Today, and now every day, I am more limited to the amount of time that I have to write blogs. It is good and bad. Increased security at work means little or no access to the web which means I have to fire up a laptop when I have a chance - three floors away. On the other hand, social-not-working at work was probably a bad idea anyway.This week has me thinking about lots of things. Health care, church, music, work, kids and retirement. So here is the run down.
Kids should make a lot more money so their parents don't have to kick in so much, so often. I feel bad for one of mine that is up to her eyeballs in student loans, and another that is weeks away from being able to pay for her car repairs. My 6-year-old is pretty good with the dough, she spends what she has so that she doesn't have t0 "keep it clean," or put it away. She is mad at the bank because they stole her money she wanted to get a doll with.
It is an interesting season for church - personally I feel like something is happening for me in the spirit. I can't quite describe it, but some pieces are coming together. More on that when I get a little clarity and few minutes to put my thoughts together.
Rehearsal last night was smoking. I like playing loud!
I am on a new learning path at work. I am enjoying the fact that I have time to learn some new technology for a short season. The good news is this might be the last major knowledge overhaul before I retire. Yippee. I do like learning, but I can think of a lot of other things that I would rather learn about.
And finally health care. I am disappointed as an independent voter that we got such a bad deal - which includes some things that I was hoping we would get. I think we went too far, and the process of getting there was very slimy. Top that off with less then half of all Americans even wanting this thing, and you can see why there is so much anger.
There are 2,500 pages of law, and it's going to take some time to see what is really in there. 10% tax in tanning salons. Way to go. And I am not buying the CBO quote regardless of how non-partisan they are. Garbage in = Garbage Out. In 20 years this thing is going to to be so far out of control, that is will be costing nearly 40% or more of our income.
I think the biggest disappointment is this whole thing is Bart Stupak and the spineless pro-lifers. But that's just me.
Here are a couple of blogs about it - Tony C Today, Southern Illinois Catholic, and The Church of No People.
How about you, what have you been thinking about this week?
11 comments:
Sorry David. You retiring is not in the cards yet.
40% of our income going to taxes is a possibility. What I fear most is in 20 years we are all going to be under a ruling political class ( Democrat socialist party) as serfs or slaves if America doesn't wake up and vote them out of office while we still have time.
What have I been thinking about this week beside work?
I got this urge to buy a new high tech. techno wizz digital SlR camera. The only problem with that is as soon as I get one, Nikon will announce a brand new high tech techno wizz camera for hundreds less and will report it takes better pictures than what I bought. Guaranteed what you buy today will be obsolete or discontinued tomorrow. Not falling for that trap again.
What's the new technology you're learning?
Congressman Stupak forced "the One" to sign an executive order reinforcing the Hyde amendment forbidden fed funds for killing babies. What is wrong with that?
- A nun, a moose
"What I fear most is in 20 years we are all going to be under a ruling political class ( Democrat socialist party) as serfs or slaves if America doesn't wake up and vote them out of office while we still have time."
Because having Bush, Mr. I'm not beholden to any laws (like Nixon thought he was above the law) was somehow better than a party that actually tries to give people healthcare?
GCT - I hope that I have not implied that I didn't want health care reform. I did and I still do. What I am against is the railroad job that we got, the price tag for that job, and the fact the there was little sensibility in the bill.
I an researching the new taxes and that impact that it will have on me. So far it looks like 14% increase in costs/taxes starting this year at about 4-5%.
I had been planning to save 15% of my income for retirement - but it looks like it will not be possible. It is a better deal to take a lesser job, and get in on the system, and then sell my house at retirement.
@Percy - C++ and C#. Transitioning from VB.
David,
Sorry for the confusion, I was responding to photogr. Also, re-reading, it sounds a bit snarky, which was not intended at photogr...sorry to both of you for that. I guess I tend to get a little ruffled at the idea that liberals are to blame for everything. It's simply not true. Everyone can share some blame for some things, not just one set or one party. And, it's also simply not true that a majority of liberals are in favor of communism. In our country, we are so far skewed the right and it's getting worse because of such over-heated rhetoric that is being swallowed by the masses. When Obama is seen as being as communistic as Stalin, then something's not right, especially since Obama is not all that liberal, except in the eyes of people who think that anything to the left of Reagan is unacceptable.
@GCT - I think that Jesus would have used his turn signals, it's the law.
In any case, as a Christian I don't believe in left or right, Rep or Dem, or even liberal or conservative. I believe in biblical principals. Jesus know a lot about the poor. Health care has not been a problem for me. It isn't even about the money. It is about how this was done. I am resenting the 30 some odd tax changes that came with it. It doesn't look good for a middle class guy like me. I was hoping to save 15% for retirement, now it looks like I will be spending that on the new health care bill - but I haven't done the final tally.
And just so I don't get some pigeon hole here iw where I stand on the issues.
Going green 100% - I just happen to think it is a good idea and Global Warming is a farce.
Oil and coal. - forget it. Let's get to electric solar wind and all that. It's good for the environment and keeps Obama from bowing to the Saudis.
Israel is a great ally and there will be no peace in the Middle East well except for 7 years as predicted by the Bible. Land for peace, and a Palestinian state will never work.
Lower taxes create jobs and profits which are good. Higher taxes create bigger government and oppression.
Immigration needs a line - a real line. The current system is ridiculous it is not even close to fair where we have coke users getting green cards and a man who has 3 degrees and speaks 6 languages getting deported.
I say give them documents so if we ever want to do anything about this mess, we can find people.
And that is all I have time for.
David,
Hopefully I'm not double posting here. I had a comment wiped out by some google server error...I think.
"I think that Jesus would have used his turn signals, it's the law."
Render unto Caesar, right? LOL.
"In any case, as a Christian I don't believe in left or right, Rep or Dem, or even liberal or conservative. I believe in biblical principals."
Which ones? The ones that include slavery, subjugation of women, etc? Really, you believe in the principles that have come from your culture and society. Those, you impart back onto the Bible and then claim that it happens the other way round.
"And just so I don't get some pigeon hole here iw where I stand on the issues."
Thanks for giving your stance on the issues, although I don't want to debate all those here and now. I do agree with some of your stances (yay green!) while I disagree with others (global warming is not a farce - it's the best conclusion we currently have based on the empirical data).
@GCT - Well, here is a another quick rundown.
Biblical principals are things that we can understand about the Kingdom of God from the Bible, and more importantly a personal relationship with Him, and apply them to life. Slavery is not how one would love his neighbor, so that would be WRONG. It is not specifically not permitted, but the principal of controlling someone or using them in any way that was abusive or taking advantage of them, is WRONG. Some have taken the fact that we work for a "for profit" company as slavery, but that is a LOC. We enter into a relationship where are free to work, and make money, to provide for ourselves and our families. Working for is biblical. Being forced to work, especially for no money is not.
Subjugation is a strong term. an not sure if you are talking about a number of denominations that do not allow woman to hold a pastorate or something like that. Or the submission of a wife to her husband. In any case there are lots of godly woman that I know. They are a gifted and essential par of the body of Christ. There are a number of them mention by Paul. So, holding woman back from ministry is WRONG.
Regarding global warming. The empirical data is only 100 or so years old. Remember, that Ice Age ended with global warming. In fact, it is THEORIZED that the plagues of Egypt in the Old Testament were do to an unusually hot and humid spell caused bu unusual rain and heat - a sort f global warming. In any case the median temperature goes up and down of many centuries and that is about factual as we can get. BTW - these are the same scientists that predicted another ice age back in the 70's.
"Biblical principals are things that we can understand about the Kingdom of God from the Bible, and more importantly a personal relationship with Him, and apply them to life. Slavery is not how one would love his neighbor, so that would be WRONG. It is not specifically not permitted, but the principal of controlling someone or using them in any way that was abusive or taking advantage of them, is WRONG...Being forced to work, especially for no money is not."
Except you have to get there by selectively reading the Bible and applying your personal biases. The Bible does not condemn slavery and even sets guidelines as to how it should be used. Seems rather odd for something that is wrong, doesn't it? It would be like god saying that one should murder another person in such and such a fashion and having later people claim that he knew it was wrong all along. Well then, why didn't god say so?
"Subjugation is a strong term. an not sure if you are talking about a number of denominations that do not allow woman to hold a pastorate or something like that. Or the submission of a wife to her husband."
Yes. I'm also talking about the treatment of women in the Bible and the prescribed treatment. If a woman is married and raped, she is to be stoned to death. If she's not married and raped, she's to be married to her attacker. Women are to be silent in church and defer to their husbands in all things. Women are treated as property in the Bible.
"Regarding global warming. The empirical data is only 100 or so years old."
That is incorrect. We have tree ring data and ice core data as well as other types of data that stretch backwards in time for much, much longer (10s to 100s of thousands of years).
"In fact, it is THEORIZED that the plagues of Egypt in the Old Testament were do to an unusually hot and humid spell caused bu unusual rain and heat - a sort f global warming."
I'm sorry, but who has "Theorized" that? That's ridiculous. There is no evidence of a Jewish captivity in Egypt to begin with, let alone any evidence of massive plagues in Egypt.
"In any case the median temperature goes up and down of many centuries and that is about factual as we can get."
No, that is incorrect. We know quite a bit about temperature trends and the concensus is that we are in a warming trend that is at least being contributed to by human activity.
"BTW - these are the same scientists that predicted another ice age back in the 70's."
Once again, that is incorrect. Please see here.
Actually there is evidence of Israeli's in slavery in Egypt. Lately there have been many archeological discoveries of that very thing. Watch the history channel. The idea that the bible is all stories without historical data to back it up is baloney. The artifacts are there and known. One would have to be blind and deaf and purposefully turning their head to avoid seeing it all.
There is ample archeological evidence of hebrew slaves in Egypt, as well as plenty of evidence of everything in the bible historically. Watch the history channel once in awhile and you can't miss it. Do a little research on the web and you can't miss the PhD's that have not only verified but publish the results. To say the bible has no historicl proof is to show that you are not looking.
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