Schwarzenegger on Success

Arnold Schwarzenegger gave this speech on graduation day at USC on May 15. Here are his Six Rules of Success:

1. Trust yourself.
2. Break the rules, not the law. You have to think outside the box.
3. Don't be afraid to fail.
4. Dont listen to the naysayers.
5. Work your butt off
6. Find time to give something back, something back to your community, give something back to your state or to your country.

I loved what the Governor had to say. It took me years to understand his #1 rule.. Christians like me often find it so hard to trust the voice of the Spirit within us because we are often taught by others to not trust our innermost being and instead lean on our own understanding or even worse the understanding of others.

You can catch the second part of the Governor's speech here.

Intellectual Property

This cartoon cracked me up and reminded me of the documents I once signed as a software designer working at the phone factory. Basically these documents signed over my rights to benefit from any of the ideas that I developed during working hours.. things that Ma Bell paid me to do belonged to them and not me.. I did not complain.. they paid me the going rate and my property was not all that "intellectual" :)

When I think of this whole idea of "the man" owning what I was paid to do I sometimes ponder how many pastors and other church workers don't embrace this idea of "Intellectual Property" and often make mega-bucks from marketing their sermons and books that were done on the church's dime. Somehow they see themselves as independent contractors when it comes to this stuff.. of course they still enjoy the perks of (non-contractor) health benefits, time-off and salaries.. it is an interesting world that they live in.

What do you think? Any experiences with "Intellectual Property"?

The Culture War

I recently got an email that was titled: "How We Lost the Culture War". The email was filled with all sorts of Christian Fundamentalist conspiracy theories. Here are a few excerpts from it with my comments:

Although 1980 and Ronald Reagan brought a new era for Evangelicals, and for me, as a new straight ticket Republican, I knew that laws would never truly change until hearts changed. The problem is, those whose hearts are hard toward the Gospel and moral truths began to organize an agenda to turn the hearts of America, and especially our children, away from God and morality. So, naturally, that parental protection instinct kicked in, and we began to fight back for our children, as well as for the ones whose voices would never be heard. But, it seems, the more we fought back, the stronger the enemy grew.

Not sure where to begin.. this sort of Christian vs Atheist picture is so often painted.. and many times the Republican Party is sucked into the rhetoric. The picture is painted with such a broad brush of good vs evil. Seldom are non-Christians ever painted in a good light.. self-righteousness seems to rule the message.

I have seen such vitriolic hatred coming from the left at Republicans, not because we are "conservative," but because so many of us are Christians! The left hates Christianity, and they will go to any length to demonize Christians.

Do you again hear the polarization? If you are a Democrat then you must be liberal and therefore most not only be a non-Christian but must hate Christianity.

My point is this: it has only been natural for true Believers and Followers of the Messiah to go on the offensive. And while adhering to the tenants of Scripture, we also, naturally, fall into the Republican mold. No, we shouldn't alienate ourselves from half the population where the Gospel is concerned, but if we identified ourselves with the Democrats, who have consistently and vigorously fought for immoral issues, we would be disobedient to God's Word. We MUST stand for truth.

What a sad picture of Christianity is painted by folks like this. I cringe when I read a phrase like "true Believers". Where is the love of Jesus in this? How do these folks ever expect to be relevant if they try to change the world by any means other than love?

I think that this "Culture War" is one made up by misguided religious people.. history is replete with such people who have brought shame on the cause of Christ. These same people are ones who bring dissension into religious circles because of a narrow view of right and wrong.. they see the world in black and white terms.. and refuse to embrace anything that is gray.. their culture is a dark one.

Of course this "war" is not a one-sided one.. folks on the left side of politics also have fundamentalist zealots.. I am just not on their mailing lists :)

FF: Saving Antelopes

In this edition of Friday Funnies, I submit this funny video that I got with this email note:

Dear Friends,

Most of you don't know, but I foolishly joined an animal rescue group recently and have been assigned to protect the African Antelope. Well, last week was my first real action, and fortunately my efforts were captured on the attached video. I hope you enjoy it.

This type of work is rather tiring and dangerous for a man of my age, but it is most rewarding. But even so, one or two rescues a month is all I can handle right now.

Please keep me in your prayers.

Billy Cosby

Growing up in the 60s one of my favorite comedy albums was "Bill Cosby Is a Very Funny Fellow...Right!".. I loved his funny stories.. still remember the conversation that Noah had with God.. very funny. I also liked Cosby in I Spy and back in the 80s my family was addicted to The Cosby Show on Thursday nights. As of late the elder and wiser Cosby has opined a bit on life and culture.. here are a few things he has said:

Gray hair is God's graffiti. (my favorite)

Old is always fifteen years from now. (my second favorite)

I don't know the key to success, but the key to failure is trying to please everybody.

Like everyone else who makes the mistake of getting older, I begin each day with coffee and obituaries.

Men and women belong to different species and communications between them is still in its infancy.

Let us now set forth one of the fundamental truths about marriage: the wife is in charge.

Parents are not interested in justice, they're interested in peace and quiet.

The main goal of the future is to stop violence. The world is addicted to it.

In order to succeed, your desire for success should be greater than your fear of failure.

Nothing I've ever done has given me more joys and rewards than being a father to my children.

World MS Day

Thought I would share this informative video with you to honor today - World MS Day.
Many of you know that my wife was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis (MS) in 2002. Last year Ann was rediagnosed with Devics Disease.. a disease that has many of the symptoms of MS. Please join with me encouraging those with MS and praying for a cure.

F. on W. | ★★★★★★★

Yeah.. my middle name begins with "F".. don't call me KF :)

Last night Ann and I watched this video with our son.. he loves this kind of political stuff - wonder where he got that from. I thought that it was a very interesting look at the life and presidency of George W. Bush. Going in I understood that it would be a biased Oliver Stone view of his life.. but I sort-of liked it anyway.. felt like I could weed out most of the junk.. mainly the scenes of the presidential years. What I saw most through the movie's eyes was the influence that others had on W.. and he on them.

• His father, affectionately called "Poppy", was a huge influence on W. Initially he was the one who seemed to always be bailing W out and trying to create employment opportunities for the young Bush. You see a lot of contention in this relationship.. it eventually manifests in their conflicting views on foreign policy. You also get the impression that Poppy was not supportive of W and tended to favor his son Jeb as both sons were running for governor of Texas and Florida.
  
  
• Dick Cheney was mostly demoted in this flick. In just about every scene that they share W comes across as the one who is in charge. W puts Cheney in his place on several occasions. Not the image you got over the years from various media sources as well as spoofs on Saturday Night Live.
  
  
• Karl Rove is depicted as a person who scripts most of what the political W says and the guy who masterminds the image people saw in Texas and in America. At one point we see Rove telling W to pretty much stick to the script.
  
  
• Colin Powell is shown as someone who was used by Bush to grab power but was minimalized in W's cabinet. I thought that this was one of the most biased depictions in the movie. Powell was certainly not the weakling he was depicted as being.
  
  
• Condoleezza Rice comes across as a pitiful excuse for a National Security Adviser who is transfixed by W's charm and power. I seriously doubt all of that.. another example of Stone's bias.
  
  
• Laura Bush is portrayed mostly in a positive light.. comes across as a pretty strong individual.. maybe not as demur as we think she is. Guess I didn't know she used to smoke.
  

Overall I thought that the movie was entertaining. I enjoyed seeing the early life aspects of President George W Bush portrayed.. helped me get a better picture of the man. In general I was irked by the way that Stone portrayed W as a power hungry manipulating hypocrite that forced people to pray at the conclusion of staff meetings. Anyone who bought that stuff probably already had an anti-W predisposition. On a scale of 10 I give this movie ★★★★★★★

Will Sotomayor replace Souter?

5/26/09 Update: News just broke that President Obama will nominate Sonia Sotomayor to the high court later this morning. Should be an interesting confirmation process.

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5/1/09 Update: Yesterday's news of Justice David Souter retiring in June got me thinking back to this post. Of course Justice Ginsburg may also choose to retire in June when the current session of the court comes to an end. Interesting to consider that this President HW Bush 1990 supreme court nominee could be replaced by someone that he nominated for a lower court in 1991.

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3/14/09: George Stephanopoulos recently posted this observation:

Supreme Court Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg raised a few eyebrows today with her prediction that President Barack Obama would "surely" pick a Supreme Court justice "soon." 

Here's my question: what are the chances that Obama DOESN'T pick Sonia Sotomayor? 

In her favor, she was appointed to the federal bench by George H.W. Bush. Elevated to the Appeals Court by Bill Clinton. She's a protégé of Daniel Patrick Moynihan and a prosecutor with Robert Morgenthau.  Graduate of Princeton and Yale after growing up in the South Bronx.

And, Sotomayor would be the first Hispanic Justice on the Supreme Court bench

From what I can tell Judge Sotomayor is a liberal and is pro-choice. I wonder how our "pro-life" senators will vote if she is nominated.. of course we could thank "pro-lifer" George HW Bush for nominating her when he was president.

Rushmore Revisited

Methinks some of my friends have already envisioned this addition :)

Gentle Heroes

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell was listed as MIA while piloting a helicopter on a mission in Cambodia on March 24, 1970. His remains were recovered and interred at Arlington National Cemetery on August 16, 2001. He was a gentle hero who gave his life for his country. Here is a poem that he wrote:

If you are able,
save them a place
inside of you
and save one backward glance
when you are leaving
for the places they can
no longer go.
Be not ashamed to say
you loved them,
though you may
or may not have always.
Take what they have left
and what they have taught you
with their dying
and keep it with your own.
And in that time
when men decide and feel safe
to call the war insane,
take one moment to embrace
those gentle heroes
you left behind.

Major Michael Davis O'Donnell
January 1, 1970
Dak To, Vietnam

On this memorial day please take a moment and offering a time of silence or a prayer of thanksgiving in honor of the many who gave so much.

All Gave Some but Some Gave All

Take a moment and remember all of the fallen on this Memorial Day weekend!

Idol Worship

Saw this over at Grace's place and was so surprised to see American Idol winner Kris Allen leading worship.. the video made me smile.. there is no one like our God.

Caption Needed

Spitzer on Fixing Wall Street

An interesting twelve minute Morning Joe clip featuring former New York Governor Eliot Spitzer explaining why the New York Fed is run by CEOs who "have failed America" and the need to change their focus away from bonuses before Wall Street can recover.