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Just in case you have been living in a cave, I have a t-shirt site where I sell clever t-shirts based on the hottest memes on the Internets! Go there now! You'll learn about:

BOOM GOES THE DYNAMITE

Gary Payton says Duncan shouldn't be an AllStar Starter

Gary Payton being stupid




Gary Payton being smart (from a LOOOONNNNGGG time ago)

Our trip to DC

On Jan 1, 2009, we spent the day in Washington DC. A new year and a new beginning. While we were at the Lincoln Memorial, I took this picture of the spot where Martin Luther King, Jr. gave his remarkable speech in 1963. It was a stirring speech, but more important - it was a stirring dream.

Today with the inauguration of Barrack Obama, that dream continues to unfold. MLK would be proud of how Obama has handled himself. I pray that we have elected a real leader - one who won't give in to extremists left nor right. I pray we have elected a man of real conviction who will remember the words of Thomas Jefferson:

God who gave us life gave us liberty. Can the liberties of a nation be secure when we have removed a conviction that these liberties are the gift of God? Indeed I tremble for my country when I reflect that God is just, that his justice cannot sleep forever.

Here's are more pics from our trip to DC.

More Peter Schiff prognostication

Scary. Hope he's not as right on this time...

Peter Schiff should be on Obama's economic recovery team

I think this guy might be a psychic. Here's a direct quote from this interview in 2006...

"I think it's going to be pretty bad...and I also think it's gonna last not just for quarters but for years. See - the basic problem with US economy is we have too much consumption and borrowing and not enough production and savings."

And I wouldn't let Art Laffer mow my lawn.

New T-Shirt at VideoQuips

My latest design on CafePress pays tribute to a YouTube classic - "Charlie Bit My Finger". So get that special geek in your life a mildly offensive t-shirt, hoodie or sweatshirt.

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Decision 2008 - The Elephant in the Room

As the election approaches, it's time to pick a side. Here's where I'm at:

I hate where our country seems to be heading. I think the nation under the current administration has been a train wreck.

I'm against the war and the way it's been waged. I think they've used scare tactics to cut into some of our most basic civil rights, condoned torture and made us the target of increasing hatred from the islamic world.

I think they've destroyed our economy and allowed the very richest among us to get even richer while the middle class shrinks and pays for the excesses of Wall Street criminals masquerading as CEOs and lobbyists - all the while neglecting the needs of the poorest among us and demonizing welfare recipients and illegal aliens.

I am so ready for a change. Historically, I've liked McCain. He seems to play well with others - specifically liberals. But his campaign has been sometimes nasty, sometimes unbalanced, sometimes blatantly divisive. As he's tried to bring on more conservative blocks of the party, he seems to be painting himself as more conservative than he really is.

As for Obama - the dude is flawless. His language is inspiring. His manner is sophisticated. He seems unflappable. And for the most part, he's stuck to the issues and run a fairly positive campaign. I like him. I really like him. Even when they try to corner him - like with the comments of his pastor - he responds with class and candor.

But let's talk about the elephant in the room. The one thing I can't seem to get around. Obama has a 100% rating from NARAL - the pro-choice lobbying organization. He has stated his intent to roll back the partial birth abortion ban and remove all restrictions from getting an abortion. He has voted against parental consent and notification. He's literally 100% in their camp.

McCain has not always been as staunch a supporter as he claims. He has ridden the fence when it helped him politically - like during his campaign against Bush in 2000. During that campaign, he aligned himself against Bush - opposing putting pro-life language in the party platform. But McCain's voting record gives himself away:

• Supports repealing Roe v. Wade. (May 2007)
• Voted YES on defining unborn child as eligible for SCHIP. (Mar 2008)
• Voted YES on barring HHS grants to organizations that perform abortions. (Oct 2007)
• Voted YES on expanding research to more embryonic stem cell lines. (Apr 2007)
• Voted YES on notifying parents of minors who get out-of-state abortions. (Jul 2006)
• Voted NO on $100M to reduce teen pregnancy by education & contraceptives. (Mar 2005)
• Voted YES on criminal penalty for harming unborn fetus during other crime. (Mar 2004)
• Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions except for maternal life. (Mar 2003)
• Voted YES on maintaining ban on Military Base Abortions. (Jun 2000)
• Voted YES on banning partial birth abortions. (Oct 1999)
• Voted YES on banning human cloning. (Feb 1998)
• Rated 0% by NARAL, indicating a pro-life voting record. (Dec 2003)
• Expand embryonic stem cell research. (Jun 2004)
• Rated 75% by the NRLC, indicating a mixed record on abortion. (Dec 2006)
• Prohibit transporting minors across state lines for abortion. (Jan 2008)

(source)

Here's where I have to tip my hand to my more liberal friends. I really don't like abortion. Generally, I like the idea of choice. Choice is a good thing. Overall, I'd would consider myself "pro"- choice. "Regular or decaf?" "Jeans or khakis?" "Chimay Red or Blue?"

But there are some areas where choice is not appropriate. I cannot choose whether or not I'd like to steal your car. I cannot choose to blow up a building or set dogs on fire. There are things that we as a society have defined as wrong. One of those things is the taking of innocent life. That is wrong. I can't think of anything more innocent than a baby in its mother's womb.

I don't believe that choice is appropriate here. In the natural course of time, that embryo will continue to mature and will emerge a fully-functioning human with its own distinct DNA. It is not a part of the mother like a kidney or liver or heart. It's a person - or at the very least it will be a person. I believe our constitution clearly protects the weak and innocent from having their rights trampled by others. So from a civil rights perspective, I cannot support the legalization of abortion on demand.

I'm open to discussions about exceptions when the mother's life is in danger or in cases or rape or incest, but let's face it - that's a fraction of abortions that happen. The vast majority of abortions amount to "fixing" mistakes. I believe that the appropriate place for "choice" in the equation comes at the point of conception - when couples choose to have sex.

So I've outed the elephant! What's a boy to do? I'm completely sick of everything the republican party has done. I like Obama's tone and think he lines up much better with many other moral issues (poverty, war, energy, etc). But then there's that elephant.

Some of you are no doubt pittying me about now - silly Christian stuck on one issue. I confess - I truly am. I wish it wasn't so, but I have to be true to deeply felt convictions. Can I support a candidate who is so committed to the Planned Parenthood view of life? Is my desire for change so great that I would elect a man who will probably get 1-2 appointments to the Supreme Court - sadly the real battleground for this issue?

I'm still not sure who I'll pull the lever for. I'm still praying and soul-searching and generally agonizing over the decision. I believe it's my duty to vote. But as a God-follower, I wonder what His view is on all this. Are His elephants my elephants?

thoughts on poverty - blog action day 2008

In Mark 14:7, Jesus is quoted as saying

"The poor will be with you always".

Many of us use this statement as a cue to throw our hands up. "Oh well! No use in trying to help them. We'll never get rid of poverty." We harden our heart around this idea and soon look right through people who could honestly use our help.

This one verse (taken out of context) somehow seems to outweigh many other verses:

Deut. 15:7. If there is a poor man among you, one of your brothers, in any of the towns of the land which the LORD your God is giving you, you shall not harden your heart, nor close your hand to your poor brother; but you shall freely open your hand to him, and generously lend him sufficient for his need in n whatever he lacks.

Deut. 26:12. When you have finished paying the complete tithe of your increase in the third year, the year of tithing, then you shall give it to the Levite, to the stranger, to the orphan and the widow, that they may eat in your towns, and be satisfied.

Lev. 19:19ff. Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, neither shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest. Nor shall you glean your vineyard, nor shall you gather the fallen fruit of your vineyard; you shall leave them for the needy and for the stranger. I am the LORD your God.

Prov. 31:8ff. [Commandment to kings.] Open your mouth for the dumb, for the rights of all the unfortunate. Open your mouth, judge righteously, and defend the rights of the afflicted and needy.

Is. 58:66ff. Is this not the fast which I choose, to loosen the bonds of wickedness, to undo the bands of the yoke, and to let the oppressed go free, and break every yoke? Is it not to divide your bread with the hungry, and bring the homeless poor into the house; when you see the naked, to cover him, and not to hide yourself from your own flesh?

Jer. 22:3. Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.

Luke 12:33. "Sell your possessions and give to charity; make yourselves purses which do not wear out, an unfailing treasure in heaven, where no thief comes near, nor moth destroys."

Luke 3:11. And [John the Baptist] would answer and say to them, "Let the man with two tunics share with him who has none, and let him who has food do likewise."

Mt. 5:42. Give to him who asks of you, and do not turn away from him who wants to borrow from you.

May we have Christ's heart towards those in need. It may be us one day.

Christian friends: Stop forwarding slanderous chain emails!

WARNING: RANT ALERT

This is the text of an email I sent in response to a chain email that my wife received.



In the last few weeks, slanderous emails about Obama and McCain are on the rise. From the left and the right, misinformation is flying. And sadly, we Christians often feed into the madness – forwarding outrageous emails before we check the facts.

Case in point – an email with supposed quotes from Barrack Obama’s books has recently made the rounds. A few quotes included were:

'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

At face value, these quotes seem pretty damning – especially that last one. Problem is, these quotes are taken out of context. On some, words have been added, removed or changed. And at least a couple are total fabrications – nothing even remotely like them appear in the books. In short, this is a divisive, slanderous email designed to discredit Barrack Obama. Whether you like Obama or his positions, this should outrage us as believers.

DON’T BE DUPED
It’s easy to spot these slanderous emails. They often encourage readers to forward to everyone they know. The end of the email above reads:

* If you have never forwarded an e-mail, now is the time to Do so!!! We CANNOT have someone with this type of mentality running our GREAT nation!! I don't care whether you a Democrat or a Conservative. We CANNOT turn ourselves over to this type of character in a President. PLEASE help spread the word

They also often contain supposed quotes that are so remarkably condemning, they seem unbelievable. The one that really indicated to me that this one was a hoax is that last quote:

'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

The people who start these type of emails seek to deceive. They count on the laziness and gullibility of its readers – to simply hit “Forward” and send to a bunch of people. Sadly, we often fall into that trap.

CHECK THE FACTS
Please check the facts before forwarding emails like this. Just go to http://www.truthorfiction.com/search.htm and search for the email.

In this case, Obama’s website actually addresses this head-on. Here’s a page from his site complete with the real text from his books. If you read them in context, you’ll see how the meaning has been distorted in the email. http://fightthesmears.com/articles/4/therealquote

THIS IS NOT A PRO-OBAMA EMAIL
Understand – I’m not advocating that anyone should vote for either candidate. Certainly, we have a choice before us and we will each prayerfully consider our options. I am saying that Christians should not be involved in slander. Fact check emails about any candidate. Never trust email! It is not a reliable source of information – especially email that encourages you to forward it around to all your friends.

THIS IS NOT A CHAIN EMAIL
Don’t feel like you have to forward this to anyone. I wrote it myself and did not cut and paste anything. These thoughts are completely my own. I am not motivated by loyalty to either candidate - just a desire to see the Church be pleasing to God.

AN APPEAL TO ADAM MCMANUS
I’m including Adam McManus in this email. As a public figure and host of a local talk show, you have a larger platform from which to encourage civil debate. Instead of operating in sound bytes and twisted facts, believers answer to a higher standard. Please encourage listeners to stop spreading misinformation and rumors. Instead of attacking the character of candidates, let’s grant the respect and grace that we would ourselves ask for. Let’s talk about the issues that face America and how the candidates differ. I don’t believe the shrill, bombastic tone of the current conversation brings glory to God. The “us vs. them” mentality only serves to further divide our nation. Would that Christians would be peacemakers – standing with our feet instead of our mouths. Leading with our actions instead of words. And above all, doing so in love.

a great clip from the lawrence welk show