First Service

Last night we held our first official worship service at Barefoot Lansing. It went very well despite a few technical difficulties before hand and some last minute running around. We have a coffee lounge before the service to mingle and meet new people. I was supposed to be on coffee duty which requires making sure we had plenty of coffee made and such but I kept getting distracted with conversations. My friend Rachel took over thankfully and I don't think I will have that role next week. I enjoyed the coffee lounge idea but an hour is a long time to make small talk.

We had several new people attend which is encouraging and they all had different stories and reasons for being there. One couple recently got married and they haven't found a church that they both liked so they were checking us out. Two married women came without their husbands and were curious about the church after receiving our mailing. I don't think they are believers yet. One younger women was looking for the new church experience. She was already attending three other services weekly and is going to try and add us to the list. After the service, I met two men who are Antioch orthodox who came to the service mostly to criticize it and push their own version of the church. I pray that each of the new people who came were able to see God in the church last night.

The service itself went off without a hitch. I was able to be part of the worship band which was fun. Noah gave a compelling sermon on why we were created and pleaded for us to lead lives of meaning. Next week were are going to be talking about the fall and what to do with sin in our lives. I am interested to see who returns and if we get additional visitors. Starting from scratch it is hard to predict what's next but I have confidence that we are building a firm foundation.

Let's talk politics

Because I don't have enough things to do these days, I decided to start a seperate blog to follow the 2008 presidential election. The address is http://indecision2008.blogspot.com and there is a link to it from this blog. I think you will enjoy my political ramblings.

The Ryder Cup

The Ryder Cup starts this week Friday and I am already excited about it. In fact, of all the sporting events, I think the Ryder Cup might be in my top 5. Two years ago they held the event here in Michigan and I was able to attend a practice day which was very cool.

This year's Ryder Cup is hard to predict. After several disgraces by the Americans, we still are the perceived favorite. On paper we bring the top 2 players in the world in Tiger and Jim Furyk and several other accomplished players. But every year we bring the more talented team and every year the Europeans kick our butt with a bunch of guys who can't win a major and most of whom we've never even heard of.

In the Ryder Cup, the world rankings and raw talent mean very little. What counts is teamwork which is why the Americans struggle. Tiger and Mickelson both suck when it comes the Ryder Cup because they are so used to playing for themselves that they do not know how to play as a team. If either one of them would play up to their potential we would have a strong shot at bringing back the cup. However, the key to America's success will be how our young guys play this year. For the past few Cups we've had a lot of deadweight on the team and finally we have some new guys like Zach Johnson and JJ Henry to bring a fresh perspective.

I also think having Tom Lehman as captain will help the team this year. He has played well in these events in the past and he understands the camaraderie that it takes to win the cup. Having said that, my expectations for winning the cup are still low. Win or lose, I plan to sit back and enjoy the high drama of the Ryder Cup.

Is Islam Evil?

Last week the Pope made some remarks that were critical of Islam by stating that it was evil and inhumane. How did the Islamic community respond to these comments? They started rioting and threatening violence against the Pope. This morning it was reported that a catholic nun had been murdered in retalitation to the comments. It seems to me that this response only reinforces the Pope's argument. I can certainly understand being upset when someone criticizes one's religion but since when did that give license to respond with violence?

Also last week, Rosie O'Donnell on the View compared radical Christianity to the Muslim terrorists, presumably because many of us don't endorse her homosexual lifestyle. Her comments obviously drew condemnation from the Christian community but to my knowledge nobody has threatened her life or started rioting in the streets. Maybe Christians will boycott the show but I doubt that will work since nobody watches the View anyways.

It's irritating listening to all the pundits wring their hands when anyone questions Islam's true intentions or beliefs. Yet Christians get mocked and ridiculed daily in the media, the schools and in the entertainment industry. Why is there a double standard? And since when did religion freedom mean that average citizens cannot criticize other people's religion. By definition, if one is a Christian then they do not endorse Islam and vice versa. The two faiths have little to no room for agreement. The Muslims get this but apparently we hold freedom of religion as so sacrosanct that it applies to more than just government but to our own personal religious views.

Now as to content of the Pope's comments. I do not believe that all Muslims are evil people. They are no more or no less evil than I am as all men are born with sinful intentions. But as a religion Islam is in direct contrast to the redemption and transformation offered by Christ. You may not want to call that opposition evil but I would hardly call it good.

Day of Caring

The other day our campaign decided to send several volunteers to the local United Way day of caring. While I was there I kept thinking that I was part of some NFL United Way commercial but it wasn't really that glamorous and no pro athletes were there to help. Our crew was assigned to clean up the baseball field and tennis courts at a park in Muskegon Hts. By the looks of things, nobody had touched the park in a long time and it was a mess. We were able to make some progress but it seemed a little futile because I wonder how many kids are actually going to use those fields even after they are cleaned up. Only time will tell I guess.

Several people have asked me why we sent our volunteers to clean a park when we are in such a close election. Most campaigns would be out campaigning but I can honestly say that my boss is different than most politicians. Some suggested that we were only there to get good PR for the campaign but we didn't send out a press release and to my knowledge my boss didn't even speak to the newspaper that was there covering the event. His avoidance of the spotlight was not unusual.

To give you an idea about my boss, I need to share story from our first reelection campaign. The legislature has just received a huge pay increase just as the economy was going in the tank. Several other representatives decided to donate portions of their raise to charities and made sure the media knew about it. It worked well and they got tremendous positive coverage. When I suggested that idea to my boss he simply replied that the left hand shouldn't know what the right hand was doing and that if he gave away his money it wouldn't be for political gain. In the end I think he did donate to several community groups but I'll never know for sure because he didn't broadcast it.

Even on days when I don't agree with my boss or when I get really tired of the campaign grind, I always look back to that story as to why I work for who I do. Anybody can work for an up and coming politician but few in my business get to work for somebody with such humility.

Government Spending

I was just finished an interesting conversation with my friend Craig about the proper role of government spending. He was trying to point out that government wastes money on useless things which I canagree to a certain point. However, not all governments spend lavishly. This morning for instance we had the Vice President of Travel Michigan before our committee to testify on the state's new advertising campaign to attract new tourists to the state. He wanted to show a DVD clip of the new commercials but the senate doesn't have any DVD players. We only have VCR's. Granted they are VHS and not Beta but not exactly high tech. I had to lug in a DVD player from home so we could view the clips this morning.

On a more serious note, Travel Michigan's presentation was very impressive. To view the adds, you can visit http://travelmichigannews.org/ads.htm. Last year, the state set aside $7.5 million from the 21st Century Job money to fund this marketing campaign. This was on top of the $5.7 million we spend in general fund money. This may sound like a lot of money but compared to surrounding states, we spend far less to attract visitors. Illinois spends $48 million a year in marketing. One interesting point about the money being spent for the campaign is that for every dollar spent, the state brings in $3.43 in new tax revenue. It's a convoluted formula but tourists do spend money when they come to Michigan and that generates lots of tax revenue. I point all this out to illustrate that sometimes government spending can actually reap a return on that investment.

American Top 40 Flashback

XM radio has recently been replaying Top 40 countdowns from the 1980's. Being a child of the 80's I tuned in and it was like going back in time. Casey Kasem's familiar voice along with great hits from Kool and the Gang, Bruce Springstein and Loverboy, made me long for the music of my youth. They even had a long distance dedication.

What was fun about listening to the show was how vivid my memories are tied to music. I remember when I was about 10 my Mom would go to Sunday School over at Sutton Club Apartments. I would go with her but sneak out into the parking lot to listen to the top 40 countdown while sitting in the car. Things were so carefree back then that the only thing I worried about was if my favorite song would be number one. Today's music just doesn't carry the same emotional attachment as it did back then.

Football predictions

It seems like just yesterday that I was drinking champaign from the sweet cup of superbowl victory but alas the NFL season starts tomorrow night with the Steelers defending their crown against the Dolphins. It would have been a great game except that Big Ben is out because of his appendix. I am beginning to think he may be cursed. I can see all these Bengals fans plucking needles into their Roethlisberger doll wishing revenge and casting spells in the name of Carson Palmer.

Every year I like to pretend that I have some talent in predicting the season so I thought I would share my predictions.

AFC East
Miami
New England
Buffalo
NY

AFC North
Pittsburgh
Cincinatti
Baltimore
Cleveland

AFC South
Indianapolis
Jacksonville
Tennessee
Houston

AFC West
San Diego
Denver
Kansas City
Oakland

The Bengals and New England will win the wildcard and Cincinatti will win the AFC championship.

NFC East
Philadelphia
Dallas
NY
Washington

NFC North
Detroit
Chicago
Minnesota
Green Bay

NFC South
Carolina
Tampa Bay
Altanta
New Orleans

NFC West
Seattle
St. Louis
Arizona
San Francisco

Dallas and Tampa Bay are the wildcards and Carolina wins the NFC Championship.

And the super bowl winner is Carolina over Cincinatti in a thriller.

The perfect storm

I was recently on http://www.realclearpolitics.com and was studying the state by state Senate races this year. There are about 8 or 9 competitive races that should determine who controls the Senate Majority next year. After looking at the polling the democrats are in the lead in most of the races which spells doom for Republicans.

Then I read an article that three state branches of the Christian Coalition were breaking off and starting their own organizations. Factor in that the coalition is over a million in debt, they have weak national leadership and that their former director Ralph Reed couldn't even win the Lt. Governor's primary last month and you see just feckless that organization has become.

Finally, I read a survey that the percentage of people who think the Republican party is religious has dropped from 55 to 47 percent. The biggest drop was among white evangelicals and Catholics. Democrats are no better as only 29 percent view them as religious. Still that drop suggests a lack of enthusiam among the Republican base.

With dismal poll numbers and a weak grassroots base, it looks like Republicans are in big, big trouble going into the election.

Target audience

The other day I was having lunch with a friend of mine who works for Gov. Granholm. Being a campaign year, her boss's reelection campaign came up and I mentioned that I didn't like her TV commercials. She took the criticism fairly well but I could tell she thought I was full of crap.

About a week later I noticed that Granholm was rising in the polls and is now leading Devos 50-43 which is the best position she has been in quite a while. So I emailed my friend and told her that I had obviously misjudged the commercial's effectiveness. She wrote back and said that she never pre-judges any commercials herself because she is not the target audience. Which got me to thinking that I must not be the target audience either.

How funny that two well informed and educated people are not the target audience. But politics by default has to play to the larger uninformed electorate because that's where the votes are. This isn't to say that the public isn't capable of seeing through the BS most of the time but most people are simply too busy with their own life to pay much attention to Lansing unless it impacts them directly. Sadly, many politicians take advantage of that attention deficit and count on voter apathy and ignorance. And we wonder why people are disenfranchised by government?

Build A Well

Tomorrow night is the http://buildawell.com concert that my church is sponsoring. We should raise several thousand dollars to help those suffering with AIDS. The City Pulse just ran a nice story about the event. If you are in town tomorrow night, I encourage you to stop by the Temple Club and buy a ticket.

http://www.lansingcitypulse.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=410&Itemid=31

To my fellow bloggers

One of the coolest things about blogging is it allows all of us to keep in touch with a lot of people despite living all over the country. Part of that ability comes from linking to other people's blogs. I know a lot of people use my site to link to other IWU alumni. Unfortunately, a number of you bloggers out there are not keeping up with your writing. So as of today I am placing you on probation. If you can't update your blog more than once every two months then your link will be removed. Yes, that means you CJ. I am tired of checking your site to read all about March Madness. Hello it's August. So consider this fair warning.

Just a bunch of kids

This article is why I love the Steelers so much.

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/sports/steelers/s_467223.html

Family Values

I just came across a fascinating study comparing the birth rate among liberals and conservatives in America. What the study reveals is that there is a growing gap between the number of kids each group is having. Of the 100 liberals surveyed, they had 147 children. Meanwhile the 100 conservatives had 208 children. That's a 41 percent difference. This percentage is growing as more and more conservatives have more and more children.

What explains this gap? I would say that the numbers are a predictable outflow of their belief systems. With all the talk about family values, conservatives should have big families. Liberals on the other hand are more likely to encourage birth control and abortion. Additionally, many of them do not want to contribute to overpopulating the world.

The reason behind this trend isn't nearly as important as the impact. This study spells bad news for liberals. Consider the fact that about 80 percent of voters vote the same way their parents did growing up and you can see that the voting population is trending significantly conservative. This could explain why liberals are doing poorly with their get out the vote efforts among young people. It also explains why liberals are so desperate to indoctrinate kids through the schools and universities. It's their only hope to undo many of these kids conservative upbringing.

Relationships

This weekend I was able to go down to Kentucky and visit my stepsisters and catch a Reds-Pirates game. It was a fun weekend and I really enjoy both Kelly and Tina's company. But as I was there, I noticed a little tension between Kelly and her husband John. John is a good guy but he seems to put his interests before his family's and while Kelly handles it quite well, the rest of our family gets a little annoyed by it. Later in the weekend, Kelly admitted that she doesn't really have any other close friends and it's basically just John that she depends on. I wish he realized just how much she counts on him.

Two weekends ago, I found out that my brother and his wife are getting a divorce. I feel sick about it and can tell it's just killing him inside. His eyes have this incredible sadness and I wish that I could help him understand that getting a divorce does not make any less of a man. He doesn't need to be married to be loved and appreciated. Unfortunately, he has always put a lot of hope and faith in women's acceptance but I am praying that he can use this time to start fresh and find his own way before he settles down with another woman.

I just got a call from a girlfriend of mine who can't make up her mind about the guy she is dating. They fight and break up and get back together over and over again. It would be obvious to any stranger that their relationship is not the healthiest. I have another girlfriend that knows she should break up with her boyfriend but doesn't want to let go because she has already invested so much time into the relationship and thinks he might really change this time.
Both of these friends are smart, self-assured, attractive women that could easily go out with any number of men. So why are they still in these less than perfect relationships?

I realize the importance of love and romantic relationships but it seems like for each good healthy relationship there are dozens of unhealthy ones that either end in divorce or long term stress and bitterness. Is this really what I am missing out by being a single person in my thirties? I want to experience a healthy romance but the relational carnage scares me away.

It just strikes me as ironic that in a society where marriage and dating are so prevalent and encouraged that so many of them don't seem to bring the joy and happiness that is promised.

To The Least Of These

I know economic times are tough in Michigan these day but it seems like things are getting worse lately. In the past few days I have been approached by homeless people asking for food or for money to take the bus back to Detroit. When I lived in DC begging was part of the culture so I used to carry change in my backpack and I would just hand that out to people who asked for money. But here in Lansing, I am not quite sure how to react.

Last night as I was walking home a guy stopped me to explain how he was stuck in Lansing and needed bus money to get back to Detroit. He even began to rap as a gesture to prove he was really from Mo-town. About halfway through his song, I pulled out a few bucks and gave it to him. Not really out of compassion or because I even believed him but simply to shut him up.

As I began the rest of my walk home, I reflected on a sermon I recently heard about giving to the least of these. The premise being, that our true faith is measured by how we treat those in need. I want to be a compassionate person and I do see the need in the community. That is partly why I am part of Barefoot Lansing Church. But is my moral obligation bigger than just being a part of church that reaches out to this community? What is my responsibility when a street person asks for money?

At first my gut tells me that most of the people asking for money are crooks. But now I think, that my role is to be compassionate and that even if the person is lying, I helped that person in good faith. Their actions are their responsibility and they will reap what they sow. And maybe the guy last night was telling me the truth and my money I helped him get a ride back to Detroit. I don't know. But I do know I can't afford to help every person that asks for money regardless of the legitimacy. Am even I supposed to? Or am I supposed to intervene in their lives and arrange contact with social service agencies? To be honest, sometimes I don't want to spend that kind of time and would rather give them some money to leave me alone. I realize that attitude does not advance the kingdom of God which is why I am wrestling with how to respond in these situations.

I am not sure what the answer is or even if there is one solution that works in all cases. But at least I am questioning what it means to take care of the least of these.

Which football is best?

I usually don't like it when ESPN tries to manufacture a sporting topic but recently they have been running stories on whether college football or pro football is better. As a longtime fan of both there is really no question that the NFL is much superior to the NCAA.

First of all the NFL actually decides the championship on the field. For my money no college team can ever claim a legitimate national championship because they don't have to prove it against the best competition. Instead, it's the big schools who make the most money that get preferential treatment by higher preseason rankings and easier paths to the BCS games. The whole championship is political and it really hurts the game. Why they don't have a playoff system like every other sports league is beyond me.

My second problem with the college game is that there is not a level playing field. The same 15 teams or so dominate the landscape each year. If you went back and looked at the top 25 poll from 1986 I bet it would look almost identical to the current poll. On the other hand, The NFL is complete crapshoot. Who else besides myself picked the Steelers to win it all last year? And what about the Rams and Ravens and even the Patriots winning the superbowl all after non-winning seasons the year before? I like that unpredictability and it gives all fans hope and an interest going into the season.

The third reason that the NFL is better than college football is that you can start the season slowly and still win the championship. The format allows you to build a team along the way and it rewards peaking at the end of the season. Every year, I lose interest in college football as soon as Michigan loses their first game which is usually to Notre Dame in September. Why as a fan should I care about the remainder of the season if my team has little or no chance to win the championship? It's a joke. And to those who say this makes the regular season more interesting, I say look at the schedules this year. To avoid losing an early game the major programs are playing lousy teams instead of facing stiff competition. So instead of say Auburn and Michigan playing each other they play Southern Sisters of the Poor and Our Lady of SE Michigan. How that makes the regular season compelling is beyond me.

Finally, the real reason that the NFL is superior is fantasy football. The only reason I watch a lot of NFL games is because I have players involved. Why else would I watch the Titans Jets game? Well maybe if I had money on it but I don't wager that much anymore. I love fantasy football because it combines my love of sports and my love of competition together into one neat hobby. Often times, I watch the scrolling scoreboard more than I watch the actual game because I want to keep track of my team's performance. Until the NCAA comes up with their own fantasy league, which I don't think they can do because they cannot use the athletes names, the NFL will continue to be my favorite form of football.

For All You Conspiracy Theorists

I just heard on the news last night that NASA can not find the original tapes of the first moon landing. Wow, I know I am disorganized but even I could figure a way to not lose such important historical documentation.

Losing these tapes will only add fuel to all the conspiracy theories that we didn't really land on the moon. Even my stepdad, who is a smart man, thinks that we were probably were duped into believing this event. He and others suggest that it was simply an early Hollywood invention designed to give us a public relations advantage during the cold war. As strange as this sounds, I wouldn't completely rule it out of the question. Where were the bloggers back then to verify the facts?

This morning as I was discussing this story with my co-worker she asked me how long I thought Neil Armstrong practiced saying his famous phrase "one small step for man, one giant step for mankind". This got us to thinking about what else he said up there. The following is my top 10 list of what else he might of said.

1 Where's the restroom?

2 I have an itch but I can't scratch it in this stupid suit

3 Dang, I forgot my camera

4 Take that you Russian commies

5 Visa; never leave home without it

6 Where's the cheese?

7 This is even better than that one summer at space camp

8 Hey, I think I can see the smog over LA from up here.

9 Maybe I should run for Congress. Nah, who would ever vote for an astronaut?

10 I hope those suckers back home believe all this

I wish I could write

There are a lot of things that I am itching to write about lately. Unfortunately, I feel constrained by my job to avoid sharing my opinion on these matters with the public. The nature of my job allows me incite into many political dramas facing the state but it also compels me to be silent on many of them.

That's the one problem with blogging. It's a fine line between sharing good information with people while not jeopardizing one's profession and reputation. I heard that a new hiring technique is to google potential employees and read their blogs to see what the person is really like. While it's cool to be self revealing to the public, there is a responsibility attached to it.

I hope that explains the dearth of information regarding Michigan politics in this blog. Believe me I could write something new everyday. But my better judgment and my need for a job prevent me from doing so. If you want to know the real scoop behind what's happening in Lansing and around the state you will just have to contact me personally.

Yesterday's Terror

My friend CJ called me yesterday as I was on my way to Muskegon and asked me if we had called the national guard up to protect our airports. I was a little confused because I had been out late the night before and I hadn't heard the news on radio yet about the proposed airplane bombings. I quickly told CJ I would call him back and turned on FoxNews to get caught up. It was shocking to learn that the attackers were so advanced in their preparation. I think I had been lulled into sleep by the past 5 years. After yesterday's events, I have several observations about the war.

1. First of all our enemy is deadly determined to defeat us. These operations take years to prepare and they are willing to put their own life at stake in this war. I wish the anti-war crowd in the states would wake up and realize that we are not going to win this war by negotiation and retreat. Radical Islam wants to destroy us and they will patiently fight this war until the very end. They will never accept a peaceful coexistence between us and them. But for some reason many Americans think this is somehow possible. Forget about it.

2. I heard on the radio that some groups are complaining about Bush saying we are at war against Islamic Fascism. Apparently, they are worried that Muslims will get a bad reputation or something. Who do these people think we are fighting against? Church going Catholics? No, our enemy is those who are living out their Muslim faith. We may not like it and many good law abiding Muslims may take offense to it but that doesn't change the facts. Until we are serious about understanding that and I think Bush is, we will not make any real progress in this war. And if Muslims are so upset about ruining their reputation why don't work to defeat that vile faction within their own religion? I seldom hear of condemnation coming from the American Islamic community and usually only hear excuses for the terrorists.

3. This may sound strange in lieu of what I wrote earlier but I wonder if we aren't overestimating our enemies a bit. It seems to me that they are stuck in an old mode of operation. They tried this same plot back in 1995 and it failed then. So why try the same thing again a decade later? And with all the worry about them having chemical, biological and nuclear weapons, why are they still using make shift bombs? Does this reveal that they don't have weapons of mass destruction? Before yesterday I would have assumed they did but now I am not so sure. What I think yesterday's plan reveals is that they do not have strong leadership at the top to carry out their operations. It's mostly low level workers who remembered the plot from 1995 and could not think above that level of operation. If that's the case then we are making a lot of progress in this war.

4. The final observation I have is that even though it was scary to learn about the plot, yesterday was a big success. It was one of the few major operations that we were able to penetrate and stop before it happened. Whether it was electronic monitoring or a spy within their cell, we had very good information. So why are the Democrats continuing to attack Bush's failing policies. I heard one of them say if only we had more money to fight terror instead of the war in Iraq we would have more success. Did he not notice that we were able to stop the terrorists yesterday? It's like they had their talking points ready to go in case of an attack and went ahead with them even though the attack was prevented. I wish the Democrats once and for all would acknowledge that our Islamic enemy is a worse enemy than President Bush. Up to now, you would never know that by their actions.

Fun Picture

This was taken a couple weeks ago when my niece and nephew were in town from Kentucky. They are great kids.

Election Day

I love election day. Today is Michigan's primary elections and there are several interesting races across the state. First there is the US Senate race between Keith Butler and Mike Bouchard. Butler is the charismatic preacher from Detroit and Bouchard is the polished county sheriff from Oakland County. Both are good Republicans but both face an uphill battle to beat Debbie Stabenow in the fall. The establishment is solidly behind Bouchard and he is the presumed frontrunner but he has run a rather uninspired campaign. I heard there are still 30 percent undecided which is a big number which tells me that neither one has a lot of strong allegiance yet. Having said that, I really like Butler and he should carry West Michigan. If he doesn't get drubbed in Southeast Michigan, I think it will be a lot closer than people think.

The second race I am following is the 7th congressional primary between the incumbent Joe Schwarz and challenger Tim Walberg. Two years ago, Schwarz won with under 40 percent in a crowded primary because the other conservatives split the vote. This time he is one on one and the conservatives are very energized to take Schwarz out. Money has been flowing in from out of state into this race as part of a nationwide attempt to get rid of moderate Republicans in safe Republican seats. Schwarz's TV and radio ads have been fantastic but Walberg should have more grassroots support to turn out the vote. My gut tells me Walberg will prevail and probably by a healthy margin.

The third race of interest is the 28th senate seat in Grand Rapids between Mark Jansen, Joanne Voorhees and Jim Koetje. All three are former state reps and the winner of the primary will win handily in November. I have been helping Mark out because I watched him work when he served in the House and was always impressed by him. He has a quiet confidence about him that I respect. Initially this race was Voorhees's to lose because she has more money to spend and a lot of endorsements. But Jansen has momentum on his side and a history of getting his voters to the polls. That should be enough for Mark to win in a squeaker.

The last race I am tracking today isn't even in Michigan. It's the Connecticut senate primary between Joe Lieberman and Ned Lamont. The left is mad at Sen. Lieberman for supporting Bush on the war and targeted him with an aggressive nationwide internet campaign. The polls show Lieberman behind by double digits and I don't know how effective he will be in getting out the vote. If he loses he has already stated he will run as an independent in the general election.

I am torn on this race. Part of me wants Lieberman to lose today and then run as independent and win the general election. If that happens most likely he will side with the Republicans and give them a leg up on keeping the majority. But I also wouldn't mind Lieberman winning today so he and the rest of the country can claim victory against the hardcore anti-war left. The country needs good democrats like Lieberman and I hate to think the left will drive them away. Regardless of what happens today, Lieberman will still win the general election.

These are just some of my thoughts on a couple of key races. There are lots of smaller races on the ballot so don't forget vote in your local elections.

Why I would never use Match.com

The other day I heard an advertisement for match.com which is one of those annoying internet dating services. What struck me about the ad was the fact that they were highlighting Dr Phil giving out free dating advice to their members. As if having to resort to internet dating isn't bad enough, now they want to degrade single people by listening to advice from that blowhard.

I read a great column on Teresa Strasser's site about Dr. Phil the other day. Apparently he also wrote a book on dating advice and is now trying to pass himself off as a some kind of dating guru. Doesn't he make enough money from being on Oprah? What's next, him giving advice on haircare products? He probably met his wife at the drive in theater or a at the sock hop so how could he possibly have any incite into today's dating scene?

Worse than him not having any practical dating experience is the complete lack of depth in the advice he dispenses. During the radio ad, a lady explains that she has a hard time finding people to date to which he replies that she shouldn't dream she should do, she shouldn't want she should get. I have no idea what any of that means but I doubt that pithy advice was really helpful to her. Instead of cliches, how about giving her some real advice like say maybe where to meet people or better yet don't waste your time on internet dating sites.

But Dr Phil is not the only shyster out there trying to make a quick buck by selling crappy advice to single people. Just go to Barnes and Noble and you'll see a whole shelf full of books about dating. What's worse is that a lot of dating books are targeted toward single Christians. The author throws in a few verses about sexual purity among the psychobabble and expects people to fall for it. Apparently, though we are an easy mark because somebody is buying this crap. It's probably the person who stays at home reading these books on a Friday night wondering why their alone when they could be out with their friends meeting people.

And it's not just that I don't respect married people giving me advice on dating, it's the fact that there is no one set of rules or advice for dating that works for every person. Just because one person met their true love at the grocery store, doesn't mean everyone else will meet someone there. Believe me, I've tried and all I ever take home is groceries. The problem is you can't advise someone into love. I suppose you can offer ideas on how to meet people, or how to treat one another, but romance is a mysterious mistress that cannot be tamed or captured by reading a book or listening to advice from others. Hopefully, my single compatriots will see through the nonsense and won't fall for the false hope that Dr Phil and Match.com are selling.

Winning the Culture War

I mentioned in my last post that there was a good article that I found on Derek's blog that talked about a pastor who began preaching that the church should steer clear of politics. For this message, he lost about 20 percent of his congregation because they disagreed with him.

This brings up several things that I could write on, including why people leave their church when they disagree with pastor and whether that's a good idea or not, but I want to address the main message that he was trying to share with his church. Even though I am active in politics and have very strong opinions on a number of social issues I completely agree with his premise.

I had a great professor in college named Dr. Martin. He was a brilliant man and one of his greatest gifts was teaching young minds to interpret different worldviews. He rightly suggested that the largest problem with liberal politics is that they put their hope in government instead of in God. Their worldview is that the government should feed, protect and provide for all society's needs and that these needs will largely not be met without government intervention. But before we rush to judgment, there is another side of the coin. I fear that conservatives have also begun to place their hope in government. Not to take care of people's physical needs but to win the culture war instead. The right's worldview is that if the right people get elected and the right laws get passed we can restore our nation's Christian heritage. And this goal will not be met without government intervention.

No longer does the church view social issues like homosexuality, abortion and gambling as spiritual problems in need of a spiritual solution but instead as political problems in need of a political solution. The problem with this notion is that government cannot and will not change people's hearts. We could pass every law we want and there will still be social ills in the world. And while I do think that a nation's law represent the values of its people I think we would be better off changing people's values and then have the laws change as a result.

I was just reminded of story that highlights the difference between fighting spiritual and political battles. A few years ago there was an abortion clinic in Kentwood where I grew up. It had been there a long time and was often quite busy. A handful of women who counseled women before and after they went into the clinic decided that they should be intentionally praying for the clinic to close. Within a short time, the women showed up to counsel and they found that the clinic has closed without notice. This was a direct result of prayer and their efforts saved many children's lives. Politics would not have shut down that clinic because it doesn't have the power to win the spiritual war that surrounds these social issues.

I am not advocating that Christians abandon the cultural battles of the day. But rather I propose that we rethink our weapon of choice to fight these battles. Continuing to rely on government and politics to transform the culture is like going to war against a nuclear enemy with only a rifle. The most skilled shooter might be able to knock off a few of his enemies but would have no real chance of winning the war and the same is true in the culture wars. Until the church realizes this we will face setback after setback and wonder why all our efforts are failing.

Quick little update

Wow it is hot outside. It's 8:30 at night and the temperature is still over 90 degrees. I usually prefer warm weather to cold weather but this is ridiculous. It's been especially tough as I go door to door for the campaign. On Saturday I think I lost 10 pounds just from pounding the pavement in this heat. We have another big day planned for Wednesday and I am hoping the temp cools off by then but I doubt it.

Last night we had church and I am really enjoying going to barefoot. I am even learning a few things. Mostly, that being part of a smaller body means there is a lot for each person to do. Not an overwhelming amount but if everyone's not involved not much would get done. I have been helping raise money for a concert we are promoting in August. The money goes to Blood:Water Mission which was started by Jars of Clay and they help build wells in Africa. It's a cool venture to contribute too. Here is their website. http://www.bloodwater.org/ This week I begin practicing with the worship band for our Saturday night services. I am eager to start singing again but I hope that I have enough time to commit in light of campaign season heating up.

We also talked last night about reaching out to the kids that live in one of the local apartment complexes. Apparently, they don't have a lot going on and the kids are looking for people to invest in them. Not sure just what the plan is yet but I like the fact that we are preparing to take on a need. Another avenue that we are pursuing is with the Lansing area aids network. Our pastor met with them last week and they are really excited about our church and want to work with us to reach out to the aids community. I was going to volunteer with them last year but could never worki it into my schedule so I am hoping that maybe I can do some work with them now through the church.

What I like most about my church is that the community is so young and they have great expectations and ideas. There are endless possibilities to serve people and even before we are officially launched there is an eagerness to see how our church fits in meeting those needs. The key will be focusing this energy and enthusiasm into the most effective venues.

One final thing, Derek Bethay just posted a link on his blog to an article about a preacher who is trying to keep the church above the political frey. It's a good read and I would suggest checking it out. Maybe when I get a little time, I will share my thoughts on what that pastor is doing. http://derekbethay.blogspot.com/

Some thoughts on the war

Like most people I have been paying close attention to the outbreak of violence between Israel and Hezbollah. I know a lot of my friends are very encouraged by what's happening because they want Israel to win but I am saddened as I watch the news and see all the destruction. This is especially true as I see Lebanon (one of the few democracies in the region) get decimated. As much I hate war though, there is a time and place for it and this is that time.

It seems like there has been a recent call by many in the media for a cease fire. Thus far the Bush team has resisted such talk and I am encouraged by that. Yes, a cease fire would temporarily end the violence but it won't end the war. You don't need to be shooting rockets at each to be at war with each other. Just look at the cold war for example. We had several years where we never fired a single shot against Russia and yet we were in a full scale struggle to determine the fate of the 20th century. Even most recently, radical Islam has been at war with us for decades yet we were not even fully aware of it until September 11th.

This particular war is nothing new. Israel and the Islamic extremists have been at war for a long time even during the so called peaceful times. You see peace is not the absence of conflict but rather when one power has the upper hand as to deter the other from attacking. This is the principle of peace through strength and it has worked for a long time.

If Israel were to now listen to the world and arrange a cease fire they would be quitting before they actually made enough progress to restrain their enemy. All a cease fire would do at this point is allow Hezbollah a chance to regroup and build up their strength to attack at a time when it's more beneficial to them. I think we should pay special attention to this point as it pertains to our own war with Islam and maybe give pause to the growing chorus to withdraw from Iraq even though the work is not yet done. Our withdrawl will not end the war and we should not leave until we are strong enough to deter our enemy from attacking.

The other idea that keeps coming to mind as I examine these events is how Iran has badly overplayed their hand. Much of the war on terror is being facilitated and propped up by Iran. They are fueling a large portion of the resistance in Iraq and of course they are using Hezbollah as a pawn to attack Israel. The whole timing of the war was planned to distract the world from Iran's quest to become a nuclear power. They also wanted to take the our attention away from Iraq and make the US focus on several battle fronts. I think they also thought they could drive a further wedge between the US and certain allies like Russia and France.

The reality is just the opposite. The world and our allies have for the most part been restrained in their condemnation against Israel. Instead the event has opened many sleeping eyes and brought Iran to the forefront as the leading trouble maker in the region. And rather than pitting us against our allies, this war has pitted the moderate Muslim states like Jordan, Egypt and Turkey against Iran. They want no part in stirring the anger and retribution of Israel. What's more, because Iran had to use a surrogate army to attack they revealed their own cowardice to attack directly. Say what you want about the war in Iraq but the US is walking the walk in that war and demonstrated that we are willing to risk our troops and even our reputation to combat Islamic extremism. Iran on the other hand looks like the man behind the curtain who talks tough but has others do their bidding. I think this war will hurt their reputation and will only enhance their wanting to build the bomb so they can claim their role as the Muslim superpower. Without the bomb they are just another third world tyranny.

As the following weeks play out, I hope the world maintains their support for Israel to defend themselves and that Hezbollah is thoroughly destroyed. If that happens, there won't be peace in the middle east but at least there will be a little less fighting.

My Ex-girlfriend's Wedding

Saturday night I went to an ex girlfriend's wedding reception. I know it sounds strange that I would go to such an event but Michelle and I have been good friends since before we dated, while we dated and after we dated. It's a good formula to follow and it works well for me. This is actually not the first wedding of an ex girlfriend that I have attended. So I guess I am always an ex-boyfriend, never a groom.

The reception was a mix of people from all walks of life and I actually knew quite a few people. I enjoyed seeing her family again and got a chance to visit with several friends that I used to go to church with. What I find funny is the fallacy that weddings are a good place to pick up women. I have never found this to be the case. Usually, most women come with dates already and secondly, my chances of picking up a woman after she has seen me dance are limited to only the blind or the infirm.

Michelle did try to set me with up her friend Robin at the reception. Apparently she hadn't read my recent blog about fix ups because she chose the wrong person for me. Robin was very nice and sweet but a little quiet and boring. I already have quiet and boring in my life and I am ready for something different. Now her friend Nsombie was anything but quiet and boring but Michelle didn't think I could handle her. Too which I think if I was able to handle Michelle, how much tougher could her friend be?

All in all it was fun to celebrate their wedding. Her husband Aron seems like a pretty decent guy and they are a good fit. Usually I don't like receptions simply because I don't need married people gloating about how happy they are and flaunting their newfound life. But this one wasn't that bad. I wish them both a long and successful relationship.

Why I hate Katie Couric

Kate Couric is going on a nationwide listening tour to help her be a better news anchor when she makes the switch to CBS. What a stupid idea.

First of all, since when does reporting the news (the facts) rely on what people want to hear? Shouldn't she just report what happens regardless of what the public thinks about it. The idea that she will change how she covers the news based on what people tell her on this listening tour just reveals how little the news networks value actual reporting and how much they value gaining larger audiences.

If she really wants to know what people want to hear why is she limiting her tour to a pre selected group of people. How many conservatives do you think will be at these events? I just read an article that a web reporter in Minnesota was not allowed to cover the event. Can you imagine if Katie was told she wasn't allowed to cover an event. We would hear everynight about secret meetings and that the public had a right to know what was going on. It's so hypocritical.

But really, the public doesn't need to attend some make believe listening tour to convey what they want from their news. Just follow the trends in what people are watching and that will tell you enough to figure out that the public is tired of the big three mainstream networks and their bias reporting. Nobody wants to be lectured to and fed half truths and that is essentially what you get from CBS and the others. Instead, most people want fair, honest, objective reporting of the facts so they can figure out for themselves what's going on in the world. That's why Fox news and other alternative media is flourishing while the network ratings are in free fall.

But do you really think Katie is going to be fair and unbiased when moves to CBS? Even if some conservatives are able to sneak into her listening tour and tell her that's what they want, there is no way she can do it. It just goes against everything she believes in. You see her tour reveals more about herself than it does about what Americans want to hear. She is doing the tour to promote herself because she thinks she is a celebrity and this is her way of capitalizing on her fame. With that fame, she feels a responsibility to use her soapbox to promote the liberal agenda. The whole reason she does the news is to shape how people view the world. Okay, maybe the outrageous sums of money is motivation as well.

So don't be fooled by all the Orwellian hype surrounding her. CBS news will be the same as it was with Dan Rather; the same crap only with a prettier face.

footnote: For a sample of reporting in the past just visiting the following link http://www.mediaresearch.org/projects/couric/welcome.asp

Just call me Mr. Computer

Last night, as I attempted to delete real player from my computer I accidentally deleted my audio device as well. I didn't even realize what I had done until I went to listen to a video clip and had no volume. When I tried to find the volume control on my toolbar and it was gone, it quickly donned on me that I had done something terribly stupid.

After a few minutes of yelling and cursing my bad luck and misjudgment, I decided I was going to fix this problem myself. If I could delete it, I could re-install it. It sounded so easy until I realized I wasn't even sure if had the disks to re-install and wasn't entirely sure what the device was called. After a couple hours I finally found the right program on Gateway's website and downloaded it. Thinking I was so smart I restarted my computer only to learn that the device wasn't downloaded properly and I still didn't have any sound.

I was so pissed that I had to give up working on the computer and took a break to watch TV for half an hour. After I calmed down, I tried downloading it again. Again and again it didn't work. Now I am feeling both agitated and embarrassed that I can't figure this simple process out. I feel like Einstein's definition of insanity as I try the exact same dumb thing several times and each time expecting it to work when it never did before.

Finally, I realize that the hardware I was downloading was not the right device for my computer. After another 15 minutes of searching gateway's website I eventually found the right device and got it loaded onto to my computer and I am proud to say that I have sound again. And as much as I was irritated, I was equally proud of myself for fixing the problem without having to call the geek squad and pay 50 bucks to some high school kid. I just hope that I don't have to fix anything else on my computer in the near future.

Now that's a politician

I live in a mostly Democratic area and our current State Representative is term limited so there is vigorous Democratic primary to replace him. Since I have no faith the Republican can actually win the seat, I am going to vote in the democratic primary. No this does not mean my transformation from right wing conservative to left wing radical is complete. I am simply being pragmatic and hope to get the least offensive democrat elected.

In my quest to find the right candidate, I did some research on each of them. There are 6 total and most of them have websites. Even so, I am struck by the dearth of information on real issues. Every candidate's site talks about jobs and supporting education, blah, blah blah but none mentioned many specifics and few of the issues that I care about were mentioned. So I decided I would write each candidate and ask them if they were pro life, if they supported expanding the number of charter schools, and how they plan to address the state budget deficit.

To my surprise one candidate, Jerry Hollister called me an hour after I sent him an email. I was shocked that he responded so quickly. Either they have a very well run and agile campaign or he has nothing better to do than check his email every half hour. We had a good conversation about the new economy and while I don't agree with him on abortion or school choice, the mere fact that he called me personally goes a long way in garnering my support. Chris Lewless, another candidate sent me an email the same day which was very timely as well and I appreciate his specific and detailed responses.

Through this exercise, I have found ways to benefit our own campaign. First, put out as much information as possible because it's hard to find otherwise. Second, be responsive and timely. Third, direct and upfront is okay even if you don't agree because at least people respect that. Having said all this I still haven't decided who to vote for just yet. I am still waiting for half the field to get back to me.

The Fix Up

I mentioned in my previous post that my brother was trying to set me up with a lady friend of his. That raised the interest of a lot of people so I figured I would give an update.

First, let me preference by thanking Vince for introducing me to Kelly. It is hard to meet new people and having someone else looking for me is a help. Having said that, I have no idea why he thought we would be a good match. Sure, we are both attractive, single, thirtysomethings but once you get past that there wasn't much common ground.

We played cards for most the night and won quite a few times and while we played we chatted back and forth. And while, she was very nice, there just weren't any sparks on either side. We didn't really have much in common. Halfway through the night, she admitted that she knew nothing about politics so I admitted that I knew nothing about women. Seriously, I really don't care if someone "knows politics". But what I do care is that the person has an understanding and curiousity about the world around them and I didn't get that impression from her. In fact, after the first hour or so I came to the conclusion that the only reason I was still trying was because she had a killer body. If she didn't, I doubt I would have invested as much effort and interest as I did. Not that looks are everything to me but when you have no other connection the importance of physical attraction becomes magnified.

It's too bad that things didn't go any better. I actually had an open mind going into the evening despite all my previous bad experiences with fix ups. Preferrably I hope to just meet someone on my own and develop something that way but until that I happens I guess I'll wait until next time. Because sometimes even awkward set ups are better than doing nothing at all.

Grumpy

This week I have been un-ordinarily grumpy for some reason. Sure, I am sometimes sullen and sardonic but usually there is a hint of humor to my bitterness. Not so this week. It's hard to laugh when the people around me keep pissing me off for no reason. I really don't understand why I am in such a funk because I had a great weekend and holiday. Maybe the world is really full of idiots and slackers and I am just now realizing it.

I went to sleep early last night to try and work the feeling out of my system but it hasn't worked and in fact my attitude seems to be spreading the rest of the office. I feel a little sorry for Jennie in my office who has gotten most of my disdain but to be fair she has been in a foul mood herself. If you've ever watched Becker, you'll get a good description of our office this week and let me tell you its no picnic. I mean it's funny on TV but not so much fun in real life.

I am hoping things change this weekend. I get to play a game of poker with some friends on Friday night and then my brother is setting me up with a women he knows on Saturday. Maybe my fortune and attitude will change. But then again, I could lose my shirt at the poker game and my fix up could go horribly wrong and I will back in this state again next week. One thing is for sure, my co-workers are hoping that's not the case.

My Grandpa

My Grandpa visited me this past weekend. My Mom finally guilted him into coming to Michigan since he had already visited my aunt in Florida numerous times this year. It was a quick visit but is was great to see him again. On Friday I took he and my Mom to a new upscale restaurant in Lansing called Majority and we had a good lunch together. Then I took them on a quick tour of the capitol building to see where I work. I like playing tourguide and I think they enjoyed seeing the capitol.

One thing I noticed was that he is getting up there in years. I usually don't notice people getting older but he was much more labored this weekend than I remember. I guess that's what happens when you get over 80. It's weird but I never really think of him as that old. He is just my Grandpa who has been a fixture in my life for so long that I still think of him as being the same man he was 25 years ago. Now seeing him age, I am forced to reflect that life is shorter than we think and that we should enjoy people while we have them in our lives.

barefoot

I met the pastor of a new church plant a couple weeks ago. My friend Kevin is his neighbor and knew that I was looking for a new church so he gave me his contact info. His name is Noah and the church is called barefoot. After having coffee together, I could tell he was a cool guy and someone that I wanted to get to know. I was also interested in learning more about the church and tonight I finally attended one of their meetings.

It was mostly young people who were very friendly and down to earth. What impressed me most about this church is that they are committed to helping other people. In August they are planning a trip to Mississippi to help out victims of hurricane Katrina. Later that month they are sponsoring a concert at a local club to raise money to purchase a well for a village in Africa. These are the kinds of activities that I strongly believe the church should be engaging in. I can see myself buying into their vision and even though the church hasn't even officially launched yet, I think this could be my next church home.

PC

I am sick of this week's over-reported story of White Sox manager Ozzie Guillen calling someone a fag. I listen to a lot of sports radio and all I heard was people talking about this incident. Good grief, when did calling someone a name become a capitol crime. Now I don't think it' s good manors to call someone names, but whatever happened to sticks and stones can break my bones but names can never hurt me. If anyone doubts that the public is being indoctrinated to react to politically incorrect thinking, I hope they are paying attention to this story. I seriously doubt that he would be sent to sensitivity training if he called the reporter a jackass instead. Although maybe the democratic party would have complained.

The tragic irony of this story is that all across the sporting landscape, there are many serious incidents that are being swept under the rug. Just this week, Brett Myers who pitches for the Phillies, was arrested for beating his girlfriend. This story received far less coverage and as far as I know he was not sent to sensitivity school and there is no clamor to suspend him so as to teach him a lesson. Earlier this month, JJ Reddick the former Duke guard was arrested for drunk driving. When asked how this might effect where he will be drafted, most commentators did not think it would matter at all. And that was the extent of the story.

I may be old fashioned but aren't domestic violence and drunk driving far worse offenses than calling someone a fag. Yet you would never know that by the level and intensity of coverage of these stories. The real story of this week is that our public moral outrage needs to be redirected and prioritized.

We Are Family

Thanks to last night's win by Carolina in the NHL finals, my beloved Pittsburgh Pirates continue to hold a compelling place in modern sports history. Not since 1979 when the Pirates beat the Orioles on the road in game 7 of the world series has the road team won a game 7 in a championship series. Not just in baseball but it hasn't happened in hockey or basketball either. One would think that the trend would come to an end at some point but home court advantage really does help in the playoffs. That's why all Dallas has to do is win game 6 at home this week and they should be the heavy favorites to win the championship. It's nice to remember to the good old days when the Pirates were still good.

Political bloggers

Just recently the liberal bloggers held a convention in Las Vegas to discuss their role in the political process. I was disappointed that I wasn't invited since I love Las Vegas and have recently been accused of taking more liberal positions. Having said that, internet played a big role in 04 election by promoting Howard Dean as the early front runner. He was the first national campaign to fully utilize the internet's strengths and he rode that momentum for several months until his true personality was revealed in Iowa. Since the election the left wing bloggers have mostly focused on galvanizing the anti war and anti Bush crowd.

Blogging is not exclusively for liberals and there are many conservative blogs out there as well. In fact, the blogosphere has become the townhall of the new millennium. This new political forum has several interesting dynamics to it and I honestly do think it has a chance to change the political landscape. In college, I read a book called Understanding the Media by Marshall McCluhan. It was dated back then but the message still resonates. The premise of the book is that the medium is the message in politics. He used TV as example of how it shaped current events and focused arguments into newscast soundbites. The Internet is doing the same thing today. The message of modern politics is open to the masses, immediate, largely opinion based, highly partisan and without perspective for the bigger issues facing the country. These characteristics are all influenced and encouraged by the growing power of the internet.

1. Information is now available to a much wider audience than before. Anybody can log onto their favorite website and read the latest happenings of the day. Even with cable you still have to wait for the show your watching to cover the topics you want covered. With the internet you just go right to it. This is both good and bad for political campaigns because you can have your own website and have people read about your candidate at their leisure. But there are so many sites out there that it is tough to control the message sometimes and you can't be everywhere at the same time. When it was just the big three or even with CNN you could control the message by getting on their shows. It is much harder to do that today.

2. Reporting is almost instantaneous with actual events. If someone bombed a building in Iraq an hour ago, I can already read about it. This is really fast and exciting but it also creates a short attention span because so much is happening and being reported so fast. I can check the drudge report every hour and get new headlines. Politically the speed of the internet is a great benefit to the campaigns that are most nimble and able to respond quickly to the latest issue or story. It also allows good politicians to get their message out quickly.

3. Much of what is written on-line and especially in blogs is opinion based and not actual reporting. This is okay as long as people remember this point and don't start taking other's opinions as wholly factual. Sometimes I worry that the truth gets lost in the debate but this is true on TV and talk radio as well. The implication for campaigns is that you better be very persuasive. To run an effective campaign you need to get close to all these opinion making bloggers and make your case to them. Each of them has a following and if you can win them over, you can win their entire readership generally.

4. Bloggers are also usually very partisan in nature and one sided in their arguments. They tend to develop loyal followings who all share the same views of the world. This creates a sense of community in a world where many people do not have that network of likeminded friends. The bad part about this is that most people never hear the other sides of the argument. They begin to think that everybody agrees with them and their position except the extremists from the other party. It reminds me of college when Clinton won in 1992. Everybody on campus was a Republican and we were just stunned that people would actually vote for Clinton. It is easy to to get wrapped up into one's own blog cocoon and miss what's really happening in the real world.

5. The internet is not very good at sorting out the important from the mundane. The large events that deserve in-depth reporting are just sort of thrust out there with all the rest of the day's events. I think this can lead to a loss of perspective and I worry that we are trending this way more and more. The serious issues of the day are not getting the attention they deserve and many times it's because they are too complex for the public's short attention span. Everybody agrees that healthcare reform is one of the most pressing needs of the day. But how many articles and blogs have you read on that issue? Nobody because they would be boring. Instead we prefer to read about tantalizing scandals and hot button issues because they are much more interesting even if less important.

Finally, the results are still mixed as to how effective the internet is in regards to specific campaigns. Yes Howard Dean would not have become the front runner without it but in the end he didn't win the election. Other elections have also tapped into the internet but so far it would be tough to say that any one candidate has won based on the power of the internet and grass roots bloggers. I think talk radio can make a much more compelling case that is helped usher in the Republican majority in 1994. The internet hasn't had that watershed moment yet but maybe it's coming sooner than we think.

Church Shopping

This morning I went to Riverview Church down in Holt. I had been to a Saturday service a while back but wanted to see what Sunday morning was like. The worship was good and the sermon while long was good as well. The sermon was on how to avoid being selfish and that life is better when we look for ways to serve others. He used an illustration of how selfish people are when they are looking for a new church. They want a church that meets their needs and forget that they should be looking for a place to serve as well.

Since I am looking for a church that hit me directly. The expression of church shopping is sometimes thrown around loosely but it does really describe how one looks for a church. We all have a list of what the perfect church should be and if it doesn't meet that list we move on. I always want to know what they have for single people over 30 and most churches have nothing for people in my age and walk of life. But instead of asking that question, I need to ask what kind of opportunities does that church have for me to serve.

Finding opportunity to serve is tough just by visiting a service. You can scan the bulletin or the information desk but that's about all. What frustrates me is that I am still not entirely sure of what type of service I want to be involved in. At Faith Church I did a little of everything and still never really found my niche. After my trip to Mississippi I thought disaster relief was my calling and I have been training with the red cross here in town. Unfortunately, most churches really aren't that involved in this kind of service. It's been kind of pawned off to the non profit professionals while the church focuses on church-centric activities. This morning when I read the service opportunities at Riverview and almost all involved doing things for the church service or children's ministries. While this is important, I think I would rather serve outside the church community instead.

So now my goal is linking up with a church that has a strong community service component. I need to get involved in a church that already has that type of ministry established and where the church has real buy-in. I don't want to be the one to start a ministry but I want to partner with other people who have a similar interest. I know such a church exists but I haven't found it yet in my quest. But at least now I know to look for more than just how good the singing and preaching is.

How low can she go?

A poll came out yesterday that has Dick Devos leading Gov. Granholm 48-40. This builds on a 6 month trend of him moving ahead in the polls and her falling in the polls. It's really a shocking trend considering at one time Granholm was thought to be unbeatable. She has a winning personality, is a great speaker and the press loves her. Unfortunately for her, that is all she has going for her since she has almost no record of accomplishments to speak of. This combined with Devos spending millions of dollars already on TV has really made it a competitive race.

I was speaking with a member of her administration a few weeks ago and I asked her what the Governor planned to campaign on. She mentioned something about the environment and balancing the budget. Since most polls show the environment ranking just below making sure the sidewalks are plowed this will hardly be a winning issue for her. Balancing the budget sounds nice but less compelling when you learn that she has a constitutional obligation to balance it each year.

Even worse than having no record of achievement is that the current Governor has no real vision of what she wants to accomplish. Even those who hated Engler admit that he knew what he wanted and how to get things done. Granholm is the opposite. People like her but she has no discernible agenda or compass. In retrospect it is hard to see how she got elected in the first place. Her political skills are negligible and if anybody can remember something she promised during the first campaign I'd like to hear what it was. She ran on personality alone last time and that says something about our political system.

Devos has run an excellent campaign so far. He too is staying away from the details and instead is tapping into the anti-incumbent sentiment. There is a growing anxiety that government officials are out of touch and part of the problem and his campaign as an outsider who can fix the system resonates with a lot of people. It's a winning campaign strategy but I just hope he has a winning strategy on how to govern once he gets elected.

Despite the effectiveness of the Devos campaign, Granholm's real opponent continues to be the Michigan economy. Michigan remains mired in a economic quagmire despite the fact that other states are rebounding from the recession. If the state continues to lose jobs, it looks more and more likely that the Governor will lose her job.

Embarrassing

There are a couple things that I read over the weekend that I feel compelled to comment on.

First of all, I am sick and tired of Ann Coulter and her books. Yes I understand that many of her arguments are correct but why does she need to be so venomous in her attacks. Apparently is her newest book she goes after some of the wives that lost their husbands in the 9/11 attacks. Now I do think that when these women entered the fray of politics they should have expected to face some attacks. Politics is a bloodsport and they should have seen this coming. But why should a professed Christian like Ann write such mean and hurtful things about these women simply because they do not share her political persuasion? Differences in opinion and pointing out where one's arguments are wrong is fine and we shouldn't be afraid to take on those arguments even against grieving widows but there is really no reason to ridicule and call them names just to sell some books. This is all Ann seems to do and it ruins her credibility and what would otherwise be some persuasive arguments. Instead of simply making her arguments, she has become a caricature of what many people regard as a hateful right wing Christian. And that does nothing to advance our cause.

Tom Delay is next on my list. I am glad to see him go. He too is a self professed Christian and yet he still believes that he has done nothing wrong and that everything that has happened to him is the fault of his enemies. Whatever happened to love your enemies and turning the other cheek? Whatever happened to taking responsibility for one's own actions? I have very little doubt that he did engage in some shady practices. Whether what he did was technically legal is for the courts to decide but isn't he supposed to live a life above reproach. At what point does the buck stop with him?

What's sad about both of these cases is that I agree with them on so many political issues. I used to respect both of them but how long can one's political views insulate them from such poor behavior. To me, how you convey the truth is as important as the truth that you are trying to convey. Living a life that reflects integrity and charity goes a long way in building the case for one's arguments. When you live a life without those characteristics, not only does it damage themselves but the very arguments they were to trying to make in the first place.

Big Ben

This morning I was struck with the tragic news that Ben Roethlisberger was in a motorcycle accident. When I read it off the newswire I was sick to my stomach as I realized that this great guy was seriously injured. I spent most of the day trying to find out just how bad the crash was. I guess he broke his jaw, his nose, had a 9 inch gash in his head and lost most of his teeth. He was in surgery the last time I heard.

It was strange to let an accident that happened to a person I have never met affect me. But when you cheer for someone and follow his career you build a bond with that player and I feel like I know him since he plays for my favorite team. Ben has been the savior for the Steelers. He was finally the next Terry Bradshaw that we had been searching for decades to find. He led us to the promised land and gave us one for the thumb. Now he lies in a hospital with serious wounds.

One of the sad parts of this story is that he wasn't wearing a motorcycle helmet. He had been warned by his coach and others that he should protect himself but he's young and felt like he was above those risks. I am just thankful that he survived the accident because often serious head trauma can occur on top on the other injuries he suffered. On a side note, Pennsylvania recently changed their law to allow people to ride bikes without helmets. I wonder how many Steeler fans now wish they hadn't changed that law? Michigan is currently considering that same change and it has passed both the House and the Senate. I hope the Governor sees this example and vetoes the bill. There is really no need to ride without a helmet.

Newt

I went to the Ottawa County Lincoln Day dinner last night and heard Newt Gingrich speak. It was a fun event. I took my brother Vince who is an opinionated conservative and my friend Rachel who is an oppinionated moderate. It definitely made for entertaining dinner conversation. One thing I learned last night that I didn't know was that no democrat has been elected in Ottawa County in the last 70 years. That's hard to believe until you visit the county and realize that there really are no democrats in the area.

After an agonizingly long program where they introduced all the candidates running for office (they have two state house primaries with 18 total candidates running) Newt finally got to speak and he was very good. He highlighted the flaws in the Senate immigration bill and why that bill would help defeat Debbie Stabenow. He then went to discuss the challenges that America faces at home and abroad. He makes a great point that we need to learn how to compete with China and India in the new economy. He has a strong grasp of the proper role of government and obviously has the experience to know how to solve problems. He used a great phrase that says "real change requires real change". I like that and am wondering how to apply that in state government because we often go with the status quo or tinker around the edges and wonder why things continue to not work.

I am hoping that he does run for president in 08 not because I think he can win but because I think he could help shape the debate around policy issues instead of namecalling and soundbites. I had to leave right after he finished but Vince hung around and got to meet Newt which makes me a little jealous. Maybe I'll get to meet him when he comes back in his campaign for president.

The World Cup

Today the World Cup starts and although I am no big fan of soccer I am strangely excited about it. Since I know as much about soccer as I do about dating, it's a little tricky for me to forecast who will win this year. The only player I've really heard of from Brazil and I don't even know how to spell his name. All I know is that he is very good.

What I like about the World Cup is that you don't have to know Soccer or even athletics in general to enjoy it. The event is more about national pride and bringing all these countries together to settle their differences on the field of play instead of through war and politics. It's like the olympics that way except that I get to actually watch the whole game live instead of spliced and tape delayed.

I have done some reading on all the teams and here are my predictions. Even though I am cheering for the USA I don't think they can win the whole thing and they may even have a hard time advancing out of their group. Brazil is the clear favorite but I don't think they will win it this year either. I am predicting a darkhorse. I have no idea why but I am picking Ivory Coast to win the world cup.

Gay Marriage

This week the politicians in DC are debating an amendment to the constitution that would define marriage as a union between a man and a woman. I am a little frustrated over this debate.

First off, most people realize that the Senate does not have the votes to pass the bill. So essentially the public is being forced to watch a show in which everyone already knows the conclusion. Unfortunately, this debate is the only way republicans know how to stem the tide of evaporating support among conservatives. The first rule of politics is to reach out to your base when you're in trouble. But with no real intention of actually solving the proposed problem I don't think it's going work. It looks incredibly self serving and explains why the public is so cynical and has such a low view of politicians.

Secondly, I am tired of the argument that is thrust out as the reason we need this amendment. It seems like all we hear is that gay marriage is an assault on traditional marriagethat we need this amendment to protect marriage. What crap. The reason they want the amendment is because they don't want the government to put their stamp of approval on a lifestyle that the bible defines as sinful. It's not politically correct to call homosexuality sinful but this is really why people are opposed to gay marriage. It has very little to do with traditional marriage. In fact, I would wager that the divorce rate will be completely uneffected regardless if gay marriage is banned or not banned.

One of the good things and bad things about our country is that people are free to choose what behavior they want engage in. My goal as a Christian should not be to outlaw sin in the law but to change people's hearts by pointing out why I think their behavior is morally questionable or harmful. Banning gay marriage will be a political victory but it will do very little in stopping the trend of homosexuality becoming an accepted part of american culture. That decision will be made in people's hearts not in the halls of Congress.

If the politicians were serious about "protecting marriage" they would rewrite the divorce laws to make it much tougher to get a divorce. Divorce is well documented to be harmful to children and is clearly spelled out as sinful in the bible. It seems like we should do all we can to prevent it. No fault divorce has allowed for people to simply walk away from marriage for any reason. In fact a lot of young people now have trial marriages where they get married to see if they like it. If it works, they stay married and have kids and if they don't like being married, they just walk away from it and begin looking for their next spouse.

The other threat to marriage is co-habitation or as older people call it "shacking up". I am amazed how many people live together before they get married or instead of getting married. This idea is based on the same idea as a trial marriage but without the messy paperwork and fancy ceremony. Many of these couples never get married even though many of them have kids together before they split up. But even if those living together do choose to get married, the statistics say that those couples have a much higher rate of divorce than those who do not live together beforehand. To me this lifestyle is a much greater threat to marriage than gay marraige. Why don't we simply vote to make this living together before marriage illegal because the bible calls this lifestyle sinful as well?

The reason Congres does not take on these issues is because many of the politicians are guilty of these choices themselves . It would also be unpopular with the public because it would be telling a large majority of people that what their doing is sinful. That is not a recipe for reelection and the reality is that Congress cares much more about preserving their own power than preserving marriage.

Davinci Code

I was kind of hoping this Davinci craze would die down but apparently it is still causing quite a stir in the Christian community. My quest for a new church led me to Northpointe Community and the sermon this morning was on the Davinci Code. A couple weeks ago I heard almost the exact same sermon at the vineyard church and my old church is doing a series on it as well.

All this attention is fine and good because most people do not know the truth and it does draw the attention of the average person. But I wonder if all this fuss is really worth it. I mean is the church that worried that a work of popular fiction will really lead people estray? Is our faith so weak? On the other hand, if the church won't get worked up when someone actually blasphemed our Lord then what will it get worked up over? So I can kind of see both sides.

What this reminds me of is a lesson I read in the Screwtape letters. That book is about a young demon apprentice learning from his uncle the ways of the world. The Uncle instructs his pupil that direct assaults at Christianity are often not the best approach. Instead he suggests that he focus on the perimeter issues and slowly chip away at Christianity. In this case, the Davinci Code is a direct assault and it has awoken a resounding response from the church. But what about all the other movies that contain large amounts of sex, violence, materialism and other worldly teachings. Is the church doing a sermon series on these movies? I propose that those movies are having a much larger impact on our culture than the Davinci Code.

One final observation about this recent trend is that it appears the church is responding to the culture instead of the other way around. Since when do we let Hollywood set the debate on the large issues of the day? Shouldn't the church be more proactive in setting the cultural debate? Mel Gibson succeeded with this by making the Passion and I hope that others will soon follow. I know that we are supposed to engage the culture and we should take every opportunity to make our teachings relevant to a mass audience. But these teachings are always relevant and we shouldn't need the Davinci Code or any other movie to motivate us in conveying this truth.

Tomorrow is the big day

Over the past two years I have become a huge fan of Michelle Wie. For those hiding under a rock, Michelle is the gifted 16 year old golfer that has taken both the LPGA and PGA tour by storm. Tomorrow is the day she proves herself to the world by qualifying for the Men's US Open.

While she has played well this year and actually made the cut this year in her recent apparence in a men's tour event she has always recieved sponsor exemptions instead of earning her spot in the tournaments. For this she has taken a lot of grief from both Men and Women players. By earning her spot in the US Open she will not only become the first women to do so but she will also get to tell her detractors to shut up and take notice of just how good she is.

What I find fascinating is how many people do not think she should be playing in Men's events. They suggest that she should play with other girls and learn how to win. I say, if she's good enough to play with the men, then more power to her. And even though she hasn't won on the women's tour just yet she did finish second in this year's major and was the leader going into Sunday in another major. She's good and she's only 16. How many events did Tiger win by age 16? Some observers are even suggesting that Michelle at this age is better than Tiger was at age 16. The wins will come.

Monday morning she will tee it up against 150 men including several professionals and tour winners. She will have to finish in the top 18 to qualify for the US Open. ESPN and the golf channel will be giving updates every half hour so I will have to keep the TV on at work to follow along. In fact, I more excited about watching her qualify than I am about either the NBA or NHL finals. Because tomorrow she will not only make the US Open but she will also make history. And it couldn't happen to a better person.

Chili Cook Off

Last night was a good night. Every year Lansing has a local chili cook off but I have never gone to it. Since it is so close to my house I decided to go this year and check it out. I had hoped to go with a couple of friends but they couldn't go and I considered not going by myself but then figured I wasn't going to let being alone stop me from enjoying the event.

On my way there my friend Sheree called me out of the blue and she asked if she could meet me at the cook off. I was thrilled to have her join me and we ended up meeting another couple that she knew from her church. Just as I was worried about going alone I am reminded that I do have friends here in Lansing.

Despite having to wait in long lines the event itself was pretty cool. It takes place along the riverwalk in downtown Lansing with about 40 or so restaurants that have booths set up with their chili. They also had concerts and mechanical bull ride as entertainment. At the end of the night they give awards for best chili and hottest chili. We had a good time although after eating 15 cups of chili they all start to taste a little similar.

It sounds kind of cliche but events like the chili cook off really do make Lansing feel more like a community. I am going to have to find out what other events are planned for rest of the summer.

That crazy game called golf

Golf if a fickle sport. Several years ago I started taking the game more seriously and two years ago I was showing steady signs of improvement. Then last year struck and I reverted to my prior playing condition and spent the whole winter wondering why I even took golf up in the first place.

This year I decided that the reason for my regression was my clubs. I was playing with a 10 year old set that I paid less than a hundred dollars for and that included the bag. Basically, they were knock offs of knock offs. When my six iron finally broke in two I used it as an excuse to spend the money and finally buy new clubs.

Let me just say that I am amazed that golf clubs are so expensive. It truly is a rich man's sport. After looking all over town and on the internet I settled on a set of Calloway knock offs. The real clubs would have cost me about $1000 but I got similar ones for under $200 which I thought was a pretty good deal.

Last weekend I played my first full round with new clubs. My brother and I met up in Portland and braved the 100 degree weather. I didn't score very well but I hit the ball well with my irons and while Vince beat me it was only by a stroke. Afterwards I was convinced I had made a good purchase and that my game was going to benefit from these new clubs. That was Saturday.

On Monday I went out again with Vince and this time we took my stepdad. We played at the course near my parent's house and honestly I have never really like that course or shot well on it but it's convenient and so I play there often. My first shot I hit a real good 7 iron off the tee and lay up in front of the water. So far, so good. And then everything went to Hell. I chunked my pitching wedge, shot the next one over the green, then onto the green and finally three putted. A 7 on par 4 that is well under 300 hundreds yards. That hole just screwed me for the entire round. I was never able to recover and ended up shooting my worst round of golf this year. So much for my new clubs.

So Wednesday night at my golf league I was looking forward to redeeming myself but also nervous because I had lost so much confidence in my new clubs. In fact at one point I was tempted to send them back and ask for a refund because they didn't work. Thankfully I drew good partners this week and I played the best I've played all year. We shot the low round of the night and I think of the season. Granted we only used about a quarter of my shots but even my misses were playable. So now I am back to feeling good about my swing and my clubs.

It's funny but I don't think my clubs have impacted my game at all. I was inconsistent before my new clubs and I am still inconsistent. It really is all about the golfer and not so much about the clubs. Which sucks because there's not much I can really do change the golfer. But at least I didn't pay $1000 to figure that out.

Three day weekend

I love three day weekends and this weekend was no exception. I was able to golf twice and although I shot a terrible score in may last round, it was still fun and nice to be out in the warm weather. I also took my first boat ride of the summer yesterday with my family and floated around on a raft in my parent's lake. Last night however I was feeling the effects of the sun as my forehead was bright red.

But perhaps the best part of the weekend was the free time to catch up around the house. I was finally able to clean and do the dishes and put away my laundry. I finally had reason to get my summer clothes out and put away my sweaters. I also got caught up on some paperwork and paid the bills. Heck I even paid my taxes finally. It feels good to be done with all those chores and so now I can relax by reading or playing poker on-line without feeling guilty.

One update on my hunt for a new church. I went to St. Gerard's catholic church this weekend. As I wrote a couple posts ago, I was tired of going alone and so when my friend Ryan offered to go with me to his church, I jumped at the opportunity. The service was nice but I still get a little confused by much of it. I also sensed that a healthy portion of the people there were just going through the motions. I shouldn't pass judgment and frankly I think the same can be said for any number of churches including protestant ones.

The homily was very good as it was on Jesus' ascension. The priest talked about how the disciples were looking into the sky waiting while the angel told them to stop looking up and start spreading the word. He also mentioned that Jesus believed and entrusted them to spread his word and how Jesus bestows that same level of belief and confidence on us. I find myself often doubting that God could place that kind of responsibility on me because I know my own limitations. But then I think I God sees my potential and talents while I tend to give them short change. The priest's words were good words for me to hear this week.

Next Sunday I am headed to Northpointe church with a couple friends of mine from Faith Church. Her brother goes there and they are going to see him and invited me along. So it looks like I will have company again which a very a good thing.

Golden Harvest

This morning after church I was hungry and since I have no food at my house I decided to go out for breakfast. I was going to go to IHOP but then I remembered this little place in Old Town called Golden Harvest. The Golden Harvest is fun, quaint and very small. It's also very local and the kind of place where people know each other. That is all except for me because I have only been there once before.

When I got there it was packed and the only place to sit was at the counter. I ordered the turkey and swiss omelete and I had to wait quite a while for it. The wait was especially difficult because I was so close to the griddle that I could see, smell and taste everybody elses food cooking. Thankfully I had a book with me to help pass the time.

The decor at the golden harvest is what some may call ecelctic. You know, dukes of hazzard pictures, a talking Pee Wee Herman doll staring out at you, pictures from coloring books that I assume young patrons worked on while waiting for their food. It's sort of a whimiscal garage sale motif. The other diners fit the decor well and are also a little bit artsy.

When I finally got my food it was fantastic although know an hour later it is not sitting all that well. It might be from the peppers and onions but at the time it was worth it. The coffee was a little on the folgers side for my taste but overall it was a really good breakfast. I would recommend going to the Golden Harvest next time you are in Lansing and looking for breakfast but make sure you bring plenty of cash because they do not take credit cards.