Rights vs. Services

I read a great piece in the paper the other day, it was a re-print from The Weekly Standard by Noemie Ermey and it was entitled "A Fling with the Welfare State."
Now, while I could go on about this subject for hours, the point I want to make here is that she compared the ideal of a right and a good or service.  We as Americans have rights to worship, gather, own a gun, free speech, etc; but we don't have a right to health care, because it is a service.  The same could be said for the internet or cable, no one has a inalienable right to have satellite TV; it's a service and if you want it, you pay for it.
Wherein lies the problem, the liberal agenda is to give everyone the right to something that they should be paying for as a service, since it is a service.  It's like you want all the power but none of the responsibility.
I found the article very interesting, as it made me question a lot of values I have had/used most of my life and how some of those are in congruent in this situation.
Hmmm....

Shared Sacrifice

There was an Op-Ed piece in the New York Times, written by Warren Buffett, exclaiming the reality of a shared sacrifice for all of us.  I find it amazing and appalling that so many wealthy people take their position and life for granted, and would prefer to live selfish lives as opposed to thanking those whose sacrifices are made everyday to keep those same knuckleheads in high cotton.
Warren Buffett decries our self-serving Congress and it's sucking-up mentalities to the uber-rich; and therefore sacrificing the lives and well-being of millions of Americans for so few folks.  Not to mention the fact that the majority of people who serve in the US Armed Forces are from the middle and lower classes, and die every day so these same uber-rich folks can go on living their selfish lives, and dutifully unwilling to sacrifice anything.
It's a sad state we live in...

Records

When I think of records, besides those vinyl things we used to listen to (or still do), I think of feats of accomplishments.  For instance, Cal Ripken's consecutive games started, or the largest hamburger, or the most people to fit into a phone booth; but adding weather to that list is not a record, is brutality.

I speak of the fact that in 1980, the DFW area saw 42 days straight of 100+ temperatures outside (and 68 total days above 100), and we will surpass the 42 this weekend.  The local weather and radio stations, not to mention the papers continue to mention this as if it is a record to be proud of.  I am not!

There are people dying from this heat; farmers and ranchers throughout Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico are suffering billions of dollars in loss; we are suffering through an exceptional drought throughout these areas.  Austin, Texas is 16 inches under it's normal rainfall amount since last October; it's brutal out there, and currently there is no end in sight.

Yet my major worry about this, is all those people, companies, etc that continue to water the street, sidewalks, etc to save their grass, etc.  Instead they should be paying fines to the tune of billions of dollars, and maybe spending some time in solitary to think about how their actions affect so many other people.
God entrusted us to care for His kingdom, and boy, are we doing a lousy job managing those resources, especially water which doesn't grow on a tree.

Walking w/God II

I finished my audio book earlier this week, and it was good to hear John's voice again, but more importantly it helped me listen for God more often, and to slow down.
I drive George Bush Turnpike everyday, and just a smidge of I-35, and that whole crazy traffic situation even if you don't let it affect yo, it still does.  I have had a a few days where I take Frankford or Hebron across to work, and those are blissful journeys.  Slow down!
So, back to the book; I came away uplifted and earnest to listen to and for God in everything.
I was so pumped from listening to John, that I grabbed The Way of The Wild Heart also by John Eldredge and I also own it in audio book format, and starting listening yesterday.
Good stuff.

Walking with God

Monday I was led to re-listen to John Eldredge's audiobook of his book Walking with God.  It's basically his journey through a year and what it's like for him to try to listen to God, in everything.
I am very pleased thus far, only on disc #2 with lots of going back to hear that again going on.

My one note for today and possibly this week, is to throw off the clutter and extra stuff in my life, especially the stuff that I always say I will get to later...and I never do.  This time around, and tonight I plan to get rid of that stuff (mostly for me it's articles from everywhere), or lists of things to do...if God wants me to do those things He will place them on my heart at the right time, and I will be Spirit-led to fulfill them.
For now, it's about peace and rest for my soul and action for my faith.
Thanks.

Body by Vi

I will begin a drastic dietary change once I receive my kit in the mail.  It seems I have been roped in by some peer pressure, but mostly on my own behalf to try something drastic in order to lose weight and inches and regain self-esteem, health, and many abilities I find hard or impossible these days.
Body by Vi is Visalus Sciences' take on the shakes already sold by the Beach-Body brand (P90X, Power90, etc); but better.  A gal I went to junior/senior high with is an independent distributor now (and owns two new BMW's because of her work making shakes); she is mostly behind the roping into the product itself.
Included with the shakes twice/day, a few good snacks (nuts, seeds, fruits and veggies), lots of water and a sensible dinner (pasta w/veggies or salad w/chicken or beef or seafood; etc).
I'm excited for the potential to drop 10 or 20 or 40 pounds and get back to the me I am supposed to be.
Stay tuned.

Thanks.

Social Media II

There was a piece on the front page of the Sunday (7/10/2011) Dallas Morning News, Points section, under Points Summer Book Club; and it referenced a new book by Nicholas Carr called "What the Internet Is Doing to Our Brains: The Shallows".  Sounds like a good read, and a great topic; completely in line with my previous thought.
According to the author, as we get used to the Internet, and skimming and scanning everything, and not fully reading or comprehending; we will lose our ability to use contemplative thought.

I will pick it up and read it...and report back.

Social Media - Where We Spend Our Life?

I read last week that MySpace was being bought/sold because of lackluster progress, money-making, etc...everybody is on Facebook these days.
I guess you know by now, that Goggle + is actually a social media site to (possibly) rival Facebook.  Right now its by invitation only, but considering how well Google has done thus far, it's only human to think they will make this thing rock too!
The hopes for the MyTwitFace social media site are dwindling fast, especially with MySpace likely to end soon; but it was definitely sounding cool when some unknown person coined the phrase.
If it's not FB or Twitter or our blog(s) or LinkedIN or MyTwitFace, we all seem to be connected 24/7/365 and online all the time.
I posted the other day about the newspaper, and that's old school; but if old school is void of all of this social media...sign me up.

Newspapers

I love to read the newspaper.  It's been a tradition in my family as long as I can remember that on Saturday morning, you sit outside on the porch or inside with a cup of coffee and the paper, reading away.
I write this today mainly because of an article I read not too long ago that said that the now generation of college students and young professionals, who have been raised with every technological advantage, prefer to read the newsprint as opposed to doing so online.  As we enter realm after realm of new digital ideas (have you heard of the one where they are researching the idea of connecting to the internet via your contact lens?); it's refreshing to hear that old-school is still hip and popular.  I guess it's like those who still prefer the sound of vinyl records, that hiss and pop you know; or those that prefer the old diode style of amplifier tubes as opposed to a computer chip designed to emulate the same sound.
I guess a  lot can be said for nostalgia and the old; it may not be your tradition, but it does wonders for your mornings...as Simon and Garfunkel would say "slow down, you move too fast".
Reading it in the paper is just cool, at least I think so...