BikeBubba'sBits

Thoughts on the Palin resignation

2009-07-06T09:15:00.001-07:00

...on my part are not too many except for one; if it is indeed true that the Palins have accrued $500,000 in legal bills, and the state of Alaska four times as much, it's a wonderful demonstration of the need for a "loser pays" legal system--where plaintiffs who lose their case (all 15 ethics complaints against the Palins were dismissed) pay the legal bills of the winning defendants.

Most of the other claims don't make sense to me, but reality is that if the (frivolous) ethics complaints were truly bleeding her and her family dry, I can see a move like this to stem it.

This also seems to be a clear demonstration of the fact that many people apparently cannot get it through their heads that the courts are intended for real issues, not this kind of harassment.

The reality of daycare

2009-07-05T19:47:00.000-07:00

Ever contemplate that one big reason that feminists and pro-government types love daycare--and promote it whenever they can--is that the family is the great bulwark against socialism, and one of the greatest ways faith and morality are passed down is through the loving care of Mother?

Gratitude for unemployment

2009-07-02T08:29:00.000-07:00

And no, not just because I'll be sending less tax money to the government in the process, although that's certainly an itty-bitty part of it. (see Lori Borgman's column today if you want politics here today)

But really, I'm grateful for a lot of things. Time with the family. More involvement with homeschooling. Getting more people familiar with fine sewing, along with my wife. Making a few bookshelves for our home. Getting a good garden going.

More time to serve the church in helping others and mowing. Cooking some new things (my job search would be different if being a chef paid better at beginning levels). Learning a bit of Latin and Logic (long time goals, really). Learning how much our family can reduce its budget--and learning that it's really not that painful. Getting myself, and the family, in a little bit better shape. Helping my extended family get their businesses running--and learning about the possibilities for myself as well.

That is, though, coming to an end soon. I've accepted a new job down in Waseca, which looks like a very good opportunity. Even if it turns out not to be so, it's income in an era where most of those in the District of Columbia seem to be doing their best to follow every mistake made by Hoover and Roosevelt--the mistakes that created and sustained the Great Depression. I'll at least be trying to follow what my grandfather did to do pretty well by himself at that time.

And so I'm grateful. I hope you are, too.

Book review: "Already Gone."

2009-06-30T13:08:00.000-07:00

I'd been seeing a lot of press in the sources I follow about a new book by Ken Ham and Britt Beemer called "Already Gone," the premise of which is that there is something going on in the church leading to about 2/3 of young people leaving for at least some period of time in their twenties.

My wife and I received our copy today, and let's just say it's a quick read, especially for someone who's been trained in statistics. The first comment; yes, the statistics hold up; it does turn out to be statistically significant, if the data be true, that in various categories, those who attend Sunday School are actually slightly less likely to hold Biblical stands on any variety of issues. It also holds that a great portion of the disagreement by those who leave is about the issue of Creation, and that kids leave the church in middle school or high school--and simply make it official when they go out on their own for college.

Is the work Ham and Beemer started finished? Not quite; here are the statistics for acceptance of premarital sex, for example: 47.7% of non-Sunday school attenders said it was wrong, vs. only 40.8% of attenders. Statistically significant? Absolutely, but the nature of the statistics also demonstrates that there is a larger factor involved.

Hopefully someone picks it up. I do believe as well that Ham and Beemer give a big hint as to the 700 lb gorilla in the background; churches failing to help their members understand the depth and breadth of truly Biblical theology.

Ben's (non) poetry translated and augmented

2009-06-27T13:21:00.001-07:00

Presidentus nostrus twittus malus est.
Dicit stolidus verba Obama.

If logic were taught in schools,

2009-06-27T07:07:00.000-07:00

....reporters in Sweden would instantly know that the 2 1/2 year old child of two feminists, whose parents refuse to tell what sex their child is, is a boy. Duh.

I pity that little guy, and hope that somehow he grows up right and becomes the next great middle linebacker for Da Bears, and one who (unlike Mr. Urlacher) embraces Biblical manhood, having about eight children and a wife who embrace Biblical family.

If you want to know what's wrong with Detroit

2009-06-27T06:57:00.002-07:00

Read this. Michigan grocer/department store Meijer (one of the coolest stores on the planet, IMO) is apparently in negotiations to build a store in Detroit, and apparently it would not only be the biggest development in that city of nearly one million people in fifty years (it wouldn't be in my town of 16,000), but it would also be the first major grocer to open up shop there since 2007.

Want to fix Detroit? I suggest that getting the Mayor's (and the city council's) hands out of the matter would be a great start. Applying for a permit to build a store should not require "negotiations" any more than a permit for new windows.

Career update

2009-06-26T17:21:00.000-07:00

I'm also looking into a new career; modeling hats for people with cancer. What do you think?

Seriously, it's for my Mom, of course; keep praying, as it's awfully rough to go through chemo for the third time. We simply rejoice that we can try to help a little bit, and I hope it looks better on her than it does on me. :^)

And I hope you don't have a loved one who needs one of these, but if you do, the good people at Blumenkinder Heirlooms (and the model above) can get you something you'll like.

And also seriously, interview today, which went well. So if you're out there looking and wondering if anyone is hiring, I know of at least one opening. (no I'm not telling you!) :^)

Proof of Solzhenitsyn's point

2009-06-25T15:36:00.000-07:00

In his famous address at Harvard in the late 1970s, Alesandr Solzhenitsyn raised a bit of trouble by suggesting that a nation with only law, and not morality, common sense, and the like, was in trouble.

This Supreme Court case--about a teenage girl strip searched to find evidence of Advil--proves his point in my opinion. Whatever the legalities, what kind of idiot thinks that Advil is a threat to schools?

Apparently, school administrators and lawyers, by taking this one all the way to the Supreme Court, are the idiots, and I would dare suggest that this is yet another reason to keep your kids out of the government's schools. Do you want them to think this kind of thing is appropriate?

H/T Northern Muckraker and others.

A word to the wise

2009-06-17T09:23:00.000-07:00

Cold Fusion Guy links a list of articles detailing predictions about how bad the recession is supposed to get, when it was supposed to ease, and one thing comes across very clearly; the econometrics gurus aren't doing so hot lately. So if you're thinking of taking their advise when starting a business, or especially when going into debt, a word to the wise; don't. Given that "man acts," as von Mises noted, prediction of the economy (especially by Keynesians) tends to be a fool's errand.

Especially since it's not just man who acts, but also God. I do not claim the gift of prophecy, but I have to wonder if a lot of this is His way of getting our attention.

Unintentionally hilarious

2009-06-16T08:34:00.000-07:00

Just north of the border with Illinois along highway 39 in Wisconsin lies a plant that makes Hormel Chili, and a big banner on the side of the building announced they were celebrating 30 years of "quality and excellence."

Two words, of course, that no one with functioning taste buds should ever use to describe Hormel Chili, at least not without a "not" involved. If you want to know the limits of quality tools like Six Sigma, visit the Hormel factory near Beloit, or just open a can.

Or if you remember Hormel Chili, don't. You don't need to.

A true lady of the people

2009-06-12T18:26:00.000-07:00

My wife's "American Sewing Guild" magazine notes that the fabric used for the dress Michelle Obama wore to the inauguration costs a cool $500/yard, and is only 33 inches wide. It's apparently a very nice Swiss woolen, and (my guess) her dress had at least five yards of the material in it. My guess is that many of us are buying pretty decent cars for less than Mr. Obama spent for his wife's dress.

Now I have nothing against fine fabrics, as I'm part owner of a business that sells them--though Blumenkinder Heirlooms doesn't have anything for $500/yard, or anywhere close to that. However, the silence of the same liberals who pilloried Gov. Palin for her wardrobe choices is deafening, and it's very interesting to see this same cast of characters chastising corporate America for taking prosperity for all it's worth while doing exactly the same thing themselves.

The very definition of chutzpah

2009-06-10T11:49:00.001-07:00

...is a guy who's sucked on cancer sticks for three decades presuming to tell us about how we can be healthy. Good grief.

Yikes

2009-06-09T09:53:00.000-07:00

$15,000 in delinquent dental bills (most likely from $25,000 to $70,000 in original cost, depending on insurance), breaking her foot while walking through the airport.....it sounds like Ms. Sotomayor has some serious health problems. I'm no doctor, but I do have to wonder whether it's an issue of her diabetes (type 1, childhood), or whether it's a question of how she's cared for herself, or not.

Put gently, I don't envy her financial situation, or her health. Yikes.

Here to help

2009-06-08T14:30:00.000-07:00

Evidently, the actual numbers for unemployment are far worse than the Obama administration had predicted; more or less, far worse then "scary" prediction for "what happens if we don't stimulate the economy." In similar news, it's found that all the attempts to "stimulate" borrowing (by borrowing trillions out of private hands) are actually making the problem worse by pushing interest rates up.

Since apparently economics isn't taught at the schools Obama attended (that's why Galbraith taught at one of them, of course), I'll be glad to help people understand what's going on. When you increase the demand for money by running a $1,800,000,000,000 deficit (zeroes included for the benefit of those who skipped math class as well as econ during college), the market clearing price (interest rate) for borrowing goes up.

In the same way, when you take money from people who know how to make jobs for $100, 000 a position and give it to those (government types) who require $1,000,000 per position to create a job, the end result is that you will eliminate about 9 jobs for every million dollars spent.

Not coincidentally, about half a million people are losing their jobs every month. It's not rocket science, though it apparently is beyond the abilities of Mssrs. Obama (Blagojevich/Capone) and Geithner.

"Wise?"

2009-06-06T18:47:00.001-07:00

Evidently, Supreme Court nominee Sonia Sotomayor is sitting on $16000 in credit card debt, $15000 in unpaid (presumably delinquent) dental bills, and has only about $32000 in the bank. Despite decades of highly paid legal work, her net worth is only about that of Joe Biden's.

I can't prove specific instances of this, but I have to wonder whether a lot of the weird things coming out of the District of Columbia have something to do with people (Sotomayor, Joe Biden, Barack Blagojevich Obama, Norm Coleman, others) who don't know how to handle money, and lobbyists who know that they can get something done if they "help" with the situation.

And I can't figure out how someone runs up $15000 in dental bills. I'm pretty sure that government workers just might have pretty good insurance, so that kind of money ought to buy a set of false teeth or crowns in solid platinum. One would have to assume that this "wise Latina" desperately needed some lessons in brushing and flossing to go along with the lessons she and Barack Obama skipped about Article 1 of the Constitution, the purpose of law, and the 2nd Amendment.

Ten reasons why I homeschool

2009-06-04T13:14:00.000-07:00

Terry links a list of reasons not to homeschool, and quite frankly, as I look at the name-calling, unsubstantiated accusations, and preferences disguised as reasons, I once again realize that I want more for my children than this public (oops, "government") school teacher can provide.

Thank you, Mr. Scaccia, for making it very clear why something as important as education ought not be entrusted to anyone holding NEA or AFT membership. :^)

Chicago homicide rates

2009-06-03T12:49:00.000-07:00

Commenter Jeremy A. did a great job of impersonating a Brady Campaign member by presenting some of the data for Chicago homicide; I did not see his attempt at humor, and hence responded as if he were genuine. Oops, and my apologies.

At any rate, if there are genuine "Brady" types out there reading this, here are murder rates by decade. Here also John Lott's analysis. It clearly shows that homicide rates in Chicago went up (opposite the national trend, just like in DC, and just like in New York City) after they implemented their gun ban.

So not only are gun bans unconstitutional (read the 2nd and 14th Amendments, as well as the Heller decision), they don't work.

Say what?

2009-06-03T09:18:00.000-07:00

Evidently, the 7th Circus Court of Appeals has upheld Chicago's idiotic ban on handguns under the logic that the 2nd Amendment was not incorporated against the states by the 14th Amendment.

Despite the fact, of course, that this was one of the first things the 14th Amendment did, as it was intended to prevent former Confederate states from refusing firearm ownership to freed slaves. If you doubt this, see Akhil Reed Amar's book on the subject.

I'm sending a note to my Congressman asking for the removal of these judges. There is a point where judicial activism such as this becomes "bad conduct" that warrants their removal.

Recommended dining list

2009-06-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

Right here. :^)

Be careful, though. For all the calories, saturated fat, and cholesterol that these dishes offer, they are in fact from chain restaurants, and may actually be lacking in crucial areas like real butter, real eggs, and real sugar. You can always count on corporate types to replace the real stuff with soybean and palm products, as well as corn syrup.

Seriously; while I am (as the grandson of a guy who died at age 59 from a massive heart attack) as interested in good health as most people, there is a certain point where one's food must have something called "taste." While sometimes that taste is actually improved in things that are good for you--pasture fed meats, blueberries, and dark chocolate--sometimes food needs a bit of saturated fat and sugar to be palatable. In such cases, one may often find that one actually turns out healthier when one enjoys something made with foods that are "bad for you," simply because you're actually satisfied and have enjoyed your meal.

Thoughts on the Tiller murder

2009-06-01T12:42:00.000-07:00

Once again, I don't like the word "assassination" that many use. It doesn't seem to convey the same reality that the simple word "murder" does. Hopefully, if it's truly "murder one," the perpetrator gets a date with the executioner.

(it would not be murder one, perhaps, if the perpetrator was the father of a daughter victimized at Tiller's clinic, and that crime ignored by the state...but still definitely murder)

And so two other thoughts. First, who really killed all those 60,000 pre-born children that Tiller says he dismembered? Yes, Tiller, but also....all of us who treat sex as a game, and children as an "unfortunate consequence," bear blame as well.

And yes, there is a man out there who pulled the trigger. Hopefully he is in custody. There is also a state that failed to adequately prosecute Tiller's crimes, and at least one church that failed to recognize that Dr. Tiller was not just an abortionist; he was a doctor who was ignoring state laws about fetal viability verification and statutory rape. I would have hoped that even the most liberal of pastors would realize that when such laws are ignored, everyone's daughter (and son) is at risk.

Had the state and his church (or either one) risen to the occasion and disciplined Dr. Tiller, he might have had a chance to repent, and might have a decidedly different eternal outlook from the one he now suffers. Had our nation realized what we're doing with rampant encouragement of promiscuity, Dr. Tiller might have gotten a chance to get out of the profession he had.

An interesting take on Solomon

2009-05-28T08:27:00.000-07:00

One of the professors at Central Seminary gave a talk last night about Biblical geography (specifically the Shepelah hills west of the mountains), and gave some fascinating insight into Solomon's marriage to Pharaoh's daughter. Ever notice how he built her a palace away from the Temple, as she was a pagan? Dr. Beacham noted a real reason for the marriage; Pharaoh captured Gezer, along the strategic road to Joppa, for Solomon as a dowry for her.

In short, Solomon effectively posted a personals ad saying "wanted; woman with truck. Please send picture of truck." Pharaoh gave him the truck, and a nice one it was, too.

In "very sad" news, I believe it's mere days until my television will no longer receive broadcast TV programs. Not that I'll notice. I was thinking today that a great part of the lack of thinking might have a lot to do with our dependence on the idiot box. If you're wondering how to improve your thinking, turn it off for a while and see what happens. You just might be very surprised.

Some great reasons to reject Sotomayor's nomination

2009-05-27T13:28:00.000-07:00

1. Obama's stated purpose of getting someone "with empathy" onto the Supreme Court, undermining the rule of law. Sorry, the Court is all about the law, not about empathy.

2. Sotomayor's stated view of the bench as a place for making policy--not its actual purpose of applying the law.

3. Sotomayor's belief that her race and sex make her a better judge of the law than others. (try that if you're a white male...um....DON'T!)

4. Sotomayor's 60% reversal rate in the Supreme Court (probably to become 67% when the case she ruled on regarding discrimination against white firefighters gets there).

5. Sotomayor's history as a Schumer nominee (Schumer forced Bush to accept his nominees to get Bush's through) and a Clinton nominee.

6. Sotomayor's position on the 2nd Amendment, directly contradicted by the Heller decision and the plain text of the 2nd Amendment.

Anyone out there have some more? Really, any one of these ought to derail her nomination, and #2 and #3 really ought to result in impeachment hearings, not a Supreme Court nomination.

Write your senators.

Strangely absent from the menu

2009-05-27T12:33:00.000-07:00

....at the "Blog Wedding of the Millenium" was this. Hopefully Night Writer can get some for Ben and Faith by their first anniversary!

You are what you watch?

2009-05-20T13:44:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while waiting for some car repairs to be completed, my son and I had the opportunity to take in bits of an afternoon soap opera. While thankfully my reading material was good, and I didn't catch too much of the "plot," the advertisers gave a fascinating glimpse into a typical soap opera viewer.

A quick list; a couple of antidepressants, joint pain medication, diabetes medication, frozen comfort foods, and Wal-Mart. One would infer that the typical viewer of "Field Marshal Krankenhaus" is overweight to the point of joint troubles and type 2 diabetes due to over indulgence in comfort foods, and is somewhat down about the whole deal.

Since this is a "family" blog, I won't comment about what typical football commercials--beer, cars, and vasodilators--might say about typical football fans.