Saturday, April 30, 2005
Am I The Only One?
Am I the only reader of the local paper who finds it inappropriate that, at the bottom of a page full of high-school sports coverage, there is a page-width banner ad, the only ad on the page, for a local "exotic" nightclub? I've written three letters, and one has been published, but apparently no one at the paper agrees with me. I don't know when I'm going to find the time but I hope to start a letter writing campaign to other advertisers suggesting they use their influence to persuade the paper to change their ways.
Tuesday, April 26, 2005
Costa Rica
I'm posting from Costa Rica and the meter is running so I'm going to keep it short. My first two nights were spent near San Jose in the mountains where the climate is always comfortable. I spent the nights with my balcony door open. Now I'm near Jaco which is on the Pacific and it's always hot. Yesterday I flew through the forest on a zip line and today I went white water rafting. I should know better than to do such things in my condition (45, overweight, and out-of-shape), but I just couldn't pass up these opportunities. I'll be back in Louisiana Thursday.
Buenas Noches
Buenas Noches
Wednesday, April 20, 2005
Festival International
A few weekends ago my wife and I found and made use of the St Landry Parish landfill. It made our life easier.
A couple of weekends ago we rented a tiller and started a garden.
A couple of weeks ago my pastor made prayer booklets for everyone in the church. They have prayers for every day of the week and each day you're praying for someone in the church. Prayer has always been a weakness for me and this has helped. It takes about 15 minutes to pray through each day.
A couple of weeks ago I also started walking each day during my lunch hour. I walk about 30-40 minutes. I read through my daily prayers during my walks.
I spent last Saturday with other volunteer firemen testing hoses. It wasn't meant for training but I learned more useful information than I've learned in all of my training.
I started a new blog. It's called Equal Time, or E-Time. It's a static (so far) blog of information I've found opposing municipal broadband. Check it out.
I'll be missing Festival International this week. It's truly the best festival anywhere. Check it out.
A couple of weekends ago we rented a tiller and started a garden.
A couple of weeks ago my pastor made prayer booklets for everyone in the church. They have prayers for every day of the week and each day you're praying for someone in the church. Prayer has always been a weakness for me and this has helped. It takes about 15 minutes to pray through each day.
A couple of weeks ago I also started walking each day during my lunch hour. I walk about 30-40 minutes. I read through my daily prayers during my walks.
I spent last Saturday with other volunteer firemen testing hoses. It wasn't meant for training but I learned more useful information than I've learned in all of my training.
I started a new blog. It's called Equal Time, or E-Time. It's a static (so far) blog of information I've found opposing municipal broadband. Check it out.
I'll be missing Festival International this week. It's truly the best festival anywhere. Check it out.
Tuesday, April 19, 2005
Equal Time
I've started a second blog, called Equal Time. Check it out, especially if you're interested in the municipal broadband debate. To get there you can click on the title of this post.
Sunday, April 17, 2005
To Keep and Bear Arms
I was recently exposed to an unreasonable prejudice against private ownership of firearms. This is certainly not a rare occurance, nor do I think that there is such a thing as a reasonable prejudice against the private ownership of firearms. Prejudice against private ownership of firearms cannot be argued from reason.
The main purpose of private ownership of firearms is as insurance against dangers, common and uncommon. Just this week some former neighbors were walking their dog when it was attacked by a Pit Bull. Dog and owners survived but not without medical attention. The outcome may not have differed much had the owners been armed, but the situation would have almost certainly ended sooner and with fewer injuries.
The reason our founders put the 2nd Amendment in the US Constitution was as a check against a less common danger, tyranny. Our founders believed in the Biblical doctrine of the total depravity of man. They knew that all men are capable of tyranny, if allowed by circumstances. Historically, disarmament of people has always been followed by tyranny. One follows the other as day follows night. The more the government is allowed to determine who can own what firearms, the closer we get to tyranny.
The main purpose of private ownership of firearms is as insurance against dangers, common and uncommon. Just this week some former neighbors were walking their dog when it was attacked by a Pit Bull. Dog and owners survived but not without medical attention. The outcome may not have differed much had the owners been armed, but the situation would have almost certainly ended sooner and with fewer injuries.
The reason our founders put the 2nd Amendment in the US Constitution was as a check against a less common danger, tyranny. Our founders believed in the Biblical doctrine of the total depravity of man. They knew that all men are capable of tyranny, if allowed by circumstances. Historically, disarmament of people has always been followed by tyranny. One follows the other as day follows night. The more the government is allowed to determine who can own what firearms, the closer we get to tyranny.
Today's Sermon
Today at Acadiana Presbyterian Church, we learned more of Paul's testimony to Festus and Agrippa in Acts 25 & 26. In Ch 26, v 19-23, Paul proclaims the Gospel, "saying nothing but what the prophets and Moses said would come to pass: that the Christ must suffer and that, by being the first to rise from the dead, he would proclaim light both to our people and to the Gentiles." We are thus commanded to believe and obey. This means submitting our will to His in all things. This means studying and applying scripture to all things.
Tuesday, April 12, 2005
April 12
Two years ago, a couple I knew lost their 18 year old son in a car accident. It's the kind of thing I can't imagine how to deal with. I had known them since college, but they had moved away long ago and we had lost contact. They had divorced.
I had briefly met their son but once, just a few months before the accident. Though I didn't really know their son, and don't really know them any more, on this date I can't help but wish I could do something to ease their pain. I can and do pray that God would do so.
I had briefly met their son but once, just a few months before the accident. Though I didn't really know their son, and don't really know them any more, on this date I can't help but wish I could do something to ease their pain. I can and do pray that God would do so.
Tuesday, April 05, 2005
Tributes to the Pope
I'm not a big "C" Catholic but I do believe in one holy, catholic (small "c"), and apostolic church. I don't agree with everything you might read in the following tributes, but I do think that there are several things worth remembering about Pope John Paul II. I may post more tributes as I find them.
Legacy for the Ages
http://www.acton.org/press/pdf/2005-04-03_Sirico.pdf
Truth to the World
http://www.acton.org/press/pdf/2005-04-05_Sirico.pdf
Crossing the Threshold of Hope
http://www.lewrockwell.com/stagnaro/stagnaro10.html
The Pope and Freedom
http://www.mises.org/story/809
How Many Divisions does the Pope Have?
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Eric_Margolis/2005/04/03/980969.html
Be Not Afraid
http://www.lewrockwell.com/manion/manion64.html
Peacemaker
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=5441
The First Genuine World Leader
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pope/story/0,12272,1451754,00.html
Legacy for the Ages
http://www.acton.org/press/pdf/2005-04-03_Sirico.pdf
Truth to the World
http://www.acton.org/press/pdf/2005-04-05_Sirico.pdf
Crossing the Threshold of Hope
http://www.lewrockwell.com/stagnaro/stagnaro10.html
The Pope and Freedom
http://www.mises.org/story/809
How Many Divisions does the Pope Have?
http://www.canoe.ca/NewsStand/Columnists/Toronto/Eric_Margolis/2005/04/03/980969.html
Be Not Afraid
http://www.lewrockwell.com/manion/manion64.html
Peacemaker
http://antiwar.com/justin/?articleid=5441
The First Genuine World Leader
http://www.guardian.co.uk/pope/story/0,12272,1451754,00.html
municipal telecom
In February, 2004, the Progress & Freedom Foundation (http://www.pff.org/) published a report entitled, "Government Entry into the Telecom Business: Are the Benefits Commensurate with the Costs?" (http://www.pff.org/issues-pubs/pops/pop11.3govtownership.pdf). Supporters of PFF include Apple Computers, BMG Music, Disney, eBay, Hewlett-Packard, Intel, Intuit, MGM, Motorola, NBC, Sony, Symantec, Time-Warner, and VIACOM.
I urge all Lafayette voters to read this report. It is a summary of case studies of several municipalities that have entered the telecommunications market, including some of the very same municipalities that the LUS fibre proponents use as examples.
In every single one of these cases, operating expenses are exceeding operating revenues and requiring yearly subsidies of as much as $1,000 per customer, and the municipalities are unable to recover their original capital investments. The results have been higher electric and water rates and higher taxes.
This is the future of Lafayette if the voters allow LUS to enter the telecommunications business. To believe otherwise can be charitably characterized as unreasonably optimistic.
I urge all Lafayette voters to read this report. It is a summary of case studies of several municipalities that have entered the telecommunications market, including some of the very same municipalities that the LUS fibre proponents use as examples.
In every single one of these cases, operating expenses are exceeding operating revenues and requiring yearly subsidies of as much as $1,000 per customer, and the municipalities are unable to recover their original capital investments. The results have been higher electric and water rates and higher taxes.
This is the future of Lafayette if the voters allow LUS to enter the telecommunications business. To believe otherwise can be charitably characterized as unreasonably optimistic.
Sunday, April 03, 2005
Favorite Scripture
This morning's sermon at Acadiana Presbyterian Church was from Acts 21 & 22, when Paul was arrested in Jerusalem and then allowed to address the gathered Jews. One of the points was that Paul's testimony to the Jews, and Luke's testimony to us, is that the Gospel is not anti-Jew. Another point was that Paul's testimony doesn't end with the death of Jesus, or with the death of saints. The story is not complete without the Resurrection. This led me to recall one of my favorite Scripture passages, Job 19:25-27. You'll have to look it up and read it for yourself.
