I feel sad...

Say what you want about him-- and I probably agree. Yet still, he is attached to many fond memories of my high school years.

I turned weird in later life, but I don't know how you can deny his talents.

Hopefully, he found the humility to recognize his Maker.

RIP ...June 25, 2009

Obama Is Popular - Like Hitler Was

Here is a Hitler rally from 1937. Over a million people showed up. He was VERY popular. Obama is popular. Will we ever learn?

New Realization of the Obama Voter

You have been seduced by a gold digger.

The Hannan Example

The Heritage Foundation is failing, National Review is failing, the RNC is failing, most mainstream conservative outlets are failing. Failing to proudly, shamelessly proclaim the treachery occurring in Washington.

Yesterday I got a nice big packet from the Heritage Foundation, bastion of conservative thought. I was inspired by the opening letter telling me how to be scared of the liberalism plague spreading across the land. But they are speaking to the choir! I don't need to be reminded of this. Why the hell aren't they singing this tune on the most public of media?

So "no"- I won't contribute to the Heritage Foundation. They are the "same old"- same old that gets our side NOWHERE.

It took Daniel Hannan, a foreign politician, to inspire the masses. He spoke directly to the British Prime Minister, repudiating his liberal charge up the mountain that is bankrupting England.

Hannan, a 36 year old British lad effectively rallied the conservative base in America with one small stone from his slingshot.

Unless I am mistaken, the Heritage Foundation did not sanction this event. Nor did any other think tank from conservadom.

Why is it that conservative, Constitutional change never seems to come from the establishment? It takes an obscure courageous individual speaking truth to power.

Now we have talk radio + 1 to fight liberalism from the pulpit they've been given.

Who else is there? Hello? ---hello? ---hello?

Lockstep

I have been visiting the websites of schools here in Indiana learning about each school. It is amazing how similar their belief systems are from school to school. In fact, from school to the media.

Here is a school that celebrates "Peace Day".

What is Greed - What Is Self Interest?

Phil Keaggy- Musical Genius

I had to ask myself if in my old age I am becoming just more overly appreciative of everything- even the "not-so-good" things. But on the other hand, maybe I have just been really fortunate in the last two concerts, they have been absolutely stunning -artists at the top of their craft, the best in their field.

Previously it was Alison Krauss and Union Station. No one, I mean NO ONE can combine words and song in the progressive bluegrass style like they.

Then last night it was Phil Keaggy.

Trying to describe his music in print is impossible, but so inspired am I, that I have to try.

For every word that he sang, he must have had 5,000 colors of sound to describe it. Then, he proceeded to play those 5,000 sounds in perfect order, shades of colors that blew the mind. Talented (the word) doesn't come close to describing Phil Keaggy. He is some kind of spiritual creature birthed by God for the sole purpose of treating we plebes to what heaven will sound like.

Although his guitar fingering was purely amazing in itself, he combined electricity to find new colors within his guitar. I'm not a guitarist, but he had 4 boxes on the floor that would do things like repeat bars that he would play in repetitive sequence while he would harmonize to it live on the second pass and beyond.

He used mini-cymbals, rattler eggs and metal bars to strike the strings to produce the most interesting effects. Another thing about his playing was his sense of rhythm. He used his guitar as a drum that he would sequence into the computer to playback in loop as he played live on top.

He was a poor kid in FAO Schwartz. It was entertaining just to watch him play.

Add to all that, his quotes from C.S. Lewis, poetry in song and revealing of scripture. It was a musical tribute to the grace of God.

The concert cost $7 per seat, but I would have paid $7 for just one song.

Music Has Ethos

Daily Insight: "Sort of"

Have you noticed all the people now a days that use the phrase "sort of"? It is used often so quickly that it is barely distiguishable. I used to think it was Pittsburghian jargon and a bit cute, but today realized that it is outward utterance of a weak mamby-pamby unable to come down on one side of an issue.

The phrase is weak. It grays out the truth. It is ambiguous. I suppose it is used to make the user sound more intelligent, more thoughtful, a step up on the morality chain.

Uh uh.

It sounds like a new moderate catch phrase. Ticks me off.

State of Detroit: UAW and Liberal Paradise

[excerpted from the Weekly Standard,
"The City Where the Sirens Never Sleep-Detroit is dying. But, it is not dead yet." by Matt Labash , 12/29/2008, Volume 014, Issue 15]

How bad is Detroit?

Its recently resigned mayor, Kwame Kilpatrick, he of the Kangol hats and five-button suits, now wears jailhouse orange as he's currently serving a four-month sentence as part of a plea agreement for perjuring himself regarding an extramarital affair with his chief of staff, which yielded soupy love-daddy text messages that would make Barry White yak in his grave.

Those in Detroit who are neither recipients of sweetheart contracts nor Kilpatrick family members on the city payroll at inflated salaries think he got off easy. Because what led to the perjury was concealing an $8.4 million payout from city coffers to settle a whistleblower suit brought by cops who'd been fired for investigating, among other things, the murder of a stripper named Strawberry who, prior to her death, was allegedly beat up by Kilpatrick's wife when she caught her entertaining her husband.
In a city often known as the nation's murder capital, with over 10,000 unsolved murders dating back to 1960, the police are in shambles through cutbacks and corruption trials. (They have a profitable sideline, though, as one of the nation's largest gun dealers, having sold 14 tons of used weapons out-of-state.) Their response times are legendarily slow. Their crime lab is so inept that it has been closed. One Detroit man found police so unresponsive when trying to turn himself in for murder that he hopped a bus to Toledo and confessed there instead.

Detroit schools haven't ordered new textbooks in 19 years. Students have reported having to bring their own toilet paper. Teachers have reported bringing hammers to class for protection. Declining enrollment has forced 67 school closures since 2005 (more than a quarter of the city's schools). The graduation rate is 24.9 percent, the lowest of any large school district in the country. Not for nothing did one frustrated activist start pelting school board members with grapes during a meeting. She probably should've reached for something heavier.

An internal audit, which was 14 months late, estimates next year's city deficit to be as high as $200 million (helped along by $335,000 embezzled from the Department of Health and Wellness Promotion). With a dwindling tax base--even the city's three once-profitable casinos are seeing a downturn in revenues (the Greektown Casino is in bankruptcy)--the city has kicked around every money-making scheme from selling off ownership rights to the tunnel it shares with neighboring Windsor, Canada, to a fast food tax. It's perhaps unsurprising that Detroit now has the most speed traps in the nation.

It also has one of the highest property tax rates in Michigan, yet has over 60,000 vacant dwellings (a guesstimate--nobody keeps official count), meaning real estate values are in the toilet. Over the summer, the Detroit News sent a headline around the world, about a Detroit house that was for sale for $1. But it's not even that uncommon. As of this writing, there are at least five $1 homes for sale in Detroit.

The city council has been such a joke that one former member demanded 17 pounds of sausages as part of her $150,000 bribe. Its prognosis for respectability hasn't grown stronger with Monica Conyers, wife of congressman John Conyers, taking the helm. She has managed to get in a barroom brawl, threatened to shoot a mayoral staffer as well as have him beaten up, and twice called a burly and bald fellow council member "Shrek" during a public hearing.

But with all the problems facing the city, the council still found time to pass a nonbinding resolution supporting the impeachment of George W. Bush.

How bad is Detroit? It once gave the keys to the city to Saddam Hussein.
Over the last several years, it has ranked as the most murderous city, the poorest city, the most segregated city, as the city with the highest auto-insurance rates, with the bleakest outlook for workers in their 20s and 30s, and as the place with the most heart attacks, slowest income growth, and fewest sunny days.

It is a city without a single national grocery store chain. It has been deemed the most stressful metropolitan area in America. Likewise, it has ranked last in numerous studies: in new employment growth, in environmental indicators, in the rate of immunization of 2-year-olds, and, among big cities, in the number of high school or college graduates.

Men's Fitness magazine christened Detroit America's fattest city, while Men's Health called it America's sexual disease capital. Should the editors of these two metrosexual magazines be concerned for their safety after slagging the citizens of a city which has won the "most dangerous" title for five of the last ten years? Probably not: 47 percent of Detroit adults are functionally illiterate.

On the upside, Detroit ranks as the nation's foremost consumer of Slurpees and of baked beans on Labor Day. And as if all of this isn't humiliating enough, the Detroit Lions are 0-14. (0-16 as of 1/1/09, thw worst record EVER in the NFL)

The best description of the feel of the place came to me from Jason Vines: "We're all Kwame-fatigued, the economy is crap, and the Lions suck. We're tired." A former executive with both Ford and Chrysler, Vines spun me around the decimated, half-abandoned neighborhood of Highland Park, which Chrysler left in the early '90s for the greener pastures of Auburn Hills. It's hard to fault them, he notes, since bullets used to occasionally whiz into the Chrysler buildings from the surrounding neighborhood.

Like many Detroiters (he lives in a posh suburb, where houses on his block have remained unsold for six years), he's bracing for one or all of the Big Three going down. He predicts millions will be thrown out of work, right down to the diner owner in Utah who serves lunch to the people who produce the screws which are bought by the widget manufacturers who produce a component that goes into a seat of a Ford automobile. The diner owner thought he wasn't in the auto business. "But he was," says Vines. "He just didn't know it."

Precisely what caused all this mess is perhaps best left to historians. Locals' ideas for how it happened could keep one pinned to a barstool for weeks: auto companies failing or pushing out to the suburbs and beyond, white flight caused by the '67 riots and busing orders, the 20-year reign of Mayor Coleman Young who scared additional middle-class whites off with statements such as "The only way to handle discrimination is to reverse it," freeways destroying mass transit infrastructure, ineptitude, corruption, Japanese cars--take your pick.

The Tigers now play at Comerica Park, though the company the park's named for has fled to Dallas.

What's clear, though, is that Detroit has failed, that it's broken and cracked. It is dying. But it's not yet dead. Although it has lost over half its population since 1950, 900,000 people still live there.

Global Warming - Round 2

Kellen brought home a permission slip for him to watch "The Day After Tomorrow" in his 8th grade science class. As per usual I reacted with the following letter:

Hi Mrs. Hansen-

It would be easier to consent to letting Kellen watch "The Day After Tomorrow" if you would give equal time to other movies showing the fallacy of the theory of man made global warming such as:

The Great Global Warming Swindle

Showing any movie in public school that advocates a religious viewpoint such as Al Gore's "An Inconvenient Truth" (or this one) based totally on blind faith (on not on science) is fine as long as you can show other views as well.

I realize you are planning on discussing the faults of the movie, too, but as any good propaganda- the sound, lighting and effects of this movie can influence young kids. Just the fact that you are showing the movie in science class suggests that you think it has some scientific merit.

In this case, although the "The Day After Tomorrow" is fun to watch with the special effects, etc. it is just entertaining science fiction. As long as kids know that going in- then fine. Clearly, this movie is promoting a single issue that is a current hot button in our country. Since this is science class, I assume you are not showing this movie for its entertainment value but rather to teach science.

As you can tell, this is a hot button issue with me. I have many close friends that work for the NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration), some of which are lead scientists and all (100%) of them completely discredit the theory of man-made causation of climate change.

This being said- it's OK for Kellen to watch this movie because he has done enough research on his own to realize the total scam that this all is. Can he bring popcorn? OK- I feel better.

Feel free to call or email if you would like to chat.

Merry Christmas!

Culturally Relevant 2

I find that the more culturally relevant I try to be, the further from God I feel.

Common Sense

Thought For the Day: Social Justice

If Jesus was concerned with social justice why didn't he make ALL the lame to walk and make ALL the blind to see again? Certainly He had the ability.

Is social justice God's goal for humanity or is it our pursuit of self fulfillment? I wonder if modern liberals' pursuit of social justice is their own pursuit of righteousness (what the Bible refers to as "filthy rags").

Clearly, Jesus made some blind to see and made some lame to walk, but he evidently didn't see that in a universal mandate of his followers.

So what does that mean for today? I'm not sure- but I do get suspicious when the liberal left hijacks a phrase and uses it to promote government as the preeminent authority. What I find especially disheartening is then when the church decides to use the exact same phrase, then re-define it - in an attempt to sound progressive. The term "social justice" is a case in point.

In the past the churches referred to it as "ministry" or "loving your neighbor" or "being Christlike". Apparently, those terms aren't good enough anymore- we need something more progressive -- more "relevant".

I guess I have two targets here: the meaning and scope of "social justice" and the terminology. Clearly, we as Christians are to have heart for the hurting and oppressed within our sphere. The Gospels make that clear. In other words it is a personal responsibility.

Universal justice is simply not an attainable goal in this world. As when I was kid and was told that their is no such thing as fairness. I suppose there is fairness within individual situations like tit for tat. But if the convict gets executed for murder, that's not fair either. After all --the murderer get to leave the pleasure of living behind while the loved ones of the murdered continue in agony. How is that just?

Social justice is almost an oxymoron. If not that, then virtually a pointless enterprise. Only the judgment seat of Christ will bring social justice when everyone has answered for their actions. Until then, we live in a fallen world full of injustice. We may be able to put band-aids on some scattered injustices throughout our world, but for the most part it is never ending and futile pursuit.

That being said, the Bible is unclear as to what role if any governments are to take in social justice. Are we to construct theology based on the Bible's silence?

No answers here- just more questions.

As for the syntax- if our words and phrases need to be redefined into relevancy in this modern age, then am I "pro-choice". Clearly, God intends us to CHOOSE to accept His grace. Right? So I guess the new relevant evangelical catch phrase should be that we are "pro choice".

My point is that I'm tired of the political left hijacking the language, then the church tries to take it back to sound relevant - like a bunch of wannabees.

So let's just call it "justice" -OK? Not "social justice" (vague and pointless).

Oh wait- we already pursue justice. It's called the "justice system".

Brianna's Funny Moment

Brianna (age 6) delighted the whole family at the dinner table the other night.

Our church is having a "Who Have You Loved Today" campaign to which we have chair covers that say just that.

So when I asked how Brianna how she had loved someone today - she hesitated and thought. Then said, I made love to someone today- her name was .......(I can't remember). In total childhood innocence she was retelling the story- but it didn't get too far because we were all laughing so hard.

IGNORANCE

IGNORANCE:
the most expensive commodity America has.

Actions Have Consequences

To all self proclaimed "Christians" who voted for "pro choice" Obama.

Hope you can sleep at night.

Obama Loves Murdering Babies

What more evidence do you need?

Several posts ago I mentioned that McCain will be unloaded upon if he looses- to which a comment was "What do you mean?" As I began replying in the comment box -I realized that I would probably be better served by replying with a new post. So thank you K -for the inspiration! That- and of course the caffeine is helping this morning!

McCain is the leader of the "moderate" conservatives most recently represented by Colin Powell. We were told that the Republican Party was too extreme and had to move toward the center and attract moderates to win. As a result our Party nominated McCain.

If he looses- the blame will be totally at the feet of McCain and all his "independent" buds in the Congress and media. The base of the conservative movement (of which I am part) must drag McCain over the finish line to avoid Obama who is far worse (but we do so without enthusiasm).

Ronald Reagan won a landslide by espousing conservatism. This current departure towards liberalism, as in:

1. McCain hates the 1st Amendment as in "Campaign Finance Reform"
2. He espouses a belief in Global Warming and
3. He wants illegal alien amnesty
   

So where we are now- 9 days before the election? Obama, who is:

1. The most liberal person in the U.S. Senate
2. Supporter of abortion and infanticide
3. Wants sex taught in school to Kindergarten
4. Wants redistribution of your wealth
5. Says that we bitterly cling to God and guns
6. Initiated his political career in the home of a terrorist
7. Attended a church for 20 years whose pastor claimed "not God bless America -God damn America!"

This man is ahead in the polls by 5% to 10% one week before an election.

We as a country are so far removed from the founding principals that for generations have made this country the greatest in the world. I really don't see how we can last much longer as we rot from within.

I hope more people cling to God ...He is our only hope.

Just One Question for Barack Obama

What is one philosophical point in which you disagree with Karl Marx?

Prediction 10/22/2008

If Obama wins -  you will see an unloading on McCain unlike anything you have ever seen.   Mainly by Rush and Mark Levin.

Thanks John!

Caffeine Thought

If I ever had a great moment in my life: it is when I aspire to truth far greater than my personal aspiration of relevancy.

Relevant

Is your church “relevant”?  

That is clearly the new buzzword here in yuppyland.  We have visited three different evangelical churches here in North Indy and have concluded that in all churches we would be thoroughly entertained.

The pews are full, the parking lot’s jammed with police directing traffic.  The buildings are huge appearing more like auto plants than churches.  Last week we were even transported from our car to the church building in a deluxe elongated golf cart!

In all three churches the music has been excellent- to the point of a professional production.  In two of the three churches, the pastors look welcoming in their jeans and punjabis.  The Starbuckesque café’s next to the foyer produce that cosmopolitan feeling that is sure to get people in the mood to be relaxed.

The youth programs are produced with multimillion-dollar budgets and you can be assured of the safety of your children with the bar code check in procedure.

The stages are lit up with colored panels each with their own corresponding projector and A/V presentations appear to have been produced by full time professionals.

The only negative (and so it would seem) is that people are generally to themselves and there doesn’t seem to be a whole lot of friendliness for those visiting.  But “hey” – they have the “visitors center” for you, so I guess no problem there.

So at the Visitors Center last week we get our “visitors bag” complete with DVD so we could watch the pastor tell us about the church.  According to this pastor, this main desire is that people that come here will find it “fun”. 

Wow – who could ask for more?! 

After all, that is what being a follower of Jesus means – right?  Comfortable, soothed, entertained, cottled, -  “let’s have FUN!”

All righty then.

Goodbye to Daisy

I wasn't prepared for this at all.

We decided not to bring our dog, Daisy, to Indianapolis. Really, I hadn't put much thought into it until tonight. After consulting with some friends, I decided that the best course of action was to let the kids say goodbye to Daisy. Originally, I thought that the best idea was just to take her to the shelter thereby easing the pain.

So anyway, Brianna just came in crying from the garage. She heard from Kellen that they had to all say goodbyes. Tomorrow I'm taking her in.

Then I realized that Benji was missing. I knew where he was- out with Daisy, too. I thought I could be the man and not break down. But when I saw Benji turn away from me as he knelt by the dog- I knew - and I couldn't contain it. He is not a crier- and was ashamed that I might see his tears. I hugged and wept with him right there.

This is the single biggest loss our kids have ever experienced. Most of their formative years have been with Daisy. It is like a death.

Electronic Spittle

Let's call him “Bob”.

Bob is a “close talker”. He feels compelled to communicate only when his face is within 18 inches of yours. Friendly, mind you-but void of a social sense. The occasional spittle may land on your cheek- but you buck up for the sake of conviviality. Your eyes dart to the left and right of his face to see if innocent passerbys' are also privy to the conversation - not quite sure what they think of Bob's opinion of “the lady in the black swimsuit who was tanning on her dock”.

Your peripheral vision is a panorama of mostly sensible folks hearing every word and scurrying to a safe location as to not be the next one cornered.

Bob wants you to know that he knows. What he know. Why he knows. And you didn't know. But everyone knows. And even if Bob knows what everyone really knows, he would still let you know.

Email spam. Had to confront it again today. An employee in my company began sending cute thoughts for the day to me. I thought, “oh no” is he sending this to management, too? Yep. The distribution list had about 100 names and addresses and nothing hidden, exposing company (business) email addresses to every imaginable spammer.
Last week it was an e-greeting card (the height of annoying unsacrificial patronage). This morning it was cute birthday songs the year I was born.

I had to email him back and break the news gently. “Probably isn't a good idea to send this stuff to employees...”, yada yada yada - skirting my actual personal hate of electronic pap.

What ever happened to common sense etiquette?! It is AMAZING to me it never crosses the mind of a well meaning “spammer”

1. Does this person care about this email I am about to send?

2. What will people think about me after I send this?

Nope- never dawns on them. Let's call them spappers. Emphasis on “pap”.

pap1-noun
1. Material lacking real value or substance: TV shows that offer nothing but pap.
2. An idea, talk, book, or the like, lacking substance or real value.

[Origin: 1400-50; late ME; a nursery word akin to D pap, G Pappe, L, It pappa]-Related forms -paplike, adjective

For most spappers, it's easy just create an email rule to automatically delete the message from the server. But when you have a business employee that may have a legitimate business message- you can't delete that potentially important message.

Someone needs to update Emily Post's quintessential 1922 classic: Etiquette in Society, in Business, in Politics and at Home.

At least add a chapter themed: “Email only what you are willing to voice call.”

One Bob isn't so bad. Bob times hundreds can lead to a real headache.

Meaningless Word of the Day

Postmodern.

In memory of the late George Carlin, I submit to you the most irritating word that I have ever heard.

Postmodern.

Post = after
Modern = relating to the present time

Therefore: after relating to the present time. So basically, postmodern means "the future".

So why not just say "the future".

Full disclosure. I was watching Bill Brown, president of Cedarville University give his recent chapel speech on the recent theological controversy. I think that word makes the people who use it think they are smarter that Joe Six Pack- but frankly, it just sounds really stupid.

Shakespeare say's: thumbs down.

One Unity on Which We Must Insist

America Alone – the best geo political book I have read in years, is not only engaging, it’s educational. For instance, did you know that for a nation to maintain its population over time it takes 2.1 live births per woman? I had peripherally heard Chuck Colson mention something years ago about the worlds diminishing population, but frankly I wasn’t listening that closely. Come to think of it, I remember a professor at WMU screaming about the world population bomb back in college. We are all going to die like “rats breeding in a box”.

Exactly the opposite is true. We in America are holding even, with the unknown variable of illegal immigration. Greece is at a fertility rate of 1.3, Italy is 1.2 and Spain is 1.1. No civilization in history has recovered from a rate less than 1.3!

Anyway- on to my main point.

As a homogeneous country, America is tolerant of many faiths and creeds. That, in my opinion, should not change. What must NOT change is America’s unique status as a beacon of freedom and moral order. It is that uniqueness that is under assault by liberalism and multiculturalists.

The misinterpretation of the word “tolerance” is primarily at the root. To even question anything amoral is now “intolerant”. It used to be that a question answered incorrectly was held to disrepute. Now the question itself is disrepute. Because of this "tolerance" Europe is turning into Eurabia. France is on the precipice of giving into Sharia law.

Whatever else divides we Americans, we must hold to our exceptionalist traits given at our founding. It is the one unity on which we must insist if we are to survive.

First Triathlon Ever

200th place out of 215.

Stan Lee came to my first triathlon and drew all the superhumans that I was surrounded by. Holy cow! I realized after about 30 seconds that I did not belong within 10 miles of these fit athletes.

I guess I succeeded against my goal of not coming in last. But I was disappointed with my swimming. I freaked out about the seaweeds and waves and did the breast stroke instead.

But I won't give up. I loved the whole event and will push on. Enjoy the slideshow.

Time to Move

Well, it is with mixed emotions that I write today. What started with the “seven year itch” about two years ago and now turned into us moving to Indianapolis.

Gaylord, MI is a wonderful place. We have made great friendships up here, especially at our church, the Gaylord E-Free church. Three of our 4 kids have been baptized there. Pastor Jim Mathis has encouraged and instructed us with his poignant sermons. Pastor Joe has shown true pastoral love with his visits and desire to know each of us deeply. It is the church where I have evolved (or devolved) musically, but at least it has made me think about church music and help me bridge the gap from my college and youth to the modern worship music of today. Ultimately, I am confident that whatever style one embraces, it can be done with sincerity.

Here are some of the roles Darlene and I have played here, mostly at church, but some in the community at large.

Darlene:

• Women 2 Women Conference Director (1000+ women)
• Apples of Gold (Committee member)
• Deaconess
• Music (flute)

Mark:

• A Higher Call Men’s Conference Director (500 men)
• DeaconMusic (piano and vocals)
• Connection Partner Ministry
• Sub for choir at Gaylord Schools

Besides the wonderful church, the two things I will miss that most about Gaylord will be our home with the beautiful forest view out the back and walleye fishing on Big Bradford Lake (my favorite lake). Our kids at this age could not have had a better location to spend their youngest years.

So why are we moving? First – why leaving Gaylord, --then why Indy.

I am ready for a bigger sales opportunity in a Metro / rural territory that does not require driving as much. Currently, I drive 33 counties in Northern Michigan.

Gaylord winters have taken their toll on me. I have never completely embraced these winters, never having taken up snowmobiling or skiing the only thing I was left with was snow blowing and shoveling. – no thanks The latest sign from God was that our big John Deere snow blower died this year during the worst blizzard. I knew right then. In fact, I remember calling my boss and telling him “my snow blower broke” metaphorically. Along with the winters, I would have to add that because I am embracing a healthier lifestyle, I want more opportunity to walk and bike. Indianapolis is usually 10-15 degrees warmer than here and they don’t measure snowfall in feet.

The general Michigan economy is in shambles due to liberalism and Unions. I am tired of our State answering every challenge by raising taxes and blaming business. Truthfully, one thing I will enjoy telling my liberal friends is that Jennifer Grandholm chased another one out of Michigan (tongue in cheek).
Now why Indianapolis?

Fireworks are legal. I like their license plate designs better. No sucky sports teams. Just kidding.

First would be a much bigger business opportunity (mo’ money). Ya’ can’t give it away if ya’ don’t have it!

Warmer climate is huge. I never thought that would be such a big deal until this last winter.

Close to existing friends and family in the area. By the way, I have to say this GENERALLY-- people are friendly in Indiana. That is a general statement, because I could list for you a ton of people in Gaylord that are extremely friendly. What I mean is that most all the encounters I have had with people in Indiana (strangers, church folk, school folk, innocent bystanders)- has been one in which I am shocked and amazed at the frequency of genuine interest in us visiting Northerners!

Anyway- we thank God for the time He gave us in Gaylord and we are excited about what He has for us in the future.

Bike Review: Giant OCR A0

I visited 6 bike stores in Petoskey, Kalamazoo, Grand Rapids and Indianapolis before deciding on the Giant brand. I looked at Cannondale, Trek, Specialized and Schwinn.

The Giant OCR seemed to have the best value for features that I needed. I weighed 300 pounds at the time I purchased so I needed a sturdy and strong bike, but also one with racing attributes for my first triathlon in June.

The OCR A0 combined the forgiveness and lightness of carbon- with the rigidity of aluminum in the pedal area. I paid full retail at Latitude 45 bike shop in Petoskey, MI knowing that they were a full service bike store that would service and educate me. Trust me- I NEVER pay full retail and usually find cheap stuff on the net. But this time- I wanted to be covered with knowledgeable guys. Since this is the first time I have biked since I was in high school- I needed all the help I could get.

Since our snow melted I have ridden this bike 60-80 miles per week. My first overall impression was how LIGHT this bike seemed to me. It is 20 pounds which is by far the lightest bike have ever ridden and even lighter than my kids small little bikes! It rides very nicely and is seems to be a good combination of rigidity and forgiveness for my fat butt. Like I said before I weighted 315 pounds then but am in the process of loosing 100+ pounds over the net year. (As I write- I have lost 30 pounds).

The one thing I HATED about the stock configuration was the Crank Brothers Candy C pedals. With only two small screws holding my cleats to my shoes- they twisted with the slightest pressure. I am new to clipless pedals anyway which is a huge learning curve- but these stock pedals just aggravated the problem. So I sold those on eBay and bought new Shimano Ultegra pedals- which I absolutely LOVE. Because of the 3 screws on the cleats- they hold tight and feel very secure.
Gears: The bike comes with the Shimano Ultegra setup which is good. But since my expectations are “perfection” I have to complain slightly that occasionally when the front gear is in the small chainring and I try to shift back to the large ring, it doesn't shift unless I shift the rear gear to a smaller chainring. It has happened twice – just a minor annoyance when going up a hill.

The stock wheels (Mavic Aksium) are great, but too light for me and my heavy weight- so I purchased a set of training wheels with 36 spokes each for my everyday riding. They are great. I live on top of a large hill that descends 300 feet in all directions from my property. Which means that the final trip segment on the return home is grueling. Talk about increased lactate levels in the muscles!
I have spilled the bike twice- both relating to clipless pedals. Like I said before- I am still getting used to these pedals. Yesterday I stopped on my uphill driveway to get the mail thinking I could unclip one pedal and then keep riding up the hill. WRONG. I could not get the momentum to go forward and re-clip my pedal- so I fell over on the right side where my foot was still clipped. Ouch.

Lesson learned. One other thing is that I love how this bike handles at 40 MPH going down a long, extended curvy potholed road. There is a point on the descent that you simply loose control of the bike due to high speed while barely avoiding the potholes. There is a feeling of helplessness and I am glad the bike has held me securely.

Overall, I am very happy with this bike. It rides like a dream and I really don't think any other bike would be as nice for me as this one. Who knows- maybe when I am 100 pounds lighter, some other bike may fit me better, but for now I can't imagine it.
Apparently, this bike is now sold out nationwide (per the bike store owner). I guess I made a good choice.

Now I see why people can get discouraged with weight loss and give up.

I have been at roughly the same weight for coming on two weeks now. Literally, gaining and losing the same 3-4 pounds day in and day out. All while consuming about HALF of the calories necessary to maintain that weight! About three weeks ago I got down to 288 and then in the ensuing week went up to 295 and have stayed there. Arghhhhhhh!

It started with Easter Sunday, March 23 when I gave myself a “free day” and took the family to Applebee’s for lunch. I had a steak, steamed vegetables and then (drum roll) ….apple pie with ice cream. That was the sin and I haven’t been able to live it down since.

I exercise six days a week broken down as follows:

Sunday: Long bike ride + walk/run (2 hours)
Monday: Nautilus Weight training (30 minutes)
Tuesday: Bike and swim (2 hours)
Wednesday: Walk/run (1 hour)
Thursday: Nautilus Weight training (30 minutes)
Friday: Free daySaturday: Bike or run (1 hour)

For the record I will record my average daily diet here (so that many years from now I can look back and see what I did).

CoffeeHalf n half and Equal sweetenerBanana
Protein Shake
1% Milk
Broccoli snack
Low Sodium V8 snack
Carrot
Celery
Green Pepper
Romaine Lettuce
Tuna – 1 can
Swiss Cheese shredded
Wishbone Salad Spritzer- Caesar
Nuts for snacking
Special K Granola Bliss snack
Chunky Healthy Request – supper
Fat Free Yogurt- snack
Sugar free Jello mix - snack

The above stuff never goes above 2500 calories per day. I think the one indulgence is the nuts. Those mixed nuts have a high calorie count and are almost impossible to stop eating.

My other theory is that a lot of fat is turning to muscle by the weight training- so maybe that is transformation that is “hurting” my weight loss progress. I’m not sure- but so far I’m managing to not get too discouraged as to give up. Gotta have faith, faith, faith…..

Running is Hard

Running is very very hard for me.  At 292 pounds every step is a fight.  5K in 52 minutes.  Two months to go.

No Shame: 76 Days Later

76 Days Later: 27 pounds lost

"Perrine is Doing a Triathlon!!??"

Ya- I've been hearing the comments.  If it's not behind my back, then it is more subtle- like a the reaction I got from a good friend the other day who said “next year – right”?

No not “next year”.  This year- as in June 1, 2008.

What is amusing to me is that I am going in to this triathlon as (what is known in the business) a “Clydesdale” - which is to say, an overweight male.  The definition of a Clydesdale is a male over 200 pounds.  At 295 pounds at this very second, that puts me firmly in the “overweight Clydesdale” category I would guess.  On the optimistic side I plan to be 270 by the time June 1st rolls around.  

Since I got my new bike last week there has been no opportunity to ride it with the snow and cold.  So a few days ago I put the bike in the car and while in Big Rapids, MI found a church parking lot with no snow.  So I donned the gear and rode around in circles trying to figure out the gearing.  It was about 34 degrees.  Yesterday I found a secret location right here in Gaylord that is snow-free and clean pavement with no debris and almost no traffic.  So I will start training there.  By the way, the bike is a Giant OCR A0 which is great- but I have to get use to the seat negotiating my substantial derrière'.

On the swimming scene- I swam 1,450 yards yesterday.  It was half of what the Master's swim group did (2,900 yards) – but since they are all doing full triathlons and I'm doing a sprint- I cut everything in half.  More than likely, I will do the same full practice that they are doing soon.  It only makes sense since it improves stamina, cardio endurance and makes me   a better swimmer.

This morning I looked at the statistics for the Seahorse Triathlon from last year.  The fastest swimmer (and overall winner) did the 550 yard swim in 7:33.  What is exciting is that I CAN DO THAT!  But, that would be an all out sprint for me and ruin me for the rest of the race.  The winner (a guy named Matt) also killed the competition in the 3.25 mile run at 20:58 which is a pace of 6:45 minutes per mile!  My pace right now with a rested body is 14 minutes per mile – more than double Matt's.  I have a LONG way to go on the running thing.

I'm not really sure on my biking yet.  Matt did the 12.4 miles in 32:07 at a pace of 24.3mph.  I will have to make the adjustment from the gym bike where you sit back and pedal forward – to the real thing.  I'm not sure how that will effect my leg muscles.

On the Clydesdale rankings of the Seahorse Triathlon the winner was a guy named Jonah who did the whole thing in 1:17:45.  A realistic finish time for me at this point would be 1:30:00 or something close to that.  In the same rankings, the slowest overall time was 2:15:13.  I KNOW I can beat that- so at least I won't be last in this gig.

So for all you naysayers out there – watch me finish this thing.

Oh and for you, mom.  I had my doctors check-up yesterday and they did a urine test and EKG heart test among other things.  My heart is in normal condition (no problems) and my urine had no glucose in it!  Which may sound benign to you- but for me (a diabetic) whose glycohemoglobin has been terrible (over 10.0) and with high blood sugars for the last 6 years- that was awesome to hear!  Still, the doctor said that it is routine to get a EKG stress test after the age of 35- so that is what he schedule for me at the hospital.  If that goes well, too, I will consider it a “clean” bill of health to pursue my new “triathlon lifestyle”.

By the way- when the doctor did the feather on the feet test to check for diabetic nerve damage (numbness)- I felt every tickle.  He said that no diabetic he had tested in the last few weeks had done as well as me.  So that is good news!  Plus no signs of retinopathy in the eye test.  Granted it was a quick un-dilated test- but I'll go with that for now.

Two Month Anniversary

Wow I'm really doing this and it's working! As of yesterday I have lost 20 pounds.

At this rate I'm on track to be about 270 lbs by June 1 - triathlon day. The running is the hardest part for me. I can run for no more than about .8 miles at a time before I have to walk to recoup. On my hard walk/run days I go for 60 minutes on the treadmill. I have begun swimming again at the Sportsplex. I swam 1000 yards yesterday morning and will go about 2-3 time per week from now on. I plan to peak at 2400 yards per training in mid April.

I was at the pool at 6am yesterday and meet a guy named Chris who is a real Ironman! He is training for an Ironman in Arizona at the end of this month. He asked if I would swim in his Masters Class on Wednesday mornings - so I said "sure". Now there is a guy who can motivate me. It goes without saying that he is in perfect physical shape - something that I aspire to.

My appetite has really shrunk. I nibble on nuts during the day- but other than that- I have been very consistent on the following diet:

1. Morning: 4 cups of coffee with half n half.
2. Breakfast: Banana
3. Snack: NutsLunch: protein shake or salad with 1 can tuna
4. Snack: nuts
5. Supper: protein shake or small supper whatever the family is having (no processed foods)
6. Night: Fat free plain yogurt with sugar-free jello mix sprinkled on top

My calorie intake is never more than 2500 per day. It's funny even though I've lost 20 pounds, the pictures don't look all that different.

Weight Loss Thoughts- Late February

I did it! Last night I broke the 300 pound barrier! It seemed to take forever to get there being on the new diet and everything. So far I have been pretty consistent on eating a banana for breakfast (with coffee), nut's for snacking, a salad every day for lunch, a protein shake after Nautilus workouts or cardio (depending on the day) and then a small portion of whatever is for supper (no fatty or high carb foods).

Thrice since January 12 I have "cheated". Once was going to Pearls in Elk Rapids for supper with a bunch of guys and the other wer twice when my lovely wife brought home pizza for supper - in which case I had a few pieces. (after cheating, I paid my penance at the gym the following morning.)

Yesterday, I ran/walked uphill on the treadmill for 3 miles for the first time. It is getting easier to do the long cardio workouts on the odd days (when not doing Nautilus). Speaking of Nautilus- the gym owner suggested that I start on "Line 2" at the gym which are machines that basically work the same muscles- but differently. In other words- they bend the muscles in a slightly different way to "shock" them into expanding in different ways.

It worked- I was shocked when I did Line 2. Now I alternate back and forth between Line 1 and Line 2 every other workout day. I am “red-lining” on every machine every time.

One thing that I found fascinating is my daily calorie intake. For a 300 pound male to maintain his weight- he needs to consume 5,591 calories per day. I have been eating no more than 3,000 calories per day on average. Based on simple math the weight must come off!

Now I have a new goal in addition to loosing 100 pounds. Competing in a triathlon this summer. More on that later.

God Help Us All

or

There Lies A Desert

After Fred Thompson dropped out of the Republican primary, my support naturally fell to Mitt Romney. 

Since an unelectable Mike Huckabee will not drop out the primary, he is conspiratorially stealing votes that would otherwise go to Romney. Unless a miracle happens - by fiat, John McCain will become the Republican nominee for president. Mike Huckabee hopes that because of his antics (not dropping out), he would be chosen by McCain for vice president.

Which would leave me with two options – both repulsive – McCain and Clinton.

Usually, I would hold my nose and vote for the less offensive Republican ala/ George Bush 43 who I reluctantly voted for when Phil Graham lost the 2000 Primary. But George Bush didn’t repulse me as McCain does.

Besides the many smaller reasons that McCain disqualifies himself – temperament, age, lack of business experience it is the larger more important issues that cause me strife.

1. He hates the 1st Amendment to the Constitution so much that he decided to team up with a liberal Democrat to pass legislation abridging it with McCain – Feingold.

2. Wants to give amnesty to illegal aliens.

3. Buys into Al Gores Global Warming hoax which will lead to legislation that will kill the American economy.

4. He voted against the Bush tax cuts.

5. McCain demonstrates with his record that he is a liberal.

And since I will never vote for a liberal that leaves me with only one choice – one vote.

No vote.

This is the vote that joined with millions of other will become the true silent majority. I will be part of a landslide political correction. Since Republicans were bamboozled out of a clear choice in the Republican Primary- we will have to act in a different manner to have our voices heard.

Having our conservative Congress constantly fighting their liberal Republican President to pass good legislation and generally uphold the Constitution is political suicide. Instead, I think it may be far better for our country for a rotten Democrat to be elected (ala Clinton) and allow another Newt to emerge to form a congressional coalition to fight the inevitable socialist legislation that will ensue.

Another reason to let a Clinton or Obama win is to set America up for another Reagan just as Carter did in 1970’s.

Between here and the Promised Land, there lies a desert.

Week 3 - Muscle is Heavier Than Fat

It's a little frustrating. I have only lost 7 pounds but from what I hear- that is normal when you are weight training. I'm doing Nautilus weight training every other day and also 30 minutes of cardio (treadmill and exercise bike) 3 times per week. Not only that but my diet has been pretty much the following:

+ Breakfast: coffee only

+Lunch: big salad with lettuce, carrots, celery, green pepper, swiss cheese, (sometimes onion), and 1 tin of tuna.

+Supper: small portion of whatever Darlene makes and soy protein shake

I am not doing any gimmicks like you see on TV. No prepacked meals, no Chuck Norris exercise machines, no hypnotherapy, no lipo, no gastric bypass, no grapefruit.

One thing I have noticed is that I have to pay close attention to my insulin because I have gone low a lot lately. Also- I am not as hungry at night like I used to be. Before, I had to snack after 7pm- but those hunger pains have started to go away. The first two weeks were bad- I still wanted to eat at night but forced myself not to.

One more thing- I don't buy all this New Age crap about "don't starve yourself" and "don't deny what your body is saying" - yada yada yada. The first couple weeks are a hell. No getting around it. If your food intake was like mine- then it will SUCK not eating. I am starving myself in that I refuse to eat when I'm hungry. I AM punishing my body. It does NOT feel good.

The guy who owns the gym where I go- said I should rest my muscles every other day and not even do cardio on the odd days. I disagree with him. I am going to continue to do cardio on the odd days just like everything I have read tells me to.

Even with all that- I have only lost 7 pounds and .8 percent body fat. And looking at the pictures below- it doesn't look like much has changed.

But....I SHALL NOT GIVE UP!!!!!!!!

Fred to Mitt 2008

Weight Loss- Day 1

OK- here I go.

Today is January 12, 2008.

I am fat. I weigh 314 pounds and have over 38% body fat. I am an insulin dependent diabetic in the express lane to the grave. Starting on January 9, 2008 after returning from a Dallas business meeting I have had enough. I joined the local Nautilus Fitness center and am once again vowing to loose 100 pounds in one year. I have made many promises like this before - all broken. I guess posting pictures of myself here is a way of making myself accountable for my progress.

Life or death- here goes.

The Antichrist

Pretense

To Doris Kearns Goodwin:

It is sad when such a brilliant historian can be so frightfully ignorant of the effects of her comments on a large portion of this country.  I am speaking of the beliefs of many Americans regarding creation vs. evolution, mine included.

Your comment about Gov. Huckabee, [bothersome rejection of evolution] on the Imus show this morning was as offensive as the "nappy headed hoes" comment made by Don eight months ago.

The difference is that with Don's comment - there was a political apparatus to repudiate him.  With your comment- there will be no movement against you, evidence that your bigotry against Christians is perfectly acceptable in this country.

I don't wish to change your thinking in regards to the unprovable "theory" of evolution (repudiated by Darwin himself), but would ask you to question your comments in light of your pretense of being objective.

Clarence Thomas - A Role Model

I ashamed to admit I have a half dozen half-read books sitting on my nightstand.

My intentions are good but most of the time I just don't find the read compelling. Not so with this book. I couldn't put it down. I got the book last night about 7pm after looking through the mail and finding my package from Amazon. I just finished it and it is truly inspiring.

I will pass this book on to Kellen and the rest of my kids as required reading. Clarence Thomas came from extreme poverty in rural Georgia and has risen to the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court. I was made aware of this book by listening to Justice Thomas being interviewed on the Rush Limbaugh Show and Mark Levin Show.

I don't think I have ever heard Rush extol a book like he did with this one.

I find the single most striking thing about Justice Thomas is his humility. He give all the glory of his successes to God -- without exception.

The second most incredible thing is that he always refers to his wife as "my best friend". I find that to be the deepest love imaginable.

His journey has so many lessons to teach all of us. This book is certainly on my short list of best books EVER.

Light at the End of the Tunnel

Apologies (to the 3 of you who read my blog) for the long delay since the last post.

It has been "that time of year" when I work 16 hour days + soccer coach + taxi driver for four great kids to and from church and school activities + try to be a good husband. Blogging has to take a back seat during Sept and Oct.

I thrive on the busyness for two months but I look forward to putting on the brakes a bit, too. Sales are -flat to soft- in reflection of Michigan's bad economy - thanks Jennifer. Fortunately, I have sold 2 new all school accounts to run this year + I have sold 2 new additional all-school accounts to run this year. I sold these in between doing kick offs at other schools.

What else is new? Oh ya- PC no more! That's right- I'm switching to Mac! It's interesting that I started as a Maccer back in the late 80's and loved the IIsi I bought in 91 which helped me through numerous job activities. Then I got caught up in the Windows craze and cheapness of the hardware/software. So for about 13 years I have been in the PC desert with the bugs and error messages: dll error this, line command error that, screen freezes and other numerous Microsoft quirks.

I am in the market for laptop and was pretty set on a Dell as of about a week ago. Then a friend showed me his Apple MacBook with a program called Parallels which simultaneously runs Windows and Mac OSX! (I wanted to say "at the same time" but then realized that would be redundant). The speed, smoothness and simplicity of the interface was breathtaking. So I started to do more research on compatibility issues I may have after getting a new Mac.

None so far.

Any MS Office document (Excel, Word, Powerpoint) can all be SAVEed AS.. any format in the universe. Not only that-- but there is a free open souce program called OpenOffice for Mac that makes all interoperations with my multitude of contacts transparent.

All this with the stable, bug free and time tested platform of Apple.

I guess I'm not too old to... think different.

A Loss Indeed

What a fitting setting for a remembrance of Luciano Pavarotti. A southeasterly view of the Mackinac Bridge from a parking lot in St. Ignace. A bridge that has stood the test of time for 50 years. Pavarotti stood the test of time also, a time when mass musical tastes had degraded from the quality of trained talent to the likes of Britney Spears.

A man of furious talent, he was the role model for thousands of voice students the world over. My voice teacher in college kept a TIME magazine cover of Pavarotti on his piano as a constant reminder of vocal perfection.

He passed away last night, succumbing finally to pancreatic cancer. It is a loss, indeed.

May he rest in peace.

et lux perpetua luceat eis

Things That Make You Go...."hmmm"