More gloomy data on higher taxes

More unfortunate news, even for those of us who don't make a quarter million a year.

Stonewall Jackson's Beard

Does anyone else think that other than being a total bad ass, Stonewall Jackson's beard may be his greatest claim to fame?

Thomas Sowell

This excerpt from Professor Sowell's article on the current state of things with big government and taxes on the rise and our enemies still alive and motivated:

"How did we get to this point? It was no single thing.

The dumbing down of our education, the undermining of moral values with the fad of "non-judgmental" affectations, the denigration of our nation through poisonous propaganda from the movies to the universities. The list goes on and on.

The trajectory of our course leads to a fate that would fully justify despair. The only saving grace is that even the trajectory of a bullet can be changed by the wind.

We have been saved by miraculous good fortune before in our history. The overwhelming military and naval expedition that Britain sent to New York to annihilate George Washington's army was totally immobilized by a vast impenetrable fog that allowed the Americans to escape. That is how they ended up in Valley Forge.

In the World War II naval battle of Midway, if things had not happened just the way they did, at just the time they did, the American naval force would not only have lost, but could have been wiped out by the far larger Japanese fleet.

Over the years, we have had our share of miraculous deliverances. But that our fate today depends on yet another miracle is what can turn pessimism to despair.

Special Education

For the past 7 weeks I have been working as a special education teacher's aid. I have been in 3 different classrooms; high school, 5-7, and early childhood. I have learned a couple things about myself. First, if I ever thought I was patient before, I was wrong. This profession requires an immense, almost saintly level of patience. But we are charged with being 'patient with all.' And patience as a virtue needs to be exercised. Lately it feels like my patience has been running a marathon every day.

On my first day in the high school, the teacher, Theresa said to the class, "Today we will have a new teacher, Mr. Andy..."
To which a student in the class interrupted, "AND HE'S A DORK!"
There were a few seconds of awkward silence .... "Ok, then," Theresa said.

The biggest challenge for me has been trying to teach the kids how to read, write, do math, etc. without being able to have a conversation with them. None of the kids in early childhood are able to have a conversation with us, which makes the education process frustrating. Some of our kids are Autistic, and at times can lash out for no particular reason. For example, one of the girls in the class got her shoe string caught around a chair. When I knelt down to try and free her, she yelled and grabbed my beard and pulled with vigor. "Nooooo!" I cried, "I'm trying to free you!"

The best part of my job is the small victories that come by from time to time. For example, I taught a student to write her name two days ago. And, I helped another learn to subtract. Thus I have passed on my knowledge in mathematics, in its entirety, to the next generation. But, most of my day is not exciting. Most of my day is spent keeping the kids away from the fire alarms and on task for the most part.

After my days at school I wait around for Amanda to get off work. I spend my days walking around the small towns and in the fields. Most people give me the strangest looks, probably because I look like a wandering homeless man ... which really isn't that far off. Yesterday, I came across a construction crew working on replacing a pipe under the road. I stopped by and commented to a worker, "Whatchall doin, replacin a pipe?! Well, see ya." and I kept walking. I soon hope to be upgraded to "that crazy homeless guy who walks everywhere." Full speed ahead!

Cheers.

And when I'm tired and weary
And a long, long way from home
I just reach for mother Mary
And I shall not walk alone

2 great economic articles by Thomas Sowell

On the crash in the housing market.


On the disastrous new bill.

Stimulated

The following is the economic consequence of bad governing and misplaced hope in a "stimulus."

Lets have a look

Humanae Vite

Here is a prophetic excerpt from Pope Paul VI's Humanae Vite. It is a beautiful and necessary document for any Christian. This particular section is profoundly relevant to our times. It was given to the Church in 1968.

Consequences of Artificial Methods

Responsible men can become more deeply convinced of the truth of the doctrine laid down by the Church on this issue if they reflect on the consequences of methods and plans for artificial birth control. Let them first consider how easily this course of action could open wide the way for marital infidelity and a general lowering of moral standards. Not much experience is needed to be fully aware of human weakness and to understand that human beings—and especially the young, who are so exposed to temptation—need incentives to keep the moral law, and it is an evil thing to make it easy for them to break that law. Another effect that gives cause for alarm is that a man who grows accustomed to the use of contraceptive methods may forget the reverence due to a woman, and, disregarding her physical and emotional equilibrium, reduce her to being a mere instrument for the satisfaction of his own desires, no longer considering her as his partner whom he should surround with care and affection.

Finally, careful consideration should be given to the danger of this power passing into the hands of those public authorities who care little for the precepts of the moral law. Who will blame a government which in its attempt to resolve the problems affecting an entire country resorts to the same measures as are regarded as lawful by married people in the solution of a particular family difficulty? Who will prevent public authorities from favoring those contraceptive methods which they consider more effective? Should they regard this as necessary, they may even impose their use on everyone. It could well happen, therefore, that when people, either individually or in family or social life, experience the inherent difficulties of the divine law and are determined to avoid them, they may give into the hands of public authorities the power to intervene in the most personal and intimate responsibility of husband and wife.

Infidelity increases in marriage, the objectification of women, increasing promiscuity in youth ... and now in several European countries, and largely in our own as well, government sponsored contraception and abortion. Amazingly and terrifyingly true but not unexpected from a culture that sponsors the philosophy held by the elites of the West.

Wisdom courtesy of Walter Williams

"The powers delegated by the proposed Constitution to the federal government are few and defined. Those which are to remain in the State governments are numerous and indefinite. The former will be exercised principally on external objects, as war, peace, negotiation, and foreign commerce."
-James Madison

Search the Constitution as long as you like, and you will find no specific authority conveyed for the government to spend money on global-warming research, urban mass transit, food stamps, unemployment insurance, Medicaid, or countless other items in the stimulus package and, even without it, in the regular federal budget.
-Dr. Robert Higgs

NFK 100

Last weekend, Amanda and I traveled up to Champaign Illinois to St. John's Catholic Chapel for the 100th Newman Koinonia retreat. Koinonia is a retreat program that is done four times per year. It's a Catholic program focused on the Passion of Christ; His life, death, and Resurrection. It has been a phenomenal source of conversion, evangelization, and devotion to Christ from which thousands of vocations to married life, the priesthood and religious life have come. For Amanda and I, Koinonia is particularly important because it is where we grew deeper in the faith and without Koinonia, we may never have gotten engaged.

This was the closest thing to a college reunion that we will likely ever experience. Many friends from far away came back to our spiritual home, St. John's. We arrived on Friday night and immediately went to Fever House where I lived for two years in college. It was like stepping into a time portal. The place was exactly the same; same pile of dishes I left there when I left town forever, same smell of b.o., incense, and beer - same wonderful fever. Amanda went on to hang out with her sister and I sat at Fever with Pham, watching The Office and lazing around on the couch. I made a resolution to say, "just like old times" 50 times. But really, it was just like old times. The door to fever was like some sort of bizarre worm hole like the island on Lost. You never knew which figure from the past would walk through except this time with a better job and nicer looking clothes. I for one was still wearing the same 'nifty at fifty' shirt I was wearing 2 years ago. So, holler at yo boy for that.

The weekend had many highlights, from meeting our predecessors in Koinonia and their families to eating at Papa Del's pizza with many friends of old, to sleeping on the floor of fever and having theological discussions with Will until 4 a.m. to running 12 miles in the corn fields just like I did so many weekends in college. It was perfect. The highlight for me was the mass at St. John's, completely full and with a choir that filled the loft. All around us, preparing for the Eucharist and praising God, were our friends of old. After mass we all had dinner together and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament followed. It was all together pleasing and fitting.

For me, thoughts and memories rushed into my head as frequently as new guests came through Fever's doors. I thought it quite ironic that a secular University's Newman center could draw such devoutness to the faith that one hardly ever sees at several "Catholic" Universities... I wonder why? Jesuits, ahem, cough, oh my did someone say Jesuits may be the cause of lax Catholicism and heretical teachings at Universities oh my. I also pondered the profound Providence that has taken place in my life. I pondered the past of Newman, it's future, as well as our own. One of the strangest things to me was how Newman was oddly the same but also could never fully return to what it was. Mainly, it was missing several key figures from our past; Doyle, Wayne, Jim, Rachelle, Sam to name a very few. In many ways I felt like Jack at the end of season 3 of Lost. He says, "we have to go back," but we all know... you can never really go back. So memories ... memories are all I've got.

Cheers.


Quote of the day: 'He often used to say there was only one Road; that it was like a great river: it's springs were at every doorstep and every path was it's tributary. "It's a dangerous business, Frodo, going out of your door," he used to say. "You step into the Road, and if you don't keep your feet, there is no telling where you might be swept off to."'

hehe

Democrats could sell refrigerators to Eskimos before Republicans could sell them blankets.
-Thomas Sowell

Wisdom courtesy of Professor Paul Johnson

This from Alexis de Tocqueville, French writer of the mid 1800s. He was given an unpaid commission by President Jackson to investigate the American condition.

"One of the happiest consequences of the absence of government (when a people is fortunate enough to be able to do without it, which is rare) is the development of individual strength that inevitably follows from it. Each man learns to think, to act for himself, without counting on the support of an outside force which, however vigilant one supposes it to be, can never answer all social needs. Man, thus accustomed to seek his well-being only through his own efforts, raises himself in his own opinion as he does in the opinion of others; his soul becomes larger and stronger at the same time."

Professor Johnson also conveys in his valuable book, A History of the American People,

On his travels to the U.S., de Tocqueville spoke with several Americans to get a more accurate depiction of American life. "The Rev. Louis Dwight said to him (de Tocqueville) that the Americans were the best educated people in the world: "[Here] everyone takes it for granted that education will be moral and religious. There would be a general outcry, a kind of popular uprising, against anyone who tried to introduce a contrary system, and everyone would say it would be better to have no education at all than an education of that sort. It is from the Bible that all our children learn to read."


With how different things seem today, these quotes are interesting. With the coming non-stimulus stimulus plan, the first quote seems particularly relevant.

Cheers.

A sign of things to come.

These articles are disturbing to anyone but tell the results of a country that allows and supports abortion. This horrifying story from Miami showcases the true nature of abortion in our country. As if we needed more evidence to prove how ridiculous the notion is that abortions promote healthy options for those with unwanted pregnancies. How often have we heard the argument, "Well, we have to have abortion in our country because if we didn't there would be back alley abortions which would be horrifying, violent, and often botched." This story, unfortunately and sorrowfully not uncommon, shows how yet again, the arguments of the left, the pro-death democrats, and all who support abortion are empty, violent, and not intended for the common good.

The question on my mind, the question the this article begs us to ask, if we can muster the stomach, is "Does this act signal a pattern?" If one considers the evil ideology of abortion, we must ask ourself, "What is the logical and likely end to such ideas and practices?" Will it stop with the senseless and horrific killing of our unborn children? Or will it proceed to include other defenseless populations? Have we seen the practice of killing the defenseless and "unwanted" populations in the past? What happened to societies that adopted similar philosophies and practices? So, not only is this post about this issue or this instance alone, but how we view life in its most fragile stages.

Thanks to B. Hussein Obama, these 'humanitarian' practices for the health of women can be exported using U.S. public and private money. How will exporting these practices improve the world's opinion of us?