Home of the jester in the court of the ragtag soldiers.
Archive for September, 2008
The Mirror Can Be Brutal
Sep 30th
I know a man who is quite proud of two things: his status as a unwavering liberal and his lavish lifestyle. He often boasts of his wealth, both in terms of cash on hand and investments. He lives in a luxurious home located (but of course) in the toniest of communities, something which he often references in conversation with others. His life is devoted to status, to wealth, and to… well, himself above all. Certainly above all others.
The other day, I noticed him looking quite downcast. Being the nice guy that I am — all right, I heard that snickering out there — I asked what was bothering him. He proceeded to lament how the financial crisis had in the past two months drained a half million dollars from his investment portfolio. I knew he was upset when in the next sentence he did something normally quite foreign to his nature: ask me a question instead of telling me the answer for questions never asked. He looked straight at me and said, “Why is this happening?”
Being of relatively sound mind, I declined the opportunity for a specific reply, instead laying out the facts already presented in this extremely modest corner of cyberspace. On reflection, I lament not seizing the moment to state the simple truth.
Do you want to know who’s to blame for this?
Easy.
It’s you.
No, really. It’s you.
Not past administrations. Not Congress. Not the banks. Not the mortgage companies. Not the people who took out loans they could never hope to repay.
It’s you.
It’s all on you.
You see, somewhere along the line you bought into the notion that you were entitled to the good life. And so you lived it. You bought the house, the car, the membership at the country club — the whole package. You ate at the best restaurants and drank the finest wine. You had it made.
Or so you thought.
The truth is when you bought into the notion that you were entitled you bought into the lie that you were entitled. It’s the same lie that drove who knows how many into signing up for loans they could never repay. They too thought they were entitled, for entitled is another word for owning what one believes one should have because one by their definition of such things deserves to have it regardless of whether one can actually pay for what they desire to own. The only difference between you and them is that you could afford it. To a point, anyway.
So where did this notion that someone without the means to pay should enjoy the same right of ownership as those with the means to pay come from?
From you.
Not you specifically, of course. But from your liberal mindset.
It’s never bothered you before now that the left’s goal of, under the guise of compassion for the less fortunate, creating a socialistic state where the government mandates personal income and lifestyle by forcibly redistributing wealth has you dead in its sights with legislation for executing its agenda locked and loaded. Why should it have bothered you? You know all the tricks for dodging taxes. No worries. It wasn’t going to be your money they came after. And so you went along your merry way.
Until the day it all started falling apart.
You hadn’t figured on a law passed during one liberal administration and strengthened during another that demanded lenders abandon fundamental, sound business practices when determining who would get a loan and for how much. Any credit card company that started opening accounts with people who had no genuine shot at paying their bill under the mantra “these people are as deserving of the right to shop at Macy’s as the well-to-do” would be immediately pilloried for taking advantage of the disadvantaged. No, you can’t buy a $300 pair of shoes without the ability to pay for it. A $300,000 house? No problem. Sign here.
You hadn’t figured on local activists such as community organizers — now where have we heard that term before — using the CRA as a stick and the media as a bully pulpit demanding lenders go beyond what even the CRA mandated. You hadn’t figured on the whole thing exploding the moment housing prices went as high as they could go and started coming down. You hadn’t figured on this signaling the end of people being able to at least on paper cover their inability to pay their mortgage by constantly refinancing and taking out equity loans. You hadn’t figured on the whole rotten mess started when the liberal beliefs you hold so dear dictated social concerns trump financial prudence and hang the expense. If we have to tap the public till we will. But that will never happen. These banks and investment firms are stinking loaded with cash. It’s our obligation to tell them to share it! They’ll still have plenty left over. Nothing can go wrong. Nothing…
Well, it did.
And who’s to blame?
You. You and the people like you who sang a happy tune while believing “they” could somehow pay for it all. Now, “they” can’t. “They” are dropping like flies at a insecticide expo. And since “they” were the ones holding your investments…
The mirror can be brutal, now can’t it.
Where There’s A Whip…
Sep 29th
Jesus said, “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command (Jn: 15:12-14).”
I wonder what He’d have to say about the politicians in Washington so addicted to their own lust for power they’d see this country’s and the world’s economy go down in flames as long as they believe by doing so and affixing the blame on the other party they will maintain and enhance control.
I have a hunch it wouldn’t be the most gentle of expressions. Or for that matter something verbalized.
We are facing a situation where the credit crunch brought on primarily by government mandate to hand out loans like candy regardless of the recipient’s ability to pay is a legitimate threat to every business in America and the world which depends on credit to cover salaries and other expenses when their own assets are tied up in non-cash forms. Right now, the crushing debt financial institutions are carrying due to short-sighted acquisition, be it through direct action or purchase, of doomed loans has eliminated the ability to extend credit. Making matters worse, the assets they do own, specifically the properties held in default due to the original loan holders failing to pay what they owed, are considered to be worthless even if they have some genuine value due to the fact that no one is willing to buy them at market or even discount price. Shelled out a few billion dollars to snag some juicy pieces of the securitization pie? Sorry, they’re no longer worth a red cent even if they’re still edible. Guess you’re out of pocket on this one. Hey, what do you mean your pockets are already empty?
This isn’t a Wall Street issue. This is an issue affecting most every business in the world regardless of size. I am not an alarmist, nor do I pretend to understand all the nuances of global finance. This I do know. The Democrats couldn’t resist shoehorning in some of their beloved pork to the financial bailout plan. They then had the gall to accuse Republicans of causing the mess brought about by the Community Reinvestment Act which was a creation of Democrats. Next, they allowed the ensuing partisan bickering to doom the financial bailout so they can now wait until the crisis becomes even worse before coming up with their “own” plan, loaded with even more pork, that they and the traditional media in their back pocket will herald as a sign of how much they love the working person… even as they tax them to death. And the Republicans? They’re too busy either waving the “Socialism Nyet!” flag, or for whatever reason allowing the lies being told to go unchallenged, to actually educate people about why we are where we are. Yeah, thanks for the dynamic leadership.
What we need right now — as in right now — is a leader following the example of Christ.
When He was single-handedly cleaning out the temple.
Jesus demonstrated that actions also speak. And, long before Indiana Jones was thought of, where there’s a whip there’s a way.
Somebody in Washington grab one and get going. Please.
Ragged Glory, Yet Glory Nonetheless
Sep 28th
Picking up from yesterday…
On the surface, a free concert on a foggy beach in front of a few dozen faithful doesn’t sound like much. Don’t let the surface fool you. This was music from the heart addressing the three elements of life as we know it: earth, soul, and rock’n'roll.
The Lost Dogs individually and collectively are a fascinating study. They are as stubbornly human as the rest of us, yet are sanctified vessels of pure music addressing the entire spectrum of the Spirit’s light and what is revealed in the light. Music is a gift from God, a whisper of His pure language addressing us all. Some choose to hear while others to their loss turn away. All those of us who have been blessed with ears to hear can do is as best we can spread the word. You ought to hear this. You need to hear this. And no, I’m not spouting farcical hyperbole. They are that good.
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It was good to see and spend time with my beautiful beloved and crazy in a good kind of way friends and sisters Beth and Dawn. Beth, the determined planner and organizer who can not only formulate solid marketing plans but put them into action by pulling off the seemingly impossible job of getting musicians, normally not the most linear thinking lot, to match in a straight line for their own good. Dawn, the determined voice for the independent musician against a clueless, soulless industry. Both loving parents, both unfailingly gracious when called upon. Their marvelous parents were also there, as were Beth’s trio of energetic boys and Dawn’s teenage son Chris, blessed with heartthrob looks but far more important a heart for God plus a level of talent that can create delicate, touching melody one minute and blistering metal the next.
Somewhat surreal was giving each of the band members a copy of their special edition of the book, watching their faces as they immediately turned to their chapter and started reading. Back in my previous life when I was the hotshot journalist, despite all the articles about different artists and bands I wrote not once was I there when they first saw what I had written. It wasn’t the first time the members of the Lost Dogs had seen their chapters, as I have adhered to a promise made at the beginning of the process that everyone would have the opportunity to read and approve their chapter prior to publication, making changes they deemed necessary. But those were e-mails. Here at long last was an actual book. Their thanks meant more to be than I can express. It also provided additional fuel to finish the regular edition of the book, still one artist chapter (Nancyjo Mann from Barnabas — making good progress, though) and the afterword away from completion.
It might be a ragged glory known by the Lost Dogs and the faithful, but it is glory nonetheless.
The Glory Road
Sep 27th
Earlier this evening I had the privilege of attending the final stop on the Lost Dogs’ “Glory Road” tour along Route 66 which ended on the beach at Santa Monica.
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The Lost Dogs (L to R): Mike Roe, Terry Taylor, Steve Hindalong, Derri Daugherty
Playing until the generator on the RV they borrowed for the tour gave out and even afterwards for a brief acoustic set, despite the somewhat unusual circumstances the band was its usual brilliant self; the Americana genre at its finest. The playlist leaned heavily on 1993’s Little Red Riding Hood and 2006’s The Lost Cabin And The Mystery Trees, incorporating a moving rendition of “The Glory Road” by Daniel Amos that hopefully will make its way onto the forthcoming CD and DVD documenting the tour.
Much more on this tomorrow.
Debating The Debate
Sep 26th
Given that both sides are claiming victory and traditional media is heralding Obama in tonight’s debate, it’s safe to say neither side “won.” I give the edge to McCain, but then again I admit since I’m a conservative and McCain’s views far more often coincide with mine than Obama’s do it’s natural I’d believe this way. At least I admit I’m biased, which puts me in far loftier company than the likes of CNN and especially MSNBC. Or for that matter FOX News.
What alarms me is in listening to and reading the comments by the ‘common folk’ about the debate how often it’s being said that people thought Obama won based not on the content of his message but rather how well-spoken he is. C’mon. First it’s incredibly condescending to the man — “oh look, he talks purty!” What were you expecting, Porky Pig?
Second, we’re electing a Commander in Chief, not Orator in Chief. Focus on the content. Focus on the package. Not the wrapper it comes in. Please.
Pretty please.
Keeping On
Sep 25th
There was an op/ed column in the New York Times this past Sunday by Nicholas Kristof that while not warranting attention grabs some nonetheless. Kristof, an unabashed Obama fanboy, whines about how there are mad bad and dangerous to know scalawags out there spreading scurrilous falsehoods about Obama, specifically that he’s a Muslim. This of course explains those twenty years or so he spent listening to Jeremiah Wright’s blather. Come on, people. If you’re going to put up a front about your faith, you’re going to pick the most mainstream church there is to attend. Having a moron for a pastor does not mean one is not a Christian. A liberal theological bent does not mean one is not a Christian. Being born Muslim and retaining an affection for some of its outward trappings does not mean one is not a Christian any more than someone who has rejected Christ yet retains an affection for various hymns and Psalms is a Christian. Obama is a Christian. Okay? Obama is a Christian. So is Sarah Palin. Both left and right need to get over themselves and accept it. Period.
That said, the following bit from the op/ed is a jawdropper:
What is happening, I think, is this: religious prejudice is becoming a proxy for racial prejudice. In public at least, it’s not acceptable to express reservations about a candidate’s skin color, so discomfort about race is sublimated into concerns about whether Mr. Obama is sufficiently Christian.
Really.
I mean, really.
Religious prejudice? You mean like Charlie Gibson deliberately omitting a crucial part of a prayer once offered by Sarah Palin to make it sound like she believes the war in Iraq is a sacred cause when in fact her prayer was that America’s leaders were acting in accordance with God’s will? You remember the Times correcting that, don’t you? Oh wait that’s right. Other than stick a quote from Powerline calling out Gibson’s duplicity in a column quoting several blogger’s take on the interview, nada. Musn’t do anything to disrupt the portrait of believers as whacked-out freaks.
Racial prejudice? You mean like how Kristof joins the chorus that varies from insinuating to flat out proclaiming anyone who’s white and prefers McCain over Obama is obviously a racist? Also a moron, because if they weren’t they’d be Obama fanboys and girls? That racial prejudice? No, of course not. Only conservative white Christians are capable of bigotry. Everyone else is tolerance personified. Slam Christians and Christ Himself? You’re a deep thinker. Defend Christians and believe in Jesus? You’re just bitter, clinging to your guns and religion. Yeahrightsure.
But hey. I don’t want to spoil anyone’s fun. All y’all keep on keepin’ on. We who believe are just dumb enough to also keep on…
… keep on loving you whether you like it or not. And telling you the truth. We know you don’t like that.
But don’t be bitter about it.
Obama And Palin: Studies In Faith
Sep 24th
And now, what I said would be yesterday's topic… today.
Faith, specifically the faith of a given candidate, has played a substantial role in this year's Presidential campaign. Barack Obama has seen his faith serve as both surprise and stress inducer. Surprise in that it has severely challenged the general assumption of Scripture quoting and Christ confessing being the right wing's sole property; stress inducer in that when your pastor is Jeremiah Wright… 'nuff said. Meanwhile, since Sarah Palin entered the scene her evangelical beliefs have been roundly hailed by fellow believers and hated by those who, well, hate.
While Obama and Palin both hold fast to the core elements of Christianity — belief in Jesus Christ as the Son of God who was born a man to be sacrificed as atonement for the sins of humanity, then bodily rose from the dead to forever destroy its hold on mankind — from this common ground their respective walks of faith almost immediately head off in different directions. Obama is of a social gospel/liberation theology bent, while Palin holds fast to a more traditional individualistic dogma.
Liberation theology states the mandate given by Christ to His followers in regard to charity and equality should be pursued by all available means including active resistance, up to the level of becoming armed resistance, against a government and/or military organization depriving those under its charge of what are considered to be basic human rights. It was extremely popular in the liberal wing of the Catholic Church during the 1960s and 1970s when a spate of activist priests routinely made headlines in America and throughout much of Latin America where socialist agendas were preached and pursued. Along the line it has been adopted by some elements of the black church which use it as reinforcement for their preaching America is dominated by a racist society. Although Obama distances himself from this extremist edge, he has wholeheartedly embraced the concept of faith as a basis for social change brought about through government activity.
Palin's faith focuses more on the believer's personal relationship with Christ. Although there are elements of the social gospel, they are secondary. What dominates is the belief that the individual being transformed through Christ will as a result of that transformation put into practice those changes the social gospel states should be mandated by law.
There are obvious differences between the two theologies. Palin's beliefs state the individual is responsible for themselves, while Obama's declare group action and/or action on behalf of a group to be paramount. Where there is no difference is in how both have been slammed for what they believe, yet have not wavered from those beliefs for the sake of political expediency. This is commendable.
The incessant personal snark and sniping from both left and right has grown beyond wearisome. It adds nothing to the discourse about this election or anything else of value. Rather, it poisons the atmosphere and distracts from the issues. While traditional media and bloggers alike out-do themselves daily with gotcha games and piling on any perceived weakness of those they oppose, what genuinely matters is almost entirely ignored. This is not commendable.
It can be argued Palin's beliefs are more akin to a pure Scriptural basis than Obama's. Jesus spoke of the personal obligation of all believers to preach through action by tending to the needs of others. It was not a mandate to transform government, but of the transformed individual making the difference on a personal basis. You cannot legislate caring. Only Christ can change the heart to where it embraces caring as a way of life. Of course those do not believe are more than capable of caring. However, those who do so are cheating only themselves. Why not embrace the One true source of love from which charity is born? It makes it so much easier to give.
That said, Obama's faith is not illegitimate. Off-base to a degree, perhaps. But not illegitimate. Somewhere along the line, a profession of faith and belief in Christ needs to be accepted for what it is. One cannot expect the haters to change their ways. One can and should expect those who believe to welcome the presence of fellow believers in politics. Right now, it could certainly use them.
Saying What Should Not Be Said
Sep 23rd
I’ll talk about what I said yesterday I’d talk about today tomorrow. And if you followed that you’re doing better than I! Anyway, there’s something else I want to talk about today. Actually, someone.
Bill Clinton.
Some time ago I discussed my thoughts on Mr. Clinton:
Regardless of my opinion of him as a person, or of his political views, the man was President. He is owed the courtesy and respect inherent for anyone holding or having held the highest office in the land. Second, look at it from the viewpoint of being a Christian. Who am I to judge another? I too am but a sinner saved by grace. I don’t have a litmus test for people to read one of my blogs where if you believe differently or have done something I disapprove of I don’t want you reading what I write. Our God is God of the second chance, the fresh start. The believer is commanded to be a witness not only in word about Christ crucified and resurrected, but also to the redemptive power of salvation as exhibited by personal transformation. The believer is commanded to love even as they are loved, to extend the open hand, to without compromising their Christ-based beliefs and principles say to the world both individually and collectively here is the Way. How, then, could I justify turning down such an opportunity to respectfully be a witness in person to Bill Clinton? If others inferred from my meeting with him a tacit approval of his past or present beliefs and practices, so be it. You cannot control someone’s perception being their reality. All you can do is do what you know to be true while offering the truth to others who question you about it. And I know to be true that no one — no one — is outside the reach of God’s grace, so who am I to deny Him an opportunity to reach someone even though such a flawed vessel as myself?
Okay. Now, bear in mind how when Clinton was President he was routinely pilloried by the right with a level of vitriol that frankly was an embarrassment to most conservatives. The liberals have returned the favor with their attacks of first President Bush and now Sarah Palin. With this as a backdrop, consider what Clinton recently said in regard to Palin:
Bill Clinton said Monday the Democratic ticket should steer clear of launching personal attacks on Sarah Palin over her relatively thin resume, and instead acknowledge she was a “good choice” for the No. 2 spot on the GOP ticket.“Why say, ever, anything bad about a person? Why don’t we like them and celebrate them and be happy for her elevation to the ticket? And just say that she was a good choice for him and we disagree with them?” said Clinton, who faced repeated charges during the primary season he was overly negative toward Obama on the campaign trail.
Clinton’s comments appear to echo advice Karl Rove gave to Barack Obama in his regular Wall Street Journal column last week, when the former Bush strategist noted attacking the VP candidate has rarely proven to be an effective strategy.
In one of the former president’s few extended comments to date on Palin’s surprise VP candidacy, Clinton also told reporters in New York Monday he knows why the Alaska governor is attracting massive crowds on the campaign trail.
“I come from Arkansas, I get why she’s hot out there,” Clinton told reporters in New York, according to the Associated Press. “Why she’s doing well.”
“People look at her, and they say, ‘All those kids. Something that happens in everybody’s family I’m glad she loves her daughter and she’s not ashamed of her. Glad that girl’s going around with her boyfriend. Glad they’re going to get married,’” he said.
Referencing Palin’s 5-month old child who has Down Syndrome, Clinton also said voters will think, “I like that little Down syndrome kid — one of them lives down the street, they’re wonderful children.”
Earlier Monday, Clinton suggested his wife, Sen. Hillary Clinton, would have been a better political choice for the Democratic VP spot than Joe Biden.
“She would have been the best politically, at least in the short run, because of her enormous support of the country,“ he said on the daytime talk show The View.
Several points to make. One is the delicious irony of Clinton making his comments about how Palin should not be attacked personally after an appearance on The View which has been a hotbed of naked disgust for all things Palin since she entered the spotlight. Second, while it can be argued what Clinton really wants this November is for Obama to lose so his wife will be in prime position to make another run at the presidency come 2012, can we maybe for once give the man credit for saying something decent without cynicism and/or snark?
If anyone in American politics has a right to do unto others as has been done unto him it’s Bill Clinton. He was unloaded on non-stop during his time in office. Yet he called out those attacking Palin on the basis of anything other than political differences. Sorry if this costs me brownie points among fellow members of the right wing — if in fact I have any now — but Clinton needs to be commended for his words. We all know how human he can be. We all know his flaws and failures. We all should know that we too are but human with our own flaws and failures. We cannot ask forgiveness for our sins without acknowledging the same option is available to others. Nor can we in good conscience dismiss the actions of another when those actions are for good. With this in mind, would it kill anyone to appreciate Clinton stepping up in a campaign that has become acidic in the extreme and saying enough is enough; let’s treat our ideological opponents with the same level of personal respect we demand for ourselves?
For whatever it may be worth, this single voice says thank you.
Six Hundred
Sep 22nd
When prepping to write this entry I happened to glance at the site stats and noticed this is the six hundredth post I’ve written for this blog. At least it’s not the six hundredth and sixty-sixth post, one to which I seriously doubt I’ll call much attention. Although I probably should make it one singing the praises of that demon rock’n'roll. Maybe see if someone has the video for “Number Of The Beast” by Iron Maiden online I can link to. Always the bratchild, am I.
Numbers can be deceiving little suckers. I remember lo those many years ago calculating how old I’d be when the year 2000 would roll along, marveling at how foreign and ancient the number seemed. Wouldn’t I always remain about the same age? Oh, I’d still have birthdays. Loved when those would roll around. But the actual age? No great movement there. Hmm. Hasn’t quite worked out that way. I wouldn’t say the years have flown by, but they have steadily moved ahead. No, no years flying by. Hair flying away? Now that’s a different story, told with many sighs. Ah well.
But enough stream of consciousness/train of thought mumblings when it’s apparent the stream has run out of steam and the train has pretty much derailed. I had my most popular single day on the NASCAR blog ever today, much of it courtesy of properly plugging the post. While it’s always good to have your work hailed by others, this being far preferable to people praying for a hailstorm to come obliterate whatever you put out there, never shy away from shameless self-promotion so long as you don’t get carried away with yourself… er, it. A boss decades ago summed it up nicely when after I prefaced some no doubt brilliant piece of insight and witticism with “all false modesty aside” intoned “from you, any modesty would be false.” Wounds from a friend can be trusted, but the suckers still sting.
Trundling along the path of peculiarity I’m on tonight (hey, I’m tired, okay?), thought I’d call attention to someone who obviously works way harder on at least some of his blog posts than I do, namely Rusty Shackleford from My Pet Jawa who does an excellent job exposing disingenuousness, duplicity, and flat out damn lies being “independently” spread about Sarah Palin… by professional PR people with an extremely close relationship to the Obama campaign. Read the whole story here; it’s fascinating and disgusting all at once. Of a far more benign but still fascinating nature are a couple of stories in the Weekly Standard about the form and role of faith in the politics of Obama and Palin. Some thoughts on this tomorrow… provided the train doesn’t completely derail before then.
Finally, some book news: making a lot of progress on the final artist chapter before completion, it being for Nancyjo Mann of Barnabas. I realized the other day a huge stumbling block slowing me down in getting the chapter written was entirely self-induced: a way below par introduction. Tossed it and wrote more far more germane to Mann’s life story. Way better, and makes the rest of the story far easier to write. I hope — hope hope hope — to have the first draft completed by this week or at the latest next. A huge thank you to everyone for the prayers over the book, and please keep ‘em coming!
Really Busting A Move There, Eh?
Sep 21st
If you are a believer who offers commentary on political or social matters, there are certain rules one is best advised to follow. You do not have the option of demonizing those with whom you disagree. You do have the obligation to believe in the redemptive power of Christ for anyone and everyone, even the most hardened and virulent Jesus hater. And you do have the obligation to tell the truth regardless of which side of the political aisle it falls. “The obligation to follow Christ doesn’t end where your job or political affiliation begin” isn’t a cute catchphrase. It’s the truth.
While the “be crude, be crass, be conservative” shtick of South Park Republicans can and does wear thin, several blogs of this genre usually have good information. One of them is Ace of Spades. Yesterday was one of those moments where the “usually” came into play.
Ace recommended for listening a recent broadcast by Mark Levin, one of the multitude of second-tier conservative radio yellers. The show in question focused on the current financial crisis. Levin began the show with a lengthy analysis of what led to the current situation, for which the assorted commenters on AoS lavished praise for his hard work in doing the due diligence.
There was one small detail overlooked.
Levin’s “research” consisted of quoting the Wikipedia entry for the Community Reinvestment Act word for word.
Without identifying the source.
Way to break a sweat there…
