So Few Pay SOOO Much

Fleeced: The upper 1% earned 19.6% of total income before tax, and paid 41% of the individual federal income tax. "No other major country is so dependent on so few taxpayers"  (click to read more)

Kiev, Ukraine

In September, we had an HR workshop in Kiev, Ukraine. We took a couple of extra days to explore the city. See more on Kiev HERE

KZ - Winter Finally Arrived

Home today alone, missing my BF (best friend Lauri - in States planning Bek's wedding and prepping for Christmas).  So I decided it was time for a "jail break".  Given that I have no wheels (car), this must happen by hoofing it.  Winter arrived yesterday about noon as a light snow started.  It finished this morning after leaving about 6 inches of snow.  High today, maybe, reached 14 F.  Tonite, it's supposed to reach 0 F.  Yes, a bit cold.  You will see evidence of my jail break in the pictures.  All of them taken within about 1.5 miles of the house.  It was nice to get out for 'bout a 4 mile walk.  Enjoy ...

Becka and Cody are ENGAGED!

Cody popped the question on October 21st ... Bec said YES.

Americans Assist in Chilean Rescue

Read about HERE

A Picture is Worth a 1000 Words - Enuf Said!

6 Weeks in Kaz - Random Observations

It's been six weeks since I've driven a car.  That hasn't happened since I was age 15 .... 36 years ago.  While I do like to plan my day, I do miss the spontanity of going out on the moment.  If we could drive here, we'd do a lot more exploring via the car.  A foreigner who owns a car has yellow license plates vs a national who has white.  It is therefore easy to spot expats.  We've heard first hand stories of expats being pulled over multiple times.  The police officer wants a "facilitated traffic payment", otherwise known as a bribe.  One individual who has been pulled over 20 times finally got tired of the facilitated payment and now says, "either give me a ticket or let me move on."  Since giving a ticket results in no facilitated payment to fatten his wallet, this individual is asked to move on.

How do you spell frustration?    NO INTERNET!!!!  Our internet connection has been up and down like an elevator during Christmas time.  It was down 12 hours on Wednesday, a few hours on Thursday, and 12+ hours Fri/Saturday AND STILL COUNTING.  It came up for a few minutes ... saw the Rangers leading the Yankees 5-2 in the 8th inning ... the game should be over, yet my INTERNET IS DOWN.  Somebody push the button for up.  We rely on the internet for information, entertainment, phone, and email.  It's no fun to be "blind".  Update ... internet finally up at 13:35.

Yesterday (Oct 15), we traded our oven/stove (imported from Italy - Whirlpool) for a dryer.  This house did not come with a dryer, but was negotiated as part of the lease.  The first dryer that showed up last week was a laugh.  It came in a box the size of 6 scott towel rolls!  Never did open, but from the picture it appeared to be a heater unit that blows hot air into a bag.  New one on me.  I sent it back the next morning.  Yesterday, the real mccoy arrived.  Oven Story - the oven's temperature mechanism doesn't work properly.  Sometimes she cooks with almost on heat - according to the dial.  Sometimes the stuff just burns ... like bread she put in the oven at supposed 100 F and burned up in 5 minutes.  yesterday, they came and took the oven/stove to fix it at the shop.  It will be back, supposedly, in 4 days.  Of course, we fly back to the states the next day.

Amaty is the least windy city I've ever lived.

Almaty airport is visual flight rules only.  What this means is that they can't use instruments to land.  In the winter when the smog is here, at times the planes have to go to Astana (1 hr flite time) to sit it out.  Bummer ....Don't see many bikers nor joggers ...  Sidewalks here are very nice - 8 to 10 ft wide.  At lunch, I jog along a creek/bayou.  This is the mechanism to control the flow of water down from the mountains.  It's a nice area to walk, jog, ride bikes.  Come to think of it, haven't seen ANY skateboarders.  Almaty flows uphill from north to south - a constant gain in elevation.  This makes jogging tough going uphill, not to mention an altitude starting at 3000 ft.

Homes here have individual ac units for rooms.  There is the indoor unit tied to an outdoor unit.  Nothing hangs out the window.  There is no "central aircon".  Heating is all done by radiators.  Our floors are even heated - good thing as there is not one stitch of carpet.  The tile floor on the first floor was imported from Italy.

I vote that KZ has the sweetest carrots .....

Left turns are difficult here as there are no left turn lanes.  You simply get in the inside lane to turn left, or worse U turn.  Kind of funny to watch buses and stretch limos do a U'ee, but this practice is very dangerous ...

White dashes in roads are guidelines.  If the dashes create two lanes, but three cars can fit, then three it is.  Reach out and touch someone ....

Weather here, so far, is great.  Lots of sun.  I've seen more sun in one month than I saw in an entire year in Aberdeen.  The mountains are fun to stare at when the air is clear early in the morning ...

Went to the Green Bazar to buy veggies for the first time ... kinda fun, lots of choice, and not as expensive as the Ramstore.  Meat section ... I don't recognize the cuts, but then I don't each cow tongue either (plenty to choose from) ...

Ramstore has the greatest Turkish baklava!

Local Marriage Traditions .... the bride/groom get married accompanied by some friends and family.  The happy couple and young friends then go to several parks in the city taking pictures and videos.  The happy couple is in a stretch white limo with lots of friends in rented white cars. Often, they will create a "white block" across all lanes of traffic so that traffic moves at glacial speed.  Then, in evening, there is a big party at a restaurant.  Did I mention a honeymoon?  Nope, not their tradition .....

This Sunday, we went searching for the "holy grail".  You know, those plastic plate like things that go under round plastic planters.  We went to 4 retailers and none of them had them, sooooo, we ventured to the northern part of town known for it's small vendors ... about 1.5 miles worth!!! No joke.  It is a famous area as you can supposedly find anything.  We found what we were looking for after walking through a maze of vendors for 30 minutes ...

Our home group Bible study on Friday nites is like a taste of heaven as we have Kazaks, Americans, Brits, and Germans.  Quite interesting when we pray ....

Our shipment is supposed to arrive today/tomorrow, then customs and finally our house - yipee!

The locals bundle up here quite a bit.  It can be 60 F/15 C and they will have big coats and hats ...

There are a LOT of parks here.  Many have fountains and lots of trees.  We should do more of this in the US ....

Texas Business Model Works as Compared to CA, NY etc

for more, read HERE.... "Texas already looms large in its own imagination. Its elevated self-image didn’t need this: More than half of the net new jobs in the U.S. during the past 12 months were created in the Lone Star State ...... "

Democrats Not Running on Obama's "Accomplishments"

From Dick Morris's article, "Running from Bama"

"The single most amazing thing in this year’s campaigns is that no one is defending President Obama’s legislative accomplishments.  Obama’s impact has been revolutionary: radically changing our health-care system, betting our national solvency on “stimulus,” erasing the line between the public and private sectors. Yet there is an almost total lack of support for his program on the stump."  Read more HERE

So if all these accomplishments are soooo good, are these the platform of their campaigns?

Oct 15

By law, the coal-fired power plants crank up today.  Bummer, now we will see the mountains, maybe, through a layer of pollution.

Shovel Ready?

To be or not to be .... Shovel ready or not shovel ready .... NOT READY  so we were sold a bill of goods, just like Obamacare ....

So Much Worse than Carter

Some brilliant observations in THIS ARTICLE as to the slight of hand by Obama ...

"After wasted, failed stimulus packages 1, 2, 3, and more, federal deficits over the first two years of Obamanomics now total a record smashing $2.7 trillion. As the Wall Street Journal explained yesterday:

That's…more than the entire amount during the Reagan Administration when deficits were supposed to be ruinous. Now liberal economists tell us that deficits are the key to restoring prosperity. But all we have to show for spending nearly 25% of GDP for two years running is a growth rate of 1.7% and 9.6% unemployment.

Indeed, under CBO projections, the national debt will have doubled by 2012 in just 4 years to $11.6 trillion, and quadrupled by 2020 to $20.3 trillion. As Brian Riedl of the Heritage Foundation has observed, Obama's budgets will run up more debt over eight years than all other Presidents in American history -- from George Washington to George Bush -- combined."

Obama continues to blame Bush for the current economic woes .....

"No president of the United States can create either a budget deficit or a budget surplus. All spending bills originate in the House of Representatives, and all taxes are voted into law by Congress. Democrats controlled both houses of Congress before Barack Obama became President. The deficit he inherited was created by the Congressional Democrats, including Sen. Barack Obama, who did absolutely nothing to oppose the runaway spending. He was one of the biggest spenders."

Name the Top 4 Oil Producing States

The answer is HERE.  You will be surprised at no. 4 .....

Cinque Terre (seen-qwa tear-ra)

(click on the picture for a bigger view and for the biggest, then click on full screen in the upper right page)

This is a continuation of our Italian vacation.  We drove 4 hours from Venice, across Italy over to the Mediterranean side.  We hiked all throughout the coastline and had a fantastic time ... except when the train was delayed/cancelled and we caught the last one.  There are no cabs between the 5 towns.  

Cinque Terre is a rugged portion of coast on the Italian Riviera. It is in the Liguria region of Italy, to the west of the city of La Spezia. "The Five Lands" comprises five villages: Monterosso al Mare, Vernazza, Corniglia, Manarola, and Riomaggiore.  The coastline, the five villages, and the surrounding hillsides are all part of the Cinque Terre National Park and is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.  The Cinque Terre is noted for its beauty. Over centuries, people have carefully built terraces on the rugged, steep landscape right up to the cliffs that overlook the sea. Part of its charm is the lack of visible "modern" development. Paths, trains and boats connect the villages, and cars cannot reach it from the outside. It is a very popular tourist destination.  In 1998 the Italian Ministry for the Environment set up the Protected natural marine area Cinque Terre to protect the natural environment and to promote socio-economical development compatible with the natural landscape of the area.  In 1999 the Parco Nazionale delle Cinque Terre was set up to conserve the ecological balance, protect the landscape, and safeguard the anthropological values of the location. 

A local train from La Spezia to Genoa connects the "five lands". The tracks run most of the distance in a tunnel between Riomaggiore and Monterosso. The train occasionally emerges from the tunnel along the way and there are quick glimpses of the Mediterranean sea.

A passenger ferry runs between the five villages, except Corniglia. The ferry enters Cinque Terre from Genoa's Old Harbour and La Spezia, Lerici or Portovenere.

A walking trail, known as Sentiero Azzurro ("Light Blue Trail"), connects the five villages. The trail from Riomaggiore to Manarola is called the Via Dell'Amore ("Love Walk") and varies in difficulty from an easy stroll to a rough and physically challenging hike. The stretch from Manarola to Corniglia is the easiest to hike, although the main trail into Corniglia finishes with a climb of 368 stairs. The trail from Corniglia to Vernazza is steep at certain places. The trail from Vernazza to Monterosso is by far the steepest. It winds through olive orchards and vineyards and is rough in places, but offers the best view of the bay and the spectacular approaches to both Monterosso and Vernazza. The difference in height for the whole Sentiero Azzurro is more than 600 meters^[3] and the length is more than 10 km. It takes approximately 5 hours to walk it.

There are fees to use the more popular walking trails, but the less frequently traveled (and most arduous) are free of charge. All of the trails are relatively narrow and are usually crowded in high tourist season. Experienced travelers know that short rains will clear the trails, and will jump back on the path after one has passed. The Park has trails that can take hikers up into the steep hills. Casual travelers should look at one of the park maps, which will give some idea of how difficult a trail is to travel. Although more challenging and strenuous, these high paths offer different sights from the main trail.  All the villages have small hotels or inns and there are many bed and breakfasts throughout the area, many with beautiful views of the Mediterranean and the surrounding hills. There is a youth hostel located at the top of the town of Manarola (Hostel Cinque Terre). Also, many small apartment owners in some of the villages have banded together and offer use of their apartments through small, locally-owned hospitality businesses. The quality of these accommodations varies greatly, from great to something less than ideal for some. Finding an available room in the height of the tourist season can be virtually impossible in several of the towns, and because cars are not allowed, be prepared to drag your bags for miles over uneven stone streets, up steep inclines, and up staircases in the sweltering summer heat.

Given its location on the Mediterranean, seafood is plentiful in the local cuisine. Anchovies of Monterosso are a local specialty designated with a Protected Designation of Origin status from the European Union. The mountainsides of the Cinque Terre are heavily terraced and are used to cultivate grapes and olives. This area, and the region of Liguria, as a whole, is known for pesto — a sauce made from basil leaves, garlic, salt, olive oil, pine nuts and pecorino cheese. Focaccia is a particularly common locally baked bread product. Farinata is also a typical snack found in bakeries and pizzerias- essentially it is a savoury and crunchy pancake made from a base of chick-pea flour.  The grapes of the Cinque Terre are used to produce two locally made wines. The eponymous Cinque Terre and the Sciachetrà are both made using Bosco, Albarola, and Vermentino grapes. Both wines are produced by the Cooperative Agricoltura di Cinque Terre (“Cinque Terre Agricultural Cooperative”), located between Manarola and Volastra. Other DOC producers are Forlini-Capellini, Walter de Batté, Buranco, Arrigoni.  In addition to wines, other popular local drinks include grappa, a brandy made with the pomace left from winemaking, and limoncello, a sweet liqueur flavored with lemons.

Kindle

Since we are going to be traveling a lot more now that we are in Kazakhstan, I decided to give the Kindle (e-reader) a try.  After my flight from Aberdeen to Almaty ... I am SOLD.  How wonderful it was to have two hands free, to rest the Kindle in my lap, to prop it up to read during my meals.  In addition, the titles are cheaper than hardbacks, holds about 1500 books, there are 1000's of free titles, ability to lookup words in the book, to highlight, on and on and on.  I am happier than a pig in a garbage dump!

Marriage and Pianos ...

Marriage is an important institution in our society that was designed by God.  Unfortunately, the divorce rate is above the 50% level and there is untold heartache as a result, not just for the marriage partners but their children as well.  I have often wondered what the root cause was.  The stated reasons are infidelity, lost of interest, fights, work, money etc. but those are not the root cause.

Venice

In June, we took a trip to Italy.  First stop was Venice.  We met Meg in Paris (airport), then flew on together.  Spent 1 1/2 days there then off again.  We met Becka at the Venice airport then drove off the Cinque Terra (more in another post).  Venice was a photographer's dream - kodak moments everywhere you turned.

Wow, pictues to explain how some engines work

Complicate Mechanisms Explained in Simple Animations

Those clever engineers ....

Having the Mind of Christ

I read these two posts from Mark Roberts and I see that my views of myself need to be taken down a couple of notches ....

Having the Mind of Christ Part 1
Having the Mind of Christ Part 2

Guess which States are paying for the near bankrupt States ...

Something for Nothing: State Debt and the 2008 Presidential Vote

"According to Moody’s, the average state per capita debt of the 28 Obama states is $1,728 while the average debt in the 22 McCain states is less than half, at $749. This information alone says a lot about voters and their attitude towards government and debt. Voters with a propensity to elect politicians who burden future generations who can’t yet vote with huge debts voted for Obama while fiscally responsible voters generally voted for McCain."

Doesn't quite seem fair that some States take the pain to more or less balance their budgets while others spend away and expect those same States to bail them out!!!  Let me put it another way ... should Texans bail out Californians who pay out rageous retirements to government workers and manage to build a school in Los Angeles for over $500 MILLION (read HERE for that story of spending nonsense).

Ed & Charlotte's Visit

Ed and Charlotte, our close friends from our neighborhood in Houston, hopped over the pond for a long weekend.  We gave 'em the Scotland 101 Tour - River Dee, Stonehaven, Dunnattor Castle, Glamis Castle, St Andrews, Gardenstown, Crovie, Balmedie and the train to Edinburgh.  Whew .... a whirlwind.

Obama - From Freedom of Religion to Freedom of Worship (monumental shift)

Since the initially strong language on religious freedom used in President Obama's Cairo speech, presidential references to religious freedom have become rare, often replaced, at most, with references to freedom of worship. A purposeful change in language could mean a much narrower view of the right to religious freedom .... READ ON

Update on Land of Kaz

Almaty is a beautiful city with thousands of trees and with the Tien Shan mountains framing the background. We found it a city in transition from the old Soviet days to a western look (1991 to 2010). Much progress has been made. Many new modern buildings have been completed in the last few years. Marriott has a 40 story tower that will be open in a few months. Almaty and Astana (capital since 1997) are hosting the 2011 Asian Winter Games so it will be crazy in late January/early February.

We found a house, or shall I say a MANSION (see pictures in previous post). In some ways, I am embarrassed by it as it is SOOOO nice. Way more than I would pay on my own. It is definitely above my pay grade!

As usual, we Jaspers are very interested in food. There are numerous restaurants. We ate a variety of cuisine - Uzbek, Indian, Kazakh, Italian, and continental - and enjoyed them all. The Kazakhs have a saying .... the number one meat eater in the world are wolves and number two are Kazakhs! They do enjoy the meat. We visited the grocery stores and Lauri's cooking talents will be severely challenged. Fresh, green vegetables (green beans, asparagus, broccoli, carrots) were almost nonexistent. Fruits and veges tend to be seasonal so the exapts tell us that when you see something, buy in bulk!

There is plenty of shopping. We saw Cartiers, Tiffany, Nike, Timberland, Zara ... if you want it, they got it. It's just a question of how much you want to pay. Almaty is the business and wealth capital of KZ.

Geographically speaking, KZ is a HUGE country. You can put Europe inside. It is 2/3 the size of the US. Yet, the population of the country is only 16 million. Check out the Wikipedia website for more info on the Land of Kaz ....

Land of Kaz

As most of you know by now, we are transferring to Almaty, Kazakhstan, September 1.  Our plans are well underway.  Below, you will see A LOT of pictures, 286 to be exact.  It shows a bit around town and a couple of sets of the house we are getting.  Enjoy ....

Ben Lomond

Lauri was in the States.  We had excellent weather last weekend (partly cloudy skies, 75 F (24 C), so I decided to take advantage and hike Ben Lomond.  This is a favorite walk for Glaswegians since Glasgow is only 30 miles away.  I think half the town was on Loch Lomond and Ben Lomond.  Must have about 300 people on the mountain.  Great views as you will see ....  

Amsterdam Day 5

This was our last day so we decided to do as the Dutch do ... ride bikes.  We rode for 7 hours exploring most of the city.  Amazingly, we didn't experience any accidents.  A bit scary though when you are competing with cars, buses, trams, and other cyclists.  It was a great time!  Certainly a very efficient way to move about the city.

Amsterdam Day 4

Unfortunately, Chase and Rachel had their priorities messed up ... they had to catch a plane to go back to work in Houston.  Lauri and I stayed around to continue playing ....  We took the train down to Delft (passed through Haarlem and The Hague).  Delft is known for the hand-painted blue pottery - delftware.  We toured the Royal Delft Factory and explored the town.  At 5:45, the church tower bells rang (Nieuwe Kerk) ... we answered and went to church!  Fortunately, they had an English interpreter for us (via headphones ... felt like the UN).  Delft was a wonderful, relaxing day.

Amsterdam Day 3

We started the day with a delightful breakfast, outdoors, at a cafe.  It afforded me the opportunity to shoot pictures of bicycle riders - quite interesting.  I wonder what happens when it is raining?  After breakfast, we went to the Dutch Resistance Museum.  The museum recreates the atmosphere of the streets of Amsterdam during the German occupation of the WWII. Big photographs, old posters, objects, films and sounds from that horrible time, help to recreate the scene. The background of the Holocaust is visualized to the visitor. This is an exhibition about the everyday life during that time, but also about exceptional historical events, resistance of the population against the Nazis and heroism.  From there, we took a 20 minute train-ride west Haarlem - quite an interesting history - click HERE.  We visited the Corrie ten Boom House (helped save 800 jews during WWII) and a windmill.

My Big God, How Small I See Him

My God is really bigger than I can conceive.  Yet daily, I put Him in a box that cannot contain Him.

Perhaps I should respond to God daily, as Job responded to God's speech below ... Job 40:4  "Behold, I am insignificant, what can I reply to thee?"

But then again, He did send His Son to die for me ...

Job 38

The LORD Speaks

 ¹ Then the LORD answered Job out of the storm. He said:  ² "Who is this that darkens my counsel
       with words without knowledge?
 ³ Brace yourself like a man;
       I will question you,
       and you shall answer me.
 ⁴ "Where were you when I laid the earth's foundation?
       Tell me, if you understand.
 ⁵ Who marked off its dimensions? Surely you know!
       Who stretched a measuring line across it?
 ⁶ On what were its footings set,
       or who laid its cornerstone-
 ⁷ while the morning stars sang together
       and all the angels ^[a] shouted for joy?
 ⁸ "Who shut up the sea behind doors
       when it burst forth from the womb,
 ⁹ when I made the clouds its garment
       and wrapped it in thick darkness,
 ¹⁰ when I fixed limits for it
       and set its doors and bars in place,
 ¹¹ when I said, 'This far you may come and no farther;
       here is where your proud waves halt'?
 ¹² "Have you ever given orders to the morning,
       or shown the dawn its place,
 ¹³ that it might take the earth by the edges
       and shake the wicked out of it?
 ¹⁴ The earth takes shape like clay under a seal;
       its features stand out like those of a garment.
 ¹⁵ The wicked are denied their light,
       and their upraised arm is broken.
 ¹⁶ "Have you journeyed to the springs of the sea
       or walked in the recesses of the deep?
 ¹⁷ Have the gates of death been shown to you?
       Have you seen the gates of the shadow of death ^[b] ?
 ¹⁸ Have you comprehended the vast expanses of the earth?
       Tell me, if you know all this.
 ¹⁹ "What is the way to the abode of light?
       And where does darkness reside? .....

Just the Beiginning of the Ash Iritation ...

It appears that this is just beginning for Icelandic volcano activity (click HERE) ... oh goody ... :-(

Sistine Chapel

Great way to explore the Sistine Chapel.  Lauri and I were there a couple of years ago, and it was beautiful.  Crowded place though.  With looking up so much, your neck would ache.  Check out this WEBSITE.  Allow it load (takes a minute), then use your mouse to explore.  You can use the + and - in the lower left corner to magnify.

Video: Volcanic time lapse from Eyjafjallajökull

Some cool, time-lapsed video of the Iceland Volcano ....

Iceland, Eyjafjallajökull - May 1st and 2nd, 2010 from Sean Stiegemeier on Vimeo.

Earning a Gift?

Like everybody else, I like gift.  It is a surprise, a blessing, and a joy.  It shows the thoughtfulness of the giver.  Makes me feel special!  No matter whether the gift is large or small, the gift is appreciated.  I have positive feelings towards the giver and as a result, I want to reciprocate.  A true gift is given with no strings attached.  Otherwise, it is not a gift, but a contract ... a quid pro quo if you like.  Each party exchanges something it deems worth the price.  Dicionary.com defines a gift as "something given voluntarily without payment in return, as to show favor toward someone, honor an occasion, or make a gesture of assistance; present." The only thing you have to do with the gift is to make a decision to reject or accept it.

Amsterdam Day 2

The primary objectives of this day were Keukenhof Gardens, Anne Frank House, and Van Gogh Museum.  I'm not a flower guy, but even I was impressed with God's creative design of flowers.  Click HERE for the pictures.

Amsterdam Day 1

Amsterdam (AMS)

We planned this trip several months in advance.  Rachel and Chase were kind of enough to join us - that was the plan until the Eyjafjallajokull volcano (click to see cool pics) decided to make the trip interesting.  R&C found out for sure that they were flying on Wednesday morning, but we weren't sure.  As of noon on Wednesday, many KLM flights for Thursday were listed but not ours.  So we booked with EasyJet out of Edinburgh. Wouldn't you know, but two hours later our flight became listed.  Yes, we lost the money as it flew, but at least we made it to Amsterdam. (read more and for the pictures link).  Thank you Lord for allowing us all to go ....

NE Scottish Coastal Fishing Villages

Last weekend, Lauri and I went to explore some quaint coastal fishing villages.  It was a beautiful day and the villages were awesome.  Click here to see pictures of Pennan, Gardenstown, and Crovie.  Read on for the stories of them ....

Oil Policy Magic

More analysis on Obama's new Energy Policy ....

Battle for Your Mind - Romans 12:2

Romans 12:2 (NASB)

And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect.

Lauri and I have moved from Dallas area to Midland, Tx to Denver, Co, to Evanston, Wy to Antioch, Ca to Houston, Tx and finally to Aberdeen, Scotland. From time to time, we've had discussions with others who have moved. Some are happy and some are sad. What usually separates the happy from the sad is the attitude to the move. The "Happys" look at their new location as an adventurous learning opportunity ... looking forward ... looking to the future. The "Sads" are mentally stuck in their home location wishing for the way things were and not the way things are. This passage says a lot about how to view our journey as Christians ......

Ways to Kill ObamaCare

In my mind, there are several obvious ways to kill this bill ....
1.  Repeal - but Obama can veto, then takes 60% to bust the veto
2.  Suit via the Courts - a number of states are pursuing this, though the collective opinion of the punditry universe is that they will be unsuccessfull
3.  Constitutional Convention - all the above states would sign on, but history shows that this avenue is a long, long path
4.  Just not pay for it!!!!  - what an obvious choice .... Dick Morris explains the difference between an authorization vs an appropriation in his article, ZERO FUND OBAMACARE.  I love this option as it is a win- win.  Dems have their bill passed, yet the rest are comforted that the government has not taken over 1/6th of the US economy.  Gotta love the tightwads!!!!!!!

Funny Friday

From BigGovernment

Christian Faith: Calvinism Is Back

"... Today, his theology is making a surprising comeback, challenging the me-centered prosperity gospel of much of modern evangelicalism with a God-first immersion in Scripture. In an age of materialism and made-to-order religion, Calvinism's unmalleable doctrines and view of God as an all-powerful potentate who decides everything is winning over many Christians – especially the young ...."    Calvinism is back

A mind-set change from "a universe that revolves around me" to "biblical world-view" is like a change from "experiencing a dream" to living in the real world.  A "me universe" setups you up as your own god, and we know how well that turned out for Satan ... got kicked outa heaven. 

Offshore Drilling Bribe for Cap-and-Trade

The press makes Obama's decision to open up drilling in various areas as 

"... Obama justified his decision to allow drilling in the eastern Gulf of Mexico, the southern Atlantic, and some coastal regions of northern Alaska on the grounds that it would create jobs and serve as a “bridge” to the carbon-free Brigadoon we’ve long been promised. The reality is that his decision was entirely political. Aiming to win vital Republican support in the Senate for some kind of bipartisan cap-and-trade legislation, he lifted the ban where the polling was in favor of doing so. Sound science, energy policy, and economics were the last things on his mind. On that, there is widespread consensus ...." Jonah Goldberg - The Same Old Drill .  Other takes on the subject ... Sarah Palin - Stall, Baby, Stall and Loren Steffy from the Houston Chronicle.
If you read my post of last week specifically detailing the 33 broken promises/policy statements, then you'll understand my skepticism about anything Obama says and does. Those who understand the industry are summing this bill up as more of a take-away than a giveth.

Time Expired Promises by President Obama

This is a long post documenting 33 promises/statements that Obama has made, then reversed himself.

Focus Environment

Last night, Lauri and I attended the Fraserburgh Lighthouse Museum exhibition of Chevron's Focus Environment Photography Contest.  It was a delightful evening as we met locals from the area.  In particular, Isabel and Albert befriended us and told us of their lives as fisherman/fisher-wife.  As a lad, Albert started his "sea" career at 15 as a cook.  He progressed through the years to captain and later harbor master.  They talked about their fishing village of GARDENSTOWN and life there.  We are so intrigued that we will visit Gardendstown, Covie, Rosehearty, Pennan etc along the upper NE coast tomorrow, weather permitting.  Watch this space for pictures of these small fishing villages ...

More on Focus Environment .... Chevron sponsors a photography contest for secondary students that celebrates Scotland's beauty and her young talent.  The are two age groups - 11-14 and 15-18.  There are then 3 categories - a) Nature's Moods, b) Wildlife and Habitats, and c) My Environment.  I was fortunate enough to judge this fall.  Over 1000 photos were submitted.  Some of the pictures were of true professional quality!  This is the 16th year of the contest.  The winning pictures are then displayed as a traveling exhibit in nine locations.  Fraserburgh is always the first location and the only one with a reception for the locals.  I understand that it is the highlight of the year for them. 

"Spring Break" Photos

VIEW PICTURES

It's been a few weeks since my last post.  I was in San Ramon, CA for a few meetings and then off to Texas to visit my girls and family.

I've taken a few pictures of Monterey Bay.  This has always been a favorite get-away spot of ours for a weekend.  Howard and Deb, friends from Aberdeen now in Fresno, joined us for a couple days of relaxation.  We walked from the "tourist pier" to Lover's Point and back.  Then it was off to Highway 1 down to Big Sur.  Big Sur is a sparsely populated region of the central California coast where the Santa Lucia Mountains rise abruptly from the Pacific Ocean. The name "Big Sur" is derived from the original Spanish-language "el sur grande", meaning "the big south", or from "el país grande del sur", "the big country of the south". The terrain offers stunning views, making Big Sur a popular tourist destination. Big Sur's Cone Peak is the highest coastal mountain in the contiguous 48 states, ascending nearly a mile (5,155 feet/1571 m) above sea level, only three miles (4.8 km) from the ocean. 

After a couple of relaxing days, it was back to work in San Ramon.  We flew to Austin on Friday to meet up with Rachel and Becka.  We ventured to Horsebay in the Hill Country of Texas near Marble Falls (the falls are now covered by water due to a dam upstream).  We needed a hiking fix so we drove 40 miles to Enchanted Rock.  Enchanted Rock is a spectacular granite pluton just west of State Highway 965 near the Gillespie-Llano county line in southern Llano County. The granite dome rises some 385 feet above the streambed of nearby Sandy Creek to a maximum elevation of 1,825 feet above mean sea level. This great monadnock is the largest pink granite monadnick in the United States. The name Enchanted Rock derives from Spanish and Anglo-Texas interpretations of Indian legends and related folklore, which attribute magical and spiritual properties to the ancient landmark. According to one nineteenth-century writer, "the Indians had a great awe amounting almost to a reverence" for the rock.

After Austin, we headed to Richardson to visit my folks, then over to Berryville on Lake Palestine, 25 miles south of Tyler.  We rented a lakehouse where Meg and Lauri's dad visited.  We enjoyed the sun, heat (by Scotland's standards at 75F/23C), and down time.  Alas, vacations all come to and end and we headed to Houston to catch a plane as a cold front approached bringing SLEET and SNOW!

Joseph - the largely silent, desperate years he endured

Staying Faithful When Things Get Worse

Genesis chapters 37-41 only tell the low and high points of Joseph’s Egyptian slavery and imprisonment. But he spent at least 12 years there before he suddenly became Prime Minister. And during that terribly lonely, desolate time, things seemed to go from bad to worse.

Fish Outa Water Flop'n Around .... or .... Every Position He Takes Has an Expiration Date

Ann Althouse chronicles Obama's previous pledges not use the nuclear option     If you want to see and hear it for yourselves, then go to Breitbart TV 

Garbage Slinger or Brick Layer? Ephesians 4:29

Let no unwholesome word proceed from your mouth, but only such a word as is good for edification according to the need of the moment, so that it will give grace to those who hear. NASB

One of my favorite pastors - Bob Deffinbaugh loves creative titles so I am inspired to hook your curiosity ....

Words are powerful.  They have the ability to positively, or negatively shape our lives.  I can recall at age 13 playing a baseball game.  I was pitching rather poorly one day.  It was 2 outs, bottom of the 6th, bases loaded, and we were one run up.  I just threw 3 straight balls.  My coach, Jerry Jones, called time out and leisurely strode to the mound.  Here it comes, I thought to myself, a royal chewing out or he was going to yank me off the mound.  Instead, he simply said, "Suck up your gut and throw strikes."  He calmly walked back to the dugout.  That has been of great encouragement to me and a great lesson on how to handle adversity.  His message was simple .... 1. can't change the past 2. focus on the future and what you can control and 3. I have confidence in you.  Alternatively, I remember sitting on the school bus and a girl next to me shouted, "ooooo, you have dirty ears!"  To this day, I ALWAYS use a q-tip in the morning to clean my ears.

Democrats will impose Obamacare no matter the cost

By: Hugh Hewitt
Examiner Columnist
March 1, 2010

President Obama, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid are embarked on a radical plan to fundamentally change American health care.
The operative term is "radical," and the media should use that term in order to accurately convey the nature not just of the scope of the changes being pushed, or of the level of Medicare cuts on which those changes are premised, but also to accurately describe the process by which the radical Democrats propose to impose their vision ...........

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Translation Guide - King's English to Colonial English

Two nations divided by a common language. - Winston Churchill


British Word                                       American Word
Tea                                                      Supper (or Dinner)
Supper                                                 Evening Snack
Tea                                                      Tea
Knackered                                           Exhausted
Gob Smacked                                      Surprised
Bonnet                                                 Hood of a Car
Boot                                                    Trunk of a Car
Boot                                                    Boot as in footware
Bisquit                                                 Cookie

5 Decades of Federal Spending

Interesting data as we move more towards democratic socialism

Photo's - John and Julie's Visit

New Photo's click here

I am changing the way I distribute photos ... through my new blog.  It gives me more flexibility and ability to commentate.  I'll also create a page with links to past photos shoots (will take a bit of time to build).  This will enable all to see our past travels ....

John and Julie Shanafelt visited us last fall.  We first met them while in Evanston, Wyoming back in 1984. We had them over one evening for fajitas (pronounced FA-HEE-TAs).  However, they were from Iowa/California so their pronunciation was a bit mixed up ... FA-JEE-TAs ... they will forever be known that way between us.  During dinner, Lauri and I extolled the virtues of God's country - Texas to which they practically threw up, declaring they would never life there.  Life is a bit funny ... a few months later they transferred west, back to California.  We then transferred 100 miles deeper into Wyoming - Rock Springs.  After 3 years, we finally transferred to California, only to have them transfer to ... you know it .... Houston, TX.  They have seen the errors of their ways as they've been there for almost 20 years!!!!

Back to the pictures .... We first took them to Stonehaven and walked the 2.5 mile trail to Dunnottar Castle.  The next day, we drug them up Bennachie (Aberdeen's hill of 1700 ft).  We took a short drive to Dufftown to tour the Glenfiddich Distillery.  It was our good fortune that several pipe bands were marching up and down the high street.  Nothing beats the sound of highland piper band!  Not trip the NE of Scotland is complete without stopping in St. Andrews.  We finished the last day with a visit to Slains Castle where Bram Stoker received his inspiration for Dracula.

Why and Why Now ....

My plan with this space is share a word(s), The Word, my pictures, my life, my thoughts, links to other sites, AND bragging on my wife, Rachel, Chase, Meg and Becka (and ok, Toto too).


WHY? - I am not a big Facebook fan eventhough I do have an account ... so I apologize to all of you who have written on my wall for not responding. For me, it's a bit too revealing to all the world. Just not my thing. I think the format of a blog will allow me to express myself in a way that is more comfortable for me from an organizational and expression standpoint.

WHY NOW? - Last night, Lauri and I went to church to hear our Pastor, Jeremy McQuoid, continue his bi-weekly series on the New Testament Survey. He was summarizing the Book of Acts ... the first half about the birth of the church and the Apostle Peter's leadership. The second half was about the Apostle Paul, his leadership, and his missionary journeys. He made a comment which really grabbed my attention. Jeremy stated that Paul went to where people gathered ... the town square to share the gospel. To an audience of about 100 he posed the question, "So where is our town square where people gather?" The audience was silent, because there is no town square where people gather. It is not our culture to gather in the town square, although we do have one at the bottom of Union St (Aberdeen). We've seen great town squares in Rome where people gather. In Paris, we noticed people gathering on the bridges crossing the Seine River. Just doesn't really happen like it used to. We are all busy, traveling via car instead of foot, working, ferrying kids to and fro etc ... Jeremy stated that our Town Square today is Facebook/internet. Think about it ... Where do people gather to large numbers to "converse?" On the internet. Granted, the conversation isn't long and deep, but the connections are made - No matter where you are in world (as long has you have an internet/phone connection). Jeremy challenged us to be authentic ... share our lives, our thoughts, share the gospel.

So, as to why now ... Jeremy's challenge.

Why SQUARELY .... the internet is the Town Square of the Information Age; also the notion of being truthful (Dictionary.com-just, fair, honest, straightforward, direct, or unequivocal). Part of my intent is share my faith in God ... His absolute truth.

Why SOJOURNING .... Dictionary.com (who looks words up in Websters anymore?) defines SOJOURN as "a temporary stay". My life on earth is temporary because my eternal home is heaven. I am a sinner, saved by God's grace. You too can experience Him and heaven instead of hell. It's as simple as acknowledging you sin and have sinned; ask forgiveness for those sins; believe that Christ died for everyone one of those sins (=FREE GIFT) - in other words paid your penalty. Answer the question, do you know where you are going when you die? If the answer isn't heaven via faith in Christ, then let me know so we can discuss further (in person or phone) .... I'd like to spend eternity with you as well!


To make my mindset and thinking visibly clear ....
I am a born-again Christian
I am conservative in my political outlook
I am a Texas Longhorn
I am really proud of my entire family
None of which I will apologize for ....

As they say here in Aberdeen, "Watch this space ...."