O Rolo, Rolo, wherefore art thou???

A funny chat with Michelle today went like this:

Michelle: hehe sorry,I'm on a roll over here

me: Whatever happened to the candy "Rolos"?

Michelle: They're still around... Are you craving them?

me: Nope.. I just haven't noticed them. They're like a high class milk-dud.

Wikipedia talks about our beloved Rolo

Labor Board

Does this get your hearts pumping? The anticipation of what I might write? Good seeing you both this morning. I hope all is well for you, and that you're finding the satisfaction in life we're all searching for.

"The Tyranny of Normal"

An excerpt of my thoughts on an essay by Leslie Fielder. I find this to be true for all too many people, including myself before I discovered how much God loves me.

"The “tyranny of normal” rules the garden of our minds, watering the seeds of discontent and isolation we feel in relation to our fellow man. In the deep recesses of our mind, known only to us or perhaps residing in our subconscious, exists a brutal voice that tells us that we are not “good enough”. This voice speaks loudly and clearly, telling us that we aren’t worthy of acceptance, and if anybody really got to know us, would find out how truly ugly we are. The easiest way to escape the detection and discovery of this “ugly” self, is to blend in and to cast off anything which might cause anyone to take a closer look. It is out of our fear of discovery, of the rejection we dread, that we go under the knife to fix our big nose, to enhance our breast size, suck away our stomach fat, whiten our teeth, iron out our wrinkles, etc. The outer façade that we desperately keep squeaky clean belies a sinister and rotted undercarriage; one that tells the story of how we are not deserving of love or acceptance. Nothing can be lonelier than to be on an island, marooned by the knowledge of who we really are, yet wanting desperately to connect with those around us."

God's Economy

Hi all,
I've uploaded the talk I gave at Glendora Alliance Church on 9/13/2009. The talk was based on/around Philippians 3:4-11. Thanks for listening and I hope you're blessed by it.

Mean, Greedy, EVIL Conservatives!!!

In reading the comments on my last post, I issued a challenge for someone to answer a question I posed. I continually hear that being a conservative, I am somehow morally inferior to my liberal equivalents, who simply want outcomes to be "fair" for everyone. For the record, I believe in a small government, traditional or "conservative" social values, and believe each person has an individual responsibility to make or break their own life. These ideals put me solidly in the "conservative" category.

I am regularly surprised to hear that my lack of support for expanded government intervention (read "mandated intrusion") into the private lives and decisions of indvuals somehow equates to: greed, hate, racism, homophobia, elitism, etc. While I know these labels are not actually true for me (those labels simply don't "stick"), I wondered if those who espouse similar conservative principles were, in fact, guilty of such ugly accusations. Please note that I am not referring to "Republicans" or Democrats", but rather, a set of ideals which we each use to shape our world-view. I was surprised to see research which yielded some very surprising results, considering all the accusatory slander directed at conservatives by liberals. Take a look for yourself (all info below taken from the book Makers and Takers, by Peter Schweizer):

* Seventy-one percent of conservatives say you have an obligation to care for a seriously injured spouse or parent versus less than half (46 percent) of liberals.

* Conservatives have a better work ethic and are much less likely to call in sick than their liberal counterparts.

* Liberals are 2½ times more likely to be resentful of others’ success and 50 percent more likely to be jealous of other people’s good luck.

* Liberals are 2 times more likely to say it is okay to cheat the government out of welfare money you don’t deserve.

* Conservatives are more likely than liberals to hug their children and “significantly more likely” to display positive nurturing emotions.

* Liberals are less trusting of family members and much less likely to stay in touch with their parents.

* Do you get satisfaction from putting someone else’s happiness ahead of your own? Fifty-five percent of conservatives said yes versus only 20 percent of liberals.

* Rush Limbaugh, Ronald Reagan, Bill O’Reilly and Dick Cheney have given large sums of money to people in need, while Ted Kennedy, Nancy Pelosi, Michael Moore, and Al Gore have not.

* Those who are “very liberal” are 3 times more likely than conservatives to throw things when they get angry.

* Liberals are more self-centered than conservatives.
* Conservatives are more generous and charitable than liberals.
* Liberals are more envious and less hardworking than conservatives.
* Conservatives value truth more than liberals, and are less prone to cheating and lying.
* Liberals are more angry than conservatives.
* Conservatives are actually more knowledgeable than liberals.
* Liberals are more dissatisfied and unhappy than conservatives.

"Schweizer argues that the failure lies in modern liberal ideas, which foster a self-centered, “if it feels good do it” attitude that leads liberals to outsource their responsibilities to the government and focus instead on themselves and their own desires."

I find it especially interesting that for all the talk about helping the poor, showing compassion, spreading the wealth, etc., liberals generally wish to do so at no/little cost to themselves. I think it's "cute" when someone acts so passionate about a cause, and yet wants to put MY money where THERE mouth is. You can check out the book at Amazon.com

EDIT (9/19/09 4:53a): In looking over the post, I'm not intending to "bash" anyone, but simply to point out the irony in the information being presented. I recognize it's a pretty big brush to paint with, but interesting nonetheless. Some of the statements sound like over-generalizations, but are obviously explored further in the book.

Healthcare for Clunkers

I know I'm coming off like one of those dirty "right wing-extremists" again. The truth is that I am looking at the very real implications that these bills being proposed and passed are going to have on my career and family's personal livelihood. There are certainly many ways the proposed healthcare bill will negatively affect small businesses throughout America. In my corner of the business world, it would essentially screw over every nursing agency (and other service based companies) because it will require everyone with a payroll over $400k per year to either fully insure EACH person on their payroll and their families (whether full OR part time). That sounds like a lot, but many small businesses have 5-10 employees that can easily combine to reach this total payroll amount. If they don't, then the business is forced to pay an 8% tax for all payroll. As you know, my business don't sell goods, such as hard-drives or coffee-pots; we sell nursing hours. This means that we are essentially having to pay 8% more for each dollar we normally pay out, which comprises a vast majority of our sales. Businesses which have a payroll of between $251k and $400k must pay a 6% tax. I see 4 potential options should this poorly thought out healthcare bill pass (for my business specifically).

1) We will have to raise our rates, which is a challenge, since we're often awarded rates by hospitals and have little influence here. Plus, if under government control, will hospitals even be allowed to pay us a higher rate if they desire?
2) Lower our nurse's pay, which will make far fewer nurses consider working for us - essentially drying up our pool of "product"
3) Lower expenses in the office, such as: fire office staff get reid of phone lines, move to a smaller office space, etc.
4) Close business altogether.

Will this "free" healthcare actually be free for the people we let go, or the nurses who's pay we must cut, or for the businesses who we stop purchasing from, or for my own family? It seems rather hasty and poorly thought out to so blindly plan to commit an entire nation's future earnings.

I believe that God will provide and I will continue to work toward improving my lot. I WILL NOT sit quietly by the wayside, while someone in Washington hands over my countless hours of hard work, sacrifice, and responsible personal conduct in exchange for a bunch of votes toward their re-election. People across America feel the same way I do, and they're getting just as mad. The tragedy, in my opinion, would be if your freedom was wrenched away and you didn't see it coming.

"Ma, what that sign say?"

This sign caught my eye on the way to Gavin's wedding rehearsal in Burbank. It's obviously a push by the public library to encourage reading among the illiterate.

I suppose it's not funny to make fun of something like this sign, but isn't this the equivalent of sending someone a DVD of how to operate their DVD player? Perhaps a TV infomercial or the message blaring from loudspeakers would better serve those they are trying to reach... :)