Ash Wednesday is here again. The day that starts one of my most favorite times of year, it begins the season of Lent. A time to reflect not only on the events leading up to Good Friday and then Easter but a time to reflect on what the Cross actually means to you. Even though I'm not a Catholic, over the years I have observed the sacrificial side of the Lenten season. My reasons are based more on my own desire to acknowledge Jesus's 40 days in the wilderness than an observance of some religoe us dogma.
Over the years I have given up many things. One year it was caffiene, another year it was all cheese products and even last year I gave up facebook. Giving up something every year not only acknowledges the wilderness, but it's something that helps me personally. Giving up items that hurt, reinsures me that no one thing can control my life. That the things I eat, drink, activities I do are my choice and not something I feel controls my life.
This year I've decided to give up all meat except for fish and chicken. But, to kick start lent I have also decided to join several friends and partake in the Daniel Fast over the first 21 days. The Daniel Fast is based on the 1st chapter of the book of Daniel. It basically is a diet of vegetables, fruits, nuts and whole grains. No processed foods, no dairy products, no caffiene, water and some fruit juices.
I'm not doing this as some health kick quick weight loss plan. It's simply something I want to see if I can do. When the 21 days are over I will be
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
Wednesday, January 11, 2012
Bob Doyle and the 4 hour Election
Time to call the Doctor. You know the commercials. If something lasts up to 4 hours you should see a Doctor. Bob Doyle made the original commercials famous. This after he lost to Bill Clinton in the 1996 election. I remember meeting Bob and Elizabeth at a greet and meet at Liberty Life and coming away thinking she should be the one running for President. Don't get me wrong, I respect Bob Doyle greatly especially for his service and injuries in the war and for his many years in the Senate.
But as the republican party normally does, they chose their candidate by whose turn it was, instead of who's views came closest to the parties. My parents were what you would call Goldwater/Eisenhower republicans. They believed in small government, fiscally conservative and don't fight wars unless attacked. Now days Eisenhower would probably be a libertarian. Once again the republican party is annointing Mitt Romney because it is his turn. He lost to John McCain in 2008 so it's his turn at bat. This line of thinking is what drove me to campaign and vote for our current president. When does it end.
I looked at the entire crop before making my decision. My view of each one: Perry-I spoke with a family member in Dallas who owns his own business and the stories he told of Perry makes me think he is very reckless. Santorum- wolf in sheeps clothing. He is not a fiscal conservative and he voted against Right to Work legislature. Newt-I gained a whole new respect for Newt watching the 1 on 1 debate he had with Governor Huntsman. But, too many questions concerning his relationships with Fanny & Freddie, and his endorsement of the Medicare Drug Plan takes him out of the picture. Uncle Ron Paul- I actually like alot of his views, my friends Hammer and Red know exactly what I mean, but I said I like a small government not none at all. and Finally Romney- You may think he is the most electable, but think again. This Bain Capital crap, (which I have no problem with, it's called Capitalism)is making waves now, wait until Axlerod gets his teeth into it. Trust me I know how they work.
Governor Huntsman is really our only choice. How is the president going to debate him? Compare his record in Utah with Mass. or the last 4 years. A man who chose to serve his country instead of serving the Republican party and earning his way to the front of the line. Lets not make this a 4 state election.
But as the republican party normally does, they chose their candidate by whose turn it was, instead of who's views came closest to the parties. My parents were what you would call Goldwater/Eisenhower republicans. They believed in small government, fiscally conservative and don't fight wars unless attacked. Now days Eisenhower would probably be a libertarian. Once again the republican party is annointing Mitt Romney because it is his turn. He lost to John McCain in 2008 so it's his turn at bat. This line of thinking is what drove me to campaign and vote for our current president. When does it end.
I looked at the entire crop before making my decision. My view of each one: Perry-I spoke with a family member in Dallas who owns his own business and the stories he told of Perry makes me think he is very reckless. Santorum- wolf in sheeps clothing. He is not a fiscal conservative and he voted against Right to Work legislature. Newt-I gained a whole new respect for Newt watching the 1 on 1 debate he had with Governor Huntsman. But, too many questions concerning his relationships with Fanny & Freddie, and his endorsement of the Medicare Drug Plan takes him out of the picture. Uncle Ron Paul- I actually like alot of his views, my friends Hammer and Red know exactly what I mean, but I said I like a small government not none at all. and Finally Romney- You may think he is the most electable, but think again. This Bain Capital crap, (which I have no problem with, it's called Capitalism)is making waves now, wait until Axlerod gets his teeth into it. Trust me I know how they work.
Governor Huntsman is really our only choice. How is the president going to debate him? Compare his record in Utah with Mass. or the last 4 years. A man who chose to serve his country instead of serving the Republican party and earning his way to the front of the line. Lets not make this a 4 state election.
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
I'm back and in the Hunt
I sometimes wonder what makes people do the things they do. Is it from habbit, how they were raised or simply what they see on television? Through Facebook we are able to catch a brief glimpse into other peoples lives. This new obsession has grasped our nation and you would think that somehow or somewhere we have all become "Friends". It gives the seven degrees of seperation a whole new meaning. I mean are we all really that friendly? You know I have 383 friends on Facebook, but I'm really hoping that I can find 6 buddies to carry my casket when the good lord calls me home.
Watching episodes 17 & 18 of the new series "The Republican Debates" I started wondering how many people are "Friends" to the candidates. I'm sure by now Newt has de-friended Mitt, Rick S and Rick P. He may still be friends with Jon H. but was never a friend of Ron P. As for Ron Paul, his list of political friends is limited to his son and possibly Jim Demint on occasion. I was also very impressed with Governor Huntsman's performance in this week-ends debates.
As many of you know, I supported President Obama in the 2008 election. He was the first and only Democrat I had ever supported. Iraq was the main reason and I saw the 2008 version of John McCain as "W" 2.0. Knowing what I know now, would I have voted differently? Probably not. If McCain had won there probably would not have been a TeaParty or Occupiers. Status Quo would have been rule.
In Governor Huntsman I actually see someone who gets it. Who understands our problems are not who can and cannot get married. It's allowing banks to become too big to fail. It's making the tax plan simplier and easier to understand by lower taxes and removing loop holes. Our problems don't reside in Afghanistan but knowing they lie in Pakistan and having someone who knows the way to handle it is through a strong fiscal policy and not threats of war. Someone who knows that the only way to get out of the Middle East is to stop importing their oil, thus funding the terrorist we spend Trillions to fight.
I know I'm probably not going to persuade anyone to vote for Governor Huntsman. I only ask that you do your homework and at least give him a shot here in SC. He is not perfect, but who is? There has only been one who can make that claim.
"When you come to the fork in the road, take it". Yogi Berra.
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Ash Wednesday and the start to Lent
Some of you may or may not know but I gave up Facebook for Lent this year. Over the years I have given up such things as cheese, beer, caffiene, salt and even one year listening to sports talk radio.
Sometimes we don't notice how certain things we do have gained power over us and dictate our actions. In Lent fasts, we discover these things and give them up so that God can be in charge. Franciscans use the term 'detachment': the less that 'stuff' preoccupies your life, the more room there is for God, as well as for yourself and for other people.
When I consider the sacrifices that have been made in the past from not only the first believers but the ultimate sacrifice at Calvary, it makes the few hours I am giving up seem small. I plan to read more, write more and pray more.
Syd
Sometimes we don't notice how certain things we do have gained power over us and dictate our actions. In Lent fasts, we discover these things and give them up so that God can be in charge. Franciscans use the term 'detachment': the less that 'stuff' preoccupies your life, the more room there is for God, as well as for yourself and for other people.
When I consider the sacrifices that have been made in the past from not only the first believers but the ultimate sacrifice at Calvary, it makes the few hours I am giving up seem small. I plan to read more, write more and pray more.
Syd
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Oh by the way.....
Throughout the last couple of weeks of campaigning did anyone notice one thing missing in all of their speeches and commercials? I heard plenty of talk of overturning "Obama Care", lowering taxes, "taking back our country", but I heard nothing of ending wars. Even yesterday as victory speeches were made and political analyst tried to tell us what happened nothing was mentioned. Have we been fighting so long now that we have forgotten about our soldiers? Not once did John Boehner mention what the new congress was going to do about Iraq or Afganistan. Also something else that I'm curious about, how do we pay for 2 wars when we are cutting taxes or cutting our revenue?
Least we forget, while the people were speaking and the tea party was taking back the country, on Tuesday Spc Jonathan Curtis(24)of Belmont, Mass and Pfc Andrew Meari(21) of Plainfield, Ill lost their lives in Afganistan. Please, their families and the families we know and love deserve to know what your plans are for these 2 wars. By the way Mr. Speaker I have a question.....
Syd
Least we forget, while the people were speaking and the tea party was taking back the country, on Tuesday Spc Jonathan Curtis(24)of Belmont, Mass and Pfc Andrew Meari(21) of Plainfield, Ill lost their lives in Afganistan. Please, their families and the families we know and love deserve to know what your plans are for these 2 wars. By the way Mr. Speaker I have a question.....
Syd
Tuesday, November 2, 2010
1 Never Works
It's election day and unfortunately, I'm afraid the straight party people are going to win out again. These are the people who automatically hit the Big R or Big D button each and every time. In this state it usually means the Big R. I'm not sure if it's because they don't want to take the time to examine each candidate or they don't know how to examine each candidate, or they are simply doing what they were told to do by Fox News. Funny how things have changed. I remember growing up in Oconee County and my family being the only Republicans there. 36 years ago today my dad had me out holding up signs for James Edwards, to help elect the 1st republican governor since reconstruction. Imagine that, South Carolina a democratic stronghold.
Several years ago I was having a conversation with State Senator Fletcher Smith and we were discussing the change. I told him 40 years ago you could walk into any church in SC with a handful of rocks and not hit 5 republicans, now you can walk into any church in SC and not hit 5 democrats. When they find out what went wrong they may make inroads back into this state. But the sad part is that most people now will not give any other candidate a chance unless they have the R beside their name.
If we have learned anything in the last 10 years is that when 1 party is in charge the system goes to hell. During Reagan we had a republican president and a democratic congress that started the end of the cold war and economic growth. Likewise with Clinton. Democratic President and a Republican Congress gave us a Balanced Budget, Welfare Reform and a surplus. Under Bush (Republican President and Republican Congress) we had record deficit, 2 wars, wall street meltdown. Once again with a Democratic President and Democratic House we are seeing things once more going to hell.
I for one am happy to see the changing of the guard in the house. I hope history repeats itself and the prosperity of split leadership returns.
Happy Voting
Syd
Several years ago I was having a conversation with State Senator Fletcher Smith and we were discussing the change. I told him 40 years ago you could walk into any church in SC with a handful of rocks and not hit 5 republicans, now you can walk into any church in SC and not hit 5 democrats. When they find out what went wrong they may make inroads back into this state. But the sad part is that most people now will not give any other candidate a chance unless they have the R beside their name.
If we have learned anything in the last 10 years is that when 1 party is in charge the system goes to hell. During Reagan we had a republican president and a democratic congress that started the end of the cold war and economic growth. Likewise with Clinton. Democratic President and a Republican Congress gave us a Balanced Budget, Welfare Reform and a surplus. Under Bush (Republican President and Republican Congress) we had record deficit, 2 wars, wall street meltdown. Once again with a Democratic President and Democratic House we are seeing things once more going to hell.
I for one am happy to see the changing of the guard in the house. I hope history repeats itself and the prosperity of split leadership returns.
Happy Voting
Syd
Monday, October 25, 2010
Same trail different hiker
Nikki Haley has been called Mark Sanford in a skirt. For all of his good intentions the bottom line was Mark Sanford never got anything accomplished because of his refusal to work with the General Assembly. A general assembly made up of his party. With Nikki Haley I am afraid the same thing is going to happen.
She's been in the South Carolina General Assembly for six years, and hers is the party that's been in power the entire time. A woman with ideas about what needs to be done in our state, one who works hard and knows how to get things done... she's had ample time to accomplish things.
And yet she hasn't. I'm not badmouthing the woman. I'm talking about facts. She was the primary sponsor of five bills in the last two years. None of them passed.
In six years in the legislature, she's been the primary sponsor of exactly one bill that's passed. Just one. It allows people to wash hair in hair salons without having a cosmetology license.
Being governor is not like being a king in olden days. She doesn't get to do whatever she wants. She has to get laws passed by the legislature to do anything. Otherwise, nothing happens (ala Sanford and his inability to work with his own party).
She was at the Citadel this weekend talking to cadets and told them she would be giving out report cards to legislators who weren't working with her to pass legislation or weren't keeping their promises to voters.
I don't think that's going to make any lawmakers eager to work with her -- having her give them failing grades. They don't work for the governor. They work with the governor, if all parties are willing. She's already set the wrong tone.
Don't take my word for this. Look up information for yourself. Ask her. Ask her campaign. What has she accomplished in the legislature? She hasn't shown the initiative to come up with legislative proposals herself, get them through the House and Senate and signed into law. Simply has not done it. Not in 6 years.
She's campaigning on roll-call votes in the legislature, so we can hold lawmakers more accountable for their actions. Roll-call votes are part of the permanent record, so we can look back and see who voted yes and who voted no on particular issues, as opposed to passing legislation by lawmakers simply saying yeah or nay as a group.
I think that's a great idea. I support her completely on that.
But she couldn't get it passed, not with a Republican majority in the House and Senate.
Why couldn't she do this? Why couldn't she rally her party to pass something important? To pass anything?
What is she going to do differently as governor? I think a person's past actions are the best indicator of what they will do in the future. Nikki Haley simply hasn't gotten anything done.
She's been in the South Carolina General Assembly for six years, and hers is the party that's been in power the entire time. A woman with ideas about what needs to be done in our state, one who works hard and knows how to get things done... she's had ample time to accomplish things.
And yet she hasn't. I'm not badmouthing the woman. I'm talking about facts. She was the primary sponsor of five bills in the last two years. None of them passed.
In six years in the legislature, she's been the primary sponsor of exactly one bill that's passed. Just one. It allows people to wash hair in hair salons without having a cosmetology license.
Being governor is not like being a king in olden days. She doesn't get to do whatever she wants. She has to get laws passed by the legislature to do anything. Otherwise, nothing happens (ala Sanford and his inability to work with his own party).
She was at the Citadel this weekend talking to cadets and told them she would be giving out report cards to legislators who weren't working with her to pass legislation or weren't keeping their promises to voters.
I don't think that's going to make any lawmakers eager to work with her -- having her give them failing grades. They don't work for the governor. They work with the governor, if all parties are willing. She's already set the wrong tone.
Don't take my word for this. Look up information for yourself. Ask her. Ask her campaign. What has she accomplished in the legislature? She hasn't shown the initiative to come up with legislative proposals herself, get them through the House and Senate and signed into law. Simply has not done it. Not in 6 years.
She's campaigning on roll-call votes in the legislature, so we can hold lawmakers more accountable for their actions. Roll-call votes are part of the permanent record, so we can look back and see who voted yes and who voted no on particular issues, as opposed to passing legislation by lawmakers simply saying yeah or nay as a group.
I think that's a great idea. I support her completely on that.
But she couldn't get it passed, not with a Republican majority in the House and Senate.
Why couldn't she do this? Why couldn't she rally her party to pass something important? To pass anything?
What is she going to do differently as governor? I think a person's past actions are the best indicator of what they will do in the future. Nikki Haley simply hasn't gotten anything done.
Monday, May 3, 2010
"In God We Trust"?
I recently received another one of those annoying e-mails claiming how the Obama government wants to remove "In God We Trust" from our currency. I don't know how true these emails are but I think it should be removed. Should our trust in god really be associated with our money? Think about all the things people are willing to do to obtain money. Lie, cheat, steal, whatever it takes to obtain wealth. We now live in a society that it takes boths parents working, and the 60 hr work week is not unusual. All these things for money. I know it takes money to live but do we really need to associate our god with money? Matt. 6:24 tells us you cannot serve both God and Money. So do we need gods name on there? Think about all the evil that is caused by money. We fight wars over oil(money). We see the con's and swindles of Wall Street(money) even locally the collapse of Carolina Investors was a simple case of a few people wanting more and not worrying about who they hurt. Everyday a convenience store is being robbed, or home invasion, drug traffic, etc. All for the love of money. How true was Paul's letter to Timothy saying "for the love of money is the root of All Evil"? (Paul amazes me with his ability today to step on our toes).
Also, Do we really trust in God?
So, count me as one of those who does not want my God associated with money. Next thing you know he will expect me to give him a portion of it.
Syd
Also, Do we really trust in God?
So, count me as one of those who does not want my God associated with money. Next thing you know he will expect me to give him a portion of it.
Syd
Thursday, March 25, 2010
Is this who we are?
So it has come to this. The health care bill was passed and there have been threats to congressmen and vandalism to democratic hq's. Racial slurs to James Clyburn, homophobic shouts at Barney Franks, death threats to many and bemoaning by all of those who opposed the bill. Is this really who we are? Maybe we should remove "In God We Trust" from our currency. With the amount of hate that has been shown this week in our country are we really "One Nation Under God"? No I do not agree with everything in the bill. But I do agree that something had to be done. The republican response throughout has been "we need to take more time to discuss" which was BS. 14 months has been long enough. They only wanted to prolong the effort to tie things up. My question to all those who oppose this because we can not afford it is, Where were you when Bush & Cheney were financing 2 wars with borrowed money? Speaking of fiscal irresponsiblity, cutting taxes while staging 2 wars? That doesn't begin to make sense. During WWII Americans were encouraged to give more not less. How sad is it that we have an unlimited budget for killing and worry about the price of saving someones life.
Again I say, I don't agree with everything in the bill. But I do not think my healthcare should be limited to the amount of money in my checking acct. Or do I believe that someone should risk bankruptcy because they became ill. With Insurance or Without it's happening everyday. Aren't we a better Country than this?
"We are the people our parents warned us about" Jimmy Buffett
Again I say, I don't agree with everything in the bill. But I do not think my healthcare should be limited to the amount of money in my checking acct. Or do I believe that someone should risk bankruptcy because they became ill. With Insurance or Without it's happening everyday. Aren't we a better Country than this?
"We are the people our parents warned us about" Jimmy Buffett
Monday, March 22, 2010
Deserving?
After reading and listening to everyone fussing about the health care bill a couple of thoughts crossed my mind. The general feeling is that people who don't deserve to be covered may be covered and it's going to cost to much. I read someone say "I might as well quit my job so I can be covered by the government". Or "these people don't pay their share of taxes so why should I pay for their health care". I'm so glad God doesn't think like this. If you think about it, Does any of us deserve God's Grace? We worry so much that someone else may receive something that they didn't earn, that I work hard for what I got and they didn't. How many times have you thought this? Or, That these welfare families have gotten to where they are by their own doing. They are getting what they deserve and I shouldn't have to pay for it. Thank you Jesus for not thinking this way.
With this line of thinking, you could say, "that person does not tithe so they should not recieve God's Grace" or 'they don't go to church so God shouldn't love them as much as he loves me", "I've Earned his grace". None of us could ever do anything to Earn such a gift. Romans says "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Grace was paid for at the cross for everyone. Even the ones we may not think are deserving. Whether or not someone deserves health care is really not for us to say? When and if I meet my maker I don't want the lord to say "I was sick and you denied me healthcare for what you did not do for the least of these you did not do for me". Remember "For God So Loved THE ENTIRE WORLD he gave his only son."
Syd
With this line of thinking, you could say, "that person does not tithe so they should not recieve God's Grace" or 'they don't go to church so God shouldn't love them as much as he loves me", "I've Earned his grace". None of us could ever do anything to Earn such a gift. Romans says "ALL have sinned and fall short of the glory of God". Grace was paid for at the cross for everyone. Even the ones we may not think are deserving. Whether or not someone deserves health care is really not for us to say? When and if I meet my maker I don't want the lord to say "I was sick and you denied me healthcare for what you did not do for the least of these you did not do for me". Remember "For God So Loved THE ENTIRE WORLD he gave his only son."
Syd
Tuesday, February 23, 2010
Lenten Thought
As we finish the first week of lent I thought it would be a good time to continue a discussion we had this morning in our Madmen group. Reading the story of the transfiguration the question came up, how have you transfigured since becoming a christian? For those who don't remember the scripture, Jesus had taken Peter, James and John up the mountain and while there his face shown bright and his clothing turned to white. Then Moses and Elijah appeared and begin talking with him.
What a glorious sight this must have been. Especially for these 3 jews who had grown up with the stories of these two historical figures. And those words "this is my beloved son whom I am pleased, Hear Him" had to reconfirm their actions in dropping everything and following him.
The question is after you have "heard him" how have you transformed? I don't think we should expect our faces to shine bright with light but they should shine bright with a smile. Our faces should show the brightness of love and understanding, not the darkness of divisiveness and hate. If we really "hear him" we know we should love our god and love our neighbors as our selves.
As I begin the second week of lent my hope is that I will continue to hear him and not let other things interfere with the signal.
Syd
What a glorious sight this must have been. Especially for these 3 jews who had grown up with the stories of these two historical figures. And those words "this is my beloved son whom I am pleased, Hear Him" had to reconfirm their actions in dropping everything and following him.
The question is after you have "heard him" how have you transformed? I don't think we should expect our faces to shine bright with light but they should shine bright with a smile. Our faces should show the brightness of love and understanding, not the darkness of divisiveness and hate. If we really "hear him" we know we should love our god and love our neighbors as our selves.
As I begin the second week of lent my hope is that I will continue to hear him and not let other things interfere with the signal.
Syd
Monday, February 22, 2010
Facebook is not that new
It's been a very long time since I actually wrote anything of substance or of anything on here. Blame it on Facebook. I now know why they call it crackbook. It is very addictive because its too easy. It reminds me of the old party lines we had growing up. For those who are too young to remember, this was when people had to share phone lines. We had an aunt who loved listening in on our phone calls. You could find out all the personal information from other people by simply picking up your phone and catching them talking. Not saying it happened alot but it did happen at times. Also growing up the local papers would have different churches and communities write basically a newsletter in their papers. It would go something like this, "We had 13 visitors this week at church. Jesse Hightower's aunt from Atlanta was visiting Jesse and Louise this week and we all enjoyed a church dinner Sunday. Also Mary Jones is in the hospital and remember such and such in your prayers".
Reading the local newspaper (which came once or twice a week depending on the paper) was our facebook. We knew who was getting married, who was sick or dead, who visited who over the week-end, who needed our prayers and what the school menu was going to be. This was all we needed to know. Mr. Bill wrote on a board if our school was closed for snow. If we needed to buy or sell something we didn't need Craigslists or Ebay we had WGOG and the Pickens Flea Market. If they didn't have it, you didn't need it.
So you see all this new technology is not all that new. We had all the technology we needed. If you wanted to know more, you just picked up the phone and listened.
Reading the local newspaper (which came once or twice a week depending on the paper) was our facebook. We knew who was getting married, who was sick or dead, who visited who over the week-end, who needed our prayers and what the school menu was going to be. This was all we needed to know. Mr. Bill wrote on a board if our school was closed for snow. If we needed to buy or sell something we didn't need Craigslists or Ebay we had WGOG and the Pickens Flea Market. If they didn't have it, you didn't need it.
So you see all this new technology is not all that new. We had all the technology we needed. If you wanted to know more, you just picked up the phone and listened.
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans Day (Duty, Honor, Country)
Below is General Douglas MacArthur's farewell speech to the cadets at West Point. Please take time to read and reflect on its body.
General Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Speech
Given to the Corps of Cadets at West Point
May 12, 1962
General Westmoreland, General Groves, distinguished guests, and gentlemen of the Corps. As I was leaving the hotel this morning, a doorman asked me, "Where are you bound for, General?" and when I replied, "West Point," he remarked, "Beautiful place, have you ever been there before?"
No human being could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute as this, coming from a profession I have served so long and a people I have loved so well. It fills me with an emotion I cannot express. But this award is not intended primarily for a personality, but to symbolize a great moral code - the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent. That is the meaning of this medallion. For all eyes and for all time, it is an expression of the ethics of the American soldier. That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me always.
"Duty," "Honor," "Country" - those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you want to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.
The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and, I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.
But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid.
They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for action; not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm, but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future, yet never neglect the past; to be serious, yet never take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness; the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
They give you a temperate will, a quality of imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.
And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory?
Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.
His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me, or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.
But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements.
In twenty campaigns, on a hundred battlefields, around a thousand campfires, I have witnessed that enduring fortitude, that patriotic self-abnegation, and that invincible determination which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people.
From one end of the world to the other, he has drained deep the chalice of courage. As I listened to those songs of the glee club, in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs on many a weary march, from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle deep through mire of shell-pocked roads; to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.
I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always for them: Duty, Honor, Country. Always their blood, and sweat, and tears, as they saw the way and the light.
And twenty years after, on the other side of the globe, against the filth of dirty foxholes, the stench of ghostly trenches, the slime of dripping dugouts, those boiling suns of the relentless heat, those torrential rains of devastating storms, the loneliness and utter desolation of jungle trails, the bitterness of long separation of those they loved and cherished, the deadly pestilence of tropic disease, the horror of stricken areas of war.
Their resolute and determined defense, their swift and sure attack, their indomitable purpose, their complete and decisive victory - always victory, always through the bloody haze of their last reverberating shot, the vision of gaunt, ghastly men, reverently following your password of Duty, Honor, Country.
The code which those words perpetuate embraces the highest moral laws and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the uplift of mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right, and its restraints are from the things that are wrong. The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training - sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when he created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of the Divine help which alone can sustain him. However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country, is the noblest development of mankind.
You now face a new world, a world of change. The thrust into outer space of the satellite, spheres and missiles marked the beginning of another epoch in the long story of mankind - the chapter of the space age. In the five or more billions of years the scientists tell us it has taken to form the earth, in the three or more billion years of development of the human race, there has never been a greater, a more abrupt or staggering evolution. We deal now not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless frontier. We speak in strange terms: of harnessing the cosmic energy; of making winds and tides work for us; of creating unheard synthetic materials to supplement or even replace our old standard basics; of purifying sea water for our drink; of mining ocean floors for new fields of wealth and food; of disease preventatives to expand life into the hundred of years; of controlling the weather for a more equitable distribution of heat and cold, of rain and shine; of space ships to the moon; of the primary target in war, no longer limited to the armed forces of an enemy, but instead to include his civil populations; of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister forces of some other planetary galaxy; of such dreams and fantasies as to make life the most exciting of all time.
And through all this welter of change and development your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable. It is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purpose, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishments; but you are the ones who are trained to fight.
Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the Nation will be destroyed, that the very obsession of your public service must be Duty, Honor, Country.
Others will debate the controversial issues, national and international, which divide men's minds. But serene, calm, aloof, you stand as the Nation's war guardians, as its lifeguards from the raging tides of international conflict, as its gladiators in the arena of battle. For a century and a half you have defended, guarded and protected its hallowed traditions of liberty and freedom, of right and justice.
Let civilian voices argue the merits or demerits of our processes of government. Whether our strength is being sapped by deficit financing indulged in too long, by federal paternalism grown too mighty, by power groups grown too arrogant, by politics grown too corrupt, by crime grown too rampant, by morals grown too low, by taxes grown too high, by extremists grown too violent; whether our personal liberties are as firm and complete as they should be.
These great national problems are not for your professional participation or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a tenfold beacon in the night: Duty, Honor, Country.
You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the Nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds.
The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.
This does not mean that you are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished - tone and tints. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen then, but with thirsty ear, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll.
In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.
Today marks my final roll call with you. But I want you to know that when I cross the river, my last conscious thoughts will be of the Corps, and the Corps, and the Corps.
I bid you farewell.
General Douglas MacArthur's Farewell Speech
Given to the Corps of Cadets at West Point
May 12, 1962
General Westmoreland, General Groves, distinguished guests, and gentlemen of the Corps. As I was leaving the hotel this morning, a doorman asked me, "Where are you bound for, General?" and when I replied, "West Point," he remarked, "Beautiful place, have you ever been there before?"
No human being could fail to be deeply moved by such a tribute as this, coming from a profession I have served so long and a people I have loved so well. It fills me with an emotion I cannot express. But this award is not intended primarily for a personality, but to symbolize a great moral code - the code of conduct and chivalry of those who guard this beloved land of culture and ancient descent. That is the meaning of this medallion. For all eyes and for all time, it is an expression of the ethics of the American soldier. That I should be integrated in this way with so noble an ideal arouses a sense of pride and yet of humility which will be with me always.
"Duty," "Honor," "Country" - those three hallowed words reverently dictate what you want to be, what you can be, what you will be. They are your rallying point to build courage when courage seems to fail, to regain faith when there seems to be little cause for faith, to create hope when hope becomes forlorn. Unhappily, I possess neither that eloquence of diction, that poetry of imagination, nor that brilliance of metaphor to tell you all that they mean.
The unbelievers will say they are but words, but a slogan, but a flamboyant phrase. Every pedant, every demagogue, every cynic, every hypocrite, every troublemaker, and, I am sorry to say, some others of an entirely different character, will try to downgrade them even to the extent of mockery and ridicule.
But these are some of the things they do. They build your basic character. They mold you for your future roles as the custodians of the nation's defense. They make you strong enough to know when you are weak, and brave enough to face yourself when you are afraid.
They teach you to be proud and unbending in honest failure, but humble and gentle in success; not to substitute words for action; not to seek the path of comfort, but to face the stress and spur of difficulty and challenge; to learn to stand up in the storm, but to have compassion on those who fall; to master yourself before you seek to master others; to have a heart that is clean, a goal that is high; to learn to laugh, yet never forget how to weep; to reach into the future, yet never neglect the past; to be serious, yet never take yourself too seriously; to be modest so that you will remember the simplicity of true greatness; the open mind of true wisdom, the meekness of true strength.
They give you a temperate will, a quality of imagination, a vigor of the emotions, a freshness of the deep springs of life, a temperamental predominance of courage over timidity, an appetite for adventure over love of ease. They create in your heart the sense of wonder, the unfailing hope of what next, and the joy and inspiration of life. They teach you in this way to be an officer and a gentleman.
And what sort of soldiers are those you are to lead? Are they reliable? Are they brave? Are they capable of victory?
Their story is known to all of you. It is the story of the American man at arms. My estimate of him was formed on the battlefields many, many years ago, and has never changed. I regarded him then, as I regard him now, as one of the world's noblest figures; not only as one of the finest military characters, but also as one of the most stainless.
His name and fame are the birthright of every American citizen. In his youth and strength, his love and loyalty, he gave all that mortality can give. He needs no eulogy from me, or from any other man. He has written his own history and written it in red on his enemy's breast.
But when I think of his patience under adversity, of his courage under fire, and of his modesty in victory, I am filled with an emotion of admiration I cannot put into words. He belongs to history as furnishing one of the greatest examples of successful patriotism. He belongs to posterity as the instructor of future generations in the principles of liberty and freedom. He belongs to the present, to us, by his virtues and by his achievements.
In twenty campaigns, on a hundred battlefields, around a thousand campfires, I have witnessed that enduring fortitude, that patriotic self-abnegation, and that invincible determination which have carved his statue in the hearts of his people.
From one end of the world to the other, he has drained deep the chalice of courage. As I listened to those songs of the glee club, in memory's eye I could see those staggering columns of the First World War, bending under soggy packs on many a weary march, from dripping dusk to drizzling dawn, slogging ankle deep through mire of shell-pocked roads; to form grimly for the attack, blue-lipped, covered with sludge and mud, chilled by the wind and rain, driving home to their objective, and for many, to the judgment seat of God.
I do not know the dignity of their birth, but I do know the glory of their death. They died unquestioning, uncomplaining, with faith in their hearts, and on their lips the hope that we would go on to victory. Always for them: Duty, Honor, Country. Always their blood, and sweat, and tears, as they saw the way and the light.
And twenty years after, on the other side of the globe, against the filth of dirty foxholes, the stench of ghostly trenches, the slime of dripping dugouts, those boiling suns of the relentless heat, those torrential rains of devastating storms, the loneliness and utter desolation of jungle trails, the bitterness of long separation of those they loved and cherished, the deadly pestilence of tropic disease, the horror of stricken areas of war.
Their resolute and determined defense, their swift and sure attack, their indomitable purpose, their complete and decisive victory - always victory, always through the bloody haze of their last reverberating shot, the vision of gaunt, ghastly men, reverently following your password of Duty, Honor, Country.
The code which those words perpetuate embraces the highest moral laws and will stand the test of any ethics or philosophies ever promulgated for the uplift of mankind. Its requirements are for the things that are right, and its restraints are from the things that are wrong. The soldier, above all other men, is required to practice the greatest act of religious training - sacrifice. In battle and in the face of danger and death, he discloses those divine attributes which his Maker gave when he created man in his own image. No physical courage and no brute instinct can take the place of the Divine help which alone can sustain him. However horrible the incidents of war may be, the soldier who is called upon to offer and to give his life for his country, is the noblest development of mankind.
You now face a new world, a world of change. The thrust into outer space of the satellite, spheres and missiles marked the beginning of another epoch in the long story of mankind - the chapter of the space age. In the five or more billions of years the scientists tell us it has taken to form the earth, in the three or more billion years of development of the human race, there has never been a greater, a more abrupt or staggering evolution. We deal now not with things of this world alone, but with the illimitable distances and as yet unfathomed mysteries of the universe. We are reaching out for a new and boundless frontier. We speak in strange terms: of harnessing the cosmic energy; of making winds and tides work for us; of creating unheard synthetic materials to supplement or even replace our old standard basics; of purifying sea water for our drink; of mining ocean floors for new fields of wealth and food; of disease preventatives to expand life into the hundred of years; of controlling the weather for a more equitable distribution of heat and cold, of rain and shine; of space ships to the moon; of the primary target in war, no longer limited to the armed forces of an enemy, but instead to include his civil populations; of ultimate conflict between a united human race and the sinister forces of some other planetary galaxy; of such dreams and fantasies as to make life the most exciting of all time.
And through all this welter of change and development your mission remains fixed, determined, inviolable. It is to win our wars. Everything else in your professional career is but corollary to this vital dedication. All other public purpose, all other public projects, all other public needs, great or small, will find others for their accomplishments; but you are the ones who are trained to fight.
Yours is the profession of arms, the will to win, the sure knowledge that in war there is no substitute for victory, that if you lose, the Nation will be destroyed, that the very obsession of your public service must be Duty, Honor, Country.
Others will debate the controversial issues, national and international, which divide men's minds. But serene, calm, aloof, you stand as the Nation's war guardians, as its lifeguards from the raging tides of international conflict, as its gladiators in the arena of battle. For a century and a half you have defended, guarded and protected its hallowed traditions of liberty and freedom, of right and justice.
Let civilian voices argue the merits or demerits of our processes of government. Whether our strength is being sapped by deficit financing indulged in too long, by federal paternalism grown too mighty, by power groups grown too arrogant, by politics grown too corrupt, by crime grown too rampant, by morals grown too low, by taxes grown too high, by extremists grown too violent; whether our personal liberties are as firm and complete as they should be.
These great national problems are not for your professional participation or military solution. Your guidepost stands out like a tenfold beacon in the night: Duty, Honor, Country.
You are the leaven which binds together the entire fabric of our national system of defense. From your ranks come the great captains who hold the Nation's destiny in their hands the moment the war tocsin sounds.
The long gray line has never failed us. Were you to do so, a million ghosts in olive drab, in brown khaki, in blue and gray, would rise from their white crosses, thundering those magic words: Duty, Honor, Country.
This does not mean that you are warmongers. On the contrary, the soldier above all other people prays for peace, for he must suffer and bear the deepest wounds and scars of war. But always in our ears ring the ominous words of Plato, that wisest of all philosophers: "Only the dead have seen the end of war."
The shadows are lengthening for me. The twilight is here. My days of old have vanished - tone and tints. They have gone glimmering through the dreams of things that were. Their memory is one of wondrous beauty, watered by tears and coaxed and caressed by the smiles of yesterday. I listen then, but with thirsty ear, for the witching melody of faint bugles blowing reveille, of far drums beating the long roll.
In my dreams I hear again the crash of guns, the rattle of musketry, the strange, mournful mutter of the battlefield. But in the evening of my memory I come back to West Point. Always there echoes and re-echoes: Duty, Honor, Country.
Today marks my final roll call with you. But I want you to know that when I cross the river, my last conscious thoughts will be of the Corps, and the Corps, and the Corps.
I bid you farewell.
Friday, August 14, 2009
I really need your help!!!
I really need everyones help. With all this discussion on healthcare I am a little confused on what should be done. You see, I have always been one of those who has felt that we should all take responsiblity for our own actions. I have done it and I expect others to follow suit. But I have a couple of real life situations that I need some help on. Here they are:
1) We are going to call this person John. John was having severe pain in his back. He thought he had pulled a muscle or something in his lower back but had no insurance and could not afford to go to a doctor so he ignored it. The pain continued on and on but he just hoped it would eventually go away. A year or so passed and the pain continued and actually increased. Finally, John went to see a doctor. The doctor imediately put him into the hospital. To make a long story short John had kidney disease that eventually costs him a kidney. No insurance the total costs @ $250,00 that he has no chance of paying. The Dr. states that if they had caught it early enough they could have saved the kidney plus the pain and suffering that came and continues with it.
2) We are going to call this person Mary. This person is someone who has tried to do everything right her entire life. Started and was successful for a while in her own business. For many reasons, her business closed and in the process she lost everything. Her house, her business and her dignity. Mary was forced at 52 to move back in with her elderly mother. Mary has had many physical ailments throughout her life and such her health insurance is @$1500.00 per month. Without insurance her prescryptions run $1400 per mo. A year later she can no longer afford health insurance. She falls between the cracks of medicaid and disablity. With her age and medical history, the chances of her finding employment are slim. What is she to do?
Folks these are 2 people I actually know. This is not a scare tactic or stories made up. What are we to do? To help these people some would call it socialism, or government interference. We scream about choice, but what are their choices?
Call me whatever you may, I am big enough and tough enough to take it. But I really am ashamed of a country that allows this to happen. Matt. 25 tells us that what we do for the least we do to Jesus.
I look forward to your replies.
Syd
1) We are going to call this person John. John was having severe pain in his back. He thought he had pulled a muscle or something in his lower back but had no insurance and could not afford to go to a doctor so he ignored it. The pain continued on and on but he just hoped it would eventually go away. A year or so passed and the pain continued and actually increased. Finally, John went to see a doctor. The doctor imediately put him into the hospital. To make a long story short John had kidney disease that eventually costs him a kidney. No insurance the total costs @ $250,00 that he has no chance of paying. The Dr. states that if they had caught it early enough they could have saved the kidney plus the pain and suffering that came and continues with it.
2) We are going to call this person Mary. This person is someone who has tried to do everything right her entire life. Started and was successful for a while in her own business. For many reasons, her business closed and in the process she lost everything. Her house, her business and her dignity. Mary was forced at 52 to move back in with her elderly mother. Mary has had many physical ailments throughout her life and such her health insurance is @$1500.00 per month. Without insurance her prescryptions run $1400 per mo. A year later she can no longer afford health insurance. She falls between the cracks of medicaid and disablity. With her age and medical history, the chances of her finding employment are slim. What is she to do?
Folks these are 2 people I actually know. This is not a scare tactic or stories made up. What are we to do? To help these people some would call it socialism, or government interference. We scream about choice, but what are their choices?
Call me whatever you may, I am big enough and tough enough to take it. But I really am ashamed of a country that allows this to happen. Matt. 25 tells us that what we do for the least we do to Jesus.
I look forward to your replies.
Syd
Wednesday, June 10, 2009
Microwave Minds
I apologize, and I admit it, I now understand why they call it "CrackBook", I'm addicted. Since signing up for Face Book I have not taken the time to write anything on this blog. The problem is, with Face Book you don't have to think. You can just write a quick sentence of what is on your mind and leave it at that. This is the world we live in. Between twittering, facebook, texting and instant messaging, our thought process has been deminished to a simple sentence.
Recenting we lost a great journalist and a great man in Dan Foster. Dan had a great gift of taking any sporting event and giving it a personal feel. You felt you were there. Dan's insights into the upstate and upstate sports legend were built over a lifetime. His unique perspectives would translate into a story that you felt was being told to you by your next door neighbor. He was our ears and voice to the outside world, whether it was at the Super Bowl,the Masters, or the Kentucky Derby, Dan brought it all back to us in a way that we could all identify with. Sadly, the days of the Dan Foster's and Jim Murrays of the world are going away.
Imagine these guys trying to describe Jack Nicklaus's charge on the back nine at Augusta in a twitter message. Or him texting you with JN birdd #13 4 led. Or Jim Murray IMing you with Secrtariat Fast Horse. It just doesn't feel right does it.
This instant gratification society we live in has brought us to this point. No thinking required. It's more important to know that someone is eating dinner than for them to describe what they had. I'm waiting for the day that our sermons will be texted or on twitter. I can see it now, JC luvs u, luv ur nghbor, c u in hven.
LOL,
C U on FB
SS
Recenting we lost a great journalist and a great man in Dan Foster. Dan had a great gift of taking any sporting event and giving it a personal feel. You felt you were there. Dan's insights into the upstate and upstate sports legend were built over a lifetime. His unique perspectives would translate into a story that you felt was being told to you by your next door neighbor. He was our ears and voice to the outside world, whether it was at the Super Bowl,the Masters, or the Kentucky Derby, Dan brought it all back to us in a way that we could all identify with. Sadly, the days of the Dan Foster's and Jim Murrays of the world are going away.
Imagine these guys trying to describe Jack Nicklaus's charge on the back nine at Augusta in a twitter message. Or him texting you with JN birdd #13 4 led. Or Jim Murray IMing you with Secrtariat Fast Horse. It just doesn't feel right does it.
This instant gratification society we live in has brought us to this point. No thinking required. It's more important to know that someone is eating dinner than for them to describe what they had. I'm waiting for the day that our sermons will be texted or on twitter. I can see it now, JC luvs u, luv ur nghbor, c u in hven.
LOL,
C U on FB
SS
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Christian Nation
It's been a while since I have taken the time to write anything. Alot has happened. Birth's and deaths, basketball and work, the normal things that happen when you have a very large extended family. The births and deaths I will write about in the next couple of days. This morning riding to work I made the mistake and found myself listening to the local talk radio. The discussion was on the president's remark of this not being a christian nation, nor a jewish nation etc, etc but a nation of citizens. All the callers (as you would expect) said we are a christian nation.
All though I agree that the majority of Americans claim to be Christians, are we truely a Christian Nation? As a nation do we strive to be Christ Like? Do we love our enemies? When we give to the needy Do we "announce it with trumpets" or "give in secret"? Are we a Christian Nation when 44% of married men, and 36% of married women have committed adultery? We want to announce to the world that we are a Christian Nation, but we are the only country in the world to have ever used a nuclear bomb on another country. We are quick to invade a country for military use but slow to send troops into Dafur."Whatever you did not do for the least of these you did not do for me". So are we a Christian Nation?
I have always said that no one should ever have to ask whether or not you are a Christian. Your actions and the way you treat others should be proof enough. The same applies to our country. No one should ever have to ask whether or not America is a Christian Nation. Our actions should remove all doubt. St. Francis of Assisi says " Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words".
Syd
All though I agree that the majority of Americans claim to be Christians, are we truely a Christian Nation? As a nation do we strive to be Christ Like? Do we love our enemies? When we give to the needy Do we "announce it with trumpets" or "give in secret"? Are we a Christian Nation when 44% of married men, and 36% of married women have committed adultery? We want to announce to the world that we are a Christian Nation, but we are the only country in the world to have ever used a nuclear bomb on another country. We are quick to invade a country for military use but slow to send troops into Dafur."Whatever you did not do for the least of these you did not do for me". So are we a Christian Nation?
I have always said that no one should ever have to ask whether or not you are a Christian. Your actions and the way you treat others should be proof enough. The same applies to our country. No one should ever have to ask whether or not America is a Christian Nation. Our actions should remove all doubt. St. Francis of Assisi says " Preach the Gospel at all times and when necessary use words".
Syd
Monday, February 23, 2009
Bye!!!
I thought of something over the week-end as I was watching a new documentary on HBO. The documentary was done over the course of the election with all the views coming from the McCain campaign. The amount of hatred was unreal. I also remembered how many people said that if Obama won they would leave the country. Well, I'm figuring it was @ 5-7% of the population. If this is the case and our national un-employment is @ 7.5%, then I have one word for them, BYE. It's time to go. If you are so unhappy, leave and let someone have your job. Also, leave the keys to your home for the people who are losing their homes to foreclosure. My expedition is about to turn 285k, I need your car also. That is if you are not taking it with you. Yep, gotta go. You are the ones preaching honesty and integrity. If you said it then stand by your words, pack your stuff and get out.
And please take Mark Sanford with you.
Syd
And please take Mark Sanford with you.
Syd
Friday, February 20, 2009
It's everybody's child support
This morning the rants and raves continued about PRESIDENT OBAMA'S plan to help the toxic morgages. Everyone was saying "we shouldn't help these people who bought beyond their means", or "I paid my morgage on time, why should I be responsible for their irresponsiblity?". Well as I see it there are a couple of factors that have been left out.
1) If you did not see your house go up in value over the last 7 years then you are right, you shouldn't have to assist. The value of houses did not go up 5-7% annually on their own. It was a direct result of more buyers (qualified or not) entering the market. Greenville was not as badly effected as other markets but we for sure were not exempt.
2) If you did not see a significant jump in your 401 or in your stocks during this period you are exempt too. In Jan 2003 the stock market was at @7600 pts. Over the next 5 years it almost doubled. Peaking at @ 14000 at the end of 2007. People were not only buying houses they couldn't afford, but they were 2nd/3rd mortgaging and buying items they couldn't afford. Thus driving up the market with borrowed money.
It happens all the time. During those prosperous 80's, it was called junk bonds. The market crashed in 89,we stayed in a recession until the mid-90's then the dot.coms came to the rescue. The market took a downturn in 2000, 9/11 hit and we used make believe mortgages and money to bail us out. The only problem this time is peoples homes and lives are effected. We used greed and a lack of oversights to create this problem. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend watching "House of Cards" on CNBC. It is very educational and explains how deep it really goes.
Bottom line is this: homes and the stock market were never meant to be cash registers or slot machines. Houses were things you made a home of and raised your family in. The stock market was something for long term investments. Not a source for a quick fix. This is our baby.
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction". 1 Timothy 6:9
Syd
http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Dow_Jones_Industrial_Average_(.DJIA)/WikiChart
1) If you did not see your house go up in value over the last 7 years then you are right, you shouldn't have to assist. The value of houses did not go up 5-7% annually on their own. It was a direct result of more buyers (qualified or not) entering the market. Greenville was not as badly effected as other markets but we for sure were not exempt.
2) If you did not see a significant jump in your 401 or in your stocks during this period you are exempt too. In Jan 2003 the stock market was at @7600 pts. Over the next 5 years it almost doubled. Peaking at @ 14000 at the end of 2007. People were not only buying houses they couldn't afford, but they were 2nd/3rd mortgaging and buying items they couldn't afford. Thus driving up the market with borrowed money.
It happens all the time. During those prosperous 80's, it was called junk bonds. The market crashed in 89,we stayed in a recession until the mid-90's then the dot.coms came to the rescue. The market took a downturn in 2000, 9/11 hit and we used make believe mortgages and money to bail us out. The only problem this time is peoples homes and lives are effected. We used greed and a lack of oversights to create this problem. If you haven't seen it yet, I highly recommend watching "House of Cards" on CNBC. It is very educational and explains how deep it really goes.
Bottom line is this: homes and the stock market were never meant to be cash registers or slot machines. Houses were things you made a home of and raised your family in. The stock market was something for long term investments. Not a source for a quick fix. This is our baby.
"People who want to get rich fall into temptation and a trap and into many foolish and harmful desires that plunge men into ruin and destruction". 1 Timothy 6:9
Syd
http://www.wikinvest.com/stock/Dow_Jones_Industrial_Average_(.DJIA)/WikiChart
Wednesday, January 14, 2009
Does this sound familiar?
Someone please help me here. Utah goes 13-0 and doesn't win the National Championship. They beat 4 ranked teams, destroyed Alabama in the Sugar Bowl and still no national championship. Florida had a loss, and was losing to Alabama into the 4th quarter. Oklahoma a loss. Texas a loss. USC lost to Oregon State who Utah beat earlier in the season. What more did Utah have to do? They did everything they were asked to do and still was not invited to this private club known as the BCS. The BCS, a system to make the rich richer and to keep the poor poorer.
The BCS is more of a reflection of our country over the past 20 years than we want to admit. More times than not it seems that those who do everything that is asked of them are left out of the party. You do all that is asked of you at your job, and it is sent overseas. You buy a house in your price range only to see the overbuilt and overpriced houses around you foreclosed on, and thus drive down the value of yours. The so-called best schools are built near the more affluent areas of a city. Thus denying equal education for all social classes. Your kids must go to the "Right" church or wear the "Right" cloths to fit in and be invited into the club.
In the coming years what incentive does Utah or any other school have for seeking perfection? It's not going to insure anything but self satisfaction. Knowing that you have done your best whether its on a playing field, as a husband/father, employee, or simply being a decent human being, should be all that is needed anyway. In Utah they know who the champions are.
Syd
"If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad"
If it makes you happy, Then why in the hell are you so sad"
Sheryl Crow
The BCS is more of a reflection of our country over the past 20 years than we want to admit. More times than not it seems that those who do everything that is asked of them are left out of the party. You do all that is asked of you at your job, and it is sent overseas. You buy a house in your price range only to see the overbuilt and overpriced houses around you foreclosed on, and thus drive down the value of yours. The so-called best schools are built near the more affluent areas of a city. Thus denying equal education for all social classes. Your kids must go to the "Right" church or wear the "Right" cloths to fit in and be invited into the club.
In the coming years what incentive does Utah or any other school have for seeking perfection? It's not going to insure anything but self satisfaction. Knowing that you have done your best whether its on a playing field, as a husband/father, employee, or simply being a decent human being, should be all that is needed anyway. In Utah they know who the champions are.
Syd
"If it makes you happy, it can't be that bad"
If it makes you happy, Then why in the hell are you so sad"
Sheryl Crow
Saturday, January 10, 2009
No Excuses, No Pics only this
It's been almost 2 months since I have taken the time to post a blog. Baron DeKalb reminded me this past Tuesday at Madmen. Those who know me know that it wasn't from not having anything to say but basically from laziness and a problem with pictures. See, someone suggested a while back to add pictures to my blog. Well that would be fine and dandy if this was meant to be a running pictorial of the day to day life of Anna and Syd Smith. Its not. I always viewed this as an avenue for me to express my feelings on certain subjects. A place to let off a little steam and a place (as meagerly as it is) to realize my journalistic dreams. In my early years I dreamt of being the next Woodward of Bernstein. The funny thing was so did alot of others. Damn that "All the Presidents Men". My letters to the Editor at the Greenville News filled some of the void. But, owning a local business I had to be carefull on what I wrote or said. Here I don't have to make any excuses or begin to explain my warped view of the world. So Peg, No Pics and No excuses.
Now that the new year is upon us I have plenty of things to say. I'm not going to waste alot of time reliving the past 2 months. In a nutshell it went like this:
1) Clemson beat USC. (Nothing new, one is always the hammer and the other the nail)
2) Dabo got the job. (I was very happy. $$$$$)
3) Christmas with 4.5 grandchildren was what you would expect.
4) Bethelem Revisited - COLD!!!
5) New Years Day - a 50/50 split. Good Randall's Food, Bad Gator Bowl.
There you have it. I'm not going to worry about finding or uploading pictures only giving my opinion on things that don't matter to most.
PS: Peggy, I am working on another blogspot for pictures and happenings with our clan. That will hopefully be a joint effort.
Also, 10 days left until Inaguration!!!
Syd
Now that the new year is upon us I have plenty of things to say. I'm not going to waste alot of time reliving the past 2 months. In a nutshell it went like this:
1) Clemson beat USC. (Nothing new, one is always the hammer and the other the nail)
2) Dabo got the job. (I was very happy. $$$$$)
3) Christmas with 4.5 grandchildren was what you would expect.
4) Bethelem Revisited - COLD!!!
5) New Years Day - a 50/50 split. Good Randall's Food, Bad Gator Bowl.
There you have it. I'm not going to worry about finding or uploading pictures only giving my opinion on things that don't matter to most.
PS: Peggy, I am working on another blogspot for pictures and happenings with our clan. That will hopefully be a joint effort.
Also, 10 days left until Inaguration!!!
Syd
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