Life is busy. This busyness has caused several areas of my academics to fall into disrepair–my blog to name one. I have had tons of good ideas for blog posts but have failed to put them in writing.
However, it is a new day. And with each new day comes new opportunities and choices. My choice for today is to begin posting more regularly.
I know it isn’t New Years, but why wait? I just hope my resolution lasts longer than most New Years resolutions do.
Dave Barry makes me laugh. His sense of humor is so ironic and unexpected that you are often caught off guard. Normally, I can restrain from laughing when reading something funny, but Dave Barry is so unpredictable that I have been caught laughing against my will several times while reading this article.
Obama set a new record in fundraising this September, raising approximately $150 million. Not going to lie; that is a lot of money. I wonder if this is an indication of his growing popularity among the masses or just increased donations by rich people.
The Obama campaign claims it is the result of individual Americans making donations to the Obama campaign. However, Republicans are criticizing the Obama campaign for a lack of donor transparency.
Check out this article
Reading is essential.
I am a firm believer that every person should make a habit of reading. Each and every person should read his or her Bible. That is a given.
However, I believe that each person should make it a habit to read some form of news throughout the week. I personally read the Wall Street Journal. I find its viewpoint helpful and well-reasoned.
Yet, it bugs me when I talk to people who haven’t the foggiest idea about what is going on in the world. They don’t know about a war in Georgia, the government bailout, the election and the list goes on.
As Christians, we must be shining lights in our places of work and service. By understanding current events, we establish a bridge to talk to people about the Gospel. We understand what they are thinking about. What worries them and so forth. Knowing these things, we can make conversation easier and better present the Gospel to them.
So, quit reading my blog and go get a newspaper!
Having worked at a grocery store, I understand the concept of the secret shopper. They come, ask questions, walk around and so forth, evaluating and grading your performance. But a secret worshipper? Why yes! It is a new trend in many of today’s mega-churches. To make sure they are more appealing and user-friendly, churches are hiring secret worshippers to evaluate their services and facilities. These secret worshippers evaluate overgrown plants, cleanliness of bathrooms, services and even the lattes at the church’s cafe. Don’t believe me? Check out this article.
So often, it is hard to tell who is telling the truth. However, I believe McCain is more right on this issue.
Well, the bailout was voted down 228-205. That was shocking for me. The way the media was hyping it up, no one would vote against it. Obviously, they were wrong.
I don’t know what the solution to this problem is. To be dreadfully honest, I don’t think it is the bailout. With any problem, identifying the cause (or source) of the problem is essential to solving that problem. The economic struggles we face are complex and confused factors interwoven into a tangled ball.
One key factor is forcing companies to make loans to people who cannot repay them.
But foreign investment, China’s expansion, the European Union and many other factors also contributed.
What must we do?
I know this is overly simplistic. But it seems so much more logical than throwing $700 billion good dollars at a very bad situation.
Wow! This is an awesome article by Peggy Noonan. Take the time to read it!
Peggy Noonan offers helpful insights into America’s current problem.
Tuesday November 4, 2008 fast approaches. America will once again vote for the next President of the United States.
Election 2008 is especially important to me. It will be my first opportunity to participate.
Many oppressed people do not have such an opportunity.
All around the world, dictators and tyrants manipulate or ignore elections to maintain their grasp on power. On their state-run television stations, they appear to be loved by all. Deep down, many are usurpers and liars suppressing the will of their people.
Brave and noble men have fought and died to secure our freedom. Yet, we often ignore our responsibility as a citizen to participate in politics. It is my firm belief that every American should vote.
I do not take this lightly. I believe it is my responsibility to get involved, both as a Christian and as a U.S. citizen.
Whenever faith and politics collide, many questions arise. Here I will be quite clear. My politics do not dictate what I believe. That is God’s job. My beliefs dictate my politics.
Some of these questions include:
Needless to say, it is a fascinating subject to discuss. My motivation for thoroughly exploring this subject comes as the result of several “friendly exhortations” to vote Republican. I have been told that not voting for McCain is the same as voting for Obama.
This claim has agitated me. I am not going to shackle myself to the view of another. I am going to vote upon principle, information and conscience. Isn’t that any American’s responsibility? But I cannot and will not vote based upon fear of another candidate.
So that is my goal before election day: to determine who I will vote for and why. If that means voting for McCain, so be it.
[This post is the first of a series. Throughout the series, please let me know your thoughts.]
For me, the jury is still out debating President Bush’s $700 billion bailout plan. As I have said before, whenever the government has a problem, they throw money at it. Too often these plans turn sour. And who is stuck paying the bill? You guessed it, us!
I am no economist. Therefore, I cannot intelligently debate the bailout plan. However, some of the additions the Democrats wish to add sound very much like socialism. In fact, many financial decisions by Bush have smacked of socialism.
I am interested to see how this will all turn out. My responsibility in this crisis is to restart my studies of “American capitalism” and determine if what I see really is “capitalism.”
