THE MAN IN THE MIRROR

"If you want to make the world a better place, take a look at yourself and make a change."
-Michael Jackson

Before I married my wife, we attended premarital counseling with our pastor. Something he told us has been forefront in my thoughts lately. My wife and I have been bickering and fighting over petty stuff lately. Most of the time I'm thinking, "why are we fighting about this?" In the midst of one of our disputes I heard my pastor's words ringing in my head. "Marriage isn't a 50 /50 proposition. It's a 100 / 100 proposition." In other words, you don't say, I'll meet you half way, because you always think you are the one giving 51% while your spouse is the one giving 49%. You have to have the mind-set that I'm going to give my spouse 100% all the time. We haven't been doing that. We instead are pointing fingers saying "I'm giving my 51%!". The truth is neither of us is giving our 51% or even our 49%. I dare not say what I think the percentage might actually be.

I need to look at the 'Man in the Mirror" and make my world a better place. I need to give my family my 100% (or as close as humanly possible) and hope and pray they follow suit in giving their 100%. I'm the head of my house and I'm supposed to lead. There is no better way to lead than by example.

So what am I waiting for? Hmmmmm... Selfishness I guess. I never knew how selfish I was until I got married.

I used to always tell people, "If you want to see yourself, don't look inward but for the reflection in the people who surround you, for in that reflection we see ourselves." That proverbial mirror is scary to look at, but I think I'm looking at it. Now the question is, am I going to "make a change"?

Some may say, "if you TRULY love your family, you will make a change." As if somehow my failures as a husband and father lessen my love. If love was all it took, I'd have this game won. It just seems that at times my selfishness overwhelms my love. I've been with Patty for almost 4 years and I still can't lose my bachelor mentality.

Well, Lord willing, I will change the man in the mirror and my family will prosper because of it.

They are all SWINDLERS

My baby (My Mustang) was impounded last Saturday. I was unable to get to the towing yard until Monday evening. By this time the fees were at $300. I don't know about you, but I don't have $300 laying around. I told them I wouldn't get paid till Friday. They told me by then the fees would be up to $500. I tried to get them to negotiate to release my car with a partial payment today, and a final payment on Friday. Of course they wouldn't even consider it.

So I buried my pride and asked a friend if I could borrow the money. So today I showed up with $330 borrowed dollars (they told me there would be a $30/day storage charge). They tell me the total is $390. WHAT???? $390??? Where did the extra $60 bucks come from? "Well sir, we are required by law to charge you a $60 licencse fee?" And you couldn't have told me this yesterday when I was here inquiring as too how much it would cost. "You didn't ask!"

I was angry by this point. They had shown me nothing but disrespect from the moment I arrived the day prior and now they wanted even more money on top of that. Well, after much debate and much chastising of their bad business practices, they agreed to accept the $370 I had (I had a little of my own money).

While they did their paperwork behind their safety glass (wonder why such a wonderful establishment would need safety glass?) I could here such wonderful under their breath comments like "I'll help you out as soon as I'm done with this A#@HOLE!".

They give me the release form and after reading I decide to follow the advice of the disclaimer at the bottom and asked to see my car and verify it isn't damaged before I signed the release. Exasperation and snide comments flowed like water as they reluctantly had one of their drivers escort me to my car so I could inspect it.

What do I find but my drivers side wheel turned almost 90 degrees out while my passenger side wheel is straight. "How am I supposed to drive my car out of here when ya'll have broken my steering rod?" So they take me to the driver who towed my car and he swears he found it that way. They even have a document signed by a police officer that says she verifies it was found that way. Yet they wouldn't let me have a copy of this document or even let me know the officers name.

I find it extremely hard to believe that a 3/4" steel rod mysteriously snapped all by itself. Especially since my Dad just drove it down from Fresno (about 250 miles) and I have driven it a few times since then and neither of us noticed any indication of a steering problem. But THEY FOUND IT THAT WAY!

I give credit to the driver who delivered my car to my home. He went out of his way to help me steer the broken wheel and park my car. As for the rest of the establishment, I wouldn't feel too bad if someone accidently torched the place.

Well, I'm off to find a way to vent off some of my anger and frustration. Hopefully I don't break anything vital.

Corporate vs Private

I found out today that I will have to end a business relationship I've developed with a private entrepreneur. Corporate restructuring is forcing my hand. I understand completely from the Corporate standpoint why the decision was made. It doesn't make it easier knowing that in the near future I will have to inform this small business owner that we can no longer use his services. We are one of his biggest clients. How will this loss affect his business which he works so hard to run?

Maybe I'm worried about my own loss. He is my most reliable vendor. His company jumps through hoops for me. I'm reluctant to loose such an asset. I'm reluctant to pull the rug out from under a man and an organization which has worked so hard on my behalf.

Not that I have a choice in the matter. The decision has been made. This time, I'm not the decision maker, but simple the messenger of bad news.

From a Corporate viewpoint, this is the best move we can make. I know this. I agree with this. Business is business, I guess.

THANKSGIVING

For the first time in my life I have shared Thanksgiving Dinner with both of my parents. It was rather strange to say the least. In fact the only occasion I can recall ever spending time with both of my parents (not counting custody battles) was at my wedding.

It was a good Thanksgiving though. My mother seemed out of place at times (I don't think she is accustomed to hanging around non-mormons). A little boring at times. For some reason the usual jovialness seemed to be lacking.

Maybe it's cuz I was too mentally preoccupied to really engage the occasion. Anyhow, I enjoyed the break from life.

Now back to reality.

Headline News (unless you live in America)

I ran accross this article online. It's aphalling and grotesque and apparently completely overlooked by US News Media, who never fail to catch a US soldier in a compromising situation.

http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,20867,20726085-2703,00.html

Apparently the brutal beheading of three young Christian girls is less newsworthy than Abu Grabi and congressman Foley.

What would you eat for 2.7 Million Dollars?

An LA fireman was recently awarded 2.7 Million Dollars in a settlement. What horrible crime was committed against him that warrented such a large settlement. His fellow fire fighteres as a prank, put dog food in his spaghetti sauce. He ate two whole bites of it before his fellow fire fighter (who were of course laughing) let him in on the joke.

But why did we give him millions of dollars? Well apparently, according to his lawyers, this was a humiliating event racially based (he was black of course) to imply he was a slave dog.

If you aren't shaking your head yet, it gets better. Apparently this 22 year veteran was well know as a prankster himself. This very large man was also know for calling himself "BIG DOG" and for screaming out sayings like "feed the Big Dog" at LAFD volleyball games.

But since he is black and his pranksters are white and hispanic, their prank was obviously race based and deserving of 2.7 million dollars.

Now lets just assume for two seconds that this prank had anything to do with racial degredation. Even if that were true (which I think the fact show it to be completely false) why do the taxpayers of LA have to fork over 2.7 Mil? Why do we have to pay anything? Why am I and my fellow taxpayers responsible for the individual action of a few men? IF they are truly guilty of some crime, should not any retribution be made by the offending parties. Would that not be just. But why does all of LA County have to pay because someone was offended at a joke?

How many more cops or firefighters could we put on the streets for 2.7 Mil? How many roads could we fix? How many streets could we light?

I think this man a total disgrace to the spirit of firefighters (to help those in need). He instead has chosen to rob LA's citizen of their hard earned money, because someone played a prank on Mr Prankster and it offended him.

Only one city council member spoke out saying how ridiculous this settlement was. He was apparently laughed off the stage while they signed away my hard earned money.

So, what would you eat for 2.7 Million Dollars?

Drum Roll Please

So after much debate (not really) I succumbed to the will of the wife and we went to get the ultra-sound (I wanted to be surprised). It was cool. The little bugger sure does move a lot. Kept shifting around. Oh and as Patty says, "KIDS GOT A BIG HEAD". I guess you'd have to be a mother to notice that. I thought the coolest part was watching the heart beat and seeing the spine. It's not everyday I get to watch a heart beating and get to see a living skeleton moving. Patty says it has my big nose (poor kid) and likes the God given pacifier known as a thumb.

Anyway, thanks to the wonders of modern technology I can with relative surety declare what few parents (relatively) in the history of humanity have been able to declare; We are having a.............

BABY


oh yeah, you already knew that....

ok, without further adoo...












































It's a BOY

Which Darrien is very excited about. I believe his word were "WE WON!".. out of the mouths of babes...

Brian Rohrbough-who's son was slain at Columbine

October 2nd, on the freespeech portion of a CBS news program, Brian Rohrbough, the father of a boy slain at Columbine, offered an opinion.


"I am saddened and shaken by the shooting at an Amish school today, and last week's school murders. When my son Dan was murdered on the sidewalk at Columbine High School on April 20, 1999, I hoped that would be the last school shooting. Since that day, I've tried to answer the question, 'Why did this happen?'

This country is in a moral free-fall. For over two generations, the public school system has taught in a moral vacuum, expelling God from the school and from the government, replacing him with evolution, where the strong kill the weak, without moral consequences and life has no inherent value.

We teach there are no absolutes, no right or wrong. And I assure you the murder of innocent children is always wrong, inclucing by abortion. Abortion has diminished the value of children.

Suicide has become an acceptable action and has further emboldened these criminals. And we are seeing an epiemic increase in murder-suicide attacks on our children.

Sadly, our schools are not safe. In fact, we now witness that within our shcools. Our children have become a target of terrorists from within the United States."

Now this seems like a pretty accurate depiction of the current state of our education system to me. But viewers thought differently. Here are some of thier responses......

"Brian Rohrbough lost a son.. apparently he also lost his grip on reality."

"It's amazing over the last 24 hours all the Christian fanatic fundies who normally don't watch CBS News have flooded this site with praise for Brian Rohrbough. News sure travels fast in the fascist-wing blogosphere."

"CBS is pandering to right-wing-nuts.."

I guess I just find it disturbing when people can be so biased as to refuse to see the truth which stares them in the face.

On a different note, I finished reading Job today.

"Who then is able to stand against Me?
Who has preceded Me, that I should pay him?
Everything under heaven is MINE!"

Just a reminder in case you had forgotten.

Just more Rambling....

Toy Soldiers brave away those tears
toy soldiers hope for better years
today I strike out on my own
the dog is dead, the kids have grown

ay didly oh, didn't you know
you fade once you glow
didn't you know child
after the rhyme high time
didly oh didn't you know
you fade once you glow
didn't you know child
after the rhyme high time.

CARBON LEAF on the brain. Just spent a few days down in San Diego. I was in school while the fam got to play at Old Town San Diego. I think I got the short end of the stick in that deal. They had a good time though and I learned alot. Now all I have to do is take it back to work and apply it.

Patty is starting to feel the baby. It's cool. She's big for four months. I keep telling her it's twins. we'll find out on Wednsday.

My Dad came to town with my Mustang. Now I have to figure out what to do with her. Poor girl needs a home which I don't have right now. I certainly can't afford to fix her yet. HMMM. I'll worry about that tomorrow.

off to bed. goodnight.

Quotes from Albert Einstein

The most powerful force in the universe is compound interest

What does a fish know about the water in which it swims all its life?

My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.

Put your hand on a hot stove for a minute, and it seems like an hour. Sit with a pretty girl for an hour, and it seems like a minute. That's relativity

The only thing that interferes with my learning is my education

Two things are infinite: the universe and human stupidity; and I'm not sure about the universe

The most incomprehensible thing about the world is that it is at all comprehensible.

The physicists say that I am a mathematician, and the mathematicians say that I am a physicist. I am a completely isolated man and though everybody knows me, there are very few people who really know me.

The hardest thing to understand in the world is the income tax

Sometimes one pays most for the things one gets for nothing

Science is a wonderful thing if one does not have to earn one's living at it

Reality is merely an illusion, albeit a very persistent one.

Insanity: doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results

If we knew what we were doing, it wouldn't be called research, would it?

If the facts don't fit the theory, change the facts.

I don't believe in mathematics

Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything he learned in school.

Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen.

Before God we are all equally wise — and equally foolish.

The bigotry of the nonbeliever is for me nearly as funny as the bigotry of the believer.

As far as the laws of mathematics refer to reality, they are not certain; and as far as they are certain, they do not refer to reality

To punish me for my contempt of authority, Fate has made me an authority myself.

LIFE OF A DEMOCRACY

Not sure how accurate these conclusions and statistics are, but it's an interesting read....

LIFE OF A DEMOCRACY

About the time our original thirteen states adopted their new constitution in 1787, Alexander Tyler, a Scottish history professor at the University of Edinburgh, had this to say about the fall of the Athenian Republic some 2,000 years earlier:

"A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always vote for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship."

"The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years. During those 200 years, those nations always progressed through the following sequence:

1. From bondage to spiritual faith;
2. From spiritual faith to great courage;
3. From courage to liberty;
4. From liberty to abundance;
5. From abundance to complacency;
6. From complacency to apathy;
7. From apathy to dependence;
8. From dependence back into bondage"

Professor Joseph Olson of Hamline University School of Law, St. Paul, Minnesota, points out some interesting facts concerning the 2000 Presidential election:

Population of counties won by: Gore: 127 million; Bush: 143 million
Square miles of land won by: Gore: 580,000; Bush: 2,427,000
States won by: Gore: 19; Bush: 29
Murder rate per 100,000 residents in counties won by: Gore: 13.2; Bush: 2.1

Professor Olson adds: "In aggregate, the map of the territory Bush won was mostly the land owned by the taxpaying citizens of this great country. Gore's territory mostly encompassed those citizens living in government-owned tenements and living off various forms of government welfare..."

Olson believes the United States is now somewhere between the "complacency and apathy" phase of Professor Tyler's definition of democracy, with some forty percent of the nation's population already having reached the "governmental dependency" phase.

If Congress grants amnesty and citizenship to twenty million criminal invaders called illegals and they vote, then goodbye to the USA in fewer than five years.

THE LIE THAT DESERVED ANOTHER

A man returned home after traveling abroad, eager to brag about his adventures.

"I've seen things you've never imagined, not even in your dreams," he told his friends. "Once I saw the longest ship afloat. The captain was standing at the stern, and he gave the cabin boy a message to take to the first mate, who stood at the bow. The lad was only ten when he started; his white beard swabbed the deck by the time he'd reached the mast. I didn't wait to see if he lived long enough to make it the rest of the way."

His friends looked at each other. One said:

"That's nothing. You didn't need to leave home to find sights like that. Why, in the forest just over that ridge, I've seen a tree so tall it poked a hole in the sky. Once a bird tried to fly over the top, but by the time it reached just the third branch from the bottom, it was too old to go any further. So it stopped and laid and egg, and told its chick to continue the journey. Seven generations of birds have been flying towards the top, and they're not halfway yet."

"That's ridiculous," the traveller scoffed. "I've never heard such a lie in my life."

"If that's the case," asked his friend, "where did you get the tree to make the mast for your ship?"

Just me Rambling as usual

Wow, I haven't been here in a month. That's Criminal. I guess I'm just too busy to express myself lately. It's seems everyday I have a whole list of things to do, not counting work for 9-11 hours. Yes, that is now my average day. Some might call me crazy, but I rather enjoy my job. The time goes by rather quickly. Buy, research, input data, negotiate with people we need to pay, argue with accounting, go to meetings, ect. It's a very busy job after 8am. The first 1.5 hours I reserve for myself. My coffee, time to check my messages and plan my day and input any left over data into the computer. It's also a great time to contact my East Coast contacts. By 8am, the mass is here and then it's one phone call after another of crisis. I become a reed in the wind returning to my desk to clear the paperwork whenever I get the chance.

Yesterday I received the strangest request yet. The production manager calls me, "Sean, I need you to get me a high powered BB Gun". You need what? Apparently he wants to use the gun to shoot the birds out of the rafters. "So, you want to shoot a high powered air rifle INSIDE the building?" YES! So I called the VP and he was all for it. I think their both crazy. They wanted it NOW. I escaped out of the escapade by declaring that the only way to do so would be to go to the store in person, and since my name isn't on any company credit cards, I wouldn't be able to purchase it. My boss, Sal, and I got a good laugh out of it though.

It's kinda strange calling Sal Boss. He's more like a friend who lets me do whatever I want. All I really have to do is be willing to jump through hoops when he needs me. The rest of the time I'm on my own.

My home life is good. Darrien is doing well in homeschool. He is excelling in math and doing about what we expected in everything else. Patty is starting to show. You can tell where the little whipper snapper is by the hard spot on her stomach. I like to move him/her around. She is still protesting the buying of maternity cloths.

We joined a Bible study group much like the Gel Groups of Forefront. Unfortunately we are going to have to leave before we get much of a start. We reallized after the whole group agreed to meet Wednesday that Darrien's AWANA (His bible study) meets on Wedneday. But how could you not have reallized this you ask? Well, it was still middle of summer when we chose and AWANA works on a normal school year schedule. It was the farthest thing from our mind.

The good news is the Dave, our Associate Pastor and great all around guy, is thinking of starting another group. Apparently Mic, his group leader, thinks he's crazy for driving as far as he does and keeps telling him to get lost. He's the black sheep of his group. Dave lives much closer to us and hopefully we all can come up with some arrangement.

Well I must be going. I have to finish an on-going project I'm helping my friend, Nova with. She is repainting her room. Normally this is a simple project. But her grandparents decided that the room should be painted with this high gloss paint long ago. The problem with high gloss paint is you can't paint over it, it won't stick. So I've had to spend a whole day just sanding the ceiling (last Saturday). That in itself was enough to wipe me out. Spent another evening laying down primer on the ceiling (only got one and a half coats down or up). Today, her uncle is going to join us and hopefully we will finish. Wish me luck.

That's criminal!!!!!!!!

Reading the newspaper today I came across an article on the crime/non-crime of cd/dvd burning. Apparently over 70% of our youth (13-26 year olds) are convinced that it is a crime to copy a cd they bought or a dvd they bought.

This train of thought got me reminiscing to my childhood. I remember side by side vcr's designed soley for the purpose of copying vhs tapes. Side by side tape decks designed to what... that's right, copy tapes. I have fond memories of spending hours compiling my favorite music onto one tape (a task which can be done in mere minutes today). And in all this 'copying' I can't recall anyone ever claiming they were breaking the law. It was just a given that you could do as you pleased with what you bought, and that included copying said item.

In trying to analyze how we came to this conclusion that making copy's of stuff you bought is a crime, I can come to only one conclusion. The whole dilema is driven by greed. Producers just can't stand the thought of someone enjoying something they made without recieving money for it. Apparently multi-billion dollar sells just aren't enough anymore. No, now they must acuse kids sharing their favorite songs of piracy. How dare they do that without our concent?

Benjamin Franklin was one of the most revered and succesful scientist/inventors of his time. Yet he refused to Patent a single invention. He felt that his inventions were for the benefit of all men, and that to Patent them would be criminal. I wonder what he would think of today's America where you are lucky if they haven't Patented the sneeze. Where the sharing of information is a crime.

I guess I'm amazed to see how drastically thinking has changed in just my short lifetime. Makes me wonder what the popular train of thought will be when I'm a grandfather.

Life is like a box of chocolates....

If you had talked to me a month ago, I'd have told you my life was in chaos and no matter how hard I tried looking, there was no light at the end of the tunnel.

But times are a changing and God, as always, is working wonders in my life. My wife is still pregnant. We "discuss" baby names, sleeping arrangements, read pregnancy websites, Poor lass still has the ever so pleasant, all day, morning sickness, or else she's napping. Darrien is in homeschool heaven as Mom usually falls asleep before they get too far into lessons.

As of today, I am working two jobs (at least for the next two weeks). I learned today that I have alot to learn at my new job. I'm stepping out of the blue collar, tool toting mechanic world, into the computer geek, air conditioned office job of Maintenance Planner/Buyer. My pay is actully a little lower, but since I'll be working much more, that won't matter. I have two separate data bases to learn (the company database and the maintenance database). I have to finish the maintenance data base, as it is only about 70% complete (that may sound like alot, but there is still plenty left to do). I have to learn the plant lay-out, new parts, new machines, and keep up with a developing Preventative Maintenance plan. Not to mention fight 'proverbial' fires, buy parts, like I've been working here for years, and know everything I can't possible know immediately, even though at the moment I'm only working, part time (which means any day I'm not at Saint Gobain). And my boss who hired me has only been with PAC (my new company) for 2 months, so he won't be much help.

So, once again, it's sink or swim kid. I'm sure I'll be fine, but man am I in for a ride. On a brighter note, Tuesday begins my last week of graveyard. I think I'll throw a party. Also, good old June is finally starting to pay me for the business, so I can finally get out from under my business loan. Saint-Gobain is giving me $4400 severence pay (woohoo, time to catch up and get ahead), and my union is giving me a $500 Ralphs gift card.

So, in short, God is bringing a new child into my life, he is lifting me out of the financial ruin I sunk myself into, he's raising my status in my field of work, which can only benefit me in the future, and he's has freed me from that horrible rotating schedule I've been tortured with these last few years. And he has presented me with a huge challenge in my new job. What can I say? God is good.

I'm glad he's on my side.

One last note. My wife is extremely pleased that my new career requires I improve my wardrobe. No more beach bum look for me... snff...

God's little miracle

According to the ever dependable EPT test (I'm told it's very reliable) the world is expecting a new Spawn of my loins. Or in lame man terms, the lady of my house is with child. And as my mother-in-law has already calculated out for us, the little tyke is due sometime between March and April.

So praise to the good Lord for our new little blessing and a request for lots of prayer for the health and safety of my wife and child. The poor girl has morning sickness all day long. So glad God made me a man.

Thinking about pregnancy cravings. I always joke with my wife that she has pregnancy cravings (she gets the wierdest cravings all the time). Now that she actually is pregnant, will the cravings get more extreme?

George Washington's Fairwell address

I was recently reading George Washington's Fairwell address. I can only imagine a modern day President giving such an address.

To any who wish to read it themselves
http://www.earlyamerica.com/earlyamerica/
milestones/farewell/text.html

Here are a few of the highlights in my opinion

-He calls the office of President an important trust

-"binds a dutiful citizen to his country" I found this an intersting notion in todays unpatriotic society.

-"The impressions, with which I first undertook the arduous trust, were explained on the proper occasion. In the discharge of this trust, I will only say, that I have, with good intentions, contributed towards the organization and administration of the government the best exertions of which a very fallible judgment was capable" Ok, can you imagine a polititian today admitting to his own 'Fallible Judgment"?

-"Hence, likewise, they will avoid the necessity of those overgrown military establishments, which, under any form of government, are inauspicious to liberty, and which are to be regarded as particularly hostile to Republican Liberty"
Damn, I used to be a part of the overgrown military establishment.

-"18 However combinations or associations of the above description may now and then answer popular ends, they are likely, in the course of time and things, to become potent engines, by which cunning, ambitious, and unprincipled men will be enabled to subvert the power of the people, and to usurp for themselves the reins of government; destroying afterwards the very engines, which have lifted them to unjust dominion" they are here... they are here...

- The evils of Political Parties...
"20 I have already intimated to you the danger of parties in the state, with particular reference to the founding of them on geographical discriminations. Let me now take a more comprehensive view, and warn you in the most solemn manner against the baneful effects of the spirit of party, generally.

21 This spirit, unfortunately, is inseparable from our nature, having its root in the strongest passions of the human mind. It exists under different shapes in all governments, more or less stifled, controlled, or repressed; but, in those of the popular form, it is seen in its greatest rankness, and is truly their worst enemy.

22 The alternate domination of one faction over another, sharpened by the spirit of revenge, natural to party dissension, which in different ages and countries has perpetrated the most horrid enormities, is itself a frightful despotism. But this leads at length to a more formal and permanent despotism. The disorders and miseries, which result, gradually incline the minds of men to seek security and repose in the absolute power of an individual; and sooner or later the chief of some prevailing faction, more able or more fortunate than his competitors, turns this disposition to the purposes of his own elevation, on the ruins of Public Liberty.

23 Without looking forward to an extremity of this kind, (which nevertheless ought not to be entirely out of sight,) the common and continual mischiefs of the spirit of party are sufficient to make it the interest and duty of a wise people to discourage and restrain it.

24 It serves always to distract the Public Councils, and enfeeble the Public Administration. It agitates the Community with ill-founded jealousies and false alarms; kindles the animosity of one part against another, foments occasionally riot and insurrection. It opens the door to foreign influence and corruption, which find a facilitated access to the government itself through the channels of party passions. Thus the policy and the will of one country are subjected to the policy and will of another.

25 There is an opinion, that parties in free countries are useful checks upon the administration of the Government, and serve to keep alive the spirit of Liberty. This within certain limits is probably true; and in Governments of a Monarchical cast, Patriotism may look with indulgence, if not with favor, upon the spirit of party. But in those of the popular character, in Governments purely elective, it is a spirit not to be encouraged. From their natural tendency, it is certain there will always be enough of that spirit for every salutary purpose. And, there being constant danger of excess, the effort ought to be, by force of public opinion, to mitigate and assuage it. A fire not to be quenched, it demands a uniform vigilance to prevent its bursting into a flame, lest, instead of warming, it should consume"

-On Separation of Church and state
"Where is the security for property, for reputation, for life, if the sense of religious obligation desert the oaths, which are the instruments of investigation in Courts of Justice? And let us with caution indulge the supposition, that morality can be maintained without religion. Whatever may be conceded to the influence of refined education on minds of peculiar structure, reason and experience both forbid us to expect, that national morality can prevail in exclusion of religious principle. "

-I wonder what he would think of today's national debt
"30 As a very important source of strength and security, cherish public credit. One method of preserving it is, to use it as sparingly as possible; avoiding occasions of expense by cultivating peace, but remembering also that timely disbursements to prepare for danger frequently prevent much greater disbursements to repel it; avoiding likewise the accumulation of debt, not only by shunning occasions of expense, but by vigorous exertions in time of peace to discharge the debts, which unavoidable wars may have occasioned, not ungenerously throwing upon posterity the burthen, which we ourselves ought to bear. The execution of these maxims belongs to your representatives, but it is necessary that public opinion should cooperate. To facilitate to them the performance of their duty, it is essential that you should practically bear in mind, that towards the payment of debts there must be Revenue; that to have Revenue there must be taxes; that no taxes can be devised, which are not more or less inconvenient and unpleasant; that the intrinsic embarrassment, inseparable from the selection of the proper objects (which is always a choice of difficulties), ought to be a decisive motive for a candid construction of the conduct of the government in making it, and for a spirit of acquiescence in the measures for obtaining revenue, which the public exigencies may at any time dictate. "

-"36 The great rule of conduct for us, in regard to foreign nations, is, in extending our commercial relations, to have with them as little political connexion as possible. So far as we have already formed engagements, let them be fulfilled with perfect good faith. Here let us stop."

-" hold the maxim no less applicable to public than to private affairs, that honesty is always the best policy"

-"41 Taking care always to keep ourselves, by suitable establishments, on a respectable defensive posture, we may safely trust to temporary alliances for extraordinary emergencies"

-"43 In offering to you, my countrymen, these counsels of an old and affectionate friend, I dare not hope they will make the strong and lasting impression I could wish; that they will control the usual current of the passions, or prevent our nation from running the course, which has hitherto marked the destiny of nations. But, if I may even flatter myself, that they may be productive of some partial benefit, some occasional good; that they may now and then recur to moderate the fury of party spirit, to warn against the mischiefs of foreign intrigue, to guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism; this hope will be a full recompense for the solicitude for your welfare, by which they have been dictated. "

-Remember, our country was founded by athiest..
"50 Though, in reviewing the incidents of my administration, I am unconscious of intentional error, I am nevertheless too sensible of my defects not to think it probable that I may have committed many errors. Whatever they may be, I fervently beseech the Almighty to avert or mitigate the evils to which they may tend. I shall also carry with me the hope, that my Country will never cease to view them with indulgence; and that, after forty-five years of my life dedicated to its service with an upright zeal, the faults of incompetent abilities will be consigned to oblivion, as myself must soon be to the mansions of rest. "

For those of you still reading, why don't you just read the whole thing? I think old GW would have been laughed out of politics in todays political arena. Maybe we should turn the joke on our politicians and laugh them out of office.

Why Are Americans So Angry?

This is Ron Paul addressing the House of Representatives. Long but good in my opinion. It give a daunting view of the state of the Union.

http://www.lewrockwell.com/paul/paul331.html

The Big One is Coming

"San Andreas Fault
moved it's fingers
through the ground
earth divided
plates collided
such an awful sound

San Andreas Fault
moved its fingers
through the ground
terra cotta shattered
and walls came
tumbling down "


THE BIG ONE IS EMINENT.... SOUTHERN CALI IS GONNA BE ROCKED BACK INTO THE OCEAN.... or so the experts are saying. AGAIN..... Hmmm.. it seems I've been hearing this same story my whole life. I'm still waiting.

My mother-in-law called this morning to tell us we had to move before the BIG-ONE hit. I had to laugh. Everytime we have fires or floods or any other natural calamity anywhere in Cali, the end is near and we must move. I love the lady but goodness gracious.

The Godfather

My friends at work have been caling me "Sean Corleone" all week. I can say the last thing I ever thought I would be in my lifetime is a godfather. When Nova asked me I was quite shocked and not sure what to say. My first thought was, "I'm not Catholic". But I said yes because I've been friends with her family for a very long time and I know she picked me cuz she trusts me more than any guy on the planet. "Ok, cool, btw Sean, you have to attend a class first". I have to what? Oh, good grief. It was an hour class that could have easily been summed up in five minutes. And I was tempted to speak out, but I promised Patty I'd hold my tongue.

So all last week Patty is asking me,"what are you going to wear to the baptism?" It's a baptism, not a marriage, cloths, jeans, t-shirt the usual. "You can't wear that. Call Nova and ask her what she wants you to wear. It's Catholic. Their pompous." I think I was told to call Nova at least a dozen times. Well, Nova called me Friday night,"What are you wearing tomorrow?" I don't know yet. "Well, a suit would be nice, but business casual will do". Later Nova told me, "I knew if I didn't call you, you would show up in shorts and t-shirt or something."

So, I pulled my suit out of the closet. My wife thanked Nova later. It's the first time she's seen me all dressed up since we got married.

The priest was nice. He liked to joke alot. Surprisingly I found myself in agreement with alot of what he had to say about baptism. At least the Catholic church still gets something right. Never mind the prayer to Mother Mary I read that makes her sound Holier than Jesus himself. I think they forgetten that she was human too. He also talked about raising your children with Christian values and how it takes more than sending them to church on sunday and Catholic School, but Christlike examples at home. He did a good job of expediting the process (there were seven baptisms).

The ceremony itself was a bit much. Too many robotic responses expected from the croud for me. "Would one of the godparents please come forward to light the candle, prefferable the taller one." That was me by BTW. This candle they had was just ridiculously tall. I'm pretty tall and I have monkey arms, but I could barely reach the top of this thing to light the candle. Where is big Billy Austin when I need him? I had to light the candle over and over again cuz everyone else was too short to reach. I wonder what they would have done if I wasn't there. "hey man, can I get on your shoulders?" LMAO. That would have been a beautiful addition to the ceremony.

Then off course there was picture taking. Evidence of me dressed up once again. Horrible!

The party afterwords was nice. We met at the godmother's, father's home in Tujunga. All I can say is, wow. I'd like to live there. From then on it was food champagne and corona's and lots of friendly chatter. We were so stuffed from the appetizers we didn't even bother to cook the lasagna.

All in all, it was a good day.

For all you married people

"Remember what I told you about marriage. It has three rings. The Engagement Ring... The Wedding Ring... and Suffer-Ring..."

We are giving away how much money?

According to congressman extraordinaire Ron Paul, congress is about to pass the budget for foreign aid 2007. 20 BILLION DOLLARS. Ok, I don't mind being charitable, but what gives some congressman the right to just give my money away. Why not give the money back to us and let us decide what to do with it? And most of that money is taken by the foriegn Gov't and used for who knows what, anything but aid to those in need. Let's just nuke congress and start over again. They are all pretty much useless anyway.

After 6 years in the Navy I shouldn't be surprised at seeing the US Government squandering US Dollars, but for some reason, even though I know how our great bureacracies work, I'm still floored when I am reminded how wasteful our Government is with my money.

Do any of you know how budgets for military units is determined? You're gonna love this. Each year each individual unit is given a budget. If you spend or exceed your budget, than the next year, the fed issues you a higher budget. If you don't spend your given budget, than the next year, the fed issues you a lower budget. So the incentive is to spend as much as you can (ie: waste as much as you can) so next your you get even more money to waste. I know a certain sailor who has a garage full of power tools and woodworking tools. He was told he had to spend the remainder of the budget, so he did. I won't even begin to guestimate how often this happens in all of our bureacracies, not just the military.

Well, enough ranting... maybe not.. 20 BILLION DOLLARS... CAN YOU BELIEVE THAT?

I wonder if they will still be giving away that much of our money when they drive us into a recession or even worse, the next depression.

What drives the 6-6-6 furor?

There's another side and some interesting biblical interpretations to this so-called satanic controversy.
By The Rev. Paul Viggiano

Driving down Pacific Coast Highway, I see one billboard for the "DaVinci Code," a few blocks later another billboard with the numbers 6-6-06. It's spooky; actually kind of depressing. Here I go out of my way to ridicule Dan Brown for his bad fiction -- faction -- and then it dawns on me that there is equally bad fiction revolving around the mark of the beast.

Whether it's Hollywood's "The Omen" or Tim LaHaye's Left Behind, it's fiction, fiction, fiction! Whatever happened to reality -- especially when it comes to something as serious as the Christian faith? This end-of-the-world hysteria borders on the ridiculous.

Don't misunderstand me. The Bible clearly refers to a thing called the mark of the beast. But it has nothing to do with tattoos, subcutaneous computer chips, bar codes, credit cards, your ATM machine, the re-entry hand stamp at Disneyland, June 6, 2006, or any of the other hype seen in these movies and novels.

Christians who have been influenced by this very sensational presentation of the mark of the beast (with the best of intentions) placard their bumpers with stickers warning their potentially ill-fated friends to "Refuse the mark." This means people should not take upon their hands or foreheads the number 666 in any fashion -- doing so seals your fate in hell.

Revelation's warning is unambiguous. To take the mark of the beast upon your hand or forehead forfeits your soul. But what does it mean? How does a person actually do this?

When ATM cards first came out, the end-times prognosticators warned us that the beast was at work in these cards. Should we really worry about signing the wrong form at the bank and accidentally finding ourselves in the hands of Satan? Then they warned us about the supermarket bar codes secretly encrypted with the three sixes. If Satan can trap us through bar codes, it's probably too late for most of us. I knew a man who wouldn't let his kids get their hands stamped at Disneyland for fear that they may inadvertently receive the mark. Is that the way it works?

Most people don't know that the Bible speaks more about the mark of God than the mark of the beast. Jesus writes his name on his people and seals the servants of God on their foreheads. Moses writes about God's people binding God's law upon their hand and foreheads. Ezekiel writes of God putting his mark upon the faithful.

The biblical references to the hand and forehead allude to faith (forehead) and obedience (hand). There are two marks to consider: the mark of God and the mark of the beast. In thoughts and deeds, is God served or the beast?

So, the mark has to do with heart commitment rather than tattoos. But who is this beast?

Untold acrostics, anagrams and speculations have been played with this 666. It makes me hesitate to make any suggestions at all. Guesses have been the pope, Martin Luther, Napoleon, Hitler, Kissinger, Reagan, enough! One thing the Bible does tell us about 666 is that it is the number of a man; man was created on the sixth day.

Seven is acknowledged by Bible scholars as the number of divinity, completion and perfection. The threefold repetition of six reveals man's full scale opposition to God. It is the sin of sins -- men wanting to be God.

When the Revelation was written, the epitome of man's power was found in the dominion of the Roman Empire. Rome was considered the most powerful human government ever assembled. To serve God in Rome (taking God's mark) meant hardship and often death. To serve Rome (taking Rome's mark) meant temporary ease; but it also meant denying one's faith.

Perhaps the most blatant passage of scripture ever given as a demonstration of taking the mark of the beast is given in the gospel of John. When Pilate asked the persecutors of Jesus if he should crucify their king, their response was "We have no king but Caesar." They took the mark of man over God.

Once again the government wants to be our savior -- to educate us, feed us, clothe us, care for us. The vestiges of deity must be swept away from our culture that the government (corporate man) may assume its rightful place as the messiah of a needy people. Rome sought to instill allegiance through fear of death. Today it is fear of being neglected.

Movies are fun. But computer chips or the latest "beast" prediction are matters of small consequence. All men bear a mark. According to biblical Christianity, the deeper question is whether one bears the seal of the living God. To believe in the Lord Jesus Christ is to have his name -- his mark.

Paul Viggiano is pastor of the Branch of Hope Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Torrance.

Welcome to Summer...

Goodness gracious great balls of fire... almost.. I was looking forward to a nice mild end of Spring, beginning of summer.. somebody forgot to mention that to the summer.. she's here in full force bringing close to record breaking temps... it's hot even in the shade.. giving me a headache.. the Corona in my hand isn't helping as I hoped it would. Maybe if I drink enough of them I'll just pass out and sleep through the sauna. Maybe I'll just have to pass out on the floor tonight. It's cooler there. Off in search of more beer..

Ludicrous Account of English Taxes

My first thought upon reading this was, "This is the world in which I live." I can't even imagine a world with little or no taxes. Can you?

Ludicrous Account of English Taxes
by Henry Brougham (1778-1868)

Permit me to inform you, my friends, what are the inevitable consequences of being too fond of glory. Taxes - upon every article which enters into the mouth, or covers the back, or is placed under the foot - taxes upon everything which it is pleasant to see, hear, feel, smell, or taste - taxes upon warmth, light, and locomotion - taxes on everything on earth, and in the waters under the earth - on everything that comes from abroad, or is grown at home - taxes on the raw material - taxes on every fresh value that is added to it by the industry of man - taxes on the sauce which pampers man's appetite, and the drug which restores him to health - on the ermine which decorates the judge, and the rope which hangs the criminal - on the poor man's salt, and the rich man's spice - on the brass nails of the coffin, and the ribbons of the bride - at bed or board, couchant or levant, we must pay.

The school boy whips his taxed top - the beardless youth manages his taxed horse, with a taxed bridle on a taxed road. The dying Englishman, pouring his medicine which has paid 7%, into a spoon that has paid 15% - flings himself back upon his chintz bed which has paid 22% - makes his will on an 8 pound stamp, and expires in the arms of an apothecary, who has paid a license of an hundred pounds for the privilege of putting him to death.

His whole property is then immediately taxed from 2% to 10%. Besides the probate, large fees are demanded for burying him in the chancel. His virtues are handed down to posterity on taxed marble, and he is then gathered to his fathers - to be taxed no more.

In addition to all this, the habit of dealing with large sums will make the government avaricious and profuse. The system itself will infallibly generate the base vermin of spies and informers, and a still more pestilent race of political tools and retainers, of the meanest and most odious description, while the prodigious patronage, which the collecting of this splendid revenue will throw into the hands of government, will invest it with so vast an influence, and hold out such means and temptations to corruption, as all the virtue and public spirit, even of republicans, will be unable to resist.

Rousseau on the Gospel

If the life and death of Socrates were those of a sage, the life and death of Jesus were those of a God. Shall we say that the evangelical history is a mere fiction - it does not bear the stamp of fiction, but the contrary. The history of Socrates which nobody doubts, is not as well attested as that of Jesus Christ. Such and assertion in fact only shifts the difficulty, without removing it. It is more inconceivable that a number of persons should have agreed to fabricate this book, than that one only should have furnished the subject of it.

The Jewish authors were incapable of the diction, and strangers to the morality, contained in the gospel, the marks of whose truth are so striking, so perfectly inimitable, that the inventor would be a more astounding man than the hero.

Rousseau

I HATE IT WHEN I'M RIGHT......

Life has been pretty good to me lately. Happily settled into a new apartment. My drive to work had been cut to 20 minutes by the streets. Finally starting to catch up on all my bills. Happily reached my one year anniversery. We are starting to get used to Homeschooling. As a once famous song says "the futures so bright.. I gotta wear shades"...

Or maybe not. We just found out our plant is closing sometime between August and Sept. This means I'll be out of a job sometime between Sept. and Jan. (somebody has to take the place apart). Just when I thought I was getting a handle on all the chaos, a new and potentially life altering wrench is thrown into the machine.

So what are my options.
1) I could transfer up to Madera. Wasn't quite ready to relocate the family since we just got settle here. And the corporation refuses to transfer anyone until after the shutdown cuz they need the people hear to shut down. If I wait, then I'm thrown into a pool with anyone else who wants to transfer up there and may or may not get the transfer. I could go up there as a new hire, but then I would lose all the benefits I've earned up to this point. Transfering up there would also throw me back to the bottom of the barrel in terms of getting off rotating shift. I hate rotating shift.

2) Throw myself back on the market and hope I find something that can pay my bills and offer comparable benefits. That doesn't rotate :-)

Option one means I get out of LA, which I'm intend to do eventually, but that I'm stuck, at least for now in a job I really don't like.

Option two means I stay here longer, but how much longer is the question. 2 years, 5 years, 10 years? When I leave LA I want it to be a planned evolution, not a survival technique. Option two could also mean I'm unemployed for a while.


I knew this was coming, I just didn't want to believe it. I wanted to believe upper management guru's who knew we wouldn't close. I wanted to believe the guys that said, "oh they've been saying that for years". One guy even offered to bet me. Shoulda taken that bet. But the signs were there for all to see and I knew it was coming in spite of those trying to convince me otherwise.

But knowing something is going to happen and being a part of it actually happening are two different things. For about a week after the announcement I felt shell shocked. As if an anvil had been dropped on my world shaking the very foundation. I've been unemployed and homeless before in my life. My friends used to label me "The Nomad". This time it's different. This time, I'm actually anxious and worried. I know it's because this time I have two people who depend on me. The burden of being head of the household. The burden of responsibility.


Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveller, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;

Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,

And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.

I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I--
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference

...Robert Frost

But the question is... which is the road less travelled? When I figure that one out, dear reader, I'll let you know.

I'm not making this up...

For the first time in a long time I've been shocked. I just heard of the World Breastfeeding Competition. When did breastfeeding become a sport to compete in? How do you judge such a competition? Why would you want to participate in such a competition?

It's not that I have a problem with breastfeeding. God's purpose for breasts is to nurse our children. But I am left speechless at the thought of someone turning it into a sporting event. Dare I ask the question, what's next?

What the Price of Gold Is Telling Us

WARNING : THIS ARTICLE IS LONG BUT SOMETHING WE AS CITIZENS OF AMERICA SHOULD ALL BE WORRIED ABOUT. I KNOW IT WORRIES ME. Makes me wonder what life for my children and grandchildren will be like.

by Ron Paul


Before the U.S. House of Representatives, April 25, 2006

The financial press, and even the network news shows, have begun reporting the price of gold regularly. For twenty years, between 1980 and 2000, the price of gold was rarely mentioned. There was little interest, and the price was either falling or remaining steady.

Since 2001 however, interest in gold has soared along with its price. With the price now over $600 an ounce, a lot more people are becoming interested in gold as an investment and an economic indicator. Much can be learned by understanding what the rising dollar price of gold means.

The rise in gold prices from $250 per ounce in 2001 to over $600 today has drawn investors and speculators into the precious metals market. Though many already have made handsome profits, buying gold per se should not be touted as a good investment. After all, gold earns no interest and its quality never changes. It’s static, and does not grow as sound investments should.

It’s more accurate to say that one might invest in a gold or silver mining company, where management, labor costs, and the nature of new discoveries all play a vital role in determining the quality of the investment and the profits made.

Buying gold and holding it is somewhat analogous to converting one’s savings into one hundred dollar bills and hiding them under the mattress – yet not exactly the same. Both gold and dollars are considered money, and holding money does not qualify as an investment. There’s a big difference between the two however, since by holding paper money one loses purchasing power. The purchasing power of commodity money, e.g., gold, however, goes up if the government devalues the circulating fiat currency.

Holding gold is protection or insurance against government’s proclivity to debase its currency. The purchasing power of gold goes up not because it’s a so-called good investment; it goes up in value only because the paper currency goes down in value. In our current situation, that means the dollar.

One of the characteristics of commodity money – one that originated naturally in the marketplace – is that it must serve as a store of value. Gold and silver meet that test – paper does not. Because of this profound difference, the incentive and wisdom of holding emergency funds in the form of gold becomes attractive when the official currency is being devalued. It’s more attractive than trying to save wealth in the form of a fiat currency, even when earning some nominal interest. The lack of earned interest on gold is not a problem once people realize the purchasing power of their currency is declining faster than the interest rates they might earn. The purchasing power of gold can rise even faster than increases in the cost of living.

The point is that most who buy gold do so to protect against a depreciating currency rather than as an investment in the classical sense. Americans understand this less than citizens of other countries; some nations have suffered from severe monetary inflation that literally led to the destruction of their national currency. Though our inflation – i.e., the depreciation of the U.S. dollar – has been insidious, average Americans are unaware of how this occurs. For instance, few Americans know nor seem concerned that the 1913 pre-Federal Reserve dollar is now worth only four cents. Officially, our central bankers and our politicians express no fear that the course on which we are set is fraught with great danger to our economy and our political system. The belief that money created out of thin air can work economic miracles, if only properly “managed,” is pervasive in D.C.

In many ways we shouldn’t be surprised about this trust in such an unsound system. For at least four generations our government-run universities have systematically preached a monetary doctrine justifying the so-called wisdom of paper money over the “foolishness” of sound money. Not only that, paper money has worked surprisingly well in the past 35 years – the years the world has accepted pure paper money as currency. Alan Greenspan bragged that central bankers in these several decades have gained the knowledge necessary to make paper money respond as if it were gold. This removes the problem of obtaining gold to back currency, and hence frees politicians from the rigid discipline a gold standard imposes.

Many central bankers in the last 15 years became so confident they had achieved this milestone that they sold off large hoards of their gold reserves. At other times they tried to prove that paper works better than gold by artificially propping up the dollar by suppressing market gold prices. This recent deception failed just as it did in the 1960s, when our government tried to hold gold artificially low at $35 an ounce. But since they could not truly repeal the economic laws regarding money, just as many central bankers sold, others bought. It’s fascinating that the European central banks sold gold while Asian central banks bought it over the last several years.

Since gold has proven to be the real money of the ages, we see once again a shift in wealth from the West to the East, just as we saw a loss of our industrial base in the same direction. Though Treasury officials deny any U.S. sales or loans of our official gold holdings, no audits are permitted so no one can be certain.

The special nature of the dollar as the reserve currency of the world has allowed this game to last longer than it would have otherwise. But the fact that gold has gone from $252 per ounce to over $600 means there is concern about the future of the dollar. The higher the price for gold, the greater the concern for the dollar. Instead of dwelling on the dollar price of gold, we should be talking about the depreciation of the dollar. In 1934 a dollar was worth 1/20th of an ounce of gold; $20 bought an ounce of gold. Today a dollar is worth 1/600th of an ounce of gold, meaning it takes $600 to buy one ounce of gold.

The number of dollars created by the Federal Reserve, and through the fractional reserve banking system, is crucial in determining how the market assesses the relationship of the dollar and gold. Though there’s a strong correlation, it’s not instantaneous or perfectly predictable. There are many variables to consider, but in the long term the dollar price of gold represents past inflation of the money supply. Equally important, it represents the anticipation of how much new money will be created in the future. This introduces the factor of trust and confidence in our monetary authorities and our politicians. And these days the American people are casting a vote of “no confidence” in this regard, and for good reasons.

The incentive for central bankers to create new money out of thin air is twofold. One is to practice central economic planning through the manipulation of interest rates. The second is to monetize the escalating federal debt politicians create and thrive on.

Today no one in Washington believes for a minute that runaway deficits are going to be curtailed. In March alone, the federal government created an historic $85 billion deficit. The current supplemental bill going through Congress has grown from $92 billion to over $106 billion, and everyone knows it will not draw President Bush’s first veto. Most knowledgeable people therefore assume that inflation of the money supply is not only going to continue, but accelerate. This anticipation, plus the fact that many new dollars have been created over the past 15 years that have not yet been fully discounted, guarantees the further depreciation of the dollar in terms of gold.

There’s no single measurement that reveals what the Fed has done in the recent past or tells us exactly what it’s about to do in the future. Forget about the lip service given to transparency by new Fed Chairman Bernanke. Not only is this administration one of the most secretive across the board in our history, the current Fed firmly supports denying the most important measurement of current monetary policy to Congress, the financial community, and the American public. Because of a lack of interest and poor understanding of monetary policy, Congress has expressed essentially no concern about the significant change in reporting statistics on the money supply.

Beginning in March, though planned before Bernanke arrived at the Fed, the central bank discontinued compiling and reporting the monetary aggregate known as M3. M3 is the best description of how quickly the Fed is creating new money and credit. Common sense tells us that a government central bank creating new money out of thin air depreciates the value of each dollar in circulation. Yet this report is no longer available to us and Congress makes no demands to receive it.

Though M3 is the most helpful statistic to track Fed activity, it by no means tells us everything we need to know about trends in monetary policy. Total bank credit, still available to us, gives us indirect information reflecting the Fed’s inflationary policies. But ultimately the markets will figure out exactly what the Fed is up to, and then individuals, financial institutions, governments, and other central bankers will act accordingly. The fact that our money supply is rising significantly cannot be hidden from the markets.

The response in time will drive the dollar down, while driving interest rates and commodity prices up. Already we see this trend developing, which surely will accelerate in the not too distant future. Part of this reaction will be from those who seek a haven to protect their wealth – not invest – by treating gold and silver as universal and historic money. This means holding fewer dollars that are decreasing in value while holding gold as it increases in value.

A soaring gold price is a vote of “no confidence” in the central bank and the dollar. This certainly was the case in 1979 and 1980. Today, gold prices reflect a growing restlessness with the increasing money supply, our budgetary and trade deficits, our unfunded liabilities, and the inability of Congress and the administration to reign in runaway spending.

Denying us statistical information, manipulating interest rates, and artificially trying to keep gold prices in check won’t help in the long run. If the markets are fooled short term, it only means the adjustments will be much more dramatic later on. And in the meantime, other market imbalances develop.

The Fed tries to keep the consumer spending spree going, not through hard work and savings, but by creating artificial wealth in stock markets bubbles and housing bubbles. When these distortions run their course and are discovered, the corrections will be quite painful.

Likewise, a fiat monetary system encourages speculation and unsound borrowing. As problems develop, scapegoats are sought and frequently found in foreign nations. This prompts many to demand altering exchange rates and protectionist measures. The sentiment for this type of solution is growing each day.

Though everyone decries inflation, trade imbalances, economic downturns, and federal deficits, few attempt a closer study of our monetary system and how these events are interrelated. Even if it were recognized that a gold standard without monetary inflation would be advantageous, few in Washington would accept the political disadvantages of living with the discipline of gold – since it serves as a check on government size and power. This is a sad commentary on the politics of today. The best analogy to our affinity for government spending, borrowing, and inflating is that of a drug addict who knows if he doesn’t quit he’ll die; yet he can’t quit because of the heavy price required to overcome the dependency. The right choice is very difficult, but remaining addicted to drugs guarantees the death of the patient, while our addiction to deficit spending, debt, and inflation guarantees the collapse of our economy.

Special interest groups, who vigorously compete for federal dollars, want to perpetuate the system rather than admit to a dangerous addiction. Those who champion welfare for the poor, entitlements for the middle class, or war contracts for the military industrial corporations, all agree on the so-called benefits bestowed by the Fed’s power to counterfeit fiat money. Bankers, who benefit from our fractional reserve system, likewise never criticize the Fed, especially since it’s the lender of last resort that bails out financial institutions when crises arise. And it’s true, special interests and bankers do benefit from the Fed, and may well get bailed out – just as we saw with the Long-Term Capital Management fund crisis a few years ago. In the past, companies like Lockheed and Chrysler benefited as well. But what the Fed cannot do is guarantee the market will maintain trust in the worthiness of the dollar. Current policy guarantees that the integrity of the dollar will be undermined. Exactly when this will occur, and the extent of the resulting damage to financial system, cannot be known for sure – but it is coming. There are plenty of indications already on the horizon.

Foreign policy plays a significant role in the economy and the value of the dollar. A foreign policy of militarism and empire building cannot be supported through direct taxation. The American people would never tolerate the taxes required to pay immediately for overseas wars, under the discipline of a gold standard. Borrowing and creating new money is much more politically palatable. It hides and delays the real costs of war, and the people are lulled into complacency – especially since the wars we fight are couched in terms of patriotism, spreading the ideas of freedom, and stamping out terrorism. Unnecessary wars and fiat currencies go hand-in-hand, while a gold standard encourages a sensible foreign policy.

The cost of war is enormously detrimental; it significantly contributes to the economic instability of the nation by boosting spending, deficits, and inflation. Funds used for war are funds that could have remained in the productive economy to raise the standard of living of Americans now unemployed, underemployed, or barely living on the margin.

Yet even these costs may be preferable to paying for war with huge tax increases. This is because although fiat dollars are theoretically worthless, value is imbued by the trust placed in them by the world’s financial community. Subjective trust in a currency can override objective knowledge about government policies, but only for a limited time.

Economic strength and military power contribute to the trust in a currency; in today’s world trust in the U.S. dollar is not earned and therefore fragile. The history of the dollar, being as good as gold up until 1971, is helpful in maintaining an artificially higher value for the dollar than deserved.

Foreign policy contributes to the crisis when the spending to maintain our worldwide military commitments becomes prohibitive, and inflationary pressures accelerate. But the real crisis hits when the world realizes the king has no clothes, in that the dollar has no backing, and we face a military setback even greater than we already are experiencing in Iraq. Our token friends may quickly transform into vocal enemies once the attack on the dollar begins.

False trust placed in the dollar once was helpful to us, but panic and rejection of the dollar will develop into a real financial crisis. Then we will have no other option but to tighten our belts, go back to work, stop borrowing, start saving, and rebuild our industrial base, while adjusting to a lower standard of living for most Americans.

Counterfeiting the nation’s money is a serious offense. The founders were especially adamant about avoiding the chaos, inflation, and destruction associated with the Continental dollar. That’s why the Constitution is clear that only gold and silver should be legal tender in the United States. In 1792 the Coinage Act authorized the death penalty for any private citizen who counterfeited the currency. Too bad they weren’t explicit that counterfeiting by government officials is just as detrimental to the economy and the value of the dollar.

In wartime, many nations actually operated counterfeiting programs to undermine our dollar, but never to a disastrous level. The enemy knew how harmful excessive creation of new money could be to the dollar and our economy. But it seems we never learned the dangers of creating new money out of thin air. We don’t need an Arab nation or the Chinese to undermine our system with a counterfeiting operation. We do it ourselves, with all the disadvantages that would occur if others did it to us. Today we hear threats from some Arab, Muslim, and far Eastern countries about undermining the dollar system – not by dishonest counterfeiting, but by initiating an alternative monetary system based on gold. Wouldn’t that be ironic? Such an event theoretically could do great harm to us. This day may well come, not so much as a direct political attack on the dollar system but out of necessity to restore confidence in money once again.

Historically, paper money never has lasted for long periods of time, while gold has survived thousands of years of attacks by political interests and big government. In time, the world once again will restore trust in the monetary system by making some currency as good as gold.

Gold, or any acceptable market commodity money, is required to preserve liberty. Monopoly control by government of a system that creates fiat money out of thin air guarantees the loss of liberty. No matter how well-intended our militarism is portrayed, or how happily the promises of wonderful programs for the poor are promoted, inflating the money supply to pay these bills makes government bigger. Empires always fail, and expenses always exceed projections. Harmful unintended consequences are the rule, not the exception. Welfare for the poor is inefficient and wasteful. The beneficiaries are rarely the poor themselves, but instead the politicians, bureaucrats, or the wealthy. The same is true of all foreign aid – it’s nothing more than a program that steals from the poor in a rich country and gives to the rich leaders of a poor country. Whether it’s war or welfare payments, it always means higher taxes, inflation, and debt. Whether it’s the extraction of wealth from the productive economy, the distortion of the market by interest rate manipulation, or spending for war and welfare, it can’t happen without infringing upon personal liberty.

At home the war on poverty, terrorism, drugs, or foreign rulers provides an opportunity for authoritarians to rise to power, individuals who think nothing of violating the people’s rights to privacy and freedom of speech. They believe their role is to protect the secrecy of government, rather than protect the privacy of citizens. Unfortunately, that is the atmosphere under which we live today, with essentially no respect for the Bill of Rights.

Though great economic harm comes from a government monopoly fiat monetary system, the loss of liberty associated with it is equally troubling. Just as empires are self-limiting in terms of money and manpower, so too is a monetary system based on illusion and fraud. When the end comes we will be given an opportunity to choose once again between honest money and liberty on one hand; chaos, poverty, and authoritarianism on the other.

The economic harm done by a fiat monetary system is pervasive, dangerous, and unfair. Though runaway inflation is injurious to almost everyone, it is more insidious for certain groups. Once inflation is recognized as a tax, it becomes clear the tax is regressive: penalizing the poor and middle class more than the rich and politically privileged. Price inflation, a consequence of inflating the money supply by the central bank, hits poor and marginal workers first and foremost. It especially penalizes savers, retirees, those on fixed incomes, and anyone who trusts government promises. Small businesses and individual enterprises suffer more than the financial elite, who borrow large sums before the money loses value. Those who are on the receiving end of government contracts – especially in the military industrial complex during wartime – receive undeserved benefits.

It’s a mistake to blame high gasoline and oil prices on price gouging. If we impose new taxes or fix prices, while ignoring monetary inflation, corporate subsidies, and excessive regulations, shortages will result. The market is the only way to determine the best price for any commodity. The law of supply and demand cannot be repealed. The real problems arise when government planners give subsidies to energy companies and favor one form of energy over another.

Energy prices are rising for many reasons: Inflation; increased demand from China and India; decreased supply resulting from our invasion of Iraq; anticipated disruption of supply as we push regime change in Iran; regulatory restrictions on gasoline production; government interference in the free market development of alternative fuels; and subsidies to big oil such as free leases and grants for research and development.

Interestingly, the cost of oil and gas is actually much higher than we pay at the retail level. Much of the DOD budget is spent protecting “our” oil supplies, and if such spending is factored in gasoline probably costs us more than $5 a gallon. The sad irony is that this military effort to secure cheap oil supplies inevitably backfires, and actually curtails supplies and boosts prices at the pump. The waste and fraud in issuing contracts to large corporations for work in Iraq only add to price increases.

When problems arise under conditions that exist today, it’s a serious error to blame the little bit of the free market that still functions. Last summer the market worked efficiently after Katrina – gas hit $3 a gallon, but soon supplies increased, usage went down, and the price returned to $2. In the 1980s, market forces took oil from $40 per barrel to $10 per barrel, and no one cried for the oil companies that went bankrupt. Today’s increases are for the reasons mentioned above. It’s natural for labor to seek its highest wage, and businesses to strive for the greatest profit. That’s the way the market works. When the free market is allowed to work, it’s the consumer who ultimately determines price and quality, with labor and business accommodating consumer choices. Once this process is distorted by government, prices rise excessively, labor costs and profits are negatively affected, and problems emerge. Instead of fixing the problem, politicians and demagogues respond by demanding windfall profits taxes and price controls, while never questioning how previous government interference caused the whole mess in the first place. Never let it be said that higher oil prices and profits cause inflation; inflation of the money supply causes higher prices!

Since keeping interest rates below market levels is synonymous with new money creation by the Fed, the resulting business cycle, higher cost of living, and job losses all can be laid at the doorstep of the Fed. This burden hits the poor the most, making Fed taxation by inflation the worst of all regressive taxes. Statistics about revenues generated by the income tax are grossly misleading; in reality much harm is done by our welfare/warfare system supposedly designed to help the poor and tax the rich. Only sound money can rectify the blatant injustice of this destructive system.

The Founders understood this great danger, and voted overwhelmingly to reject “emitting bills of credit,” the term they used for paper or fiat money. It’s too bad the knowledge and advice of our founders, and their mandate in the Constitution, are ignored today at our great peril. The current surge in gold prices – which reflects our dollar’s devaluation – is warning us to pay closer attention to our fiscal, monetary, entitlement, and foreign policy.

Meaning of the Gold Price – Summation

A recent headline in the financial press announced that gold prices surged over concern that confrontation with Iran will further push oil prices higher. This may well reflect the current situation, but higher gold prices mainly reflect monetary expansion by the Federal Reserve. Dwelling on current events and their effect on gold prices reflects concern for symptoms rather than an understanding of the actual cause of these price increases. Without an enormous increase in the money supply over the past 35 years and a worldwide paper monetary system, this increase in the price of gold would not have occurred.

Certainly geo-political events in the Middle East under a gold standard would not alter its price, though they could affect the supply of oil and cause oil prices to rise. Only under conditions created by excessive paper money would one expect all or most prices to rise. This is a mere reflection of the devaluation of the dollar.

Particular things to remember:


If one endorses small government and maximum liberty, one must support commodity money.
One of the strongest restraints against unnecessary war is a gold standard.
Deficit financing by government is severely restricted by sound money.
The harmful effects of the business cycle are virtually eliminated with an honest gold standard.
Saving and thrift are encouraged by a gold standard; and discouraged by paper money.
Price inflation, with generally rising price levels, is characteristic of paper money. Reports that the consumer price index and the producer price index are rising are distractions: the real cause of inflation is the Fed’s creation of new money.
Interest rate manipulation by central bank helps the rich, the banks, the government, and the politicians.
Paper money permits the regressive inflation tax to be passed off on the poor and the middle class.
Speculative financial bubbles are characteristic of paper money – not gold.
Paper money encourages economic and political chaos, which subsequently causes a search for scapegoats rather than blaming the central bank.
Dangerous protectionist measures frequently are implemented to compensate for the dislocations caused by fiat money.
Paper money, inflation, and the conditions they create contribute to the problems of illegal immigration.
The value of gold is remarkably stable.
The dollar price of gold reflects dollar depreciation.
Holding gold helps preserve and store wealth, but technically gold is not a true investment.
Since 2001 the dollar has been devalued by 60%.
In 1934 FDR devalued the dollar by 41%.
In 1971 Nixon devalued the dollar by 7.9%.
In 1973 Nixon devalued the dollar by 10%.
These were momentous monetary events, and every knowledgeable person worldwide paid close attention. Major changes were endured in 1979 and 1980 to save the dollar from disintegration. This involved a severe recession, interest rates over 21%, and general price inflation of 15%.

Today we face a 60% devaluation and counting, yet no one seems to care. It’s of greater significance than the three events mentioned above. And yet the one measurement that best reflects the degree of inflation, the Fed and our government deny us. Since March, M3 reporting has been discontinued. For starters, I’d like to see Congress demand that this report be resumed. I fully believe the American people and Congress are entitled to this information. Will we one day complain about false intelligence, as we have with the Iraq war? Will we complain about not having enough information to address monetary policy after it’s too late?

If ever there was a time to get a handle on what sound money is and what it means, that time is today.

Inflation, as exposed by high gold prices, transfers wealth from the middle class to the rich, as real wages decline while the salaries of CEOs, movie stars, and athletes skyrocket – along with the profits of the military industrial complex, the oil industry, and other special interests.

A sharply rising gold price is a vote of “no confidence” in Congress’ ability to control the budget, the Fed’s ability to control the money supply, and the administration’s ability to bring stability to the Middle East.

Ultimately, the gold price is a measurement of trust in the currency and the politicians who run the country. It’s been that way for a long time, and is not about to change.

If we care about the financial system, the tax system, and the monumental debt we’re accumulating, we must start talking about the benefits and discipline that come only with a commodity standard of money – money the government and central banks absolutely cannot create out of thin air.

Economic law dictates reform at some point. But should we wait until the dollar is 1/1,000 of an ounce of gold or 1/2,000 of an ounce of gold? The longer we wait, the more people suffer and the more difficult reforms become. Runaway inflation inevitably leads to political chaos, something numerous countries have suffered throughout the 20th century. The worst example of course was the German inflation of the 1920s that led to the rise of Hitler. Even the communist takeover of China was associated with runaway inflation brought on by Chinese Nationalists. The time for action is now, and it is up to the American people and the U.S. Congress to demand it.

April 27, 2006

Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas.

From The Desk Of Pastor Paul Viggiano

Here's a vote for a Christian voice

We shouldn't shy away from trying to press others to adopt our beliefs. We do it every time we vote or speak our minds.
By Paul Viggiano

After six months of regular church attendance, the atheist/attorney finally called for an appointment. I was thrilled! Was there a transformation? Had the Lord touched his heart? People come to church for all sorts of reasons. Why had he been coming so consistently? I was more than happy to meet with him; a bit curious, too.

He sat across from me in my study. He had listened to me for hours. Now I would listen to him. A thinker, he had pondered Christianity, but there were roadblocks. He voiced them.

"Why do Christians insist," he asked, "on forcing their political and ethical beliefs upon others?" I hadn't anticipated this question. He just didn't understand why something as personal and intimate as one's faith, had to spill over into politics. After all, faith is so holy and politics is so ... political.

I'd heard this before.

As a Christian, I am often bombarded by some undefined segment of our culture chastising me for seeking to "force" my beliefs on others and, as a March 15 letter to the editor asserts, "insist that they live by morality."

There seems to be legitimate confusion and even frustration. Here's my explanation:

I asked my lawyer/friend if he thought I should vote. He said I should. To him, voting was serious business. People ought to vote! Good Americans vote! But isn't it logically necessary that, in the very act of voting, one is seeking to force his beliefs upon everyone who is voting against whatever he is voting for? (You may wish to read that sentence again ... I'll wait.)

It doesn't seem consistent to tell me I should vote and then tell me that I shouldn't seek to force my beliefs upon others. That is exactly what voting does.

Walk with me into the booth:

The propositions and candidates stare at me from the confusing little punch-card booklet. Vote "Yes" vote "No" vote for "ME!" It seems I have some decisions to make. Should marriage be only between a man and a woman? Should it be illegal to terminate babies prior to birth? Should murderers be put to death? Should creation be taught in schools? Should the Pledge of Allegiance include some reference to God?

These decisions lie before us. Can you hear the question begging? When we vote, whose beliefs should we be seeking to force upon others? I believe the reasonable and conscientious vote to all of the above should be "Yes." It's someone else's belief that the vote be "No." Either way, somebody is seeking to force his beliefs on somebody else. In a society where people vote, this is simply unavoidable.

Since voters necessarily seek to force their beliefs upon others, it would appear that the actual objection is against those who have a religious genesis for their system of ethics and beliefs. People don't want religion forced upon them. If by saying this people mean they don't want to be forced to attend church against their will, I say "Amen."

But people fail to understand that Christianity is a world view. My faith is not like my health club or butcher who I visit and then forget about when I move on to a different category in my life. My faith informs every aspect of my life, including politics.

Why is it appropriate for certain people to vote in a manner consistent with what they learned from their parents or tabloids or sit-coms, but it is inappropriate for me to vote in a manner consistent with what I've learned from reading sacred scripture? After all, I think the scriptures are the zenith of truth and wisdom.

Why does the origin of my ideals somehow disqualify them (or me) from playing a part in the public arena? Why are the teachings of Moses and the Apostle Paul considered unacceptable influences in the venue of civic conscience, while the sentiments of Reiner, Moore and Penn are deemed admissible? It seems hardly fair to disqualify my opinion because you don't like its origin.

My attorney/friend's confusion was assuaged. I'm not sure if he was convinced. But if he wasn't, it's not because there was no reasonable answer to his question.

People should vote in a manner consistent with their highest beliefs. The Christian source for the highest ideals is the Bible. It trumps all human wisdom. "Trust in the Lord with all your heart," the Proverbs teach, "and lean not on your own understanding, in all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." That includes politics.

Vacation

We just got back from vacation. You ever need a vacation from your vacation? We had a great time. Easter at Dad's house. A week at my sisters with a visit to Yosemite. Then an anniversery weekend at a bed and breakfast in the mountains. Nights spent in front of the fireplace or in the jacuzzi spa. A sunset over Bass Lake (almost, we left before the sun made it down). An 8 mile hike in Mariposa Grove. I highly recommend anyone who gets the chance to visit the grove do so. Nothing like standing next to the biggest tree on earth. And of course good southern Barbeque and an incredible Steak house.

As for Yosemite. I love it, it's beautiful, however, it has become way too commercialized. Too many people.

But now I'm home and glad of it. My last two days of vacation I'm doing absolutely nothing. Just sitting on my butt reading and watching movies. I need the rest. It's good to have my own space, my own bed, my own computer, ect.

Spending over a week with family I reallized something though. God has truly blessed me and my children. I've reallized how much knowledge and understanding and guidance he really gives me. I've been reminded what a lack of that guidance brings. I have a great deal more appreciation for what I do have and a great deal more concern for my family.

Income tax

I was lucky enough to get a return this year. It seems silly to me that I have to ask the government to give me back my money. But every year I do. I think we should all write our congressmen and tell them read this article. Not that they would listen to us.


Cough Up

by Ron Paul


April 15th, our national tax day, comes this year just as Congress prepares to pass the 2007 federal budget. If you think paying taxes was painful this year, I’ve got some bad news: the new budget is a grotesque illustration of everything wrong with the federal government. At $2.7 trillion, it’s the largest budget in U.S. history by a long shot. Like it or not, the pressure to raise your taxes will be enormous in coming years no matter who controls Congress. The amount of money government spends, borrows, and prints simply cannot be sustained.

For most people, their income tax return represents their most meaningful interaction with the federal government. It requires them to confess their actions over the past year to the IRS in excruciating detail. It's an annual ritual guaranteed to elicit strong feelings of disgust. Thanks to the deception of income tax withholding, however, some people actually look forward to tax time and a much-anticipated refund. Imagine how quickly Americans would demand lower taxes and spending if they had to write the federal government a check each month.

Most people understandably want a simpler income tax system, but it’s useless to discuss tax reform without spending reform. Who wants a 40% flat tax? Who wants a national sales tax if it adds 50% to the retail price of everything we buy? In other words, why change the tax structure if spending stays the same? Once we accept that Congress needs $2.7 trillion from us, the only question is how it will be collected. The current answer is the labyrinthine tax code, which pits taxpayers against each other in a political scramble to make sure the other guy pays. The truth is that Congress does not need $2.7 trillion, or anything close to it, to fund the proper constitutional functions of the federal government.

The only tax reform needed is to lower or abolish existing taxes. When reform proposals seem complicated, the reason is simple: they obscure their true nature as schemes to shift the tax burden around. It’s not who pays or how we pay; it’s how much we pay.

The real enemy of tax reform is the spending culture in Washington. Let me repeat: we will never have tax reform in this country until Congress changes its spending habits. The reform rhetoric, regardless of which party it comes from, never changes the reality that federal spending grows every year. Congress spent $2.4 trillion in the last Bush budget; the new budget proposes to spend $2.7 trillion. The same unconstitutional agencies are funded, the same unwise programs are perpetuated, but at higher levels than last year. The previous budget serves merely as a baseline; the only question in any given year is how much spending will increase. Once created, no spending program is ever eliminated. The cycle goes on and on, with different administrations and different people in Congress.

But could America exist without an income tax? The idea seems radical, yet in truth America did just fine without a federal income tax for the first 126 years of her history. Prior to 1913, the government operated with revenues raised through tariffs, excise taxes, and property taxes, without ever touching a worker's paycheck. Even today, individual income taxes account for only approximately one-third of federal revenue. Eliminating one-third of the proposed 2007 budget would still leave federal spending at roughly $1.8 trillion – a sum greater than the budget just 6 years ago in 2000! Does anyone seriously believe we could not find ways to cut spending back to 2000 levels? Perhaps the idea of an America without an income tax is not so radical after all. It’s something to think about this week as we approach April 15th.

April 11, 2006

Dr. Ron Paul is a Republican member of Congress from Texas.

One year down, many more to go...

As I approach the first of many anniversaries to come in my marriage, I sit in wonder and awe. Is marriage what I expected to be? Nope! It’s wonderful and dreadful all at once. Wonderful in that I have the family I always dreamed of. I have a beautiful, loving, intelligent, Christian wife who loves me. I have an adorable little boy who also loves me. I am without a doubt a very blessed man. They are the answer to many years of prayers.

So what is the dread? The work! Marriage and fatherhood are more work than I ever imagined. I am, self-admittedly a lazy man. I know that to be the husband and father I want to be and that my family deserves will take a whole lot of work on my part. Don’t get me wrong, I anxiously await spending the rest of my life with Patty and Darrien, but there are times I long for the ease of bachelorhood, the freedom to do what I want, when I want, how I want, answering to no one. The life of a nomad wandering from place to place, never knowing what tomorrow will bring, and often not caring. Malcontent to stay in one place very long, always moving, always changing, always in a life of limbo. Always looking for the next adventure. Always going against the grain. Always rebelling against any authority in my life. Content to answer to no one.

No small wonder I left the navy, eh?

But now I’m in a cage of my own choosing as husband and father. A life which requires stability, responsibility, and a grounded ness which I am entirely unaccustomed. I don’t regret my decision to be a husband and father, but there are times I miss the freedom my wanton life once provided me. I’m still working on incorporating my Nomadic tendencies into my stable environment. So far the best I can come up with is to take my family to places of my past which, while not new to me, are new to them, and thus I get to re-live the joy of adventure through them.

However my life as a surfer of sofas is over. Maybe my children will follow in my footsteps someday. I’m sure my wife would just love that.

I've given up much, but I've gained more than I ever could have imagined.