Full body scanners

Yeah, you can scan me all day long. Enjoy! But I'm not sending my daughter through one of your full body scanners at the airport so some creepy TSA guy in the backroom can ogle her. Nope. Not gonna happen.

The Creation of the World

So the debate rages in the office this morning over whether or not the earth was created in a literal 7 day span of time. One literalist calls anyone who says differently a "naysayer."

I'm as Baptist as they come and obviously pretty darn conservative in my worldview. Personally, I wouldn’t call such people naysayers, but questioners. I admit I’m in the questioner category myself, and when I teach the creation story to my second grade Sunday School class, I have to question whether I truly believe it’s accurate or not because it just seems mighty mythological to me and written eons after the fact during a time when stories were passed down verbally from one generation to the next.

I don’t believe it makes me a naysayer to believe that while God created the world, it MAY not have literally happened exactly as it did in Genesis over a six 24-hour day period of time. I’m not saying that I believe that it may not have happened EXACTLY that way, but it might not have too – and either way doesn’t impact my faith.

Of course, scientists have no credibility with me when they say the earth is millions of years old and we were evolved from sea sludge, especially after they try to hoax us into believing in man-made global warming. They have their own religion, and create their own “facts” to justify their own dogma. The concern I have over Christian programs that aim to prove the Genesis version of creation is they often take the same approach that scientists take – using the facts that justify their own belief systems while ignoring others.

It's fun to philosophize about though! We'll find out the absolute truth someday.

Obama and the Post-Modern Race Problem

Loved Shelby Steele's column today in the WSJ:

The essence of our new "post-modern" race problem can be seen in the parable of the emperor's new clothes. The emperor was told by his swindling tailors that people who could not see his new clothes were stupid and incompetent. So when his new clothes arrived and he could not see them, he put them on anyway so that no one would think him stupid and incompetent. And when he appeared before his people in these new clothes, they too—not wanting to appear stupid and incompetent—exclaimed the beauty of his wardrobe. It was finally a mere child who said, "The emperor has no clothes."

The lie of seeing clothes where there were none amounted to a sophistication—joining oneself to an obvious falsehood in order to achieve social acceptance. In such a sophistication there is an unspoken agreement not to see what one clearly sees—in this case the emperor's flagrant nakedness.

America's primary race problem today is our new "sophistication" around racial matters. Political correctness is a compendium of sophistications in which we join ourselves to obvious falsehoods ("diversity") and refuse to see obvious realities (the irrelevance of diversity to minority development).

Political correctness is killing our country. It causes our president to not call an Islamic extremist who attempts to blow a plane out of the air on Christmas an "Islamic extremist." It causes a political party to use the race card when it's not even at play in order to guilt white people into voting a certain way and to unjustifiably shackle minorities with the status of racial victimhood. And yes, who can deny that many voted for Obama, a guy they knew nothing about, because of the allure and sophistication of showing us as a non-racist country.

Those of us who have known the emperor is wearing no clothes can only hope that at least 51% of Americans will see that fact the next time they have an opportunity to vote for the most important job in the country.

Healthcare reform is like an arranged marriage

Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid bought off the votes of several senators in order to ensure the 60 he needed for passage of the healthcare reform bill. Porks and perks dispensed to select areas throughout the nation:

Ben Nelson's Nebraska receives eternal Medicaid financing
Chris Dodd's Connecticut receives a lovely grant for a hospital
Byron Dorgan's North Dakota and Montana's Max Baucus gets more dough for rural health care in their states
In what is being hailed as "Harry Reid's Louisiana Purchase", Mary Landrieu snagged $100 million for her state's Medicare program.

These special provisions that are state-specific may cause the bill to be found unconstitutional, as federal bills aren't supposed to treat states differently.

I saw this morning that some state AG's are questioning this unfair distribution of porks and perks, but Kansas Liberty reports that Kansas officials are not participating.

I'd love to believe that this will go to the Supreme Court someday and find that the final bill is completely unconstitutional. But then again I thought that the McCain-Feingold campaign finance law would have been found unconstitutional as an infringement on free speech, but it was not. My confidence is shaky at best.

What amazes me most is how hell-bent the Democrats are in passing a bill the vast majority of Americans don't want. A Fred Barnes column I read this morning in the Wall Street Journal calls it the "Tyranny of the Minority" -- the legislators know what's best for us so despite our opposition they will vote for it and we will grow to love it once we common peasants understand it better.

Doesn't that just remind you of arranged marriages? "You will marry Abdul here. Sure, he's ugly, fat and gruff, but you'll grow to love him after you're married and you get to know him better."

I, for one, don't want to marry Abdul.

Friends don't let friends drink and debate on the Senate floor

Was Democrat Max Baucus intoxicated by the sound of his own voice when debating healthcare reform on the Senate floor, or just intoxicated? Watch the video and you be the judge?

There have been some wacky occurrences in the upper house lately, including this very unfortunate move by comedian Al Franken (ok, I know he was supposedly elected to the senate, but c'mon...I just can't stick that title in front of his name) to deny an extra moment for Senator Joe Lieberman to conclude his remarks. It seems the respect and decorum of the place is going downhill fast under its current leadership.

The Job Gurus on the Cabinet

Glenn Beck recently rolled off the historical percentages of the number of cabinet office holders with past private sector experience -- those with real-world experience and not just government jobs:

Roosevelt - 38%
Taft - 40%
Wilson - 52%
Harding - 49%
Coolidge - 48%
Hoover - 42%
FDR - 50%
Truman - 50%
Eisenhower - 57%
Kennedy - 30%
LBJ - 47%
Nixon - 53%
Ford - 42%
Carter - 32%
Reagan - 56%
GHWB - 51%
Clinton - 39%
GWB - 55%
Obama - 8%

Only 8% of Obama's cabinet has worked in the private sector, and these are the people coming up with ideas for spurring job growth! Yikes. You think their ideas may be a tad rooted in government intervention and growth of the public sector?

That's a stunning number to me.

The Nutcracker and Healthcare Reform

I had the honor and privilege of playing the role of the father in this past weekends' performances of Topeka Ballet's Enchanting Nutcracker. My daughter did a wonderful job dancing as one of the flower buds.

This is, of course, the tale of a fantasy carried out on Christmas Eve in which a young girl's Nutcracker that she was given by her godfather comes to life to fight mice and then take her on a journey into a fantastical land full of dancing and merriment.

I'm afraid the fantasy of healthcare reform will be foisted upon us on Christmas Eve, but we won't be rewarded with dancing flowers. If the problems they're trying to fix are so huge, complex and weighty, why have the Dems imposed this crazy deadline of Christmas? It's clear the American people want no part of it, but they are going to go over the cliff with it anyway.

Their proposed bills fix the wrong problems, and will cost us all when most of us are generally satisfied with the quality of our care. It needs to be tweaked, to be sure, but throwing it all out is nonsensical.

In this past issue of TK, I interviewed Mike Eichten of People's Insurance and Benefit Group, and we discussed the real problems that need to be fixed: increased competition (which drives prices down, forcing the creation of improved products and services), and the easy availability of information. Consumers can use the internet, consumer protection agencies and other consumer reports as comparison resources before they make a purchase in pretty much all other aspects of our economy -- but not healthcare! When it comes to medical information, federal and state regulations limit the amount of information that can be shared and makes it nearly impossible for any of us to compare the costs of services to be sure we're getting the best value.

I just had a medical procedure done. I went to the surgeon that my primary care provider referred me to, and didn't really have much opportunity for comparison shopping. I may have significantly overpaid -- I have no idea!

And, of course, where is tort reform in all of this legislation? The dems are too beholden to trial lawyers to fix an obvious area that spikes the cost of healthcare -- frivolous medical malpractice suits. And don't get me started on forcing the majority of Americans who are opposed to abortion to pay for abortion coverage!

If only we had a magical nutcracker in Washington DC. We may need an army of them to crack those nuts in DC before our fantastical nightmare begins on Christmas Eve.

Blizzard dumps snow on global warming summit

Don't you just love God's ironic sense of humor?

"World leaders flying into Copenhagen today to discuss a solution to global warming will first face freezing weather as a blizzard dumped 10 centimeters (4 inches) of snow on the Danish capital overnight."

The government can do it!

It never ceases to amaze me that most people agree that whatever the government touches, it generally screws up royally...yet they demand more of it! So for some lighter moments, a couple of my faves...a little political cartoon and a ditty on YouTube that both make the point quite nicely...



"The Government Can" by Tim Hawkins

Another year of me

Well, I'm 43 today. I remember when my dad was 43, and he was OLD! Do my kids think of me like that? Do they think I'm old? I don't feel old!

I keep asking my kids for affirmation that they don't think of me as old, and they assure me they do not. Of course this from my 11 year old daughter who once famously told me, "Yep dad, someday I'll be old and you'll be dead."

I think my dad acted older than I do. That must be it. It's a generational thing. That generation was more serious about the "seriousness" of parenthood than we are. Perhaps that's why our kids behave the way they do!

For my birthday, we went to two KU games in the past week. That's probably my quota for the year.

I hope that by my next birthday, our country will be in better shape. I fear that it won't be. This great house of cards can easily be tumbled by a slight wisp of wind (from the general direction of China).

By my next birthday, there will be a major election in which new congressional representatives will be chosen across this land. I hope my fellow Americans throw the current crop of bums out and really do a better job of picking their replacements. Of course, that depends on who runs, and most often the BEST people won't go anywhere near it.

By my next birthday, we may be paying for an unwanted healthcare reform that we won't actually experience for several more years down the road. They're not apparently heeding those signs that say "You cram healthcare reform down our throats in 2009, we'll cram it up your ____ in 2010!"

And if they do indeed cram it down our throats despite the opposition of a majority of Americans, I hope that by my next birthday, it will indeed have been crammed up their ___ so they can hobble back home as the duly dis-elected and completely disgraced former representatives of their congressional districts.

But as for tonight, let me eat cake!

The NEW TK is out!

I just received my copy of the brand new Winter 2009/2010 issue of TK Magazine. It's a beautiful issue, and not just because the cover features three very pretty ladies (with a couple of manly guys on the edges).

The cover shot reflects what is new about this TK...an entirely new team. When I started TK way back in 2006, there was a completely different situation -- no other magazines and a pretty strong economy. Now there are several magazines and other forms of media that drain from a very small pond of advertising available here in Topeka, and the economy has been tough to say the least. We've muscled through, and tweaked and slashed expenses where needed while still improving the look and content of TK.

The "evolutionary" process of business if fun. You must evolve or die, and death is just not an option (well, it is one, but let's not go there!). But thinner paper and fewer pages wasn't the kind of evolution I wanted to see for a successful TK in the future. I dream of a big TK, the business magazine of Topeka. And to dream big, we need a bigger team and fresh ideas. So I asked Tara Dimick to get involved and take on the role of publisher.

What a great decision! It's awesome to see her fresh approach to the magazine, and she has involved even more people in building a TK Team for the future.

So what the heck am I doing with it now? I'm still part of the team, and help Tara as managing editor and contributor of content. Talon's Creative Director, Jenni Monhollon (look for the young lady between me and Tara on the cover) will still be in charge of design, and our business relations manager Ed Swift will still be a part of the sales team.

One new feature that I'm particularly excited about is my series entitled "Champions of Character." In each issue, I will highlight Topekans that exemplify high-caliber character -- those people that serve as role models for each of us through the high standards they set for themselves and strive to achieve success for the community beyond their own self-interests. In this issue, I shone my spotlight on Joanne Morrell, the visionary and muscle who pushed the rock called The Kansas Children's Discovery Center up and over the hill. What a model of vision, dedication to a cause, and persistence...and dreaming BIG!

So check out the NEW TK! And let us know what you think!

Favorite snowy memories

I guess I'm old because now I hate snow. I don't care how pretty it is. My favorite snowy memories are well in the past, because the memories created in the past couple days of shoveling first my driveway and then all the walkways around my office building are ones that hopefully will not stick with me.

Now this isn't one of those "walk uphill both ways to school in the snow" stories, but if you grew up around here in the 70s and 80s, you know this stuff we've been getting lately is just wimpy.

(In my best old-man-voice): Why, in MY day, we had snow drifts as high as houses and the normal snow on the ground would come to my hips!

Of course, the snow may have appeared twice as deep because I was half as tall.

Sledding down Quinton Heights hill is of course the greatest memory ever. Funny how much I used to love that but now am nervous about letting my own kids do it. Then again, my parents let me walk from our house to White Lakes Mall when I was the age my daughter is now and we don't hardly let her out of our sight.

How did we get to be such a generation of nervous ninnies? I think it's because of too much news coverage -- too much REALITY! Kids getting hurt, maimed, molested, kidnapped...and we sometimes know about it right after it happens when the Amber Alert hits the airwaves.

My second favorite snowy memory involves my dog Rascal. He was a beagle/German Shepherd mix -- and strong as an ox. One time we were planting a tree in the front yard, so we chained him to a cinder block in the backyard with a log chain. It wasn't long before he came running around the house dragging that cinder block behind him.

Anyway, the greatest dog that ever lived would pull me around on my sled on snowy days. I was probably eight, so I probably didn't weigh more than 50 lbs, but he was an impressive creature regardless. He was beagle-sized! Let's see any other beagle do that!

Enjoy your snow people! I might just get out there today and try to give my kids some good memories of their own.

Rockin' interviews

Check out my recent interviews with rock stars Jason Steely of Daughtry and Rich Williams of KANSAS.

Global Warming saves us from a winter blast

Thank goodness for global warming or just imagine how bad this upcoming blizzard would be!

Since the new buzz term in economics is "created or saved" -- if it wasn't for Obama's stimulus, the jobless rate would be higher -- we can perhaps say that global warming saved us from an even worse winter storm! Whew!

EPA aims to squish us

The Obama administration is about to circumvent the people once again by using the EPA to force businesses to invest in expensive equipment to clean up their emissions regardless of pending legislation on global warming.

They know with climate-gate out there, that their wishes when it comes to global warming laws is going to be hampered so they are ruling carbon dioxide as a dangerous pollutant.

Does it matter to them that the pollution caused by carbon dioxide isn't limited to American businesses and all they're doing is making us less competitive when competing countries isn't about to hamper their manufacturers with environmental laws that will reduce their profitability?

When we need more output and more profitability (therefore more hiring and investment) the Obama group is out to drive one more nail in our economic coffin.