Joe Satriani-The Crush Of Love (Live In San Francisco)

I love listening to Satriani. I got to see him play live once after "The Extreemist" came out. Incredible.

What do I need?

I didn't think I needed anything until I went to Best Buy this week. Seems I need a wireless router, external hard drive, and upgrades on two computers. A high def TV mounted on the wall would not be bad either. Actually we bought none of that, but we were tempted! There is pressure from the kids on the computer upgrades and wireless because of school...Hmmm, right. ...

I might join the Compact next year. That is the year long commitment to buy nothing new. It makes a statement against rampant consumption and waste. It would do me good. I wonder if I could get my family on board?

Comments: Sean and Stuart

These guys had some great comments on my political party affiliation. They both obviously know their stuff. I left my reply after them in the comment block.

Why I Became a Democrat

I had been a Republican all my life but fives years ago I changed political parties. I decided not to become an Independent even though I basically am one. I thought the Democratic party would give a little more definition to what I think. So why the change? Here's why:

1. The Kyoto Protocol. This environmental agreement was negotiated by at least two Presidential administrations, one being George Bushes own father, but he threw the whole thing out the window without even a debate.

2. Fiscal irresponsibility. For years the Republicans have accused the Democrats of being fiscally irresponsible. Tax and spend, right? Now Republicans control Washington, and I have not seen such waste in spending and borrowing in my lifetime.

3. Preemptive war. We are seeing the results of this in Iraq. Never the less, powerful voices in Washington are calling for premptive strikes on Iran and Korea before this President leaves office. This is simply madness.

4. National health care. We are the only industrialized country in the world with out some kind of national health provision. Why? Insurance companies and lawyers, pure and simple. Sad but true.

5. Civil rights. Republicans always argued for less government. More personal freedom. Remember that? Now that they run things we have seen huge growth in government and a major reduction in civil rights. The assumption is that the government will always be benevolent. History would indicate otherwise.

So that is it. There are a couple other immaterial reasons I became a Democrat, one of which is just a general observation. It is that Republicans are meaner that Democrats. Stack up Ann Coulter and Rush Limbaugh against say Al Franken and Jon Stewart. The later are funny, the former are funny and mean. It just says something about there character, and maybe about the character of those who agree with them. And do the Republicans represent Christian values? I hope not.

That's it...so what do you think?

Tee Pee

My youngest kid went to tee pee a neighbors house the other night. This was a revenge job and he had my consent. Well he tee peed a different house, of some other friends. About 11:00 my door bell rang. It was the dad. He was so mad he was shaking. "Do you know what your kid has been doing?" He said. "Yes, I do." "Why is out so late?" He said. I said. "He'll clean it up." He would have anyhow.
This is what is wrong with the world. Everyone is so paranoid and strict. All this "no tolerance" jazz. I thought man, have you ever tee peed a house? Have you ever read Tom Sawyer? Jeez. Let the kid have a little fun. He isn't hurting anything. I haven't spoken with this parent since. Maybe something else was bugging him. I'll follow up if we ever talk about it.

Same as them

Are Israelies the same as Arabs? I think, yes, in many ways they are! They love their mothers. They hate each other. They all like sex. They're religious. On and on...just looking for common ground here... :-) HA, HA!

Cease Fire

I'm surprised the cease fire in Lebanon has held. Both sides are spinning the war results to their advantage. My take is that overall it was a stand off, which is a victory for Hezbollah. Never the less, Israel set them back. We also need to rethink our overall strategy in the area, militarily and politically.
Any solution seems long way off, all over a plot of land the size of the Oklahoma panhandle.

A Day Off!!

Luke and I had planned to go to a hunting class all day Saturday. You take this class and a test to get a hunting license. Now I don't hunt, but Luke said he wanted to learn, so I thought I would go as well, although I figured he would end up hunting with his uncle, not me.
Anyhow, we had to get up early. I went to wake him up and he said he need to rest because school starts next week...HA!...
He wondered if they had a class that started later in the day..."no, not later" I said. He says how about I get up, and we just go get breakfast togther and blow off the class. "Fine by me!" I said. Now I have the whole day off!!

DaVinci Code

We went to see The DaVinci Code tonight. I really enjoyed the book, particularly the twists, turns, and European setting. I didn't like the movie as much. The attack on Christianity is much more obvious in the movie. Every Christian in the movie was either fanatical or corrupt. This was also the case with the book, but it was not as noticable. Of course the theology is way out there, refuted by any serious scholar I've checked. So, I liked the book, but not the movie.

You Tube

You Tube is this fun, silly web site. I waste time there. Anyhow, there was this girl from UK that sang 'Barbie Girl" on a video. It was cute. I liked it. But the comments! OMG. Who do these kids think they are? There were threats, and put downs, and all kinds of awful things. And most of the material on You Tube is just like that girls video. She had to pull it from the site! So now we have some poor young girl in UK crushed, and a bunch of goof balls on You Tube who must feel empowered somehow...Idiots.
And yes, I've had a bad day...Those morons.

Whitewater

I was watching CSpan yesterday. ( I sooo need the football season to start.) Susan Mcdougal of Whitewater was giving a speech on her experience with Ken Star. I had no idea the gastapo techniques he played on her, and others. She ended up in jail for not playing along. In that time the Special Prosecutors Office locked her up in a "pod" for weeks on end. That is a room with 9 beds and 12-15 inmates, mostly drug offenders. (She was in on a civil complaint.) Then after a year, on Christmas Eve they transfered her to a maximum security prison and put her in the murder wing. Can you beleive that? Ken Star said he was just using normal police interogation methods. What kind of excuse is that! Does it make it right? She was in on a banking investigation! It's an exageration, but Nazis also used "normal interogation techniques" for their time in history as well. Try to see the speech. She actually points to the redemptive experiences she had in the middle of this abuse. Last I heard Ken Star was the President of a Christian college somewhere. Susan Mcdougal was pardoned.

Star Gazing

Several of us went out to Chandler Park last nite to do some observing.
Some of the scopes took an hour to calobrate, but it was worth it.
Star gazing always amazes me. "The heavens are telling of the glory of God."

Sean Meade Interact

Thanks for commenting Sean! As soon as I figure out how to link I'll add your blog (as well as my brother's and Lisa's).
Interact is the one blog I read most consistently. You keep lots of "what's new" weaved in there.

Buckeyes number one pre season?

The Coaches Poll picked OSU as probable national champs.
Nice, but that is never good for Ohio State. They need to move up the pole.
Texas got ranked number two.
That is their second game! In Austin!

Same as Them...Why?

The reason I started this blog is so I can fill the world with my great wisdom...HA! HA! HA!

Seriously, get this...my brother has a blog, and in order to comment he has it set so that you have to have a blog as well.

Now his blog is to keep everyone up to date on his latest adventure.
He and his family sold everything and moved to Taiwan! Whoa...

Man, that had to be hard. They are in their 40s, and established...
This has been on their heart a long time. We'll all miss them.

New PC

I'm thinking about getting a new PC and/or upgradng the current machines.
A help desk guy at work turned me on to Newegg.com. Really great prices, and he thought they were reputable as well.

I'll probably still end up shopping at Best Buy, but I'll check em out, esp. if we just upgrade.

Comments

I got my first comment on here.
Thanks Lisa!

Smiley

So I decided to spend the whole day smiling at everyone I met. There were two rules. First, only one smile required per person. If I saw someone every two minutes like at the office, I was not going to sit around with a smile plastered on my face. Rule number two. No smiles in the bathroom. Too weird.

Anyhow, this turned out to be a pleaseant experiment. Smiling put me in a good (or rather better) mood, and most people returned the smile. Maybe half the people I saw smiled back. So it seems a good idea.

Tomorrow I will frown at everyone I meet.... kidding :-)

Rules!

With kids the boundries are always changing. They grow up, and as they do the boundries expand. I really need wisdom to know how to address that. The whole issue stresses me out. How much freedom is too much? Too little? And moral issues...youthful perspective handles them (moral ethics) completely backwards.

I want my kids to learn to love, and forgive, and live generously.

Jesus said "be wise as serpents and innocent as doves". Well put.

Are you a Christian?

I get asked that from time to time. I answer that I am a Christian, just not a "good" Christian.
Neither do I intend to be.

It's Hot

It's not global warming, were there. It's hot!
Jim Inhoff, Republican Chair of the House Enviromental Commitee (irony!) seems the lone ranger in claiming there is not a global warming problem. His position doesn't strike me as honest. Time will tell.
We have bigger fish to fry, that is also true. But at the end of the day, we had better take care of the planet! It's an incredible place. It would be tragic in more ways than the obvious to let it turn into a shit hole.
I can't be self righteous here. I drive an SUV...but it's for sale...and so is my bike, so I guess I should just shut up.
I'm just saying the problem should not get ignored. I need to do better. I am the same as them, right?