An Alternative Choice

This week has been a hard week for Dallas. Our Cowboys, who we hoped in the summer would make the playoffs, did not win the Super Bowl. In fact, they didn't even win a single playoff game. For most of my life, football has been 3rd on list of sports to follow. For professional teams it always was ordered Texas Rangers, Dallas Mavericks, and then the Dallas Cowboys. The Dallas Stars made a brief run up the charts in 99 and 2000, but that was short lived. This year I got caught up in Cowboys mania and they hopped over the disappointing Mavericks. Now though, they are back down to their normal third.

I say all of that to set up the fact that I did not watch the playoff game last Sunday. In fact, I didn't listen to much of it. Now most of the city was enthralled with the game. I was in fact curious. However, it was the weekend and my wife was craving my attention. This is a dilemma for men everywhere, and one that I think we too often choose incorrectly. I decided for one day, to give up my sports and spend time with her. I could have done this bitterly and with many snide comments, but I think I kept them to a minimum. Our afternoon involved the oh so exciting grocery shopping and other errands. In between shops I caught snippets of the game. While we were driving to get some chips and salsa for dinner, I decided to turn off the radio for a bit and just drive. We drove in silence for probably 10 minutes holding hands and it was pleasant to say the least. When I got to the restaurant and the nostril-clearing salsa, I saw on the television that the Cowboys were about to throw away the game in the 4th quarter. On my way back to the car I had an epiphany that I was so glad that I had not stressed about the game, but rather enjoyed so much just sitting in silence with her. Coincidentally, the next morning I flipped to I John and read chapter 2 verses 15-17

Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him. For everything in the world—the cravings of sinful man, the lust of his eyes and the boasting of what he has and does—comes not from the Father but from the world. The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever.

I think for once I chose the right thing, and I am really happy that it was the Cowboys and not the Rangers in the playoffs. I needed a warm up round.

Overdoing It

The NBA has outdone itself again. They are going to replay the last 51.9 seconds of a Miami Heat and Atlanta Hawks game. The scoring table said Shaquille O'Neal had fouled out with 6 fouls at this point when in fact it was only his 5th. This is the first time since 1982 that the NBA has replayed a game.

This has to be one of the weirdest decisions that David Stern has made. I think this is in response to the whole referee fiasco of last year. The game must be fair and determined by play only! Now if you have ever played sports, then I know that you have been involved in bad calls. You either correct them immediately or you more likely just move on. These calls usually tend to balance out over the long run. The thing that you do not do is continue on and then weeks later redo part of the game. This is unheard of by me. Basketball more than almost any other current sport is all about momentum. Teams constantly go on a 12 point run and then give up a 12 point run. It's all about the energy and emotions and being in the groove. So abstracting out a minute portion of the game to replay at a different time makes no sense whatsoever. I know the boys in Vegas are going to love this scenario.

Bad call commish...

What I look for in a Candidate

This is part 1 of a potential series of posts. Today I am going to explain the values that I look for in a presidential candidate and the issues that I am keenly interested in. Over the next few days I am going to do research on each of the candidates and report back which candidates match up with each item and then tally up who matches the most. I am an issues voter more than a good vibe voter, so you will see my points slanted that direction. Also note that I plan on actually researching each candidates info from first hand sources (i.e. each candidates websites) rather than what I heard some radio commentator say the candidate believes. I also think that past record is important. In looking at that, you can tell if a person is just saying something to get elected or actually believes something. Without further ado, the issues in random order:

• Tax Policy It is hard for me to believe that anyone who receives a paycheck does not want tax reform. There is a ton of money taken out of each paycheck. I like lower taxes and am all for them. I think we need several things including simplifying the tax code and drastically reducing or eliminating the IRS. The tax policy is not investor friendly and lends itself to punishing those who attain success. Down with the taxes!


• Immigration Living in Texas I know that this is a sensitive topic. I know that immigrants do many jobs that we wouldn't dream of looking at. I know that many immigrants work very very hard. I also know that people we don't want sneak into our country as well. I am for several steps. First, securing our borders and stopping those who want to sneak in. This has to be the first step. Second, reviewing and redoing our legal immigration policy to encourage law abiding people to come here and prosper. As for those who are here illegally, I am not sure what to do. But I can't imagine kicking them all out at this point. We have to find a way to integrate them into our society.


• War in Iraq I think at this point debating who did or did not support going in originally and to how much extent is sort of a moot point. Several candidates have taken so many sides that I don't know what to make of it. What I am interested in is how they will handle the situation going forward. I will first admit that I am a fan of General Petraeus. I do not think that this war has been managed perfectly, but I think that he is doing an excellent job at this stage. I really hope that the next president will finish the job over there. I personally think that the next president will, no matter what he or she says. To leave too soon will create the biggest mess ever and almost certainly cause more harm than the national poll numbers matter on the subject. I want a president who will look for solutions to the issues and finish the job.


• Free Markets vs Big Government This is a big pet peeve of mine. I really think that government is too big and that it meddles too much in our lives. This includes business, regulations, and other laws. The bureaucracy is huge and part of the reason that our budget is not under control.


• Moral Issues This one is a huge one for most people. I am most certainly pro life. I am also a follower of Christ. So I fall that direction on moral issues as much as I can. To me this category comes down to the word character. I know that we aren't going to have a perfect person in the office, nor do I expect it. But I certainly hope for someone who will earnestly try to do the right thing.


• Conviction I am looking for a leader that takes the right stand whether or not the polls support him or her. This means not flip-flopping on issues. Now that term has become synonymous in recent years with certain people, but I am not singling them out. I want a leader who will stick to their guns when it isn't easy.


• Experience I for one don't want a Washington outsider that many people claim to be. I think being an outsider has distinct disadvantages. Connections are huge in the beltway and get things done. This does not mean that I want a lobbyist for president, but I don't want a greenhorn either. I think that governors are qualified, but other than that, you need to be involved in Washington somehow. With that, I want experience that the candidate is proud of and that has been consistent. This experience needs to show a pattern of staying on the right side of issues.


• Budget Reform and Earmarks Here's an idea for the government: SPEND LESS. This would be my battle cry as a candidate. We often talk about tax cut or tax hikes and we are always worried about the budget. This happens in my own household. There are two options when you have a budget problem: make more or spend less. I choose spend less. Some politicians will have you believe that we just need to raise taxes on this or that class, but I say no. I think that it is time to figure out what we really need, and what we can do without. I am sure that this sounds oh so lovely, but I think that it really necessary. Our nation, just like its people, has a problem with overextending its debt. I am looking for a fiscally responsible leader. I also want earmarks done away with or at least regulated better. Congressmen are constantly stuffing bills with pork after the bill has been voted on running up our bill. This spending can be and should be eliminated.


• Judicial Appointments I really appreciate judges that make decisions based upon what the law says. This is not what they think the law should say, but what it actually says. I want a president who will appoint judges that do not legislate from the bench. Say what you will about Bush 43, but his appointment of John Roberts to chief justice was one of his best decisions. I hope that our next president can appoint judges in that mold.


• Energy Policy and the Environment I live in the grand state of Texas, the home of the Texas T. I have worked at two different oil companies as an intern. I can say from my limited experience that there was no evil conspiracy at either to destroy the earth or rip off the world. I actually found that some of the most environmentally conscience people I have ever met worked for the companies. Also, my grandpa runs a solar energy company so I know all of the great benefits of it as well. My view is this: First off, I do not think that the world is on the brink of disaster. I have done some study on the subject. It is a very hard subject to study by the way because of the excess of passionate diatribe that clouds the cold hard facts. Having said that, I don't think that we really treat the planet that well, or at least don't put much thought into how we treat it. We are making great strides towards being much more fuel efficient across all sorts of technologies. Besides coal and oil being used better, solar, wind, and a host of other nifty ideas for harvesting energy have come a long ways. I am a nerd who followed the Ansari X prize. This is an ideal model in my opinion for spurring innovation. I really hope that more of our federal budget can be spent to make us extremely efficient. The other side of the coin is that American's just pollute, even the environmentally sound. I am not sure how to egg people on to do less, but I am not sure that the government should be all that involved in the process.


• Foreign Policy I might be different than some in my way of thinking, but I am not quite the expansionist that others may be. That means that I really want to take care of the home front first. A biblical thought on the subject might be taking the plank out of my eye before the speck in yours. I think that there is a lot that needs fixing here in our own place before we stick our necks out to fix others. This is not a state of illusion where I pretend that our world is perfect and ignore problems. Rather, it is a mindset that our citizens come first and that we should take care of them above other nations. I would love a more domestic policy than perhaps we have had of late that tackles the big issues of our nation, not everyone else's.


• Homeland Security Having now worked in the real world for several years, I am beginning to understand the effect that bureaucracy can have on solving real problems. And I am not complementing the system. I am quite excited to see that we have taken steps to remove walls and get people the information they need to do their jobs. I am not super excited about seceding all of my rights in the process, but I realize that something has to be given up in order to obtain higher security. I general fall on the law enforcement side of the argument, but that assumes that they are inherently good. Since I am not totally disillusioned, I realize that we need reasonable checks in place for the process. So this is one of my less passionate issues, but one that should still matter.


• Poverty and Education I group these two items together because I think that they are tightly coupled. Education is the key to getting out of poverty. I am not a big fan of no child left behind. I think many people have hashed that one out. If there ever was a program that I would expand in the government, it would be student loans. I think first off that we are not a poor country, but that those who are less fortunate can pull themselves up quite quickly via education.


• Social Security
Being a young lad of 25, I personally have absolutely no hope of ever seeing a social security check. This is not necessarily a bad thing because that knowledge has motivated me to prepare on my own. I wish however that some of that money taken out of my paycheck could actually go to my own retirement account. A lot of people have plans for fixing social security, I want one that slowly takes the government out of my pocketbook.

I just realized that I just wrote a chapter in a book that is way too long. Therefore I will leave my explanations at that and explain further on specific issues if prodded.

The New Year is looking up

The sports world in Dallas is on an upswing right now. Bolstered by the return of the Cowboys, 2008 looks to be a good year.

Cowboys
With a first round bye, we are set to win our playoff game in years. This is by far our best team in quite some time and the offense will most likely explode in January. We have been beat up and injured in December and the extra week off should really boost our team. Look for Romo to keep showing off the ice water that runs through his veins. Look for Marion Barber to emerge as the running leader of this team and stiff arm the competition. And look for whichever receiver that the defense forgets to cover (TO, Terry Glenn, Jason Witten, or even Patrick Crayton) to become a local hero. Demarcus Ware is going to trounce the other team as well. To the right is our office mascot. The tortoise is an adaptation of the Marion Barber stiff arm. Because of course, that is what we do to the competition.

Mavericks
This has been a weird season for the boys so far. However, after listening to last night's trouncing of the Golden State Spoilers, I think they might be coming together finally. While not performing well, this team has stepped up for some big games and I think that Avery will have them playing quite fluidly come playoff time. Watch out for the Brandon Bass squad. If Dirk gets his head straight, this team could take off really quick.

Rangers
Being a long term Rangers fan, I am excited about the next year. According to Baseball America we have improved our farm system from 28th to 4th in the league. That is a big jump. We no longer have to put all of our hopes in 2 or 3 prospects. This bodes well for the 2009 and 2010 seasons. Now I know that won't get most fans excited, but I am all about doing things the right way. I have lived through the era where we brought in every old has been that the league could offer. I am ready to have some home grown talent. Meanwhile, I think that the lineup that they will put out in Arlington will actually be decent. I think the outfield looks a lot better. The main concern as usual is pitching, but I am not over eager and ready to sell the farm for this year. So lets hope players like Taylor Teagarden and others develop further this year.

Ainulindale vs The Magician's Nephew

I have recently read both the Ainulindale[A] and The Magicians Nephew[MN] and thought I would do a comparison between the two. Now the Ainulindale is part of The Silmarillion if you actually want to find it. This can also be seen as a comparison between J. R. R. Tolkien (author of the Ainulindale) and C. S. Lewis (author of The Magicians Nephew). These two were part of a literary group known as the Inklings and probably shared each of these stories with the group. Therefore I think that these two accounts probably have some each person interwoven into them even though they reflect the author in the end.


First off, both of these stories are most likely elaborations on the the biblical genesis story. Both of the authors were Christians and no doubt had interesting views of how it all began. The theme of music is shared by both is used as the method of creation. No doubt both men had visited cathedrals and heard choirs of voices resounding throughout the massive buildings. The view of creation as a beautiful harmony seems almost natural if you have heard certain masterpieces. The instrument of the music is different in each. In [A] the Ainur are created by Iluvatar (represents God) and they in turn sing the part of the song that was put in them. In [MN] the singer is a singular person in the lion Aslan (represents the Christ, son of God). The Lewis version of having the Son involved in creation reflects thoughts presented at the beginning of the gospel John. John chapter 1 verse 3 states

Through him all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made.

Aslan therefore is the personification of this scripture. Tolkien's presentation could be best described as God creating angels and giving them a purpose. Those angels then fulfill their purpose in creating.

The literary style in [A] is much closer to the actual biblical account of creation than [MN]. Tolkien himself was a linguistics professor and wrote many languages for his books. This knowledge of the origins of many languages most likely caused him to write a structured and believable account of creation. For his writing style can easily be seen to closely mimic ancient stories from almost all origins. This style can be perceived as distant or detached to some people, but it is nonetheless accurate from a historical standpoint. Lewis on the other hand uses [MN] to take the reader to the date of creation and makes them an observer. The creator seems much more personable. He even laughs with creation. Most people tend to prefer this version because it seems more personable and fits better with modern times.

The timeline presented by Tolkien is somewhat vague. For an unknown amount of time creation was occurring being designed. The actual creation process in his account takes many centuries to complete. Lewis has the account occur in a singular day and would fit more literally with the Genesis account. I think that you also have to take into account the intended audience. While Lewis's audience was explicitly stated to be children, Tolkien's book takes on a much more scholarly take. This take presents a much more serious and intricate look at things than a mere children's book would.

Taking all things into consideration, it is hard for me to choose a favorite. Although from a personal standpoint, [MN] gives me a much better feeling.