Taxes and Debt Ceilings

I've got to get this off my chest because I believe many partisans are revising or forgetting some things, and whether it's on purpose or not, it's driving me nuts.  I don't claim to know all the answers and I would happily receive any corrections to the following statements about Taxes and Debt Ceilings.

Virtually everyone's taxes went up this month

The Payroll Tax Holiday expired and essentially everyone who works is getting less net pay this year, (unless you change your allowances so less money is withheld).  The major reason they went up has nothing to do with the Bush Administration.  In 2010, President Obama proposed a 2% Tax Holiday.  Your pay went up that year because this measure was passed and then extended the following year.  That's right, President Obama temporarily cut your taxes. OK, here's a question: What political party "went to the mat" to ensure we had this holiday extension for 2013? Well, my taxes went up, and I didn't hear much news about either party fighting for the extension, so we can thank them all for raising our taxes.

Oh, and if by chance you are in one of the households dealing with additional increased taxes due to income levels exceeding $400K, I'm sorry.  If it bothers you, I can understand why you might make some partisan statements.  I personally don't have this problem.

The Debt Ceiling

More Briefly...

Obama says not raising the Debt Ceiling would be absurd and irresponsible while Boehner and McConnell are showing a great deal of resistance in doing so.

During the Bush Administration, Representative Boehner and Senator McConnell voted 5 times to raise the debt ceiling while then Senator Obama said that doing this indicated a lack of leadership.

I have seen both sides exposing the hypocrisy of the other regarding this.  I believe as an act of bipartisanship, we should all come together and simply state that there are self-interested hypocrites on both sides of the aisle.

There, I feel better now.

Spiritual Disciplines

Followers of Jesus struggle not only with their work but also with their prayers, with their meditations, with attempting to open spaces at the depths where the Spirit of God may descend and dwell.  The spiritual disciplines (prayer, study, meditation, confession) look as if they would be a pain; and they are.  But they are also a joy.  They look as if they would bind us.  They do, but they bind our own internal constraints - the desires that lead us around if we do not bind them.  So the disciplines actually open a door to freedom.  The discipline of study can feel like a burden. It is a burden, but the Christian person yokes up with Jesus Chris to haul the burden, and the joy and freedom of fellowship with Christ make the burden light.  In short, the disciplines help make us prime citizens of the kingdom because they help to make us strong and deep

-Cornelius Plantinga Jr., Engaging God's World: A Christian Vision of Faith, Learning, and Living

Objectivism/Ayn Rand

Growing up I was a huge fan of Rush, (and still am a fan).  Consequently, it was cool to think Ayn Rand is cool.  Mainly because she had one novel that influenced the the writing of "2112."  I read that novel, which in and of itself was thought provoking.

Ayn Rand is best known for a Philosophy called Objectivism.  The summation of this philosphy, from an ethical point of view is characterized by a statement of one of her Characters in "Atlas Shrugged:"

"I swear -- by my life and my love of it -- that I will never live for the sake of another man, nor ask another man to live for mine."

While Ms. Rand may have influenced prominent people such as Alan Greenspan, I personally find this philosophy, or the creator of it a bit whacked.

You can find many interviews with her on youtube.

More and Less

Thoughts for the new year (in no specific order):

Write more, tweet less
Move more, eat less
Pray more, surf less
Listen more, talk less
Serve more, judge less
Love more, complain less
Play more, sit less
Give more, spend less

I do not resolve anything, but I do hope to improve.

How would Jesus Vote?

From Max Lucado's book, Fearless:

"Politicians pull box-sized versions of Jesus off the shelf asserting that Jesus would most certainly vote green; conservative; often; never; like a hawk, dove or eagle. The Jesus-of-my-politics comes in handy during elections."

I appreciate his facetiousness. He goes on to talk about how you cannot put God in a box.

Praying for Prayer

It occurred to me yesterday that there are two general ways in which we come to God in prayer:

We come willingly and thankful. Praise comes easy when we are thrilled with how God is working in and around us. Some would say this happens with the mountaintop experiences of our lives. I would agree although I'm not sure it has to be a mountaintop. It can happen with small things. We can go there quickly and often. When we see a child studying the wonders of God's creation, or when we meet someone that you know God sent your way for encouragement. There are many reasons and ways to come willingly, and it's good to find them.

We also come with a needful heart. Our health is in question or the health of others is. When we see others hurting or in need of understanding what God has already done for them. We come then asking, yearning and even begging for God's will to be the same as yours. (Of course, I think it's more the converse. We should come praying that we are joining His will in this situation). We come in states of grief.

Here's one other thing I've noticed. As one might expect with the ups and downs of life, there is a space in between. A time when our knees are not tired and sore. They're "fine." Which is what we're thinking as well. That everything is "fine." Of course there are "prayer warriors" who are exceptional in avoiding this area, but I think for most of us there's this cruise control gap where we don't think of praying and praising our Creator.

What should we make of this? Or, more humbly, what should I make of this? Well, I see two goals in here for me personally. One is an intermediate goal and then there's a subsequent goal to progress to afterwards. My first goal is to shorten the gap. I should desire a more intimate relationship with God when things are "fine" and I believe God desires this too. There's a lot of area between the mountains and valleys and I should maintain my fellowship with Him. Secondly, after shortening the gap, I should work on motive. The second reason to go to God in prayer, (during the "downs" of life), should be fueled with an altered motive. In my opinion, I should go with a less selfish heart. Less, "I hurt so make it better," and more, "God, you are sovereign, and I ask for understanding and the ability to Glorify You through these trials regardless of whether my desires and Your will are the same." Does that make sense? That we seek to Glorify God and submit to His Will for His working?

So How do we get there? I mean, how do I get there? Well, I can try to obtain these goals. But I think I need to think differently. Try as I might, much of what needs to be done here I should also leave to God. For the new year, I pray for prayer. That God would yield in me a desire to communicate with him frequently, if not constantly. Much like is written in verses 16-18 (in bold) of the scripture below:

Now we ask you, brothers, to respect those who work hard among you, who are over you in the Lord and who admonish you. Hold them in the highest regard in love because of their work. Live in peace with each other. And we urge you, brothers, warn those who are idle, encourage the timid, help the weak, be patient with everyone. Make sure that nobody pays back wrong for wrong, but always try to be kind to each other and to everyone else. Be joyful always; pray continually; give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus. Do not put out the Spirit's fire; do not treat prophecies with contempt. Test everything. Hold on to the good. Avoid every kind of evil.
-1 Thessalonians 5:12-22 (NIV)

The Scar

Sunny late summer mornings in Northern New Jersey are beautiful and this day was no exception.  The sky was clear and the sun was bright.  The air was already saying it was early fall.  Living west of my workplace meant that sun glare would cause delays and make for a longer commute to work.  Thankfully, my job didn’t start until 9am.  Nevertheless, I was running behind which was often the case, especially with an 18 month boy at home with my wife, Tina.  While traveling Route 10 in Morris county, I listened to the local Christian station for a while and figuratively rolled my eyes at the annoying traffic.  Many of the schools were starting back and that made the traffic even worse.  I didn’t like being late although it happened fairly frequently.  I was just over halfway to work when I grew tired of the radio station, so a few minutes before 9 I switched the radio to the local (NYC) Top 40 station.  It didn’t take long before I realized by the tone of Scott Shannon’s voice that something was wrong.  He said something along the lines of, “We’re not sure exactly what has happened, but it is something horrible.”  I woke up a little more and switched to news radio at WABC in New York.  It was then I found out that what appeared to be a plane had flown into one of the towers of the World Trade Center.  They went to the phones where an eyewitness on the streets in Manhattan began to recount what he had seen.  I was amazed…and shocked!  I imagined in my head a small private plane and an explosion as I listened intently to what this guy was describing…but it wasn’t over.  Just then, the caller exclaimed, “Oh my God, another one!.  The other tower is hit!  The heat!…”  My jaw dropped and my hand covered my mouth- a gesture I had never remembered making before and hope to never make again.  I was completely shocked as I moved over a couple lanes to exit off route 10 in Parsippany to make the last few turns into my work.  I wondered if the cars around me had heard what I had heard.  And were they were struggling to drive because of it.  Thoughts rushed through my head as I continue to listened.  I remember WABC having an “expert” on soon after who said, “Well, it’s too early to determine whether this was a true act of terrorism or not.”  That remains the most ridiculous thing I remember hearing on that day.  Everybody knew.  It wasn’t wondering whether it was terrorism, it was wondering who the terrorists were.

I arrived at work and went to the row where my desk was and asked if anyone had heard what had happened.  I can’t remember who had or hadn’t, but I do remember telling one of the managers about it as well.  Later, before I left New Jersey for North Carolina, he told me he would never forget me, because I was the one who told him about what had happened that morning.  I don’t know how I feel about being remembered this way.  I wasn’t the scar, but I was telling Frank he was about to have one.  I did the same, I’m sure, when I told my wife over the phone to “Turn on the news.”  News travelled quickly in the office of course, and with it feelings of shock and adrenaline.  My boss actually told us to keep working.  Really?  Work?  There was no way to concentrate.  We were paralyzed.  But work?  Not anytime soon, I’m sure.  You need focus for that.  About an hour later, someone got wind of the Pentagon, but that was further away and my head couldn’t digest that now that the numbness had set in.  Someone then heard that the first tower had collapsed.  I thought perhaps a few hundred people would be killed at impact and that those below would simply walk down the stairs and out into the street, and those above would be rescued by helicopters.  I remembered thinking that if it collapsed straight downward that couldn’t be too bad because surely everyone was out of the tower by then. It was a naive thought, but it’s still in my head.   We were numb.  We would be for, not hours, but days.  By late morning, we were leaving for home.  Traffic was heavy again with everyone thinking the same thing; “I just want to be home with my family.”  I remember hugging my wife and then watching the news…all day.  It was ironic to see my 18 month old play while this was all unfolding.  He had no idea.  Actually, I still don’t know if he has an idea.  It might be a discussion tonight…

Time becomes hazy and you don’t remember all of your thoughts, but you remember some.  I didn’t know any one who worked in the Trade Center towers, but I knew plenty of people who could have been there that morning “on business.”  I worried about them. I lived within the commuting distance to Manhattan, and some people within our borough were lost, but I didn’t know any of them.  Newscasters spoke of 20,000 estimated deaths in the towers.  There was a sense of irony and relief each time the estimate was lowered.  Sometime during that day I recall thinking how grateful I was for the first day of school and sun glare.  Surely less people had made it to the WTC on time for work due to the change in traffic patterns. 

The days that followed were a blur as well.  It was back to work on the 12th but I don’t recall if I stayed the whole day.  There is one part of the trip on Route 10 where you are up on a large hill and you can see out over New Jersey.  That morning, there was a plume of smoke on the horizon.  Living a good 45-60 minutes from the City, I couldn’t believe I saw what I saw, but I am all but positive that this it.  When I was at work, I wondered if our building would be a target.  It sounds irrational now, but that was the thought.  I taught a class at a local community college.  My first lecture after the attack, my students just stared at me.  Their eyes were clearly saying, “Please don’t make us think. We can’t concentrate.”  It was still too soon to resume “life” so I sent them home.  Somewhere in the midst of it all, life began again, but thoughts remain.  I remember more than one Sunday at church imagining some terrorist coming into the church in the middle of the service and firing on us.  I had plans in my mind on how I would react if this happened.  A few weeks later the anthrax attack, which originated in NJ, hit the news as well.  Within a week, white powder had been sent to our church.  We had a guest speaker that weekend and we ended up borrowing a local reservation hall and having our service their.  Nothing became of the white powder, but it was still terrorism.  A month later, I had a week of training in the CBS building in Manhattan.  Taking the train in, there was one point where you could see the skyline.  Looking at it without those buildings was like looking at someone for the first time after they had lost a limb.  Your brain just didn’t want to compute the change and it hit me once again.  During training, people were still talking about it.  Those who live in the city would talk about the lingering smell from the rubble.  Going home from training, I’d take the subway back to New York Penn and find armed military personnel throughout the station.  I found myself thankful for their out-of-place presence.  From then on, the memories faded.  This was the deepest part of the wound.  The most central part of the scar.  But like scars, memories fade, especially around the edges.  Above is what remains.  Many have taken time over the past eight years to pause, remember and honor.  I have never been too much for that.  Of course I remember.  I may even pause.  I think now is the first time, I have truly tried to recall my thoughts from eight years ago.  There were many of them that have been forgotten, but this is what remains of that time.  Some scars fade and some disappear.  Some remain and become part of who you are.

Church Economics

While getting ready for church, I asked myself this question. "How many families does it take to financially support a full time pastor?" Interesting question, especially for us western thinking Christians. Assuming that each household was self supporting and they tithe their "local storehouse" the answer is pretty easy. For the example, let's say each family makes $50,000 and that's what is required (minus tithe) to "make a living." With each family giving 10% or $5000, it takes 10 families to support a pastor and only 9 if the pastor doesn't tithe. (Not the kind of pastor I'd want). Just ten families! That's it! Of course, funds for a church are needed for ministry/outreach, but ten families? Really? Wow!

It brings a lot of other questions to my mind regarding how we "do church."

Retirement? Bah!

This morning, I was reading my Utmost for His Highest by Oswald Chambers.  Chambers wrote the following about 100 years ago:

“The real danger in spiritual laziness is that we do not want to be stirred up— all we want to hear about is a spiritual retirement from the world. Yet Jesus Christ never encourages the idea of retirement— He says, ‘Go and tell My brethren . . .’”

In this age of entitlement where we now live, something has been bouncing around in my head for some time.  For my Christian friends, I’d like to suggest the following:  There is nothing (that I know of) biblical about our modern day idea of retirement.  I have discussed this a few times with some folks and the only thing that has been mentioned is that the Levites were to work in the temple from ages 25-50.  Well, ok, fine.  Did their service stop then?  I’m doubting it.  Besides, I personally do not know any Levites personally who work in the temple, so I think we shouldn’t necessarily consider this a good reference for those of us in secular vocations.  As for those in “full time ministry,” I doubt this is a good example either.  (On a personal note, my pastor is over 50 years old and I’d prefer he not retire any time soon).  So, then, what is biblical about modern day retirement?  Or more importantly what is it we should be asking God to do with us now and in the future?   When Paul writes in Romans 12:1, “Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.”  I don’t think he means to go fishing without sunscreen.  This life we live now, is no longer ours.  We gave it up when we committed it to God.  Does this mean we don’t save money for what we suspect will be our “retirement years?”  No, but for me I think it is important to keep in mind that I can’t take it with me?  I have my 401K from a previous job and money in other retirement accounts.  It isn’t much and maybe even should consider putting more in, but, again, what for?  I will slow down as I age.  I may not be able to pull the same sort of paycheck to take care of things as I get older and that is what those funds should supplement.  But should I stop?  I hope not.  That would be laziness which is what Chambers refers to in this morning’s devotional.

(Of course another matter for me is to be sure I’m not being lazy now, too!)

Christian Fanatics

We all, on occasion will say we're a fan of something. You could be a fan of baseball, a musical group, ice cream, etc. Everyone is comfortable with that. When we say fanatic, we get a little less comfortable with it, don't we? Although fan is short for fanatic, when we say the longer version, it implies a greater intensity. If you were to add "Christian" in front of that, then the implication becomes something even more concerning and definitely has a negative connotation to it. Well, Timothy Keller, in his book "The Reason for God" explains what the problem is with Christian Fanaticism. I love this excerpt:

Fanaticism
Perhaps the biggest deterrent to Christianity for the average person today is not so much violence and warfare but the shadow of fanaticism. Many nonbelievers have friends or relatives who have become “born again” and seem to have gone off the deep end. They soon begin to express loudly their disapproval of various groups and sectors of our society—especially movies and television, the Democratic Party, homosexuals, evolutionists, activist judges, members of other religions, and the values taught in public schools. When arguing for the truth of their faith they often appear intolerant and self-righteous. This is what many people would call fanaticism.

Many people try to understand Christians along a spectrum from "nominalism” at one end to “fanaticism” on the other. A nominal Christian is someone who is Christian in name only, who does not practice it and perhaps hardly believes it. A fanatic is someone who is thought to over-believe and over-practice Christianity. In this schematic, the best kind of Christian would be someone in the middle, someone who doesn’t go all the way with it. Who believes it but is not too devoted to it. The problem with this approach is that it assumes that the Christian faith is basically a form of moral improvement. Intense Christians would therefore be intense moralists or, as they were called in Jesus' time, Pharisee’s. Pharisaic people assume they are right with God because of their moral behavior and right doctrine. This leads naturally to feelings or superiority toward those who do not share their religiosity, and from there to various forms of abuse, exclusion, and oppression. This is the essence of what we think of as fanaticism.

What if, however, the essence of Christianity is salvation by grace, salvation not because of what we do but because of what Christ has done for us? Belief that you are accepted by God by sheer grace is profoundly humbling. The people who are fanatics, then, are so not because they are too committed to the gospel but because they're not committed to it enough.

Think of people you consider fanatical. They’re overbearing, self-righteous, opinionated, insensitive, and harsh. Why? It’s not because they are too Christian but because they are not Christian enough. They are fanatically zealous and courageous, but they are nor fanatically humble, sensitive, loving, empathetic, forgiving, or understanding—as Christ was. Because they think of Christianity as a self improvement program they emulate the Jesus of the whips in the temple, but not the Jesus who said, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7) What strikes us as overly fanatical is actually a failure to be fully committed to Christ and his gospel.

When put this way, I feel much more comfortable saying I'm a fan of Jesus...or even a fanatic.

Pair o' Dime Props: Those with Imperfect Attendance

Well, folks, it's that time of year again. Over the past few weeks, schools have been letting out for the summer and many have graduated. Awards ceremonies have taken place and some have received, in my sons' principal's words, "The most coveted award in school." That's right, the perfect attendance award. News stories in print, radio and television laud the ones who have 12 years of perfect attendance and some have even accomplished perfect attendance and no tardies! Wow!

But this post isn't about them. They got their recognition. This post is about those who didn't get it. Yes, the rest of us! Congratulations on not going to school everyday. Now, don't get me wrong. I'm a big fan of education. Why, I spent 7 years in undergraduate school alone, (insert rim shot here), and an additional 2 years in grad school. I love school so much I got an education degree and currently work at a university. I'm a big fan of school and I highly recommend it. However I do remember bouts of tonsillitis, colds, sinus infections and one time even encephalitis that kept me from attending every minute of my courses. I survived and even graduated!

I raise a glass to you, imperfect attenders! For those of you who when you felt bad, took that as a sign you should lay low and recover. You knew that if you were sick, you should stay home and watch The Price is Right. (Or for you young folks out there, Sportscenter for four hours straight). Props go to your parents also! Your parents read the school's student handbook and complied with the part that said, "If your child has had a fever in the past 24 hours, he or she should not come to school." By doing this, you no doubt helped others stay well by not spreading your sickness to them. Because of this, you have a better understanding of following rules. That was very considerate of you and your parents. Perhaps even your folks let you go on vacation during the school year because they were confident you could make up the work and still do well. You also have a better understanding of what "real life" is about. As you get older, you're going to have sick days. Your coworkers will thank you for staying home and not getting them sick. As age sets in, you will need to take mental health days too. You know now that missing school, or work, isn't some sort of tragic occurrence. As a matter of fact, those days of missing school or work will lessen the likelihood of burnout. I contest that you graduates are more prepared to understand life as an adult! So, a tip of the cap to you, imperfect attenders! The world awaits you...when you're healthy and not on vacation.

DISCLAIMER: Pair o' Dime Shift is not in any way encouraging or condoning truancy in our children, nor does it accept any responsibility for any increase in a child's absences due to the legion of kids who read this blog. A good education is extremely valuable and every subject is pertinent to obtaining all of your necessary life skills. The author of Pair o' Dime Shift would not be nearly as intelligent as he is if it weren't for that introduction to film class he took in 1987. How does one survive without understanding the intricate philosophical undertones that come with the viewing of Last Year at Marienbad?If at all possible, children should be in school learning everything they can about every subject. Bottom line: KIDS, STAY IN SCHOOL!!!

Despised

I believe last year at this time I was also thinking about Isaiah 53. What a wonderful chapter it is! I find great encouragement in the words that were written prior to the Sacrifice that our Lord made for us on the cross. Today we remember that day.

I consider the following:

• Jesus, in the Garden with the weight of the following day on his heart and mind. He had such dread of the following day he asked the Father if there was another way.
  
• His closest friends in their weakness sleeping while he laments the pain and burden forthcoming. Imagine how alone he must have felt!
• A disciple kissing him, as a sign of complete betrayal, greed and evil.
  
• Another disciple, who Jesus himself said he would build his church on, denying he even knew Jesus...three times.
  
• The mockery, the hate, the thorns, the cursing, laughing, striking, spitting, nailing, hanging and piercing...

I can't truly imagine it completely. But it was done. And it was done by people like you and me. And he suffered it for people like you and me.

Who believes what we've heard and seen? Who would have thought God's saving power would look like this?

The servant grew up before God—a scrawny seedling,
a scrubby plant in a parched field.
There was nothing attractive about him,
nothing to cause us to take a second look.
He was looked down on and passed over,
a man who suffered, who knew pain firsthand.
One look at him and people turned away.
We looked down on him, thought he was scum.
But the fact is, it was our pains he carried—
our disfigurements, all the things wrong with us.
We thought he brought it on himself,
that God was punishing him for his own failures.
But it was our sins that did that to him,
that ripped and tore and crushed him—our sins!
He took the punishment, and that made us whole.
Through his bruises we get healed.
We're all like sheep who've wandered off and gotten lost.
We've all done our own thing, gone our own way.
And God has piled all our sins, everything we've done wrong,
on him, on him.

He was beaten, he was tortured,
but he didn't say a word.
Like a lamb taken to be slaughtered
and like a sheep being sheared,
he took it all in silence.
Justice miscarried, and he was led off—
and did anyone really know what was happening?
He died without a thought for his own welfare,
beaten bloody for the sins of my people.
They buried him with the wicked,
threw him in a grave with a rich man,
Even though he'd never hurt a soul
or said one word that wasn't true.

Still, it's what God had in mind all along,
to crush him with pain.
The plan was that he give himself as an offering for sin
so that he'd see life come from it—life, life, and more life.
And God's plan will deeply prosper through him.

Out of that terrible travail of soul,
he'll see that it's worth it and be glad he did it.
Through what he experienced, my righteous one, my servant,
will make many "righteous ones,"
as he himself carries the burden of their sins.
Therefore I'll reward him extravagantly—
the best of everything, the highest honors—
Because he looked death in the face and didn't flinch,
because he embraced the company of the lowest.
He took on his own shoulders the sin of the many,
he took up the cause of all the black sheep.

-Isaiah 53 (The Message)

Pair o' Dime Props: Jackie Andrade

A couple of weeks ago I was in a Faculty Council meeting here at the university. The agenda for this meeting included a briefing from the Chancellor, the Provost as well as the President of the Faculty. Since I am administrative staff, I am considered a guest of the meeting and I sit in the very back; sort of like a second class citizen. Well, as is often the case with these things, they tend to go on for some time. So I was back there with my paper, drawing away. Loops, boxes, faces, sometimes even the back of someone's head. It looks terrible, but it's what I do. Finally, one of my associates leaned over and whispered, "What is this, Art 101?" As for the quality of my drawing, I think she gave me too much credit, but more importantly, she caught me doodling. Immediately, I had that same wave of shame come over me that has happened times before. I remember being in church about 10 years ago, when during the message, my bible study leader who was a row in front of me looked back at me while I was busy illustrating and scowled. Seriously, I felt like I was about 7. I shamefully covered my sketches and tried to focus on the pastor. However, sitting still staring at a speaker doesn't help me very much. What a slacker I was!

So here's my confession: I doodle. Yes, I use an actual pen and paper and draw nonsensical shapes, and scribbles. If I'm daring I may try to draw someone's face. I tend to cover up what I'm doing when I can, but I'm frequently found out. You can sometimes make daydreaming look like you're listening, but it's hard to keep doodling a secret.

Well about a week ago, I was in a meeting again with the same associate mentioned above. This time I was asking her questions and essentially writing down my action items from the meeting. At the end I looked at my notes, which could be found with asterisks, arrows, and other meaningless scribbles and laughed. I showed her the page and mentioned the "Art 101" statement she had made before. She went on to tell me that she had read an article talking about how doodling isn't really a bad thing. She didn't remember the reference so I went and did a doodle google. (Yeah, I know…I couldn't resist). Here is a sample of what I had found. Thanks to the research of Jackie Andrade, it appears by doodling, one is able to retain more information than those who look like they're listening! All of this time, people were looking down their nose at me thinking, "How pathetic! A grown man can't even pay attention," while I was busy retaining the information they were missing while scoffing at me! Ha! I believe I may have to carry around a few copies of the actual abstract of the article so that I can pass them out to anyone who judges my scribblings as juvenile!

So thank you Dr. Andrade, for vindicating my years of drawing while listening.

NOTE: The doodle above is not mine but belongs to a friend who is quite the sketcher! If you click on the picture, you can see some much more impressive drawings.

Also, here is a link regarding this from Morning Edition as well.

Speaking of Hypocrisy

Since I just recently posted on hypocrisy, I just had to bring an observation from my drive in to work this morning. I try not to be overtly negative in my posts, but this morning I can't help myself. While traveling in to work this morning, A Ford Focus chose to make a U-turn and cut me and one other driver off on a large highway. The back of the car had a specialized "FP" license plate. (Meaning the owner paid extra money for the plate in support of the Fraternal Order of Police and are an active member of this organization). They also had a bumper sticker that said, "Have You Thanked a Police Officer Today?" So, after cutting us off, I couldn't help but notice as I drove in the lane next to the driver she had a cell phone in one hand, and a cigarette in the other. In case you're wondering, North Carolina does indeed have a cell phone law where you must use a hands free device while driving. Ha! Interesting. Well, it get's a little "better." Just before turning into the university, I watched as this driver, while still talking on the phone, flicked her cigarette butt out the window! Amazing! She obviously doesn't think cigarette butts are litter too. Hmmmm. Cutting off drivers traveling at high speeds while talking without a "hands free" on her cell phone and later throwing litter out the window. Too bad there wasn't a police officer nearby. I'm sure if she were cited, she would have thanked him for it.

The best I could do is grab the license plate and fill out this form. She'll get a letter asking her to stop.

It's not that easy being green

(I don't know if that's a good post title or not, but Kermie did a great job of singing it years ago)

This morning while driving to work I heard this story on The Market Place Morning Report. Now before you go reading or listening to the whole thing, let me recap what's sticking in my mind. Remember all of those plastic bottles you throw into recycling bins? You know, the ones that make you feel just a little better about the fact that they are going to somehow be used again. Well, these bottles often get shipped to China and South America to be processed and then shipped back! The person in the story says it's cheaper this way. Well, good thing shipping plastic across the world and back doesn't cause unneeded burning of greenhouse gasses and polluting of our environment. Otherwise, it wouldn't seem like an environmentally friendly thing to do.

Oh well, there goes any potential resolution of me not being cynical this year. :-)

Rusty Hardin does it again!

OK, I've posted it in the past, and here I go posting again. High Profile Attorney, Rusty Hardin has successfully defended the integrity of Victoria Osteen, wife of Joel Osteen who "co-pastor" Lakewood church in Houston. Allegedly, Mrs. Osteen was upset about a stain on the armrest of her first class seat on a flight from Houston to Vail, Colorado. Mr. Hardin who shares my childhood name of Rusty (and my adult surname of Hardin) has now successfully defended Mrs. Osteen as well as Wade Boggs, Warren Moon, Roger Clemons and many others has proven himself a very good attorney. However, due to the clientele he represents, I'm not necessarily disappointed that I shortened my name to Rus and I still receive the benefits that I mentioned in the previous post as well.

I do have something to ask the Osteen's though. If I could have their ear's for a few minutes, I would really like to know what exactly happened that would make a flight attendant think she could press charges? Surely Victoria was angry about something. I'm sure it was righteous anger at that....about that stain on her seat perhaps? I would be angry too if I were paying all that money for first class....as long as it didn't taint my witness.

Hardin Family Tour 2008: Dayton, Ohio

Last Thursday we arrived in Dayton, for the first time in over 10 years. Tina and I met at Wright State University and spent 8 years together in this town. We figured after a decade it was time to travel back to where our relationship began. While traveling I thought it might be good to blog about my observations along the way.

• It only took me ten years to miss Dayton! That's less than expected, and it's good to be back.
• I underestimated the joy I would feel when seeing the smiles of retiremnt home residents when they saw my boys. The elderly just love seeing life in young children.
• About 20 years ago, during college an elderly couple "adopted" a bunch of college students. We were able to surprise Mrs. Ramsey and serve her Tea and sweets. This was the highlight of our Dayton leg.
• I had forgotten how nice a good "cuppa" with some sweets were. It was a great time.
  
• That brand new apartment building that we moved into in 1995 didn't look quite as nice. As a matter of fact it looked a lot like the one we moved out of in 1995.
• We went by both of our old churches. The one we were married in and the one we went to after that. The second has a slogan/motto of "Love Grows Here."
• Speaking of slogans, we also passed a church with the most peculiar slogan Ive ever seen. I don't like when churches brag on themselves, but this didn't suffer from that. It was "The Vineyard: A Pretty Good Church." That didn't necessarily make me want to jump out of bed yesterday and check this one out. :-)
• I had a joke with Tina years ago. We would pass Solid Rock Church in Monroe and I would remark how big the portico was out front. It was quite extravagant and we would remark on how it had to cost a fortune and wondered whether it was good stewardship to build it. Since then, they've developed a little more but if you look closely at the picture, you can see the portico behind what many now call "Touchdown Jesus." I'm glad they self-regulate their stewardship and do such a great job of remaining tasteful with their building. (Click on the picture to enlarge). Additional Statue Information is here.
  

Pair o' Dime Props: Coach ------

When I had just turned 15, I was playing my last year of organized baseball. My coach for that year was a good man. He had three boys of his own, (one of which broke my nose on a ground ball, but perhaps that is a story for another day). Anyhow, this guy was nice enough to take me to and from practices during the season because circumstances didn't allow for me to get to practice by other means. Today I want to (sort of) acknowledge my coach for one particular lesson he taught me. One Saturday after practice, I helped him get the equipment put away and he pulled out some tools and went back to the field. There was no one on the grounds, but he began working on the fence and the grass around the fence. Cutting the grass, pulling the fence back down and securing it so balls could not roll underneath, etc. Well, you may know how much I love yard work, so I was probably pretty impatient. I was ready to go. I remember asking him why he was doing it. I don't remember his answer exactly, but it was something along the lines of "it needs to be done." Near the end of the conversation, I remember asking him if he was going to let the youth organization know that he was the one who did this. His answer was along the lines of, "No. There isn't any need to let them know. It just needs to be fixed." That may seem like nothing when you read this now, but hearing this as a self-centered 15 year-old (I think that's redundant), I was blown away! Why on earth would anyone work on something out of charity and not want to be recognized!!?! Well years later I understood, and perhaps he did then too. This morning I was reminded of this coach when I read the following:

"Be careful not to do your 'acts of righteousness' before men, to be seen by them. If you do, you will have no reward from your Father in heaven. So when you give to the needy, do not announce it with trumpets, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and on the streets, to be honored by men. I tell you the truth, they have received their reward in full. But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving may be in secret. Then your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you."
-Matthew 6:1-4

This gentleman is no longer around. As a matter of fact he died a couple of years after he coached me. Perhaps now, better than Pair o' Dime Props, he's received an infinitely better reward.

PoDS Tips for Successful Lawn Care

Here at Pair o' Dime Shift we wish to provide our readers with 10 times more than our two cent's worth. Well leave it to me to bring you the best in tips for your lawn. (GET IT? "leave" it? HAHAHAH!!).

Let's get one thing straight before we continue. Yard work is one of the most time-consuming (read: time-wasting), annoying, dreadful endeavors one can choose to do. I truly believe that those who enjoy it must be masochists. If you're a masochist by this definition, please do not take offense to the term. I don’t agree with how you spend your time, but I respect you. And if you really enjoy it, I would like to invite you over to my home some sunny Saturday in the near future. I wouldn't want to discourage you enjoying lawn care.

The overall goal of lawn care is simply the following: Minimize the total amount of time, work and money you put into your yard while avoiding the sour looks of all of those on your block.

With this in mind I bring to you the following pointers:

• Never mind keeping up with the Jones'. The goal is to be slightly better than the Smith's. Who are the Smith's you ask? Well they are the ones with the worst looking yard on the block. By being slightly better than the Smith's you will avoid the sour looks given by Mr. and Mrs. Jones.
• The frequency in which you fertilize should be the same as the frequency of neighborhood social gatherings. The goal here is to be sure to fertilize the morning of said gatherings. That way when the subject of lawn car comes up at the event you can mention that you had just dropped fertilizer that morning. You can even consider rolling your eyes when speaking about the Smith's lawn and claim that the reason you have weeds is because Mr. Smith doesn't fertilize his lawn and the wind blows all of the seeds into you yard.
• You should fertilize with the least amount of fertilizer possible. Everybody knows that these chemicals are not good for the environment and you don't want to be labeled as a earth-scorcher like the Jones family down the street do you?
• Minimal frequency and amount of fertilizer will ensure that you will have plenty of nice green weeds in your yard. The goal then is to cut them low. If you cut off all of the leaves, blooms, pods, etc. the stem will look remarkably similar to a blade of grass. Be sure to edge your lawn for the same reason. Grass tends to grow straight up. Weeds often grow sideways. By edging your yard, you again give the illusion of grass.
• Do NOT water your lawn. We have been in a drought here in Charlotte for over a year and water restrictions are in place. Of course the obsessive masochists in my neighborhood have better lawns than me, but barely. I'd like to compare fertilizer and water bills with them. While they're busy watering and fertilizing to make their yard look decent, I'm spending time with my family and making my yard look fair. It's not worth the payoff. Also, when a drought hits, since you have done minimal fertilizing, the obsessive yard-workers now have brown lawns, and your weeds are green and if trimmed nicely might even make your yard look even better.
• When doing yard work, keep the following things in mind. Doing it on a nice cool day, if you have one, is the easiest way to go. However, nice cool days are perfect days to spend doing something fun with your family. You're wasting valuable time by doing it then. You should consider doing it when it's extremely hot and humid. That doesn't seem right, does it? But doing it on an oppressive day is likely to invoke the most pity from your family. After a couple of hours sweating and exhausting every ounce of energy, your significant other is likely going to want you to take it easy for some time. They may bring you drinks, and let you sit down in a cool place for a looooong time. It's counterintuitive I know, but your return will be greater. Trust me. One note of caution though: Wear sunscreen. You could have sweat gallons of water, incurred scrapes and cuts and perhaps even lost blood, but if you have a sunburn and you didn't wear sunscreen, expect no pity. Trust me on this one.
  

Okay, so there you have it. It's not exhaustive, but these are sound tips that should help you in maximizing your quality of life. Since my neighbors don't read my blog and my wife only does occasionally, I think this post should be safe.

One brief glimpse of power

This weekend we had quite the storm. I love thunderstorms. There is something neat about watching sheets of rain come down while feeling the house shake from the occasional crack of thunder. It's awesome! My son, Chris, loves all precipitation. He is infatuated with the radar and we are all but convinced he will be a meteorologist. He loves it more than I do.

Saturday and Sunday both had some impressive storm activity, but Saturday was the most intense when it comes to lightening. As the storm rolled in we sat on the front porch and counted between the lightning flashes to see how far the lightening was from us; four seconds, three seconds, four seconds, five seconds...all of them very intense. I marveled at the power of the storm. It was enjoyable to watch the intensity and strength. Then it happened. The almost simultaneous flash and crack! My adrenaline rapidly increased, and I said, "OK buddy, let's watch the rest of this from inside!" This was probably less than a mile from the house. I had been closer to strikes before, but I don't know if I had ever seen such a crisp bright bolt as the one I saw Saturday, and the thunder crack shook the house - and me. Wow!

All this just to say, that as I stood in the window looking out at the intense power of the storm and the jump I had just had, I realized that I very much take for granted the power of God. That at one moment I could be thankful for the opportunity to watch a wonderful storm. To marvel at the power God has in nature and then in the next moment be completely awestruck to the point of fear. This is just a fraction of what the Almighty can do! I think I understand better what it means to praise and fear God at the same time from that one storm this weekend.