then got back into the bath. Every 5-10 minutes she was telling me how hot it was and asking if I would turn the air down. After a few hours the room was really frosty.

The labor significantly intensified. It was just Ashlea and I in the room with Michelle. We were not talking (except to pray) so that Michelle could concentrate. I prayed with Michelle through most contractions, thanking God that the birth pains would soon be gone and that Michelle would forget about them as she looked at her new baby. One of the things God showed us with Millicent’s birth is how intensely spiritual birth is. We definitely approach birth as a time of worship and communion with God.

The labor got pretty intense and Ashlea decided to go check on everyone in the waiting room. Delivery of a baby is definitely something you have to prepare for mentally ahead of time. The nurse came in to check on Michelle. She was acting so peaceful and calm that the nurse did not realize that Michelle’s water broke while she was standing there in the room. Of course, we did not want to be inundated with doctors and nurses…so we kept that information to ourselves.

Michelle knew the baby was coming soon and wanted to go get into the bathtub to deliver it. I told her no. I later explained that I knew that the sound of running water would bring the nurses in who had already expressed concern that she was getting up and down too much this late in her labor. Seriously, I don’t know if all hospitals are like that…but my opinion is that they really have things backward. I realize letting laboring women walk around is an insurance liability…but that is part of the problem. Anyway…it is really hard not to soapbox about all of this stuff….

Millicent had been fully born just a few minutes after Michelle’s water broke, so I put my finger to my lips to remind Michelle she had to be quiet if we were going to do this. A shot of adrenaline ran through me as I realized we were going to be able to deliver this baby by ourselves. I pulled the covers back and could tell that in just a few pushes we would meet our new son or daughter. Sure enough, Asa shot out so fast that I had to jump back to avoid being splattered by the wave of amniotic fluid he surfed out on (I know, I know…this birth story is pretty biological…hope you can handle it).

I gave Asa to Michelle and we both were thanking God and weeping. About a minute later she told me we had a son, but I already knew.

The nurses came in when they heard Asa cry and told us we had cheated. They hung around for a few minutes until it became obvious that we didn’t have any intention of handing Asa over for their inspection. He was clearly a healthy boy. They kindly brought us the materials we needed to cut the cord and then left us alone.

Our tradition is to let the youngest sibling of the newborn cut the cord. Kati cut Millicent’s and the plan was to let Mill cut Asa’s. Millicent’s first words upon seeing Asa were, “that baby’s oooowwee”. She did not want to touch the slimy little fella so we let Kori cut the cord. The doctor was a little freaked and said if she had known that was the plan she would not have let us. Oh well….too late.

That Baby's Ooooowwee!

The kids and I examined the placenta and sure enough it contained the tell-tale calcium deposits that are a dead giveaway that the mother had preeclampsia.

We let all of the kids have some time with Ace before we invited everyone else in. I didn’t count, but for a while I think we probably had about 30 people in the room. We love our family…but thankfully everyone had a look at Asa, said congrats, and said see you later.

Much to the nurses’ disapproval we announced that we were ready to leave about 2 hours later and headed home with our first son. As you can see in the picture below…he is doing very well.

9 months old

Ash Wednesday

2008-11-12T20:35:00.007-06:00

Hey, I'm Ashlea and today is Wednesday. Hence the title, Ash Wednesday. The owner of this blog doesn't blog nearly enough, you may have noticed, so I decided to help out. Now every Wednesday(ish) I will post. Today I'm just filling you in on what's going to go down. Once it gets started though I will post about a variety of things. Sometimes about what's happening in my life. Things like school, church, work and so on. Sometimes it will be just something funny. A quote I find funny, a video, or something funny that happened in the week. Sometimes it might just be a picture with or without words. And sometimes I'll even try to post something serious. You may not like it. That's ok with me. Just remember, "If you can't say anything nice, don't say anything at all."

Now I'll just tell you some random facts about myself.

I'm a senior in highschool. I will be attending Oklahoma State University in the fall of '09. I already got accepted and everything! I love watching OSU football, I NEVER bet against my team. I currently take classes at Cameron University.... It's very difficult. I have a waitressing job at a little restaurant in my town. I have a wonderful youth group at Gatlin Baptist Church where I am currently the second oldest. So, needless to say, I have a fairly large standing in a youth group. Right now my parents are the Sunday school teachers because our former youth pastor (My uncle. Go figure) got a new job out of town. So they stepped up and decided to attempt to teach the teens of today. It's not an easy job, either. There are only 9 people in our youth group so, it's pretty noticable when one of them sleeps, or texts, or talks, or well.. you get it.

Ok, I think that is plenty long for my first post. I promise to not always be so long winded. Talk to you later. Oh, and here's a picture of me. Just in case you were wondering.

This is Me, Millicent, and Jo. Millicent is my little sister. There is stuff about her throughout the blog and Jo is my very best friend in the world. I love her to death and she is as close to being a part of my family as you can possibly get.

New-Think is Back and More Nutritious Than Ever

2008-11-12T13:00:00.006-06:00

The Texas Tech grads around the office are predictably very boisterous these days. If you have watched Oklahoma State play at all this year you have no doubt noticed the colorful play calling "cue cards" on the side line. A tech grad sent me this rendition of the OSU sign after Tech creamed the pokes this weekend. It would be funnier if it wasn't so true.

Get it? Someone cover Crabtree please! Someone needs to cover the Smurf too. Or do they call him Elf? Oh well, it doesn't matter now.

I haven’t blogged for a while…because, among other reasons, I haven’t felt like it. But there were other reasons. We took a much needed family vacation and got out of town for about 9 days. Shane and Carol moved to Oklahoma City and I have begun teaching the youth (Shane used to do it) in addition to leading children’s worship. Also I took the professional engineering exam in late October and have been putting the finishing touches on a 3 year long project at work. So… the main reason I haven’t felt like blogging is that I haven’t had much time. But I feel like it again.

Here are some VERY random thoughts and some Very random things to check out.

1. New-Think’s early summer predictions about the economy have all come true.

2. The Mango Times is a good blog I have been into lately.

3. Every little thing is gonna be alright.

4. Some tips to help hone your self discipline:

a. Become discontent with messes in general.
b. Make a schedule and learn to conform to it.
c. Wean yourself from entertainment. Do productive things with your excess time.
d. Be on time…even for non-important events.
e. Keep your word. Always. Especially in little things.
f. Always do the hardest task first.
g. Finish what you start.
h. Practice self denial, for the sake of self denial. Remind yourself that you’re in charge.

5. Here is a pic of some of the kids.

6. Here is a pic of my love.

7. I’m back baby. I’m back.

Asa

2008-10-31T14:14:00.003-05:00

I love you, son.

In your time

The innocence will fall away

In your time

The mission bells will toll

Towering waves

Will crash across your southern capes

Massive storms

Will reach your eastern shores

Fields of green

Will tumble through your summer days

By design

In your time

A Day With Kori

2008-10-10T14:48:00.010-05:00

Waking up.
Going downstairs.
Good morning Kati.
I got my ears pierced recently. Here I am doctoring them up.
Today.
Bible study.
With Ashlea gone a lot more this year, I have really started helping out a lot more. Here I am making breakfast for myself and my 3 younger siblings.
Now on to chores. Little kids are messy. This is what the school room looked like before my chore.
After. Seriously, what would Mom and Dad do without me?
Kati is folding diapers and Millicent is "helping". I'd better pitch in and help Kate get this done.
There we go.

I'm not really in time-out in this picture...but if I was, this is what it would look like.
Now that it's October I may have to pay closer attention to what I put on in the morning.
Now I am in the warm house reading my favorite magazine.
I am assigned to Millicent as her buddy. That means I help her with things like buckling up and holding her hand when she gets scared of our goats.
Mom is taking us into town. That's me in the back seat with Mill.

I took this picture of Kati and Asa playing at the park.

And for lunch...McDonald's...thanks Mom. Rest time with my buddy. I usually read her a few books and then once she's asleep I get some "me" time.
Me and the kids hangin' out in Kati's room.
Did I mention how helpful I am? Tonight Mom and Dad tried to have a date in the living room while I sat with the kids and watched a movie in Kati's room. Millicent wouldn't quit bugging Mom and Dad though, so we went to plan B.
Playing with Dad in the yard. First up...tackle the man with the football.

We can take him! Yes, Millicent in going after Dad with a baseball bat.
Relaxing.
More wrestling. Dad had captured Mill and Kati. That's me behind him whacking him with a broom in an attempt to free my sisters.
Time for bed.
I usually do a little reading before I go to sleep.

Just Sayin....

2008-10-09T15:18:00.001-05:00

Giving it up to New-Think / Giving it up to Ashlea

2008-10-06T09:15:00.004-05:00

Back in June New-Think officially documented the following outrageous (in June it was anyway) prediction:

Dow Jones Industrial Average under 10,000 by June 2009 (probably before 2008 is over).

The dow dipped below 10,000 for the first time in 4 years at about 9 this morning.

Also, we went to the Oklahoma State / Texas A&M game this weekend. Great fun. Ashlea was admitted to the University while we were there...so she'll officially be a 3rd generation poke next fall.

The Genesis Plan

2008-10-02T08:24:00.002-05:00

Click here for The Genesis Plan that will truly correct our economy and not just slap a bandaid on it. OR scroll down 3 posts where I have pasted it for your convenience.

If you wish to see this plan, or anything other that what you hear about in the MSM, enacted then you need to contact your Representatives TODAY (early and often) to tell them you will vote them out if they vote for ANY bailout that uses tax payer dollars. Don't forget to give them the link to the Genesis Plan. Ciao.

A Thursday With Ashlea

2008-10-01T10:57:00.008-05:00

Dad just woke me up. Time to take him to work so I can use the car today.

We're at Dad's work, so I'll be headed back home now.
Back home.
Morning Asa! How's your breakfast buddy?
Oh snap. Time to go....
....and I'm still in my pajamas
Headed to town to get my hair done.
Before.
After. Lovely.
Now I am in Lawton...at the University...for chem-lab.
Here's the lab.
Here I am with my sweet goggles.
Now I am leaving...check out my shoe laces.
Dad will be mad when he sees this picture. Not only am I speeding but I am taking pictures while speeding. That requires mad skills....
.....I had to hurry because Chicken Express was calling.
At Aunt Carol's now.
Hi Aunt Carol.

Take Anna and Mathan to Mimi's....

....before heading to my next class.

Finally home.

Time for sleep. I'm exhausted.

Use Your Power People!

2008-10-01T07:39:00.002-05:00

Congress will try to ram this through again today even though there are better options on the table. Use your power to stop them. Contact your reps and senators and tell them in no uncertain terms that a yes vote for this legislation means you will NOT vote for them. We scared them out of it on Monday....time to do it again. It won't happen unless you get involved.

Contact your senator.

Contact your rep. Note: As of 7 a.m. Wednesday morning this site is down...because we have overwhelmed it with traffic. If it doesn't work for you just google your congress-persons name and you will find the contact info you need.

Also...we are not just opposing for the sake of opposing it. There is a better plan, actually a number of them. See next post down for the one I like.

BREAKING NEWS: Paulson and Bush threatened to veto the legislation if there was an explicit prohibition of transfers from foreign banks to an American subsidiary.

This means if legislation says they cannot give YOUR money to foreign investors...they will not accept it. If that does not motivate you to get active...then just go back to watching American Idol.

Don't forget..read The Genesis Plan, one post down.

The Genesis Plan

2008-09-30T14:40:00.003-05:00

Are you confused about what is going on in the U.S. economy right now? Need some help? You have come to the right place. The following plan will help you understand the problem and presents a reasonable solution that you can demand your senators and reps take action on. Socializing the banking system is NOT the answer.

Help New-Think make this viral! Send it to everyone you know.

Ladies and gentlemen, I give you The Genesis Plan.

How To Fix Our Banking System
The “Genesis” Plan
by Karl Denninger
karl@denninger.net

It is clear that we must act to stabilize our financial markets. What is also clear is that if we act imprudently we will destroy our financial markets and system instead of saving it, and are likely to usher in a Depression. What Henry Paulson and Ben Bernanke have proposed will do the latter, not the former.

The root cause of the current lack of trust in our financial markets is threefold:

1. Nobody can trust a balance sheet. This is due to off-balance-sheet vehicles (which were supposed to be banned after ENRON) and “Level 3” assets, which nobody can analyze the true valuation of, as identification of the claimed assets and their valuation models are undisclosed.

2. Credit Default Swaps (CDS) are “over the counter” (OTC) transactions with no margin or capital supervision. As a consequence nobody knows if their “counterparty” can pay. In fact huge percentages of these people can’t pay – but nobody knows who they are.

3. Leverage. The SEC removed broker/dealer 12:1 leverage limits in 2004. Every firm that has failed – all five (Fannie, Freddie, Bear Stearns, Lehman and AIG) had leverage far in excess of 12:1. The draft bill is even more dangerous as it accelerates a provision intended to go into effect in 2011 that allows Ben
Bernanke to increase financial firm leverage by dropping reserve requirements on banks to zero should he so choose. It is excessive leverage that got us here in the first place, and this bill actually makes it worse.

The solution to the trust issues in our financial system is elegant and it will work.

1. Force all off-balance sheet "assets" back onto the balance sheet, and force the valuation models and identification of individual assets out of Level 3 and into 10Qs and 10Ks. Enact this requirement beginning with the 3Q 2008 reporting period which begins next month. Total taxpayer cost: $0.00

2. Force all OTC derivatives onto a regulated exchange similar to that used by listed options in the equity markets. This permanently defuses the derivatives time bomb. Give market participants 90 days to get this done; any that are not listed in 90 days are declared void; let the participants sue each other if they can't prove capital adequacy. Total taxpayer cost: $0.00

3. Force leverage by all institutions to no more than 12:1. The SEC intentionally dropped broker/dealer leverage limits in 2004; prior to that date 12:1 was the limit. Every firm that has failed had double or more the leverage of that former 12:1limit. Enact this with a six month time limit and require 1/6th of the excess taken down monthly. Total taxpayer cost: $0.00

Once 1-3 are put in place then send in the OTS and OCC examiners and look at every financial institution in the United States. All who are insolvent and unable to raise private capital immediately are forced through receivership where the debt is converted to equity and existing equity is wiped out.

With the CDS monster caged the systemic risk is removed, the bondholders provide the cushion for recapitalization (as it should be) and the restructured firm emerges with no debt while the former bondholders are now the owners (of the equity) in the resulting firm.

With a clean balance sheet the restructured firms remain in business and open the next morning able to raise and attract capital.

For the few firms that have an insufficient debt-holder capital cushion to successfully complete this process, weare left with two options – a capital infusion or liquidation. There will be few of these and in fact each of those firms is a regulatory failure, as we should have never permitted a firm to become so far "underwater" that the bondholder's capital is insufficient to capitalize a restructuring.

For those firms, give the FDIC (or if an insurance company, the appropriate state and federal regulatory authorities) primary control. As the CDS monster has been caged, the primary threat is now loss to state and federal guarantee programs. If these regulators deem that this firm’s liquidation would result in an unacceptable loss to the system’s guarantee programs then recapitalize the firm as follows:

· The government shall be issued senior preferred debt ahead of all other debt and equity in the capital structure, paying a floating coupon of 3 month LIBOR + 8% adjusted quarterly, in an amount sufficient to bring regulatory capital above minimum limits.

· All dividends are suspended for as long as the preferred remains outstanding, and during that period no employee of the firm may receive any form of compensation exceeding that of the President of the United States for a corporate officer, and no more than that of a United States House member for any person who is not a corporate officer. At the issue of the preferred stock all outstanding deferred compensation, including options, are deemed cancelled.

· The firm may retire the preferred at its option by repurchasing it at the issue price.

· The appropriate regulator shall have primary authority to “call” the above debt issue at any time and force bankruptcy (along with recovery of invested amounts) should the firm fail to execute an effective turnaround plan.

Finally, drop the silly shorting restrictions. Liquidity in the market stinks and this is a big part of why. Start prosecuting aggressively the rumors and other manipulation that leads to stocks both rising and falling.

This plan will instantaneously stabilize the credit markets as balance sheets will be transparent, the CDS monster will be permanently de-fanged, leverage will be returned to reasonable levels and the forcibly restructured firms will have no debt on their balance sheets and be able to access the capital markets. Firms that would fail once they have disclosed their true liabilities and result in unacceptable insurance program costs will be recapitalized with a reasonable expectation of the taxpayer not being stuck with the bill. Systemic risk will be removed.

Best of all, it will require zero taxpayer dollars with few exceptions, and for those instances where taxpayer dollars are required the amount of taxpayer risk would be small and well-protected.

This plan is very similar to what Janet Tavakoli proposed on September 25th in an open letter released on the web.i Ms. Tavakoli is an internationally recognized expert in these matters, is an adjunct professor of derivatives, and is widely published.

This and other alternatives must be examined before our nation embarks on what may be a disastrous path.

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

2008-09-29T12:49:00.004-05:00

YES YES YES!!!

I have never been prouder to be an American than I am today. I have renewed faith in our system of government. Along with thousands (millions??) of other Americans I have spent the week slamming the phone lines of congress persons to insist (in the strongest of terms) that we not pass the so called "bail out" in any form. No number of special provisions justifies borrowing our way out of a credit crisis. We won!! Without the efforts of concerned citizens and the internet community I am certain we would have just socialized our economic system.

The near future will not be a cakewalk. No doubt we are headed for hard times, as I have been saying here for more than a year. As I write this the dow has tanked more in 30 minutes than it does in a bad month. But we have shown that the American people will not compromise when it comes to freedom. We will not be given our marching orders by the Federal Reserve. Right on!!!!! Power to the people!

There are still many congress persons who voted for this bill even with unprecedented outcry from their constituents. Their names will be posted on the website shown below. Please join us in systematically voting these people out of office. People who thought they knew better than the people they represented.

http://supportedthebailout.org/

Increase Forward Fire on Congress

2008-09-26T08:11:00.003-05:00

It is working but we are not done. I have been calling and e-mailing like crazy. The congress persons are now scared to support this thing because the people are "giving them the business".

Click here to find out more!

A little humor for you. May be slightly offensive (my sincere apologies) but MUCH closer to reality than the mainstream media.

Tin-Foil-Hat-Thursday

2008-09-25T11:33:00.002-05:00

Fed Lies!

2008-09-25T10:06:00.003-05:00

The following cut and pasted from here. Do not trust the Federal Reserve. You did not elect them. They are a private company. The are no more "Federal" than Federal Express. Would you give Federal Express $700 billion if they said, "Trust me, we have your best interest in mind." If you would, please contact me...I need all of your money and I have your best interest in mind. Now, see below.

The Fed has claimed that this is a "liquidity crisis."
Really Ben? Then perhaps you can explain this?

Note that this is an intentional drain of "slosh", or liquidity, from the banking system. $125 billion in the last four days drained?
You wouldn't be trying to intentionally cause a bank failure or two to bolster your call for the $700 billion "bailout" plan, or perhaps intentionally lock the short-term credit markets, would you Ben?
If the market has a liquidity crisis, why would you be intentionally draining reserves from the banking system? Don't you think you ought to explain that to Congress?

Contact Congress

2008-09-25T08:33:00.002-05:00

I sent a letter similar to my senators and rep this morning. Please do the same.

Dear Dr. Coburn,
My wife and I have supported you with our votes in the past. However, if you vote for the proposed “bail-out” in ANY form you lose our votes forever. Furthermore, we are successfully working to mobilize others to vote against anyone who supports this action.
Respectfully,
Jeff and Michelle Johnson

Don't Give Paulson $700 billion!!

2008-09-24T14:33:00.004-05:00

I just called both Oklahoma senators and my district representative to let them know that if they support the proposed "bail-out" in any form they will lose my vote. Lots of people are calling and the swithboards are slammed with 10 to 1 against the "bail-out". Let's let the markets work themselves out (which may require some suffering). Much of what we are seeing is due to goverment regulation in the first place (ask if you want me to expound on this). Speak up now! This is OUR government!

FED UP USA

Contact your Representative

Contact your Senator

And as a reward for coming to New-Think for your information...here is some hot off the presses inside info.

Good Morning,We had Ed Hill (BofA's Washington Rep) on the Equity Hoot this morningregarding the political situation in D.C. Key headlines:Bill unlikely to pass this week or next: 128 votes short nowAdministration "spectacularly unsuccessful" in making their case tolarge groups Congressional offices getting calls from constituents 10-1 AGAINSTthe billSome more details:Likelihood of passage this week has dimmed since yesterday.After speaking to leadership on both sides (they need 218 votes topass), they want 120 votes on each side. if the vote were today, 50dems, 40 reps (218-90 = 128 short), FAR from having enough votes topassWhen he canvassed 30 congressional offices yesterday the overallresponse was uniform: For every 1 constituent who phone in forsupport of the bill there were 10 against it. Remember the electionis only 5 weeks away and this weighs heavily on their minds.If they extend the session (which is likely) Thursday is the earliestthey could come back (after holidays), then it takes some time topass the senate where rules require more debate, don't expect itpasses this week or next week.also talking about strong oversight, both congressional &governmental. bankruptcy provisions still in play, but less likely,tough to get 120 RepublicansPaulson makes a compelling case 1-1, but not in large groups. TheAdministration has been unsuccessful getting their own party behindit.

Anyway, President Bush will take over the airwaves this evening trying to get folks to support this. It should be entertaining.

A Day With Jeff

2008-09-23T15:39:00.020-05:00

Still asleep.

Get up and get ready.

Walk out the front door. Still mostly dark.

Drive to work.

Arrive at work. Sun coming out now.

I'm at my office again. Whatdya know, it looks the same as yesterday...and the day before...

COFFFFFFEEEEEE!!!!

Bible study.

Result of drinking lots of coffee.

Design stuff. Awesome stuff.
Do math to prove to skeptics that the awesome designs will work. Lunch/gruel/mush
Read news/check markets/random research/get mad at the man/blog.

More designing of awesome stuff. Stuff too cool (and confidential) to show on the interwebs.

Leaving work.

Headed home.

Look there's Millicent. Playing in the yard without clothes. Again.

Hey Kati, what's up?

Ashlea! Asa! Good to see you!

Kori, quick, look at your feet.

Dinner time. Then let's all just hang out for a while.

Put Asa to sleep.

Read a good book. Oh...not that one.

That's better.

Go to bed. Look, Millicent beat me to it.

I love you!

2008-09-23T15:36:00.002-05:00

Need a Laugh?

2008-09-23T12:19:00.001-05:00

Watch this.

Time for Torches and Pitchforks

2008-09-21T19:31:00.004-05:00

A member of a forum I frequent wrote the following in reference to giving away the rest of America's money. If you care about this at all...it is time to get involved...this week will decide how things go down. Feel free to cut and paste this and sent it to your congress person(s).

Enabling Act of 2008

Enabling Act of 2008

Dear Member of Congress:

You are being asked to assign unprecedented powers to an unelected, and unaccountable former Wall Street banker, under the guise of bringing stability to the markets and solvency to our banking system. With one hastily thrown together vote, you are going to create the most powerful human being in world history – Henry Paulson.

This is being done for the purposes of fixing a “crisis” that has suddenly, in the last hour, been presented to Congressional leaders. This act would remove the constitutionally mandated powers of regulation of the money supply, and the value thereof, from Congress and give it to an unelected member of the President’s cabinet. According to the act, this person would be above judicial review, and be allowed a $700,000,000,000 revolving line of credit to print money on behalf of the United States government. That is more power than anyone has ever had – anyone. Caesar did not have this power.

This should sound eerily familiar.

In March of 1933, after the “crisis” of the Reichstag Fire, newly named Chancellor of Germany, Adolf Hitler, petitioned the German Reichstag to give him plenary powers over the affairs of German government. The Reichstag transferred its power, on an emergency basis, to the Cabinet of Germany for a period of four years, and this was called “The Enabling Act”. This was to deal with the perceived “crisis” of Communists within the German government, when the “crisis” was never fully substantiated. It is believed by most historians that the Reichstag Fire was a deliberate act to coax the Reichstag into giving up its power.

That history did not end well.

You are being goaded into giving Henry Paulson plenary powers over the economy and government spending, money supply, and value of that money. Those powers belong to you, held in trust for the citizens of the United States. Our Founders gave you those powers TO PREVENT THE VERY SCENARIO THAT SECRETARY PAULSON HAS PRESENTED TO YOU.

You are being manipulated.

For the past 13 months, Paulson, and Federal Reserve Chairman, Bernanke have repeatedly given public statements through the various media, and have testified to Congress on the soundess of our banking system. As that time has worn on, they have repeatedly come to Congress for various bailouts (Bear Stearns, AIG, Fannie/Freddie), as well as acted to install confidence through the manipulation of the Federal Reserve Monatary Policy, and announcing various liquidity programs to keep money in the banking system (TAF, TSLF). While they have been taking extraordinary measures to shore-up the banking system, they have always maintained that the system is sound and just needs a little time to get through a “soft spot,” or a “contained” problem (Subprime).

You now know that they were lying the entire time. There is no way to sugar coat this. They have been lying to you since March of 2007. They are lying now. This was plainly known to many in the professional and amateur investment communities, recently smeared as “short sellers.” It turns out that the cynics were right all along. This is why we have a free press.

Ask yourself, why didn’t they come to you for this unprecedented bailout last October, when Paulson attempted the same thing with various Wall Street banks? Surely, the problem was known last fall when Paulson attempted to create his “super SIV.”

Had he come to you at that time, there would have been at least 11 months to debate the issue, open it for public review, and deal with it while the stock market was trading at an all-time high. Why did he wait until the weekend before the Congressional recess for the bi-annual election cycle, and present the plan over a weekend where the public could not comment? Why did he have to wait until the stock market teetered on collapse, and the credit markets were frozen solid?

He needs a “crisis” so you will not oppose him.

Ask yourself, why did the Senate Majority Leader and Speaker of the House, as late as September 16, attempt to leave the issue in Washington and head back to their districts, leaving the Administration to clean up the mess, then suddenly have a change of heart less than 36 hours later? What was said? Why are the details of the briefing given to Congressional leaders not available for public review? Why are you being asked to vote for something so hastily and without proper briefing or public review? Does Democracy flourish in the dark, or does tyranny and fraud?

We know the following:

Paulson and Bernanke have lied for the duration of the credit crisis.
Every bailout has been bigger, more frequent, and has resulted in a much bigger “crisis.”

Now, Paulson and Bernanke are telling you that they really are telling you the truth and this bailout will work.

You are being played.

They are framing the issue in terms of Congress voting to rescue the banks and the markets. Let me be clear on this point: YOU ARE NOT VOTING ON THE HEALTH OF THE BANKS OR THE MARKETS. YOU ARE DECIDING WHO GETS WHAT MONEY IS LEFT OVER AFTER THEY FAIL. The markets (equity and credit) are going to experience a large dislocation, or in the common lexicon, “a crash.” That is an absolute certainty. You are merely deciding if the US citizens are going to keep their money, or give it to Wall Street bankers. You are deciding if the US government is going to survive or collapse. Giving Paulson unlimited spending powers will ensure that the government collapses. That is a certainty.

Paulson and Bernanke need to be removed from office for malfeasance. For 18 months, the health of the banking system has been very suspect. They have known all along what is happening and have failed to act. Their actions have been limited to lying to Congress and the American people and manipulating the accounting to cover the insolvency of the US banking system.

You are being asked to abdicate. The American people want their Constitution and their government to survive. We will rebuild what Wall Street has destroyed, but we need to keep our money in order to do it.

Vote against this unprecedented power grab. History shows the folly of such endeavors.

Very truly yours,

Per Karlsen

ticker forum

Fascist Friday

2008-09-19T12:03:00.002-05:00

Do you think you know how the banking and monetary systems work? You sure didn't learn it in a public school. *Have you noticed what the Fed did this morning*? WAKE UP!!! Below is a long but important video. I do not necessarily endorse everything in it...but...when it talks about income taxes and the federal reserve I am in complete agreement. Please watch this video!! Then forward this link to your friends and family. OR at the very least, if you can give good arguments against the evidence given in the film...please do so here.

*This morning the Federal Reserve, a private corporation that is not part of the government AT ALL, rolled out a plan to stick the U.S. citizens with a few trillion of bad debt...no one voted on this, nor will it be up for a vote...because we are not in control of the Federal Reserve. Evidently, they are in control of us. Of course the stock market rallied so most people will just go along with their business. WE ARE BECOMING SLAVES!!!

Here are some quotes that I hope will motivate you to watch this film.

If the American people ever allow private banks to control the issuance of their currency, first by inflation and then by deflation, the banks and corporations that will grow up around them will deprive the people of all their property until their children will wake up homeless on the continent their fathers conquered
~Thomas Jefferson

It is well enough that people of the nation do not understand our banking and monetary system, for if they did, I believe there would be a revolution before tomorrow morning.~Henry Ford

Give me control of a nation’s money supply, and I care not who makes its laws.
~Mayer Rothschild – Private Banker

The real rulers in Washington are invisible and exercise power from behind the scenes.
~Felix Frankfurter – U.S. Supreme Court Justice

We are grateful to the Washington Post, the New York Times, Time Magazine and other great publications whose directors have attended our meetings and respected their promises of discretion for almost 40 years......It would have been impossible for us to develop our plan for the world if we had been subjected to the lights of publicity during those years. But, the world is more sophisticated and prepared to march towards a world government. The supernational sovereignty of an intellectual elite and world bankers is surely preferable to the national autodetermination practiced in past centuries.~David Rockefeller – Private Banker, Council on Foreign Relations

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free.
~Goethe

Petition....Please Sign

2008-09-18T10:35:00.009-05:00

This is the first petition I have ever advocated here on New-Think. This one is important. Please read and if you agree...please sign. To break it down to the most basic terms. The Federal Reserve (a private banking entity with no government oversight) has been printing/creating money around the clock lately to give to large investment banks (both in the U.S. and around the world) so they can keep operating. What you need to understand is that this entity (the Fed), which has no government oversight, is putting the U.S. taxpayer (YOU) on the hook to bail out monolithic investment firms who have made bad (and possibly criminal) investment decisions. When all the chips fall the taxpayers will be left holding the bag and the game will continue on Wall Street. Wake up! Here is a chart to give you a clue about what we are looking at. What we are seeing has no historical precedent. The vertical line at the right side of the chart represents what banks are stealing from you.

Copy and paste this link to the petition in your browser window:

http://financialpetition.org/petition-nobail.shtml

Let's Review

2008-09-17T10:32:00.005-05:00

In June I made the following outrageous predictions. Let's see how I am doing.

1. Dow Jones Industrial Average under 10,000 by June 2009 (probably before 2008 is over). Can't help but feel really good about this one...not there yet, though.

2. Oil at $170 per barrel by Dec 31, 2008. (caveat: this is assuming no major economic collapse...which may not be a good assumption). Oil will not be at $170 in December BUT it is only because of the caveat I made. We are CURRENTLY seeing a MAJOR economic collapse.

3. Total collapse of the U.S. economy by Dec 2012. And I do mean worse than the Great Depression. This was by far the "craziest" prediction. Unless your head is in the sand, I think that you will grant that it is not looking quite so crazy anymore. Unfortunately.

By the way I have a great idea for a business. How about we go to the casino and make a bunch of crazy bets and if we don't win we make taxpayers give us money for the bad bets..but if we win we get to keep the money. Oh wait, somebody else already had that idea...and it is bringing down the economy as we speak.

Stock Market Spankin'

2008-09-15T15:14:00.005-05:00

CNN Headline at 3:17 p.m.:

The Dow ends nearly 500 points lower -- its worst point drop in more than seven years -- as bank woes scare investors.

As I have been saying here for more than a year...it's just getting started.

GLOBAL FINANCIAL COLLAPSE
Uploaded by TECHNOLOGOS

Meanwhile the Federal Reserve has hired a new spokesman.

Financials Getting Hammered

2008-09-15T11:48:00.003-05:00

Curiously the djia is only down 200-300. It is not reflecting the magnitude of the turmoil we are seeing in the financial world.

I'll just let today's headlines speak for themselves:

Fed funds jump to 6 pct in mkt, tripling Fed's target - MacroEconomic News

Global Markets Are Battered By Wall Street Hurricane - CNBC

AIG, Facing Liquidity Crunch, Reaches Out to Regulator - CNBC

UBS Falls 19%, Hit by Reports of New Writedowns - CNBC

Wilbur Ross: Possibly a Thousand Banks Will Close - CNBC

Bailouts Will Push US into Depression: Manager - CNBC

Stocks in U.S. Drop as Lehman Bankruptcy Deepens Turmoil in Credit Markets - Bloomberg

Lehman Files for Record Bankruptcy, Victim of Meltdown Firm Helped Create - Bloomberg

Banks Hoarding Cash Send Fed Funds to Decade High Over Fed's Target Rate - Bloomberg

Bank of America Will Buy Merrill for $50 Billion as Credit Crisis Broadens - Bloomberg

Credit-Default Swaps Surge Most Ever as Lehman Threatens to Unravel Market - Bloomberg

Finally, from PrudentBear.com.

Here is what we know:

1. Fannie, Freddie and the FHLBs all failed and were effectively nationalized last Sunday.

2. On Monday, the ISDA released a tersly-worded statement that reluctantly admitted that there was a "credit-event" triggered by #1 above. The NY Fed also was involved in this situation and had hastily called for a conference call among the destroyed CDS players.

3. "Coincidentally", this last week LEH fails outright. AIG stock starts trading like pets.com at the end of the Internet boom and Merrill's stock is right behind AIG in the "dropping-like-a-stone" department. Perhaps unrelated, WaMu [stock price] also collapses. So does Wachovia. And others as well.

4. In the meantime, ISDA offers another less-tersly-worded statement that it is working with the destroyed CDS players to figure out who owes what to whom, who owns the underlying $1.4 TRILLION in Fannie/Freddie debt and the actual the size of the CDS positions (which I have made an irrefutable case for their being many multiples of CDS to underlying debt), yet doesn't reveal any of the players or the positions.

5. On Friday evening, the Federal Reserve, the Treasury, the SEC, and EVERY FRIGGIN' LARGE INVESTMENT BANK IN THE WORLD begins meeting to ostensibly discuss "ONLY" the dismemberment of Lehman.
....
Last Sunday's GSE nationalization triggered THE LARGEST DERIVATIVES EXPLOSION IN THE HISTORY OF MANKIND!!!

Yet, now we are being told that the tiny-by-comparison Lehman failure is causing all sorts of problems with parties and counterparties to Lehman debt and derivatives.

And furthermore, every Big-Shot goverment agency AND every major investment bank has been meeting in panic sessions to supposedly discuss ONLY the Lehman autopsy, and NOT the afore-mentioned GSE triggered, multi-TRILLION dollar CDS implosion?

Yeah, right.

For those few readers who need things explicitly spelled out for them, I will oblige:

This AIN'T just about Lehman, folks. It's about what Fannie and Freddie's demise triggered:

THE MASSIVE, UNPRECEDENTED, WORLDWIDE IMPLOSION OF TRILLIONS OF DOLLARS OF DERIVATIVES POSITIONS!!!

And the collapse of Leh, of AIG, of Mer, and of probably all the other banks and hedge funds and other gamblers involved in this "Casino from Hades".

Free Fallin'

2008-09-15T07:39:00.003-05:00

Interesting day for the U.S. economy for sure. Hang on to your hats. More later today once things shape up.

Don't Waste Your Vote (on either major party)

2008-09-11T16:09:00.001-05:00

I won’t be voting for a Democrat or a Republican in the upcoming presidential election. The primary reason is because I don’t really believe there is a major difference between the candidates. In regard to foreign policy, the welfare state, big government, and privacy issues there is no discernable difference at all. Where is the candidate for states’ rights and shrinking of the federal government? Where is the candidate who will reign in the Federal Reserve and move us toward a currency that is actually backed by something more than our imaginations and maintained the shuffling and obscuring of massive debt? As either Obama or McCain will learn during the next term…it is probably too late for that already. The tsunami is coming. I could go on for ten paragraphs about Bear Stearns, Fannie and Freddie, and, soon to come Lehman, Merrill Lynch, and WAMU…but even the perfect candidate could not fix this mess now.
Now I realize there are, theoretically, ideological differences that should be considered between the candidates. This one supports Roe vs. Wade, this one doesn’t. This one wants gun control, this one wants less. But where is the candidate who will state that NEITHER of these issues and many like them are not issues for the federal government to decide AT ALL. At best (where constitutional to even question) these should be decided by the states.
On energy policy. One party wants to drill offshore…the other doesn’t. Seriously, they are not even engaging in the correct debate. I realize most of the sheeple of America believe this is where the debate is. All the time we are told idiotic drivel like “America has 200 years of oil, and all we have to do is go get it.” Absolutely NOT true. These accounts take into consideration oil shale, oil sands, and the Bakken formation. These ARE NOT conventional oil plays and will not solve the energy crisis. We cannot extract any of these resources at high enough rates to make any more than a small bump on the declining production curve of American oil. Don’t believe me, though (someone involved in this arena professionally), research it for yourself. Just please do not listen to what the democrats, republicans, or CNN, or Fox News tell you. Oil is down to a paltry $100 a barrel now (major sarcasm)…so for Joe-six-pack this is probably a dead issue since surely it will head far back down into double digits and stay there forever….it’s our God-given American right (more major sarcasm).
Erosion of civil rights and right to privacy. This is a big one. We are seeing things that are I frankly cannot believe are happening in America. Habeus Corpus/eminent domain…where is the champion of the private property owner? A hair splitting debate about the definition of torture for crying out loud....should we ever get so close to torturing other humans to even ask ourselves these questions? Unregulated government sponsored phone tapping of private citizens. What. Does anyone even care? Neither of the two major candidates does.
I am just getting started. But if you find yourself saying you are going to vote for the lesser of two evils…then don’t. Pick a third party candidate who lines up with your views. The lesser of two evils is still evil. Down with the two (one) party system. More on this later…I’m out of time.

“The argument that the two parties should represent opposed ideals and policies, one, perhaps of the Right and the other of the Left, is a foolish idea acceptable only to the doctrinaire and academic thinkers. Instead the two parties should be almost identical, so that the American people can ‘throw the rascals out’ at any election without leading to any profound or extensive shifts in policy.”
Carroll Quigley – Author of Tragedy & Hope

Happy Birthday Kori

2008-09-11T12:25:00.003-05:00

In honor of Kori's birthday here are some pics.

Party Pictures

2008-09-02T12:01:00.004-05:00

We had a party this weekend...about 25 or so attended. Here are some pics from the talent show we did during the party.

Me doing some comedy.

Kati singing a song.

Kori doing her magic show.

Michelle reading some Poe.

Molly performing a flip.

Good Video

2008-08-25T12:11:00.001-05:00

This video is old...but good. Watch the whole thing.

Yet Another Questions / Please Send Yours

2008-08-20T11:35:00.002-05:00

New-Think reader, Theresa, asks:

I am wondering though what do you think about arranged marriages? How do you plan to insure your daughters and now son marry men and women of faith?

Excellent questions. First let’s define “arranged marriage”. Since New-Think is a blog for the masses we will go with the modern popular definition of arranged marriage.

Arranged-marriage: A marital union between a man and a woman in which the neither the bride nor the groom have authority in selection of the marriage partner.

This type of marriage is still prevalent today in some cultures. From a parental point of view some parts of it are obviously appealing. However, I reject this methodology as unpleasing to God.

One of the mandates God has given me as a father and head of my household is to train up my children. I, along with all earthly fathers, will be judged in this area on that great and horrible day.

There is one fundamental biblical concern that really settles the issue in my mind…I can probably come up with more if you want to press me on it.

Here it is. God is primarily concerned with what goes on in the hearts of men. For instance, Jesus tells us if we hate, we have committed murder in our hearts. If I, as a husband, look at a woman other than my wife in lust, then I am an adulterer.

If my child is not a believer, forcing them to marry a believer will not save them.

If my child is a believer, then the point of arranged marriage is largely irrelevant.

Either way, if they are only marrying a believer because I forced them to, I fail to see how this could be pleasing to a God who is primarily concerned with motives.

Here is the logic. IF you are truly a believer you desire to honor God in all areas of your life. God has commanded that believers not be unequally yoked together with unbelievers. THEREFORE if you marry an unbeliever it does not honor God. In fact, it is sin.

NOTE: If you have already done this, don’t fret, you can be forgiven…but now you are suffering the consequences of being married to an unbeliever. Pray that God will have mercy on you and save your spouse. You are not permitted divorce for this reason.

Furthermore I do not imagine that a believer, living in the spirit (as opposed to the flesh) would even have the desire to marry an unbeliever. Why would you desire to marry someone who does not even acknowledge what you believe to be the entire purpose of life? I contend that if that is your desire you are either a very immature Christian, not a Christian at all, or totally bowing to the desires of your flesh without regard to the Word of God.

Giving my children a firm understanding of this principle is the first part of my strategy in regard to my children and marriage.

The second part is more of a contingency plan. No matter how well Michelle and I do as parents God has not guaranteed that they will all be saved or if they are saved that they will always walk according to his will. It is a general principle that they have a much greater likelihood to be saved…but it is not a promise.

For the unregenerate child, I suppose we will have to eventually (and begrudgingly) release them to themselves and their sins (once they are adults) in hopes that God will save them through the fire.

For the saved child who is living in the flesh and who desires to marry an unbeliever or someone claiming to be a believer but having major character flaws, I will simply withhold my blessing from the union. That does not mean they cannot marry. But it does mean Dad won't be walking you down the aisle and your family will not be at your wedding. Why would a Christian father walk down the aisle and give his daughter away to an unbeliever? Why would a Christian father bless his son’s marriage to a contentious, ungodly woman?

So I hope my point is clear. Will I actively arrange and force marriage upon my children? No. Will I exercise my responsibility to raise them up with a biblical worldview? Yes. Will I exercise my responsibility as their protector to guard them from unwise decisions in this area? You can bet your life on it.

Reader's Asking the Tough Questions / Ask Your Questions Now

2008-08-20T08:22:00.002-05:00

New-Think received 2 new questions regarding Christianity yesterday. They will be answered in the order they were received.

Michelle asks: How much control do we have over our own lives? If God knows and predetermines everything, do I really have a choice in what I do?

Great question Michelle! I like the way you think! If you weren’t married, I would snatch you right up….oh, wait.

Anyway the answer to your question is that ultimately we have no control over our lives and we are God’s robots. No, not really, but that is the conclusion of a lot of folks who haven’t studied and thought deeply enough about this topic.

You have begun your questions with the assumption that God knows and predetermines everything. This assumption is totally in line with scripture therefore I will begin at this point to answer your question. No doubt there are many New-Think readers who will balk at this assumption. If so…speak up and we can discuss this at length.

Yes, you are accountable for what you do. Let’s take the account of Pharaoh during the time preceding the exodus. If you read Exodus 9:8-17 you will see that the LORD hardened Pharaoh’s heart then a few verses later he brings judgment upon Pharaoh for what he did while his heart was hardened. This passage is special because God tells us why he did it….he usually does not reveal his ends. In verse 16 the Lord says to Pharaoh, “I have raised you up for this very purpose, that I might show you my power and that my name might be proclaimed in all the earth.” The Lord’s means are allowing the disobedience of Pharaoh. The Lord’s end is that he is glorified. In fact this is God’s primary purpose in everything he does. God’s primary purpose in all of human history is to glorify himself. He even does so in man’s disobedience.

From Pharaohs perspective, he had a choice to make. In fact in other similar passages it says, “Pharaoh hardened his heart.” So did the Lord harden his heart or did Pharaoh do it? The answer is yes. Both.

This makes sense only when you view humans as the means to God’s ends. Take prayer for instance. The great scientist, mathematician, and Christian, Blaise Pascal has said of prayer, “Prayer is God’s bestowal upon human beings of the dignity of causality.” You see it is only hard to understand how God can be in control and man can still be accountable for his actions if you assume that everything works the way you see it working in the natural world. The bible tells us our prayer is effective. Jesus even said that the reason we don’t have a lot of things is that we do not ask for them. God uses our prayer to bring our needs before himself. Could he do it without our prayer…YES. But, he has chosen to enter into communion with man. That is why prayer is so important, it is where natural man TRULY interfaces with a supernatural God. And it is only this way because that is the way God designed prayer. People who don’t think prayer is important do not grasp this fact. A Christian, praying in good faith, is serving as the conduit between the supernatural world and the natural world. AMAZING!

The fact that he knows what we will pray before we pray it does not contradict the effectiveness of our prayers. God is in control and he is using us as means to his ends. The same principle applies to missions. If God is in control and preordains all things as scripture says he does, then why bother telling others about Christ? God will save whom he will save, right? Well, for one thing, the same God who claims to preordain everything told us to go forth and make disciples of all nations. You can either claim the bible is internally contradictory and reject it, or you can confess, as Job did,

1 Then Job replied to the LORD :
2 "I know that you can do all things;
no plan of yours can be thwarted.
3 You asked, 'Who is this that obscures my counsel without knowledge?'
Surely I spoke of things I did not understand,
things too wonderful for me to know.
4 "You said, 'Listen now, and I will speak;
I will question you,
and you shall answer me.'
5 My ears had heard of you
but now my eyes have seen you.
6 Therefore I despise myself
and repent in dust and ashes."

The Lord’s ways are high, oh so high, above man’s. The Lord’s knowledge and wisdom are high, oh so high, above man’s. We must take the Lord at his word and confess, God you are in control AND I am accountable for my actions.

I have not exhausted this topic..not even close…if you have more questions, please ask.

Objections to Christianity...Please Send Your Objections/Question

2008-08-18T16:22:00.003-05:00

Here is the first question I received.

Since there is so much evil in the world how can a good "god" be in control. If god exists, he is either not "almighty" or he is a monster.

Here is the reply.

This is not a new objection to Christianity or to theism in general. It is popularly know as The Problem of Evil.

Volumes have been written and said about the problem of evil. In fact, there exists today a philosophical consensus that the objection has been disproved as a logical attack against theism. That being said, this has not yet trickled down to the popular culture or into the layman’s understanding….so I will say a few things about it here on New-Think.

Most people’s objections to the existence of evil are emotional rather than logical. How can a good God allow the rape of little children?…This is not a logic based objection, rather an emotional one. How can a good God have allowed the holocaust?

I submit that we do not sit in a position to be able to pass such judgments on God. Using the Christian presupposition, God knows the end of all things. How can we then sit in judgment on the means he uses to his ends if we do not know the ends?

Here’s an illustration: Suppose I can see into the future. I know that at 4 o’clock tomorrow afternoon you will be struck by a car at the corner of 5th and Vine. My first plan is to meet you at 3:59 at the corner of 5th and Vine and try to persuade you to leave the area immediately. Since I can see into the future I know you will laugh at me and ignore me if I approach you like this. So instead I grab you and drag you down the sidewalk for 100 feet and at 4:01 I let you go. You may think I am crazy and you will probably call the cops. Had you known my motives, however, you would be grateful. You only saw the mean, not the end.

I admit this illustration only works if you presuppose the existence of God. Something I realize an atheist is not about to do (at least consciously…they/you do it all the time in daily life though). So let’s have a look at the presuppositions of atheism.

If there is no God then there are no moral absolutes (good or evil). So really, it is absurd for an atheist to bring up the problem of evil….since in the atheist worldview there is no such thing as objective evil. True, you may say you do not like it when children are raped. But on what basis can you say that it is “evil”? Sure you didn’t like Hitler, but what objective standard can’t you point to that shows you are better than him? Just because you don’t like something or even a lot of people don’t like something doesn’t make it evil. Hardly anyone likes root canals, but they are not evil. Hitler presupposed that Jews were subhuman and that exterminating them would bring us to a glorious future. Imagine a pack of wild dogs was roaming your town devouring who they could…that is how Hitler saw the Jews. Based upon those presuppositions the holocaust was good. So you see, without an objective standard anyone can define good or evil as he or she pleases AND (this is the important part) no one is any more correct or incorrect than anyone else in their assertions.

When non-theists talk about good and/or evil they are shooting themselves in the feet and showing their own ignorance since they have to borrow a theistic frame of reference in order to even come up with an objection to theism. How embarrassing for them.

Submit Your Questions...This Means YOU!

2008-08-18T12:10:00.003-05:00

Are you a skeptic, agnostic or athiest? Are you a Christian with unanswered questions? Do you find hard or impossible intellectual or emotional obstacles that prevent your from believing in the Christian God? Please submit your questions!

Also, if you would like to attempt to throw down a challenge in this arena that you think cannot be overcome...go for it.

I will attempt to answer all questions and/or assertions submitted. Thanks for playing.

School Pictures

2008-08-05T13:32:00.004-05:00

Michelle and the kids have recently started school for the year....not that we ever fully quit. Here are our annual "school photos".

Transcendent Skateboarding

2008-08-01T14:40:00.004-05:00

I remember where I was when this happened. Without a doubt one of the most beautiful skateboarding moments EVER.

Before his final run- the last run of the event- Bob Burnquist was sitting in second place behind two-time defending champion Bucky Lasek. Burnquist produced a flawless run, including multiple tricks that had never been seen before, and as a result, were unnamed. During the run, commentator Tony Hawk went hoarse and nearly lost his voice while screaming in disbelief. Burnquist was rewarded with a 98, the highest score ever given in skateboard vert.

Even if you are not into skating...this truly transcends the genre. Enjoy.

Funny Video Friday

2008-08-01T11:57:00.002-05:00

So, the other day....

2008-07-28T13:20:00.004-05:00

We went to the lake last week. Here are some good pictures of the kids, plus a blurry one of me skiing and one of the back of Michelle's head.

Listen to This

2008-07-21T11:19:00.000-05:00

Cool stuff. Copy and paste into your browser.
Jeff

www.relevantrevolution.com/mp3/ravi-lord.mp3

www.relevantrevolution.com/mp3/john-suffer.mp3

Jesus is not an ATM

2008-07-20T16:07:00.001-05:00

Me and Asa

2008-07-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

Michelle got a few good photos of me and Asa about a week ago. Here they are.

Guess who will pay.

2008-07-14T11:24:00.001-05:00

Do you get it yet?

Predictions

2008-06-30T11:55:00.000-05:00

I often make predictions about the future based upon what I currently see going on in the world. In the past few years some things have become evident:

1. I have usually been correct in my predictions.

2. Even though this is the case some folks act like I am crazy for saying some of the things I say.

So, I am going to go on the record, right here on New-Think with some predictions that you may consider crazy. If you consider them to be stupid, please leave me a comment so we can revisit your comment when my predictions come true. Also, if I am wrong, this post will be my eternal reminder to quit making predictions.

I made most of the predictions a few years ago...but this is the first time I've posted them in a public forum.

3 PREDICTIONS

1. Dow Jones Industrial Average under 10,000 by June 2009 (probably before 2008 is over).

2. Oil at $170 per barrel by Dec 31, 2008. (caveat: this is assuming no major economic collapse...which may not be a good assumption).

3. Total collapse of the U.S. economy by Dec 2012. And I do mean worse than the Great Depression.

I'll give you my reasoning another time. I am on the record now. What do you think will happen?

Psalm 119:32

2008-06-27T08:26:00.000-05:00

Every year we go to my aunt's and uncle's house to celebrate Independence Day and my Grandmother's birthday. We stay for the weekend. The kids are already really excited.

Michelle and Mill last July 4th

Millicent got sick this week and she took a lot of comfort in her sister Kati. Just as I walked in from work on Wednesday Millicent asked Kati to read to her...Michelle snapped these photos.

Welcome to New-Think

2008-06-20T10:29:00.001-05:00

Hello, glad you're here.

Welcome to New-Think Fool!

Over the past 6 months New-Think has seen a significant increase in visits. So…this is a welcome and an overview of what you can expect from this blog.

First of all I am a Christian. Everything you read here is framed in Christian presuppositions. I am willing to defend and discuss these matters if anyone wishes and in fact welcome the opportunity for discourse.

Second I have a large family and I love them. You will find a lot of family photos here. A lot of friends and relatives visit this site and like the family pics.

Third. We home-school our kids. I don’t post about home-schooling a lot but I do provide links to what I consider important home-schooling websites. It is certainly a topic that I may talk more about in the future.

Fourth. We like to have our babies at home…without doctors or midwives. This is a personal choice, but we like to share our homebirth experiences. Other than that…the same comments I made in my third point on homeschooling apply here.

Fifth. Obviously we have some convictions that are out of the mainstream. Largely because of that we DO NOT LIKE big government. Big governments tend to like to poke their noses into and take control of our individual liberties….like home-schooling, home-birthing, vaccinations, gun ownership, child discipline techniques, various religious convictions…etc. Sometimes I just get mad and yell about this kind of stuff on the blog.

Sixth. Oil. You might be tempted to think this is a blog about oil depletion. Lately it has been. I have been aware of peak oil since 2003/2004 (back when oil was about 30 bucks a barrel). We have been making some changes in our lives based upon the realities of what we believe is on the very near horizon. I am using New-Think to get the word out.

Enjoy.
Jeff

I don't want you to freak out....but...

2008-06-17T11:34:00.000-05:00

Are you wondering when all of the renewable and/or alternative energy sources will kick in and drive down the price of oil? I really hope you are not still waiting for a magic bullet. We haven't even hit the down slope yet. Really, you will look back at this time as the good old days. Now is the time of preparation...past it really. Get busy.

Have a look at the following picture.

click to enlarge

Every year we use about 1 cubic mile of oil. To get that energy equivalent we would need to do what is shown above every year for 50 years. If you aren't good at math, let me break it down. To equal the oil we use in one year we need:

4,562,500,000 solar panels

2,600 nuclear power plants (takes a decade to build one)

200 3-gorges size dams

5200 coal fired power plants (you'll need coal for that)

1,642,500 wind turbines (the big ones)

That is why you have not seen and will not see the magic energy fairy.

And just in case you forgot....we have not been finding much oil lately.

Also...and here is where 95% of you will click away from this page....there is a very good chance you and your loved ones will meet an untimely death because of this. Here is a link and a chart from the link. This is one of MANY cold blooded studies into this subject. I don't blame you if you would rather accuse me of being a lunatic or "some internet whacko" instead of believing it. It is a much easier way to live. Accepting oil depletion is becoming much easier with all of the mainstream news coverage...accepting some of the more dire consequences may take a little while for you to digest...this one is a little like being kicked in the gut.
http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3091

Don't take my word for it though. In fact, if you can convince me I am wrong to even consider such a scenario...I would be very grateful.

God bless you and have a nice day.
JJ

http://www.theoildrum.com/node/3091

Asa/Family Photo

2008-06-11T11:40:00.000-05:00

Last Sunday we had Asa's dedication at church. We got a really good picture too. You will notice that 2-3 people have been cut from the photo....this was upon their request to be spared the publicity of being posted on the internet. I suspect they are running from the law.

Summertime Rolls

2008-06-06T23:40:00.001-05:00

Been really busy....not much time for blogging. The first 2 are from Ashlea's birthday party...the rest are random.

Ashlea's 17th birthday party....don't ask

Seriously...

2008-05-21T11:28:00.000-05:00

This is disgusting. Oil prices went over $130 per barrel today. Any regular reader here will know there is a sound, unavoidable, and irreversible reason for that (check out my peak-oil posts if you are a newb). Anyway, there are some things we can do to mitigate some of the problems if there is some general awareness and conscientiousness in the population and in the government. Instead…what do we get? Pathetic stuff like this:

House Passes Bill to Sue OPEC Over High Oil Prices

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20080520/pl_nm/congress_opec_dc

Judiciary Committee to seek answers for rising oil prices on day crude crosses $130 a barrel.

http://money.cnn.com/2008/05/21/news/economy/oil_hearing/index.htm?cnn=yes

Not to mention the brilliant proposals by democratic presidential front-runners to give a tax free gasoline summer to Americans. YOU ARE RUNNING TO BE THE LEADER OF THE FREE WORLD.....IS THIS REALLY THE BEST ENERGY POLICY YOU CAN COME UP WITH?????

Man am I ever fired up about this stupidity.

If you are a leader of men...please listen to this.

http://globalpublicmedia.com/interviews/615

OKAY BREATHE. Here's a cute picture of Asa.

Also a word to all Christians. Don't forget. Christ calls you to DENY YOURSELF, take up your cross, and follow Him. This week, I suggest we all focus on denying ourselves. This literally means dying to yourself, and not giving any thought or provision as to your own desires. Instead seek to serve others (and in doing so serving God) all of the time. Not just a few times a day, Christian. It is to be our lifestyle. If you find yourself getting annoyed, angry, grumpy, or anything else along those lines...you are in sin. Selfish sin. Repent and get back on the narrow path that leads to life eternal. Amen. Check out the following link if you are interested in going further into selflessness.

http://bibletruthpublications.org/publications_files_and_images/ADC9.pdf

Spring

2008-04-26T17:34:00.000-05:00

New Pup
Another New Pup

Kori Collects the Eggs
Planting the Square Foot Gardens
Goats: Glad Winter is Over

Hang On Tight

2008-04-22T12:10:00.000-05:00

The article pasted below is profoundly important. As usual the mainstream press is not touching this. The world is in for a very rude wake up call coming sooner than even I thought….I now confidently predict unprecedented economic turmoil within the next 2-4 years. Don’t listen to the so-called pundits on CNN or whatever else…I assure you we cannot conserve, build windmills, or solar panels fast enough to even significantly slow down the speeding train that is headed in our direction. I am not saying we shouldn’t do things to counter-act this….I am just saying it is too late to do enough to avert major consequences.

Saudi King Abdullah Drops Quiet Bombshell
By Jim BrownUpdated: Tuesday, April 22 2008 02:04:AM

I had another article prepared tonight but this crossed my desk from ASPO. I thought it was important enough to post it in its original form. Jim

Saudi King Abdullah drops quiet bombshell
By Steve Andrews and Randy Udall, ASPO USA:
On April 13, Reuters reported the following from Riyadh:

Saudi Arabia's King Abdullah said he had ordered some new oil discoveries left untapped to preserve oil wealth in the world's top exporter for future generations…
"When there were some new finds, I told them, 'no, leave it in the ground, with grace from god, our children need it'," King Abdullah said…
Saudi production capacity stands at around 11.3 million bpd, and is scheduled to rise to 12.5 million bpd next year.

The King's remarks seem to confirm a statement made last year by Saudi oil minister Ali al-Naimi who, when asked "How high can your production go?" replied, "We'll get to 12.5 million barrels a day and then we'll see."
If the Saudi announcement was a bombshell, American nearly newspapers ignored it. We decided to canvass experts we respect to see what they thought. Excerpts follow:

Tom Petrie, vice president, Merrill Lynch:
"King Abdullah's quote speaks to the fast-emerging reality of what I call 'practical peak oil.' The Saudis and other exporters are placing a new emphasis on elongating the petroleum exploitation and depletion cycle. This stems from a growing awareness of the challenges of conventional resource maturity, as well as rising resource nationalism. This is likely to result in an earlier occurrence of global peak oil output than many consumers yet recognize."

Charles T. Maxwell, senior energy analyst, Weeden & Co:
"If Saudi Arabia's oil reserves are not going to be made available to the world in future years, beyond the expansion they have already signaled (to 12.5 million barrels/day), then the geologic oil supply constraints that we are feeling in many other parts of the world are going to close in on us earlier and more severely than we previously thought. It's a major change in policy. It's a powerful message. It makes the geologic message that much more decisive."

Chris Skrebowski, editor of Petroleum Review:
"King Abdullah's statement represents the final seal of approval on an emerging Saudi policy of restricting output to save oil for future generations. In recent years the Saudis have been managing expectations of future capacity steadily downwards. No one now talks of their reaching 15mn b/d. If they reach 12.5mn b/d, while maintaining 1-2mn b/d of 'spare' capacity, we should plan for Saudi production to be 9-11mn b/d for the foreseeable future.
"High oil prices and bulging treasuries are giving producing countries the option of maximizing plateau production. We may never know if these decisions are being dictated by geology or driven by a political imperative of 'saving oil for later generations.' I suspect it's a mixture of the two.
"In any case, there is now a broad-based move by energy exporters, including Russia, Angola, Azerbaijan, and Norway, to restrict expansion to maximize plateau flows. If this takes hold, then global supplies will reach a peak rather earlier than analysis of future projects would indicate."

Matt Simmons, chairman of Simmons & Co. International:
"This statement by the Supreme Ruler of Saudi Arabia has far-reaching implications. That King Addullah would now instruct his servants to conserve the oil they pump and save some for the kids and grandkids of today's Saudi citizens is most profound.
"King Abdullah has exhibited a sense of wisdom not seen since his brother, King Faisal ruled the Kingdom until his tragic assassination. Assuming his health continues, he might lead Saudi Arabia successfully into a post-peak world and create sustainable middle class wealth for the 90% of Saudi Arabia who had accidentally been left behind.
"The world should bless this intelligent pronouncement. It is a reflection that Twilight set in on the oilfields of Arabia a few years ago."

Richard Nehring, president of Nerhingdatabase.com
"This development is part of what I've called the 'Prudential Plateau.' Some key countries with large reserves and resources have decided to maintain production at current levels—but not increase it. This is a two-edged sword: you can no longer count on these countries for increases, but you can count on them for the base. The United Arab Emirates and Qatar will probably join in this shift."

Jeffrey Rubin, chief economist, CIBC World markets
"A far more plausible explanation for faltering growth in Saudi production and exports is that they are rapidly approaching maximum production. Given soaring rates of internal consumption for oil, they will soon be exporting less not more crude to world oil markets.
"Russian Natural Resource Minister Yuri Trutnev's has said that Russian production and exports will fall this year, for the first time in a decade. We forecast that exports from OPEC, Russia and Mexico will actually decline by 2.5 million barrels per day between now and 2012. It's far from obvious who is going to fill this supply gap, let alone meet the need of future global crude demand growth."

Jeremy Gilbert, BP's retired chief petroleum engineer
"I have no idea whether there was a real choice for the Saudis to make. Perhaps it's all "spin"; perhaps there were discoveries, but there was some property of the reservoirs which made them very difficult to develop, and it made sense to delay development until improved technology or much higher prices arrived; perhaps it's the plain basic truth - a very rare commodity.
"What I do know is that several countries in the Gulf have long chosen to operate their fields with depletion rates far below those that a Western company would consider optimal, or even sensible. Depletion rates of between 1 and 2%/ per year are not uncommon in the United Arab Emirates. Local leaders have repeatedly said that they feel an obligation to preserve some of their natural resources. These feelings must be intensified when their recent production has been sold for US dollars which have depreciated by 25% or more against other strong world currencies over the last four years.
"The countries around the Gulf, which would once have come to the aid of a faltering U.S., now are either delighted about the U.S. plight or just don't care. They are not going to do anything to reduce world oil prices. Instead, they are going to maximize their economic take while minimizing depletion of their sole natural resource."

Herman Franssen, president of International Energy Associates
"King Abdullah's remarks reflect the new thinking in the Middle East, where the Kuwaiti parliament has also expressed a need to stabilize oil exports. Higher oil prices enable producers to focus more on domestic investments than on increasing exports. All Gulf countries have seen huge growth in domestic demand for power and fuel. By 2015, Iran may consume as much of its crude oil as they export. The King's remarks mean that we in the industrialized countries better start looking for other solutions."

Jim Brown
OptionInvestor.com

Imagine a boot stamping on a human face--forever.

2008-04-21T13:29:00.001-05:00

Fiendish Cult. You can tell because they don't dress like us.

Thankfully we have been monitoring them and have sent the authorities to save the children.Thank goodness we have armed the police with tanks. It wasn't necessary this time, but once we start setting the homeschoolers and reformed baptists free (for the sake of the children) they might come in handy. Look! They have been set free!Move along...these people aren't like you.

Pictures with Dad

2008-04-20T15:51:00.001-05:00

Rattlesnake Festival

2008-04-19T21:56:00.000-05:00

We went to the rattlesnake festival in Apache on Friday. I didn't manage to get any photos of rattlesnakes...but everyone did get to eat some. Later that night we walked around and rode a few carnival rides.

Getting buckled in.
Mom and Kate
Waiting for Kori to get off the ride.
Wheeeeeeeeee
Ash never lets me take her picture....

Fill 'er Up!

2008-04-14T13:35:00.000-05:00

Read some sad articles today. While we worry about the cost of filling up our tanks...many poorer nations have seen food costs rise to as much as 75% of per capita income. This is largely due to competition for "alternative fuel stocks"....i.e. ethanol.

Revelation 6: 5When the Lamb opened the third seal, I heard the third living creature say, "Come!" I looked, and there before me was a black horse! Its rider was holding a pair of scales in his hand. 6Then I heard what sounded like a voice among the four living creatures, saying, "A quart of wheat for a day's wages, and three quarts of barley for a day's wages, and do not damage the oil and the wine!"

Lunchtime Art Show

2008-04-11T11:47:00.000-05:00

CURIOSA-AMBIGUEDAD
PROMETEME-COSAS-Q-NO-CUMPLI
Ratsitter
Surburban-Gothic

Continuing to Beat the Horse

2008-04-09T11:50:00.001-05:00

Spring

2008-04-07T22:07:00.000-05:00

Trip to the Zoo
Nursin' on the Porch
Playing in the Yard on Sunday Afernoon

Beautiful Life

2008-03-29T14:30:00.000-05:00

At Church
All Dressed Up
At the Park
Our Country Home
Opus (r.i.p.)
Cold in the Front Yard
Skating

Irony (read the shirts)

DOOM

2008-03-17T11:07:00.000-05:00

Thank you for attending the oil age. We're going to scrape what we can out of these tar pits in Alberta and then shut down the machines and turn out the lights. Goodnight.

New York Times

"Wall Street begins the new week trying to come to terms with just how bad the fallout from the credit crisis is -- so bad that an investment bank worth $20 billion weeks ago has been bought for just $236 million."

From CNBC

"this Fed deal is NOT 'financial management'", its the equivalent of "fire trucks in the streets fighting fires".

Beware the Curls of March

2008-03-12T11:09:00.000-05:00

Michelle curled Kati's hair (and Kori's and Mill's too) last Saturday night.

Hey Asa, what do you think of Kati's hair?

Well, I liked it. There's no accounting for the taste of infants.

Roman Catholic Doctrine Paves a Path to Hell

2008-03-06T14:41:00.000-06:00

Some of you may find the title of this post harsh. It is. I pray this post will shock at least one person into the truth of God's revelation. And yes....for a short time, when I was younger and less knowledgable, I was Catholic.

Do I believe all "Catholics" are bound for hell? No. I do, however, believe all people who understand and believe the doctrine of salvation as stated by the Catholic church ARE headed for hell and do not know the Christ of scripture.

Many heresies of the Catholic church (and there are MANY) have been well documented. This post is simply meant to document one damnable heresy....which is enough.

What Catholic Doctrine Teaches (from the churches catechism) Versus what the Bible Teaches

HERESY: page 320 catechism: The Church does not know of any means other than Baptism that assures entry into eternal beatitude

TRUTH: John 5:24, "Most assuredly, I say to you, he who hears My word and believes in Him who sent Me has everlasting life, and shall not come into judgment, but has passed from death into life".

HERESIES: page 292, paragraph 1129, "The Church affirms that for believers the sacraments of the New Covenant are necessary for salvation."

page 487, paragraph 2010, "…we can then merit for ourselves and for others the graces needed to attain eternal life…"

TRUTH: Galatians 2:16, "knowing that a man is not justified by the works of the law but by faith in Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by faith in Christ and not by the works of the law; for by the works of the law no flesh shall be justified".

Ephesians 2:8-9, "For by grace you have been saved though faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast."

Titus 3:4-5, "But when the kindness and the love of God our Savior toward man appeared, not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to His mercy He saved us, through the washing of regeneration and renewing of the Holy Spirit."

HERESY: page 224, "Outside the [Roman Catholic] Church there is no salvation",

TRUTH: John 3:16, "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life."

I've only scratched the surface....but if you are intellectually honest you can see that you can believe in Catholic theology or the Bible....but you cannot believe in both.

Peak-Oil Primer

2008-02-13T14:30:00.000-06:00

I first published this about 1/2 a year ago. Peak oil theory is looking even better now than it did back then. Enjoy.

Many of you do not need a primer on peak-oil. I am sure those of you who do not, however, would agree that most people do. So in order to bring everyone up to speed on the subject, let’s have a brief overview of the phenomenon that is known as peak-oil.

All but a few fringe “scientists” (mostly in Russia) agree that oil is a finite resource. Peak-oil is the point at which we have extracted about half of the earth’s technically recoverable oil. In the 1950’s a petroleum geologist named M. King Hubbard predicted that U.S. oil production would peak in the 1970’s. No one believed him. It is clear now, and has been for decades that the United States was never able to produce more oil than it did in the 1970’s. Hubbard was correct. That is why we (in the U.S.) are now so reliant on what politicians like to call “foreign oil”.

Here’s the rub. The same thing that Hubbard predicted in the U.S. has been predicted and has happened to oil reserves the world over. At some point we will be extracting more oil per day than is physically possible the next day. This is bad since demand is growing. When there is not enough supply to meet demand, we get bidding wars (and other kinds of wars) until some competitors are priced out and supply and demand balance each other again.

When is this going to happen? Maybe you should ask another question. Has this already happened? Take a look at the following chart.

ASPO Estimation of Global Oil Peak

The group of scientists who created the model that spit out the chart above have the peak estimated sometime around your lunch hour last Tuesday. There are other estimates….but most of the serious folks agree that we will not know for sure until it is in the rear view mirror AND it is already upon us or will be very soon.

Have a look at the next chart. For many decades we discovered more oil than we used worldwide. Since the 1980’s, however, we have used more oil than we have discovered, year on year. As you can see each year we use more and more and find less and less.

Oil Found vs. Oil Used (World)

Why should I care about this?

Obviously, if I am giving you a primer on the basics of peak-oil I plan to discuss it further down the road. Why should you not skip all of the boring posts about oil and just check back next week to see if I am talking about something more interesting? Because the world you have been accustomed to was built upon the cheap (yes it's still cheap at $70 a barrel) easy energy of oil. It is estimated that every food calorie an American consumes took 10 calories of fuel to deliver to their plate. You eat oil. A lot of it. A little over 100 years ago oil began being used by the human race and has since invaded everything (transportation, plastics, fertilizers, mass agriculture, etc.). If the scientists predicting peak-oil (and I count myself among them) are correct then your world is about to change...probably for the worse.

Consider one last fact: Like I said about 150 years ago we started using oil. Since then our oil usage rate has expanded exponentially (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exponential_growth). Guess what! Since humans started keeping records the human population on earth had hovered around 1 billion until about 150 years ago. What has the population growth pattern been like since then? Exponential. In the last 150 years we have gone from around 1 billion to over 6 billion. Connect the dots as you wish. Exponential growth is not sustainable with any finite resource.

Need to know more now and can't wait until my next post on the subject. Rest easy.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peak_oil

http://www.lifeaftertheoilcrash.net/

http://globalpublicmedia.com/interviews/615

http://www.energybulletin.net/primer.php

Life is Good

2008-02-02T14:14:00.000-06:00

The Federal Reserve is Illegal

2008-01-22T11:13:00.001-06:00

We are in the beginning stages of a major economic train wreck. If you really want to get at the root of why this problem exists watch one or both of the following videos. If we were doing what the framers of the constitution intended we would not be in this position.

If you don't mind being totally hosed...just move along...nothing to see here.

Proverbs 22:7
The rich rule over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender.

FIAT EMPIRE - Why the Federal Reserve Violates the U.S. Constitution

Money, Banking and the Federal Reserve

Running

2008-01-16T12:03:00.000-06:00

A new year is upon us. For those of you who resolved to get in better shape by running (as seen in above photo), here are some excellent resources to help you get started and stay motivated.

Both of the following sites will take some exploring to find what you need, but they both offer help for those of you who have been on the couch for a decade and those of you ready to tackle your next marathon.

http://www.coolrunning.com/

http://www.marathontraining.com/

New-Think

Try not to hurt your brain.

The Gates of Hell

Important Analysis

Always Talking and Saying Nothing

Christianity and Art

Freedom

History

Harry Potter

Stop Now Go

Movie Discussion: The Invasion

Taking Some Time Off

The Scribbler

Is God Necessary for Morality

Sign of the Times

I Stuck My Finger in the Potty Daddy

Some Cool Photos

Thanks for the Ride, Doak!

From Cool to Surreal

This Winter....

Obama, Oil, and the First Wave

Running

When I Die....

The Crash Course

Little Millicent

Some Engineering Humor (Arguably an Oxymoron)

Running with the Kids

Rebellious Children

Thus Believeth New-Think

Gas Is Under $2 per Gallon - We're All Saved

No One Could Have Seen This Coming

Ash Wednesday-The Tipping Point by Malcolm Gladwell

Economics, Oil, Politics, and the Future

The Birth of Asa Kayil Johnson

Ash Wednesday

New-Think is Back and More Nutritious Than Ever

Asa

A Day With Kori

Just Sayin....

Giving it up to New-Think / Giving it up to Ashlea

The Genesis Plan

A Thursday With Ashlea

Use Your Power People!

The Genesis Plan

POWER TO THE PEOPLE

Increase Forward Fire on Congress

Tin-Foil-Hat-Thursday

Fed Lies!

Contact Congress

Don't Give Paulson $700 billion!!

A Day With Jeff

I love you!

Need a Laugh?

Time for Torches and Pitchforks

Fascist Friday

Petition....Please Sign

Let's Review

Stock Market Spankin'

Financials Getting Hammered

Free Fallin'

Don't Waste Your Vote (on either major party)

Happy Birthday Kori

Party Pictures

Good Video

More Questions / Spiritual Warfare

Yet Another Questions / Please Send Yours

Reader's Asking the Tough Questions / Ask Your Questions Now

Objections to Christianity...Please Send Your Objections/Question

Submit Your Questions...This Means YOU!

School Pictures

Transcendent Skateboarding

Funny Video Friday

So, the other day....

Listen to This

Jesus is not an ATM

Me and Asa

Guess who will pay.

Predictions

Psalm 119:32

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