If government employees can enjoy a stay in a luxury hotel made famous on The Bachelor, then surely Congress could find somewhere to make spending cuts.
In November, a group of federal government employees connected with the U.S. Coral Reef Task Force enjoyed a trip to St. Croix, courtesy of taxpayers. Though no reports of long bar tabs and souvenir receipts have surfaced—as what happened when the General Services Administration held a conference in Las Vegas—a few details have raised eyebrows.
Government employees stayed in the Buccaneer Hotel, a beachfront resort made famous by the television show The Bachelor. At a time of supposedly tight budgets, the task force could have at least proposed a more modest way to hear from regional governors and others about the status of the coral reefs.
Further, the trip itself did nothing directly to improve the environment. Taxpayers can only hope the week of lecturers and public events along with the annual business meeting will eventually produce something in the way of improved environmental quality.
Perhaps no obscenely wasteful spending took place over the week—that much is unclear. But also unclear is why this program exists in the first place. With the task force spread across 11 different federal agencies, it is difficult to understand how much it costs taxpayers and whether it is successful or not. There are many nonprofit organizations, research institutes, universities, clubs, community groups, networking coalitions, and businesses in the Caribbean alone working to improve coral reefs and educate the public. The Coral Reef Alliance lists 10 pages worth of organizations working on coral reef issues in the U.S. With such a clear and committed effort, why are taxpayers footing the bill (the size and effectiveness of which is unclear) for the federal government to join the party?
Even with a national debt of $17 trillion and counting, some in Congress are maneuvering to replace spending cuts from sequestration with even more spending. But stories of wasteful spending cropping up now and then make clear that if the federal government can “afford” such questionable purchases, clearly there is room to cut. The longer Congress waits to budget, the more important cutting wasteful spending and tackling the nation’s debt becomes. The budget conference presents a unique opportunity to do just that.
______________ If you want to cut government waste then stop allowing people to get addicted to government programs!!!! November 3, 2013 1:07PM Lindbeck’s Law: The Self-Destructive Nature of Expanding Government Benefits By Alan Reynolds Share Relevant foresight from Swedish economist Assar Lindbeck, “Hazardous Welfare State Dynamics,” American Economic Review, May 1995: The basic dilemma of […]
We got to shutdown government waste now!!! October 2, 2013 11:16AM Shutdown Could Shut Down Waste By Chris Edwards Share A benefit of the government shutdown may be that it slows the stream of waste and bad behavior flowing from the federal bureaucracy. Catching up on my reading, I noticed these items in just the […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
(Emailed to White House on 3-15-13.) President Obama c/o The White House 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW Washington, DC 20500 Dear Mr. President, I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is […]
We need to stop wasteful government spending by privatizing the post office!! Postal Service Won’t Shut Down but Will Default on Its Debt James Gattuso October 1, 2013 at 9:30 am Newscom The U.S. Postal Service (USPS) defaulted on its debt last night. No, it has nothing to do with the partial shutdown of the […]
I wish President Obama would try to cut spending instead of increasing spending and our debt. Two Very Good GSA Waste Cartoons April 21, 2012 by Dan Mitchell One of my first blog posts back in 2009 featured a column about the Social Security Administration squandering $750,000 on a “conference” at a fancy golf resort in […]
Senator John Boozman, 320 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-4843 Fax: (202) 228-1371
Dear Senator Boozman,
I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to respond to my earlier letter to you on this same subject. I have always TRIED TO CONTACT THE REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY TO BALANCE OUR BUDGET AND CUT SPENDING WHENEVER POSSIBLE.
This is very much the same case as raising the debt ceiling in my view. It seems that the Republicans keep allowing the Democrats to raise that too. Why don’t the Republicans just vote no on the next increase to the debt ceiling limit and ALSO REFUSE TO DROP THE SEQUESTER REQUIREMENTS!!!!!!!. I have praised over and over and over the 66 House Republicans that voted no on the debt ceiling increase . If they did not raise the debt ceiling then we would have a balanced budget instantly and at least if we kept the sequester in place it would slow down the growth in federal spending. I agree that the Tea Party has made a difference and I have personally posted 49 posts on my blog on different Tea Party heroes of mine.
But something is better than nothing, and the sequester that took place this year was a bitter defeat for President Obama and other advocates of bigger government.
But now there’s a deal to weaken the sequester and allow more government spending over the next two years. Hatched by Paul Ryan, the Republican Chairman of the House Budget Committee, and Patty Murray, the Democrat Chairwoman of the Senate Budget Committee, the most important takeaway is that the agreement will increase spending caps by $63 billion over the next two years.
This chart shows what will happen.
The second most important thing to understand is that the Murray-Ryan deal contains several tax hikes. But since politicians can’t resist prevaricating, these provisions are being referred to as “user fees” and “offsetting receipts.”
The most outrageous tax hike is the added levy on airline travel. Honest people call this an increase in the ticket tax. The folks in Washington call it an “Aviation security service fee.”
There’s also a tax hike on private pension plans, as well as additional taxes (oops, I mean “user fees”) on trade.
You also won’t be surprised to learn that the so-called spending cuts in the agreement are mostly fluff and gimmicks.
The Treasury Department and Justice Department have been told not to spend “unobligated balances” in their forfeiture funds, but that was money they presumably weren’t going to spend anyway.
States, meanwhile, have been told they have to pay part of the cost of managing mineral leases on federal lands within their borders. Maybe someone can explain to me why payments from state governments to Washington count as a budget cuts.
And the agreement also assumes that Washington will do a better job of policing fraud in areas such as unemployment insurance and illegal utilization of handouts by prisoners. Those would be positive developments, to be sure, but one has to wonder why they weren’t enforcing those laws already.
By the way, the aforementioned tax hikes and make-believe spending cuts are supposed to generate “savings” over 10 years that will “offset” the higher spending that will occur 2014 and 2015.
Needless to say, it’s goes without saying that all the new spending will take place in 2014 and 2015. But I wouldn’t hold my breath for alleged savings that are supposed to take effect in the following years.
Simply stated, the ink won’t even be dry on this agreement before the lobbyists, politicians, bureaucrats, and interest groups that control Washington start maneuvering to bust the spending caps and weaken the sequester next year. And the following year. And the year after that. And…well, you can fill in the blanks.
So what’s the bottom line?
Well, it’s clearly a big disappointment that Congressman Paul Ryan engineered this turkey of a deal rather than fighting for the sequester. Heck, this was the guy who put together very good entitlement reforms, yet now he’s helping Obama escape the sequester?
To be fair, folks on the Hill have told me that Ryan didn’t have much leverage because several Republicans indicated that they wouldn’t vote to comply with the sequester spending levels.
But if that’s the case, he should have at least forced a vote so the American people could see which GOP politicians are wobbly on the critical issue of restraining Leviathan.
To close on a somewhat optimistic note, it does appear that all the new spending is confined to 2014 and 2015. So if the spending caps are preserved for subsequent years, then it’s possible that the long-run trend line of government spending is unaffected.
That would be a good outcome. Not because the long-run trends are positive (if you look at the long-run data, we’re screwed), but because at least they wouldn’t have made a bad situation even worse.
________________________ Senator John Boozman, 320 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-4843 Fax: (202) 228-1371 Dear Senator Boozman, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to respond to my earlier letter to you on this same subject. I have always TRIED TO CONTACT THE REPRESENTATIVES AND SENATORS ABOUT THEIR RESPONSIBILITY […]
Senator John Boozman, 320 Hart Senate Office Building Washington, DC 20510 Phone: (202) 224-4843 Fax: (202) 228-1371 Dear Senator Boozman, I want to thank you for taking the time out of your busy day to respond to my earlier letter to you on this same subject. It is obvious to me that if President Obama […]
It is obvious to me that if President Obama gets his hands on more money then he will continue to spend away our children’s future. He has already taken the national debt from 11 trillion to 16 trillion in just 4 years. Over, and over, and over, and over, and over and over I have written […]
___ Corker Says President’s 2012 Budget Proposal Shows “Lack of Urgency” on Spending Uploaded by senatorcorker on Feb 14, 2011 In remarks on the Senate floor today, U.S. Senator Bob Corker, R-Tenn., expressed disappointment in President Obama’s 2012 budget proposal, saying it displayed a “lack of urgency” to get federal spending under control. Corker has introduced the […]
From a lecture given by Dr. Milton Friedman in Erie, Pennsylvania (1978). Steve Brawner in his article “Safer roads and balanced budgets,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 13, 2011, noted: The disagreement is over the solutions — on what spending to cut; what taxes to raise (basically none ever, according to Boozman); whether or not to […]
Classic Ron Paul: “We have not seen any sincere effort to cut any spending” 4/24/1997, C-SPAN Steve Brawner in his article “Safer roads and balanced budgets,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 13, 2011, noted: The disagreement is over the solutions — on what spending to cut; what taxes to raise (basically none ever, according to Boozman); […]
Classic Ron Paul: “I expect deficits to explode, not come down” 4/9/1997, C-SPAN Steve Brawner in his article “Safer roads and balanced budgets,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 13, 2011, noted: The disagreement is over the solutions — on what spending to cut; what taxes to raise (basically none ever, according to Boozman); whether or not […]
Classic Ron Paul: “This is a small effort in the right direction” 4/19/1997, C-SPAN Steve Brawner in his article “Safer roads and balanced budgets,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 13, 2011, noted: The disagreement is over the solutions — on what spending to cut; what taxes to raise (basically none ever, according to Boozman); whether or […]
Mark Levin discusses the two amendments needed to re-establish Constitutionalism as well as other things that need to be done to fix the issues facing the nation. Mark is brilliant at keep his eye on the objective and does this every night on http://www.marklevinshow.com. This excerpt is from 1/27/2011. Steve Brawner in his article “Safer […]
Mark Levin interviews Senator Hatch 1/27/2011 about the balanced budget amendment. Mark is very excited about the balanced budget amendment being proposed by Senator Orin Hatch and John Cornyn and he discusses the amendment with Senator Hatch. Senator Hatch explains the bill it’s ramifications and limitations. Senator Hatch actually worked on this bill with renowned […]
Paul Walker’s daughter Meadow had encouraged her father to continue acting after reaching the age of 40.
The Fast and the Furious actor who was just 40 at the time of his sudden death, had previously revealed that he was contemplating taking a step back from his career to reassess his life when he was inspired by his daughter to continue acting.
The late actor had made these comments to GQ UK in August. “It’s so funny, my daughter now lives with me full time and my original plan was to work up until I was 40 then reassess my life, even go in a completely different direction with things.
“She keeps encouraging me to do all this stuff. I thought at this point in my life I would need to be home with her, but she wants me to keep acting so she can travel around the world with me. Would that be so bad? Thing is, I went to a born-again Christian high school, was brought up in a traditional Mormon family where these ideas about parenting are of structure and sacrifice. To think outside of that idea of family and parenting that I’ve grown up with is tough, but also very freeing.”
“The Fast and Furious” Actor Paul Walker loved to surf, loved cars and racing, but what most people don’t realize is that he has a daughter, whom he loved and cherished. According to his friends, Walker was also known for a heart to help others.
In a 2005 USA Today article the California native says he grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but eventually left the Mormon faith. According to Walker’s biography on IMDb he became a non-denominational Christian later in life.
“I’m a Christian now. The things that drove me crazy growing up was how everyone works at fault-finding with different religions. The people I don’t understand are atheists. I go surfing and snow boarding and I’m always around nature. I look at everything and think, ‘Who couldn’t believe there’s a God? Is all this a mistake?’ It just blows me away.”
The late actor who in a GQ UK magazine interview talked about how his Christian education and Mormon background influenced his thinking about family.
“It’s so funny, my daughter now lives with me full time and my original plan was to work up until I was 40 then reassess my life, even go in a completely different direction with things,” Walker had told GQ in an August 2013 interview. “I thought at this point in my life I would need to be home with her (16-year-old Meadow Rain Walker), but she wants me to keep acting so she can travel around the world with me. Would that be so bad?
“Thing is, I went to a born-again Christian high school, was brought up in a traditional Mormon family where these ideas about parenting are of structure and sacrifice. To think outside of that idea of family and parenting that I’ve grown up with is tough, but also very freeing.”
Walker, 40, were attending a charity event for the Filippino victims of Typhoon Haiyan for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. His good friend Roger Rodas came to the fundraiser in Valencia and the two drove away in a 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT, according to Walker’s publicist, Ame Van Iden.
Around 3 p.m. Saturday, the car crashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames. Sheriff’s deputies found the car engulfed in flames when they arrived at the site. Both the drive and the passenger were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said speed was a factor in the one-car crash, though it will take time to determine how fast the car was going, according to Associated Press.
Walker’s death was later confirmed by both the publicist and his family. The statements expressed their shock and their ‘beyond belief’ saddness after hearing this news. His daughter Meadown Rain Walker has posted comments on social media, asking for prayers and recalling her fond memories of her father.
Walker was raised in a Mormon household in Glendale, Calif. He later went to Village Christian High School. According to Bill Townsend, a friend of Walker, Walker “dedicated so much of his life to helping disadvantaged kids and people who are in need, with his charity recently assisting those in the tornadoes in the Midwest and the trauma in the Philippines.”
The actor, who also starred in “Pleasantville,” “Varsity Blues,” and “Into the Blues,” was working in the seventh film of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. His co-stars, including Vin Diesel and Ludacris, have all expressed their grief over the lost of their friend and fellow co-star.
Ludacris wrote on Twitter, “Your humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark,…”
“Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless,” wrote “Furious” co-lead actor Diesel. “Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace.”
The star is survived by his 16-year-old daughter, whom he had out of wedlock with his ex-girlfriend Rebecca McBrain.
“The Fast and Furious” Actor Paul Walker loved to surf, loved cars and racing, but what most people don’t realize is that he has a daughter, whom he loved and cherished. According to his friends, Walker was also known for a heart to help others.
In a 2005 USA Today article the California native says he grew up in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, but eventually left the Mormon faith. According to Walker’s biography on IMDb he became a non-denominational Christian later in life.
“I’m a Christian now. The things that drove me crazy growing up was how everyone works at fault-finding with different religions. The people I don’t understand are atheists. I go surfing and snow boarding and I’m always around nature. I look at everything and think, ‘Who couldn’t believe there’s a God? Is all this a mistake?’ It just blows me away.”
The late actor who in a GQ UK magazine interview talked about how his Christian education and Mormon background influenced his thinking about family.
“It’s so funny, my daughter now lives with me full time and my original plan was to work up until I was 40 then reassess my life, even go in a completely different direction with things,” Walker had told GQ in an August 2013 interview. “I thought at this point in my life I would need to be home with her (16-year-old Meadow Rain Walker), but she wants me to keep acting so she can travel around the world with me. Would that be so bad?
“Thing is, I went to a born-again Christian high school, was brought up in a traditional Mormon family where these ideas about parenting are of structure and sacrifice. To think outside of that idea of family and parenting that I’ve grown up with is tough, but also very freeing.”
Walker, 40, were attending a charity event for the Filippino victims of Typhoon Haiyan for his organization Reach Out Worldwide. His good friend Roger Rodas came to the fundraiser in Valencia and the two drove away in a 2005 red Porsche Carrera GT, according to Walker’s publicist, Ame Van Iden.
Around 3 p.m. Saturday, the car crashed into a light pole and tree and burst into flames. Sheriff’s deputies found the car engulfed in flames when they arrived at the site. Both the drive and the passenger were pronounced dead at the scene.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department said speed was a factor in the one-car crash, though it will take time to determine how fast the car was going, according to Associated Press.
Walker’s death was later confirmed by both the publicist and his family. The statements expressed their shock and their ‘beyond belief’ saddness after hearing this news. His daughter Meadown Rain Walker has posted comments on social media, asking for prayers and recalling her fond memories of her father.
Walker was raised in a Mormon household in Glendale, Calif. He later went to Village Christian High School. According to Bill Townsend, a friend of Walker, Walker “dedicated so much of his life to helping disadvantaged kids and people who are in need, with his charity recently assisting those in the tornadoes in the Midwest and the trauma in the Philippines.”
The actor, who also starred in “Pleasantville,” “Varsity Blues,” and “Into the Blues,” was working in the seventh film of the “Fast and Furious” franchise. His co-stars, including Vin Diesel and Ludacris, have all expressed their grief over the lost of their friend and fellow co-star.
Ludacris wrote on Twitter, “Your humble spirit was felt from the start, wherever you blessed your presence you always left a mark,…”
“Brother I will miss you very much. I am absolutely speechless,” wrote “Furious” co-lead actor Diesel. “Heaven has gained a new Angel. Rest in Peace.”
The star is survived by his 16-year-old daughter, whom he had out of wedlock with his ex-girlfriend Rebecca McBrain.
Walker is survived by his 15-year-old daughter Meadow, father Paul Walker III, mother Cheryl Walker, brothers Cody and Caleb, sister Ashley.
His family and friends are said to be devastated by the sudden loss of the actor, and all have gathered at the Walker family home to mourn.
Walker Sr struggled to hold back tears as he told CBS2 on Sunday: “I’m just glad that every time I saw him, I told him I loved him. And he would say the same thing to me. You can’t beat friends at a time like this. His brothers are all taking it pretty hard.”
He spoke of his granddaughter Meadow, recalling that his son had wanted to spend more time with her.”[He told me], ‘I want to take a hiatus, she’s just 15, and I don’t have much more time to be with her.’ And then boom, he got another movie. He would say, ‘I don’t know what to do.’ His heart was so big. I was proud of him every day of his life.”
Walker, who grew up in a Mormon household, later became a non-denominational Christian. He was quoted as saying, “I’m a Christian now. The things that drove me crazy growing up was how everyone works at fault-finding with different religions. The people I don’t understand are atheists. I go surfing and snow boarding and I’m always around nature. I look at everything and think, ‘Who couldn’t believe there’s a God? Is all this a mistake?’ It just blows me away.”
Walker was the founder of charity Reach Out WorldWide (ROWW). He was at an event for his charity to support victims of Typhoon Haiyan when he tragically passed away in a car crash. His untimely death shocked the world, and members of his organization have released a statement on Walker’s life and work.
ROWW’s JD Dorfman stated: “Paul wasn’t someone who would just write a check and lend his name to an organisation; he was the heart and soul of Reach Out WorldWide. Paul was the first one in and the last one out, he led by example and his hard work and dedication inspired everyone who had the privilege of working with him. He led one of the first teams into the hardest hit areas of Haiti and traveled to Chile to bring water, medical aid and hope after the Earthquake and Tsunami. He ran a chainsaw clearing debris and helping people get back into their homes during the hottest days after the tornadoes in Alabama… Some people play a hero, Paul was a hero. Paul was an honorable, hardworking, dedicated, respectful man with a humble spirit who shared his blessings with those who needed it most. It was an honour and a privilege to be able to work with, learn and look up to someone who walked the walk.”
The statement continued, “Paul Walker was truly an amazing person and his impact will be forever felt. As the ROWW family mourns the loss of our founder, leader, brother and friend we pledge to carry out his dream of helping those when they need it most. Paul’s legacy and good will lives on through ROWW.”
Brian Welch of Korn and his Christian conversion and deliverance from drugs Part 2 Brian Welch: From Korn to Jesus Uploaded on Aug 22, 2008 Former guitarist and co-founder of heavy rock group Korn, Brian Welch talks about the amazing turn his life took when he accepted God for who He is. Saved from drugs […]
Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu of Korn and his Christian conversion and deliverance from drugs Part 1 Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu of Korn Tells How He Found Jesus and Stayed With Korn!! Uploaded on Nov 15, 2010 Reggie “Fieldy” Arvizu started drinking when he was 5 or 6, because his dad gave him the booze! His room was […]
Christian review of songs about God by R.E.M., Smashing Pumpkins, Creed, Tori Amos, Sarah McLachlan, Madonna, and Lauryn Hill Here is a great article I read: ___________________________ Spirituality and Pop Music – from Tori Amos to Lauryn Hill BY: David John Seel, Jr. Spirituality is hip and was omnipresent in pop music in 1998. From […]
Have you ever taken a close look at the movie “It’s a wonderful life.” George Bailey prayed. “I want to live again. Please God let me live again.” Take a look at this article below: It’s a Wonderful Life …review It’s a Wonderful Lifealso known as “Frank Capra’s It’s a Wonderful Life,” MPAA Rating: Not Rated […]
The Rolling Stones & Katy Perry – Beast Of Burden – Live – By Request
Published on May 12, 2013
The Rolling Stones and special guest Katy Perry perform ‘Beast Of Burden’ at the Las Vegas MGM Garden Arena.
______________
Can’t always get what you want…but Katy Perry sure did at the Rolling Stones concert in Las Vegas Saturday night!
Yep, the 28-year-old pop star hopped on stage with Mick Jagger & Co. for a duet of “Beast of Burden.”
Wearing thigh-high boots, a white skirt and a black bustier, Perry looked right at home performing with Jagger, Keith Richards, Charlie Watts and Ronnie Wood.
She was obviously excited by the gig, tweeting afterward, “Yes, I just did gyrated on Mick Jagger. WHAT?! #Stones50.” (Before you grammar snobs launch into an attack, she quickly responded to a tweeter who slammed her for her “appalling” linguistics, writing, “I noticed that. I guess I was too excited. Sorry mom.”)
She also tweeted a pic of herself and Mr. Jagger, writing, “Mick & Kate forever!”
“Thanks for letting me be the 5th wheel last night! @Rollingstones,” she added, posting a smiley shot of herself and the guys.
Clearly it was a teenage twentysomething dream come true!
Great article by Muehlenberg. Bill Muehlenberg’s commentary on issues of the day… John Lennon, Rock Culture, and Eternity It may have been “twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play,” as the Beatles sang about in their 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” but I in fact wish to go […]
I found these articles below interesting: Here is the first link: jeudi, octobre 07, 2004 Patti Hansen Ca date d’il y a déjà quelques années. Patti donc. Passionnant ? On a jamais dit ça. Patti Hansen in “Health for Women” magazine Patti Hansen was the subject of a cover story in the April issue of […]
Men’s Fraternity – Introduction Uploaded on Mar 14, 2011 A great introduction to Men’s Fraternity with clips of Robert Lewis, the creator of Men’s Fraternity. The Quest for Authentic Manhood Uploaded on Mar 14, 2011 Clips with Robert Lewis from Men’s Fraternity “The Quest for Authentic Manhood” _________ The Men of Semper Fidelis: “The Quest […]
The All-American Rejects Music Interview Tyson Ritter Full Band only on The Artist Spotlight The All-American Rejects – The Last Song The All-American Rejects – It Ends Tonight I got to go hear the All-American Rejects in Little Rock on 12-13-12. Here are some of my reactions. Tyson Ritter admitted that he lost his way […]
I’m In A Rock ‘N’ Roll Band – The Singer (Part 1) Jim Morrison – books on tape – w subtitles Light My Fire – The Doors The Rolling Stones – Satisfaction ________________________ The Rolling Stones – The Breakthrough The Rolling Stones – Brian Jones The Rolling Stones- Paint it Black Nirvana – Smells Like […]
Great article by Muehlenberg. Bill Muehlenberg’s commentary on issues of the day… John Lennon, Rock Culture, and Eternity It may have been “twenty years ago today, Sgt. Pepper taught the band to play,” as the Beatles sang about in their 1967 album “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” but I in fact wish to go […]
Skillet – Awake and Alive Uploaded on Sep 27, 2010 I really have enjoyed reading about this band from Memphis. Skillet (band) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Jump to: navigation, search Skillet Skillet performing at a promotional acoustic show in Denton, TX in 2006 Background information Origin Memphis, Tennessee, U.S. Genres Rock,[1] Christian rock/metal,[2][3] […]
It is my view that group B with Spain and the Netherlands would be much tougher to be in for the USA than our group G with Germany, Portugal and Ghana. Ghana has eliminated us from the last two World Cups and that troubles me because that is a must win for us this time around. I am glad that we have Germany the last match since we will know what we need to get in order to advance. I think 4 points may get us to the 2nd round but who knows. If I had to pick the easiest group then it would be group H by far. It will be fun!!!!
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Jeff J Mitchell/Getty Images
After an eventful draw for the 2014 World Cup, the groups are set.
The Americans, who enter this tournament with arguably their strongest team ever, were certainly part of the excitement.
It will not be an easy path to the knockout stage for the USMNT.
Will the Americans advance to the knockout stage?
Yes! This team is talented and ready.No. This group is too tough. Submit Votevote to see results
The Americans have climbed to No. 14 in the FIFA rankings, but that is only good enough to have them as the third-highest ranked team in Group H.
No. 2 Germany heads up the group. They are followed by Cristiano Ronaldo and his fifth-ranked Portugal side.
At No. 24, Ghana is the only team in the group that is ranked lower than the Americans. Still, that is the same Ghana side that has defeated the Americans in the past two World Cups.
As if the fierce competition wasn’t enough, the Americans will also have to attempt to overcome this fact:
Of course, Group G isn’t the only group worthy of being considered the “Group of Death.” Group B is among those that will also be a fierce battle. Defending champion and current world No. 1 Spain sits at the top. With No. 9 and defending runners-up Netherlands, No. 15 Chile and No. 59 Australia, this group is going to be a fun one to track.
Daniel Sastre Huertas/Getty Images
On the whole, the draw sets up for a fantastic tournament.
Looking past the group stage, the potential is there for compelling knockout games. No. 10 Brazil, No. 4 Colombia, No. 8 Switzerland, and No. 2 Germany head up the groups on one side and No. 1 Spain, No. 6 Uruguay, No. 3 Argentina, and No. 11 Belgium head up the groups on the other side.
Bleacher Report
Bleacher Report
Group A
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Brazil
CONMEBOL/Hosts
10
Croatia
UEFA
16
Mexico
CONCACAF
20
Cameroon
CAF
51
Group B
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Spain
UEFA
1
Netherlands
UEFA
9
Chile
CONMEBOL
15
Australia
AFC
59
Group C
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Colombia
CONMEBOL
4
Greece
UEFA
12
Ivory Coast
CAF
17
Japan
AFC
48
Group D
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Uruguay
CONMEBOL
6
Costa Rica
CONCACAF
31
England
UEFA
13
Italy
UEFA
7
Group E
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Switzerland
UEFA
8
Ecuador
CONMEBOL
23
France
UEFA
19
Honduras
CONCACAF
41
Group F
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Argentina
CONMEBOL
3
Bosnia-Herzegovina
UEFA
21
Iran
AFC
45
Nigeria
CAF
36
Group G
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Germany
UEFA
2
Portugal
UEFA
5
Ghana
CAF
24
United States
CONCACAF
14
Group H
Team
Confederation
FIFA Ranking
Belgium
UEFA
11
Algeria
CAF
26
Russia
UEFA
22
South Korea
AFC
54
FIFA
All that is left now is to wait until June for the action to start. …Is it June yet?
I went to a Manchester soccer game back in 1979 in England. It was quite an experience. Manchester City Win 1st Title Since 1968 Manchester City’s amazing comeback sums up the entire Premier League title chase.Tags: UK PTI, EPL, England, Manchester City Manchester City Win 1st Title Since 1968 NEXT VIDEO Manchester City Win 1st […]
Vegalta Sendai were up 1-0 in the first half of their J-League match against defending champions Nagoya Grampus Eight when the losing home side’s keeper, Yoshinari Takagi, came out of his area to collect the ball. He took too long to clear it., allowing Atsushi Yanagisawa to take the ball off him for a seemingly […]
Cristiano Ronaldo vs Rafa Nadal (Nike Mercurial Vapor VIII TV Spot) Published on Apr 7, 2012 by iTrexX I want that football shoes!!! :O _________________
My son Wilson got to see Renoldo play while he was in Los Angeles last summer. Cristiano Ronaldo has had better season than Messi, says Mourinho after Bayern loss By Tom Webber | Goal.com – Wed, Apr 25, 2012 7:10 PM EDT Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho insisted that Cristiano Ronaldo has had a better season than […]
L.Messi vs C.Ronaldo 2011 (Soccer Saturday) Two of my favorite players. My son Wilson actually got to see this goal below at a LA Galaxy game he attended in the summer.
The best soccer goal of the year in 2011? Yahoo Sports reported: The rivalry between the Seattle Sounders and the Vancouver Whitecaps goes back to their days in the old NASL in the 1970s, but the final 10 minutes of their first MLS match against each other on Saturday night might have been the best […]
My grandfather visited South Africa back in 1973 and he got to visit with many of the locals concerning their life circumstances. The whites in South Africa were convinced that they had to keep things how they were or all chaos were break forth. It is a sad commentary on the state of our fallen world that it took so long for freedom to come to South Africa. Sadly it was slow coming to the USA in 1861 when a war broke out because of slavery.
On Thursday, South African President Jacob Zuma announced the death ofNelson Mandela at age 95. One of the most significant and vital figures of the 20th century, Nelson Mandela became known not only as the father of his nation, but as the father of an entire people.
All this goes back to 1918 when Mandela, then known by the name Rolihlaha, was born into the royal line of the Xhosa tribe in South Africa. Later, his name was changed to Nelson when he was baptized by Methodists. When he died he was known by Africans merely as Madiba, representing his traditional clan. By then, he had become one of the most respected figures on the world stage.
Nelson Mandela came to adulthood as the minority whitegovernment of South Africa was instituting apartheid, the radical system of total racial segregation and discrimination that forced the native African majority in the nation into a state of humiliating oppression. Apartheid required the social, economic, and political separation of whites and blacks in South Africa, and it was enforced with brutality and murderous force.
Apartheid was a multidimensional structure of repression, humiliation, and prejudice. Americans would be hard-pressed to imagine how such a system could exist until they realize that a similar system of racial apartheid had existed throughout most of the 20th century in the United States, especially in the South.
Under apartheid, many of the African tribes were put onto tribal lands and territories where they had no access to modernity, to modern goods, or to the modern economy. Black South Africans were denied access to the political process, blocked by an entire system of laws that treated them as second-class citizens in the nation of their birth.
Apartheid flies in the face of the Christian understanding of the equality of every single human being. Our true human equality is not based in a political promise, it is biblically and theologically grounded—unquestionably grounded in the fact that the Bible clearly reveals that every single human being is equally made in God’s image. We are separate and distinct from other creatures precisely because we alone as a species—as human beings, as Homo sapiens—we alone bear God’s image. And we bear God’s image equally, male and female, regardless of any racial or ethnic consideration; and for that matter—as in these days we must argue over and over again—regardless of any other kind of consideration, including age or process of development.
The death of Nelson Mandela represents a landmark in terms of history. But it is also, in terms of the Christian worldview, a cause for our deepest thinking about the intersection of history and destiny, of human rightsand human dignity, and of character and leadership. Nelson Mandela, long before World War II, came into contact with what became known as the African National Congress. The sole effort of the African National Congress (better known as the ANC) was to overthrow the apartheid regime by any means necessary.
As a young man, Mandela joined the ANC when it was, to use the only word that would fit, a terrorist organization. And yet, he also became a major figure in world politics and statesmanship. He spent many years in prison after several treason trials for acts against the government of South Africa. He found himself on the infamous Robben Island as a prisoner for almost twenty years; and then he spent almost another decade in a separate prison. By the time he emerged from his prison cell at age 72, he was understood to be the only man who could save his nation from total chaos and violence. Less than four years after his release from prison, Mandela took the oath of office as the democratically-elected President of South Africa.
What changed? Well, you might say everything changed.
In the 1990′s, Mandela received the Nobel Peace Prize, shared with F. W. de Klerk, the last of the white Afrikaner presidents of South Africa. De Klerk shared that Nobel Prize with Nelson Mandela precisely because it took a cooperative effort by the last white president of South Africa and the first black president of South Africa to put together a system that would not lead to national collapse, but would create a national future.
South Africa remains a deeply troubled nation in many ways, but it is an economic powerhouse. As the Wall Street Journal pointed out in its obituary on Nelson Mandela, South Africa is the economic powerhouse of Africa: it stands out economically from every other African nation. And much of that is due to the transition that took place in the 1990′s away from apartheid and toward a new future for South Africa, that very process that was negotiated by F. W. de Klerk and Nelson Mandela.
Nelson Mandela lived a very long life. His life encompassed most of the 20th century and at least the first decade and more of the 21st century. He retired twice from national life. He served only one term as president, offering a rare model of political modesty. His nation has never again achieved the political stability he gave it.
When you think of Nelson Mandela and reflect on his life, and now on his death, there are many worldview issues that are immediately implicated. One of them has to do with the fact that Nelson Mandela was, by any honest analysis, a terrorist. That immediately raises a deep moral issue. How can someone be so honored who had at any point resorted to terrorism in order to achieve a political objective?
Well, while we’re thinking about that question, let’s reflect upon some less convenient facts of history. For instance, we should look at Menachem Begin, who became one of the most powerful prime ministers of Israel, and who signed the Camp David peace agreement with then Egyptian president Anwar Sadat during the American presidency of Jimmy Carter. Like Nelson Mandela, Menachem Begin shared the Nobel Peace Prize, but he was also a terrorist as a young man—a Zionist terrorist. He was directly implicated in the bombing of the King David Hotel in Jerusalem in 1946 that led to the deaths of at least 91 people. He was known as a terrorist; he was wanted as a terrorist. And yet, he later became the Prime Minister of Israel and also shared the Nobel Peace Prize. Likewise, Anwar Sadat, the Egyptian president who shared the Nobel Peace Prize with Menachem Begin, also began his political career as a terrorist against the British.
While we’re thinking about terrorism, we probably also ought to think about someone from our own nation’s history, like George Washington. Had the American Revolution turned out differently, George Washington would in all likelihood have been hung as a traitor. He would also have been accused of being what we now call a terrorist.
All this is not to give moral absolution to terrorists, so long as they win and eventually have political victory. It is, however, to remind ourselves that in the process of politics in a fallen world, one man’s terrorist is another man’s freedom fighter.
In the United States, we speak about the efforts that led to the overthrow of the British colonization as our national revolution, the birth of a nation. The British called it treason.
Similarly, Nelson Mandela is seen as a great hero by the people of South Africa, as was Menachem Begin by the people of Israel. This pattern certainly does not absolve the use of force. It does not absolve terrorists of their tactics, it just raises the point that when we talk about terrorism, character, and historical change, we must think honestly.
That honest assessment recognizes that when you look at the process of political change, the kind of change on a scale necessary to overthrow something as powerful as apartheid, it looks in a fallen world as if force, more often than not, becomes necessary. That is lamentable; but we ought to note it honestly. This is a crucial moral factor in our consideration of the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela.
So is the issue of character and conviction. In my book on convictional leadership, The Conviction to Lead, I mention both Nelson Mandela and Martin Luther King, Jr. They raise many of the same issues. Martin Luther King, Jr. was known as an ordained minister. He was also known as a serial philanderer. Nelson Mandela became known as the father of his nation, but he was also known as a serial adulterer. He was a man who was deeply, morally conflicted and inherently complex. His early political philosophy was a variant of Marxism and, unlike King, Mandela renounced nonviolence as a political strategy. Much of this is deeply troubling to the Christian conscience.
And yet, when we look at his legacy in terms of the overthrow of apartheid, we recall the fact that Reinhold Niebuhr, one of the most influential theologians in America at the middle of the 20th century, argued that there are times in which certain men, certain historical figures, appear to be historically necessary, even if they are far from historically perfect. That seems so often to be the case in a fallen world. In a sinful world, a world in which every dimension is marked by sin, the most effective political leaders are those who have the strongest convictions; but often those strong convictions and ambitions are met by a somewhat less than stellar character.
Nelson Mandela’s character, however, is not limited to, but certainly includes his sexual behavior. It also includes his personal courage. His moral character includes the deep conviction he had about the future of his people. He was a man committed to democracy: he did not overthrow apartheid in order to put in place an African National Congress dictatorship.
When it comes to human rights and human dignity, Nelson Mandela has to be put on the side of the heroes, not only of the 20th century, but of any recent century. He is, as an ironic view of history would remind us, one of those necessary men. A necessary man who nonetheless is a man whose feet were made of clay, as his biography reveals very clearly.
Hollywood is now releasing a major film about Nelson Mandela that tells both sides of this story. And as Americans perhaps see that story, it’s likely that they will be confronted with many of these worldview issues. It is unlikely that anyone is going to try to help them think about these questions and to think about them as Christians.
American Christians looking at Nelson Mandela must eagerly affirm that we are thankful that he was used in order to achieve freedom and human dignity for his people. But perhaps we should also be thankful that we know a little bit more of the story so that he is not merely held up as a hero to be emulated in every respect, but is known as one who was a morally complicated man. And when it comes to figures on the world scene, every single one of them is morally complicated, each in his or her own way.
That’s why a look at the span of human history causes us to recognize that our Christian responsibility is to look at this morally complicated picture with courageous honesty, to take it all as evidence, not only of why human history is important, but why our ultimate redemption can come only from Christ.
Reinhold Niebuhr’s great theological contribution was to remind us that history reveals the inescapable irony of the human condition. Everything we do is tainted by human sin, and the huge characters who change world events often demonstrate grave moral faults, even as they achieve great moral change. Nelson Mandela was one of those men. He was essential—even indispensable—to his nation and to the eradication of apartheid. But no man’s life is heroic in every respect, and no human hero can save.
God alone can save us from ourselves, and he saves us through the atonement accomplished by the Son, Jesus Christ. There is salvation in no other name, no matter how honored on earth.
Nat Hentoff is an atheist, but he became a pro-life activist because of the scientific evidence that shows that the unborn child is a distinct and separate human being and even has a separate DNA. His perspective is a very intriguing one that I thought you would be interested in. I have shared before many […]
Nat Hentoff is an atheist, but he became a pro-life activist because of the scientific evidence that shows that the unborn child is a distinct and separate human being and even has a separate DNA. His perspective is a very intriguing one that I thought you would be interested in. I have shared before many […]
Here are videos from the HOW SHOULD WE THEN LIVE? film series: Francis Schaeffer’s “How should we then live?” Video and outline of episode 10 “Final Choices” , episode 9 “The Age of Personal Peace and Affluence”, episode 8 “The Age of Fragmentation”, episode 7 “The Age of Non-Reason” , episode 6 “The Scientific Age” , episode 5 “The […]
Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) Spielberg’s film follows 56-year-old Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, from January of 1865 until his death in April. The portrait on the left was taken in 1864. _________- Lincoln quotes on slavery: ABRAHAM LINCOLN QUOTES ABOUT SLAVERY (Including Sources) <!img src=”quotables.gif” width=”364″ height=”80″ alt=”Abraham Lincoln Quotes About Slavery”> […]
John Brummett in his article, “Praying for Bachmann’s America,” Arkansas News Bureau, July 18, 2011 notes: Speaking of incredibly ridiculous things, she said in another television interview that she had been right to assert that our founding fathers fought tirelessly against slavery. She cited John Quincy Adams, a little boy and teen in revolutionary days. […]
I have debated with Ark Times Bloggers many times in the past on many different subjects. Abortion is probably the most often debated subject and I have noticed that many pro-life individuals are now surfacing on the Arkansas Times Blog. Here are some examples. Arhogfan501 asserted: This is the beginning of the end for recreational abortion […]
The Pilgrims, George Washington, Reason TV, Al Mohler and the Purpose of Thanksgiving!!!! _____________ I want to make three points today. 1. When the colonists created the Plymouth Colony, they used a socialist model but they soon found out that capitalism works much better than socialism and people will always act in their own self-interest. […]
I have debated with Ark Times Bloggers many times in the past on many different subjects. Abortion is probably the most often debated subject and I have noticed that many pro-life individuals are now surfacing on the Arkansas Times Blog. Here are some examples. Arhogfan501 asserted: This is the beginning of the end for recreational abortion […]
I have debated with Ark Times Bloggers many times in the past on many different subjects. Abortion is probably the most often debated subject and I have noticed that many pro-life individuals are now surfacing on the Arkansas Times Blog. Here are some examples. Arhogfan501 asserted: This is the beginning of the end for recreational abortion […]
The Pilgrims, George Washington, Reason TV, Al Mohler and the Purpose of Thanksgiving!!!!
_____________
I want to make three points today. 1. When the colonists created the Plymouth Colony, they used a socialist model but they soon found out that capitalism works much better than socialism and people will always act in their own self-interest. 2. In 1789, President George Washington declared the first national day of Thanksgiving by asking Americans to “unite in most humbly offering our prayer and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of nations” and many presidents have followed suit in recognizing that thanking God is the purpose of Thanksgiving in the USA. 3. Atheists are always frustrated by the Thanksgiving holiday.
Let me start off with point 3. Notice in this video below by Reason TV that they suggest we thank the pilgrims for recognizing that capitalism works better than socialism. Although I agree that the Pilgrims discovered this we don’t need to abandon the true purpose of Thanksgiving. Al Mohler rightly notes:
Millions of Americans will, no doubt, celebrate an essentially secular festival. For them, it might as well be “Turkey Day” or something equally vacuous. This reveals the most important contrast between the Pilgrims and the current generation. The Pilgrims were driven by a worldview that was centered in the worship of the one true and living God, the Creator of the universe, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. They understood His providential rule over the universe to explain everything that happened to them–and everything that blessed them. They did not attribute their survival in New England to their own fortitude–nor to the help of the Indians–but to God.
Secularized Americans are driven by no impulse to give thanks, and wouldn’t know to whom thanks should be addressed. They think of themselves as self-sufficient, self-directed, and self-reliant. Their horizon of thankfulness is, to say the least, rather low.
The civic holiday may not mean a great deal to many moderns–but that doesn’t mean that it is meaningless. At the very least, it implies that we cannot really take care of ourselves. That is just as true today as it was in Pilgrim New England.
Christians understand that the call to thanksgiving is far more urgent than a holiday, and far more important than the calendar. True thanksgiving cannot be limited to a day or a season. We recognize that God has given us everything that we have–and everything that we need. We acknowledge our unconditional dependence upon Him for every second of our lives, every morsel we will eat, and every joy we will ever experience.
The genius of capitalism is that there is a link between effort and reward. In a genuine market economy (as opposed to cronyism), people can only make themselves rich by working harder and smarter to satisfy the needs and wants of others.
I sometimes try to make this clear by citing the failure of communism. And by failure, I’m not talking about the brutality of Soviet-style dictatorships. Instead, I’m referring to the basic failure of state-controlled economies. Heck, places such as Cuba and Venezuela can’t even produce enough toilet paper!
But I don’t want anyone to accuse me of red-baiting, so let’s pretend communism never existed and look at an unfortunate episode from American history.
When the colonists created the Plymouth Colony, they used a socialist model. This video from Reason TV explains how that system foundered.
The Pilgrims and Property Rights: How our ancestors got fat & happy
Uploaded on Nov 23, 2010
The Pilgrims founded their colony at Plymouth Plantation in December 1620 and promptly started dying off in droves.
As the colony’s early governor, William Bradford, wrote in “Of Plymouth Plantation”:
“That which was most sadd & lamentable was, that in 2. or 3. moneths time halfe of their company dyed.”
When the settlers finally stopped croaking, they set about creating a heaven on earth, a society without private property, where all worked for the common good. Everything was shared. Especially bitching and moaning about working for the common good. Bradford again:
“Yong-men that were most able and fitte for labour and service did repine that they should spend their time and streingth to worke for other mens wives and children, with out any recompense….And for men’s wives to be commanded to doe service for other men, as dresing their meate, washing their cloaths, etc., they deemed it a kind of slavery, neither could many husbands well brooke it.”
With nobody working, everybody was suffering. And in case you think nobody was working simply because they couldn’t understand a damn thing Bradford was saying, chew on this: In 1623, Bradford and the other leaders
“Assigned to every family a parceel of land…this had very good success; for it made all hands very industrious, so as much more torne was planted then other waise would have bene by any means the Govr or any other could use, and saved him a great deall of trouble, and gave farr better contente.”
The Pilgrims, George Washington, Reason TV, Al Mohler and the Purpose of Thanksgiving!!!!
In no time at all “any generall wante of famine hath not been amongest them since to this day.”
America would never go hungry again. So this week, before you drift into your annual tryptophan-induced coma, don’t forget to give thanks to the true patron of this holiday feast: property rights.
For more on this topic, including controversy over whether the pilgrims were proto-communists, go to http://reason.tv/video/show/1515
Approximately 2.30 minutes.
Produced by Meredith Bragg and Nick Gillespie. Voices by Meredith Bragg and Austin Bragg.
Go to http://reason.tv for downloadable versions of all our videos.
Subscribe to Reason.tv’s YouTube channel to receive automatic notification when new material goes live.
_________________________________________
Gee, what a surprise. Socialism was the problem and capitalism was the solution. When you give people property rights and establish a clear link between effort and reward, good things happen.
And an observation on how well the law is working.
This Lisa Benson cartoon is very appropriate since the Mayflower carried the first colonists to Plymouth.
P.S. I don’t want to pass up this opportunity for some well-deserved mockery of the evil philosophy of communism,. You can see some great Reagan jokes in the fourth video of this link and the first video in this link. And this doctored image makes a very powerful point in an amusing fashion.
P.P.S. Back in 2010, I also debunked the leftist counter-argument in a post that included the Reason video and a John Stossel column on the topic of the Pilgrims and property rights.
The holiday police are at it again–looking for violations of the nation’s new policy of separating faith and civic celebrations. The same folks who will soon be trolling courthouse squares looking for manger scenes are now calling on Americans to have a happy Thanksgiving . . . but leave God out of it.
School textbooks filled with revisionist history tell children that the first Thanksgiving was a celebration at which the Pilgrims thanked the Indians for teaching them how to survive the harsh New England climate and plant successful crops. God is simply not part of the picture.
Some educators, worried that even the word “thanksgiving” might be too controversial, have renamed the holiday “Turkey Day.” Of course, this implies that the central thrust of the celebration comes down to poultry.
The revisionist historians want to have it both ways. They present the Pilgrims as wild-eyed religious fanatics–precursors to the Religious Right–and then suggest that the first Thanksgiving was essentially a secular holiday.
The historical basis for the Thanksgiving observance is clear. In 1621, the Pilgrims celebrated “the goodness of God” as they feasted with friendly local Indians. In reality, the Pilgrims had faced far greater adversity than had been expected. The climate was harsh, the crops were sparse, the native peoples were often hostile, and their ranks were thinning. Hunger, disease, discomfort, and discouragement were ever close at hand.
Aiming for Virginia, these Christians–dissenting from the Church of England and determined to establish a truly Christian community–actually landed in New England. That miscalculation meant that disaster was almost certain. Nevertheless, they “fell upon their knees and blessed the God of heaven who had brought them over this vast and furious ocean,” recorded Governor William Bradford.
In 1789, President George Washington declared the first national day of Thanksgiving by asking Americans to “unite in most humbly offering our prayer and supplications to the great Lord and Ruler of nations.”
Later presidents followed Washington’s example. Abraham Lincoln issued moving Thanksgiving proclamations during the Civil War. Franklin Roosevelt, who regularized the holiday on the national calendar, called the nation to thankfulness in the middle of World War II: “The Almighty God has blessed our nation in many ways. He has given our people stout hearts and strong arms with which to strike mighty blows for freedom and truth…. So we pray to Him now for a vision to see our way clearly–to see the way that leads to a better life for ourselves and for our fellow men–to the achievement of His will, to peace on earth.”
Is all this just a demonstration of civil religion? Do most Americans really follow the example of the Pilgrims in expressing thankfulness to God, or is it just another holiday with emotional overtones–and an orgy of overeating?
Millions of Americans will, no doubt, celebrate an essentially secular festival. For them, it might as well be “Turkey Day” or something equally vacuous. This reveals the most important contrast between the Pilgrims and the current generation. The Pilgrims were driven by a worldview that was centered in the worship of the one true and living God, the Creator of the universe, the Father of the Lord Jesus Christ. They understood His providential rule over the universe to explain everything that happened to them–and everything that blessed them. They did not attribute their survival in New England to their own fortitude–nor to the help of the Indians–but to God.
Secularized Americans are driven by no impulse to give thanks, and wouldn’t know to whom thanks should be addressed. They think of themselves as self-sufficient, self-directed, and self-reliant. Their horizon of thankfulness is, to say the least, rather low.
The civic holiday may not mean a great deal to many moderns–but that doesn’t mean that it is meaningless. At the very least, it implies that we cannot really take care of ourselves. That is just as true today as it was in Pilgrim New England.
Christians understand that the call to thanksgiving is far more urgent than a holiday, and far more important than the calendar. True thanksgiving cannot be limited to a day or a season. We recognize that God has given us everything that we have–and everything that we need. We acknowledge our unconditional dependence upon Him for every second of our lives, every morsel we will eat, and every joy we will ever experience.
Deserving nothing but God’s wrath, we were granted forgiveness through the Son. Needing all things, we have been given everything needful for our salvation and eternal life. To these God has added joys, comforts, and provision beyond our imagination–”far more abundantly than all that we ask or think.” [Ephesians 3:20]
So, gather together to give thanks to God. While others celebrate “Turkey Day” and ponder poultry, direct your thoughts to the God of Heaven, by whose hand we have been brought near and given more than we can even remember.
The Pilgrims knew to whom they were praying–and why. Let’s follow their example and remember that their dependence upon God was no greater than our own.
Abraham Lincoln (Daniel Day-Lewis) Spielberg’s film follows 56-year-old Abraham Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States, from January of 1865 until his death in April. The portrait on the left was taken in 1864. _________- From David Barton’s website: Proclamation – Thanksgiving Day – 1863 Abraham Lincoln – 10/03/1863 v\:* { BEHAVIOR: url(#default#VML) } o\:* […]
America’s Founding Fathers Deist or Christian? – David Barton 1/6 I enjoyed this and wanted to pass it on from Wallbuilders: John Hancock – 10/05/1791 The following is the text of a Proclamation for a Day of Thanksgiving and Praise, issued by John Hancock (Signer of the Declaration of Independence), while he was serving as […]
Auburn won a big game and went up a lot in the BCS and are ready to jump Ohio State in the last BCS standing. I predict that will happen if Auburn can get a win over Missouri. I don’t think Florida State will lose to Duke but Ohio State will have a hard time beating Michigan State. If they beat State by 20 then I think they will play in the national championship game but if Auburn wins over #5 Missouri then the Tigers will jump Ohio State in my view. The funny thing is that I predicted that this year will be the year that the SEC does not win the national championship and I still stand by that prediction. It appears to me that it will be Florida State’s year!!!
Ohio State‘s stress level was at a high today when it barely made it out of its game with Michiganwith a W. Think about how tense the room was when they watched the Alabama and Auburn game, which had BCS-related ramifications for them. So the 12-0 team was understandably hyped when they watched Chris Davis take it to the house for the 34-28 win over the Crimson Tide. Reason says Alabama’s loss should move Ohio State to No. 2 in the standings. But of course, reason doesn’t always prevail when it comes to sports.
Alabama last year had to play Tennessee and Kentucky from the East and their conference record was 1-15 while LSU had to play Florida and Georgia and their record was 14-2. Doesn’t seem fair does it? In the old days Tennessee would have been a top 10 team almost every year and playing them as […]
SEC has proved how good we are, but it doesn’t mean every team in the SEC could win a national title in 2013. David Climer: Titles can’t erase SEC football’s weaknesses Alabama players celebrates after their 32-28 win in the Southeastern Conference championship NCAA college football game against Georgia, Saturday, Dec. 1, 2012, in Atlanta. (AP […]
ESPN’s final recruiting rankings are not as good as others as I have seen. I do have a hard time with Missouri (38) having such a good ranking when other services had the tigers tanking their class this year compared to other SEC schools. However, Kentucky (36) is almost as bad when there is vast […]
Nick Saban Streeter Lecka We finally found a Top 25 in which the SEC is more dominant than the USA Today Coaches’ Poll: the post-Signing Day recruiting class rankings. ________ I have to say the SEC is really doing well these days. Everyone expects Alabama is going to be on top on most years […]
I am not so mad anymore about Arkansas being ranked number 64 in recruiting this year while Auburn is #20 and Tennessee is #30 and even Kentucky is doing better than us. That is because they racked up lots of players when they had coaches during the year while we had John L. Smith. What […]
It is no surprise that John L. Smith and Derek Dooley may be heading out the door at the end of this season. That was expected by most people that watch SEC football. However, could Gene Chizik of Auburn being out the door too? If that happens then I must admit that I did not […]
I am very happy with the new football schedules that the SEC released for next year. It is a stand alone schedule that will not affect the final decision that make concerning the rotation in the 2014 schedule and beyond. 2013 Georgia Bulldogs Football Schedule Date Opponent Time/TV Tickets Saturday 04/06/13 G-Day Spring Game […]
Arkansas defensive tackle Jared Green (57) and linebackers Alonzo Highsmith (45), and Tenarius Wright (43) attempt to tackle Alabama running back Eddie Lacy (42) as offensive lineman Barrett Jones (75) looks on during second quarter action of an NCAA college football game in Fayetteville, Ark., Saturday, Sept. 15, 2012. (AP Photo/David Quinn) ___________ When you […]
David Meece shares about his alcoholic abusive father
Uploaded on Aug 19, 2010
Recording Artist David Meece shares his testimony about his abusive father and how he walked down the road of forgiveness
“We were the reason” David Meece
Uploaded on Sep 16, 2009
The gospel to music is what this famous song is written and recorded by so many Christian artists is still today a blessing whenever it is heard. http://www.DavidMeece.com
DAVID MEECE Much of David Meece’s musical success can be credited to his widespread appeal. His fans still range from pre-teens to retirees, with musical tastes that vary from classical to pop. His ability to connect with a broad public is rooted in his childhood: Growing up in the small town of Humble, Texas, David distinguished himself as a child prodigy and began touring as a concert pianist at the age of ten. By fourteen, he performed the Mozart Piano Concerto in F Major with the Houston Chamber Orchestra. He won a nationwide talent show at the age of fifteen and toured England, Germany, France, Switzerland and Holland. When he was sixteen, he was the featured soloist with the Houston Symphony, performing the difficult Khachaturian Piano Concerto, 45 minutes in length under the direction of renowned conductor, Andre Previn.
David received a full scholarship to study at the famous Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore, Maryland. It was there that he fully surrendered his life to Christ. He found his goals changing from his intended career as a classical pianist as he began to pen songs of his relationship with the Lord and sing them.
Immediately upon graduating from the Peabody Conservatory, he became a worship/youth pastor. In 1976, he married his college sweetheart, Debbie Pearce, a viola major. That same year, he was discovered by the executives of Word Records and his first album, self-titled, “David” was released on the Myrrh label. He went on to record a dozen more of his own collections of original songs and contributed his gifted works of inspiration to many other projects. Over 30 of his compositions have reached the top of the charts, some titles sharing the #1 place simultaneously in more than one genre. Favorites such as his signature song, “We Are the Reason” have been recorded by well over 200 other artists and sung in several languages.
His songs caught on internationally and so did his travels as he became a favorite in Australia, Canada, throughout Asia, Europe and South Africa. He was called upon to guest in Billy Graham Crusades among other outreaches and television broadcasts. He has participated in festivals that introduced Contemporary Christian Music to the masses. Though memories of many are of his packed out stadium concerts with his band, he has truly enjoyed the opportunity to endear himself with just a piano to the smaller congregations tucked away here and there.
Life has not always been easy for the gifted artist. David grew up in a house dominated by an abusive, alcoholic father, crippling his self worth and confidence. In 1986, at the height of his career, his father passed away, bringing deep unresolved hurts to the surface. He was in the middle of a 70 City Tour entitled, “Seventy Times Seven,” when he received a phone call from his brother telling him of his father’s death. After the funeral, he resumed his tour. While standing up in front of thousands each night, singing about forgiveness, he found himself in desperate need of forgiving his own dad. Because of David’s courage to transparently share his powerful testimony of this process, countless individuals have been brought to a place of healing in their own lives!
David was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame and received the 2009 Visionary Award for the Inspirational Male Soloist category. His life continues to impact millions worldwide and his passion for excellence in the field of Contemporary Christian Music will leave a powerful legacy for generations to come.
David Meece (born May 26, 1952) is a Contemporary Christianmusician who enjoyed success in the mid 80s throughout the early 2000s with more than 30 Top 10 hits (several reaching #1).
David worked with Canadian songwriter/producer and Juno Award winner Gino Vanelli for his albums Chronology and Candle In The Rain. Meece is perhaps best known for his songs “We Are The Reason” (which has been recorded by well over 200 other artists and sung in several languages according to Meece’s website),[2] “One Small Child”[3] and “Seventy-Times-Seven”.[4]
Meece was called upon to guest appear in Billy Graham Crusades, among other outreach groups and television broadcasts. He was inducted into the Christian Music Hall of Fame on June 14, 2008 [5] and received the 2009 Visionary Award for the Inspirational Male Soloist category.[6]In November 2012, Meece was given a Lifetime Achievement Award for his body of work by the Artists Music Guild.[1]
Possibly due to his conservatory training, David uses pieces of classical piano works as intros or settings for some of his songs. For example, in the song “This Time” from the album Learning to Trust, the opening section of the song (as well as the bridge and ending tag) is from Frédéric Chopin‘s “Revolutionary Etude” (Op. 10, No. 12) in C minor. The introductory melody for “You Can Go”, from the album 7, is taken from the Two-Part Invention No. 13 in A Minor (BWV 784) by Johann Sebastian Bach. (Because of the prevalent use of synthesizers, “You Can Go” is sometimes incorrectly connected to an advertisement in the early 1980s for Commodore 64 which used the Bach Invention played by a synthesizer.) Also, “Falling Down” from Count the Cost is based on a sonata by Mozart.
In 2012 Meece co-wrote the piece Hands of Hope with fellow performers, David L Cook and Bruce Carroll. The song was a current day remake of “We Are the World” which featured many famous voices from the music industry. The song was recorded by the Charlotte Civic Orchestra and featured the voices of: Babbie Mason, Christy Sutherland, David L Cook, Caroline Keller, Fantasia Barrino, Gayla Earlene, Joshua Cobb, Paul Zeaman and many of the former PTL Singers from the Jim and Tammy Faye Bakker show. The song went number one on the charts and remained there for two weeks.[3] The song was used as the theme song for Turning Point Centers for Domestic Violence.[4] On May 5, 2012 NATAS announced that the song Hands of Hope garnered Meece, Cook and Carroll the Emmy nomination for best Arrangement/Composer of a television theme song.[5]
My friend David Rogers invited to a concert at First Assembly of God church in Memphis in the late 1970’s and we got to hear Dallas Holm sing and David Wilkerson speak. Here is some info on Dallas Holm from his website:
Dallas Holm Biography
I started out livin’ for Jesus many years ago
He gave me His love and I gave Him my heart and my soul
Some folks said that I’d never make it
But I guess that they must’ve been wrong
Cause He’s still got control of my life and I’m still goin’ strong
Those lines from the song, The Long Ride, probably best describe the journey and ministry of Dallas Holm.
Many refer to this legendary Christian artist as a pioneer or forerunner. Holm says, “I became a Christian in 1965 and my life was radically and eternally transformed. My music became the means whereby I could express the dynamics of that transformation and share the reality of Christ with others. Through God’s grace, I’ve been part of the Christian music ministry for a long time.”
Dallas has earned his influence in today’s Christian music throughout more than 40 years of writing, singing and ministry in some 4,000 concerts in every state in the USA as well as many countries abroad. His 38 recording have garnered gold records, multiple Dove awards, Grammy nominations, number one songs, and countless accolades. During his travels, Dallas also speaks and teaches what God has taught him in his journey.
Holm’s creativity and diversity offer everything from inspirational to blues, from country to reggae. Whatever the style, it all points to Christ and the Cross. Songs like Rise Again, I Saw the Lord, Here We Are and Before Your Throne remind us that it’s all about Jesus. Holm’s songs focus on His life, His death and resurrection and His desire for intimate relationship with us.
Artists such as Steven Curtis Chapman, Twila Paris and Greg Long of Avalon all make reference to Holm’s significant impact on their lives and ministries. Holm can be seen on several of the Bill Gaither Homecoming videos. On one video Gaither introduces Dallas by saying, “This is one of the nicest guys in our entire industry.” This broad appeal and respect by peers has undoubtedly been one of the reasons for Holm’s amazing longevity and relevance.
Dallas says, “One of the great blessings of being around this long is that now I hear nightly of how God has used this ministry to change lives through the years. People come up and share how they were saved in a concert many years ago. I receive letters from parents telling me their kids came to know Christ at a concert and I also receive letters from kids who say their parents received Christ at a concert. We know of many in ministry both here and abroad who say that it was at a Dallas Holm concert where they felt the call to ministry. These testimonies and many more are the great highlight and reward of our ministry.”
Dallas married his wife, Linda, in 1969. His family, his role as husband, father and grandfather, take precedence for Dallas. “If I reached the whole world but lost my own family, I’d consider myself a failure. Early on, I set a priority system that put God first, family second and ministry third. If I’m not the husband and father I need to be in my own home, I have no right to proclaim truths of the Kingdom to others.”
Dallas and Linda have two grown children, Jennifer and Jeffrey. Jennifer and her husband Jason have three children: Jacob, Sophia and Alex. Jeffrey and his wife Jennifer have been married for a couple years and will add to the grandchildren count when the time is right.
Holm says, “Now that our kids are grown, Linda and I can travel and minister together all the time. Linda has a beautiful voice. We have sung together on my records through the year but now we get to sing together every night we’re in concert. We love where God has us in this season of our lives. We still travel everywhere in the U.S. and occasionally abroad and minister in churches of varied denominations.”
Dallas is quick to point out, “It’s been a remarkable journey, yet is hasn’t all been easy. When people hear my music or see me on TV or in concert, they don’t realize those are just moments in a life. I’ve had struggles, heartaches, and disappointments just like everyone else. Linda has fought an ongoing 24-year battle surviving cancer. But Christ remains preeminent in all things. No matter what has happened, what I’m going through now or what I may endure tomorrow, “nothing can separate me from the love of Christ.”
Dallas grew up in Minnesota but says, “Like the bumper sticker I see on many a Texas vehicle, I wasn’t born here but I got here as fast as I could.”
After Bible College and a short stint as youth pastor, Dallas joined David Wilkerson in his youth crusade ministry in 1970. He traveled and ministered with Wilkerson for ten years. During that time he formed Dallas Holm and Praise in 1976. They became the first Contemporary Christian band to receive an RIAA certified Gold Album for Dallas Holm and Praise LIVE. That album contained the song Rise Again. They toured together for eleven years.
Now, after more than 40 years of ministry Holm says, “I love it more than ever and everyday consider the great privilege of being a co-laborer with Christ Jesus.”
Dallas reminds us, “In Chariots of Fire, Eric Liddell said, ‘When I run, I feel God’s pleasure.’ I say, ‘When I write, sing and play these songs, I feel His pleasure.'”
________________
In Honor of David Wilkerson !1931-2011 [Tribute:I Saw The Lord-Dallas Holm]
Uploaded on May 2, 2011
The is a special video in honor of “David Wilkerson” who went to be with Jesus April 27,2011 !The Bible says in Proverbs10:7″The memory of the just is blessed.’ The song by Dallas Holm is very fitting seeing that Dallas was a vital part of the Wilkerson ministry for many years ! The is my tribute to a very honest sincere man of God who loved the Lord with a fervent heart.God bless you.
PS-Many souls are now in the kingdom due to his obedience to the Lord.And countless believers have been inspired by his preaching of the Word of God.He was not a perfect man and we are simply doing this to honor what the Lord did in and through a country preacher who was pastoring a rural church in the hills of Pennsylvania when he called him to reach the gangs of New York City in the late 1950s ! He obeyed the Lord and sought the Lord and God used him as a vessel of honor ! He was sold out to Jesus and the LORD used him in a mighty way .The list is endless of the various ministries that are very fruitful because David obeyed God.Many people are in the ministry today due to the ministry of David Wilkerson.Now is the time for a new generation of men of God to arise with a holy passion for God ,for holiness, for the Truth and for the souls of men and women.
FEEL FREE TO SHARE YOU APPRECIATION OF BROTHER DAVID WILKERSON AND SHARE THIS VIDEO AS THE LORD LEADS YOU.
__________________
The Cross And The Switchblade 5 11
Uploaded on Sep 8, 2009
The Cross and the Switchblade is a book written in 1963 by pastor David Wilkerson with John and Elizabeth Sherrill. It tells the true story of Wilkerson’s first five years in New York City, where he ministered to disillusioned youth, encouraging them to turn away from the drugs and gang violence they were involved with. The book became a best seller, with more than 15 million copies distributed in over 30 languages.
In 1970, a film adaptation was released, starring Pat Boone as David Wilkerson and Erik Estrada as Nicky Cruz, the teen gang member whose life was transformed by Wilkerson’s ministry. The movie was dismissed by secular critics as uninteresting. However, it has been viewed by an estimated 50 million people in over 30 languages in 150 countries, according to World Film Crusade.
In 1972, the book was adapted into a comic book published by Fawcett Comics under their Spire Christian Comics label.
In 1968, Cruz wrote the book Run Baby Run with Jamie Buckingham, telling the story of his life including coming to New York and being in the gang, and subsequently meeting Wilkerson and thereafter becoming an Evangelical Christian.
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worship/youth pastor. In 1976, he married his college sweetheart, Debbie Pearce, a viola major. That same year, he was discovered by the executives of Word Records and his first album, self-titled, “David” was released on the Myrrh label. He went on to record a dozen more of his own collections of original songs and contributed his gifted works of inspiration to many other projects. Over 30 of his compositions have reached the top of the charts, some titles sharing the #1 place simultaneously in more than one genre. Favorites such as his signature song, “We Are the Reason” have been recorded by well over 200 other artists and sung in several languages.
t in Billy Graham Crusades among other outreaches and television broadcasts. He has participated in festivals that introduced Contemporary Christian Music to the masses. Though memories of many are of his packed out stadium concerts with his band, he has truly enjoyed the opportunity to endear himself with just a piano to the smaller congregations tucked away here and there.
Life has not always been easy for the gifted artist. David grew up in a house dominated by an abusive, alcoholic father, crippling his self worth and confidence. In 1986, at the height of his career, his father passed away, bringing deep unresolved hurts to the surface. He was in the middle of a 70 City Tour entitled, “Seventy Times Seven,” when he received a phone call from his brother telling him of his father’s death. After the funeral, he resumed his tour. While standing up in front of thousands each night, singing about forgiveness, he found himself in desperate need of forgiving his own dad. Because of David’s courage to transparently share his powerful testimony of this process, countless individuals have been brought to a place of healing in their own lives!
The Daily Hatch 