Everything is so amazing and nobody is happy.

This guy is my HERO right now. I have said this for years, that the youth of today (yeah, that includes you - anyone under 40 - yes I said it) is so self centered and unappreciative of what they have today.

Every single word this guy says is absolutely TRUE - I have heard it, seen it and experienced it. The worst part is that my generation, the over 40's... ok, the over 45's, alright already - the nearly 50 year olds and older are starting to treat our world this way. Snap out of it!

I have told my children that the decade of the 1980's was the last decade where we, as a country truly made great leaps in technology and advanced out culture into the techo-savvy world we have today.

That's right kids all those conveniences you enjoy, were invented by my generation (or prior). What has come from today's generation - that wasn't an 'improvement' from a prior invention... um, NOTHING.

Think about that - today's group of 20's. 30's and early 40's have contributed NOTHING to our society except CONSUMERISM and entitlement.

In the 1970's here is some of what was invented/achieved:
Pong - 1972
Post it notes - 1974
Rubik's cube - 1974
Gore-tex - 1976
The Walkman - 1979
Rollerblades - 1979
Microwave oven sales begin - 1975 (invented in 1945)
space station - 1971
LCD - 1971
Microprocessors - 1971
Pocket Calculators - 1971
MRI - 1971
CT scanners - 1972
Hybrid vehicles - 1974 (Victor Wouk originally invented it)
digital Cameras - 1975
The Personal Stereo (hand held, boombox) - 1977

Here is a brief list of the most amazing technology advancements/inventions of the 1980's:
The artificial Heart - 1982
CD-Rom - 1985
Apple Lisa - 1983
Apple Macintosh - 1984
Windows OS - 1985
ACE inhibitor - 1982
Camcorder - 1983
The Internet (first TCP/IP network) - 1983
The instant bread maker - 1986
Digital Light Processing (DLP) - 1987
MS/DOS - 1981
The PC - 1981
High temp super conductor - 1986
Disposable cameras - 1986
Disposable contact lenses - 1986
Doppler radar - 1986
HD TV - 1989
Nintendo NES - 1980
Motorola "brick" mobile (later renamed 'cellular') phone - 1983
oh and that small achievement called "The Space shuttle"

And then came the 1990's:
DVD - actually an improvement of the CD. So you can be entertained in your home.
Viagra - Oh, nothing need be said here
Wi-Fi - 1997 invention - legitimate way to sit anywhere and be self absorbed.
GPS - actually wasn't invented in the 1990s but achieved 'operational status' in 1993.
The World Wide Web (WWW) - was invented much earlier - but entered every household int he 1990s

How about the 21st century... Here is what the great inventors of our time are giving us:
Youtube - 2005
Translucent concrete - 2004
No-contact jacket - 2003
Blue tooth - 2002

What I am saying is there is a very, very notable decline in the ability for our current 'inventors' to think outside of personal space. Where are the new technologies for improving our way of life?

Just makes me think that as a parent, I really need to teach my children to be PRODUCERS and not CONSUMERS. This is another reason why Dawn and I chose to homeschool our kids - I firmly believe that our public school system creates workers and not entrepreneurs - we need 'out of the box' thinkers in our society - contributors - not 9 to 5'ers.

Just my rant for the day - (please note that I warned you with the heading on my blog, you might get offended - 'specially if you are under 40!

Bible Study Magazine Giveaway!

Bible Study Magazine and Mars Hill are giving away 20 copies of Mark Driscoll’s new book, Vintage Church. Not only that, but they are also giving away five subscriptions to Bible Study Magazine and a copy of their Bible Study Library software! Enter to win on the Bible Study Magazine Mark Driscoll page, then take a look at all the cool tools they have to take your Bible study to the next level!

Valentine's Day Dinner 2009

This year - the economy what it is - Dawn and I agreed to have a quiet dinner at home instead of dropping $100's at a restaurant (remember last year...)

Anyway - Ashley was going to join us as Garhett was at the "Anti-Valentine's Day Concert" at the HUB for RevolutionX. Now, what to make - you know it is the husband's job to make the Valentine's Day dinner... I decided on Filet Mignon, cold raised Lobster tail, prawns and haricots verts (fancy string beans) with a spinach and strawberry salad, chilled 'apricot' sparkling cider, clarified/drawn butter and a fancy desert. It literally took me less than 30 minutes to make everything.

(um, I set the table - so no commentary from Miss Manners about the placement of the glasses or flatware...)

Here is what it looked like:

Hungry yet? Just wait... The dessert:

Vanilla Bean Ice Cream with creme fraiche coated strawberries in a cured brandy/pure vanilla sauce lightly dusted with fresh ground cinnamon and an even lighter dusting of powdered chocolate, drizzled with dark chocolate and strawberry sauces, topped with fresh banana, strawberry and the final touch, mini marshmallows! I call it an 'adult' banana split!

Dawn LOVED it - and now Ashley tells me she really likes lobster (bad move dad...). Best part - The whole meal, Dinner for 3, plus beverages and dessert, all under $50! (props to Ralphs, double coupons - j/k)

Ok gentlemen - next year... Your turn!

Books I am reading...

Yes, I said reading - Yeah, most (ok, all) of you know I don't like to read. I would much rather see a movie. But lately I have found the following books interesting and I am currently reading all of them.

There are days when I get so confused as to which concept comes from which book - that lends itself to some interesting conversations...

Think about this...

A friend sent me this... I can't get past how simple this presentation is.




(h/t Dave Peeters)

Tax Cut or Spending bill? You be the judge...

The Obama 2009 Stimulus package, now named, "American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009" is being touted as the answer to our failing economy. However, this is really just an attempt by the liberal democratic regime to realign our countries values along their liberal agenda. WHAT?!

Yep, of the 1588 page, $850 billion bill less than 2% of that money is earmarked for tax cuts. The rest is NEW SPENDING with an emphasis on expanding the Federal Governments controls over our lives!

But - don't take my word for it - do your due dilligence as an American and read it here .

This bill is so bad NOT ONE house republican voted for it. You would think that a bill that has not one republican vote and 11 democratic NO votes would deserve to be examined more.

Now that this was passed in the house it moves to the Senate - read the Senate version here.

Here is breakdown in an excel spreadsheet of the funding proposed and the entities which will receive the funds.

This is the GOP alternative bill being proposed.

If the country is in such a crisis right now and NEEDS this bill passed - why is it that the spending won't happen until 2010 and beyond? See the CBOs report here.

All I know is that there appears to be a huge rush to spend money we don't have on programs that don't work to promote jobs that won't materialize to help an economy that is in the toilet due to democratic supported programs like 'sub prime mortgages' and the like. It didn't work under Clinton, and Bush paid for it - and we are about to do it again.

The bottom line seems to be that if you tell the American public that they are each going to get a refund "stimulus" check (free money), they yell YES - instead of seeing what the cost really is.

Children of our future - I am sorry for what is about to happen - you will be paying back our debt and so will your children and your grandchildren.

Today would have been Ronald Wilson Reagan's 98th birthday, the chief executive with the most successful economic policy of the 20th century.

- in celebration of this day - give a listen to this speech and think about what he says - then compare his truths to this stimulus package...

"A government bureau is the nearest thing to an eternal life we will ever see on this earth."

As we recall his ideas — and affirm them ourselves — we will be better equipped to debate the issues of the day. When others call the republican party’s attempt to block a spendthrift “stimulus” as obstructionist or rejectionist, tell them that in opposing this boondoggle, we are not merely rejecting a proposal which, we believe, will be harmful over the long term, we are affirming the vision of Ronald Wilson Reagan.

Let us always remember the Gipper’s guiding idea: "Freedom. Freedom. Freedom."

And the less government intrudes on our freedom, the better off we are. And the stronger our economy is - and ultimately will be.

Stay out of the Shack...

Mark Driscoll is probably the best Pastor on the planet right now - here is what he says about this book that many, many christians are reading.



Chuck Colson chimed in on it - check it out here.

I must post a disclaimer - I haven't read the book - don't want to read the book - and if I want to understand the trinity or have a closer relationship with the Lord - I would and do read the Bible. The issue I have is that many Christians today (albeit - nominal) take this type of literature as 'scriptural' and take the parallels indicated in the book as gospel truths instead of just reading it for fun. It is a christian allegory and not biblical fact.

If you want truth - read the Bible - not a novel.

**UPDATE: 2/6/09: I am reading the book - and let's just say, my opinion is NOT changing so far!