A White-Washed Fence

Candidate of the Apocalypse: Epilogue

2021-02-20T11:51:00.003-08:00

May, 2037

Days were getting longer and Summer was rapidly approaching. This would be the last school day before break. Starting tomorrow his students would be helping with various projects, from farms to construction, to various scientific endeavors.

Recovery had been slow for the first few years after the Great Darkness ended, Now, the town was buzzing with activity. While there were many small projects in the works, the townspeople had gotten together and agreed on a couple of large scale initiatives which would be beneficial for all. One of them involved repurposing old internal combustion engines and putting them together with electric motors to generate electricity. Not for the town just yet. New infrastructure was needed. Teacher’s knowledge of mechanics and engineering helped. He was working with a team of men with the goal of distilling alcohol to use as fuel. There were no gas stations anymore. All the refineries had been destroyed, along with much of the highway network. But that was being remedied bit by bit, and one day these things would be rebuilt. A couple of enterprising men had found a ham radio set and restored it to working condition. Once a month they would fire it up and exchange news with other operators. If the reports were true big things were on the horizon.

Teacher was on the edge of that change, believing that education of the town’s young would give them a head start when directing the course of this new world. His students would soon be leaders, and he was pleased with their progress. But there was one final lesson to deliver.

October 16, 2012 Past

It was three weeks before the election and polls were still too close to call. Charles was ahead in the majority of states of his own party, and more or less even in those held by the other one. Over the last few weeks of the campaign his message had been taking hold among voters and he had made genuine gains in the most contested states. States necessary for him to get the electoral votes needed to win.

He was in Birmingham, Alabama enjoying the accolades of an overflow crowd. After speaking on his tax plan, he opened up for questions. The first came from a known operative of the other party.

“A number of economists have criticized your tax plan, saying it will result in a net loss of income for the government, and increase the current deficits. What do you say?”

Charles had a ready reply: “Really? They don’t think that if people take home more money they’re not going to be better off? Your sources are wrong. First of all, the plan I propose has already been demonstrated to be viable. About $20 million has been spent researching it and its positive effect on the economy. Not to mention that this legislation, if passed, would be the greatest transfer of power from government to the people in history. Second, remember that last year was record breaking in terms of government revenue. Yet we still have huge deficits! The issue at hand is not revenue! It’s spending! Any tax plan, no matter how effective will be of no use if the largesse of federal programs are not curtailed. That’s why mine involves both elements and both must be put in play to engender true change.”

Many of those present said Charles was at his best on that day. Not all, however.

On this day a man, who has never been identified, slipped past security and quietly retrieved a weapon that had been hidden just for him. Throughout the question and answer period he had been working his way closer to the front. When Charles had answered the last question and returned to the stage, he saw his chance. He made a silent prayer to his god, pulled out the gun and started shooting.

May, 2037

With that the teacher stopped and tears came into his eyes. He couldn’t breathe. His heart felt like it would explode in his chest. For a few moments he was speechless, and the class was quiet.

Finally one stirred, “What happened after that?” She asked quietly.

Just then the bell sounded. School was out for the summer, but no one moved.

“If you will allow me one final lesson before I tell you the end of the story, and let you free. You will not need this information until far into the future, but I know you have long memories, and at the appropriate time, you will make good use of it.

“First, a question. What is evil?”

His charges looked at each other. Maybe this was a trick question. Then they turned as a student in the back stood. His name was Ethan and he was the youngest in the class. He had already read every book in town. He never forgot anything.

“Evil:” he said, “Adverb. Morally reprehensible, sinful, wicked. An evil impulse. Arising from actual or imputed bad character or conduct.”

“Thank you, Ethan,” said Teacher. “That is the dictionary definition, but I am going to give you another, a practical definition. In order to do so, I must present another question. Which is stronger? Good, or evil? Or are they the same?” The class remained silent. Teacher did not wait long.

“This is primarily a rhetorical question, and therefore I didn’t expect a ready answer. Good is much stronger than evil. How do I know this? Because evil people always have to force their will on others physically. It is not just evil individuals who will do this, an entity can do the same thing. I will expand that to say, any entity that attempts to force their will on you physically is evil, or ultimately comes to evil.

“And what does that have to do with government? It’s the fact that governments are formed by agreements between groups of people, or by force. But the cold hard reality is that governments do not and cannot pay for themselves. That’s why they only survive by taxing the general populace. Over time governmental officials develop a worldview based on some idea of self importance. They must do this to justify their own continued existence. You should know that in the history of the world no government has ever been able to resist the urge to magnify its own importance and cause harm to the very class that authorized its power in the first place.

This is why every government, no matter how good and praiseworthy its original adherents were, tends to evil, and all have demonstrably failed. The future day will come when you will have to decide the type of government to have for you and your children.

It is always wise to put safeguards in place that guarantee your protection from government. Not to mention other protections to ensure government accountability and transparency. May this quote come to mind when that day comes: “The constitution is not an instrument for the government to restrain the people, it is an instrument for the people to restrain the government - lest it come to dominate our lives and interests.”

“Please, remember this always.”

And then Teacher, bowed his head. “You want to know the end result of that awful day? Charles was hit three times, his campaign manager was wounded in the shoulder and hip. A security guard, who jumped between the gunman and Charles, was killed. The gunman himself was shot by security. Charles didn’t make it. The first shot severed his aorta, and he bled out in seconds.”

“What happened with the election?”

“The President declared a state of emergency and cancelled the election. A few weeks later he declared himself to be the winner and told the country he would rule for another four years. This didn’t set well with the populace and they organized a protest. Some 5 million people descended on Washington. Things went bad and for the first time since the Civil War, American forces were ordered to fire on their fellow citizens. Insurrection broke out. Martial law was declared. Three weeks later that which we are forbidden to discuss began. And now you know a little of the last days of our history. It appears that a kind of madness overtook those of a certain party. They were incapable of rational thought, and evil, for the moment, triumphed.”

Curious, one of his other students asked. “How is it that you know so much about these events?”

Teacher stared at her for a few moments, tears still in his eyes. “Because I… I was his campaign manager.”

With that his students rose, gathered around him to show their sympathy and support. After a long moment his students filed out, shouting their thanks and goodbyes as they went.

Teacher was now alone. He cleaned off the blackboard, gathered his few things and exited, limping slowly up the hill to his home.

The Compelling Nature of Good Writing

2020-12-05T09:26:00.000-08:00

Creating a novel is an emotional endeavor. It runs the gambit from love to hate, joy to despair and hope to despondency. Some days I thoroughly enjoy writing. Other days I loathe it. There are those times when the story comes naturally and freely, but most days when I sit down to write it is little more than work.

What is especially frustrating is when I'm driving somewhere and thinking about a particular scene from the story. In my mind everything is as it should be, the timing is perfect, and the words my characters use defy description. But then, when I get back to my place to write that scene, it disappears in a puff of smoke. My, the dirty tricks your mind can play on you!

On those days when the muse is not present I will, in desperation, write anything. I'll shut my eyes, pay no attention to spelling or punctuation and put down any and every thought that comes to mind, no matter how absurd or off topic. The hope is to get the juices flowing so I can continue the story. More often than not, the exercise will open me up to more writing, even if it’s just a few sentences.

What really fascinates me about the writing art is the connection I make with characters. This is equally true when I read. How is it that I can look at a flat, two dimensional piece of paper with abstract figures on it, known as letters, and see they are grouped together in various ways to form words, and from these words I get pictures, ideas and all kinds of information? It’s sort of magical, isn’t it? Through the magic of the written word I can be drawn to characters who have never existed in the world of the living.

As I read, my imagination follows right along. I create mental pictures of what the characters look like, smile when they are happy, worry about their heartaches, and even though I’ll never admit it in public, shed a tear for them when tragedy strikes. The same is true of my own creations as well. That’s the kind of sway a good story holds. Writing takes me to places known and unknown, it explores the complex depths of motivations, and truth, harsh as it might be, or freeing, to the deepest depths or soaring heights.

Maybe it is an escape, but what a thrilling one!

There are a few books I read over and over. I do not see this as a character flaw as some do. To me it is like visiting a favorite place, a particular beach, or mountain, for example, or any place that delights and amazes me. In my mind the fictional places are (almost) as real. I revel in the gentle humor of Samuel Clemens, and smile at the antics of Tom trying to impress Becky Thatcher. I snicker at his various tricks, as with whitewashing the fence, or when he proudly presents himself as a scholar in Sunday School. I thrill to the visuals in Lord of the Rings, as I note the simple honesty of the shire and compare that with the greatness, hidden at first, in Aragorn, and see the relentless pursuit of the dark forces against Frodo. I too am amazed at the magnificence and perfection of the elves, and the oddity of the various creatures they meet along the way. I follow the sweep of the story as the intrepid hunters cross the sea-like plains of Rohan in that desperate race, only to meet many more surprises, and eagerly await the final scenes. I am fully engaged all the way to that last, compelling sentence. To be perfectly honest, I am a little disappointed when I have to put the book down.

Through reading I’ve been to the top of Everest, the bottom of the seas, hunted for gold in the wild country of Alaska, travelled to Mars, Venus, and other galaxies. I’ve been swept along with missionaries in Burma and other little known places, slept beside Paul in prison, and watched as he addressed kings and other notables from history. I’ve seen how the fledgling continental navy put their faith in a young shipbuilding Quaker, of all people, to design ships that would ultimately defeat the mighty, and supposed invincible ships of the line that ruled the high seas.

Reading allows me to vicariously live multiple lifetimes through the experiences of others. It has been, and will continue to be, quite a ride! And, to think, what a joy it is to have become a small part of that community of writers.

Let's create some magic today.

Follow the Motivations!

2020-10-28T11:31:00.001-07:00

We have two passages of scripture for consideration today. Both are from Matthew chapter 6:

19 “Do not lay up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy and where thieves break in and steal, 20 but lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust destroys and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21 For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.”

24 “No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money.” (ESV)

Jesus is speaking here. This is a continuation of his Sermon on the Mount, which began in the previous chapter. In the sermon, he lays out the attitudes of those who would work to further the kingdom of God. The focus of his statements is straightforward. Anyone can grasp their meaning. Life here on earth is physical and temporary. Life in heaven is forever. Let’s face it, this body must fall away at some point. Our souls, which are immortal, will ultimately reside in one of two places. Heaven or Hell. Those who serve God are admonished to maintain an attitude that is geared primarily toward that eternal future, not the temporary one.

The same attitude must prevail when we consider money and riches. It is a far better thing to work for treasures that do not go away. Contrast that with those who gather wealth for themselves, then die. What happens to those riches? Are they of any help in the life beyond? No. Physical accoutrements, like our bodies, must remain earth-bound. Jesus put it this way: “Their reward is with them.” He was speaking of those who strive only for riches, and the praise of men. Sure, they get their reward. Now. But that’s as far as it goes. His conclusion is: “You cannot serve God and money.” How can someone claim to be a follower of Christ when their thoughts are constantly geared toward some form of financial remuneration? Divided allegiances do not work.

The point is that Jesus wants us to evaluate ourselves to make sure our allegiance and motivation is in the right place.

Jesus’ message was successful. His disciples and the early Christians were stalwart in their courage and dedication. From the disciples, when they were brought before the Sanhedrin saying, “We ought to obey God rather than men,” to Stephen and onward to Paul and the succeeding generations, Christianity has been characterized by people of great integrity and character. Christians of the past, and those of the present as well, are internally motivated to do his will because they are convinced by the truthfulness of Jesus’ words, His life and His resurrection.

The question I want to ask, and hopefully try to answer is this: Do Jesus’ statements apply only to the spiritual realm and Christian ministry, or might they have other applications too? The answer is an enthusiastic yes! What are the hallmarks of any great society? Emphasis on truth and honesty. Faithfulness, peacefulness and forgiveness and all the other qualities engendered by a love for scripture. Any culture that wishes to achieve great things must have citizens of the same kind of character and responsibility.

What about politics? Particularly, American politics. Historically we have had men of courage, discipline and character to lead our country. Often these same men sacrificed their own fortunes and future because of their commitment to something greater than themselves. They enshrined their beliefs in what are the two greatest documents outside of the Holy Scriptures created by man. The Declaration, and the Constitution. Every senator who is elected to office must take this oath:

I do solemnly swear (or affirm) that I will support and defend the Constitution of the United States against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; and that I will well and faithfully discharge the duties of the office on which I am about to enter: So help me God.

Every government official must go on record that they are willing to put our nation and its laws above their own personal ambitions and gain. That is what the great men of the past have done. That is not necessarily true today. How low have our elected representatives fallen! Especially when they raise their hands and recite what to them are mere words, and then work incessantly against the very Document they have sworn to uphold. Take a look at the current set of politicians who want your vote. Ask yourself if they are willing to fight and die for that Document that is above them in all respects. Ask yourself if they are willing to deny themselves in order to uphold those same strictures. Find out if they are more concerned with maintaining the integrity of that law for future generations, or if they are lying, and working to use the power of their office to line their own pockets with money from various intrigues and influence peddling. That is illegal by the way. I’m not talking about a little cash here and there, I’m talking about millions and millions of dollars.

If a politician, particularly one who is vying for the highest office in the land, is just in it for himself, do you honestly think he will work what is best for you? Do you think he will consider your rights and freedoms above his own? Of course not! This man is not worthy to become President of the United States. The incumbent he is running against, it turns out, has sacrificed much to stand against the party of anarchy, riots, lawlessness and endless sniping. Let us support him. Let us work to un-elect those who are against him, and all who are of the party that would feign to serve you, but are actually in it for themselves.

Vote for the future, not the now.

What About the Issues?

2020-10-17T14:45:00.002-07:00

Let’s start today with a passage of scripture.

Proverbs 1:20 Wisdom cries aloud in the street, in the markets she raises her voice;

21 at the head of the noisy streets she cries out; at the entrance of the city gates she speaks:

22 “How long, O simple ones, will you love being simple? How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing and fools hate knowledge? (ESV)

Today we will discuss issues. What about all those political ads we are bombarded with on tv? Should we give any regard to them? The short answer is: No! Many of the ads are outright lies. The rest may or may not contain actual truth. So don’t pay attention to them! They are meant to confuse you enough to vote their way. Personally, I keep my remote handy, and hit the ‘mute’ button whenever these ads come on.

For this election there is only one issue.

Take a quick look around the country. Think about which states are having the most problems right now. Look at the ones who don’t have enough electricity, the ones who are burning from riots and civil unrest, the ones who have repressive and arbitrary lockdown restrictions. It is these very same states which are supposed to be the most enlightened, have the most concern about the environment, and are, ideally, the least racist. If their states are so great, why are they having all these problems? Why are people leaving them in droves? Something doesn’t add up.

“….Wisdom cries in the streets….”

The fact is, in these states, the Democrat representatives have worked to put in place a socialistic agenda that is the antithesis of everything our forefathers fought and died for. They are attempting to rewrite our history under their own terms to minimize, or discount entirely the great heritage we are heirs to. Our forefathers were not perfect, that is true. The present crop of Democrat politicians are less so, for they are both hypocrites and liars. They hinder legislation designed to help Americans in this time of pandemic, and then scream and whine at the President for going around them via executive order. They plot behind the scenes to destroy his Presidency, then use their own operatives in the courts to obstruct investigators trying to get to the truth. That’s not all they have done. Were I to enumerate all their crimes, the hours would seem like days! I hope that, by now, most of their ineptitudes are common knowledge.

We can easily see it is the Democrats who are the ‘simple ones’ mentioned in the Proverb above. They have little to offer, except empty promises and the desire for raw power. (For themselves, not you.) Their policies convey no hope, for, as everyone knows, socialism is a dead-end system of economics. There is no room in their agenda for individual thought or respect for people, only categorization and polarization of victims, as in race, feminism, repressed, displaced, and so on.

The issue at stake in this election can be expressed in one word. Liberty. Do you want to remain free? Do you want a nation that will continue to be ‘of the people, by the people and for the people?’ Do you want the Bill of Rights to remain in place, with all its protections against government incursions into your life? To do so means we must overwhelmingly vote against the Democrat party at every level. Upon our nation’s founding we fought a war to secure our independence. In a few days we will fight at the ballot box to secure a future for our children.

They are strong, they are well financed, and they have the support of just about every media outlet. But guess what? The election will not be decided by them. It will be decided by you, for you are the same rational, law-loving, patriotic Americans who go to work every day, worship at their local church, and raise their children to be decent, God-fearing adults. And, oh, yea, you vote, too. In case you didn’t know, (for Christians are never considered in the national media), we outnumber them!

“...How long will scoffers delight in their scoffing….”

If we, as Christians, unleash our power at the polls. Their scoffing will end on November 3rd.

Rise and be counted! I plan on doing just that. Will you join me?

The Sovereignty of the Individual

2020-10-09T14:55:00.002-07:00

God always has an order of priorities when dealing with man. Likewise, he sets priorities in dealing with nations, too. That means every nation should do the same.

What are the national priorities for the United States of America? Those priorities are easily lost amidst the smoke and mirrors, claims and counter-claims, and back and forth sniping between candidates at every level as we approach this election.

But, it turns out the founders of our country not only had them, but laid them out clearly for everyone to see. First, from the Declaration of Independence:

“We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. — That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,”

Jefferson’s priorities for the new nation look like this:

First, and foremost. God. He is the Creator. He is the guarantor and giver of those unalienable Rights, Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. Thus He stands as the top priority of our nation, and is the only Power worthy of our worship.

Second. God’s highest creation. Man. It is man who was given volition, a body and a mind. Thus he can use those facilities to work and make a life for himself and his family. Man cannot exist for very long in an environment where there is no right or wrong. He is at his best when he, as an agent of free will, voluntarily chooses to serve God, for that produces the longest lasting, and most stable family structure, and stable families make for a stable society.

Third. Government. Hence the phrase “...deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed.” Government ranks below the individual in the order of priorities.

Now we see that our system was in fact, unique among all other nations in history. For none of them were founded as we were.

What about the Constitution? Does it carry similar priorities? Let’s see:

“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.”

In the very first sentence of the First Amendment is codified that priority. What does it mean? A couple of things. That the United States will never establish a national church, neither will it hinder the free expression of Christianity.

Now I am going to state this priority in my own words.

The individual doing the will of God is superior to the state. Likewise, churches which preach the gospel and train their members to be Christian leaders are superior to the state. Why is this? Because ultimately we are eternal beings, and one day this physical body will fall away, but our souls will go on forever. Our nation will not. It is temporary and earth-bound. By allowing the church free reign, the citizens of this nation would continually be reminded of that fact, and act accordingly. Our national character is distinctively Christian. Our Founders understood this, and saw firsthand the results of a thriving and influential church. They also had keen insight into human nature, especially in terms of government. In constructing our first amendment this way, the Founders were taking a preventative measure to curtail the federal government from unbridled excess, as they had just experienced with the king of England. Extricating themselves from George’s arbitrary use of power cost them many lives and much bloodshed.

All other rights fall from this one. Think about it. Why do we have freedom of speech and the press? So people can proclaim their faith from one generation to the next. Why freedom of assembly? Because Christians are commanded to meet. But then, if Christians are allowed to meet, then why shouldn’t everyone be allowed to do the same? People who frequent a business are meeting, aren’t they? As are those eating at a restaurant. I’m talking about peaceful gatherings here. Riots are not meetings, they are criminal activities. Why are we guaranteed the right to redress the government? To keep that same government in check, lest it continually overstep its bounds and misuse its power.

Their vision was based on a profound truth. When people are better the nation gets stronger. Don’t let anyone fool you! We are not strong because of our military, or our technology, or our highway system, our economics, or anything else, other than the strength of our character. That character was bought and paid for by the blood of Jesus on the Cross.

As we think about the upcoming election, let us weigh the candidates in the scales presented by our founding documents. What are their beliefs concerning God? Do they rightly place Him above all? Do they act according to His will? What about their attitude toward you? The citizen? Are they working to increase your freedoms? Or hinder them? Or remove them altogether? Last of all, do they consider themselves to be superior to you? Or do they put you and your first amendment rights above them? Pick the candidate who best fulfills these criteria, not the one who makes the biggest promises.

They Loved Darkness Rather Than Light

2020-10-02T07:41:00.004-07:00

Today we will discuss motive. Every action people take, and every reaction to that action by others, is driven, often unconsciously, by some sort of motive. For many people, and in most situations these motives are benign. Take a buyer and seller at the marketplace. Each of them has a desire. The seller, to maximize profits, and the buyer, to minimize expenditures. The agreed upon price is that which meets both criteria. If such cannot be achieved, either party is free to walk away.

In criminal cases the prosecution is under a mandate to provide motive for the defendant’s behavior, otherwise the case will fall apart. Means as well. Motive and means will ultimately be the criteria by which the jury will determine guilt or innocence. In a court trial it is extremely rare for a defendant to give their motives for a particular crime. If they were to do so, it would incriminate them. So they will try to mask that motive for as long as possible. Why do you think so many crimes are committed at night? Fewer people are awake, or around to see.

John 3: 19 And this is the judgment: the light has come into the world, and people loved the darkness rather than the light because their works were evil. 20 For everyone who does wicked things hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his works should be exposed. 21 But whoever does what is true comes to the light, so that it may be clearly seen that his works have been carried out in God.” (ESV)

The same is true on the state and national stage. As they say, “Nothing happens by accident in politics.” Every action taken, every motion, every rule, every regulation, and every tax is driven by some internal motive the politicians do not want to make clear, otherwise they will be booted out of office.

There are a couple of ways that those in politics can prevent their activities from seeing the light of day. One is a straight cover up. Deny, deny deny, and hope it goes away. Another would be to apply smoke and mirrors to the situation. Actively create disturbances in other areas to keep the spotlight off them.

Now we come to the current political situation. Many will call it ‘divisive’and ‘unproductive’ because the rifts between our national parties could not be any greater. There is, in my opinion, a reason for that. The problem is almost completely on one side of the aisle. I believe I know the reason and motive.

In the run up to the last election we have the incompetent heir apparent to the party of the Democrats set against a scrappy, non politician businessman. Sometime during the election year, and continuing after, rumors of ‘Russian interference’ started. This ‘scandal’ was endlessly promoted against the scrappy businessman, who won the election. Shortly thereafter, impeachment proceedings began. Was there any ‘Russian collusion’? No. The charges were a complete fabrication. We have not yet heard the end of it all yet. Some indictments have already been handed down, but more information surfaces every day. A few people, more knowledgeable than myself, have written books on the subject. It is the most scandalous raw grab for power in our nation’s history. This was, in fact, a coup attempt. It was conceived, planned and implemented at the highest levels of the previous administration, and carried out by their minions in various intelligence services. This, my friends, is Treason.

Can you not see why the Democrats have gone full in for socialism and communism? Can you now see why they let their cities burn and do nothing? When they could? Can you also understand why they are going in all the way with mail in ballots? The plan is to so obfuscate the results, they can continue down the path they are on. They have already stated they will not accept the results if Trump wins. They can't! If they lose, the indictments will continue, and a number of them will face prison time, or worse. We all know the penalty for treason, don’t we? Their actions are so reprehensible that they are past the point of no return, so they cannot do anything but continue. If they win, then all their crimes will be swept under the carpet and go away.

But, if they win something else goes away along with it. Our country. The Democrats have already demonstrated absolutely no regard for our constitution and the rights it accords. They have shown a willingness to pursue and encourage violence against the very citizens they were commissioned to protect. Their cities are smoking heaps, with hundreds of millions of dollars of damage, livelihoods destroyed and people dead on the streets. And what do they do? They arrest a few and then let them go, to commit crimes the very next night. Then they call on the police chiefs and ask why crime is so high in their cities! The gall! The pride and arrogance of this party is beyond belief.

So why do we allow them to continue in power?

As Christians living in this nation today, we have a unique ability, no, a responsibility to be active in politics. It is we who have the answer, not them. Against their pride we present humility. Against violence, we hold strength of character and common decency. Against their grab for power, we present law and due process. Against their screeching and mindless wailing, we hold up Truth.

Jesus said, ‘I am the light of the world!’

It’s time to let our light shine too.

Christians! The fate of the nation is in your hands!

Is History Cyclical?

2020-09-25T15:04:00.001-07:00

Let us begin this discussion with a few quotes:

-He has erected a multitude of New Offices, and sent hither swarms of Officers to harass our people and eat out their substance.

-He has combined with others to subject us to a jurisdiction foreign to our constitution, and unacknowledged by our laws; giving his Assent to their Acts of pretended Legislation:

-For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent:

-For depriving us in many cases, of the benefit of Trial by Jury:

-He has abdicated Government here, by declaring us out of his Protection and waging War against us.

-He has plundered our seas, ravaged our coasts, burnt our towns, and destroyed the lives of our people.

-He has excited domestic insurrections amongst us,...is an undistinguished destruction of all ages, sexes and conditions.

Sound familiar? They should.

The above words were written some two hundred forty six years ago by Thomas Jefferson to enumerate crimes committed by King George against the colonies. They could have also been written just yesterday to describe the crimes committed by one of our own political parties against us. We have come full circle. Does that mean the adage is true, “History repeats itself?” And if that is the case, does it mean we are at the end of our nation’s greatness and our fall is imminent? Must we acquiesce to the current trends and denigrate ourselves to a post-history decline? Must we, as that party insists, become a socialist third world country with no defining morality or ideals except the arbitrary and capricious use of government power?

Let me counter the above comments with a couple of scriptures.

John 29:28-30 After this, Jesus, knowing that all was now finished, said (to fulfill the Scripture), “I thirst.” A jar full of sour wine stood there, so they put a sponge full of the sour wine on a hyssop branch and held it to his mouth. When Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, “It is finished,” and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit. (ESV)

Revelation 10:6,7 And swore by him who lives forever and ever, who created heaven and what is in it, the earth and what is in it, and the sea and what is in it, that there would be no more delay, but that in the days of the trumpet call to be sounded by the seventh angel, the mystery of God would be fulfilled, just as he announced to his servants the prophets. (ESV)

These two passages tell us that a certain part of history is not cyclical. First, the magnificent plan of salvation was completed by Jesus on the cross. That means we are no longer slaves to sin and alienated from God. It means we can enjoy a right relationship with Him, and, it follows, that we can enjoy a right relationship with each other.

The verse in Revelation demonstrates an ultimate end to history, that will be brought about by God Himself. God began history with creation. He will end it at some point in the future.

We also understand that a part of history is cyclical. I am speaking of those who have rejected the sovereignty of God. These people repeat themselves over and over. Why is that? Because tyrants and criminals only know how to do one thing, steal, destroy and murder. "....The thief comes only to steal, kill and destroy...." One thing is painfully clear. lawbreakers and miscreants will never build a stable, let alone a great, society.

By way of contrast we will now consider those who know and serve God. They have an understanding of law, and work to achieve a certain end. That end is to live in peace with those around them, and raise their children to be men and women of faith. Often they will sacrifice their own potential wealth and ambitions for their children's sake. Christians take the long view, preferring to invest in future generations rather than leave them to the whims of popular thought and crowd mentality.

Christian history, it turns out, is linear. It does not repeat, for every generation brings us closer to the point of Christ's return and the ultimate fulfillment of that event so eloquently described by John in the book of Revelation.

What about us today? The success of our nation came about because it was built around two foundations. One of them is our body of laws. The Constitution. The other is the Holy Scriptures, which carry the moral imperatives for the freedoms we enjoy. Take away either of those foundations and the edifice falls, to the ruin of all.

Let me ask my original question again. Is this the end? Must we fail as a nation? No! Our demise is not a foregone conclusion. We will remain free if we continue to stand for law, and the freedoms it guarantees us. We will remain free if the Gospel is allowed to be preached unhindered in our churches.

As long as both foundations remain strong, our nation will continue.

Sarcasm, Political Ad I Would Like To See

2020-09-16T08:00:00.000-07:00

The setting is an office, with shelves and books all around.

In the background is a sign that says “Phase 3 3/32.”

The person is the governor of a state. He is wearing a mask, and talking soothingly. He speaks. Or, at least we think he’s speaking. Can’t see for the mask.

“I know you’ve been through some tough times recently....

Of course, most of those times were caused by me. Sorry about that.

Oh sure, I didn’t have to do what I did. I could have stood up for you and your freedoms! I could have been a leader, but that wouldn’t do, my party doesn’t allow us to think and come to our own conclusions. Besides, it was just too easy to follow everyone else and abuse my power. It’s exhilarating, actually.

So I’ve cost a lot of you your jobs and wreaked havoc on the economy. You will recover, or not. Who cares? But hey! I got to order you around like the serfs you are, (really, I only need you to get elected) and low and behold, you fell right in line! Yay for me!

But look on the bright side, now that the door has been opened, I can take away more of your liberties, any time I want. All I have to say is five little words....*

Oh. I guess that’s more of a bright side for me than you.

It’s great being a Democrat.

Vote for me.”

*“It’s for your own good.”

The Voice of One Crying in the Wilderness

2020-09-11T12:39:00.001-07:00

I am not a prophet. Neither am I the son of a prophet. That doesn’t mean I can’t look around, see what is happening in our country and make informed evaluations. War has been declared, not just physically on our cities, but also on our founding principles and our heritage.

I know of no way to eloquently bring this to the forefront, and yet it must be said.

This is the last election we will have as a free people. I am going to let that sink in. This is it. We are at the precipice, and are now staring into the void.

I am so completely angered by the thought that I must speak out now. Because we do not have to fail. We are knowingly dismantling the most successful and powerful nation in the history of the world.

What is it that brings me to this conclusion? Many things. But in this article, I will focus on a single word. Corruption. Specifically, the corruption that has been borne out in the actions of the party of Democrats.

Let me lead off with a verse of scripture. 2 Timothy 3:13 “While evil people and impostors will go on from bad to worse, deceiving and being deceived.” (ESV)

  How is it that evil people will go from bad to worse? Very simply, because evil people do not hang out with good ones! Usually they want to take advantage of decent law abiding citizens, not be buddy-buddy with them. Good people will expose their deeds and turn them in to the authorities.
  Politics has and will always tend to corruption, because they have power over the life of others. Likewise corrupt politicians, and political parties will continually get more corrupt, for the reason I just stated in the previous paragraph. Politics is, as they say, dirty business. But, what about good people in politics? They are absolutely necessary, but it is difficult for them. Sometimes they will back away, not wanting to be exposed to the deleterious effects of the business. Often they are edged out. One thing is obvious. If good people leave an organization because it is corrupt, only the corrupt ones remain. Bad to worse. Just like Paul said. The best analogy I can come up with is that corruption is like a cancerous growth. It must be killed or excised from the body, or else it will destroy the body.
  The Democrat party, for some time now has gone from bad to worse. Their cities are on fire. Crime is rampant and rising precipitously. They are awash in debt, high taxes and suffocating regulation. Take a look at the states that have been under the control of Democrats for some time. Are they bastions of truth and justice? Are they prospering? Are businesses flourishing? Is fairness and equality the norm? No! Quite the opposite, actually. It doesn’t take much thought to understand that this reality is the result of their policies. However, when what they have proposed fails, do they reverse course? Do they stop and turn around? No. Instead, they double down and exacerbate the problem.

   On the national stage, the situation is worse. The Democrat party has never recognized the legitimacy of the current President. Rather, they have engaged in a non-stop attempt to bring him down. This is in direct violation of their oath of office and the peaceful transition of power. They have also engaged in a campaign of slander and character assassination against the President and those in his cabinet. All of this is obfuscation, a smoke screen to distract the public from their own evils.
  But screaming like banshees, making accusations, and attempting to accuse the President of being divisive, only demonstrates their weakness. There is only one group that refuses to play by the rule of law. It is Democrats. Why do they scream and whine like little babies? Because they cannot stand in the public arena and reasonably debate issues. When they do, they lose! They have no sound arguments for their actions. So they attempt to divert our attention elsewhere.
  Let’s take a quick look. The information is in. Lockdowns are a farce. They do not work. They serve very little purpose, except for the government to exercise illegal and arbitrary action against you. Who are they to say that one business is ‘essential’ and another is not? Every business is essential to someone.
  Our Constitution allows us the right to assemble, peacefully. Riots are not peaceful. Rioters are criminals, and they should be arrested and jailed for a very long time. By allowing violence to continue night after night the Democrat mayors are giving tacit approval to their actions. Their national leadership has hinted these will continue, and even get worse after the election, if their candidate does not win. This is an attempt to intimidate voters. As an alternative, they promote mail in ballots, which are easily tampered with, and have zero accountability. This is a smack in the face against liberty and the necessity of one man, one vote.
  I could go on, but others are doing that. My appeal today is to Christians. I want to speak directly to you for several reasons. First, because you know and understand Truth. Second, because you are the moral compass of this nation. Third, because the results of this coming election will be determined by you.
  Aren’t you tired of all this? Haven’t you had enough of Democrats taking away your personal liberties and freedoms? Do you really want our nation to fall into the hands of a party of socialists, communists and their rabble of violence? Then stand with me then against the moral bankruptcy that is the Democrat party. They are strong, yes. They will use illegal means in an attempt to sway the election. They may even use intimidation at the polls to keep you away.
  There is an answer to this situation. In 2 Chronicles we find Solomon, Son of David, building the temple in Jerusalem. Chapters 6 and 7 record the dedication of that edifice. Chapter 6 gives Solomon’s prayer. In it he implores God to “….Judge between your servants, condemning the guilty and bringing down on their heads what they have done, and vindicating the innocent by treating them in accordance with their innocence. (vs 23). In chapter 7 God appeared to Solomon in a dream and reiterates that sentiment. God said: “When I shut up the heavens so that there is no rain, or command the locust to devour the land, or send pestilence among my people, if my people who are called by my name humble themselves, and pray and seek my face and turn from their wicked ways, then I will hear from heaven and will forgive their sin and heal their land.” (vs 13 and 14)
  I know God is speaking in terms of the world 3,000 years ago, so I will paraphrase and put things in a more modern context. “When all kinds of bad things are happening, if my people….” Prayer is our unique ability to communicate with the God of the universe. To seek His face indicates our desire to understand His wisdom. In New Testament terms we are compared to ‘salt’ and ‘light.’ Salt is a preservative, while light illuminates truth.
  Question. Are not we, as Christians, God’s people? These verses apply to us, too. Notice God does not implore evil people to repent. Why not? Because they are evil! Duh! They have rejected his authority. It is God’s own people who must repent. When they do the right thing, evil cannot stand.
  I will now modify my earlier statement to allow a glimmer of hope. This is the last election we will have as a free people, unless Christians vote e- mass against the manifested corruptions of the Democratic party. They are a cancer and a reproach to our nation. Every iteration of their party at every level must be excised, or they will continue to grow. They must be stopped. Now. Or they will destroy us.
  Vote like the future of the nation depends on it. It does.

Vote like your very life and continued fortune depends on it. It does.

Vote like the lives of your children and grandchildren depends on it. It does.

By Their Fruits You Shall Know them….

2020-08-31T11:56:00.005-07:00

American cities are burning tonight, and have been every night for months. These are not ‘peaceful protests’. Rather, they are criminal acts of violence and lawlessness. They are part of a plan initiated and abetted at the highest levels by one of our two major political parties, the Democrats. These are not their only crimes. Let me list a few more.

-They are the party of abortion. We do not hear about it very much these days, because of the number of years that have passed since the Supreme Court decision. Let me say the entire case involved in Roe vs. Wade was a sham. And the court’s ruling was a severe over-reach of it’s authority. Today the issue is framed by the statement, ‘a woman’s right to choose.’ Choose what? To take away the life of an unborn child? But, that which is growing inside her is not hers! It is genetically unique and separate. Her responsibility is to nurture that life, not take it away. I will bring forward a small but significant statement of fact. “It is incorrect to say that life is created at conception. Actually, life is continued at conception.” If a party is unwilling to uphold the sanctity of life itself, it certainly will not uphold the law.

-They are the party of socialism and communism. In fact, they almost nominated an avowed and unrepentant communist as their candidate for president. And the current candidate has expressed his full support for those ideals. I will now set you straight about Marx and the various ‘-isms’ that followed him. Marx was an atheist. A man who hated Christianity. He was also a moron. His economics are garbage, and have never been successfully implemented anywhere. The most recent example of the failure of his ideas is Venezuela. By contrast, capitalism is a direct result of the freedoms we have in Christ. If we can enjoy a right relationship with God, we can also enjoy a right relationship with our fellow man. Our system inspires confidence, and has produced the greatest and wealthiest nation in the history of the world.

-They are seditious. The powers that be in the Democratic party willfully conspired to bring down a duly and legally elected President of the United States. Further, they politicized intelligence assets that were supposed to be non-political entities. All cases brought against the current President have been shown to be fabricated. Several of the major players have admitted their guilt and more are under investigation. The Democratic party relentlessly pursued articles of impeachment knowing they were lies, wasting your money in the process and delaying legislation that could be to our benefit. I have a better word for what they have done. Treason.

-They are incompetent. When the pandemic came to our nation, many governors instituted lock-down orders. To what end? We were told the reason was to ‘follow the science’ and ‘flatten the curve’ so hospitals would not be overwhelmed. Guess what? Except for a few places, they were never overwhelmed. Lockdown policies did little, if any good at all. How do I know this? Because the states that remained free fared no worse than those with severe constraints. Often they did better. Stay at home orders represent an overreach of governmental authority, and a restriction of our Constitutionally guaranteed rights. What they should have done was to protect the ones who were most vulnerable to the virus, keep us informed, and offer advice on the best ways to prevent transmission. But did they? No. They ordered us to stay home! Who do they think they are? Do they really have the power to tell us we can't go to work? Or church? Who made them king? The effect was to make criminals out of decent law abiding citizens who want to make a better life for themselves and their families, not to mention the destruction of jobs and loss of revenue.

Please understand, I am not trying to downplay the severity of the virus. It's a nasty bug! It targets a protein found primarily in the lungs, and that is why the elderly and those with compromised breathing capacity are the most at risk. However, better than 99% of those who catch the virus recover. This was known early on in the outbreak, but instead of taking steps to protect the few, they tried to shut down all.

-They have aided and abetted lawbreakers and criminals. Months ago, when the riots started, the Democratic mayors in those cities cheered them on, to the point of reducing their own ability to maintain law and order. I am talking about the ‘defund the police’ movement. It goes without saying that crime in those places has skyrocketed. These are elected officials charged with maintaining law and order. Protecting our lives and property is their job! So, what did they do when the chips were down? They disappeared and refused to take action. They told their respective police forces to stand down. The result was massive destruction and loss. This is the same political party that wants to confiscate our guns, and give us no means to defend ourselves. The unrest perpetrated by those criminals every night is manufactured and has the approval of the Democratic party. In the time since the riots have begun not one Democrat has stood on the national stage to condemn it. Not one.

-They are the enemy of Christianity. If a party has embraced the killing of the innocent, and espouses a dedication to atheistic principles, why would they be a friend to those who live by the codex of scripture and the teachings of Christ? Evidence for this is in yet another overreach of power, by denying churches their Constitutional right to meet.

I could go on, but I will not. My purpose is to arouse your anger and prompt you to action. Plus, there are many out there in the blogosphere who have a better angle on the events than I do. I invite you to seek out the facts for yourself. The reality is that the Democratic party, by its own actions, has proven itself to be an unrepentant force for unrest, division and crime in this country. The ideals they support are not the ideals of our founding fathers and the framers of the Constitution. Rather, the Democratic party is attempting to usurp our laws and replace them with something else, tyranny. People, this is nothing other than a naked grab for power. They must be stopped, or they will destroy us.

What are we to do? Fight back, of course. Haven't you had enough of their wanton destruction, looting, intimidation, and their distain for our flag and Bible? These rioters are in the minority. If free people stand up to them they can and will be defeated. That’s why I am appealing to two groups. First, Christians because the birthright of our nation is Christianity and the foundation of our system of law is the Bible. I also invite every red-blooded American whose heart beats for freedom to stand with me against the Democrats on Nov 3rd. Not just in the all-important presidential race. I am talking about every election: local, state and national. Get rid of them all! Send a powerful message that we will no longer tolerate their behavior. Vote! What’s more, vote in person, for that is the only way you know your vote will legally be counted. This fall we must go the the polls in overwhelming numbers to decisively cast down the corruption of that party. A vote against the Democratic party is a vote for liberty.

They have been weighed in the balances and are found wanting…

Coach Bonheim, HIIT Pioneer

2018-12-08T09:40:00.000-08:00

It is interesting to see how sports training has developed over the years. Athletes and coaches are always looking for ways to gain a competitive edge over the other guys in the field. That field includes both individual and team sports. The changes brought about ultimately spill over to the private sector and the result is that athletes of every level are beneficiaries. Who has not heard the motto, “Train Smarter, not Harder.”

Which brings me to Coach Bonheim. I was on Liberty’s inaugural wrestling team. Let me state this up front. I was easily the worst guy on the mat. Just ask anyone who was there, they’ll tell you. But I digress. That first season our practices followed the pattern that I had come to know from my extensive one year of wrestling experience in high school. Basically, work, work, work. We would do conditioning exercises, work on moves, and wrestle. Every day. The second season our modus operandi changed dramatically. We still worked like crazy. But at the start of that season Coach said, “All right, we are going to do something different this year.”

The ‘something different’ was along these lines. Every other practice we would only wrestle. He might have us begin with a 1 minute session, then two, then three, then three again, two and one. Sometimes he would double them up. In between each session we would walk in a circle and check our heart rate. Actually he had one of our number checking his heart rate. When it dropped below 120 beats per minute, we got set up to go the next round. By the end of these practices we would spend some 40-45 minutes wrestling.

The in between days would be spent, after initial warm up exercises, practicing moves. Just moves. We might begin with takedowns, then mat work. Over and over again.

What did this do for us? It allowed time to recover from the intense physical demands of the hard practices, and inculcate a new skill set during the easy ones. This style fits with what is known about the bodies’ response to exercise. Generally, it takes up to 48 hours to recover from a maximum effort. That off time would be spent doing lighter work. I thought it to be a great strategy, and I wound up being in the best shape of my life. My resting heart rate back then was 50. (It’s a respectable 55 today.) Granted, I was still the worst wrestler on the team, I was just better at being the worst. That was the year I started travelling with a singing group and had to quit the team.

It turns out that Coach Bonheim was a graduate of UCLA, and had studied under a guy named Laurence Morehouse. He mentioned Dr. Morehouse a couple of times during practice and the classes I took from him. An internet search led me to a 1975 People Magazine article about Dr. Morehouse where he was promoting his book, Total Fitness in 30 Minutes a week.

Wait, what? 30 minutes? A week? This was during the era when aerobics studios were springing up all over the place. Kenneth Cooper’s best-selling book “Aerobics” was first published in 1968. In that era the accepted wisdom was that adequate fitness requires a minimum of three thirty minute cardio sessions a week. And here was Dr. Morehouse saying you could stay fit in one third of that time. A radical idea.

Today the prevailing fitness wisdom is along the lines of shorter, more intense sessions. Forget about how long I need to work out. How short can I go and still achieve fitness goals? Modern day research suggests that a single 4 minute high intensity exercise session can produce the same changes in the body as 40 minutes of steady state exercise. This was demonstrated by a number of researchers, like Dr. Izumi Tabata, the Japanese speed skating coach who has those timers named after him.

What are the benefits of this type of training? Among other things, better oxygen uptake by the lungs, expressed as VO2 max, better insulin metabolism, added strength, and an increase in mitochondria in muscle cells. How efficient!

Back to Coach Bonheim and the wrestling team. He was having us do high intensity workouts, and believe me, wrestling is a high intensity activity, decades before this research was known. How did this new type of training affect the team? The first season, we placed fifth at the National Christian College Athletic Association tournament at Messiah College in PA. The next year they were third, and the following two years placed first. Bonheim was named Coach of the Year.

It is obvious to me that Coach was on the cutting edge with his training methods, he was a HIIT innovator and years ahead of his time.

The IE-IE-YO

2018-06-09T16:01:00.001-07:00

“IE-IE-YO?” She asked.

She happens to be my granddaughter, Makenzie, almost two years old and not quite three feet tall. Her face is raised upward to meet mine. “IE-IE-YO?” She implores again. Her light tousled hair falls partly across her forehead and covers one of her brown eyes. The face is a study in inquisitive precociousness. Her head is tilted to one side with one eyebrow raised as if she might be up to something.

I can’t always oblige her requests. Sometimes I am busy reading or researching something on the internet. Sometimes there is no time, it might be too close to dinner or bedtime. But today nothing is pressing.

“OK,” I say. Her face lights up with joy and she moves her hands like she’s clapping, even though they never touch. In her arms she holds two stuffed animals which move with her.

“Where is my computer?” I ask.

She hops over to the cubby where it is stowed and touches it. I reach over and take it out of its bag and set it on the floor in front of her.

“Would you like to help me open it?”

She shakes her head and the stuffed animals tumble to the floor as she bends over. Now her face is one of focus and concentration. Her little hands reach over to the zippers on the case. She grabs one and begins to unzip the top. Even though we have done this dozens of times she still has a little problem negotiating the zipper around the corners, so I rotate the case around to give her better leverage.

After the case is unzipped she jumps up and gathers her animals while I take it out. Then she moves over to help me plug it in. I never let her touch the power supply cord but I do ask her where the plug goes. She points to the correct location.

“Good!” I exclaim. Then she points to the modem port and I plug in the phone line. Having accomplished that I lean back in my Lazy Boy and unfold the leg rest. Now I’m ready for her to come aboard. Using the lever as a step she begins to climb over the armrest, stuffed animals and all. I help her and in a few moments she is sitting beside me as I turn on the computer.

After it boots up I ask her, “Which one do we push?” She points to a green icon on the screen. “That’s right! We have to touch it twice.” I say this as I am doing it, knowing she has no idea how to call up a program using the touchpad. She waits patiently while the program comes up. Then I ask, “Which one do you want to watch?” She points to one of the three videos on the screen. Actually two of the three icons are identical, But I know which one she wants to watch. It’s the Christmas video, even though it is the middle of summer. If I click on the wrong one she will signal her displeasure almost at once. “No! No!” She will exclaim. As the video starts I ask her about her two ‘friends’.

“Who is this one?” I ask, pointing.

“Ju-Ju.” she replies.

“Junior?” I ask.

“Yes, she replies. Not yea or right-o. Yes.

“And who is this one?”

“Dumbo,” she says.

“Dumbo?”

Again, “Yes.”

I know her animals names already, but I like to draw her out and get her to talk. I like the sound of her voice. I’d rather have her to talk to me than me talk to her.

The video is running now and sometimes we sing along. During some parts I take her little hand and move it back and forth with the music like a conductor. Her attention never wavers. She laughs at certain parts, and answers my questions immediately. She has watched this with me many times and knows what will happen next, sometimes shouting out a word, like ‘house!’ right before they show the making, in fast motion, of a gingerbread house.

During some parts she will look at me and smile. As we watch I take note of her eyes. They appear to be a little droopy. She looks tired. Maybe she got up too early from her nap today.

I say, “You can lay back and still watch the video.”

I adjust the lazy-boy back a notch and move the computer screen slightly. Without a word her head settles back on my shoulder.

My Eve of Christmas Eve Workout

2017-12-27T07:38:00.000-08:00

Christmas Eve Eve this year is on a Saturday, my biggest workout day. Since I am headed out of town later this morning I decide to get my workout in as early as possible.

Early as possible means 8:00 a. m. for that is when my gym opens. I am there just as the doors are unlocked. I like this time of day. The gym is not crowded and I can workout without having to wait. During the week I go later in the evening because the early people have finished and are now leaving.
Today I am doing a workout of my own design, which is a variation of the Tabata system. Tabata was developed for speed skaters and consists of doing 8 sets of all out sprints for 20 seconds and resting 10. I have adapted it to use for muscle gr oups. Today I'm headed for a full body workout.
It should be noted that I wouldn't wish this workout on anyone. It hurts! It's not for the faint of heart either. HIIT exercise is designed to create massive oxygen debt. My own version does this quite well, as you will soon see.

I am going into this ordeal completely 'cold'. Meaning I have eaten nothing since dinner last night. My blood sugar is already low, and the high energy work I'm going to do will, if the sports performance people are right, do great and cool things to my body.
So here goes:

I always start with upper back exercises for a couple of reasons. First, these muscles are huge and my general philosophy is to work from the biggest muscle groups to the smallest. Second, the back exercises I will be doing trigger biceps in a big way. Doing back first allows the biceps some recovery time while I work other muscle groups. I will hit biceps specifically last.
This morning I set up two lat machines for use. With the first, I will be pulling the handles almost straight down. The other machine pulls more from the front, like a seated row. These two should give my latissimus dorsi a run for the money. I put 6 plates on one (about 270lbs) and 4 on the other (about 180lbs). The reason I am doing this is based on an article I read a few weeks back, extolling the virtues of heavy, then light exercises. I've been testing that idea in my big workouts, and so far I like it.

I set my Tabata timer to exercise for 20 seconds and rest for another 20. The rest period will give me time to move from one machine to the next. The number of cycles is set to 6. I know the standard number is 8, which I do on cardio days, but not for when working muscles. Because I'll die.

I hit the 'go' button and it counts down 5 seconds before start. The first 20 seconds I'm using the heavier weight and I get 10 reps. After that I jump up and move to the other machine. I wait the last few seconds of rest before starting and I perform this weight 20 times in the 20 seconds. Now I move back to the heavy machine for the next start. I still do 10 reps this set, but it's much more difficult than the first. I finished here a scant 40 seconds ago! I stay on this machine for the entire rest period and do a second set here. Two heavy exercises in a row. Then I move over and do the last two sets light, but this time I can't quite get 20 reps in. I get around 15.

I originally did heavy-light for 3 rounds with this routine, but I messed up last week and ended up doing two heavy sets in a row, which I offset with two light. To be perfectly honest, it seemed to be more difficult that way, so I'm going to stick with it for a few more weeks.

At the end of my back routine 4 minutes has elapsed and I've lifted approximately 16,000 lbs. I set the timer on my phone for two minutes. That's my rest period between muscle groups.

Next up: Chest. This part of the workout will be a little different because I injured my right shoulder a few months back, and it's pretty bad. So I can no longer do bench press and certain shoulder moves. On the bright side I can do dumbbell and cable exercises without causing much pain. (The bad kind of pain, not the discomfort of effort). I head to the cable machine and set it up. I have no idea what the weight is, but I'm going to estimate it as equivalent to two 40lb dumbbells.

This machine is harder to adjust for heavier and lighter weights, so I will be using the same weight for all 6 rounds. I do change form, from more of a flye move to a pressing movement as fatigue sets in. For the duration of this exercise I stay in the 15 rep range. This means by the end of another 4 minutes I've pushed about 7,200lbs.
By now I'm really breathing hard, and my triceps and chest are trembling from the exertion. Feel the burn! I take off my warm up jacket and set another 2 minutes on the timer. On to the next exercise.

Now I'm ready for legs and my heaviest routine. Again, it's difficult the change weights around, so I'll stick with a single weight the whole time. I put 14 plates and 2 25's on the machine (680lbs) and get ready. It takes some extra time to gather all the plates for they are scattered around the area. I wind up taking about 3 minutes rest. No matter, this is going to be quite demanding. I modify the Tabata timer for this exercise. Instead of 20 seconds on and 20 seconds off, I set the rest period for only 10 seconds. That way I'm starting a new cycle every 30 seconds. I start and burn through 6 rounds of 20 reps each. It's not easy! My legs are hurting by round 3 and it gets worse every succeeding round. 120 reps in 3 minutes, a whopping 81,000lbs! Leg work is so much fun. But remember I'm pushing the weight at a 45 degree angle, so it's not like I'm lifting this as dead weight. It's actually about 70% of the total, in the 400lb range. Still, it looks impressive. Normally this would be my warm up weight. I've pushed over 1,000lbs on this machine. But it takes a lot of extra time and effort to load the plates! About 24 of them. And if anyone else is in the area I would be taking plates from them. I'd rather just do more reps.

By now I'm in serious oxygen debt, my legs are rubber and I'm walking funny. I'm glad they have a ramp and not steps back out to the main floor.

The next muscle group happens to be my least favorite, abs. However, I must do some token exercises for them and it keeps my heart rate up to burn more calories. I am headed to the lower back machine which is a cakewalk compared to what I just did. I set the machine for its heaviest weight (300) and crank out 20 reps. When I stand I get a major head rush. Everything goes dark for a few seconds and I have to just stand there until more oxygenated blood reaches my brain. It passes and I go upstairs to the Roman Chair. There I perform 15 knee lifts, set my timer again and gulp some water. Only one muscle group is left, biceps.

Here is another chance to do the heavy-light Tabata I started with. I set up an ez curl bar with 25lb plates and grab a pair of dumbbells. Then I reset the timer for 20 seconds work and 20 seconds rest. I begin with 10 reps on the bar, and 15 using the dumbbells. That takes care of the first 2 rounds. Next I go 2 heavy cycles in a row, and end with 2 light rounds. Compared to the other muscle groups it's a paltry 3,500lbs total. Not a lot but let's face it Biceps are the smallest muscle group I've worked today.
That finishes my workout. It lasts about 40 minutes and by the end of that time I've lifted over 100,000lbs, the majority of that being legs. If I remember my Physics correctly the definition of Power is Work divided by Time. That puts my average weight lifted per minute at around 2,500lbs. I'm feeling every bit of it.

Next up, nutrition therapy! A three egg omelet covered in cheese and my Saturday treat, coffee. Since it's winter I pour my coffee over powdered hot chocolate instead of cream or milk. I'm no nutritionist but I figure the caffeine and sugars will provide quick energy to my muscles to begin recovery so the protein can do its work. In the meantime my muscles are still trembling and I'm in such a state of oxygen debt that even scrambling the eggs causes me to gasp for air.

I'm going to feel this tomorrow for sure.

Candidate of the Apocalypse: Episode 18

2017-10-14T14:22:00.001-07:00

Charles was speaking to a standing room only crowd at the Sheraton convention center in downtown San Francisco. Over 600 people were in attendance. Charles took to the stage amid a standing ovation. He spoke simply, with quiet authority about Liberty, his over arching theme for the week. He had chosen this track to counter the other party’s crass emotionalism. In the early days of the campaign, Charles had debated a few of those of the liberal persuasion. He won them handily, but noticed when they couldn’t win by facts and clear argument, they would resort to some kind of emotional appeal or character assassination. Operatives from the other side were constantly on the prowl to interview his former employees and find some dirt on him, but they, to the last man declined to give any damaging information. Eventually he stopped the debates because he realized they were more of a distraction than anything else.

“Let’s do a quick comparison between our founding fathers, and their ideas of Liberty and government, versus those of politicians today. They had to deal with the tyranny of George III, who ignored their concerns and instead increased his repressive actions, leading to our founding Document, The Declaration of Independence, and war. The word that is most descriptive of their actions to me, is, sacrifice. They risked everything, impoverishment and even death for an idea that man could govern himself. Many of them did wind up penniless. But they looked to the future, and the future rewards of a free people. We all agree their sacrifice succeeded wildly.

Let’s contrast that with today. The great success our system allowed has faltered in recent years. The reason? We are again under tyranny. Not by any foreign power, but by government itself. We are now egregiously taxed and regulated. Our every move is scrutinized, and we have been suffering because of it. The present crop of politicians think of themselves and not you. They want the perks of the job right now and are destroying your future for their present. The result is, today our national debt is in the trillions, and our politicians regularly meet in secret and lie to you about important matters." He was speaking specifically of the national health care plan, pushed through by the other party and the promises made about it. Which not only were lies, but known and calculated ones. This was most distasteful to Charles, who believed if anyone should be telling the truth, it should be elected officials. It was their sacred duty to those who trusted them enough to put them in office.

"What can we do about this? We can join the Revolution. I believe this time around lots of people will be coming over to our side because they see what’s going on and are fed up by it. Join the battle! Vote!"

After his speech he grabbed a mike and took questions from the crowd. He, his assistant and cameraman wandered back and forth around the room. Afterward he took his leave of them and left for the airport.

The next week an open letter appeared in the San Francisco Free Press.

“I was there at the event. Well, I had to be there, for I am an employee of the hotel. It so happens that his opponent had a rally here last week. The difference between the two events were stunning. For the other party, everything was determined before hand, in the form of demands, from the attire of the attendants to the type of water on the podium, and no less than sixteen back up bottles on the table behind. There were no real guests, besides security, all were party favorites and even though the other candidate had a question and answer time, the inquiries were vetted by his people and answered by teleprompter. The candidate never left the stage, never stopped to meet the people behind the scenes, and never thanked our staff for their efforts.

By comparison Charles’ event was a breath of fresh air. He and his staff were professional, non-demanding and always grateful for our work. They asked for nothing. When I approached his campaign manager about Charles’ on stage needs he looked puzzled for a moment, then asked tentatively, ”Would it be ok for a glass of ice water?” “Any particular kind?” Again, puzzlement. “Whatever you have would be fine.”

When Charles took the stage he was greeted by enthusiastic and genuine cheers, the other guys had a sign for when the people were to clap. While he spoke I was able to listen quietly in the doorway to the kitchen. I wondered what all the controversy was about. This guy is some kind of radical? I couldn’t see it. He came across to me as being entirely sincere . His question and answer period was completely off the cuff. No pat answers, no edits or previews. His answers showed a very knowledgeable man with real concern and practical answers to the problems our nation faces.

After he finished, Charles insisted on thanking the staff, and we quickly called them together. They were excited to meet him, but he seemed to be thrilled too. He shook hands with each one, looked them in the eye and listened. He had barely met half of our people when his campaign advisor hinted rather urgently they were running late and the plane was waiting.

The candidate turned and said, “Do you think they are going to leave without me?” “No,” his manager replied. “A few minutes won’t hurt very much, this is important.”

And so he continued. All the while he was relaxed and personable.

For many years I have been a member of the other party, but I’m voting for Charles this time around. This man is the genuine article."

A New Standard for Fitness?

2017-10-08T20:12:00.000-07:00

How do we measure fitness? Is it how fast we can run, how high we can jump? Or maybe it’s how much we can pick up. Many different systems of exercise have been developed over the years, some designed for the athlete to better their performance, others for individuals who are interested because being in shape helps them feel and think better.

What if we could distill the essence of fitness into a single word? That word would be ‘mitochondria’.

Why mitochondria? Because these are little organelles that take food: carbohydrates, amino acids (protein) and fatty acids and oxidize them to create ATP, the fuel your cells use for energy. The more of these little guys you have in your cells, the better. Every cell in your body has mitochondria, except red blood cells. If you surmised that muscle cells are packed with them, you would be right. And why wouldn’t they be? Your muscles need to generate tremendous energy when called upon.

About 40 years ago, professor John Holloszy at the University of Washington found that endurance exercise induced large changes in muscular mitochondria. Over the intervening years, from his discovery to today, we have seen a boom in the number of people entering into some exercise regimen.

What about the latest research? An article posted on the Science Daily web site a few months ago presents us with the results of a study published in Cell Metabolism. The researchers took groups of volunteers, men and women in younger and older age groups and had them perform one of three different exercise programs. One group did high intensity interval biking. The second, strength training with weights. The third performed a combination of the two.

The results? While strength training caused the biggest increases in muscle mass, the high intensity exercise group experienced the largest rise in muscle mitochondria. (49% increase in the younger group, 69% increase in the older.) If that wasn’t enough the exercisers also showed improvement in insulin sensitivity. Which indicates a lower likelihood of developing diabetes.

We all know that any form of exercise is beneficial to the individual. My own adage is simple: movement equals exercise equals fitness. The takeaway is this: the more you move, the better shape you will be in. However, if you really want to maximize your fitness levels, ramp up the intensity and the results will follow.

Sreekumaran Nair, the lead author of the Cell Metabolism study suggests a best of both worlds approach: "If people have to pick one exercise, I would recommend high-intensity interval training, but I think it would be more beneficial if they could do 3-4 days of interval training and then a couple days of strength training,"

Here’s the link: https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2017/03/170307155214.htm

Another excellent article can be found here:
https://www.mangomannutrition.com/mitochondrial-biogenesis-part1/
UPDATE: I would like to see any research about aerobic exercise, running or biking, and the resulting change on cellular mitochondria. That way we could get a better picture of what types of workouts will engender the most change. This study only compares HIIT and weights. It would be pretty good to put the third kind of workout next to the other two.

Candidate of the Apocalypse Episode 17

2017-08-20T20:01:00.000-07:00

Charles’ campaign was running in high gear since he had pulled even in the polls. His chosen running mate, a former general and legislator was considered a good choice. And, like Charles, he was also a Washington outsider, but very effective at his job. He was well respected and liked even by his political opponents. And he was able to speak powerfully to the issues at hand. Now the two of them would campaign, together at the more important events, and singly everywhere else. They played well off each other’s experience and personalities.

For both of them, every minute of every day was scheduled, up early, breakfast at an event, speak, move on to the next event. While in transit, meet people, plan and study. There were many things to consider, from the wording of speeches and position articles on his web site, to potential cabinet members. Charles now had several assistants, and each one handled a particular specialty. Even though it appeared to be lacking somewhat in organization, everyone was working more or less smoothly with the ultimate goal to land Charles in the White House.

Lunch was taken either on the road or at another event. Usually Charles would speak for a few minutes about an important issue of the day. Eating was noisy and, since he was the guest of honor, often the cooks and servers were overly enthusiastic about his portions. He had to stop his lifelong habit of cleaning his plate.

And there were meetings! Meetings of all kinds, big ones with lots of people, supporters who had donated a lot of money, or won a contest to meet him, and myriads of smaller ones, sometimes with only Charles and a single person. These tended to be with high level officials in government or in his party. Charles noted that some representatives who had carefully avoided him during the nomination now wanted to talk, usually out of the public eye. These meetings would continue into the night.

Outwardly it appeared that everything and everyone associated with the campaign was happy and upbeat all the time. But there were some serious concerns. Charles had been inundated with voters coming up to him asking the same question. Is it too late? Can our government be saved, or is it in free fall and we were doomed to become like Europe, Britain and other countries? “That’s why I’m running, to keep that from happening,” He would often reply. But he did have doubts. Because of his position he was privy to the internal workings of government and what was going on behind the scenes. What he found out disturbed him deeply. And he knew that many times those from his own party were to blame up as well as the other one. Would his own party accept they had contributed to the current state of government? Would they be willing to admit their errors and correct them? Where was the will to enact a sea change in attitude about the size and scope of government? There were no real answers.

From the info his staff had gathered, he was able to guess whether he would have a majority of supporters for his big initiatives, and every time they came up even, or almost even. The votes were always too close to call! Which was one reason he started courting first time conservatives, he would need all their support to enact real change, and these people would not be enamored by the perks of the job, or beholden to any interest group.

One thing he did know. There was great dissatisfaction with the current state of government, and that was working in his favor. Charles was going to play that for all it was worth.

Inside the Story: Names

2017-03-04T05:17:00.000-08:00

Hemingway was asked in an interview, "How do you name your characters," His reply: "The best I can."

I attempt to do that also. In any story the mission is to pick something that is appropriate to the character. I used to wonder how it was that so many names in classic literature are sort of odd or unusual. The reason for that is to find something unique. After all, when writing a unique story, why not have unique names? There are times when the character name comes to me on the spot. Others take thought.   Some are from my particular history.

A few examples:

The head FAA investigator is named Ross. I got his name from a book I read a few years back titled, Fate is the Hunter. It's a first person biography of a pilot's experiences in aviation during WWII and after. He was a cargo pilot. It happened that the guy who was his first captain was named Ross. He was, as the author described, the personification of what a pilot should be. Tall, smart, disciplined, experienced and cool. Since he was the quintessential pilot, I gave my character his name: Ross. Notice he doesn’t have a last name. Neither did his inspiration. Or maybe I just do not remember it.

What about the girl, Liz? Everyone calls my daughter Michelle, but her actual first name is Elizabeth. It's also the name of my grandmother. Elizabeth Pearl.

Her colleague Greg, short for Gregory. I had a friend with his name. It just seemed right.

Alan? I used to work with a guy with that name. He was personable, smart, principled and he liked to blow things up. I admired him for all that. So my main character has this name. I've also known a couple of Alan's during my life, and they were all like this.

The criminal. William Sangster was a member of the youth group at church when I was in high school. He was a fun loving and kind of goofy guy who could play guitar and sing well.  Obviously I just used his name for the story. I doubt he would hurt a flea.

Other names, like Victor and Sophia just came to me at the right time. I did want Sophia's name to be a little exotic, and that's where my mind took me. The same was true with my TV reporter, Lindsay Prescott. I wanted her name to give a sense of old southern charm and sort of roll off the tongue.

Officer Boston. When I was in college the group I was travelling with did a concert in Jacksonville, Florida. Afterward, a friend of mine, Steve Reitenour, the percussionist, and I walked along the water way to enjoy the sights.  Nearby was the Independent Life building. Back then it was brand new and not open to the public. But the lobby lights were on and we walked in, still in our suits from the concert.  It was beautifully done, with flora everywhere and a half-acre indoor pond. We were met by the security guard, who informed us that no one was allowed in. We didn't press the matter, and struck up a conversation with him.  A few minutes later he said, 'Well, come on up, I'll show you the restaurant.' It was on the top floor.  We got a free tour of the place, and an excellent view of the city. The guard? Rodger Boston.

Yes, names are everywhere, but it's kind of neat to be able to use some from people you've met and admire, even if no one else knows it.

2017-02-19T17:19:00.002-08:00

Inside the Story: Ideas

2017-02-19T17:11:00.000-08:00

Every story must start with an idea. Mine is no exception, of course. How did it come about? I wanted to began with a mystery, something vivid which would draw the reader in and propel the narrative forward.

So I set the first scene in the middle of the woods, and at night. To throw things off a bit I had as my witness, a guy who was something of an enigma too. This part of the story was known to the reader, but they would have no idea where it would lead, how the two were connected, or even if they were connected. Then I added a cast of characters to the mix and started writing. Theirs was to be a voyage of discovery.

As for my characters, I did not want to reveal much about them at the outset. That way the reader would discover things about who they were as the story went along. Character development would coincide with the story.

Those were the ingredients I used to initiate the novel. Once they were in place I had to direct the action so little revelations could be made at just the right time. Each chapter would end with some sort of discovery and be a lead in to the next. That way the reader always had some answered and unanswered questions. The combined effect would be an engaging, fast paced story that culminates in a satisfying and possibly life-changing conclusion.

And it all started with that little scene in the woods.

Publishing Your Own Book - The Reveal

2016-11-24T08:24:00.001-08:00

Thanksgiving Day. I'm writing this from my sister's house in Richmond, VA. My home.

About two months ago I received the first copies of my book. Ten of them. Excitement was in the air. I was (and am) a published author! Cool. I meant to keep a copy for myself, but wound up giving them all away. A few weeks ago I bought three more copies, and gave two of them away. (The other was sold. I needed the cash.) Once again I have no copies. But the pdf text is still with me.

A Facebook announcement was in order, but first I tried the links to make sure they were good. My friends responded well to the announcement and I created an "author" page for the book, but I haven't really done anything to promote the page except change the title picture. I don't want to be pushy. Self-promotion has never been my forte.

The first ten copies went to family and friends, many of whom were my 'readers'. All had presented good reviews for the book, and a couple were exceptional. My sister's husband is not a guy who reads a lot, but his evaluation was excellent. Another, my aunt Faye, who is a retired university professor gave the story high marks. She loved it, said there were no grammatical errors, and I had an excellent command of the English language. Cute. (It was actually her evaluation that prompted me to try and publish.) Everyone else liked the story too, so I was happy that Page Publishing picked it up. I put a special note inside each cover and sent the books away.

A few weeks later I checked my author's page and found out the book was in the 'promotional stage'. Page's people had put together a press release about my book. A copy was sent to me for my own perusal, and it was good. I commented on one thing. The same word was used twice in the same sentence. They changed the word and I approved it forthwith.

Thanks to my editor Courtney, who supervised all this. My experience with Page Publishing is still overwhelmingly good.

Candidate of the Apocalypse: Questions and Answers

2016-11-05T10:04:00.000-07:00

Charles was at a town hall meeting answering questions: As usual these were completely off the cuff and unscripted. Although there had been pressure to 'plant' people in the audience who would ask softball questions so he could give pat answers.
During Charles' talk he had stated "The political elite in Washington would have you believe the problems we face are too hard for us poor ignorant regular people to understand, much less find solutions for. But I tell you this, There is no problem in Washington that practical intelligent people cannot solve, fairly easily."
The first questioner recalled the statement and asked: "Can you give us an example?"
"I'll give a couple of them," was his reply.
"First, Let's talk about the budget, something which is required by law, but the other party has been hesitant to do. I can solve the problem in a single statement. Last years actual revenue is this year's budget. How difficult it that? In that way the size of the pie is known, and the politicians can argue all they want about how many and how large the slices will be.
Next, how do we balance the budget? Require every agency to put away 5% of their budget in the bank as a rainy day fund. And if the department head cannot meet this metric, they will be relieved of duty. Fired." Charles secretly wanted to place an elected official at the head of every department for that reason, with an added law. If the director was fired they also couldn't be re-elected.
"What about the problem with lobbyists?" a man asked.
"Turn the process upside down. Up to now the lobbyists will come to Washington and wine and dine Congressmen. Or take them on an all-expense-paid vacation to the Bahamas, or, wherever. My change would be this: if a legislator wants a lobbyist to come to Washington, they will pay all their expenses. Travel, hotel and meals. All this would come out of their own budget. The lobbyist pays nothing. Can you see how the dynamic would change?"
Another stood: "Do you think this type of change can actually happen in Washington?
Charles nodded. "Yes, I think it can, but making things simple is not easy for the Washington elite. That's because people in that city have ulterior motives. Most of this is driven by party politics. So they can't make things simple because it would mean the job is easy and anybody could do it. Also, they wouldn't be able to grab power when the opportunity came.
Last of all, what about revenue itself? How come for many years now we the people of these United States have been complaining about the IRS, the size and scope of government, and endless regulation. Yet no one has offered any viable solution. In public anyway. Actually bills have been floated to take care of these very things, like the Fair Tax Bill, yet they have gone nowhere, they are victims of political maneuverings and insider politics. Most of the meetings which kill solutions are done in private so the representatives do not have to be answerable to you. I want to make the results of every meeting public along with the transcripts. That way you know who is offering solutions and who is obfuscating the issue.
The time for change, real change is now. But it will take more than just me. It will require a sea change in attitude by our representatives. That means we have to un-elect a lot of people. (Mostly those in the opposing party, but some in his own too.) And replace them with representatives who will do what they are elected for and actually represent you. Who believe in the rule of law, and who are willing to sacrifice themselves in order to preserve the republic for future generations.
Our founding fathers did this very thing. It's time our representatives stood for someone besides themselves."
For that he received a standing ovation.

Politics: Four of Hillary's Commercials, a Critique

2016-09-10T19:47:00.000-07:00

I am posting this in response to the many Hillary commercials I've seen so far in the election. To be honest, I've only seen one of Trump's ads. Evidently she's running scared. In all fairness, these commercials don't help her chances.
1: Her Economic Plan
Soak the Rich.
Her commercial says she is going to make the rich 'finally pay' their fair share. Finally? You've got to be kidding The United States has the second highest corporate tax structure in the world. These high taxes here have caused thousands of companies to relocate to better places. That's a lot of business, and tax revenue, that would otherwise still be here.
It should be known that the top 10% of earners actually pay about 70% of total taxes. So how is it they are somehow not paying their fair share? If anything, they are paying more than that.
Let's also look at it this way. Last year the Federal Government took in more revenue than it ever has in its history. Yet they are still up to their ears in debt. The real issue is not revenue. It's spending. About one and a half billion dollars more than they make. Every day.
This brings to mind an interesting fact. Hilary will not give an answer to how much is 'fair' for the rich to pay. What percentage? 10? 20? 50? Or more? Corporations and the rich aren't paying their fair share, (to her, anyway) and no matter how much they are currently taxed, it's somehow still not enough.
She offers nothing in terms of incentive for the creation of new businesses, or to keep them from moving overseas, except to punish them. This punishment money, which will apparently be a lot, will be put to use somehow 'creating jobs'.  May I say that anytime a politician says they are going to 'create jobs' they are lying? Politicians only create government jobs, which means they have to take (read, steal) money from hard working people and give it to bureaucrats, and that's a good percentage of the problems our economy faces today.
All this policy will do, should she be elected, is to hasten the exit of corporations overseas, they will bow out before getting hit by the fines.
But the government can do some things to help the economy and promote business. How about addressing the high corporate tax rate? What if they lowered it? Wouldn't that work to help keep jobs here rather than have them move overseas? Wouldn't a low tax environment possibly attract business from foreign places too?  And, wouldn't more companies here would translate into new jobs? The economics is quite simple.
What about the EPA? Last year they issued something like eleven thousand new regulations. Every regulation should be considered a tax because it costs companies money and time. Higher costs for businesses translate into higher costs to consumers, or lower income for employees. Or both.
Last of all, why didn't she address the real issue at hand? The drastic rise in size and scope of the Federal Government? Wouldn't taking steps to control spending at the top send a message to the country that the government is willing to do its part too? She has no commercials to that effect.
2. Her Plan for Technological Supremacy.
Hey, let's put up a lot of solar panels!
Yea. That's going to give us technological superiority. Some problems here. The sun doesn't always shine. Funny how she doesn't understand that simple fact. There will be hours, lots of them, in which these panels will be useless. Plus, as other countries are learning. It's nice to think that making a bunch of solar panels will save the world, but this is very expensive electricity. Many times higher than the cost of gas, coal, or nuclear power. I'm not saying that solar is not a good way to go. It may be the wave of the future, but for now, and the near term, we should go with and continue to develop the cheaper sources of energy for electricity. That's what our infrastructure has been created to handle. We have enormous reserves of coal, gas and nuclear material, enough to power our country for hundreds of years. The best course of action is to let research continue on solar and other alternative types of power, while allowing companies to further develop our present types of energy.
Forcing a sea change of power on the country is unwise when there are obvious problems with the new technology and great benefits from the existing set up.
Another thought. Where will she get the money? Of course, from all those corporations that are moving overseas! Governments do not make money. They take it from others. Economists know that for every dollar taken by taxation, the private sector loses one and a half to two dollars. That's because the money has to be spread out through the governmental bureaucracy, whereas private sector companies often have few or no layers.
3. Steady Leadership
From the woman who brought you Benghazi.
Records indicate that the embassy made requests several times for extra security because they had hints that something was going to happen. These were ignored. And, when the attack began, resources which the US had in hand were not called in to help. Rather they were ordered to stand down. Once the magnitude of the attack was known she lied, saying the attack was a reaction to a YouTube video criticizing Islam, which had hit the weekend before. It couldn't be, the attack had already been planned by that time.   When hearings were called to investigate the matter she lied again, and again and again.
Benghazi is not the only scandal involving her performance.
The current investigation centers around her treatment of classified emails and top secret information on her computer. When she wasn't feigning ignorance she simply lied, again and again and again. She has lied so much it makes one wonder if she ever actually tells the truth.
Here we have a blindingly incompetent woman, who rose to power on her husband's coat-tails. Who eventually made it to the House of Representatives, accomplishing nothing of merit for her time there. Then, as Secretary of State, well, we all know how that turned out.
So her campaign is one of obfuscation and - lies. One could no doubt find a more competent individual by randomly selecting a name out of the phone book.
4. Her Critique of Trump's Shirts
First, she stole a spot from the Letterman show about the shirts without his permission. So she had to make a new commercial.
In the spots she claims his shirts, and other clothing items, are being made in a dozen foreign countries. This is in spite of the fact that his tag slogan is "Make America Great Again." So what is my answer to this? Big deal. It is most likely that Macy's approached Trump about a line of shirts based on his style. Trump doesn't design them, other people do that. He approves their work, probably making suggestions along the way. It is doubtful that Trump specifies the manufacturing either. Macy's picked the places where they could get the best deal, in terms of price and quality, for them. Is this somehow evil, or un-American? Of course not. It is in the best interest for a company to maximize effeciency. And even though these shirts are made in another country, the profits go to American corporations and employees as well.
When we say "America First" it doesn't mean we will only deal within the boundaries of our fifty states and territories. Rather, it means we will closely maintain the ideals that made our nation great in the first place, and not compromise them.

Getting Your Book Published: The Cover

2016-09-04T20:13:00.001-07:00

Last week I got the artwork for the cover of my book. I relayed to you before that I had sent the description in weeks ago, at the beginning of the process. Having to wait while someone else tries to capture a particular vision based on a couple of paragraphs can be exhausting if one were inclined to worry. I simply held hope that everything would turn out ok.

Guess what? It kind of did. The cover was very close to what I had envisioned. I did not feel it had to be modified at all. So after one day of consideration, I sent the approval e-mail to my book editor. Excellent job art department! I hope that one day I'll get to meet the guy, or girl, or team, who put the picture together and, if possible, interview them. I like to know how people create things. It's mysterious. For now a sigh of relief is in order.

Right now the book is in the last part of the process, that is, printing, and in another week or so I will be getting a couple of advance copies. As soon as I do, I will post the cover art here.

Now we are close, within a couple of weeks of the big reveal.

Publishing Your Own Book Update

2016-08-06T09:56:00.002-07:00

A few days ago my book entered a new phase of development. The editing and typesetting is now finished. The next part is to put it all together. Very early in the process I sent them a description of what I thought the cover should look like. I'm supposing they have been working on that design concurrently with the text, as the art often takes longer to create. The cover will be the part of the book I have limited control over, and yet this is the first thing people will see. Ironic isn't it?

Until the cover is finished I will have to wait.....

On Getting Your Book Published: Part 2

2016-06-12T19:56:00.001-07:00

This past Friday morning I sent an email to Page Publishing. Edit Approved. After their editors went over the manuscript I was invited to re-read it again to see if everything was ok.

I did, and found a few problems. Not big ones, mind you, mostly problems I had with the flow of conversations. These I changed, sending them on with the line numbers indicated and how the new sentence was supposed to read. I even found a misspelled word. Where is spellcheck when you need it? Actually the "misspelled word" was spelled correctly, it was simply the wrong word. These revisions were quickly resolved and the corrected manuscript was put up for further scrutiny.

Oh well, little things do get missed. It sort of focuses the mind to know this will be the last time I read this book while the text is still fluid. Of course, if this process drags on and on, the work will never be finished and never be published either. As with any project, there must be a date when all is done.

The next step? Typesetting. I have no idea which font they will determine to be the best. I'm not an expert in these matters, so I'll leave the choices entirely up to them with minimal input to me.

I'll keep you posted.