Anyone have one of these? How much do you think it costs?
Plastic Surgery
Tallying the votes it appears that YES got 45%, NO got 42% and everyone else either didn't know or have an opinion. I think that.. generally speaking.. this question can only be asked in the West.. maybe I am wrong but I think that we in the West are overly narcissistic and preoccupied with appearance.. might be wrong though.. maybe you readers from the East can provide some perspective.
I think that I would probably answer yes with the condition that the surgery would not put undue stress on your budget.. how is that for a Western answer? Okay.. what do you think? And tell us if you have had plastic surgery.. even if you have to answer anonymously.
For the record I have not had plastic surgery.. not that I don't need it J
Grudem Supports Romney
If you are concerned about Mitt and Mormonism.. A few excerpts from
Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney
By Wayne Grudem
Thursday, October 18, 2007
As an evangelical professor of Bible and theology, I have decided to support Mitt Romney for President (even though he is a Mormon) for two old-fashioned reasons: First, he is the best-qualified candidate, and second, he holds moral and political values consistent with those in the Bible.
Best-qualified: The best predictor of future performance is a person’s past track record. ... He was in the top 5 percent of his class at Harvard Business School and simultaneously in the top 1/3 of his class at Harvard Law School. He is incredibly intelligent. ... He knows how to run businesses, and what makes them profitable. This indicates a deep and also practical understanding of what kind of policies will be helpful or harmful to an economy, and second, an outstanding management ability proven in both state government and in business, which is a good predictor of ability to be an excellent President. ... He also rescued the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. When he was brought in to run the Games he turned what was heading to a scandal-ridden financial and PR disaster into a widely-praised success. This involved massive skill in public relations, media management, diplomacy, morale building, and financial administration. This is Romney’s consistent track record: he solves large problems.
Conservative positions: Romney’s positions on social, economic, and international issues are all soundly conservative. On major issues such as protection of the unborn, a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, strong national defense and victory against radical Islamic terrorists, securing our border, a signed pledge of no tax increases, promoting school choice, and appointment of Supreme Court justices who will interpret law, not make new law, Romney holds solidly conservative positions.
What about his religion? Can evangelicals support a candidate who is politically conservative but not an evangelical Christian? Yes, certainly. In fact, it would demonstrate the falsehood of the liberal accusation that evangelicals are just trying to make this a “Christian nation” and only want evangelical Christians in office. For evangelicals to support a Mormon candidate would be similar to supporting a conservative Jewish candidate—someone we don’t consider a Christian but who comes from a religious tradition that believes in absolute moral values very similar to those that Christians learn from the Bible.
Why Evangelicals Should Support Mitt Romney
By Wayne Grudem
Thursday, October 18, 2007
As an evangelical professor of Bible and theology, I have decided to support Mitt Romney for President (even though he is a Mormon) for two old-fashioned reasons: First, he is the best-qualified candidate, and second, he holds moral and political values consistent with those in the Bible.
Best-qualified: The best predictor of future performance is a person’s past track record. ... He was in the top 5 percent of his class at Harvard Business School and simultaneously in the top 1/3 of his class at Harvard Law School. He is incredibly intelligent. ... He knows how to run businesses, and what makes them profitable. This indicates a deep and also practical understanding of what kind of policies will be helpful or harmful to an economy, and second, an outstanding management ability proven in both state government and in business, which is a good predictor of ability to be an excellent President. ... He also rescued the 2002 Salt Lake City Olympic Games. When he was brought in to run the Games he turned what was heading to a scandal-ridden financial and PR disaster into a widely-praised success. This involved massive skill in public relations, media management, diplomacy, morale building, and financial administration. This is Romney’s consistent track record: he solves large problems.
Conservative positions: Romney’s positions on social, economic, and international issues are all soundly conservative. On major issues such as protection of the unborn, a Constitutional amendment to protect marriage, strong national defense and victory against radical Islamic terrorists, securing our border, a signed pledge of no tax increases, promoting school choice, and appointment of Supreme Court justices who will interpret law, not make new law, Romney holds solidly conservative positions.
What about his religion? Can evangelicals support a candidate who is politically conservative but not an evangelical Christian? Yes, certainly. In fact, it would demonstrate the falsehood of the liberal accusation that evangelicals are just trying to make this a “Christian nation” and only want evangelical Christians in office. For evangelicals to support a Mormon candidate would be similar to supporting a conservative Jewish candidate—someone we don’t consider a Christian but who comes from a religious tradition that believes in absolute moral values very similar to those that Christians learn from the Bible.
My Favorite YouTube Videos
Following are my top three picks for 2007:
Nothing comes close to this video!
This one still makes me cry!
This one was just fun!
What were your favorites in 2007?
Nothing comes close to this video!
This one still makes me cry!
This one was just fun!
What were your favorites in 2007?
Matthews: Hillary is Evita
As I watch today's issue of Morning Joe on MSNBC I am reminded of Chris Matthews rant on that show last week.. he had my wife and I laughing out loud. They were talking about Hillary's Christmas ad and this is what Matthews had to say: I always thought the problem with Hillary was, her notion of government was, "I am Evita, I am the one who gives gifts to the little people and then they come and bring me flowers and they worship at me because I am the great Evita. And I give things to people. I give them universal health care; I give them an energy program. I give gifts to the little people. The little people come to me and I give them gifts, like universal pre-K. I am the gift-giver to the little people. Oh, I am the grand, grand woman, the grand Evita. And I give gifts to the little people and they're going to come to me in multitudes and worship at me!"You can catch the episode on YouTube where Chris also rants about the Huckabee Christmas ad. Might not be hard news but it is pretty funny. Hattip to Mark for the transcript and picture.
Give me a break! That's not the transaction. It's our country, it's our government. Public officials get to serve us! They serve us, they are our servants. They are not Evitas; they are not goddesses. We don't look up to them that way. We don't get gifts from them. By the way: we pay for every damn program we get. In fact we pay more for it than we're going to get. What are you kidding: you're going to give us stuff? From where? From your treasury? Where are you going to go? The palace? The palace? We're going to give them to you?
It's the Hillary, it's the Clinton notion of the political transaction: we are the well-educated, sophisticated, smarter-than-you, better-than-you people and we're going to give you little things for your little needs. We've got little things for you; here's a gift for you. Universal pre-K. It's an absurdity. And some ad writer around her, Mandy [Grunwald] or Mark [Penn] should say "Mrs. Clinton, this is the problem you have. You think you're better and bigger than the little people, and you're giving them these things.
Merry Christmas
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
I want to wish you a Merry Christmas
From the bottom of my heart
Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson LL.D. MA (1709-1784), often referred to simply as Dr Johnson, is one of England's best known literary figures: a poet, essayist, biographer, lexicographer and a critic of English Literature. He was also a great wit and prose stylist, well known for his aphorisms. Dr Johnson is the most quoted English writer after Shakespeare and has been described as one of the outstanding figures of 18th-century England. Here are a few things that he has said:
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.
It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.
No man was ever great by imitation.
Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions.
Getting money is not all a man's business: to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.
He that undervalues himself will undervalue others, and he that undervalues others will oppress them.
He who praises everybody, praises nobody.
It is better to live rich than to die rich.
The true measure of a man is how he treats someone who can do him absolutely no good.
Curiosity is one of the most permanent and certain characteristics of a vigorous intellect.
It is better to suffer wrong than to do it, and happier to be sometimes cheated than not to trust.
No man was ever great by imitation.
Friendship, like love, is destroyed by long absence, though it may be increased by short intermissions.
Getting money is not all a man's business: to cultivate kindness is a valuable part of the business of life.
Great works are performed not by strength but by perseverance.
He that undervalues himself will undervalue others, and he that undervalues others will oppress them.
He who praises everybody, praises nobody.
It is better to live rich than to die rich.
Spooky eBay Transaction
Most of this month has been spent looking to replace my SUV with a wheelchair accessible van.. sigh.
Anywho, last week we thought that we found the right Toyota van for the right price on eBay. We spent several days asking questions and zeroed in on it last Wednesday night and entered the Buy It Now deposit on Paypal only to be rejected 5 times in a row.. never had that happen before.. quite frustrating.. as Ann rolled off to the bedroom a thought crossed my mind.. maybe I should re-read the eBay write-up. Yeah.. you guessed it.. the van had been in an accident.. neither of us caught it the first (and several times after) that we read it.
Of course we took the Paypal glitch as a sign of sorts and didn't buy the Toyota. Bought a Honda (see picture) on Friday from an out of state dealer.. they happened to be having a year-end clearance and dropped their price several thousand dollars from the price we had discussed the week before. An early Christmas blessing.. I love it when that happens.
Crazy for God
My blog friend Julie recently opined about this book and linked to this interview with Frank Schaeffer, the author of this new book. The interview begins with this quote from the book: The public image of the leaders of the religious right I met with so many times also contrasted with who they really were. In public, they maintained an image that was usually quite smooth. In private, they ranged from unreconstructed bigot reactionaries like Jerry Falwell, to Dr. Dobson, the most power-hungry and ambitious person I have ever met, to Billy Graham, a very weird man indeed who lived an oddly sheltered life in a celebrity/ministry cocoon, to Pat Robertson, who would have had a hard time finding work in any job where hearing voices is not a requirement. —Frank Schaeffer, Crazy for GodNeedless to say this intro got my attention big time. Not sure that I will read the book because it seemed, from the interview anyway, that Frank provides a somewhat biased view against the religious right. Here are a few Frank excerpts from the interview:
About his famous family: Dad had a very strong temper. He and mother had a good marriage, in the sense that it lasted. They had a lot of affection for one another, and they were very dynamic. But there was also, as there are in a lot of human relationships, a very dark side. One of those dark sides came out when they were fighting. My father would yell and scream and throw things. Sometimes, it went beyond that.Well, I warned you that it would be anti-religious right. The interview also has interesting perspectives on the politics of the Iraqi War, abortion and homosexuality but I am already negative enough on the right and don't need more fuel for the fire. Take a look at the interview and let me know what you think of it.
About Christain Celebrities: My father never would have pictured a day when his work would help lay a foundation for the anti-gay, anti-homosexual campaign being carried out by people like James Dobson and others. ... The idea of watching himself on The 700 Club or a replay of him preaching from Jerry Falwell’s pulpit would not please Dad, given the direction all this has gone. ... Yes. He saw it as a crazy world. He would say things like he thought Pat Robertson was out of his mind or that Jerry Falwell was harsh and inhuman.
On President Bush: He is arguably the worst president in the history of the United States. He is unfit for the office of president of the United States. He has trouble speaking the English language and articulating a point of view. Second, he has led us into a war—in which my son, by the way, fought—on false pretenses. That is a terrible thing. Bush is personally responsible for the displacement of the Christian minority in Iraq. It was the last large Christian minority anywhere in the Middle East, and it has been destroyed. It is ironic that someone who proclaims he is a Christian president has single-handedly started a war that has undone the last Christian minority in the Middle East. Now it is wall-to-wall Islam from Tehran all the way to the Mediterranean with the exception of Israel. There is not one place outside of Syria that still has that intact Christian minority now.
Bring Them Home
12/23 Update: My son called and said that he landed safely in Colorado Springs! He seemed very happy to be back in the states. Just a few more months and he will return to civilian living. Color me thankful!
12/21: This one touched me on several levels. My son should be heading back to the states as I write this. I am so thankful to God for the man he has become and that he is FINALLY coming home! And I pray that God will bring many more home in the coming year.
The Politics of Religion
Recently Newseek Magazine asked this question:
If you are inclined to do so.. judge Romney on his actions while Governor of Massachusetts.. criticize his positions on the issues.. take issue with him for changing his positions.. but don't fault him for being a Mormon.. and don't fault Mike Huckabee for believing in "Intelligent Design" :)
Do you consider people of the Mormon faith to be Christian?My blog friend Janna has a lively discussion over at her place around this question. Here is how I answered:
If the question was..I have watched Mitt Romney respond to some pretty hateful questioning about Mormonism.. it has made me sad that so many "orthodox" Christians have been so unloving. To be clear, I don't have a problem with asking a candidate to answer religious questions.. no more than I do asking him other "personal" questions. What I object to is the slamming of a man.. who is faithful to his wife, his family, his church and his country.. because he embraces the faith that he was raised in."Do you consider Mormonism to be Christian?"..my answer would be no.. but asking us to make a judgment on people.. and (really) a person (Romney) in particular.. is a place that I will not go.. I will not say that say that Romney.. who appears to love Jesus.. is not a Christian because he was raised in Mormonism.
Really.. an Evangelical can embrace all of the "correct" beliefs at a head level but be utterly lost because they have never bowed their heart to Jesus.. alternately.. a Mormon may not have it all together in their head but may have bowed their hearts to Jesus with everything they know to bow.
If you are inclined to do so.. judge Romney on his actions while Governor of Massachusetts.. criticize his positions on the issues.. take issue with him for changing his positions.. but don't fault him for being a Mormon.. and don't fault Mike Huckabee for believing in "Intelligent Design" :)
Kansas Caucuses
Looks like I will get a chance to influence the presidential destiny of our nation. For the first time in 20 years Kansas will hold a presidential caucus.. albeit on two different days.. the Republican Caucus in on February 9th.. the Democratic one is February 5th.I wonder if I should re-register?
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